My Name Gameplay and Review (C91 version)

Old School Platformer Meets Yuri

Gameplay Video

Game Review

Japanese Title: 私の名は
Developer: OGSD　Storyteller Circle
Genre: side-scrolling platformer

Full Game or Demo: Demo
Bought at: Comiket 91
Length: under 10 minutes

My Name is a side-scrolling platformer with mechanics reminiscent of old school classics like the original Rygar or Wizards and Warriors. As of this demo, the story is almost non existent; as much as I can gather the female protagonist is trying to get her memories back.

The demo instead highlights the mechanics of the game. In the beginning, you can choose between two main weapons -- a sword and an axe -- which are supplemented by various magic spells and a gun. As a platformer, jumping is a central mechanic and while the character's normal jump is a bit weak, she can also teleport to a limited degree. This mechanic is essential to the game and players won't get far without mastering it.

Like most demos at Comiket, My Name is more proof-of-concept than finished product. And honestly, that's fine. Despite the fact that in recent years the event has attracted more professional developers, it should be remembered that Comiket is first and foremost a fan event for showcasing amateur content. The development cycles of games there is relatively slow, so it's not uncommon to see the same demo, slightly improved, year after year.

That's the case with My Name. While I picked this up at Comiket 91, an updated version was released at Comiket 92. I'll cover that demo, along with an interview with the developers, in the future.

Stay tuned.