The Prehistoric Romance a Million-and-One Years in the making!
I Wani Hug that Gator! is a visual novel by Cavemanon Studios. Originally slated to be released in 2022, it was finally released on February 14, 2024. The game's official website is located here
, and its official Release Trailer is here. Its Steam page is here and its itch.io store page is here.
This is the story of Inco G. Nito, a bald, mostly-faceless human that, due to circumstances out of his control, is transferred to St. Hammond High, an Arts-focused school where all of the other students are humanoid reptiles. While he initially just wants to fumble his way through the rest of his Senior year without getting wrapped up in any interspecies conflicts, he ends up befriending the school's outcasts, and it's by developing a relationship with one that our protagonist learns how to pull his head out of his ass and act like a decent person.
I Wani Trope that Game!:
- Adaptational Badass: In late 2023, Cavemanon released a mod for Pizza Tower with Olivia as the main character, making her able to perform the same insane high-speed stunts as Peppino, despite being stuck in a wheelchair.
- Art Evolution: Compared to Cavemanon's previous title, the character sprites are more refined and expressive. The game also showcases several fully animated segments.
- Amazing Technicolor Population: The game shows a variety of dinosaur and lizard characters of many different colors.
- Bait-and-Switch Tyrant: Solly steps into Inco's history class, only for the real teacher Ms. Prockling to thank him for escorting her to the class. Subverted as she is just as strict, even having Solly throw dodgeballs into her class.
- Bittersweet Ending:
- The "Simp" ending leans toward the bitter side. Olivia is a crazy art hippie and Inco is her clingy, dependent boyfriend. Their relationship is demonstrably toxic, their home is run-down, and both look like they've aged two decades in just three years. There is some hope that their relationship can improve, but ultimately they are now unhappy and embittered people who have been unable to overcome their flaws.
- The "Recovery" ending meanwhile leans toward the sweeter side. Olivia, despite the occasional Hope Spot, ends up too depressed to attend the formal, misses the eulogy, and fails to graduate with Inco at the end of the year. She and Inco ultimately find her some closure at Iadakan's grave, and it's implied that the two still love each other, and that Olivia will get better.
- Downer Ending: The "Tragedy" ending where Inco sets up Olivia to deliver a eulogy in a skimpy dress to photograph her emotional breakdown. After he tries to paper over a serious argument with Olivia by hugging her, she pushes herself away... Realizing only too late that her wheelchair is right up against the steps. The resulting tumble puts her into a coma and makes Inco have a Jerkass Realization. The ending concludes with Inco leaving the town in shame and Olivia still in the hospital, their goals and lives in shambles.
- Golden Ending: The titular "Golden" ending has Olivia rediscover her joy of painting, go on a great date, dance with Inco at the formal, graduate from St. Hammond's and throw one last party at a tropical resort with all her friends before moving on into a hopeful future. The epilogue shows both Inco and Olivia having promising careers and staying on good terms with Liz, Damien and the Paynes. Inco later proposes to Olivia... and she very happily says yes.
- Interspecies Romance: The "Prehistoric Romance" is between Inco, the human man, and Olivia, the baryonyx woman. When the two of them go an arcade with Liz and Damien, the latter compares it to a double date. It is only after Iadakan dies that the two consider themselves a couple.
- Kinder and Cleaner: I Wani Hug That Gator is nowhere near as vulgar or edgy as its predecessor Snoot Game, instead having a more heartfelt tone. There is still strong language at times, but not egregiously so.
- Lizard Folk: The majority of St. Hammond High's staff and student body consists of humanoid reptiles. Some of the notable characters encountered include Liz the Brachiosaurus, Mr. Iadakan the Pterodactyl, and Olivia the Baryonyx (who is the "Gator" of the title despite numerous differences between the two species).
- Multiple Endings: The game has four endings, and which one the player earns is determined by choices made over the course of the game. Overall, you work to make Inco and Olivia develop as people.
- If neither Inco nor Olivia develop as people, you get the Tragedy ending. Inco becomes a pitiless narcissist who manipulates a broken Olivia. Things derail violently from there, ending with Olivia in a coma and Inco finding out too late how much he messed up.
- If Olivia develops, but Inco doesn't, you get the Simp ending. Inco never found his confidence, allowing Olivia to walk all over him and regress into a more arrogant personality. They two remain together, but are trapped in a toxic relationship.
- If Inco develops, but Olivia doesn't, you get the Recovery ending. Olivia falls into a slump and is unable to regain her confidence, but fortunately a wiser and kinder Inco is able to support her. Olivia eventually finds closure at Iadakan's grave and the two remain in a healthy relationship.
- If both Inco and Olivia fully grow, you get the Golden ending. Olivia rediscovers the joy of art and is truly happy with Inco, with the two sharing a wonderful dance.
- Mysterious Middle Initial: Like Anon Y. Mous, Inco G. Nito's middle name is never revealed.
- Never Trust a Title: Olivia, the titular "gator", is actually a baryonyx. Lampshaded during the hibachi date.
- New Transfer Student: Inco, the protagonist, has just moved cross-country with his family at the start of the story and transferred to a school filled with anthropomorphic dinosaurs and lizards.
- Pun-Based Title: The "Wani" kanji in the title translates to "alligator", as well as being pronounced similarly to "wanna", as in "want to" ("I want to hug that gator").
- Punny Name: "Inco G. Nito" is based on the word "incognito".
- Senior Year Struggles: Inco was forced to transfer to St. Hammond High for senior year, and is trying to keep his head down and get through the year with as little conflict as possible. Unfortunately, he quickly gets intertwined with the lives of the school's other social outcasts.
- Shout-Out:
- The school's name, St. Hammond High, comes from John Hammond of Jurassic Park.
- Two minor characters (Ms. Prockling and Solly) are references to Team Fortress 2 (Ms. Pauling and the Soldier respectively).
- Two arguing background characters in a hallway shot resemble Dexter and Mandark from Dexter's Laboratory.
- Staircase Tumble: The "Tragedy" ending. After Inco tries to paper over a serious argument with Olivia by hugging her, she pushes herself away... realizing only too late that her wheelchair is right up against the steps. The resulting tumble puts her into a coma, and Inco is left with a Jerkass Realization.
- Throwing Off the Disability: Downplayed in the fourth "dance" ending. After a short "dance" between Inco and Olivia, she reveals that she's been "practicing," and asks Inco to trust her. After a short moment of suspense, Olivia surprises Inco, and all the other characters, by rising from her chair, using her tail for support, and the duo dance for a while. While her newfound ambulatory capabilities don't last past the scene, since her tail is tired, the two share an embrace, and a joyful laugh, as Damien and Inco help her back down.
- Token Human: Although Inco is not the only mammal at his new school, he is the only human; the gym teacher, Solly, has a more simian appearance (in addition to resembling the Soldier from Team Fortress 2).
- "Where Are They Now?" Epilogue: Ending 4's credits sequence shows glimpses of the fate of the secondary characters. After playing through all four endings, the game will reveal an additional epilogue taking place after the Golden Ending that shows Inco proposing to Olivia.
