Official Website

Platform: PSP

Genre: Miscellaneous / Puzzle

Number of Players: 1 (2-8 via AdHoc or Infrastructure)
Known in Japan as: Baito Hell 2000

WTF?

Despite what you might think, this time the famous letters don’t quite stand for what you usually can associate them with. WTF, or Work Time Fun, is a zany and insanely addictive new game from Japan and it’s one that doesn’t quite fall into any specific genre either. Think of it as a game show gone horribly wrong, imagine that it’s a collection of jobs that you’ve never have in a million years, but whatever you want to consider WTF, the one certain thing is that this game is going to hook you in like no other.

WTF is actually a collection of mini-games, but there is something of a premise behind it. You’ll need to register all important data before you begin, and as this is a Japanese title, Blood Type is included as well (and I really have no idea what mine is) and then you’re off to start a brand new job. You see, that’s the idea behind WTF, you’re a working stiff (which you probably already are anyway) but these jobs aren’t like any that you’ve ever done before, at least I hope they aren’t.

You can begin by going to the Job Placement Office where you’ll find new jobs just waiting for you, and initially the game begins with four of these. Jobs are just mini-games that have you performing certain tasks. Maybe you’re going to be chopping wood, and that sounds easy, but not necessarily Every so often an animal will be thrown on the chopping block, so if you’re too anxious, you might split a cute little bunny right in two sending a shower of blood and gore everywhere. You could be helping people get across the street in a Frogger type environment. You might even be a pro-wrestler trying to come as close to that three count before kicking out. There are even games that are technically endless, such as Pen-damonium where you simply need to put caps on ink pens, but once you get in a groove, you may find yourself putting the cap on the wrong end. How many pens can you make? Well, there’s the possibility of a million . . . a billion . . . a trillion . . . . let’s just say that if you’re planning on maxing out the possible displayed number, you’ve got a lot of time on your hands (and probably not a real job at all.)

After completing your job, you will be rewarded with money. Sadly, it’s not real money, so don’t plan on putting in notice or anything like that. Depending on how you do, WTF rewards you with a check for your hard work, but this isn’t necessarily a score. You see, with your money, you can trade it in. Now, this isn’t an example of using fantasy cash to trade for real money or anything like we’ve all see with MMORPG’s. The makers and publishers of WTF aren’t planning on going broke or anything like that, but you will find a vending machine section. Here, there are capsule machines, or gachapon, and you can use your money to win fabulous prizes and even new jobs. That’s how you get more to do; you simply “buy” them. It isn’t just items or jobs that you can win, but there are also tools, and these are kind of interesting. While most American’s may not have much use for it, there is a ramen timer with either a male or female that will entertain you will your ramen finishes. Maybe you’d like your horoscope, and there’s a Chinese Astrology tool to allow you to do that. Maybe you’d even like to find a better way to split the bill at the restaurant with your friends, and WTF will all you to do that.

The game also features an “email” section. At the main screen, you will hear each and every time you’ve got a new message. Sometimes it will be from “people,” other times there are messages from WFTNET. Here you will get advise, hear about how others are doing at jobs, and know when you’ve been given a new title for your accomplishments. Certain levels or earning or totals during performance are all ways that you can win titles. These don’t get you anything aside from bragging rights, but it feels good, doesn’t it?

Hell Cantina is the final section of WTF. Here, you can exchange trinkets with others. Maybe your friend has an item you don’t and you’d like to make a trade. This will make it possible. The Help Wanted section has two-player versions of some of the jobs whereas Out Sourcing will let you give jobs to friends, basically the equivalent of game sharing.

There isn’t anything specific as far as the controls go for this game since each one is different, but for any job, you can check the How To section to learn what the controls are and what you will need to accomplish. The graphics in the game also don’t have anything specific. One game such as Chick Sorting might have actual photographs that it works with while Lumberjack has more simplistic visuals that will remind you of the Super Nintendo era. But, no matter what, each game has its own unique look to it, and that keeps things from getting stale and it definitely makes the games interesting.

There’s only one thing I don’t like about WTF and it’s this: do you have any idea how much time I’ve spent playing this? It’s resulted in going to bed in the very wee hours of the morning. I’ve also lost control of the PSP to my wife who immediately learned the magic of the game. While her initial response to “how do you like it” was, “I don’t know, I guess it’s okay” might not seem like much, I think that six straight hours of playing says otherwise.

With around 450 trinkets that can be collected, 40 different jobs to unlock 10 different tools, and countless hours spent with a glazed over, zombie-like look, you’ll be asking yourself:

WTF . . why I am still playing this?

WTF did I ever do without this game?

Addicting? Yes? A good way at killing time? Most assuredly? Something you should own for your PSP? WTF . . . do you really even need to ask that?

-mike-