Minon: Everyday Hero

When it comes to childhood aspirations, superhero is right up there with pro-footballer, astronaut and superspy. While the latter three are at least obtainable, the only way the youth of today can experience the thrills of being a superhero is through the medium of video games.

Nordcurrent’s Minon: Everyday Hero provides a more unusual superhero jaunt than players will be used to. Rather than playing as your stereotypical hero, carrying out righteous deeds such as beating the crap out of beefed up supervillains and their henchmen, gamers will instead be aiding regular citizens by tackling their everyday problems.

These tasks can range from tipping golf balls into holes, answering TV quiz show phone calls, or preventing the audience from leaving an aspiring pop star’s performance. It is a far more humourous take on the genre, and is in keeping with the game’s light-hearted visual style.

Travelling around each level is also significantly different from anything seen before in superhero games. Superman can fly, Spider-Man swings on webs, but Minon travels on dominos. Players run along a domino rally-style line of in-game objects that are in keeping with the environment, be it trees, buildings or even people.

Minon is constantly moving, and in order to change direction or bridge gaps, he must create special orange dominos. However, doing this costs energy and slows his pace. To maintain speed, players shake the Wii Remote in time with his steps, with the objective of moving faster and rack up combos by not missing a single         domino, which in turn builds up the energy meter.

Depending on the challenge, Minon will change size to match the proportions of the objects he’ll be running along. One moment, he may be the size of an insect, while the next he’ll be as tall as a skyscraper, crushing entire buildings underfoot. Once players have completed the game, they can play again to unlock new tasks, and can even play with a friend.

The game boasts a distinctly Japanese visual style, with a vibrant colour scheme and adorable models and artistry. The style is also perfectly suited to the family-friendly Wii.

Minon’s bright colours may appeal to a younger audience, but it also means it will entice core gamers with an enthusiasm for the quirkier titles of the Far East. The intense and addictive gameplay will also satisfy core gamers, so Nordcurrent is keen to capture this audience.

“We are targeting core gamers that enjoy original Japanese video games,” explains Nordcurrent managing director Alexander Bravve. “Judging from feedback we are getting from gamers, there is a strong interest in this title.

“Minon was already being discussed in forums and messageboards before we even started the marketing campaign. With that kind of interest from core gamers, we expect this title to do really well at retail.”

The PR and marketing campaign will run for three months, and include ads and editorial in a range of specialist press. Nordcurrent is also targeting major online gaming portals, and POS will be available in the form of posters.

“When the game hits shelves our campaign will be at its apogee,” says Bravve. “Minon: Everyday Hero will be covered by Official Nintendo, Edge and other magazines, and we are sure this will create significant interest. Moreover, core gamers are not sensitive to price points, so retailers will be able to keep higher margins.”