Arab News Japan

TOKYO: UAE-based Hello Sir Games has taken part in the Tokyo Game Show, which reappeared after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

More than 600 exhibitors were on show at the Tokyo Game Show, which was held in Chiba Prefecture.

Hello Sir Games CEO and Founder Mohammed Al Jneibi said it was a great opportunity for his company to participate in the show and develop in the Asian region. The company has developed a new platform game called “The Adventures of Zozo,” which is for the Japanese market.

“We released it in March in the Middle East but now we have a new version available that is exclusive for this region and we’re so happy and proud that we actually did the localization in the Japanese language,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity to be in one of the biggest gaming shows in the world. We are hoping to expand further by localizing into other Asian nations.”

The adventures of Zozo take place in a series of surreal portals in which the player evolves with the character Zozo by confronting cyborg animals. Zozo has to try to survive in an environment full of pitfalls.

“It is primarily focused on multiple characters which are animals, but the idea is that we have also a hidden message about conservation, for animals and for endangered species,” Al Jneibi said. “We are trying to expand on this story a little bit more, with future educational content. It is a game, but there is a serious message behind it.”

Al Jneibi explained that the game has a message of preserving nature that stems from his knowledge of Bedouin culture, which he is associated with through his family, and the idea is to educate while playing games. Bedouins, he adds, have experience of surviving in extreme conditions. “We understand the importance of sustainability and conservation,” he said.

On the surface, The Adventures of Zozo is a standard 2D, pixel are platformer. The game nods to the retro greats like the Capcom and Nintendo franchises.

The Hello Sir Games team summed up the game as “twists and turns through fun and strange lands, exciting combat, battle with over-the-top bosses, and ultimately a story about the importance of protecting and caring for animals.”

Hello Sir Games is embracing this path and hoping to connect nostalgic gamers with animal conservation advocates, international business interests with future game developers.