Before you burn another note to light that fat boy, consider burning one on Garten of Banban 0 for the Switch. Don’t be a sheep and download it for free on Steam when you can purchase it for the Nintendo Switch. Thanks to Feardemic. Not everyone has a Steam Deck or ‘compatible’, so this might be the best option…
Just what exactly is this game? Erm… As the ‘0’ may indicate, Garten of Banban 0 is the first in the series, much like Yakuza 0, and released after the first few instalments. That’s the only time the Yakuza series will be mentioned, as Euphoric Brothers’ game shares no resemblance with Kiryu and friends what.so.ever.
In this game, you awake in a bedroom with two big buttons and a monitor to begin the interrogation. None the wiser, you answer a couple of questions and are then greeted by your fellow experimentee/neighbour, who quickly becomes your friend. You’re then free to explore an obscure playground of blobs, broken ladders, and side-eye antagonists.
Banban 0 Review
Unfamiliar with the series but a consumer of Feardemic content, I was expecting a Five Nights at Freddy’s clone of jump scares, when instead, it’s more mental than anything. However, there are horror elements. The characters appear as stop-motion clay types with voice acting from the Ham Factory, creating a wholly welcome and mildly unsettling vibe in a quirky ‘so bad it’s good’ way.
Alas, that atmosphere soon goes poof! when the screen starts to flicker, objects appear clumsily through others, and dreaded screen tearing shits on your dinner. Can the Nintendo Switch not handle something like Garten of Banban 0? Jesus, the Switch 2 better be good, as I’m re-purchasing Cyberpunk 2077. Technically, this isn’t restraining, but the trusty rectangle struggled with the output.
Graphical glitches could be ignored with some immersive gameplay, and surprisingly, the puzzles in the game are mostly good. The instructions are clear if you imagine them being recited by a donkey gargling mayo with a bucket on its head, leaving you to figure it out. This works for the cerebral parts but not for the janky platforming bits. Exploration got boring in no time.
Friends For Life, If Life Is Short
As a standalone, Garten of Banban 0 is a house of jank. I have no connection with the series, given this is my first— and possibly last —attempt at playing. If it were a stop-motion adult animation or my character had their toes planted in the ground, it would have been a more enjoyable experience.
The quirky characters, unique, out-there designs, and ominous premise were unquestionably the best aspects. There were a fair number of set pieces that were entertaining, too, but there was a lot left to be desired, and gameplay was at the forefront of it. Paired with graphical glitches, paying a few pennies for the Switch version wasn’t… selling it.
Are the other instalments any better? Should you be playing the other games for context? I’m not sure, but considering this is a standalone, it didn’t do enough to entice me to pay for the game on Switch when I could have downloaded it for free on Steam. Coincidentally, I didn’t pay for this as a code was provided, but I’d still opt for the Garten of Banban 0 PC version as it was prettier, plus there’s scope for some sequels. If this one does enough to keep you engaged.
