Trash Panic (Gomibako) Released

[Shin-Ra]

http://www.jp.playstation.com/scej/title/gomibako/

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
Developer: Jetray Logic, Corundum, Japan Studio
Platform: Exclusive to the PLAYSTATION®3 Computer Entertainment System
Genre: Puzzle
Players: Single-Player, 2-Players Locally
Extras: Trophies, Video Recording with YouTube Upload

Released on the PlayStation Store:
Japan – OUT NOW (¥1500) | North America – May 2009 | Europe – May 28 2009

Japanese Trailer

OVERVIEW

Sony Computer Entertainment gives new meaning to “waste management” with a brand new puzzle game that combines strategy and frenzied action with … well, garbage. Taking the puzzle video game genre one step further, Trash Panic is the newest PS3 downloadable exclusive that tasks players to compact as much garbage into a trash can before it overflows, and in the most “eco-friendly” way possible.

Throughout each stage, random trash items will be delivered via crane to players who can then manipulate the speed and direction they fall using the DUALSHOCK 3 controller. The trash can will quickly reach full capacity unless the trash is broken down or dealt with by strategically using various elements given throughout each stage. Items will continue to be dropped until the player successfully compacts a certain number of items or ends up with an overflowing trash can. Each level will also feature a giant Boss item that players need to destroy in a certain amount of time to avoid getting penalized. At the end of each stage, each player will be rated by how “eco-friendly” or “ego-friendly” each stage was completed. The more “eco-friendly,” the higher the rating. Ratings help in unlocking various levels and modes.

Spread across three different game modes, Trash Panic offers fun gaming for everyone. The Main Mode will take players progressively through six stages that increase in difficulty the further you advance. Vs. Mode allows two players to battle one another on the same screen. And lastly, Mission Mode offers mini-games for those who want to further their fun with a variety of waste management missions.

Trash Panic also offers ways for players to show off their skills with trophy support and online learderboards. Additionally, players will have a recording option to upload up to 10 minutes of a gaming session onto YouTube to share with the rest of the world!

FEATURES

• Eco-Friendly Gaming – Trash Panic’s eco-conscious theme provides a new take on gaming while making players more aware of “environmentally friendly” ways to dispose waste.
• Accessible Controls – Using the DUALSHOCK 3 controller, Trash Panic’s pick-up-and-play controls allow for immediate fun for hours for both casual and hard-core gamers.
• Addictive Gameplay – The unique setting and strategic game objective allows for endless hours and addictive gameplay, as well as competition in a social setting.
• YouTube Upload Feature – With a recording option embedded in the game, Trash Panic allows players to show off their strategies and skills with the rest of the world through one of the biggest social networking sites.
• Vs. Mode – Supports 1-2 players locally. Players can either battle against the computer or test their skills against a friend.
• Online Rankings and Trophy Support – Leaderboards and trophies will motivate players to aspire to both single player and multiplayer high scores!

Gamespot TGS Hands-On | 1UP TGS Hands-On

MAKUHARI--Think Tetris, but with garbage. That's the simplest description of Gomibako, a PlayStation Network puzzle game we found in the Sony booth here on the show floor of the 2008 Tokyo Game Show. It's a bit early for proclamations--we're only halfway through day one of TGS--but we can safely say that Gomibako is one of our favorite games of the show so far.

The goal of the game--if our understanding of it is correct--is to pile as much garbage as you possibly can into a huge junkyard crate without making it overflow. Various items (such as mattresses, teddy bears, bicycles, huge plastic slides, fire extinguishers, statues, and flaming swords) drop from a garbage carrier overhead, and you have some control over where and how they are placed. For instance, you can twist an item by pressing the circle button.

The key to the gameplay, it seems, is the physics of the objects themselves. Because you want to pile as much trash in the bin as possible, your best bet is to break the items, thus creating room for more junk. To do so, you can simply drop the item by pressing the up button on the directional pad. This will cause the object to drop and often shatter at the bottom of the container. It doesn't work all the time--teddy bears, for example, are awfully hard to shatter, and bigger items don't break easily, though they often bend under the weight of garbage that piles on top of them.

As the garbage piles up, you have a few weapons at your disposal. The aforementioned flaming sword, for example, will heat up and eventually set aflame any nearby garbage; if it burns enough to disintegrate, there will be a lot of room for you to pile more junk in. On the flip side, some objects--such as toilets, will splash water onto the floor of your junk container. As the water builds up, it will prevent that bottom layer from burning up. Add to that a strange little alien dude who roams back and forth near the ground, picking out certain items from your garbage pile he likes and removing them, and you've got a strange and wonderful recipe for fun.

We got only a single run-through in Gomibako, but the highlight was the "boss" fight--a huge car that we somehow had to find room for in our rapidly increasing pile of crap. Once we dropped it in, garbage overflow spilled over the top of our bin, endangering the lives of the pedestrians below. You get only three strikes of overflow before it's game over, and it wasn't long before we struck out once and for all.

There's no way this will be our last try against that infernal rusted jalopy--we look forward to getting some spare time here in Tokyo to try Gomibako again. There's no word on a release date for the game yet, and our brief demo didn't give us much of an idea of what other modes the game might have. Nonetheless, we're impressed and hope it's heading stateside soon.