Kamachi's Museum. After a bit of digging around on the web, the story of Yamada Kamachi revealed itself. And, of cause, the story of the Kamachi Museum.
Yamada Kamachi was a 17 year old Japanese kid who died in 1977. He remains something of a phenomena. One hint to this phenomena is if you keep an eye out for his game on Yahoo auctions Japan, you'll see Kamachi's Museum always fetches a premium. The game has hardly depreciated in value. Which is unusual for a 3DO game. The only ones I can think of that have achieved that are soft porn games and Star Control II. So, straight off-of the mark, there something special about either Kamachi or this game.
Well, if there is something special about Kamachi Museum, it's not the game. Kamachi Museum is not really game mind, it's an edutainment title, sort of an interactive museum of Yamada-sans works.
And full credit to the kid. He was a poet and an artist. Have painted over a 1,000 pictures and having written many many poems, he is something of a role-model. By 17 years old he would often say that "24 hours in a day is not enough" and looking at what he got up to in that time it's certainly true for him. I personally can't say that, and I'll be honest, I wish I could.
In 1977 Japan was still pretty insular you have to remember. The Japanese 80s bubble had not bloomed, Japanese culture had not been exported to the rest of the world in any meaningful way; the Americans dominated the video game market, Anime did not exist, Manga meant nothing to most westerners. Still, one Japanese kid, who would have been a little older than me if he had not died, achieved so much. I'm not saying being a kid in Japan in the '70s was a disability mind you, but... what inspired him? What drives someone to do that? To be that artistically industrious? It's on a totally different motivational level to, well, me. It's sort of humbling.
In Japan there are books on Kamachi. There is a museum. TV shows. CDs of his spoken poetry. 30 Years after his death, they are making a film about him. It's all pretty incredible. It makes me wonder what my legacy will be. Or not as the case may well be.
Simply put I have admiration for Kamachi. It's easy to sit and bitch and moan, and pick fault in everything (like a half-baked amateur games reviewer) it's more difficult to contribute. And Kamachi was certainly a contributor.
So - there we have it. On one side I have a humbling admiration for this young Japanese artisan. The other side? Well actually it's all pretty boring. Sorry -- but it is. The style of art, poetry and music really isn't me. Maybe it's you? Who knows? it's just not me. Moping around the museum, well, once was enough. I enjoy museums. I love wandering round obscure foreign museums, but just the once. And, having done a quick whirl wind tour of Kamachi's Museum it's unlikely I'll be returning.
Rare? I've never seen a western copy.
3DO Kid.