Video Game Review: Pipeman Calabashi! Dark Twist Arena

                   Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, $59.95 (Collectors Edition $69.95) Rating:  M


The latest edition of Pipeman Calabashi! was released last Tuesday.  Going back to the NES, this pipe-smoking simulation has a long history and varied quality; but the series debut on next-gen hardware revitalizes the franchise.  The last installment, Pipeman Calabashi!  Tobacco Moon, was a farming sim, and a bit clumsy to play on the Playstation 2 and original Xbox.  Now, the series has gone back to its roots as a faithful sim.  Calabashi is on a quest to find the perfect pipe tobacco blend--if he can defeat the challenges on his quest.

I'm also glad to report that for the first time in the series, you can choose the preference of your player:  English or Aromatic.  Your choice of tobacco impacts the cut-scene dialog, as in an early chat with Pipemama, your guide through the game.  If you're playing as Aromatic, she comments, "The smoking tobacco is rich and sweet!"  Choose to be an English smoker, and she holds her nose, fans the air and exclaims, "That Latakia tobacco is like a campfire!"

Character creation, in addition to Aromatic or English blends, includes customizable pipes (finish, length, bent or straight, Lucite or Vulcanite stem), lighters, and pouches.  While your starting blend is a basic ribbon Burley or mild Cavendish, you of course can gather blending recipes throughout the game.  Matches count as health points, with a penalty for burning holes in your shirt.  The open "sandbox" world is the real joy; for example, some tobacco plants can be found growing wild, and you can dry, cure and flavor your found tobacco in addition to creating your own blends.

The collecting elements in the Calabashi series are preserved here.  This time, there are over 75 hidden tobacco tins to discover in the game world, from MacBaren to G.L. Pease to Dunhill to Butera.  Older gamers will appreciate a tin of the original Balkan Sobranie.

When Calabashi finally reaches the Dark Twist Arena, he has to concoct the perfect tobacco blend.  It's quite an end battle, involving humidity, dried-out tobaccos and a goopy Black Cavendish.  With enough grinding, though, Calabashi will have enough XP to be the victor.

The online component, on the PSN and Xbox Live network, consists of the usual multi-player mode but also includes a pipe smoking contest for up to eight players.  Also available are DLC like Perique (fermenting is not an available in-game skill), and custom skins for the pipe tampers.

It's great to see Calabashi make the leap to the next-gen consoles.  Most gamers will take about 40 hours to complete the main quest, but afterwards there are still blends to experiment with and pipes to clean.

Fire up your briar and kick back with the new Pipeman Calabashi!  Dark Twist Arena.  I will, of course, be producing a tie-in blend as a cross-promotion for the Collector's Edition.