Remember Garfield? That lazy orange cat who loves lasagna and despises Mondays? Well, it turns out he starred in his own video game back in the day. But here's the catch: the game, called A Week of Garfield, was only released in Japan. Why? Well, it's widely believed that the game's poor quality might be the reason it never made it overseas.
A Week of Garfield for the Famicom (the Japanese version of the NES) is an action platformer where Garfield embarks on a mission to rescue his pal Odie from the clutches of neighborhood ne'er-do-wells. On paper, it sounds like a fun and exciting adventure, but in reality, it turned out to be a prime example of how not to make a video game.
The moment you start A Week of Garfield, it becomes apparent that something is off. The graphics are subpar, resembling the simplistic artwork of a preschooler. Garfield himself looks more like a deformed potato than the lovable feline we all know. It's as if the developers forgot what Garfield was supposed to look like and just went with their own interpretation.
But the mishaps don't end with the visuals. The gameplay is equally frustrating. Garfield's controls are clunky, making it a challenge to navigate through the game's levels. Jumping feels like trying to maneuver a brick through the air, and the hit detection is so wonky that it's hard to tell if you even made contact with the enemies.
Speaking of enemies, A Week of Garfield doesn't fail to deliver some truly bizarre foes for our lazy hero to defeat. From inexplicable floating turtles to angry garden gnomes, the game's bestiary reads like a fever dream. It's almost as if the developers were trying to compensate for the lackluster gameplay by throwing in every weird creature they could imagine.
The levels themselves are no picnic either. Garfield must traverse through mundane environments like suburban neighborhoods and parks. These locations should provide a familiar and relatable backdrop, but they end up being as uninspiring as the rest of the game. It's clear that very little effort went into designing engaging and diverse levels that would keep players hooked.
One of the most baffling aspects of A Week of Garfield is its music. Or should we call it noise? The soundtrack consists of repetitive, ear-piercing tunes that sound like they were composed using a malfunctioning Casio keyboard. Each track is a unique piece of auditory torture that perfectly complements the pain of playing this game.
Considering the game's overall poor quality, it's not surprising that A Week of Garfield never crossed the ocean to grace the screens of NES owners outside of Japan. With a flood of excellent games available for the console, it would have been a waste of time and resources to bring such a lackluster title to the international market. Perhaps the developers realized this and decided to save the world from suffering through Garfield's misadventures.
In conclusion (oops, guess we broke that rule), A Week of Garfield is a shining example of how not to make a video game. From its appalling graphics to its frustrating gameplay and dreadful music, it's a game best left forgotten. However, for those brave enough to venture into the world of cheaply made licensed games, A Week of Garfield might provide a few laughs. Just don't expect it to be a purr-fect experience.
