Kaleidoscope Dating Sim 2

Author: Bomee, Mayuiki and Kyo
Availability: Free, Online/Browser
Format: Dating Sim
Genre: Supernatural
Rating: PG
My Scores: (Writing: 2.5, Art: 5, Gameplay: 2.5) out of 5

Found at http://nummyz.com/ OR http://www.newgrounds.com

Summary:

In Kaleidoscope Dating Sim 2, a gender-flipped sequel to Kaleidoscope Dating Sim, you are Soffie.  Once fond of singing, you became mute at the age of five and thus started retreating into a dream-world in your head.  One day, a fortune-teller gave you a magic potion.  You drank it, and now you've found yourself in the dream world!  You have 30 days to find a soul-mate here. If you succeed, you'll return to reality with your voice back.  If you fail, you'll become a dream soul and be trapped here forever.

Review:

Writing:

I wasn't too sure what score to give this at first.  On the one hand, I certainly can't accuse the writing of being too sparse on details.  Also, the characters are sufficiently different from each other in terms of personalities and "voice", which is important in a dating sim.  You'd be able to tell Gabe from Cero even if you couldn't see who was talking.  (Fun fact: Cero, winnable here, is also the protagonist of the prequel to this game).

The plot itself is a bit baroque, but whether this is a good thing or a bad thing may simply be a matter of taste.  There are a lot of different elements cobbled together, both in the intro and, to a lesser extent, in the love-interests' story-lines.  To someone like me, it can seem a bit overly much.  Unlike Winter Dance Sim Date, though, these odd bits aren't merely blurted and forgotten; they get brought up again in dialogue, and overall, it's hard to point out anything as completely irrelevant.  If anything, I'd say this game tries to cram a novel's worth of plot and characterization into something the size of a short story, and the result is that bits are sticking out every which way.  Of course, this style may have as many fans as it does detractors, and I've graded according to my own personal taste.

Art:

The art in this game is amazing!  There's something very life-like about the characters.  The expressions are subtle and nuanced, and there's a bit of animation that breathes further life into them with blinking and facial twitches.  Also, the backgrounds are nice, and the music is gentle and ambient.

Gameplay:

Mini-games again.  Urgh.  At first, I though "Oh, good!  All the mini-games have been neatly swept into a corner so I don't have to bother with them."  Well, that is not true.  Unlike many dating sims with currency involved, there is no job mechanism in Kaleidoscope 2.  The closest you can get is picking mushrooms in the forest to sell, but you are only allowed to do so once per day.  This means that you will have to play the mini-games.

And you will have to play the mini-games, because this game puts a really high emphasis on buying presents. In order to get the best ending for a character, you have to buy ALL of the types of presents that they like.  Each character has, I think, five gifts that you'll need to purchase for them, and the shop has about eighteen items to choose from.  While a couple of items can be intuited (I was able to figure out who would have a need for spray-paint, and it's a fair assumption that the articles of women's clothing are for one character in particular), the rest are found by trial and error (or by looking up a useful walkthrough on DeviantArt).  As with Re: Allistair, it's a bit frustrating in that you need to buy certain items but are not given enough clues on what to buy.  It'd be nice if there were hints dropped in dialogue or something.

Also, I am not a fan of the soul doors.  In most dating sims that I've seen, you're given a choice of locations to visit, and generally, there's one person who is always at that location.  Usually, these locations are "dressed up" somehow: it's the person's home, or their workplace, or a place they visit often.  It's woven into the story.  In Kaleidoscope 2, however, the notion of "Go Here to Visit X" is completely reduced to just that.  "Okay," the game says, "Do you want the person behind Door #1, Door #2, or Door #3?"  For all the details that went into the intro, this whole bit with the doors just seems too bald.

So why did I not give the gameplay a 1?  Because for all its mini-gaming faults, this is actually a very well-balanced dating sim.  The 30 day time-limit is neither overly long nor overly short for all the things you have to do. This also seems to be the first dating sim I've played where the dialog, gifts and dating all matter.  You do need the gifts in order to get the best ending, but in order to reach any kind of ending with the characters at all, you have to build up the relationship enough to be able to choose them.  You can't just spam one interaction until the game ends.  Also, if you're fond of the mini-games, it's fairly easy to win enough money to try the spaghetti-at-the-wall method of gift-buying; so that balances out, too.  It's just a shame, then, that I really do not like having to play stupid mini-games.

