There was one game I was really looking forward to this year. It was Mineko’s Night Market (Meowza Games) which was announed some time ago. It looked really cute and cozy, which was rigt up my alley. The style reminded me of Night in the Woods with the big eyes, but more cartoon-y. I wasn’t against cartoon-y, mind. Plus, there were cats. Lots of cats. And right or wrong, I believed a black cat was at the center of the mystery, which made me doubly hyped. I didn’t know much more other than there was a night market, obviously.
It was delayed, and then I forgot about it. then, it was said to be coming out in Septemberof this year. Yay! But I got unhealthily wrapped up in another game and could not move on, even though I should have. Mineko’s Night Market released, and I immediately bought it. I heard there were issues with it on the Switch, but that it ran fine on the PC.
When I finally booted it up yesterday, it ran fine. It was cute and charming, but I already had issues with it from the start. Mineko is great; I hate her father. I took an instant aversion to him because he picked on her. He calls her names, but in a joking manner, so it’s supposed to be OK. It’s the trope of being mean to the ones you love, and I have a deep dislike for that.
Maybe if they had worked up to it, I would have been able to tolerate it. But it’s from the get-go before I even know the characters so it’s off-putting. Same with the first kid Mineko meets in the new town. Bobo. He’s just a jerk to Mineko, and while I get the feeling it’s supposed to be charming, I immediately disliked him.
The basic premise is that there are ‘agents’ in the town. They look like they’re supposed to be FBI, and they are there for some unknown reason. They have kidnapped all the cats and…something or the other. Bobo tells you that he is going to find out what is happening, and he wants you to help him. It’s a nonsensical premise, but whatever.
He does a distraction and I cross the bridge to…uh…I forgot. The agents see me and start chasing me. I try to get back across the bridge, but it breaks. I end up in the water and pass out. As I’m unconscious, a big cat figure comes and picks me up. Back up.
At the beginning of the gmae, Mineko and her father are moving to this godforsaken town. She’s reading a story about the cat god, and that is going to be the main mystery, I’m pretty sure.