Prey the Stars

Prey the Stars: Gabu Gabu Planet, known as Gabu Gabu Planet (GABU★GABUプラネット) in Japan, is an eating game with an easy learning curve yet tricky-to-master mechanics. Its namesake is derived from the Japanese onomatopoeia for guzzling or gulping down.

The director and main programmer of this title is Toshio Otake while the game designer is Takahiro Kawai. Character designs and background illustrations were done by Japanese pop-artist TOUMA and visual art group Bright.lt respectively. The music was composed with the assistance of Robeter Productions.

The plot centers on a planet that looks similar to Earth as it is invaded by four hungry monsters. These dog-like creatures of unknown origin are mysteriously summoned to chow down on anything in sight, be it in the land, sea, air, or even space. Later on, it is revealed that their destructive gluttony helps preserve the cycle of life by revitalizing the spirits of the planet.

Gameplay
The main objective is to have the player's character eat as many objects as possible for a high score; the one with the most amount of points is declared the winner. Players are forced to contend with two or three other competitors along the way.

At first, objects can be eaten by merely tapping the A button repeatedly. However, the game gradually introduces other tools of the trade needed to devour an item. When consuming an elemental object, characters can simply lick them down to size with the X button. This helps negate the effects of their elemental properties as well as soften their resistance to bites. Sometimes, a few spirits may fly out of an item after a bite or two. Players may opt to suck them in by pressing the Y button while they eat. If successful, they gain additional points based on the number of spirits absorbed into their belly. In the event the player does not want their monster to eat an object, they can always have them spit it out with the B button.

The more items the player's character eats, the bigger they will get. If they are too tiny to tackle a particular item, they can eat more items or search for a power-up icon that drops on the field. The player's size is judged by the level of the Stomach Gauge located on the bottom left of the touch screen. It's probably better to reserve the biggest objects of the map when it reaches Level 3 (or MAX Level). A character's size and the timing for each of their bites become crucial factors for mid-game missions.

Participants can keep an eye on their current position and ranking by glancing at the dual screen. If an opponent's monster is stealing the first place seating, it may be in the player's best interest to disrupt them in any way possible. Pressing A or blowing into the microphone can push opponents away from objects or into pitfalls. Special abilities can also be acquired by eating three items of the same elemental type in a row.

When a monster falls off the playing board or experiences their doom to another competitor, they instantly revive themselves by hatching out of eggs that land randomly on the stage. Upon revival, their Stomach Gauge is reduced and abilities earned prior to their death are lost. Should players find themselves in a bind, they may choose to block or deflect certain attacks by holding the L button.

Story Mode
The main feature of the game, it contains a total of eleven stages for players to finish. This mode is used to unlock new skins, other monsters, and the hard difficulty setting. Finishing the game once turns it into Challenge Mode, unlocking a slew of various challenges for each stage.

Multiplayer Mode
Enables four players to compete wirelessly with local players or with Wi-Fi settings and friend codes. Players can create their own rooms for others to join in.

Extras
Keeps the tutorials, story cinematics, records, and skins unlocked by the player.

Options
Allows players to switch audio settings (stereo and mono) or adjust difficulty settings (easy, normal, or hard). Players may also choose to change their nickname for Wi-Fi battles or erase their game data for a completely new start.

Characters
Summoned into the planet by a mysterious entity, these four monsters are the main stars of the game. The section below contains information regarding every relevant stat available.


 * Special Skill - The special ability during GABUGABU Time.
 * Bite - Strength of a monster's normal chomp. Determines number of button taps for normal consumption.
 * Lick - Innate proficiency for removing elemental hazards from objects.
 * Suck - Starting expertise for draining spirits (bonus points) from objects.
 * Level 1 Stomach Gauge - Length of Stomach Gauge when small.
 * Level 2 Stomach Gauge - Medium tier Stomach Gauge length.
 * GABUGABU Meter - Represents the length of a monster's GABUGABU meter and how many seconds their GABUGABU Time lasts.

Gabu
The All-Rounder. Gabu is the first character players have access to right from the start and a good choice for beginners. Gabu is named after the Japanese onomatopoeia for biting.


