Poy Poy is 1997's answer to the question: what if throwing rocks at your friends was a legitimate form of social interaction? It’s a party game by Konami that’s equal parts chaos and comical destructiveness, where up to four players battle it out like confused little avatar gladiators armed with whatever junk happens to be lying around. Seriously, if you’ve ever wanted to hurl logs at your best friends while giggling like a maniac, this game is for you.
The gameplay in Poy Poy is straightforward yet ludicrously enjoyable. You choose from a cast of eccentric characters, each with specific strengths and weaknesses, which is a nice way of saying that some will fling boulders like Hercules while others trip over air. The battles unfold in various environments where you can grab nearby props—rocks, logs, and even blocks of ice—to hurl at your opponents in an attempt to eliminate them. Or, if you’re feeling particularly frisky, you can directly toss their avatar—because why not add personal insults to the mix? Combat is fast-paced, with players dodging and using environmental hazards to their advantage. If dodging isn't your thing, there's plenty of opportunity for chaos with 'psychopower' gloves that grant special abilities to throw at your foes. In addition to the multiplayer madness, there’s a single-player mode where you fight against three AI competitors. Surviving their relentless quest to humiliate you provides victory, allowing you to earn prize money and upgrade your gear, thus making you ever so slightly less incompetent in the next round. It's like real life – only with fewer taxes.
When it comes to graphics, Poy Poy is adorably cheesy. The characters are cartoonish, the environments are vibrant, and everything feels just colorful enough to distract you from the fact that you're throwing logs at other people during a casual party. The graphics live comfortably in the late '90s aesthetic limbo, where clashing colors and rough edges made everything seem just a little more fun. In short, it’s not going to win any awards for realism, but Poy Poy is undeniably charming in its own chaotic way.
Poy Poy exists in a delightful space where friendship, chaos, and friendly competition collide. It’s everything you’d want from a party game: slightly frantic, ridiculously funny, and somehow incredibly engaging even if you’re losing spectacularly. Although it could have benefited from a more in-depth strategy aspect, it still serves its purpose as a party game, delivering laugh-out-loud moments. If nostalgia is your jam, or you just enjoy hurling virtual debris at your friends, grab a multitap and gather the crew. Poy Poy awaits with open arms (and rocks).
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