As dabblers
in word etymology, NCS was determined to decipher the title of
Koei's damnable game name. Here's what our sleuthing
uncovered. Yanya is the Turkish equivalent of "Janina"
(French origin) or "loannina" (Greek), which are
formal names of people and places in Albania, Turkey and
Greece. In other words, it has no place in this game. The
meaning of Caballista came a little easier. Spanish was
a mandatory course in NYC elementary schools back in the day
and the word translates into "horseman". Again,
meaningless to the game. Then we have Gawoo. They're the
aliens invaders in the game but why Gawoo? We haven't a clue
but here's a word whose origin sprouts from New York. Fuggedaboutit.
Useless and dysfunctional name aside, Yanya spins
a tale of marauding, marshmallow-ish aliens who must be
stopped. The fate of the planet rests firmly in the
skateboarding skills of a couple of slackers riding their
ratnuts-wheeled boards and tricking about. As you rage through
a looming gotham, aliens are uncovered and your spins, aerials
and special sk8r moves unleash laser blasts upon the hapless
alien. Perform tricks and special moves in steady staccato and
you'll destroy it. Challenging game play and cel-shaded looks
reveal it's inspiration from Sega's Jet Set. The controls take
a little practice to perfect but therein lies a rewarding
learning curve for a perfectly stimulating skating simulation.
Stodgy Koei appears to have the wherewithal to move into
gaming genres outside of historical sims. |
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The Yanya package includes
a skateboard piece which plugs into the Dual Shock analog
knobs for tactile virtual skating. |
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