 * Special Skill: Boost - Licks away the elemental properties of an object in one go and sucks in all visible spirits simultaneously.
 * Bite - 80
 * Lick - 50
 * Suck - 50
 * Level 1 Stomach Gauge - 2x
 * Level 2 Stomach Gauge - 3x
 * GABUGABU Meter - 8 "Perfects!" to activate (Lasts for 20 seconds)

Bari
The Power Biter. Bari is unlocked by clearing the Family Crisis stage. He comes with the highest bite stat and can easily consume any non-elemental object. However, he suffers in elemental themed stages due to his low licking stat. Bari is named after the Japanese onomatopoeia for crunching.


 * Special Skill: Crush - Chomps down on non-elemental items with only one bite.
 * Bite - 100
 * Lick - 30
 * Suck - 30
 * Level 1 Stomach Gauge - 3x
 * Level 2 Stomach Gauge - 3x
 * GABUGABU Meter - 8 "Perfects!" to activate (Lasts for 14 seconds)

Chuchu
The Vacuum. Chuchu is unlocked by clearing the Water Slider stage, and his specialty lies in sucking objects into his belly, thus leading to greater bonus points per eating session. Unfortunately, his sluggish mobility leaves him vulnerable against most attacks from his rivals. Chuchu is named after the Japanese onomatopoeia for sucking.


 * Special Skill: Spirits - Forces out multiple spirits from an object by sucking. Further sucks can drastically increase the amount of points earned.
 * Bite - 80
 * Lick - 30
 * Suck - 80
 * Level 1 Stomach Gauge - 1x
 * Level 2 Stomach Gauge - 4x
 * GABUGABU Meter - 10 "Perfects!" to activate (Lasts for 30 seconds)

Pero
Lick Machine. Pero becomes available after the Sand Horizon stage has been cleared. Pero's stats has the highest licking stat and is overall balanced. His glaring weakness is his low sucking ability. Pero is named after the Japanese onomatopoeia for licking.


 * Special Skill: Automatic - Can use any button while eating without penalty.
 * Bite - 80
 * Lick - 60
 * Suck - 30
 * Level 1 Stomach Gauge - 3x
 * Level 2 Stomach Gauge - 2x
 * GABUGABU Meter - 5 "Perfects!" to activate (Lasts for 24 seconds)

Spirits
Spirits are non-combative NPCs which appear during Story Mode. They are the magical beings responsible for the planet's creation. Their existence helped shape life and nature, but, as the world continued to flourish, the spirits began losing their strength. Before they vanish completely, they summoned for the four monsters to consume the planet in a bid to restore their lost powers.


 * Spirit of Energy - A spirit who holds the power of nourishment. Is the first to be absorbed by the monsters.
 * Spirit of Love - A spirit who houses love in all its forms. Tends to talk about love most of the time.
 * Spirit of Creation - A spirit who represents creativity and livelihood.
 * Spirit of Metal - A spirit from which metals are born. Is the first to reveal the background story of the spirits.
 * Spirit of Time - A spirit who holds dominion over time.
 * Spirit of Adventure - A spirit who represents excitement and adventure.
 * Spirit of Water - A spirit who holds command over the deep oceans. Is known for using surfer slang upon interacting with the monsters.
 * Spirit of Wind - A spirit who resides in the sky and clouds.
 * Spirit of Fire - A spirit with the ability to produce flames. Humorously tries to reward the monsters with unnecessary items before being absorbed.
 * Spirit of Earth - A spirit whose power sustains the entire land.
 * Spirit of Stars - A spirit with influence over the stars and other celestial bodies. Is actually the eldest of the eleven spirits and the one responsible for awakening the four monsters.

Stages
There are eleven different stages. The duration of a stage is determined by a time limit of five minutes or by the number of items still on the map.

During the main storyline, players must complete a set of missions in order to unlock the next area. These missions gradually increase in number and difficulty. Completing the game enables multiplayer items to appear as well.

Allusions

 * Fatal Inertia is the name of an amusement ride in the Adventure Park stage.