Flower, Sun and Rain

I was always convinced that the hardest review I'd ever have to do write would be for Noby Noby Boy, in the case that - while the game was fun - I was pretty confident that reality would come crashing down around me if I tried to put it into words. I passed on that assignment and, for the moment, avoided any space/time paradoxes. Still, a fan of the bizarre and always looking for a challenge, I happily accepted the task of taking on Suda 51's Flower, Sun and Rain. One week later, here I am: red-eyed, confused, and still reeling from the game's closing cinematic. Forecast is cloudy, with a chance of a reality-crushing apocalypse.

THE VERDICT by Sean Mirkovich Sean Mirkovich's Avatar Will found Flower, Sun and Rain a game with moments of brilliance, although overshadowed by tedious flaws. As he puts it, "It's like Groundhogs Day meets Twin Peaks." And while it may not have the delights of dancing midgets or Bill Murray, it has plenty of other bizarre features to keep you interested, if you can get past the intense levels of frustration that is.
Flower, Sun and Rain

Time stood still

All right - let's give this a shot: Sumio Mondo is a Searcher by trade, meaning if you've lost something, Mondo is the man that can find it. It's these impeccable detective skills that find Mondo summoned to the tropical paradise of Lospass Island, hired by the ever-smiling proprietor of the mysterious Flower, Sun and Rain Hotel. With the entire island under threat of a deadly terrorist plot, Mondo has been tasked with tracking down and disarming an airplane filled with explosives. And he'll get to it, eventually - right after he makes drinks for an alcoholic angel, helps a depressed luchador re-discover his passion for wrestling, and babysits a loud-mouthed, reality altering brat.

Flower, Sun and Rain

Whenever someone asks me to describe Flower, Sun and Rain to them, I usually sum it up in one sentence: "Groundhog Day meets Twin Peaks." Every morning, Mondo wakes up to the phone in his hotel room, collapses out of bed (literally), helps a bizarre character with an even more bizarre task, then watches the sky burst into flames as a 747 explodes in the skyline. Fade to black, cue the music, and the day starts again from square one. From creating a makeshift afro wig for a pair of action stars turned comedians to re-uniting an engaged couple by tuning a busted church organ, the puzzles only get more and more insane as each day passes - or reboots, as the case may be. While its mind-boggling presentation is sure to alienate more traditional gamers, there's no denying that Flower, Sun and Rain is an experiment that absolutely thrives in its bizarre environment. When it works, it really works. When it doesn't... well, be sure to buy a protective case for your DS.

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