a�?Ngizavala ngawea�� brought to virtual reality

Mbongeni Ncube/ Bruce NdlovuA� A�
The phrase a�?Ngizavala ngawea�? a common phrase among pupils in Zimbabwe, has struck fear in many a pupil down the years.

For whoever the words are directed towards, a�?ngizavala ngawea�? means that the countdown to the end of a school term is filled with dread as they wait for the fateful day when their tormenter in waiting lives true to their promise to give one a hiding to remember.

This, sometimes, gruesome a�?national traditiona�? has seen countless tears shed as boys exchanged blows in the mid of cheers from their peers. Ita��s a rite of passage that has seen heroes made on the battlefields as Davids have slain Goliaths who had underestimated them when they made the pledge that closing day would see them deliver a beating of a lifetime.

This age-old Zimbabwean tradition has now come to the virtual world with a new game by Zimbabwean startup Code Sage called Graduation Day set to be released on March 20.

Serious gamers that are used to top notch graphics and sophisticated moves from a gamea��s characters will not be disappointed if statements by the gamea��s designers are anything to go by.

Familiar schools are selectable in the game, each with special moves such as the Hurricane Kick and chain hit combos. There are five selectable stages each with a new setting which ranges from a classroom to a farm. The gamea��s Arcade Mode features a fun and exciting story line where you must defeat a line of foes before you reach the final boss who happens to be the Headmaster himself.

Graduation Day also features an exciting two-player mode where one can fight against their friends or family while they can also duel with the computer to improve their skills.

The game seems to have tickled the fancy of Zimbabwean gamers who seem to be warming up to its familiar concept.

The game also seems a departure from the usual products offered by IT companies in Zimbabwe, as most have on-website and applications development.

a�?To date however, two trailers of the game have been released online and have received a lot of praise and attention.

The trailers on Facebook have amassed more than 10 000 viewsa�? said CEO of Code Sage and the creator of Graduation Day Nyatsoka,

With great attention paid to action and graphic violence, the gamea��s developers are at pains to calm the fears that the game might be too stylistically similar to the tradition ita��s modelled after.

a�?The game does not escalate school violence. One only has to be aware of the games pupils are already playing to understand this. There are already games that High School students play that are much worse such as Grand Theft Auto where you pick up prostitutes and Mortal Kombat where you can split a mana��s body open,a�? saidA� Nyastoka.

Nyatsoka is hoping that the game would see disputes settled with a pair of joysticks in hand.

So far the schools which seem to be selectable in the game are St Georges, Prince Edward and St Johns. The game will be compatible for play on PCs while it will also be available for sale on the developera��s website.

Fights on the last day of a term are still common in most of Zimbabwe, with one of the more notorious closing day scenes usually seen at Prince Edward where during the schoola��s Khakhi Day, A-level pupils fight with their O-level counterparts as they celebrate the end of a learning course.