A Very Tall Tail Indeed...

Tail Concerto
- Only available on the Playstation 1
- Action/Adventure Platformer
- Developed by CyberConnect (also worked on the .hack games)
- Published by Atlus & Bandai
- Released on November 3, 1999

Tail Concerto may have one of the strangest names in all of video games but don’t let that fool you. For when you open the case and pop in the game, you will be treated to one of the most underrated gems in the Playstation library. Let’s look at why this game needs: More Lovin'!

If the boxart doesn't charm you, the game itself sure will!

More Lovin' Reason 1: Charm

Developed by CyperConnect and published by Atlus & Bandai, one of the first things you will notice when you play Tail Concerto for the first time, is that the game is cute. I mean REALLY cute. The main character is a police officer dog and the main antagonists are three cat sisters...in fact all of the characters in this game are talking animals for pete’s sake. This is bound to turn a lot of gamers off and it also may be why the game wasn’t a commercial success. However, if you discount the game just because the game is into Furry fandom (seriously it's a thing...a scary thing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furry_fandom), you are doing yourself a MAJOR disservice. While the game is undeniably cute, it is also undeniably charming. In fact it may charm the pants right off you. A lot of this charm comes from the lovable cast of characters that CyberConnect was able to fashion. From Waffle, the main protagonist police dog, that simply wants to enjoy his vacation but somehow is stuck working; to Alicia, one of the antagonists and leader of the Black Cats Gang; to Panta, Waffles cowardly sidekick that provides comic relief and convenient save points. The game is animated beautifully and the story is unfolded through gorgeous, hand-drawn cut scenes that are both well written and voiced...in a cheesy sort of way.

CyberConnect's other works aren't quite as cute and cuddly...

More Lovin' Reason 2: Surprisingly Deep Story

Did you ever play a game, read a book, or watch a movie that when it starts it appears one way but by the end you look at it completely differently? Yeah, Tail Concerto definitely fits that bill. Tail Concerto’s story may seem like material straight from a children’s book and for most of the game you would be correct. However, once you get to the latter portion of the game a peculiar story twist happens that takes it from your average hero saves the day to a WHOA BABY where did that come from?? This game does have a clear-cut ending, but an awesome feature that most people don't know about is that Tail Concerto is actually part of a series of games called the Little Tail Bronx series. It took a REALLY long time for the next game in the series to make its debut (12 years in fact) but in 2010 Solatarobo: Red the Hunter was released for the Nintendo DS and it is just as glorious (some would argue better) as Tail Concerto is. The amazing thing about Solatarobo is that it continues upon the story from Tail Concerto and actually answers many questions that you may have had when you played TC (for example why are all the characters dogs and cats?). The whole storyarch of the Little Tail Bronx series is quite deep and worth digging into…see what I did there?

It took 12 years for the sequel, but it was well worth the wait!

More Lovin' Reason 3: Less is More

It’s no secret that Tail Concerto is a short game. In fact my last playthrough took 5 hours. Many people look down upon that fact and after reading many review from the time TC was released back in 2009, it was one of the major gripes about this game. I am on the opposite side of the fence on this one. I feel this game is a perfect example of "less is more". Many current great games have hopped on the short bus and for good reason. Today's gaming environment has evolved into a nation of gamers with short attention spans, myself definitely being included. With so many different game options, on so many different platforms, and so many ways to play it, and ESPECIALLY with the emergence of mobile gaming, people want games that are fun but don’t overstay their welcome. Tail Concerto is just that. It is a charming, simple, fun game that knows when to end. It doesn’t artificially extend your experience with trivial side quests (although there are a few you can do) and fetch quests. It simply says: “Here! Play me! And when you beat me, play me again in a few years!” That is why I can play this game over and over where as with most other games I will only play once. In my mind, Tail Concerto being on the short side gives me another reason to love it.

Another game that proves being short isn't always a bad thing.

The Tail End of This Review...

So why does this charming and overly cute game deserve More Lovin'? Simply put, its hard NOT to like this game. From the second you boot it up, the cute and lovable characters will melt even the hardest of hearts. While the game has its fair share of flaws, it's what the game does right and how it makes you love the characters that completely overshadows the negative. And while the game is getting pricey and only available for the PS1 (not on PSN as of the time of this review), if you enjoy action platformers this game may be right up your alley. So if you ever see this hidden gem lying around somewhere, pick it up and give it a second look because it deserves:

MORE LOVIN'!

Pros

• Extremely charming and lovable cast of characters
• Colorful and vibrant 3D world to explore
• Solid soundtrack with a few memorable pieces
• Surprisingly deep story
• Short; can be beaten in 4-5 hours (this is a positive for me but can be viewed as a negative to others)
• Unique action/platform hybrid that feels a bit like Ape Escape

Cons

• Controls can feel slippy until you get used to it
• Extremely frustrating last level that will take up about 1/4 of your playthrough
• Fairly expensive to find a copy and is only available on disc format (no PSN)