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Siliconera catches the Oshiri Kajiri Mushi bug
Siliconera's Spencer Yip picked up a copy of Oshiri Kajiri Mushi Rhythm Lesson DS, possibly the only game this year on the DS about learning rhythm from a cartoon bug who bites people in the rear to help motivate them. He has written up some details of the rhythm gameplay found in the single-player Rhythm Lesson mode. Unsurprisingly, the game isn't a revolution in anything but concept, but it does sound like a cute multi-instrumental rhythm game.The many instruments are played identically -- by tapping on the screen in response to audio and visual cues. Said visual cues include the Butt-Biting Bug flying towards groups of stars; when he contacts a star, the player is to tap the screen. Successful taps increase a meter, which, when full, triggers a butt-biting vignette. The lessons unlock special games like the voice-training lesson, in which players actually sing into the mic.We're still a bit flabbergasted that the weird song about biting butts became popular enough to support a game, which is now a real thing that someone bought.
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 4/7-4/13
In a strange turn of events, there's only one new DS game in Japan's top thirty this week, and that's Oshiri Kajiri Mushi's Rhythm Lesson DS. In case that title doesn't ring a bell, you may know it better as "that butt-biting bug game." If there's one thing we've learned from this bug, it's that biting is serious business. Despite Japan's love for DS software and quirky rhythm games, though, Oshiri Kajiri Mushi only debuted in the eighteenth spot. Perhaps butt biting is even too weird for Japan?In hardware, the DS fell behind the PSP once again. Yet, there's already signs of the Monster Hunter hype beginning to dwindle, as the PSP sold 35,000 less units than the week before. Will the new brown model that comes out next week help the PSP keep a wide lead, or will the gap start to narrow again between the two handhelds? We're looking forward to finding out!To see the Japanese placings and numbers, just check after the break.
DS releases for the week of April 7
Two weeks in a row without much coming out? This is simply unacceptable! What happened to the weeks of five or six games? Wait a minute ... those weeks are hell on the wallet. Maybe these light weeks are better. If nothing else, we can start squirreling money away in nooks and crannies all over the house for those weeks in the latter part of the year, when there are more games than we can afford. Of course, then we'll forget where the money is, and be back at square one.Maybe we should just give up and pick up Plushees. Fab 5 Soccer Plushees
Sink your teeth into this Oshiri Kajiri Mushi trailer
It pleases us greatly to see the Butt-Biting Bug keeping busy. Earlier this week, we spied this adorable nibbler of bottoms making a quick cameo in Namco Bandai's Taiko Drum Master: 7 Islands' Adventure, yet he still found the time to record a Japanese TV spot for his own game, rhythm title Oshiri Kajiri Mushi. Way to go, BBB! Can we call you BBB?Happily, this trailer doesn't shirk on gameplay footage, and manages to show off a broad range of the instruments we'll get to tinker with. It's all set to the Oshiri Kajiri Mushi theme song, a deliriously catchy tune that stayed in our heads for the best part of a week the last time we encountered it. You have been warned!
Taiko Cameo Master
Hey kids, Namco Bandai's Taiko Drum Master: 7 Islands' Adventure isn't just about providing us with a source of rhythmic, touchscreen-tapping goodness -- according to the latest batch of screens from Famitsu, it also happens to feature some pretty neat cameos.The Butt-Biting Bug to the right there is just one example of this, but it looks like we'll also be treated to cast members from Doraemon and The Idolmaster. Rhythmically tap your way past the break for more cameotastic shots!
The full Butt-Biting Band
Planning on buying Oshiri Kajiri Mushi Rhythm Lesson DS, but only if it teaches you how to play (a simulation of) castanets? You're in luck, extremely picky person. You'll get to tap out rhythms castanet-style. In addition, as revealed on the Oshiri Kajiri Mushi home page, you'll learn drums, taiko, turntables, xylophone, tambourine, and ... the kitchen set. The kitchen set consists of pots, pans, and a cutting board, and rhythmic cooking techniques form the music. How Stomp! This is, of course, in addition to the microphone-based singing lessons. Does tapping on the screen teach you how to use an instrument? Not really, but this is Rhythm Lesson DS.Notably absent is rhythmic butt-biting. That's reserved for specialist Butt-Biting Bugs.[Via Siliconera]
Tear into Oshiri Kajiri Mushi screens
We know you were all chewing on your butts fingernails in anticipation of the first screens of the Oshiri Kajiri Mushi (Butt-biting Bug) Rhythm Lesson music training game. And now they're here! There aren't too many surprises here: touchscreen-based instrument simulations with happy-go-lucky Oshiri Kajiri Mushi graphics all over the place. It even includes a singing trainer, in which you sing notes along with a flying Oshiri Kajiri Mushi! It's certainly the cutest music trainer we've seen.The license seems to both help and hurt this particular game. On the upside, we're infinitely more likely to talk about the Oshiri Kajiri Mushi game than a non-biting music trainer. But on the other hand, cartoon novelty-song stars lack any semblance of authority, leading us to take what may be a good game/program less than seriously.
I got bitten on the butt and all I got was this lousy tote bag
We still have yet to see any screenshots of Sega's highly-anticipated (by us) Oshiri Kajiri Mushi Rhythm Lesson DS, the game that tries to motivate us to learn music with virtual, adorable butt-bites, but Sega is showing off some preorder swag for the game.Japanese DS fans with a keen enough interest in learning music from a cartoon bug* to preorder the game will be rewarded with a tote bag featuring the Mushi himself and his butt-biting dancers. Just think -- you could be environmentally responsible with your groceries and celebrate an obscure Japanese fad! If you happened to be in Japan on April 10th.*Actually the educational material is created by the Kawai musical instrument company, and then made to appear as if given by a cartoon bug. It's a trick.
Sega bites the DS on the butt
Sega's Oshiri Kajiri Mushi Rhythm Lesson DS offers us some lessons from a wise individual who has much to teach the world: The Butt-Biting Bug. The What-Whatting What? The Butt-Biting Bug, or Oshiri Kajiri Mushi, is a character in a little animation played between NHK children's shows, who sings a song about biting people's rears. The people he bites are then roused into some action that ends up making them happy. The bug became a surprise hit, getting his own show on the NHK, as well as CDs and DVDs. And now Sega is publishing a DS game featuring the character! An educational game that teaches you how to chomp on asses -- oh, no, sorry, it teaches you rhythm.The site for the game doesn't have any specific information yet, and all that is known about the music-education game is that it will involve playing cymbals, castanets, drums, and other percussion instruments to the tune of not just the Oshiri Kajiri Mushi song, but over 100 others. In the absence of game screens (and because we want to), we've embedded the original Oshiri Kajiri Mushi video. The tune will be clamped tightly onto you for the rest of the day. [Via GAME Watch]
