Piko Taro holds virtual Pikofest to help kick off Paralympics in its official video game

Punch perms and leopard print for everyone!

With the Olympics behind us now, it’s time to turn our attention to the Paralympics, which start on 27 August. If you ask me, this is when the real games begin, because it takes regular sports like soccer and volleyball and makes them into the way more interesting sports of blind soccer and sitting-down volleyball.

▼ Tell me this isn’t insanely impressive

That’s also why I was really happy when the first-ever official Paralympic video game was recently developed by none other than Hajime Tabata, the director of Final Fantasy XV. Called The Pegasus Dream Tour, it allows player to create and train their own Mine avatar to compete in Paralympic events and quests in the virtual Pegasus City.

When we spoke to Tabata, he said that one feature of The Pegasus Dream Tour was that it would host virtual live concerts in which real musical acts would perform inside the game as their own Mine avatars. These avatars would continue to exist in the game even after the show is finished.

And appearing live on stage just days before the Paralympics begin is none other than Piko Taro.

▼ The game character’s movements are all motioned captured from the real guy

Three shows will be performed on 22 August to accommodate different schedules and time zones, and given that most of Piko Taro’s hits are a few seconds long, there must be a fair bit of bantering as well.

Also, in the days leading up to the concert an event called Pikofest will be held in Pegasus City. This involves a variety of activities from quests involving Piko Taro in which you can get special emote actions, stamps, and clothing for your own avatar based on the musician who penned “Pen Pineapple Apple Pen.”

▼ The punch perm alone makes this project a winner

There is also a separate mini-game in which you must tap an icon repeatedly to unlock items, clothing, stamps, and most importantly a ticket to the show. Like most aspects of The Pegasus Dream Tour the game is very simple in design to allow players of all physical abilities to enjoy it, but also has a strange satisfaction to it – kind of like popping bubble wrap.

Playing the game also helps to construct a monument at the concert venue and the more people who participate, the larger it will become.

The performance is part of Piko’s post-PPAP passion to promote public prosperity through raising awareness of Sustainable Development Goals, something which The Pegasus Dream Tour is also striving to do. In Pikofest especially, the comedian-musician will harness the power of “connectivity” that he learned from constantly sticking pens and apples and pen and pineapples together, to help bring us all…together.

He released the following official statement regarding the event:

“I’m Piko-proud to be a part of this project with such impressive members! Be it in real life or online, Piko will always be Piko! I’ll take your Pen, and I’ll take your Apple, and Uh! Connect them! We’ll connect with friends all over the world and share our smiles and Piko-peace!“

Image: ©Avex Management

So, stop on by Pegasus City and catch a show if you can. The game itself is free to download for iOS and Android devices and tickets can also be acquired free of charge if you play the game. However, if you have neither the time or energy to tap your way in, they can be more easily acquired with an in-app purchase. There are many different ways to check it out, because diversity is what the games are all about.

Event information
Pikofest
August 9-22
Concert Times: 11 a.m., 6 p.m., 11 p.m. (JPT) on 22 August
Venue: The Pegasus Dream Tour (iOS, Android)
Website

Images: ©JP Games (unless otherwise noted)
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