In one of the strangest games of any generation, the player controls Mister Mosquito (or Ka in Japan), an adorable blood-sucker who's invaded the Yamada family home with the intent of gathering enough of the red stuff to last him through the winter.
This 2001 game is divided into 12 stages or "days", and the player is briefed at the beginning of each on who to suck how much blood from, as well as on any possible dangers. Blood can only be sucked from designated areas of the body (depending on the stage), and these spots are only exposed at certain times as the gigantic family members go about their everyday business. Some of these areas are simply exposed during their looping set of movements, but others require the player to manipulate their human prey first (by doing things such as turning off the T.V.).
Each victim also has a "stress meter" that rises if you suck blood too fast, too slow, or too long, or if you simply buzz around in their faces too much. If you're flying around when the meter hits its max, you'll enter a battle and have to strike certain "pressure points" on the victim's body to calm them back down. If the meter hits its max while you're sucking blood, you're swatted dead. Instantly.
A sequel was released in 2003 (subtitled Let's Go Hawaii); it was only released in Japan due to the first game's poor sales in other territories. The sequel follows the Yamadas' trip to Hawaii set up at the end of the first game. They end up staying with the Brown family, who have a mosquito problem of their own. The game has two paths depending on whether the Original or American mosquito is chosen at the start of the game. Gameplay-wise, the mosquitos fly more smoothly and can now initiate blood-sucking from any exposed skin on the victim's body, along with a health and stamina bar instead of a hearts system. EX Tanks no longer have to be located in the stages, as the Mosquito can keep sucking for as long as the player wants, up to nine tanks per stage. However, it removes the Stress Meter and implements a new system of calming down specific pains on parts of the victim's bodies to make them less worry of your presence while collecting blood.
This series provides examples of:
- Aerith and Bob: Almost literally; the Brown family consists of John, Linda, and their daughter Aerith.
- Afro Asskicker: Partway through the second game, Kaneo is struck by lightning and gets an afro along with electrical powers.
- Animal Gender-Bender: In real life, only female mosquitoes drink blood.
- Bittersweet Ending: Played for laughs in the both games.
- The first game's second year ends with a tragic speech explaining that Mr. Mosquito Died Happily Ever After and that the Yamadas will lament his absence, but if all the EX tanks were obtained, the very next screen immediately takes it back and rejoices that he can "continue tormenting the Yamadas".
- In the second game, the Japanese Mosquito gets left behind for the Yamadas' flight back home, meaning they are likely free of his torment. However, this means the Browns are now stuck with him as well as the American Mosquito.
- Collection Sidequest: The EX blood tanks.
- Cosmetic Award: There are several unlockable skins for the titular mosquito, including a rainbow of various colors, a realistic mosquito, and mosquito versions of the human parents.
- Cosmic Plaything: The Narrator in the intro to the second reveals that Mr. Mosquito's ancestors have been sucking the blood of the Yamada clan for generations.
- Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: On stage 11, Kenichi can suddenly pull off Street Fighter moves that can instantly kill you unless you have at least one health upgrade. In the sequel John turns out to have energy manipulating powers.
- Deadly Walls: Certain levels have pesticide sprayed in parts of the level. This can include furniture.
- Depth Deception: Kenichi's poor eyesight causes him to slam his head against paintings after mistaking them for open windows.
- Don't Try This at Home: The game informs you that Pesticide should NOT be used the way the game depicts it.
- Dysfunctional Family: The Yamada Family. Until the first three of the last four levels.
- Escalating War: What starts as a simple annoyance at the mosquito eventually results in the father taking on the bug with mystic fireball attacks.
- Eagle Land: The Browns are a heavy type 2, complete with an American mosquito.
- Fanservice:
- Stage 4 has Rena in a bathtub. Mister Mosquito seems to like this.
- Stage 8 has Rena's rich friend, Ayaka, who apparently has never been bit in her life. The opening line of the stage? Suck Everywhere!
- Eye Take: Whenever you get forced into a battle.
- Final Boss: Kenichi in both games, unless you're playing the second game's American path, in which case it's John.
- Giant Foot of Stomping: One of the many ways you can die in this game.
- Heart Container: The mosquito starts the first game with three hearts and can expand it further. You need at least one to survive a hit from the final boss' strongest attack.
- Huddle Shot: Most of the cutscenes consist of this.
- Inexplicably Awesome: There is no explanation for how Kenichi and John can use energy attacks.
- Interspecies Romance: The manual explained that Mister Mosquito is in love with Rena. Though, obviously, that never gets requited.
- Limited Wardrobe: Everybody, but most obviously John, who spends the entire game wearing an indigo speedo and nothing else.
- Macro Zone: The entire game.
- Ms. Exposition: A female narrator spouts out lengthy exposition at the introduction in rather great detail. She also describes each level you have selected.
- New Game Plus: Collecting and filling all the EX tanks lets you play through a more challenging second year in the Yamada home with all of your unlocked skins.
- Non-Lethal K.O.: The final boss battles. Yes, the game ends with a quarter-inch insect KO-ing an entire human family.
- One-Letter Title: The game is simply called Ka (Japanese for "mosquito") in Japan.
- Overdrawn at the Blood Bank: In the second game, getting attacked can cause your mosquito to expel far more blood than it could possibly ever hold.
- Poor Communication Kills:
- The Browns' and Yamadas' inability to understand each other's language leads to Kenichi eating an expired piece of meat and the Yamadas getting scammed into buying counterfeit products (the Browns don't have the heart to tell them the truth because they actually looked happy for once).
- Aerith loses one of her many boyfriends after he misinterprets her rant at the Mosquito as being directed at him.
- Relationship Sabotage: One of the selling points mentioned on the back of the game's case.
- Repeat Cut: If you narrowly escape or get hit and survive a big attack from one of the humans, this happens.
- Schmuck Bait:
- A load of heart rings can be found inside the microwave, which the mother closes after 25 seconds if the player flies inside. That also happens to be your only chance of getting them, too, but survive and collect all the rings at the same time and you receive 100 free heart rings.
- Stage 11 is worse, where containers and collectibles are located close to furniture and walls that are deadly to the touch due to pesticide!
- In the second game, some stages feature open windows. Attempting to fly through will cause your mosquito to be flung out of existence. Thankfully, you respawn back in the house with no visible damage, aside from a small scolding from the narrator.
- A load of heart rings can be found inside the microwave, which the mother closes after 25 seconds if the player flies inside
- Stealth-Based Mission: Everything but the last four stages, in that being seen should be avoided.
- Took a Level in Badass: The three levels before the final has the Yamada family literally fighting a mosquito!
Kenichi especially. In the sequel, Kaneyo gets an upgrade when she gains electric powers, and you now have to deal with the Brown family as well. - Timed Mission: Stage 4 and 12 are this. The latter is more forgiving, though.
- Video Game Flight: Mister Mosquito is always flying. That is, when he's not latched on to a person's skin.
- Villain Protagonist: Granted, he's only trying to survive, but Mister Mosquito doesn't seem to have a problem with watching the Yamada family disintegrate.
- Women Are Wiser: Kaneyo, though not entirely played straight.
