What’s there to hate? For starters, Tingle, who first appeared in an offshoot of The Legend of Zelda series back in 2000, is more than a bit “fruity.” He’s 35, single, infatuated with fairies, and never without his trademark green tights and red Speedo.  

Those not-so-straight traits have made Tingle one of the most hated video game characters in America, which is probably why his very first solo outing— Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland, released in Japan in 2006 and throughout Europe in 2007—has little more than a snowball’s chance in hell of showing up on our shores.  

That’s too bad, because the game is one of the more unique offerings to appear on the Nintendo DS (or any other system, for that matter) in the past year. 

The European cover of Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland shows the game's protagonist surrounded by his favorite things: butterflies, flowers and gems.

Looking and playing an awful lot like an old-school Zelda game, Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland follows its titular star as he solves puzzles, fights villains (with the help of bodyguards, of course) and barters with other citizens while prancing around the appropriately named Rupeeland.

That’s where the similarities with Zelda end, however. Tingle isn’t out to save a princess; he’s out to make some cold, hard cash. The more cash he earns—by beating up baddies—the closer he comes to earning a spot in paradise. 

The game, like Tingle, isn’t every gamer's cup of tea, but that’s not to say it, like it’s protagonist, doesn’t have it’s admirers. A discussion thread dedicated to the game at NeoGAF.com, for instance, features more praise than put downs.

A commercial used to promote Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland in Japan.

“More gay subtext than has ever been packed into a videogame before. And I love it,” proclaimed one of the game's fans upon its release.

Similar salutes can be found over at GayGamer.net, where one regular recently commented, "Gayer than a giant pineapple drink with paper umbrellas. Tingle rules."

David Edison, the site’s associate editor, agrees. “Tingle is very dear to me, but in an odd way. Like Gilbert Gottfried in a green catsuit.” 

That said, Edison says he understands why the game has yet to be released in the U.S. “Bringing a game to this continent takes money, and Tingle doesn't exactly have ‘generous financial return’ written on his hooded pastel jumpsuit. Much to my dismay.”