It’s at this moment that anyone with an ounce of common sense will shove the Game Boy in their pocket and make the best of the opportunity. I, however, operate differently. When a stranger asks me what I’m playing, I tell them: "Blah blah blah Boktai blah blah I’m a geek blah blah." Needless to say, the response I most often get is a look of puzzlement, almost fear. It’s difficult to sum up Boktai in a concise manner, though I think I hit the nail on the head when, in answering a stranger, I simply said that Boktai is from the creator of Metal Gear Solid (no, that didn’t get me a date). Designed and produced by mastermind Hideo Kojima, Boktai shares more with Metal Gear than similar beginnings. Boktai is marked everywhere by the signature of Kojima, from classic gameplay elements down to the twisting plot and story-telling style.

Kojima Rule #1: Include real-life elements in the in-game experience.
Some can fondly remember when Metal Gear Solid forced players to inspect the back of the physical game case for information essential to completing the game, and to switch controller ports on their PlayStation to confuse the hero’s psychic adversary. It’s not coincidence that Boktai also borrows from the real-world elements to enhance the game experience. It’s Hideo Kojima.

Installed in the Boktai game cartridge is a sensor that detects ultra-violet light, and to write off the innovation as a simple gimmick would be a mistake. Boktai’s gameplay relies heavily on utilizing the Sun’s light (real Sun-that big glowing thing in the sky) which forces players outside to charge the gun of Solar Boy (as the hero is so affectionately called) and to complete a number of essential tasks. It’s more than a little amusing how Boktai can affect gamers’ playing habits, making nighttime play more cautious than in the daytime, and even using the game’s clock to set a gaming schedule. (It’s no joke that at one point in the game, I was forced to set my alarm clock to be awake at the break of dawn for a special game moment.)

Kojima Rule #2: The plot is never as simple as it seems.
It might be assumed, given the limited medium - this is just Game Boy after all - and the game’s artistic style that’s unmistakably aimed for a younger audience than Metal Gear, that Boktai is light on plot. And while it’s fair to say that Boktai doesn’t nearly approach the complex themes explored in Kojima’s other games, it must be conceded that the game does well for its handheld stature.

In a fantasy world, the Solar Boy, son of a fallen vampire hunter, rises to the occasion of saving the world and the Sun. Met by foes along the way, Solar Boy learns more about his deceased father and the mission which lead to his demise. And in a twisting moment ripped from Metal Gear Solid, Solar Boy eventually discovers a fraternal link with his opposition. The plot twists aren’t mind-jolting, but they keep things spicy enough to progress the game with style-just another brushstroke by Kojima.

Kojima Rule #3: All enemies must be duly confused and curious when the protagonist knocks on a wall.
Despite not boasting an espionage theme, Boktai urges strategic, stealthy gameplay by rewarding successfully evading enemy sights. Given Boktai’s isometric view, aiming for a silent intrusion can be a lot of fun; peek around the corner to spot a pair of patrolling enemies, wait for the right moment, and knock on a wall to pique the curiosity of the foe. And depending on the type of enemy the little Solar Boy is up against, different tactics are called for.

Confronted by a pair of mummies? Keep in mind their absolute blindness and acute sense of hearing, and watch as Solar Boy cunningly distracts the enemies with a loud knock, silently sidling the wall, slipping by right under their noses. One species of enemy can even be lured into bumping heads with fellow baddies, rendering the both of them unconscious. It’s difficult to get far in Boktai without implementing some sly strategy, but that’s not to say that brute force plays no role in the action. There’s a unique weapon system in Boktai that begs as much consideration as the stealth.

Hidden in the game’s multitudinous dungeons, Solar Boy collects an array of extra parts to equip with his gun. The extra parts are categorized by four basic descriptions (lens, frame, grenade, and battery) and all add their own alteration to the gun, making literally dozens of possible combinations. Changing the gun’s lens attribute changes the element which the gun fires, from sunlight to fire and ice. More interesting, however, are the extra frame parts which alter the style of attack that spurts from the gun. Choose from long-range weak attacks, powerful shotgun-like spreads, and even an attack that mimics a light saber, pairing new frames with lenses for unique attacks that all have viable uses. Toss in the additional grenade attacks, and it should be obvious that the action in Boktai never grows tired.

To further extend the life of the game, Boktai offers plenty of reasons to replay the adventure. Like Metal Gear before it, the game rewards skillful execution of the dungeons with grades that affect the overall ranking awarded after all is said and done. Even for those that aren’t enticed by improving their score, the game offers other extras, like bonus parts for the hero’s gun that can only be acquired on a second run-through. With a new-game-plus option (allowing to restart the game with previously acquired items) and a harder difficulty that unlocks after completing the game once through, there’s plenty of incentive to play Boktai for a long time.

All things considered, Boktai might as well be titled Metal Gear Child: Suns of Kojima. Fans of Kojima’s work on Metal Gear need not hesitate before checking out this little handheld masterpiece. The culmination of fine artistic direction, creative gameplay innovation, and oodles of replay is a game with excellence rivaled by few. And it just might help a few lonely geeks get a date - realistically, not likely.

· · · Mark Ryan