 Review By: Brittany Vincent |
Developer: | Natsume |
| Publisher: | Natsume | |
| Genre: | Rhythm | |
| ESRB: | Everyone | |
| # Of Players: | 1 | |
| Online Play: | No | |
| Accessories: | N/A |
On certain days, scripted events will occur that will introduce different characters and mini games that you will have to complete in order to make some progress. On most days, however, you will want to utilize the "go out" option. If Sabrina chooses to go out for the day, she can also visit other locations such as the park, the castle, the ballroom, the forest, or other places that are unlocked via playing through each day. Along the way she will interact with different princesses who all seem to be searching for dance partners. Through different dialogue choices, Sabrina will get closer to different princes. As you can imagine, being nicer to certain princes will make them more inclined to speak to you and spend time with you. It's a dating sim, really, and on the top screen there is even a gauge detailing how in love the prince is with you. You can check the same status of each of your acquaintances via the planner, accessible in the top right corner of the touch screen. Because of this, the game has branching paths that will alter the final outcome of the game.
Since Sabrina is working toward the final goal of procuring a dance partner and working on becoming a better dancer herself, this game makes sure to remind you of your priorities. However, sometimes your partner might be a bit of a flake and miss dance practice. You have to choose whether to ditch or go with them. There are many similar scenarios that create sort of a double-edged sword, and it makes prioritizing part of the fun. In this, you have some great replayability. With over eight princes, the different outcomes you can get, and different day events are worth playing again for.
Aside from small story scenes, dancing, and exploring locations, there isn't much else to the game. There are modes where you can just dance and practice outside of the story mode, but nothing of interest beyond the story mode.
Princess Debut features lovingly drawn, static character portraits and backgrounds for the majority of its graphics. Cutesy anime-styled characters up the saccharine factor and it's clear how much Natsume was aiming this game toward little girls. There are tons of pastels and pinks, as expected, but it's definitely not a bad-looking game. I do find fault with the strange and wonky 3D models that appear when Sabrina changes into her tiara for her princess dress in a funky transformation sequence or when she is dancing. They look out of place in a game that is otherwise all 2D.
As for the music and sound effects, there are rarely any sound effects save for an odd exclamation by Sabrina once you have completed a relatively high combo in the dance competitions or practice. Soothing melodies are present at all times, and the music you dance to is comprised of generic dancing instrumental music such as what would accompany a waltz, or genre-specific instrumentals. I suppose there was no need for licensed music since this game aims to cover that "princess aspect", but it would have made the game a lot more interesting.
Bottom Line:
All in all, this game is a great attempt at getting children (primarily young girls) interested in gaming by catering to that age-old concept that every girl wants to be a princess. It's a pretty solid game, albeit extremely simple. What's admirable is the amount of work that went into the art and branching of different conversations to create a different experience depending on how you behave toward different princesses. It's not too fun for older, experienced gamers who already know their way around a game and would like more of a challenge, but for what it is it's actually pretty fun. I admit I enjoy it for playing favorites with the prince characters, because it amuses me. That certain little princess in your life would definitely appreciate this, if no one else!
| Pros: | Cons: | Final Score: |
|---|---|---|
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| 7.0 |
Posted: 2009-01-12 19:16:42 PST