Games for Lunch: Choro Q

In a nutshell: Super Happy Fun Racing RPG Good Time Game!
12/23/2008 6:22 PM | 0 Comments | Page 1 of 3

Developer: Takara
Publisher: Atlus
Release Date: Nov. 4, 2004
System: PS2
ESRB Rating: E
Official Web site

0:00 I don't know how GameStop expected me to resist a game whose box says "Intense Racing Action," "Robust RPG Adventure" and "$2.99 Used" on the back.

0:01 An extremely outdated CGI cut scene shows a bunch of tiny cars racing around a track with a bunch more cars sitting in the stands. The inspiration for Pixar's "Cars"? A bunch of different foreign words for "Freedom" appear over a montage of these tiny, tiny cars zipping around some interesting racing tracks. High energy cheesy guitar music precedes the title screen. Pretty standard PS2-era intro.

0:02 The title screen has some extremely happy music and a cars driving around a very tiny globe with happy, vibrant colored houses. It looks like MySims more than "INTENSE RACING ACTION."

0:04 I think this is the first racing game I've ever played with an "Auto Cruise" button.

0:05 Cartoon "Brrrrrrr!"s fill the screen when I set the controller vibration. I have a feeling I'm going to like this game.

0:06 On to "Q Story," where I'm asked to choose a garage. I can choose the one with the blue roof, the one with the pink roof and the one with the green roof. These are the least manly garages I have ever seen. They look like the bridges of Madison County more than auto garages.

0:07 "A quick question! Who are you?" Wow ... that's deep. Oh, it just wants to know my gender and birth month. That's part of who I am, for sure, but it doesn't really delve into the deepest depths of my soul.

0:08 "Which keychain do you like?" There's an Arc de Triomphe, a blue racecar and a teddy bear. Is "None" an option? No. No, it is not.

0:09 "What is your first body?" I can choose from six chassis, including a minivan, a few buggies and a purple three-wheeled monstrosity that's "seen all over Japan." OK, let's try that.

0:10 "Welcome to ChoroQ Island. A long time ago, the Grand Prix was held here." The young prince, the Emperor of the Races, competed. "But one day, something happened... After that incident, the Emperor of the Races hid from the public. And now 20 years have passed." What could have happened? I guess we'll never know?

0:11 Extremely whiny engine noise as we fade in to see a yellow F1 car racing with others. "Where am I?" says Norahike, who I can only assume is the yellow car. "I can't speed up. I won't make it!" He crashes and burns on a turn. I can tell they're going for high drama, but the tiny cute cars and tinny noises make it hard to take this too seriously.

0:12 It was all a dream ... Norahike is OK. "Norkia, what are you trying to tell me." Yeah ... and who's Norkia?

0:13 Anyway, my purple car pulls out of the garage and gets spun around by a blue coupe. "Hey ACE, it's me, Barat." (My name is ACE). Quote of the moment: "Too bad you're slower than a snail goin' backwards!" That's ... that's pretty slow!