Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom

Princess Tomato in The Salad Kingdom.

Tune in to the wackiest videotale ever told! The bride is ripe and the groom is ready. But will Sir Cucumber and Princess Tomato really live happily ever-after?

Or win Minister Pumpkin have his wicked way? Will he enslave the Salad Kingdom? Will he put Sir Cucumber on ice? Will our Princess wind up on the tip of a french fry?

The fate of the realm is in YOUR hands!

PRINCESS TOMATO IN THE SALAD KINGDOM.

Look for it today.

Every so often a game comes along that's just a little odd - one that stands out and gives you a moment's pause. Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom is one of those games.

It's an adventure that's played a little like Shadowgate, with different commands listed on the screen and a window that shows what your character can see. But that's where the similarities to almost any other Nintendo game end.

The background story is certainly offbeat. The peaceful vegetables of the Salad Kingdom were engaged in a long and terrible war against the Farmies, who only wanted to buy, sell, and eat them. King Broccoli succeeded in defending the kingdom and then decreed that all vegetables were equal, establishing a rule of harmony and justice in the land.

But the evil Minister Pumpkin rebelled. He united with the Farmies and established a new kingdom, one where pumpkins ruled everything and anyone who disobeyed was thrown in jail. Princess Tomato, the daughter of King Broccoli, formed an armed resistance against Minister Pumpkin.

Then the princess was captured, and the king died from grief.

When the brave Sir Cucumber returned to the Salad Kingdom and heard what happened, he set off to rescue Princess Tomato and return peace to the land.

All this makes Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom one of the strangest games out in quite awhile. It's filled with slightly off-center humor that will make some people groan, but which nevertheless makes for a very interesting and different approach. For instance, combat isn't fought with swords or magic, but instead with rock-paper-scissors finger duels.

The game's main drawback for experienced players is that it's not very challenging. Almost every puzzle is pretty simple.

However, this ease of play - together with the game's gentle sense of adventure - does make Princess Tomato an excellent game for younger players. It might also entertain veteran gamers who've never tried a role-playing adventure before - or who want something a little different.

Princess Tomato of the Salad kingdom has been kidnapped by the evil Minister Pumpkin. You are the brave Sir Cucumber and you must venture into the countryside to the foot of the Zucchini Mountains where Pumpkin's castle is. It's a quest game designed for the younger player. Proceed down all the paths looking and taking everything possible. Fight the opponents you encounter with a game of scissors, paper, stone.

Quest/adventure games are not normally for the younger players but Hudson has taken a lighthearted theme about talking and moving vegetables and made it into an adventure game for the very young players. The gameplay is straightforward with all of the possible choices shown as icons on the screen and all that needs be done is point and click. There are several paths to choose from adding variety to the game.