Thanks to Wolfman for helping with edits.
Since I first stumbled upon Mata Nui: The Online Game as a kid, I’ve always enjoyed a nice adventure game. Sierra Entertainment and LucasArts were pioneers for the genre, laying the groundwork for it during the Eighties and Nineties with classics like King’s Quest and Monkey Island. However, they were hardly the only companies exploring this more methodical, narrative-focused genre back then. Nintendo did (and still occasionally does) so, releasing the Famicom Detective Club series and Time Twist on their first console. Hudson Soft, one of the 8-bit era’s most prolific developers, also took a piece of this pie. Most of their adventure games never left Japan, and none became pillars in their portfolio à la Bomberman. But some of these games enjoy a nice cult status, bringing us to Hudson’s most prolific text adventure: Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom.
Princess Tomato was originally released in 1984 for computers, hitting Nintendo’s console years later. That’s the Tomato that left Japan. (Image: Konami)
Adventure games champion their stories, demanding players explore their environments and solve brainteasers. Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom follows this standard to a tee, plopping you in a fantastical wonderland populated by sentient fruits and vegetables. Its premise is simple: the titular damsel has been kidnapped, and her kingdom’s in peril. Sir Cucumber rises to the challenge, seeking to rescue both from the nefarious Minister Pumpkin. Shortly after embarking on his quest, Cucumber assists the hapless persimmon Percy, who then joins as his assistant. So they travel through the kingdom and its adjacent villages and forests, meeting allies and foes alike. Altogether, their quest spans nine chapters, which all deal with a specific scenario that advances the greater narrative. Sometimes, clearing these missions – hunting monsters or rescuing a village chief’s daughter, for example – inches the knight closer to the princess. Other times, the duo suffer setbacks, like when they’re tossed in jail. After finishing a chapter, a password is given, letting you continue from where you left off.
Upon entering an area, its name and a brief description appears. Usually, an image depicting your current location is centered within the frame, which occasionally feature little animations that add cosmetic flair. On the left and right side of the screen are a bevy of options, and players can choose which one to use via the D-pad. Most of them are self-explanatory, like the frequently used “Talk” option, though perhaps “Percy,” which can give players a hint, is slightly more obtuse. Each chapter is set within its own secluded setting, spanning ten or so screens, and backtracking between them is a regular occurrence. Chapter 8 is the game’s longest and most complicated stage (especially if you’re not keeping track of which rooms you’ve explored), requiring you to earn the trust of several characters. Exclusive to this Tomato incarnation are three mazes and a handful of scuffles – dubbed “Finger Wars,” they’re just a variation of rock paper scissors – against the bigger antagonists. Neither are especially additive, feeling more like superfluous ways to spice Tomato up and pad it out, but at least the former enhances its scope, the sensation of traveling across a dangerous land.
Unsurprisingly, Princess Tomato doesn’t take itself very seriously, proudly breaking the fourth wall at times. Grammar errors and typos are fairly prevalent too. (Image: Konami)
Various tools enter Cucumber’s inventory throughout his journey. Generally, they’re used to solve a puzzle or exist to be traded away to someone else, who will then help Cucumber in some fashion. A minor annoyance sometimes arises when using items, however. Certain tasks require using one multiple times, and while using a shovel to dig more than once is “realistic,” going through the menu each time grows a little tedious. Solutions to the puzzles and mazes are found by chatting with a knowledgeable NPC or clicking on specific objects, like a book. On rare occasions, the game may deter you from necessary tools, however. When you locate the jail’s closet, Percy says you shouldn’t enter it. Then he suggests everything therein is useless, neither of which are true. Nevertheless, I can’t be too hard on the kid. He reliably clears your inventory of clutter, losing items that outlived their usefulness between chapters. Also, he prevents Cucumber from performing activities that’d likely yield a game over.
Princess Tomato’s gameplay is on par with its contemporaries. But while its story is fairly bland, Tomato‘s colorful personality compensates by bursting with flavor. The characters are memorable, largely thanks to their crude in-game portraits. Objectively speaking, they’re not impressive, looking like doodles an eight-year-old might scribble in Microsoft Paint. Yet they’re charming, harboring a warm, innocent quality. Similarly, Salad Kingdom’s world is impressive in its scale, featuring a nice assortment of environments. And if nothing else, I will remember Tomato and its eccentricities. Grapy, a talking grape, savors grape juice – is that a form of cannibalism, or do some grapes here lack sentiency? Princess Tomato – who, I must stress, is a tomato – has a human sister, who I guess was adopted? Germany exists within the game’s fiction, as does the FDA. Although these lingering questions don’t hamper Tomato, which divulges all the information necessary to finish it, they are ultimately what I left pondering about the most.
If there is one sour note the game hits, it’s its soundtrack. Save for a couple of themes, Princess Tomato’s score is grating. (Image: Konami)
Altogether, Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom is fine, a filling text adventure that doesn’t leave a bitter aftertaste. Several years ago, I read a comment somewhere claiming Salad Kingdom was made because a Hudson employee wanted something that’d encourage their child to eat their vegetables. A source was never cited to back that up, but it’s a cute thought. It’s also a nice segue into saying how Salad Kingdom was probably a nice entryway into its genre for children upon its release. It’s forgiving and digestible, a welcoming adventure that lacks the cryptic puzzles found elsewhere. That doesn’t mean much now (should a less seasoned player want a text-heavy adventure today, I’d more readily recommend something like Detective Pikachu), but Tomato remains a fairly sweet, quirky romp regardless.
Hudson was acquired by Konami in 2011 and dissolved the following year, making a second Salad Kingdom exceptionally unlikely. Nevertheless, its memory lives on. (Image: Konami)
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