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“If Willy Wonka turned into a Pokemon” is the most accurate description of Balan that I have heard yet.

If you haven't watched the "choreographed dance" scenes, you really need to witness them to understand how batshit insane this mess of a game truly is

Everyone: “Hey Yahtzee can you widdle all over this game?” Yahtzee: “Everyone else has already done that, what do you need me for?”

The bad guy's deal? Well, I'd say beware of spoilers, but I don't think it will matter- _since none of you are ever gonna play this game._ Simply put, he's the original Balan _(the one we know is a clone made to replace him.)_ His original job was to help humans overcome their traumas in Wonderworld and then send them home and wipe their memories. He eventually grew too attached to the human visitors, and eventually seeing visitor after visitor leave, possibly never to return to Wonderworld again, became too much for him to bear. So he turned to darkness, and began a smear campaign against Balan, painting him as the bad guy. With this lie, he went to work convincing the human visitors to never get over their issues, stay in Wonderworld forever and become monsters. Monsters with no memory of their human existence, and gifted with enough power to defend their stages from Balan. ... Oh, what's that? "None of this fanfiction bullcrap is in the game?" Oh, they kept this out of the game because they felt it and other such worldbuilding stuff was better suited *_for the Novel tie-in._*

0:37 Yahtzee exactly how many professions/hobbies has your dad taken part in during his lifetime?

Good to see Yuji Naka still hasn't figured that controllers have more than one fucking button

Apparently, the weird machine in the hub world is connected to a *really* convoluted secret thing which eventually lets the player unlock the costume for Balan himself to play in the actual game, a costume which the one single person who actually went through the effort to unlock the thing described as being the most overpowered thing in the game. Mostly because it just lets you skip the whole level with actually controllable flight.

The funny part about Balan Wonderworld is that it has a decent story, but it’s all in the novel. That’s right, kids, you have to do homework to understand the basic gist of what’s happening. Because nonverbal story telling is so deep and can reach everyone, right?

Shout out for Bob Monkhouse appearance, may he rest in peace. "They all laughed when I said I'd become a comedian. Well, they're not laughing now." - Bob Monkhouse

Update: the most recent DLC for A Hat in Time makes fun of that hat that turns you into a box whenever it feels like it. There's a skin for the ice cap that looks like it and "turns you into a box whenever YOU feel like it"

Wanna know the crazy thing? The story is in a SEPERATE NOVEL that contains the entire games script because Yuji Naka wanted the story to be "enjoyed without words."

Given his reaction to the three costume limit, I’m going to assume Yahtzee never found the costume storage room. I don’t blame him, since the game never bothers to explain this mechanic, even though you absolutely need it if you need to backtrack for particular statues

So, there's actually a book that explains not only the plot of the game, but MORE and it actually makes the plot INTERESTING. That Robert Smith dude is apparently the creator of the wonderworld, who got too attached to the people who entered it, such as our player characters and the people whose psyche's the levels are based on, and stopped letting them leave.

The visual of yahtzee being assaulted by bright colors to represent watching NiGHTS: Into Dreams is incredibly relatable. Edit: so apparently the number machine is used to unlock a costume where you turn into Balan. It takes a LONG time to unlock with a lot of RNG involved.

"have you played any sonic in the last 20 years?" Yes and yuji naka was not responsible for most of those

Having actually played this one, at least for a bit, it very much feels like "What if Mario Odyssey, but for kids?" completely ignoring the fact that Odyssey is a great game for kids. It has some interesting ideas, but never manages to execute any of them amazingly well.

God, is it bad I saw the title and immediately went “oh, noooooo.”

0:40 Small correction with this: Yuji Naka hasn't been involved with Sonic the Hedgehog for the past 20 years and many people were expecting a Nights into Dreams successor with this one.

Me before watching this: "Hey look Yahtzee's reviewing that game everyone hates right now. At least I might finally understand what the deal is now." Me after watching this: "Well I can see why people hate it but not anything else about the game."

You know you need more spice in your life when you feel excited because Yahtzee has mentioned in writing the name of the Italian region you live in at the end of his review

"I don't understand the hatred towards the game", "Worst game of 2021"

I've played NiGHTS into dreams. I wonder what it's about

Yeah, Yuji Naka definitely deserved to go to jail for this.

Thing is, Balan Wonderworld is a pretty decent story about overcoming trauma, and there's some dark stuff in there (like a guy who recreate a dead loved one in his Wonderworld and forgets she isn't real). Too bad NONE OF THIS IS IN THE GAME. If you want Balan Wonderworld to make sense, you have to buy the game's novel -not novelization, *novel*- and read through hundreds of pages of decent yet poorly translated prose, because that's where you get the plot, the backstory, the actual character motivations, and all those silly things that make a narrative. The weird thing is that it does seem like the kind of story the "kids" today would like, and I can totally see an alternate reality where Balan Wonderworld becomes a cult hit, even if the gameplay was to remain the same.

