Thanks to Hamada for helping with edits.
Video games have been part of my life for as long as I can remember. However, only once the medium’s seventh generation of hardware hit did I begin paying attention to the industry more than casually. The Nintendo DS and Wii’s lifecycles coincided with my high school and early college years, and through them I learned that not every cool, interesting game gets released in my territory. Some of my friends had imported the DS Shonen Jump crossovers, while I was upset seeing Nintendo of America neglect Another Code and Hotel Dusk‘s sequels. Of course, other publishers were also guilty of this, and one of SEGA’s intriguing Wii platformers never left their home country.
A “realistic” depiction of Pole, seen in the opening cinematic of 2009’s Pole’s Big Adventure (Image: SEGA)
Now, I should be upfront about something: I’m going about this “Character Chronicle” a little differently than usual. Since the Japan-exclusive WiiWare “classic” Pole’s Big Adventure only ever hit that one now-defunct storefront, I never got to try it. Instead, I acquainted myself with the game by watching a few playthroughs of it, one of which includes a complete translation. While some of my observations may be off, I do believe I’ve adequately sampled Pole’s strange game…
Pole’s History
SEGA producer Takao Miyoshi’s final project at the company was Pole’s Big Adventure, which graced the Japanese Wii Shop Channel on February 3, 2009. Unsurprisingly, its plot is simple: a vengeful poacher abducts Pole’s sweetheart, Sharon, so he chases them through the desert, a jungle, beach, tundra, village, and space to save her. At every opportunity, the poacher taunts the eponymous hero and sics his minions (some of whom are animals, ironically) on him. Although the two men never directly confront each other, Pole ultimately rescues his partner.
So, what’re my thoughts on Pole?
According to Kurt Kalata, Pole’s in-game commentary, which is delivered by comedian Takashi Endo, draws from “manzai,” a Japanese comedy routine. (Image: SEGA)
The Wii’s first platform for downloadable games, the Virtual Console, was a boon; countless classics and hidden gems saw re-releases, introducing them to a new generation of gamers (this is how I finally played Super Metroid, and sharing anecdotes and shortcuts with my peers who were also going through it for the first time remains a fun high school memory). Even Microsoft and Sony got in on this action, re-releasing older games through their systems’ own online storefronts. The Wii’s second platform for downloadable games, WiiWare, was instead home to original works, many of which are unapologetically bizarre. Regrettably, it was considerably less successful; WiiWare games had a strict 40MB size limit and the service was dominated by established brands.
Retro throwbacks began emerging during this hardware cycle, and Nintendo’s New Super Mario Bros. series and Capcom’s downloadable Mega Man 9 led the charge. Many assumed SEGA would push their flagship franchise, Sonic, into this movement—and they did, albeit unsuccessfully—but no one foresaw its prelude of one year, Pole’s Big Adventure. It’s an homage to NES and SEGA Master System side-scrollers, especially Super Mario Bros. Since the Virtual Console renewed those platforms’ relevance, a game of Big Adventure’s nature could theoretically be appreciated by more than just retro game enthusiasts. Plus, considering SEGA’s legendary feud with Nintendo during the 16-bit era, it’s fitting they’re the company behind Pole; it’s another response to their former rival’s mascot.
Plenty of media draws upon our familiarity with Mario and his games’ conventions. It’s not dissimilar to how, say, The Boys’ Homelander assumes our familiarity with the similarly iconic Superman. (Image: SEGA)
Many games are inspired by other media—Donkey Kong’s indebted to Popeye, for example—but Pole’s Big Adventure affectionately lampoons its inspirations. Of course, Mario’s no stranger to knockoffs, parodies, and competitors. One of his offshoots is Nintendo’s own Wario, who lovingly acts as the greedy, gluttonous counterpoint to his wholesome image. Sometimes, Nintendo oddly frames Metal Mario as a Bizarro-esque foil to his namesake, too. Famously, Sonic, SEGA’s mascot, is meant to be a faster, cooler alternative to him. Mario is a trendsetting icon, so it’s natural Nintendo and other companies would use him as a reference point when designing newer characters.
And SEGA did a fine job designing Pole, carefully balancing his Mario influence with his own intricacies. Now, Mario’s animations directly inform Pole’s: the cowboy’s posture while running, jumping, and dying channels Mario’s. However, Pole emulates his forebear more subtly, too. Mario’s design and early sprites followed a utilitarian philosophy, a consequence of technical limitations. That informs his mustache, large nose, and attire; the 8-bit hero had to remain readable. Pole’s veneer works similarly: his red gloves and boots nicely clash against his white jacket and pants. Older hardware struggled to animate hair, so Mario was given his now-iconic hat, meaning Pole’s rocking one, too. And a black ammunition belt perfectly caps off Pole’s design, giving him texture while cleanly distancing him from his idol.
