A brave attempt at originality and innovation, but ends up dishonoring itself instead.
“Odama” involves two warring generals, and their respective armies, as they face each other in countless battles over the lands. These lands are all represented on individual pinball tables that resemble a more realistic nature battleground opposed to all the bells and whistles of its arcade counterpart. The levels are flooded with life as samurai warriors scamper to and fro from various structures and across natural features.
As the general Kagetora, players will be in control of two secret weapons that will help them gain the decisive edge against their enemies. One is aptly named the Ninten Bell, which when rang can deliver a powerful blast that will knock out rows of enemies. The other is a giant ball called the Odama, which rolls across the lands destroying anything in its path. This Odama ball will naturally serve as the game’s pinball that can be manipulated by the pinball flippers during gameplay. Players will be required to launch the giant Odama into various structures and enemy warriors in order to help the army’s advancements with the Ninten Bell.
With these two mighty weapons at the general’s disposal, victory is imminent. Or so players would think.
The main trouble with “Odama” is that the game is unmercifully difficult. The main objective of the game is for some of the player’s men to slowly carry the Ninten Bell from the bottom of the board, where the pinball flippers are, all the way to the very top where the enemy gate is. It may sound easy enough, but wait until the elements of the game start stacking up.
The enemy’s army is ruthless and never-ending, a time limit is in play, and most of the time players are only allowed one or two Odama balls per level. This leads to a very frustrating experience as players will be forced to play the same level countless times until they either find a cheap method that works, get lucky and win, or give up altogether. But out of all these problems, the one that gets the most frustrating is the game’s biggest gimmick.
Packaged along with the game comes a microphone which can be attached onto the controller in order to give verbal commands to the general’s army. As the bell carriers gradually ascend the table to the top, handfuls of warriors are at players’ verbal command to help fight, protect, or carry out specific orders as they see fit. However getting them to carry out these orders is the annoying part. Screaming orders into the microphone regrettably get players ignored for the most part, as the elements continue to tighten the noose on any hopes of victory. But there are instances where the microphone will work great and some sort of strategy can be developed, but these instances are few and far between.
Sadly this game is too frustrating, unresponsive, and shallow to be considered much fun for anyone, not even huge fans of pinball, feudal Japanese warfare, or, worryingly enough, both. Gamers are urged to possibly rent if necessary, but otherwise steer clear away from “Odama.”