Irritating Stick

{{Infobox video game

| image = Irritating Stick cover.jpg

| developer = Saurus

| publisher = Jaleco Entertainment

| designer =

| released = {{vgrelease|JP|March 19, 1998|NA|February 4, 1999}}

| genre = Puzzle video game

| modes = Single-player, multiplayer

| platforms = PlayStation

}}

Irritating Stick, also known as {{nihongo|Ucchan Nanchan no Honō no Challenger: Dengeki Iraira Bou Returns|ウッチャンナンチャンの炎のチャレンジャー電擊イライラ棒リターンズ||lit. "Ucchan Nanchan's Challengers of Fire: Irritating Electric Stick Returns" in Japanese}}, is a PlayStation video game published by Jaleco Entertainment.{{Cite web|title=Virtually Overlooked: Irritating Stick|url=https://www.engadget.com/2008-07-31-virtually-overlooked-irritating-stick.html|access-date=2021-01-22|website=Engadget|language=en|archive-date=2022-01-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220117084518/https://www.engadget.com/2008-07-31-virtually-overlooked-irritating-stick.html|url-status=live}}

History

Irritating Stick was originally released in Japan on March 19, 1998, under the name Dengeki Iraira Bou,{{Citation|title=Irritating Stick - IGN|date=5 February 1999 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/02/05/irritating-stick-2|language=en|access-date=2021-01-22}} and in North America on February 4, 1999.{{Cite web |date=February 4, 1999 |title=Jaleco Ships Irritating Stick |url=http://www.psxnation.com/news/020499b.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010309071943/http://www.psxnation.com/news/020499b.shtml |archive-date=March 9, 2001 |access-date=January 3, 2024 |website=PSX Nation}}

Description

It is based a segment on the Japanese game show {{nihongo|Ucchan Nanchan no Honō no Challenger: Kore ga Dekitara Hyakuman En|ウッチャンナンチャンの炎のチャレンジャーこれができたら100万円!!||lit. "Ucchan Nanchan's Challengers of Fire: 1,000,000 Yen If You Can Do This!!"}}. The segment in turn was based on a carnival game, where the player tries to maneuver a metal rod through a metal maze without touching the sides. When the sides were touched by the baton, the controller rumbles.

The player would also hear a loud announcer screaming to confuse them while trying to escape the maze. In the American version of the game, the voices (except for when the maze is finished) were removed for unknown reasons.

There is also a demo of the Japanese version released in North America in 1998 on the "PlayStation Underground Jampack" in the "imports" section of the vault where it was spelled: "Ira-Ira Bo". The player could only play up to level three, and some of the features were removed such as "multiplayer", "TV studio", "bonus", and "options". Besides some of the removed content everything else such as the voice acting, narration, and intro movie were still there. Japanese PlayStation games would not work on the American PlayStation console, since this was a direct transfer of the game from the original disk, when a level is beaten or the player gets a "game over", the PlayStation console must be restarted.

Reception

{{Video game reviews

| GR = 39%{{cite web |url=https://www.gamerankings.com/ps/197656-irritating-stick/index.html |title=Irritating Stick for PlayStation Reviews |website=GameRankings |publisher=CBS Interactive |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190501073534/https://www.gamerankings.com/ps/197656-irritating-stick/index.html |archivedate=May 1, 2019 |url-status=dead |accessdate=February 16, 2021}}

| EGM = 3.125/10{{cite magazine |last1=Boyer |first1=Crispin |last2=Davison |first2=John |last3=Hager |first3=Dean |last4=Williams |first4=Ken "Sushi-X" |url=https://archive.org/details/electronicgamingmonthlyissue115february1999/page/n187/mode/2up |title=Irritating Stick |magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly |publisher=Ziff Davis |issue=115 |date=February 1999 |page=174 |accessdate=February 16, 2021}}{{efn|Four critics of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the game each a score of 5/10, 2/10, 4.5/10 and 1/10.}}

| Fam = 29/40{{cite magazine |url=https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=4908&redirect=no |title=ウッチャンナンチャンの炎のチャレンジャー電擊イライラ棒リターンズ [PS] |language=Japanese |magazine=Famitsu |publisher=Enterbrain |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20181027232020/https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=4908 |archivedate=October 27, 2018 |url-status=live |accessdate=February 4, 2019}}

| GameFan = 59%{{cite magazine |author1=Super Teeter |author2=Ngo, George "Eggo" |author3=Weitzner, Jason "Fury" |url=https://archive.org/details/Gamefan_Vol_7_Issue_03/page/n15/mode/2up |title=Irritating Stick |magazine=GameFan |publisher=Shinno Media |volume=7 |issue=3 |date=March 1999 |page=14 |accessdate=November 8, 2020}}{{efn|Three critics of GameFan gave the game each a score of 50, 81, and 45.}}

| GSpot = 3/10{{cite web |last=Gerstmann |first=Jeff |url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/irritating-stick-review/1900-2547936/ |title=Irritating Stick Review |website=GameSpot |publisher=CBS Interactive |date=February 25, 1999 |accessdate=November 17, 2016 |archive-date=May 11, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170511103610/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/irritating-stick-review/1900-2547936/ |url-status=live }}

| IGN = 5.5/10{{cite web |last=Harris |first=Craig |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/02/05/irritating-stick-2 |title=Irritating Stick |website=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=February 4, 1999 |accessdate=November 17, 2016 |archive-date=November 17, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161117150529/http://www.ign.com/articles/1999/02/05/irritating-stick-2 |url-status=live }}

| OPM = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite magazine |last=MacDonald |first=Mark |url=https://archive.org/details/Official_US_PlayStation_Magazine_Volume_2_Issue_6_1999-03_Ziff_Davis_US/page/n81 |title=Irritating Stick |magazine=Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine |publisher=Ziff Davis |volume=2 |issue=6 |date=March 1999 |page=83 |accessdate=July 4, 2019}}

}}

The game received "unfavorable" reviews according to the review aggregation website GameRankings. It was voted the #1 worst game name of all time by GameRevolution.{{cite web |last=Ferris |first=Duke |url=https://www.gamerevolution.com/features/18-worst_game_names |title=The 50 Worst Game Names Ever |website=GameRevolution |publisher=CraveOnline |date=June 12, 2006 |accessdate=November 8, 2020 |archive-date=September 13, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190913132721/https://www.gamerevolution.com/features/18-worst_game_names |url-status=live }} In Japan, however, Famitsu gave it a score of 29 out of 40.