I am back again with a fresh entry in the Gaming Oddities special feature, which is currently going to be a monthly release. Here I discuss the titles that were considered weird, odd and straight up ridiculous. In this entry, I will be discussing an unusual superhero game, developed around the Japanese mascot of an American cola company. So join me as I take a look at the misadventures of Pepsiman, the superhero that wants to bring Pepsi to everyone who needs it.
Disclaimer: the games discussed here are often out of circulation, making them difficult to obtain officially. There will likely be unofficial digital rips/roms of the games out there, but there will not be any links to those games. I do not condone or promote piracy, so if you want to experience these titles, please seek them out for yourself or if possible, purchase them on the secondary market.
So with the introductions out of the way, let’s get started. I will be covering the general game experience, then I will be giving my own personal thoughts on the title, alongside other relevant information.
About the game
Pepsiman is a third-person on rails running platformer, developed by KID (Kindle Image Develop) and released on the PlayStation, exclusively in Japan back in 1999. In this adventure, the player takes the role of Pepsiman, the cola powered superhero that delivers Pepsi to those in need. The main objective is relatively easy to follow. The player controls Pepsiman as he makes his to those who need the refreshing taste of Pepsi.
As the player makes their way through each of the four stages, split into segmented scenes. These scenes are split into two distinct types, the main scenes and special scenes. In the main stage scenes, Pepsiman will run through the city streets, going past (and through) houses in a suburb, crossing intersections and even through sewers. After clearing the unnamed cities, the player will find themselves in Pepsi City.
During his adventures, Pepsiman will encounter many hazards and obstacles in his path. These include construction workers that need to be avoided, cars that cross the road and even a moving truck that drops furniture. To avoid the dangers that stand in the way of delivering a refreshing Pepsi, the cola powered superhero has a few different skills. Pepsiman is always running, but he can also jump, dash, slide and brake for a moment.
These skills are very important, as they will help the player reach the goal in time, as there is a time limit to reach the goal. This can put pressure on players, as any mistakes can lead to a lot of time being lost. If the timer does expire, a life will be lost and the player will need to try again. But this is not the only way a life can be lost, with damage being taken reducing Pepsiman’s power, shown as a Pepsi logo on screen. If enough damage is taken, Pepsiman will die.
When Pepsiman takes damage, the logo will shrink, but it can be restored by collecting the many cans of Pepsi that litter the stages. Each of the main stages have 100 Pepsi cans to collect. There are also traps that can instantly kill Pepsiman, like pitfalls that the hero must jump over. There will also be gimmick sections with instant death, like riding a skateboard downhill, with Pepsiman losing a life when being knocked off the board.
Thankfully, there will be checkpoints at key points in the main scenes, which will allow the player to resume where they left off. This is possible as long as the player has lives remaining. But be careful, as remaining time will recorded at checkpoints, possibly softlocking the player. If the player runs out of lives, they will get a game over and must continue from the main menu. This starts them at the stage they died on.
The last scene in a stage is a special challenge, where Pepsiman must run into the screen, trying to outrun a deadly pursuer. This scene has some comedic elements to it, with the first being the best as Pepsiman is chased by a giant Pepsi can. As the player attempts to outrun the object, they must avoid hazards that appear in front of them. If Pepsiman hits any of the obstacles, the object gets closer and if they hit too many, Pepsiman gets run over.
Between the scenes of a stage, there are cutscenes where Pepsiman will talk to those in need, enjoy a refreshing Pepsi, or get involved in comical shenanigans. But these are not the only scenes that players will see, as this game uses full motion video of a man, known by fans as the “Pepsi Guy”. In these live action sequences, the American will drink pepsi, eat snacks and talk to the camera, like advertisements during episodes of TV shows.
All of these elements come together to create a unique and charming platforming experience, which is often referred to as one of the progenitors of the endless runner.
Personal Thoughts
I don’t remember when I first discovered Pepsiman for PlayStation, but it has been something that has stuck with me in the decades since I experienced it. It may not be the longest game experience, which can be cleared in about an hour. However, there is a lot of fun to be had with this game, offering a very solid challenge and replay value for players. The only real negative I can say this game has, is there is a bit of a learning curve to get used to it.
It is a very silly game, with Pepsi branding throughout that makes it more of an advertising game, but it isn’t the first or last to do it. There have been many “advergames” over the years, with games featuring food mascots like McDonalds Treasure Land Adventure, BK Sneak King and Yo! Noid. So this being a playable advertisement doesn’t take away from the experience, as it just enhances how unusual and downright weird Pepsiman is.
The whole package has this strange surreal feel to it, with the game cutting between the in game visuals and the live action video. There is a big focus on comedy, alongside the occasional movie reference like the iconic Indiana Jones boulder chase. These elements further add to the comedic feel of the game, with the ridiculous slapstick style of action. Topped off with the now legendary Pepsiman theme and cheer that is heard throughout the game.
I am not the best at this game, I can’t beat it without needing to continue multiple times. Even then, I find myself coming back to this game, trying to improve my skills and get that no continue run. When it released in Japan, the only way to get it was through the grey import market, which was not very common in the 90s and early 2000s. So when you told Kids on the playground you had a Pepsi game for PlayStation, they thought you were making it up.
There was talk of it coming to the west, which would have been easy as the entire game is in English, but this fell through and kept Pepsiman exclusive to Japan. But over the years and with the rise of the internet, this game has gained a cult following. There are even dedicated Pepsiman cosplayers, donning bodysuits based on the varieties of drink during his time. The actor who played “Pepsi Guy” was also found and gained a new found fame.
This wasn’t the first time that Pepsiman has made an appearance in a video game. Several years prior, SEGA had an agreement with Pepsi to feature their branding in the game Fighting Vipers. In the arcade release, this was limited to billboards and the skateboard used by fighter Picky. However, when the game reached the SEGA Saturn in Japan, Pepsiman was included as a hidden fighter, made playable after being encountered.
Pepsiman and the Japanese Saturn version of Fighting Vipers has never seen a re-release, which is likely due to licensing issues. This limited availability has caused the cost of the games to fluctuate over the years. Thankfully, Fighting Vipers has remained relatively inexpensive, but the cost of Pepsiman has since skyrocketed, making it a very expensive purchase. The character has been dormant for some time, but I would love to see him return.
If you have enjoyed this look at one of the oddities in gaming, then please stick around, crack open an ice cold Pepsi and take a look at the other content on the site. I have reviews of recent game releases, as well as several features, including the first Gaming Oddities feature (HERE), retro features and one focusing on co-op gaming coming soon. I have plenty more content coming regularly to the site, so take a look and see what catches your eye.
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