Dancing Eyes
A 3D puzzle game with a risque, comical theme.
Dancing Eyes is a 1996 puzzle video game developed and published by Namco for arcades. It gained notoriety for its sexual nature and comical design, breaking away from the company's traditional family-friendly model. The game was created by Masateru Umeda, designer of The Outfoxies.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Namco
- Designer
- Masateru Umeda
- Platforms
- Arcade
- Released
- September 1996 (JP)
- Genre
- Puzzle
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
- Arcade system
- Namco System 11
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
Dancing Eyes is a 3D puzzle game often compared to Qix. The player controls a monkey named Urusu-San, who must complete each level by eliminating all tiles off the grid of a 3D object. Most levels involve destroying clothing from women, while others target UFOs, cardboard boxes, or a cobra around a trapped body builder. Enemies chase the player, and power-ups grant abilities like speed boosts or increased size. Completing a level lets the object pose for the camera.
Development and release
In 1996, Namco published Dancing Eyes, a game that made its executives uneasy because it broke from the company’s usual wholesome image. Masateru Umeda, best known for designing the fighting game The Outfoxies, led a team of six others to create it. The game ran on the Namco System 11 board, a 3D arcade system built on PlayStation hardware. Motion capture brought the characters to life, and several were voiced by well-known anime actors. Each character had a distinct personality and backstory, so they wouldn’t be remembered only for their sex appeal. One character, Bunny, was based on a developer’s gym instructor.
Reception and legacy
Game Machine reported that Dancing Eyes was among the most popular arcade games in October 1996. Retrospectively, it has gained attention for its risque, comical nature. Ray Barnholt of GamePro likened its gameplay to Qix and Gals Panic, finding it fun and not taking itself seriously, and complimented the graphics. Arttu Ylärakkola of GameSetWatch described it as a perfect example of Japanese arcade weirdness, stating the game itself was low quality but had odd charm. Retro Gamer compared it to Amidar, calling it a surprisingly polished game with good gameplay and responsive controls, and found the lack of a PlayStation conversion surprising given the arcade system's hardware. In 2011, Namco Bandai Games announced a high-definition remaster for PlayStation 3 as part of the Namco Generations line, compatible with PlayStation Move. The announcement generated confusion and distaste from publications. The project was cancelled in 2012 for various circumstances; Push Square believes controversy was a factor.
More in Namco Games of the 1990s
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