A few years ago there was a game show that I believe originated in Japan where contestants would try and fit through holes in ever approaching walls.  I think it was called “Hole in the Wall” in the US, but on the Internet I remember people calling it “Human Tetris.”  Well now you can play a version of that featuring Sumo wrestlers with Tetsumo Party.  It’s available to download on most current game consoles and PC, but reviewed on Switch here.

The first thing you do is choose your character.  From the start you can pick a sumo guy or a fat ninja guy, but there are more to unlock later.  Each character has achievements you can earn, too.  Press the two shoulder buttons on each side to change the position of the character’s arms and legs.  When you start, a wall with a hole in it will come toward you, and you must push the buttons to arrange your limbs so they fit through the hole.  If you can do this fast enough, press the A button to make the wall come faster toward you for more points.  Each time you pass a wall, you’ll earn points, and when you miss once, you lose.

One thing to watch out for is that if you make your character stand and then do the splits, they’ll be stunned for a short while.  Another thing to look for is little guys that run to the left or right of you periodically.  They hold a power up and if you can move your arm to grab it, you’ll get it.  I only wish I knew what all the power-ups did.  I know one makes you invincible for a short while, and another stops time.  Another one gives you a little icon and when you collect enough, you can unlock a new character.  You can see how many of these icons you collect on the character select screen.  Two players can go at the same time, too.  And that’s the game.  It’s all right, it just feels like it could’ve used a few more modes, as it feels like a mini-game in a bigger party game.

Kid Factor:

Tetsumo Party is rated T for Teen with an ESRB descriptor of Partial Nudity. So your sumo wrestler wears a “mawashi,” which is that little belt they wear, so you might see a little butt crack.  Especially when you lose and your character smacks the TV screen so you get a close up shot of it.  But it’s very cartoony and all the characters look like paper cutouts anyway so I’d be OK with any kid playing this.  Some may consider the voices racially offensive.  It didn’t really bother me, but I know some people are more sensitive to that sort of thing so I thought I’d mention it.  Reading skill is helpful for some of the text, but not necessary just to play.

Tags: Game Reviews