Da New Guys was an indie game released back in 2004. Now a full-fledged sequel, Da New Guys: Day of the Jackass marks the return of Simon, Brain, Defender, and Smiley Joe in a new over the top adventure. Done in the classic adventure point and click style, you’ll be jumping into the comical world of professional wrestling, complete with obsessed fans…and jail breaks.
Oh Brain, you’re so dumb and awkward even though your name implies otherwise. Brain is a part of the wrestling trio that happen to live together and who are known as Da New Guys.  Through a sheer act of divinity, Brain ends up winning the Wrestle Zone belt, but then is swiftly abducted; though the verdict is still out if they wanted Brain or the belt.  Now it’s up to his ‘friends’ and roommates, Simon (Abobo parody possibly) and Defender (who happens to remind me of a bad Cobra Commander wrestling gimmick), to save Brain and find out what’s really going on.  During your adventure, you’ll come across many unique personalities, like Da New Guys’ boss, O’Sullivan, an obsessed wrestling fan, and even Smiley Joe, the eight-year-old nemesis of Brain from the previous game.  For such an absurd plot premise, the story is actually quite entertaining and I’ve come to enjoy the quick retorts from Brain and Defender’s politeness.
Some of my fondest gaming memories derive from a time when PC point and click adventure games were THE genre, before first person shooters and MMO’s really hit their stride.  Simply name dropping Monkey Island, Day of the Tentacle, Sam and Max, or Grim Fandango will make me smile.  Sadly this genre is almost all but gone these days, so I jump to the chance to play anything that reminds me of those types of games.  For those that never got to experience those masterpieces, or even the genre as a whole, it’s a simple premise that has you pointing and clicking (see where the name comes from?) to explore the environments, interact, and use items.  The genre seems to best fit when the game is surrounded in humor, and Da New Guys: Day of the Jackass is no different.  There are many relevant references that will have you actually laughing, and enough one-liners that will make you snicker.
A large mechanic in these types of games is the inclusion of solving a puzzle or figuring out what you need to actually do next.  Remember, back then, these games didn’t have waypoints to show you where to go or what to do; you actually had to figure out objectives on your own.  While some puzzles are simple to figure out, such as using a wedge of cheese as a doorstop, others, like covering a sock in wet paint to mimic a ponytail, will not always be the first thing you think of. Many solutions will require either an odd sense of humor to understand, or simply knowing that you’ll have to combine two items that seemly have nothing to do with each other.  Those that know the genre though, know that this is the norm and to be expected, which is half the charm.
Visually, the animation is hand drawn, but it also has that early 90’s Monkey Island vibe to it.  For an indie point and click adventure, I honestly wouldn’t expect anything more.  It does the job, suits the style, and is quite detailed for a game some people may overlook simply because of the art that makes up the visuals.  I’ve taken a shining to the graphics, and it still makes me laugh whenever I see the out of place two dimensional character, Ice Cold.
Surprisingly, the voice over work is actually decent, and each voice suits the visual of said personality.  The dialogue is witty and the jokes are actually quite funny.  Brain’s timing and lines always make me chuckle; it seems we all know someone that dumb.  The score is original and fits the tone of the setting quite well as well and adds to the indie feel of the game, which is a good thing.
I know some are going to think the price is a little steep for an indie game, but if you’re like me and really love the classic point and click adventure games that are long overdue for a glorious return, you’ll surely enjoy Da New Guys: Day of the Jackass.  It’s got hours of gameplay as you try to figure out seemingly impossible puzzles at times, and witty jokes that will make you giggle at more often than not.  Download the demo, and if you like what you see, be prepared to have an entertaining time with Da New Guys as it has all the proper ingredients to make an entertaining game in the genre.
