"What, you think this is a volleyball? Get with the game, chump!"

They say the best things in life are free. Despite this rarely applying to video games, I present to you a rare instance of a game that supports the old saying: Barkley, Shut up and Jam: Gaiden, Chapter 1 of the Hoopz Barkley SaGa. Before I begin, I'd like to reiterate the fact that this game is FREE. You can get it here and I strongly suggest that you do. As the name suggests, you're in for a humorous gaming experience, but my reasons for recommending this game go far, FAR beyond the hilarity. However, if this review seems a bit lacking or vague at times, it is merely because I am trying (with great difficulty) to make sure that I don't spoil any of the game. I believe here it is important to mention that the game is an RPG. Yep, that's right, an RPG with Charles Barkley... but that's just the beginning.

As I stated before, I don't want to spoil any of the game because the humor is at its finest when you see it for yourself. What I can tell you, however, is that the story is hilarious. At times, the game was difficult to put down because I simply had to see where Barkley would end up next. It is true that the game will make many references to basketball and people involved in the sport, but it doesn't matter. I know very little about basketball and still enjoyed this game thoroughly.

For many, the most important part of an RPG is the story, and although in this regard Barkley, SU&J:G will not disappoint, there is so much more to this game. I started this game for the novelty and hilarity, but the gameplay is no joke. Going into this game, I expected simple turn-based battles like those of the original Final Fantasy or Dragon Warrior. While this game still uses a variation of turn-based battles, I was pleasantly surprised to see that this game has a more active battle system. For starters, the game doesn't use random battles. The enemies can be seen on the overworld screen and approached from behind for a preemptive attack. In addition, the battles themselves are more engaging. For example, one of Barkley's attacks has you holding down the action button while a cursor goes up and down through a target zone. If you time it right and release the button when the cursor is in the middle of this zone, more damage will be dealt to the enemies. Although not an entirely new innovation, as similar battle systems are found in the Mario and Luigi and Paper Mario games, it's far above and beyond what you'd expect from a free game made by a few people in an RPG Maker program. In addition, not only does Barkley have two other attacks that use different action mechanisms, there are several other playable characters that are met throughout the game and every single character has their own individual attack mechanisms. That's right, you won't just find yourself doing the same timing trick over and over; every character has different moves that are all done through varying active commands. This is very impressive to say the least.

Another aspect of some importance is that of the graphics. The graphics look to be about the kind of graphics that would be seen on the SNES. They're not ugly by any means, but they aren't particularly aesthetically pleasing either. However, the creators used these less than perfect graphics to their advantage. In fact, these limitations actually added to the humor on several occasions. At one point, I found myself squinting at a smaller sprite roaming about the overworld, thinking it looked somewhat familiar, but I couldn't place my finger on why. When the bigger, more fleshed out sprite appeared in battle, I laughed hysterically at the now clear image. There are other instances in the game where before you talk to a character, you see a sprite and think, "is that... no it can't be..." which makes it that much funnier when you talk to the person and see them up close. When playing Barkley, SU&J:G, be sure to have an astute eye for some of the sprites, as some of them are jokes in and of themselves.


One more aspect that absolutely cannot go unnoticed is that of the music. The creators did an excellent job of composing tracks that fit the various settings, particularly the boss battle theme. However, in addition to these original compositions, there are a few other tracks throughout the game that are taken from other sources. On these rare occasions, the other tracks are used for humor purposes, and trust me when I say it's absolutely hilarious. Unfortunately, saying much aside from that would spoil some of the funniest moments of the game, but it should go without saying that it's important to keep the speakers on when playing this one so as to not miss any of the fun.

At 6-7 hours of gameplay, Barkley, SU&J:G never overstays its welcome while still offering a game of satisfying length and promises to be one of the funniest games you'll ever play. Despite it not being a major title from Square-Enix or a smash hit from Atlus, Barkley, Shut up and Jam: Gaiden proves to slam with the best as opposed to merely jam with the rest.