SEGA’s now-defunct website for Big Adventure calls its headliner “Pole,” though some websites translated his name as “Paul.” Thankfully, there’s no confusing this nobody with a previous “Character Chronicle” subject.
That belt ties into my favorite aspect of Pole’s character, his profession. In media, the “western lifestyle” is often romanticized; westerns are even a whole genre unto themselves, one where gunslingers are often portrayed as honorable, capable—if gruff and anti-social—heroes. While this medium is home to plenty of cowboys, this one indisputably rides alone. Not because his Tokyo-based creators are perpetuating some idealistic image of masculinity, but because knowledge of that rugged stereotype enhances this gruesome gag game. Pole isn’t Clint Eastwood; he’s a dork who endures many, many humiliations.
Of course, Pole’s gig also yields Big Adventure’s biggest mechanical deviation from Super Mario Bros.: he owns a gun. The inclusion of pipes Mario can warp through is the only area where his plumbing profession informs Super Mario Bros., and his ability to toss fireballs is limited to when he has a specific power-up. The trigger-happy Pole is always armed, ready to run ‘n gun through Adventure’s generic settings. This does limit player expression, however. Unlike the flexible, fast Mario, who can augment himself with different abilities, the lethargic Pole can basically only walk, jump, and upgrade his weapon; there are virtually no means through which you can reinterrogate a level.
Wario’s humor is largely derived from its headliner’s subversive personality. Pole prefers making jabs at the conventions of 8-bit games and doing abstract things; its star doesn’t commentate much on Mario’s character. (Image: SEGA)
The platformers’ differences go deeper than that, though. Mario presents players with obstacle courses filled with goodies and potentially lethal baddies. Superficially, Pole hits those notes. The wannabe scores items by hitting blocks (albeit by firing at them, not bopping them from underneath), has a rare invincibility power-up, and has his own girl to save, one who’s always in another castle. But where Mario games gradually rise in difficulty, Pole can safely shoot his foes from afar. Heck, his Contra-esque spreader gun trivializes them. Amassing extra lives in Mario’s adventures takes skill; Pole nabs them like candy (an off-brand 7-Up yields seven). Assuming you just want to finish a run through Pole’s Big Adventure, very little seems poised to stop you.
Which makes sense, since Pole’s raison d’être is to be funny, not to test one’s platforming prowess. Some of its gags are serviceable, like the bottomless pit that wasn’t programmed properly. Others are amusing and play with one’s expectations without recalling those frustrating Kaizo Mario hacks. Near the end of one stage, for example, the music swells, a sense of dread and anticipation rises, and the screen pans over to a ferocious lion, who… is trapped in a cage (you fight it in the next stage, though, where it gains a Super Saiyan-esque mane). Some jokes are so crude that they simply demand attention; Pole’s most famous one happens upon getting a faux Super Mushroom, which doubles the guy’s manhood in size. One hundred gags litter Pole in total, some of which only spawn during a replay.
Had Pole graced North America, I’m assuming it would’ve gotten an M-rating. Still, I acknowledge that this niche game probably wouldn’t have sold well on the already niche WiiWare service. (Image: SEGA)
So… why did I write about Pole, an unsung weirdo even by my standards? It’s not like there was that much to discuss; his game’s short and not especially meaty. Pole’s Big Adventure isn’t some venerated cult classic, and chances are it’ll never get re-released. Pole himself has never entered a SEGA crossover, nor will he. Nobody is championing for his return, and several of SEGA’s old, cherished properties—NiGHTS, Jet Set Radio, and more—will leave dormancy before Pole ever does.
Well, there’s no single reason. I enjoy writing about offbeat topics. I’ve always been fascinated by Pole’s Big Adventure and finally decided to satiate my curiosity. I wanted to challenge myself by covering a character whose game I can’t even play; who better a guinea pig than Pole? The looming closure of the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U eShops have got me ruminating on the Wii Shop Channel, their direct predecessor. Finally, I wrote about Pole because it is worth remembering him. Game preservation is important, and a title this obscure can easily be lost to time. See, Pole exists, had an Adventure, and though they never set the world ablaze before quietly receding into SEGA’s vault, they are—and will always be—part of his company and medium’s history.
Congratulations, Pole! Your attacks are weak, and your body is impractical!
Pole’s also the sort of game that could only exist as a small-scale, low budget downloadable offering. The fact it never officially left Japan is still a shame. (Image: SEGA)
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