History VideoGame / RibbitKing

The brainchild of UsefulNotes/{{Tokyo}}-based character artist and illustrator Yosuke Kihara (born 1958), ''Ribbit King'' is an obscure 2003 sports video game developed by [=JamsWorks=] and published by Bandai. Initially released on 11 July 2003 in Japan for the UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube (titled ''Kero Kero King DX''), a slightly expanded UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 version followed a few months later on 18 December 2003 (titled ''Kero Kero King Super DX''). In 2004, under the international title of ''Ribbit King'', the game was released overseas, starting with North America on 8 and 15 June 2004 for the [=GameCube=] and [=PlayStation=] 2, respectively, before reaching the PAL region on 3 September 2004 for both platforms.

In the story mode, you are [[KidHero Scooter]], a lowly young carpenter and resident of planet Hippitron. He is summoned by his king (who is [[IAmNotShazam not the titular Ribbit King]], mind you) who wants to tell him that there is a problem. The king however, not being the most competent of his type around, can't seem to tell him without breaking down and bawling, so one of his servants calmly tell young Scooter the bad news; their supply of Super Ribbinite, the planet's life-blood, is "dropping faster than a lead balloon". In order to get it back up to condition, Scooter, along with his trusty [[AnimateInanimateObject sentient picnic wicker-basket]] companion, {{P|unnyName}}icwick, travels the galaxy across five planets—Ribbetopia, Lavatron, Techtron, Frosticle and Hypnotron—on a mission to play the Frolf Tournament to become the Frolf Champion, or [[TitleDrop Ribbit King]], win the Super Ribbinite and return back home. Along the way, he and Picwick meet Sluggy, the manager and 'referee', who mans the Frolf Utility Vehicle (or F.U.V. for short). [[spoiler:After this storyline is completed, a second storyline with a different framing device and harder enemies becomes playable.]]

While this rather odd send-up of pretty much any and/or every golf video game is a rather unique concept to everyone else in the world, to Japanese gamers this is nothing new; ''Ribbit King'' is the successor to—and ''not'' a port of, contrary to some sources—Kihara's earlier and even more obscure [[NoExportForYou Japan-only]] UsefulNotes/PlayStation game ''Kero Kero King'', published by Media Factory and released on 2 November 2000. This game, while very similar to the aforementioned game gameplay-wise, has a different story and characters from its successor (though some of them look quite similar to characters from the later game, presumably due to Kihara's artstyle). This game also supported the [=PocketStation=], though what its purpose was is currently unknown in the Western world at this point due to the game's obscurity and aforementioned Japan-only release.

* BlandNameProduct: The UsefulNotes/{{Play|Station}}[[UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}} Box]] [[UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance Advanced]], a portable gaming console.

While this game is a very obvious example of a [[WidgetSeries WJT]], how ''good'' it actually is depends on the person; critical reaction generally passes it off as [[SoOkayItsAverage mediocre]], while consumers view it in a more positive light, either doing so [[SoBadItsGood because of its cheesiness]] or genuinely finding it a pretty good, if not underrated title.

%%* WidgetSeries: [[RuleOfThree Yet again]], see below.%%

In a nutshell, you play an [[UnlikelyHero unlikely young carpenter]] who just so happens to be the only carpenter as such on his planet and uses this skill to wield a hammer to play an interplanetary tournament involving the whimsical sport of Frolf—alongside a [[AnimateInanimateObject sentient picnic basket]]—as his planet faces danger due to a falling power supply. [[WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs Yeah,]] [[WidgetSeries it's that sort of game.]]

* PandaingToTheAudience: Probably the reason Pan-Pan exists.

[[JustForFun/DescribeTopicHere Describe]] ''Ribbit King'' here.

* NowWhichOneWasThatVoice: It is nigh-impossible to come across an accurate list of the English [=VAs=] in this game unless you're familiar with who did them, as they are all uncredited.

* ExcitedShowTitle: ''Ribbit King Plus!'' Some of the clips have it as well, such as "Frolf Beach Party!", "Frog Work-Out!", "Frog Revolution!" and "Frolf Hip-Hop!".

* WidgetSeries: This game and its predecessor takes the concept of a BizarreAndImprobableGolfGame to a whole new level.

* WantonCrueltyToTheCommonComma

[[DescribeTopicHere Describe]] ''Ribbit King'' here.

** According to Yosuke Kihara on his Website/{{Twitter}} account, the game's cover art is this (albeit loosely) to Music/{{U2}}'s ''The Joshua Tree''. The soundtrack album's [[http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51OhuLqq7QL._SL500_.jpg cover]] (titled ''Kerolover'') is an homage to Music/TheBeatles' ''Music/{{Revolver}}''.

* EverythingsBetterWithPenguins: Sir Waddlelot. He's a ''robotic'' penguin, but still.
%%* EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses: Princess Tippi.%%

* ALongTimeAgoInAGalaxyFarFarWay: Set across five planets with no mention of Earth.

* CampStraight: Sluggy talks in a ''ridiculously'' camp Creator/PaulLynde-esque manner, with the appropriate campy effeminate mannerisms to boot, and yet in "Sluggy After Work" on ''Plus!'', it is revealed he is married with a wife and two children.
* CatchPhrase

* ChekhovsGun

* ExtendedGameplay[=/=]NewGamePlus: [[spoiler:After beating the game once, you unlock a new storyline... which is nothing more than a new framing device and harder opponents.]]

* BonusMaterial: The ''Ribbit King Plus!'' bonus disc, which allows you to watch the movie clips that you unlocked in the story mode.