On Monday the 6th of November 2017, Japanese comedian Daimaou Kosaka was given the auspicious honour of performing at the Tokyo welcoming dinner of visiting President of the United States Donald Trump. Just over 12 months previous, Kosaku came to the attention of literally the entire world when his obscure 45-second-long song exploded into a viral sensation.
Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen might sound like a near-nonsensical jumbling together of words, but it is in fact the name of a Japanese number one hit, the shortest single to have ever charted in the US Billboard rankings and a global phenomenon that has garnered over 125 Million views on YouTube and only continues to grow.
Going under his performing title of Pikotaro, Kosaku released his would-be behemoth single just over a year ago, in October 2016. It was popular amongst Japanese students at first, but when popstar Justin Bieber tweeted the music video of Pikotaro’s PPAP, describing it as his “favourite thing on the internet” the songs popularity was catapulted into the stratosphere.
Knock-offs, tributes and parodies all followed in what has been a whirlwind year for the fun-loving comedian (all emulating his quirky dance routine and appearance), with the year culminating in a performance organised by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to commemorate the visit of President Trump and as Abe reportedly put it, keep the mood “upbeat”.
And upbeat is certainly the mood that the ecstatic funny-man delivers, with his hilarious song and dance moves now approaching iconic territory – and you can get in on the fun.
Gaming company Ganapati has created an innovative and unique slots gaming experience with Pikotaro at its core - aptly titled Pikotaro’s Pineapple Pen - that brings all of the fun and obscuro-randomness into the palm of your hands.
The eccentric game takes all the craziness of PPAP and turns it into an enthralling slot experience – it’s not just any slot game, especially with Pikotaro involved!
There are fun and unique bonus features that set Pikotaro’s Pineapple Pen apart from other slot games – the Dance Time Bonus, for example, brings the games zaniness to the fore, and can be triggered by getting 3 or more scatter symbols.
There are also Wild Re-Spins, that increase your chances of winning by getting to spin again and how could the game be complete without direct reference to Pikotaro’s worldwide hit with the Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen Collection feature, that occurs when you collect badges – attached to wild symbols featuring – you guessed it – a pen, an apple and a pineapple.
Once you have collected 4 badges you are brought to the Pick-an-Apple mini-game, where players get a chance to throw pens to apples and win cash prizes – almost as crazy as PPAP itself!
You know the game is going to live up to expectations when Ganapati is involved – the developers (with bases in Tokyo, London, Malta, Tallinn, Bucharest and Los Angeles) have a precedent for creating successful slot based games that skilfully blend traditional European iGaming with an authentic Japanese flavouring – as is evident from games such as She Ninja Suzu, Dragon Hunter and Crypcrusade.
The developers track record when it comes to entertaining slot games sets a high precedent for Pikotaro’s Pineapple Pen, but it delivers on its expectations, providing a fun and zany experience that manages to captivate and enthral in a similar fashion to the way Pikotaro and his song did when it they were first brought to the world’s attention!
So, what are you waiting for? Get playing with Pikotaro today!
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