2:18 funny story. The game's novelization does explain the bizarreness of the game...but at no point did the game EVER mentions it! Like it believes you have already bought the book already!

AFTER ALL.... YOU'RE MY WONDERWORLD

I think we need more of little Yahtzee with a hat that's too big for him. Anyone else?

Finally a game that are R100. Only 100 year old gamers can fully appreciate all the subtle undertones of the master piece that is Yuji Nakas Balan Wonderworld.

As a fan of NiGHTs Journey of Dreams, I was pretty excited for this game when I saw the trailer. Glad I completely forgot about it and didn't spend my money, lol.

"If Wily Wonka got turned into a pokemon" I fell on the floor laughing.

This video is making me laugh so hard with the new assets for lance and balan

The thing is there's a book where everything is explained. It should be obvious why this is a problem

Balan feels like the Mario party 8 mascot getting hit with puberty

*BECAUSE MAYBE* *YOU'RE GONNA BE THE ONE THAT SAVES ME* *AND AFTER ALL* *YOU'RE MY WONDERWORLD*

5:28 Oh, it gets explained, all right. Turns out the theater's a TARDIS. Also, the clown character is crushing on the 8 year old cat girl's future self. And said cat girl's car accident was the same one that killed ice girl's parents.

0:47 **Yahtzee then proceeds to show only Sonic games that came out AFTER Yuji Naka left**

Tbh I'm surprised this to be very mild

About time Yahtz did a shout out with his dad in a Playboy Bunny costume.

"Apparently the story gets explained in a tie-in book, which means Balan Wonderland is exactly like 2001: A Space Odyssey". Now that is a weirdly specific reference that perfectly explains it.

but you haven't read the entire novel that contains everything you would need to know about the game, including your basic motivation for doing anything how can you give a fair assessment of this clear cut masterpiece, when you haven't read the entire novel that contains everything you would need to know about the game, including your basic motivation for doing anything

4:11 I have not thought of that thing in over a decade but it was legit one of my favorite toys as a kid

Yahtzee your version of Balan is absolutely horrifying. Can I get that on a T-shirt?

Okay so apparently there's a book that explains this whole game, but let me get on my tiny soapbox for a moment. Ahem. I shouldn't have to read a novel to play a video game. I'm not AGAINST novels- I love books. I'm not even against supplemental materials, because I love learning the new lore of an old friend. But if I pick up a video game and can't understand it WITHOUT the novel or supplement then it's not strong enough to stand on its own. I could pick up the third Lord of the Rings book and still enjoy it to an extent, even if I'd never read the first two. I could follow the world well enough without previous knowledge. The problem here is that I have no clue what's going on in this game, am being told I need to read a book nobody informed me of first, and will have trouble following the plot without it. That's an issue. The art is neat, though. I'll give it that.

God even the review sounds so confused... Perfect!

Balan Wonderworld has to have the Guinness world record for first final boss that actively tries to kill the player. Look up the seizure inducing flashes that game had on KZfaq. Even I started coming down with a headache.

It feels like at this point more people have reviewed this game than actually bought it.

I love that the Balan monster thingies have crisp packets for torsos

This marks the second time in as many years that a once-revered Japanese game designer from Segs came out of retirement to make a video game that feels like it was made by someone who hates video games.

0:17 I demand more baby yahtzee

This game can be summed up as “Disney’s Psychonauts”

You calling the game salt and vinegar crisps... While I was just opening my bag of salt and vinegar crisps...

That terrifying hat creature will be haunting my dreams now. Thanks Yahtzee.

This game clearly was made with a vision in mind but clearly it was the kind of vision that needed someone with their feet planted to the ground to help make work in a interactive medium. I'm all for empowering visionaries but you need to ground it and make it practical even if that compromises it somewhat.

I will forever be baffled by how this series manages to not get demonetized, surpressed, and buried by youtube.

Just a quick thing, the first two bosses "benign problems" are: "A tornado came and literally shredded my livelihood" and "an animal that I truly trusted almost _fucking drowned me_ " you know two problems that are totally in the same ball park as "the people in my school think bugs are weird" and "I am a chess champion that lost a game."

More like "Bellend Wonderworld"

2:57 Jesus Christ, that's a dark joke, even for Yahtzee.

Nights was my favorite game as a kid. Still don't know what it was about.

0:16 My little Yahtzee can't be this cute???

