Help Wanted (video game)

Lore & Background

The game's story begins with a meteor threatening Earth, observed by NASA Space Research Center and the president. After the meteor is destroyed, a series of planet-sized objects approach, and the protagonist siblings Tom and Maya are tasked by their grandfather to take temporary jobs to earn money for items from the TV Shopping Channel's Points Channel. Over days, they work various jobs while the objects draw closer; failure to repel them results in the grandfather accidentally destroying the Memorial Hall, forcing the family to pay for its reconstruction. After defeating eight objects, the cause is revealed as the Space Codger, who deploys the Monumental Thingy. The TV Shopping Channel hosts are revealed to be undercover NASA members, and the family ultimately saves Earth by blasting fragments away. If the player buys the Transformowatch, the protagonist can transform into a superhero to destroy the Monumental Thingy.

Reader's Guide

Help Wanted is notable as a late-era Wii minigame compilation that leverages the console's motion controls, with some jobs requiring the Nunchuk attachment. Its 50 jobs cover real-world and fictional occupations, each with three difficulties (Normal, Hard, Expert) unlocked by achieving ranks (Newbie, Pro, Expert, Master) through repeated play. The game offers three modes: Employment Office (story), Career Fair (quick play), and Job Battle (multiplayer for 15 jobs). Reception was mixed according to Metacritic, while Famitsu gave it a score of 31 out of 40. The game's connection to the Deca Sports series, via shared developer and European branding, positions it as a niche but functional entry in Hudson Soft's catalog of party-game compilations. Its elaborate story mode, involving aliens and a family saving the world through part-time work, distinguishes it from simpler minigame collections.

Did You Know?

• Only 15 of the 50 jobs can be played in multiplayer mode.
• The game's European title, Job Island: Hard Working People, implies it is a spin-off of the Sports Island series.
• The story involves a character named Barry who advertises the Transformowatch, a gadget that turns users into superheroes.
• If the player fails to repel the planet-sized objects, the grandfather accidentally destroys the Memorial Hall, requiring the family to pay for its reconstruction.