Melon Journey: Bittersweet Memories
- April 6, 2023
- Poppy Works
Melon Journey: Bittersweet Memories invites you to take a melon-flavored sip.
"Melon Journey: Bittersweet Memories" is a rhythm game where players help a sad melon named Bindu on a journey to regain its lost sweetness. Set in a vibrant world, players match beats and follow the story through melody-based challenges. The game features a variety of mechanics, including puzzle-solving and story-driven elements, making it a unique and engaging musical adventure.
Reviews
- The game features charming pixel art and a nostalgic Gameboy aesthetic that resonates with players.
- Engaging and humorous dialogue with a variety of quirky characters enhances the immersive experience.
- The soundtrack is delightful and complements the overall atmosphere, making the gameplay enjoyable and relaxing.
- The gameplay primarily consists of walking and talking, which may feel repetitive and lacks depth for some players.
- The story can be nonsensical and may not provide enough emotional connection or development for the characters.
- There are technical issues such as glitches and a lack of an options menu, which can detract from the overall experience.
- story112 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game's story is characterized by its charming and whimsical exploration of a town inhabited by various animals, featuring a mix of silly humor, engaging plot twists, and a sense of nostalgia. Players appreciate the interactive narrative that unfolds through dialogue and character interactions, although some find the pacing slow and the main plot occasionally overshadowed by side quests. Overall, the story is described as fun and lighthearted, with a unique blend of cute aesthetics and deeper themes, making it a delightful experience for those who enjoy narrative-driven gameplay.
“The story advances as you talk to characters and interact with the environment, so every time you return to an area after doing something somewhere else, there will be new dialogue and events taking place, which makes it feel like time is passing in the game world as you play it.”
“The art, the music, the way they fused the game and story together is just so great and I can't wait to see what happens next!”
“Came for the old school looks and stayed for the engaging story, cute well-written dialogues, and charismatic characters.”
“Literally the only gameplay is walking around talking to every NPC until something randomly advances the story.”
“And the story itself is totally nonsensical.”
“I would say that by focusing on the side characters (as needed for the secret ending), the story sometimes feels a bit lost.”
- music59 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its catchy, uplifting, and heartwarming qualities, enhancing the overall experience with its unique and memorable soundtrack. While some players noted moments of repetitiveness, many found themselves enjoying the sound design and often lingered in areas just to appreciate the music. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature that beautifully complements the game's charming art style and narrative.
“The music is fantastic; usually I get bored and turn off the music when it gets repetitive or isn't interesting enough, but here I enjoyed the sound design for the different areas and setting the different moods.”
“The soundtrack is a religious experience and has so much uniqueness, yet familiarity to it.”
“Not just that, the music is uplifting and heartwarming!”
“The music is surprisingly repetitive and bland too, which makes walking around for 3-ish hours worse.”
“To top it off, the music and sounds are mostly annoying (nowhere near as good as the trailer), the controls of the game are unpolished (even just movement, which is most of what you do as you travel back and forth across the map), and even resizing the game doesn't work fully (text will often be off-center in certain cutscenes, with a lot of wasted space otherwise).”
“I did think some sound effects were louder than the music; things like meowing and hedgehog noises were quite loud.”
- graphics50 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Melon Journey: Bittersweet Memories" are widely praised for their charming Game Boy aesthetic, featuring cute pixel art and a cohesive lime-tone color palette that enhances the overall experience. While many players appreciate the endearing visuals and quirky dialogues, some critique the limited color variety, suggesting that it can be difficult to look at due to the predominance of green. Overall, the art style is considered a significant draw for the game, contributing to its fun and engaging atmosphere.
“The art style is adorable and endearing, and the dialogues are funny and quirky.”
“I really fell in love with this game, the tone of the game, the visuals, the cuteness and little details, it was really good!”
“Amazing music, lovely graphics with a retro feel, and easy to complete in a single sitting.”
“The graphics are cute but they seriously needed to use more colors, or at the very least use the color black because the game is hard to look at with all the green everywhere.”
“[Visuals and audio may start to pall, a little glitchy, at least at launch]”
“If you're color-blind, check the trailer to see if the art style is clear enough for you.”
- humor42 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its adorable art style and quirky dialogue, providing a charming and lighthearted experience. Players appreciate the blend of cute visuals with genuinely funny writing, including clever jokes and wordplay, though some found the humor hit-or-miss. Overall, the game is described as cozy and entertaining, with moments that elicit laughter and a delightful narrative filled with unexpected twists.
“On the surface, it's a cute and silly exploration game with comic characters and funny scenes, and then it gets even better with plot twists and a secret important mission.”
“The writing had me smiling widely and laughing out loud several times, and on top of that, the story unfolds at a nice pace.”
“Melon Journey: Bittersweet Memories is a wholesome talk-em-up experience with great art, soundtrack, and funny writing.”
- emotional24 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is described as a heartfelt and whimsical experience that evokes laughter and warmth through its charming art and uplifting soundtrack. While it aims to foster emotional connections with its characters, some players feel that character development is lacking, which may hinder deeper engagement. Overall, it is celebrated as a wholesome and endearing journey that brings joy and smiles to its players.
“This game was really heartfelt and sweet, and made me laugh out loud several times over the course of its playthrough.”
“Melon Journey: Bittersweet Memories is a wholesome talk-em-up experience with great art, soundtrack, and funny writing.”
“This game is genuinely one of the most endearing short narrative-driven exploration games where you can tour the towns and interact with many individuals in what appears to be a wholesome, amiable, and charming journey.”
- gameplay13 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The gameplay primarily consists of walking and talking to NPCs, resembling a visual novel where story progression is the main focus. While some players found the experience engaging and worth the price, others criticized the lack of depth and felt the cost was not justified given the limited gameplay mechanics. Overall, the gameplay is simple and narrative-driven, appealing to those who enjoy story-rich experiences.
“The gameplay mechanics mainly involve walking and talking, yet I never got bored.”
“The price is a little steep for the gameplay time, but I felt it was worth it.”
“Literally the only gameplay is walking around talking to every NPC until something randomly advances the story.”
“But... there's literally no gameplay, just walking around and progressing the story.”
“You do move around, but the gameplay level is a bit more like a visual novel in that you're mainly progressing the story.”
- character development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
While the soundtrack and character designs are praised for their excellence and memorability, there is no specific mention of character development in the reviews provided.
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users have reported experiencing dialogue glitches, indicating some instability in the game's performance.
“I experienced some dialogue glitches, I think.”
“I encountered several dialogue glitches throughout the game.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with players appreciating the immersive environment and engaging character quests and storylines that enhance the overall experience.
“Love the atmosphere and character quest/storylines!”
“Love the atmosphere and character quest/storylines!”
“The atmosphere is immersive and enhances the overall experience!”
Critic Reviews
Melon Journey: Bittersweet Memories Review
All in all, we loved Melon Journey: Bittersweet Memories for taking us back to our roots and reminding us of simpler times when games were much more limited and required a unique type of creativity and imagination in their nostalgic design and witty storytelling. Short but sweet, if you're looking for a well-written little adventure that walks a dark path, you'll enjoy this evocative, melon-choly journey.
80%Melon Journey: Bittersweet Memories (Switch) Review
We're making memories I'd like to keep, but they're more bitter than sweet.
65%Melon Journey: Bittersweet Memories Review – I want to try Melon Pop
Melon Journey: Bittersweet Memories is a delightfully presented game with a short story that manages to be insightful without deviating from its cute aesthetic. While I personally feel the price of the game does not justify the length and unambitious gameplay, I can see others enjoying Bittersweet Memories if they don’t mind the cost of entry.
60%