Nationally acclaimed barcade Ground Kontrol is constantly adding new video games to their inventory. With every new game comes the need for a thoroughly researched write-up that contains a description of its gameplay, reception and obscure pieces of knowledge. These write-ups go into Ground Kontrol’s video game encyclopedia.
These write-ups require a delicate balance between informative and fun. Sometimes a well-known game comes onto the floor and it is a relatively light lift to whip up a complete blurb.
And then sometimes a game with talking monkeys, evil twins and pies rolls through. Oh, and it’s all in Japanese…
Case Study: THE OUTFOXIES
“Hey, Mary. Can you write a detailed blurb regarding this widely unknown Japanese game from over 20 years ago? Thanks!”
That was the task at hand when I was introduced to The Outfoxies, the pinnacle of oddball 90s Japanese gaming. The game was never actually released in the US, so little information about it was readily available. I had to do some serious research gymnastics to get the full scoop.
My quest for more info included watching YouTube gameplay videos (and reading the dreaded comment section), scouring gaming message boards and reading old interviews with game developers. Additionally, the arcade flyers for The Outfoxies were all in Japanese, so I sought out an interpreter to accurately retrieve the game’s tagline and character bios.
Despite the initial lack of information, I was able to pull together one the most thoughtful write-ups I’ve done to date (see below).
