Search engine Google is celebrating the start of the Tokyo Olympic Games with an elaborate Doodle that functions as a fully-functional Japanese Role-Playing Game.The Google Doodle for July 23, 2021, is titled Doodle Champion Island Games and follows Lucky the Ninja Cat as she explores an idyllic island, participating in a variety of sports-themed mini-games. Along her journey, Lucky will encounter legendary opponents, side-quests and a bunch of sacred scrolls. The game is accessible via the Google homepage and features activities based on ping pong, archery, synchronized swimming, skateboarding and marathon running.
Upon her arrival to Champion Island, Lucky will be prompted to join one of four teams, each represented by a different animal. Players can choose to join Ushi the cow, Kappa the turtle, Inari the fox or Karasu the crow. Each of the four teams is connected to a real-time global leaderboard that updates based on victories and losses, pushing players to embrace their competitive edge.
According to the company, Doodle Champion Island Games is the "largest interactive #GoogleDoodle ever." The game sports animation and design work from Japanese group Studio 4°C, who went so far as to produce a variety of smoothly animated anime-inspired cutscenes. Studio 4°C is perhaps best known for its works on Berserk: Golden Age Arc and Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox.
Google conducted a brief Q&A with Studio 4°C on the development of Doodle Champion Island, discussing how the project came to fruition. "First, we identified stories and folktales from all over the country with characters that are highly recognized," said Studio 4°C. "Next, we connected those folktales and characters with each of the sport events included in the game. In the design process, each event champion was selected from those unique stories."
"We're pleased that we were able to allude to various stories from Hokkaido in the north to Okinawa in the south in the Doodle. Besides drawing inspiration from stories known across Japan, we also hoped to convey the rich and diverse natural beauty of the country, including underwater, sandy tropical beaches, forests, and snowy mountains," continues Studio 4°C.
All you need to do to experience the delightful Doodle Champion Island Games is head on over to the Google homepage. Keep an eye on that synchronized swimming mini-game, it's tougher than it looks.
Source: Google