Ever since I got a glimpse of what this game looked like, I had to struggle against the unbearable thought that I could probably never play it. I couldn't help but feel attracted by the game's peculiar and enigmatic aura... Enigmatic indeed, as only a very few information about GiFTPiA was available on the non-Japanese web. Which is nothing surprising: Even in Japan, the only region in which it was released, this game wasn't really a best seller... and considering it was probably the most daring Nintendo production since MOTHER 2 back in 1994, it was pretty obvious it would never make it to the West. Indeed, Nintendo of America ultimately decided it was "too weird" for us Westerners. And seeing the game contained a ton of text and could not be played without advanced knowledge of the Japanese language, this meant it was out of our reach. That is, until I stumbled across a 150 pages-long script in English. A translation of GiFTPiA did exist ! Team Kirameki, a young Italian pair dedicated to translating Japan-only games, put a lot of effort in the translation of this lost gem. And as of March 2011, the script was released ! Of course, playing with a script isn't really a flawless experience: Not only is playing and reading at the same time unpleasant, but the translation in itself isn't 100% complete: Of course, everything necessary to complete the game is there, along a great deal of NPC dialogues; however, speeches delivered by said NPC when presented with an item are left untranslated, which is nothing fatal but is certainly detrimental to the game's overall identity. Of course, we can't blame Team Kirameki, since translating that much would have been nearly impossible.

The whole game takes place on Nanashi Island, an isle in the middle of nowhere (hence the name, "Nanashi", meaning "Nameless"). In this region, out-of-season typhoons are not rare events. But why did one have to occur on that day, the day of the Coming of Age Ritual ? This is the day in which Pokkle, our protagonist, is supposed to become an adult. But the carefree folk is in bed, in the middle of a dream, and is missing the whole thing ! The people attending the Ceremony wait, and wait even longer, but Pokkle doesn't show up. Right, he is still in the middle of a dream. And in the end, everyone leaves in a rage. He eventually jumps out of his bed, but... the mayor, Mr Mayer, burst out in anger and screamed: "THIS IS TREASON!". And thus Pokkle was sent to jail ! Will Pokkle ever be able to become an adult ? That's how GiFTPiA is going to begin...

Hopefully for you, you'll soon be let out of your cell... in order to gather enough money to pay for a fine of 10,000 Manes. Even though your mobility is still constrained with ball and chain, your short time as a convict will be your first contact with the gameplay mechanics that serves as a basis for GiFTPiA, as you still get to walk around for a bit. Well, don't walk around too much, though, as that heart meter isn't here for show: It's actually an hunger meter ! If you wander for too long without eating, you'll die, pure and simple. And the lowest the meter, the slower your moves ! Don't worry, though: You'll find fruits here and there on the island that will resplenish your meter. Actually, what you should really be careful about is the hour of the day. Indeed, you're still a kid after all, so if you don't go back home before it's too late - that is, before the clock-meter reaches 0 - you'll simply fall asleep on the ground, and the Sleep Fairy will come to steal all your goods, money and items. The world is a harsh place. For those who already have played Chibi-Robo!, this mechanic should remind you of the headquarter you had to go back to in order to recharge yourself when you started to get low on batteries. The concept remains similar: It's a way to restrain your capacity of progression through the open world without imposing too much preset and immutable physical barriers, as well as to force you to adapt your time planning to an additional factor that will, of course, become less and less constraining as you progress in the game. And yes, I'm talking about time planning ! Being informed of the time of the day isn't only useful as a simple indication of how many time is left before you have to go to sleep, but as a way to organize in relation to other characters: NPC have time plannings too, and you'll have to cope with that when you want to meet them. More than adding to the gameplay, it really gives the little town of Nanashi Island a life of its own ! The simple fact that the mayor leaves his workplace everyday to go and dooze off on a bench of the square may seem of little signifiance, but it contribues to an atmosphere of constant activity that makes you feel like the town really is living on its own while you're walking around, minding your own business.

As strange as it may sound, that's really where the game starts for good. But what is "wish fulfilling" about ? Well, there is a small temple next to your home. After a few offerings, you'll get a Gem in exchange. What you'll want to do next is finding a townsfolk with a wish to fulfill and show him the Gem, which will inform you of the mission to carry out. The Gem will fill itself with the character's wish as a result. Now, it's up to you to find the way to complete what you were requested... Once it's done, the Gem will start to glow, and become fit for offering to the statue at the back of the temple. That's how the scenario progresses, since completing a Gem will unlock another one. Regarding these missions, they are pretty simple in nature: In most cases, bringing a couple of items or fetching some people will be the key to trigger cutscenes and eventually fulfilling the wish. Once all the wishes of a chapter are fulfilled, the Shroom Fairy will tell you that you have "grown up" and, not only will the scenario progress even further, but you'll be allowed to stay up later at night as well.

The only thing that actually goes anywhere close to GiFTPiA's character design is its own soundtrack. If you happened to bump into the title theme, you probably already have a little idea of what it may sound like. Once again, only GiFTPiA could have featured choirs chanting in an imaginary language right on the title screen ! The music, composed by Hirofumi Taniguchi - who worked on L.O.L. and Chibi-Robo!, as well as on the likes of beatmania III and Suikoden V -, maintains that otherwordly twist to it up untill the end. Every character has its own theme, and they all serve them right; this only adds to their uniqueness. But well, guess what: Taniguchi's score isn't actually the main part of the soundtrack. Nope. GiFTPiA's real auditive tour-de-force is Nanashi FM. What is it ? Well, it's Nanashi Island's radio station, pure and simple. Indeed, during your exploration of the island, there is no preset BGM. Every morning, radio host DEEJ will announce the day's broadcast, and it will serve as your BGM. And now it's just getting crazy: [i]Every last track[/i] on this soundtrack was contributed by independant bands or individuals ! And there are 19 of them ! I don't know who the hell at Nintendo or skip thought this idea would be given the green light, but... it was. These tracks come from completely different genres: techno, jazz, hip-hop, country, post-rock, dream pop, and even more ! This "custom" OST really is something BIG. And, believe it or not, but eating bananas next to a goate that goes "meh meh" while listening to metal has got a magic vibe to it. You can get a hold of the playlist on KH Insider if you want. I think my personal favorite is Yuzo Kako's pop_errong song. I just can't believe someone as obscure as Yuzo Kako, who produces experimental/minimalist electronic music for underground labels, would actually take part in a Nintendo game. I simply can't think of anything less likely than that... but why not, if it's for our greatest pleasure ! I needn't say more, I think it's pretty clear: GiFTPiA's soundtrack is of a rare quality; it's the icing on the cake of the game's aesthetics. It's very daring, incredibly well produced and varied enough never to get repetitive. It definitely deserves its place as one the best 128bit-era video game soundtracks ever made... and maybe even as one of the best video game soundtracks ever period.