Euro siteNo word yet on a US release, but the European version was released and its in english so it wouldn't take much to bring it over. Short of that, this might be a game worth importing.
You play as Tingle, that...strange....guy from the Legend of Zelda games. You know, that jerk that wants all your rupees for the sea maps or whatever. This game is sort of an explanation on why he wants the rupees. By collecting as many rupees as possible and throwing them into this magic pool he will create a tower to reach Rupeeland where all his dreams will come true.
As such, the entire game really revolves around rupees. You need to bribe the shit out of everyone. Seriously, first town you walk in the guard needs a bribe to let him in, and then every other towns person avoids you until you give them some money. Dungeon traps can require rupees. Even your health is determined by the rupees you carry.
Combat is really simple, you just walk into an enemy. The fight takes place in a dust cloud like a cartoon where you lose health...er...rupees. When the fight ends the enemy drops rupees or various stuffs. The trick is to fight more enemies at once. Get in a fight with one and move the cloud over another to get it to fight as well. This hurts you more, but also drops more/better rupees when the fight ends. There are some enemies that need a special way to fight them but...not that far yet (met one before I quit for the night).
Other than picking fights and searching dungeons, there are other activities. With the various drops you get you can cook them up at home, creating potions and other things that you can then sell (rupees!). You can also help an old lady with mapping. You find an incomplete map and then if you see something like a statue in the world thats not on the map you can bring it up and circle the area to draw it in. Take completed maps back to the lady for rupees...but she takes the map, so you'll have to buy a copy for yourself if you want to keep it.
Dungeons are very Zelda-ish. Theres a neat bodyguard system where you pay guys to come with you, order them around to fight, etc. Pretty cool.
The game has a ton of charm. All the strange people, including Tingle with his stereotypical gay antics. Little in-jokes all over the place. Nice art. Any other property/company making a game like this and it would be kinda "meh", but the style, humor, and charm just make it awesome.
Well worth checking out. Hopefully it gets a US release.
