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Okédoké! La Leyenda Mexicana vs. Baconlabs
Okédoké! La Leyenda Mexicana A two-for-one pop culture combo meal.
FnrrfYgmSchnish
Download: 4.09 MB
V.S.
Baconlabs
Play Time: 2 hours and 45 minutes
Review # 1 for Baconlabs A two-for-one pop culture combo meal.
Them's Fightin' Words
    First, let me get this off my mind: The entirety of Okédoké! feels like an homage to the EarthBound / Mother series with a hispanic twist. And it fills that role very well, with a quirky cast of characters in a pseudo-realistic setting of TexMex variety with lots of humor to offer despite a semi-cliché plot.

(This is a review of the demo version. Whatever I mention will be greatly expanded on in the full release.)
Graphics
    Okédoké! was also an entry to the 2009 OHR 8-bit contest, so that means the graphics were done using only 16 colors. The variety is amazing, though, and every setting has its own flavor; El Garbanzo's dinky little hometown, the spooky old Ghost Town, and the urban wasteland of Wrongside, to name a few.
I'd argue that 8-bit graphics can still be stylish, and Okédoké! almost feels like an NES classic in this regard.
In addition, the designs are very stylized and cartoony, and for the most part this adds to the game's charm. However, there are a few instances where this style becomes lazy and doesn't look quite right. Certain enemies in-battle - most humanoids, actually - appear skewed and abstract, and that's the only gripe I have in the graphics department.
 
Storyline
    The basic plot: you're a talented swordfighting bandito seeking the truth behind your father's "death" in the U.S.
It's very simple and guides the player's journey pretty well, but it is familiar and boring in this day and age.
Enter the cast of characters - the good, the bad, and the ugly - who have unique and interesting personalities. Señor Death (the Mexican equivalent of the Grim Reaper) is a cryptic character with unknown motives at this point, but plays like an old wise man, guiding El Garbanzo in the right direction. Señor Rialgo (the Mexican equivalent of Wario?) is a mighty berserking man who is the source of much toilet humor (see the screenshot below) in the game. The Mighty Racist Border Rangers are, as a whole, a parody of the Power Rangers; as individuals, they're each a physical satire of some aspect of American culture, as indicated by their transformation aliases.
The Cameo characters, though based on pop culture, each have little quirks of their own and make for interesting themed battles.
All in all, the world of Okédoké! is a fun and whimsical, if sometimes racist, place to explore.
 
Gameplay
    Speaking of exploration, that ended up being one of the main perks to this game. There's a lot of variety to be had; in battles, in environments, and particularly in alternate paths to take in the story. Right from the start you have the option of taking the Desert or Mountain path to the U.S./Mexico border, and the scenarios will continue to change depending on whether you visited one or both.
In Wrongside, there are a whopping 4 gangs that are terrorizing the area. You could take them all down... or you could ignore them completely.
Later, when you need to get a car, you can buy one or steal one. The entire town of Frogbucket (starring the KKK) is skipped if you decide to buy one.
The branching paths make Okédoké! easily replayable for different scenarios, and I'd recommend doing so.
 
  Battle
    Another point in the game's favor. Unlike many OHR games, the battles in Okédoké! have obviously been playtested to death, making them not too easy or too hard. The enemies have a lot of character to them, and many have unique attacks. The heroes are no slouch in this department either. El Garbanzo's stealing techniques will net many useful items, and stealing money helps a lot early on. Señor Death's elemental attacks, unfortunately, become useless later on, but a few skills remain usable, such as Drain, Slasher (cuts enemy HP in half), and a rumored death attack that actually works. Señor Rialgo's powers are largely for comedic effect (farting, butt slams, etc.), but are sometimes useful.

Some interesting things can occur in battles as well; using certain items on a certain enemy will make it transform into an absolute beast, and certain things can be stolen that eventually contribute to making the best weapon and armor in the game.
 
  Map Design
    The dungeons are very simple and don't have much in the way of creativity aside from optional paths (for treasure) and box-puzzles. The big city, Wrongside, is an entirely different creature. It's enormous, and I guarantee you'll get lost trying to figure out what to do. I couldn't even find the Hotel and Food stand until after I'd beaten the game. The good news is that it's entirely survivable, and enemies drop useful items to help you along the way. Exploring every single cabinet and refrigerator helps enormously, you'll stock up in no time on basic healing items.
 
  Balance
    And that's part of the beauty of this game. It's just easy enough to keep going through the hard times, and hard enough to encourage a little grinding and scrounging/looting around towns. Bosses will give the unprepared players a hard time, but with a little planning, they will become easy. Enjoyably challenging.  
Music
    Now here's my biggest gripe with the game; almost all of the music was ripped. Since I'm a huge music nerd, I'll count off several examples:
-El Pueblecito: Gerudo Valley, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
-Desert path: Teehee Valley, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
-Señor Riaglo's theme: Strong One, Mother 3
-U.S./Mexico border: Murasaki Forest, Mother 3
-Underneath the border: Underground Theme, Super Mario Bros. 2
-Wrongside: Slam Shuffle, Final Fantasy VI

Gripes aside, the author at least managed to make them sound natural. The music fits well, but flags will be raised to anyone who recognizes it.
 
Enjoyment
    The game's strongest point. It's fun. It's weird. It's got cameos out the wazoo. As I said before, it has a very EarthBound-y feel to it. Your main source of HP is tacos. You drink beer to recover MP. When you stay at the hotel, Señor Rialgo spends the entire night sobre el baño. Your enemies include the KKK, the Fuzz, Oscar the Grouch, some Wiggers, a tumbleweed, a living finger made of solid gold, the Mighty Racist Border Rangers, the Geckos, the Cavemen, the Pirates, the Ninjas, and the Mexican Staring Frog of Southern Sri Lanka.

Play the game before I spoil anything else.
 
Final Blows
    Okédoké! was a joy to play; much like EarthBound, you must not judge the book by its cover. You'll get a good laugh or two out of it, if nothing else, and it's definitely worth playing in its current state.
Keep an eye out, 'cause this is only the demo - there's more to come.
This scene was well worth replaying the first chapter.

This scene was well worth replaying the first chapter.
Final Scores
Graphics: 8/10.0
8-bit, and that means 16 colors total, works in this game's favor, though some designs were lacking.
Storyline: 8/10.0
A bit bland, but it keeps things moving. Quirky little scenarios will keep your attention.
Gameplay: 9/10.0
Battles are well-done and balanced, and the maps are fun to explore. Replay factor is a huge bonus.
Music: 7/10.0
Mostly ripped from what I could tell, but fits the environment well.
Enjoyment: 10/10.0
A good old-fashioned RPG on one hand, a bunch of hilarious characters and scenarios on the other.
Overall Grade: A
Final Thoughts
    Hold onto your sombrero, amigo - 'cause this game's moseyin' into the top tier of OHR games!  


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