Sleeper of the Week: Adventures of Cookies & Cream (PS2)
Got a date? Here’s the perfect game! “But wait” you say, “I don’t want to let him/her know I’m a geek on a date! I’m trying to keep it a secret until he/she likes me!” Well, trust me on this one folks, this is the perfect date game! Fun for everyone, two player simultaneous (but not in the way you think!), and cute as a button, The Adventures of Cookies & Cream is a game that you simply must try, especially if you don’t game alone!
So what is this mysterious game that can make a date go more smoothly you ask? It’s not a dating sim! The Adventures of Cookies & Cream is the story of two rabbits, named obviously, Cookies and Cream. At this year’s Festival of the Moon, they have suddenly found that the moon is missing! Being the good Samaritans that rabbits usually are, they of course volunteer to get it back! Ok, fine, the story is pure cheese. But we don’t care about that. What we care about is the gameplay! And The Adventures of Cookies & Cream has gameplay like nobody’s business!
Basically this is a vertical platformer. By vertical I mean you are always headed towards the top of the screen, similar to say, Jackal or Crash Bandicoot. But that’s where the similarity to other games ends. Why? Because The Adventures of Cookies & Cream is a cooperative platformer! The screen itself is divided in half. On each side is one of the rabbits. When playing two players, each player is on one half of the screen, and you both must complete the level within the time limit. But there’s a catch (there’s always a catch, isn’t there?)! What you do on your side affects the other side of the screen. So if you go too far, your partner gets stuck! And on top of that, you and your partner must cooperate to pass certain obstacles, raising and lowering water levels, moving traps, distracting enemies! If you think this is one of those games you just sit down and play, you’re sadly mistaken! Be prepared to shout, argue, chastise, and jump for joy with your partner on this one! The game basically forces two players to stay in constant communication, giving advice, helping solve puzzles, etc. Some sections of the game also require both partners to move in tandem in timed movements to progress! Oh yes, and you also have a time limit…so don’t fool around pondering! You won’t make it if you hesitate! You can see how this would be interesting now, right?
So how does this work? Well, you have several control options. The game can be played single player, but it’s unbelievably difficult, as you must control both characters (including jumping) with both analog sticks, and jump with both L and R buttons nearly simultaneously. As you may know, it’s very difficult for the average person to use both hands independently of each other at the same time. Personally, I find this to be unfeasibly difficult, and The Adventures of Cookies & Cream to be basically solely a two player game. There are two two player modes. One lets Player 1 use the left analog stick and the left buttons to control, and Player 2 use the right stick and right buttons to control. The other lets both users use the same button configurations, which made more sense to me. My wife and I played this one for literally weeks.
Graphically, this is a good game but nothing special. Think Crash Bandicoot and you’ll pretty much know what it looks like. The sounds are amazing, especially in Music World where the environment reacts musically to you. Overall though, I found that the sound was very nice and had lots of great effects. The game is also unbelievably hard and in later levels requires high degrees of precision from both partners. Expect nothing less than a full-fledged challenge to your gaming skills! In addition, there’s a 4 player versus mode where you can battle it out with weapons and items from the game. It was nice of From Software (the programmers) to throw it in, but I didn’t really play it so I don’t have much to say about it.
In the long run, I found that while the game is great for two players, only bring someone you can occasionally berate to play it with. In other words, save it for at least a 2nd or 3rd date! My wife and I got into arguments about how one or the other of us was “throwing the game” or trying to kill us and whatnot. But the important thing is that we had fun. A lot of fun! And isn’t that what gaming is about? So whether you have someone to play it with or just fantasize about having someone to play it with (seriously, see a counselor), go out and pick up a copy of The Adventures of Cookies & Cream! Once you get someone to play it with, you won’t regret it!
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Originally Posted by TurboGenesis
It is a really fun game
