Right, today’s been miserable thanks to the now hourly discourse we have to all take part in lest we be seen as approving of the current bad thing, how about something that looks simply pleasant? Today’s the launch day for Tanuki: Pon’s Summer, a delightfully vibrant mail delivery sim/Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater but for bikes about restoring a shrine before the end of summer.
I’ve been enamoured by the vibe of Tanuki: Pon’s Summer since it was announced in no small part because of how in some small ways it reminds me of Boku No Natsuyasumi, a cult-classic, Japan-only game series that’s mostly just about hanging out in the Japanese countryside. This one isn’t so lackadaisical, as you do have a job to do in delivering mail, but I think a similar spirit is there.
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When it comes to delivering mail, there is a Death Strandingian element to it in your need to place your boxes on your BMX (which you can do sick tricks and flips on, of course) to maximise how much you can deliver. A bit less stressful than Kojima’s joint, obviously, though elements are still there. Any money you earn from this gig can then be spent on restoring the shrine that you oh so love, which falls onto the sim side of things with the ability to fully customise how the shrine looks.
There are also a whole heap of minigames to perform that helps you get to know the locals. I’m talking baseball, sumo wrestling, working in a sushi restaurant and, of course, fishing. You can see bits of that in the launch trailer above, which comes with as 2010s an anime opening song you could wish for with some animation so good it makes me want an adaptation of the game. In time, perhaps! You can pick it up on Steam right here.