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Part Time UFO
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Part Time UFO is a physics-based action puzzle video game. It is the first title developed by HAL Laboratory's mobile game division HAL Egg and initially self-published in 2017/2018 for iOS and Android, with Nintendo publishing the expanded port for Nintendo Switch in 2020.
Story
A UFO ARRIVES ON EARTH, READY TO HELP THE PLANET'S CITIZENS WITH ITS HANDY EXTENDABLE CLAW!
The scene opens accross the starry night skies high above the Earth, gradually setting down through the atmosphere, and out of a sudden a red saucer flies by the clouds. Another, white saucer is briefly shown just below the clouds. The scene sets on the ground and switches focus to a truck-driving farmer who gets distracted by a sparkle in the sky. Out of nowhere, a UFO warning sign appears right ahead, which the distracted farmer hits with his truck, scattering all of the farmer's orange delivery he was carrying in the truck.
The farmer is saddened for his precious giant orange, because his old bones can't get it onto the truck. He notices the descending UFO and requests the young'un drifting around to help out an old man. This is where the player takes control of the UFO named Jobski to put the cargo back on the truck. The farmer is cheered up for the job well done and thanks Jobski, but also pays for it. This is Jobski's first wage whom farmer amusingly criticizes as one of the "young'uns drifting around and doing nothing with their lives", then hands out a magazine with job listings to help the alien drifter settle down on Earth.
Gameplay
Jobski is a flying saucer equipped with a large claw which it uses to grab, lift, carry and stack objects in designated areas. To progress in the game, the player controls Jobski and completes part-time jobs with tasks such as farmwork, fishing, helping cheerleaders, cooking, building castles, stacking circus animals and more. Some of them focus on speed, other on careful or precise placement. Upon completion, the resulting work is tested whether it can stand still for 5 seconds and then scored based on time and number of fullfiled bonus objectives (stacking a complete variety of fishes or ingredients, catching a thief, placing an optional figure). Meeting objectives are required for earning medals needed to unlock new jobs.
The expanded Nintendo Switch version features Joy-Con support, two player cooperative play, three additional types of jobs, achievement system that unlocks animated illustrations. Also introduced are two new modes - a high-score "Tower of Infinity" mode where the players are given to stack objects as high as possible, and a "Treasure Island" puzzle solving mode unlocked after clearing the game where they're given limited time to explore ancient ruins and retrieve treasures contained within.
With hard-earned money, the player can purchase various outfits, some of which are decorative and other offer helpful perks.
Staff
- Director - Teruhiko Suzuki
- Project Manager - Eitaro Nakamura
- Programmers - Kaori Ishizaki, Koki Tajima
- Designer - Yuta Kawakami
- Sound Designer - Shogo Sakai
- Producer - Shigefumi Kawase
Legacy
Cameos
- Kirby series main characters Kirby, King Dedede, Meta Knight, Bandana Waddle Dee, and many Waddle Dees cameo as plush toys in the two-star version of Toy Shop 2. A star is also present in the same stage, analogous to the Warp Star.
- Qbby, protagonist of the BoxBoy! series, also makes cameo appearances in Part Time UFO. A tiny Qbby can be seen dancing in background scenery in various stages, and a "Qbby's UFO" outfit can be bought from the costume shop. In return, Jobski's costume is available for Qbby in BoxBoy! + BoxGirl!.
- The characters from HAL Egg's second title カメさんぽ (Kame Sanpo), which released only in Japan, make a cameo in an illustration on the page 8 of the job magazine, particularly Urashima (the turtle) and Inaba (the hare).
External links
- Official Nintendo of America page
- Official Nintendo UK page
- HAL Egg's official website for Part Time UFO
- HAL Laboratory - product details for Nintendo Switch (iOS/Android)
- Weekly Famitsu, issue 1509 - interview
