Mojo Master: The Dating Sim Has Arrived

When I got the latest issue of GamePro magazine in the mail today, I wasn’t really expecting a big ol’ centerfold of a buxom computer generated babe in the middle of the magazine. But that’s exactly what I got as the latest incarnation of video games as marketing vehicle left the garage (ugh). The centerfold is a promotional poster for the game Mojo Master which is a free game promoting the use of Axe products for men. In this game, the player, or playa, uses clever moves (ie lines), and Axe products to seduce women in various venues. With all of the furor over some hidden sex game code in GTA: San Andreas, I can only wonder what the prudes and grandstanding politicians are going to think of this game.

The game is actually pretty good for what it is and even compares favorably to games like Playboy: The Mansion and the most recent Leisure Suit Larry game. The graphics and sound is surprisingly good. I only played it for an hour, so I don’t really know yet what shape the "relationships" will take or how far they’ll go, but my guess is that there won’t be more than the flirting and corny lines I’ve seen so far, which is fine for a game that didn’t cost me any green. I guess the arrival of such games on the American scene means that the dating sim, a long time Japanese gaming staple, has taken up residence on these shores as well.

The game play is very simple. After picking a venue, the player equips his avatar with various clothing items and Axe product power-ups. Upon entering the venue, one or more women will be available to pick up. The player engages the "target" in what is essentially a trading card battle of moves. Winning the battle gets the player the woman’s phone number, new moves, and power-ups (ie Axe products). One thing I noticed was that you really can’t progress in the game without the Axe power-ups which makes me wonder if at some point in the future, actual product will be distributed with codes that can be used in the game. It’s a logical tie-in.

So why waste time on this game? Because it’s easy to pick up and good for a few laughs especially since it playfully pokes a finger in the eye of all of the neo-prudism that seems to be going around in the U.S. lately. The only bad thing I see here is that some poor awkward young guys out there are going to actually try to use some of the in game pick-up moves. Ladies beware!