Ah, your neighbors. It's good to have 'em! They're always around when you need helping out by lending cups of sugar, or making sure you get over that pesky sleeping habit, or leaving soap dolls inside the knothole of a tree, or providing the premise for that TV sit-com you've been working on. So when your doorknob is broken, trapping you inside your apartment, you should turn to your Neighbor for his help. If you can get it. See, the catch is, the means to get this particular neighbor's assistance requires some smart problem solving in a cleverly amusing escape game by Robamimi.
After discovering your predicament, click around the room looking for tools as well as clues to your cupboard locks (really, you need to stop with the elaborate codes if you're going to keep forgetting them!) The changing cursor helps you but it's also complicit in a few red herrings, so don't rely on it to always be clear where you should look. You'll encounter a few sly codes to work out and some puzzles feel much like what you'd experience in a traditional point-and-click adventure, partly because of the interaction with another character. A "HINT" button will prod you in the general direction you should be going, but it won't tell all or even exactly where to look. Robamimi gets inventive here in clue presentation, too, so much so that it encourages over-thinking and managed to trick me into a corner. There's a few instances that felt a bit unfair, actually, just slightly unintuitive—but I'm not giving anything away. Discovering the solutions is only part of the enjoyment, though; there's also an enjoyable amount of characterization and visual narrative going on in here. It not only looks like you're immersed in a comical graphic story, it feels like it, too.
Robamimi again shows talent in telling an effective story and employing subtle humor; we've seen it before in games such as Smile For Me and Fake. It's the heartfelt and gregarious jocosity that makes up for Neighbors few less-than-intuitive moments. When you're smiling at the screen, it's difficult to be mad at it, too. You might even be left with more laughs at the end, as either your frustration or stubbornness or silliness is measured up (my count was, I hate to admit it, 83). It's nice to share in Robamimi's playfulness, either way; being poked in the ribs and winked at is like Robamimi's way of saying "Hi, Neighbor!" while inviting us in to play a game and chat a while.
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Walkthrough Guide
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Neighbor Walkthrough
Starting Out: Looking Around the Room
As the scene begins, you're told "The doorknob is broken." But can you be sure?
Zoom in on the DOORKNOB and take it off the door. Then, back up again.
As you stare at this first scene, with the door and sink and all, take in all the details...
It's easy to get distracted and right away start clicking on boxes and cupboards, but do you notice something sort of off by the door?
It's a loose ceiling tile, but you have no way to reach up that high.
Examine the box on the wall by the door: it needs a 3-digit code to open. You can also click on its side for a clue.
Then, examine the sink: hot and cold running water.
Back up and zoom in on the right cupboard door: here you need a 4-digit code.
Finally, open the left cupboard door to look under the sink: here is a box with two buttons.
Turn left from the sink scene to see a TV and a toaster oven.
The TV has no reception, so its probably missing something.
The toaster oven probably works, but you have nothing that needs cooking at the moment.
Another left turn and you're looking out the window...
On the windowsill is a radio, but it needs a battery.
You can look into your neighbor's window across the way, where an alarm clock sits on the sill although it's too far to reach.
Lastly, turn left to face the bed...
A box on the bed has a large button on top: each time you press it, the symbol on the front changes. There are 9 symbols altogether.
Look under the mat on the floor by the bed:
You've found a BATTERY! Take it.
Lastly, peek at that black tote on the floor at the foot of the bed:
That little yellow thing turns out to be a cheese-flavored SNACKS. Get it.
You've now explored the whole room and should be ready to solve puzzles and work your way out of here!
3-digit code: box by the door
Get the radio to play...
Find the battery under the mat, on the floor by the bed. Put it in the radio...
This gets your neighbors attention, but it also angers him (he's a grump!) and your radio ends up broken, on the other side of the room. Go over to it.
Pick up the FUTON BEATER.
Then "tune" the radio...
Zoom in on the radio on the floor by the door. You can change the numbers on the dial by clicking on it.
Make a note of which numbers get an active signal.
Go to the box by the door...
Check the clue on the right side of the box (click the wall area on the right edge of the box).
Then enter the correct code...
The clue on the side of this box, plus the numbers on the radio give you this number:
4 7 2
Take the CLEANSER from inside the wall box.
4-digit code: cupboard door
Get the sock...
Pick up the CHEESE SNACKS from the briefcase at the foot of the bed.
Get the FUTON BEATER (after playing radio) and use it to push up the ceiling tile above the door.
Give the SNACKS to the mouse then use the FUTON BEATER to get the dirty SOCK.
Wash the sock...
Use the CLEANSER on the sock then go over to the sink and put the sock under the water to wash off the dirt.
A clue is revealed.
Decipher the code...
Click the box on the bed to see nine different symbols. The first symbol = 1. And, so on.
Match those symbols to the symbols on the washed sock to get a 4-digit number.
Enter the code on the sink cupboard, rightside door...
The symbols on the sock correspond to the sequence on the box.. if it takes 3 clicks to reach a certain symbol, then that symbol means 3, so the code is...
3 9 2 4
Take the TV ANTENNA from the now-open cupboard.
2 Buttons: box under sink
Watch some TV...
Put the ANTENNA on the TV and make note of what you see on the screen.
Interpret the message...
Correspond the symbols on the TV to the two water taps on the sink: H is the hot water, C is cold water.
Open the left side of the sink cabinet and examine the box there...
The box has two buttons: left and right. Press the buttons in the correct order as shown by the TV message and left/right side of the water tap...
LEFT-RIGHT-R-L-R-R-L-R . . .then click �OK�
Get the can of SAKE.
Your Helpful Neighbor
Placate your grumpy neighbor...
Go over to the window. Your neighbor is standing there, a bit bent out of shape from being woken up.
Give him the SAKE.
Now he's a bit tipsy and hands you a TAIYAKI (Japanese Sweet).
Fix the treat for your neighbor...
Turn to the toaster oven. Bake the TAIYAKI until its ready then take it back out.
There are some words on the taiyaki (you don't have to read Japanese, it's explained for you below the game stage).
Then, go back to the window with the baked treat.
Where'd he go? Get his attention!
Call the name written on the cooked TAIYAKI...
type this exactly:
Matunosuke
Note: the code is case sensitive
But...He's still sleeping.
Use the FUTON BEATER to knock over his alarm clock.
This wakes up your neighbor and brings him back to the window.
Explain your problem...
Get your broken DOORKNOB and show it to him.
He'll finally give you a SCREWDRIVER.
Fix the door...
Put the DOORKNOB back on the door and use the SCREWDRIVER to secure it there.
...and leave!
Congratulations! Now you can see how much of a beating you gave the bedding.
Posted by: elle
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April 3, 2013 12:16 AM