12. Chiisana Obake: Acchi Socchi Kocchi (Famicom, Atlus, 1992)

When I booted up this game, I was not aware that it (much like game #11) was an Atlus-developed, late Famicom release. Unlike Wacky Races, what we have here is a maze game based on a children's anime that was airing at the time.

Chiisana Obake: Acchi Socchi Kocchi (literally translated as "Little Ghosts, There, Here, and Where") is, as the title implies, about 3 ghosts who cause trouble in their neighborhood. The game does not really reflect this, and I'm actually kind of surprised at how late it was released on the Famicom for how simple it is.

It plays like a typical maze game: the stages are a grid of tiles with pathways around them. You are a ghost with a rope that trails behind you, and the object is to enclose spaces with your rope by looping around them. At first, the game feel painfully simple, though small mechanics (such as enemies or tiles that cannot be passed) are added throughout the levels.

The game definitely gets more fun once you get to later levels and you have a longer rope so that you can encircle multiple blocks at once. Add in enemies and a few power ups and the game finally becomes like a slower, less interesting Ms. Pac-Man. There is a speed up power up, but the power ups are distributed randomly (and you have to be lucky or fast to get them).

3/5, doubling the speed would make this game go from ok to good.