Im super happy yatz is still doing these

0:50 I think a lot of those were done without his input though Also he was responsible for knights into dreams which a lot of people (not including myself because I never played those games) have fond memories of

I quite liked Nights on Sega Saturn, when I was seven playing on the demo system at Target.

Honestly say it's light Nights sold me. I'm pretty excited to give it a shot now.

"I am a burger snail" but we're not talking about Bugsnax haha

here's the weird thing -- there's a set of books to go along with the games that help to fill in the story, complete with fleshed-out dialogue and backstories. like, there's a lot of interesting stuff going on there *really* should've been touched on more overtly in the game. you can kinda get a better feel for the game's real vision through those, alongside some of the late completion unlocks (like the costume that lets you fly).

Nights into Dreams is about the Crash Bandocoot problem from Segas end. Namely moving on 3d space with their analog stick and notably without the platforming. Also has little floaty dudes that might be the proto Chao of later Sonic games.

The control scheme of this game reminds me of Kirby Air Ride... if it sucked.

We’ve been waiting for this

One thing I don't get from just a gameplay perspective- why do the serverity of the issue go in reverse order? The first ones are "My entire farm was destroyed in a tornado and my livelyhood is gone." "A dolphin I trusted tried to fucking DROWN ME." which gives way to "I have artist's block" and "I have a crush on a girl but I'm afraid because she knows I work as a clown."

I love that you reference Dizzy games in 2021!

This is one of those games you don't want to play, but you just love every clip of it you see,it's so bizzare that it's hilarious.

That was hilarious! Great review, man.

ok but the fact you compared this to nights makes me want to play this for the childhood nostalgia

I think we have top contender for Blandest Game list. 2 or 3 placement for sure

the way yahtzee describes games is poetic its like hes a master at saying exactly how a game feels AND juggling being funny at the same time. And whats also kinda beast is the way the comedy ENHANCES the review. its like if IGN didnt suck AND made me laugh while making their point and thats not even counting the visuals. The visuals remind me of newspaper comics. this whole show is peak human communication skills

4:58 That inscription on the trophy was pretty funny

I’ve been waiting for this episode.

Love the Tayto touch on Robert Smith

I am surprised yahtzee didn't mention the part were naka hasn't been employed at Sega since 2006.

The whole "Yuji Naka made Sonic so hopes were high" thing makes a little more sense given that Naka left SEGA during the production of Sonic 06. A lot of people assumed that his absence from SEGA coinciding with the "dark age" meant that his own productions would be much better, but the sad truth is that Naka's leaving had nothing to do with the quality of SEGA's output- He'd been promoted to an executive role years before, and wanted to go back to actually making the games. Unfortunately it seems like Balan has only retroactively tarnished his work at SEGA too, because now one the of the biggest issues with Adventure 2- Too many things mapped to a single button- has been apparently revealed to be Naka's MO.

Every time I see the title of this game, I think it's called "Balan WonderLAND". Anyone else?

Oh boy I've been waiting for this one

4:48 I recommend pausing it for a great picture

0:35 - Ooh, that's gotta sing!

Little late to this but I figured id add onto the insanity. Those asides that are in each level, if you mess them up, they dont respawn normally, no no. If you want them to reappear, you have to go and *kill the boss of that world.* And you bave to do this everytime you want the asides to respawn.

2:08 - Considering what happened to Yuji Naka nowadays, this visual gag aged like fine wine.

The rainbow beam of Nights sent me, I needed a good laugh

If you need a novel to explain the plot and context of your _platforming video game aimed at children_ , you might be missing the forest for the trees somewhere.

3:10 I just knew he was going to mention the Box Fox.

Oh my god I JUST made the connection between this and Knights. I knew that character design was familiar. I remember when people kept asking for a sequel to it...

Its SO MUCH worse even. Naka admitted that he had no idea how to or interest in telling a story. There was NO cohesion until Square made him. The entirety of what story IS in the game comes from the FMV people being bored and deciding to chip in something they werent asked for in the 11th hour and a companion novella.

0:46 Yuji Naka wisely jumped ship after Shadow the Hedgehog.

Balan: I wanted to be like you! NiGHTS: And I wanted you to be better.

Now I want him to review Nights Into Dreams. I mean, I've played the game and I understood more of what was going on from youtube analysis videos than the first hand experience I had playing the thing

Oh boy, I was waiting for this one.

"... and knocked over the amaretto." I see Yahtzee is a man of good taste

The first half of the video is the funniest one in this channel.

4:07 Holy Shit Yatzhee... I had this marble parcour in my childhood. Seeing this here gave severe nostalgia.

BY GOD I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS ONE