Try Not To Fart (Xbox Indie)

Survivor Charlie

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The Way Too Indie Review of Try Not To Fart
by Charlie Reneke

Try Not To Fart
80 Microsoft Points ($1.00 US)
6/7/10 by Silver Dollar Games

Silver Dollar Games is perhaps the most prolific developer on the Xbox Indie marketplace. One of their latest entrees is "Try Not To Fart" which if nothing else is an attention grabbing title if I ever saw one. It's worth noting that my policy when it comes to reviewing XBLIGs is to not try the demo before I make a purchase. I read the description of the game and if it sounds like I can get a decent, entertaining review out of the subject matter, I pony up the Microsoft Points and give it a whirl. All I had to go on for TNT Fart is the following blurb:

"This game was classified by the community with the following category scores - Violence=1/3, Sex=2/3, Mature Content=2/3. Try not to fart. Simple. Right?"

Obviously this game would make for an easy thrashing. I could slam the developers for their juvenile sense of humor, the horrible ripped-from-South Park graphics and the poor play design. So imagine my shock when I actually enjoyed my experience. TNT Fart is basically a video game version of the classic party game Twister. The idea is that you're on a date with a girl after a meal that mostly consisted of refried beans and cabbage and now you're busting a gut trying to avoid dropping ass in front of her. An on screen guide tells you which buttons to press and hold. If you press the wrong button, you fart. If you let go of the button before the on-screen button starts to blink, you fart. If you fart too much, it's game over.

If that doesn't sound like a very deep experience, then give yourself a cookie because you're correct. But don't think it's an easy time. I want to conduct a little experiment with you now. Grab your Xbox 360 controller. Go ahead. I'm serious. I'll entertain myself with a video of a pug saying "Batman."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tLrvFycHXY

Back? Good. "Ruff, Ruff, Batman!"

Sorry.

Now hold the controller like you normally would. Now press and hold the A button.

Good. Now let go of it. You just scored some points.

Now press and hold the B button.

Good, now before you let go, press and hold the Y button as well.

Still holding onto the B button? Good. Now hold the left trigger down.

Oh, and you can let go of the B button now, but it's time to press and hold A again. And I hope you're still holding down the Y button.

Not that easy, huh? Imagine this, but with many more button presses to go. That's TNT Fart in a nutshell. You'll be shocked at the ways you're forced to contort your hand to achieve victory in this game. Every level is a two minute session with a different date scenario. Your life is represented by a tolerance level your girl has for you. The more you fart, the more the room fills with a yellow, gaseous cloud, and the closer you are to her splitting on you. While the game plays out, you have to listen to the mindless banter they go through. The dialog is pretty drab and doesn't add a ton to the game. It repeats too often and the chick who did the voice acting totally phones it in. No doubt Capcom has since snatched her up and cast her as the lead in the next Resident Evil game.

There's really not a whole lot more to say about TNT Fart. There are a few light laughs to be had. Farts are funny. Everyone knows this. The old "pull my finger" trick wouldn't be funny if you sneezed on the person doing the tugging. I must admit I also found chuckles when I played a round poorly and the room fills with the sickening yellow cloud. As a gag I tell people to try and picture what the world would be like if everyone farted pink clouds that lingered in the air. Every time someone farted, you would know it. That's the kind of stuff that keeps me up at nights.

Rating: *** Although there's nothing that will keep you playing TNT Fart for more than an hour or two, the game play is solid and oddly engrossing. Pulling off a particularly hard combo feels like a sense of accomplishment. True, it's for all practical purposes a mini-game, but it's only priced at one dollar and for that dollar you'll not only get at least an hour of play value, but you'll own a game called "Try Not To Fart." That alone has value in it. If you have a bunch of rowdy friends over, you can tell them you own an actual game called "Try Not To Fart." I guarantee you that every single person in the room will want to give it a try. And they'll likely have a good time too. Familiarity with the Xbox 360 controller is an absolute must have going in, so casual gamers (the types who are most likely to want to try a game like this) will have a tough road ahead, but if you have nothing better to do it's okay to pass an hour in a game where you can't pass gas.

Thanks to Chris for editing.
 
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