Chulip (finally) coming to North America

By Katie . June 30, 2006 . 1:52pm

Chulip (finally) coming to North America images

In creating Chulip, developer Punchline has coined not only the first known rhyme for ‘tulip’, but an etymological wonder as well. However, the game has less to do with flowers, and more with deflowering… well, not quite. Listen, it’s going to sound pretty weird, but the best description of the stratospherically bizarre simulation can, in fact, be derived from the name alone – ‘chu’ is Japanese for ‘kiss’. So roughly, we’re looking at a game called Kiss Lip.

Can you see where this is going? While not a full-blown dating simulation, the artsy oddity does center on teaching the withdrawn inhabitants of dismal, ineptly-named Long Life Town to actually live up to its name – by learning to love. As a new arrival with nothing but the clothes on his back and blissful ignorance of the desolation around him, your job is to butter up the locals by providing them your services (no innuendo intended), and get your social standing in good enough order so that you may kiss your love-at-first-sight under the town’s biggest tree. As a side benefit, you’ll have practiced for the main event by planting a wet one on every man, woman, and child who has served to elevate your date-worthiness (and, incidentally, your bank balance).

The totally titillating subject matter might have partly responsible for American publisher Natsume’s delay, delay, delay in releasing the game, which has been out in Japan since late 2002. But after the disillusionment of last year’s unfulfilled release promise, the cultish niche crowd can finally rest a little easier knowing that this October is the definitive month for move-making magic in the West, and that the professed detail of the translation stands to leave nothing to the imagination. Keep a keen eye out for the price on this intriguing title, too, since it will be quite small – a real grab for a mere 20 bucks!