Pom Gets Wi-Fi

To be honest, I never expected this game to leave such a great impression on me. The unruly and sloppy language that Pom uses is in stark contrast to what you would normally consider artistic (eg. the sombre, mood-setting dialogue in Wither). At first glance the game appeared to be something nonsensical (like Ninja Watutu). Yet only as I played through the game did I recognise the wittiness of the author's humour and the grave, thought-provoking thematic concerns she intended to carry across.

Firstly, I must commend the game’s humour. Me Patra’s humour is very cleverly and appropriately interwoven with the dialogue, the story and the characters of the game, such that it rarely ever seems out of place. Pom and Malty often pump it up with hilarious punchlines, while Shibe, keeping his adorable and amiable nature, is funny and cute just being the way he is. The humour of the game also stems from the cultural conflicts fleshed out in the game (eg. Famicom vs Wi-fi), which I felt was very original and very refreshing. Not forgetting the zany (though at times somewhat abstruse) allusions with American, otaku and homosexual subtexts which, I feel, give depth to the characters, because it makes them believable. In real life, friends don’t launch off into dramatic monologues about their past lives or past loves (recall FF VI), but rather, chat (and sometimes go gaga) about these very references we see in the game!

That leads me on to my second point, that the characters are believable and heartfelt. It’s not often that after playing a game, you can easily point out the unique (albeit simple) features that differentiate the many NPCs. We sympathise with Crest at being the victim of Pom’s ruthless self-serving quest for Wi-fi. We abhor the presence of sinister characters like Bernard, and feel equally annoyed at the NPCs who ignore and ostracise our protagonists (both types of which are believable, pertinent phenomenon we witness in the online sphere today). There also seems to be something special going on between Shibe and Hus, which I felt was very subtly and adorably crafted by the author. (eg. Hus telling Shibe, “Stop doing that, it’s distracting” when Shibe does puppy-eyes … or I could be reading too much into it) But in any case, perhaps Shibe’s embarrassment and denial at Pom’s witty homosexual taunts could be indicative of a poor dog trapped in the closet. Nevertheless, these naughty references to “Yaoi” and the sort are sure to elicit bouts of laughter from any otaku.

Thirdly, the themes fleshed out by the game really do leave an impression. Me Patra critiques Pom’s lazy routine of wasting her life away, being entrapped by delusions that she can’t be anything beyond what she already is, and letting her life be defined by the online sphere. I felt that the most poignant theme of the game is the conflict between “Choice” versus “Destiny”, or perhaps more aptly put, “Inertia”. Pom has the ability to make the world around her a better place – even before she became “Dog” (or some great deity, as once again humorously represented by the graphics – recall Okami). Yet, Pom, in her mindless quest for Wi-fi, is totally oblivious of any such potential in her, and continues living to be this villain she’s always perceived herself to be. In a sense, Me Patra likens the sordid Internet culture of modern day youth to be like this rotten “inertia” most of us feel we can’t break away from. If television was the imagination killer back in Dahl’s day, then Me Patra is clearly making a point that the Internet has long taken its place.

Last but not least, I have to commend the graphics, which are truly original and is a testament to Me Patra’s great potential as an artist, both aesthetically and creatively.