TLDR:

This game is interesting.  It's very well-balanced, but could probably benefit from a job activity that isn't limited to one turn per day.  The story, in my opinion, tries to do too much at once, but some may actually find this a plus.  The art is definitely the best component of the whole game, and I give it a standing ovation.

So what do you think?  Is this game a sweet dream or a nightmare?  Feel free to voice your opinion in the comments.

Moonlight Dating Sim

Author: Bomee

Availability: Free, Online/browser

Format: Dating Sim

Genre: Supernatural

Rating: Teen

My Score: 3.5 out of 5



Found at www.Newgrounds.com OR www.Nummyz.com



Summary:

In Moonlight Dating Sim, you play Jenna Moonlight, a half-vampire witch. Vampires have taken over the world, led by their Blood Prince, and it's up to you to kill him. Or join him. Or help him. There's quite a few directions you can go with it, really.



Review:

I think I need an additional genre to apply to this game, since "Dating Sim" doesn't seem to cover all the aspects of it. There's a bit of action, as you have the option to try to kill people in addition to trying to date them. Overall, it's a neat change of pace from the usual dating sim fare, and one that I can appreciate.



The tone is kind of dark and haunting, and I like the backgrounds. As with bomee's other games, there is a sense of unpolishedness about it; however, it's not as bad as some games I could mention (*cough* DatingSimAcademy *cough*). It definitely gets high marks for being interesting and unusual, as it's more than just choosing a suitor (although there is that).



So what do you pick? Hang out with the vampire hunters, or become a vampire queen? >:)

My Cup Of Tea II: Twins

And The Girl Game Review is back, as promised, with two reviews, starting with this one! (second will be up later tonight)

Author: Bomee
Availability: Free, Online/browser
Format: Dating Sim

Genre: Romance
Rating: Teen
My Score: 3 out of 5

Found at www.NewGrounds.com, www.Nummyz.com, or www.DeviantArt.com

Summary:
My Cup of Tea II lets you play as Ari or, in the later version of the game, her twin brother Garrick. You're going away in 50 days, and this is your last chance to find love in your old town before you leave it.

Review:
Despite the name, My Cup of Tea II doesn't seem to have a lot to do with the first game. It does, however, have the author's usual fare of cuteness and occasional fourth-wall breaking. The art is fairly standard for the author's other games, though the characters seem to be taller and thinner. I kind of wish she'd quit drawing everyone with the mouse, but maybe that's just me.

It's more enjoyable than the first game, in my opinion, and definitely much more complicated. There are more suitors, more things to explore, and at least one large easter egg. A couple of components don't seem to make much sense, though; for instance, the game seems to suggest that you have to keep the dog fed and pass a test in class. These actions, while they take up HP and money, don't really seem to serve a purpose, but since I've yet to get a decent end, I may be wrong. :p

Dating Sim Academy

Author: Bomee

Availability: Free, Online/Browser

Format: Dating Sim

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: Teen

My Score: 1 out of 5

Found at www.NewGrounds.com OR www.Nummyz.com

Summary:

In Dating Sim Academy, You play Air, a flat-chested girl from Earth who somehow finds herself in the magical “Purra Land”. Purra Land is populated by Purras, spirits with human and animal features (Think Catgirls). In 50 days, you will get a chance to make a wish under the starry moon – provided you have found True Love, of course.

Review:

I didn’t really care for the art at all. The best parts of it were okay, and the worst bits were practically doodles. While it could have been worse, I just wasn’t very impressed with it. The main redeeming qualities of the art were the special effects: Blinking and movement in the characters, sparkles, and other little details. However, they’re like ketchup on a dry meatloaf: it helps, but only to a point. Interestingly, at least one of the reviews on Newgrounds praised the artwork, so maybe I’m just spoiled. Feel free to discuss your opinion in the comments.

As for the writing; the plot is fairly obviously an “Excuse Plot”. I can respect that; sometimes you just want to dive into a fantasy and don’t need to spend an hour learning why the scenario is possible and how it all came to be and so on. It’s MAGIC! Bam! Now on with the show. Players who are looking for something more deep and involved, though, will be left out in the cold.

While I can forgive the lack of a complex plot, the fact that the characters aren’t very complex bothers me. In a dating sim, the characters are pretty much the main reason you’re here; you expect them to either look good or be interesting. Since the art isn’t very mind-blowing, it falls to the writing to give the characters interesting personalities that make you care about them. However, the writing here falls flat too.

The worst crime committed, though, is the ambiguity. Very frequently, the presented dialog options will seem equally valid, and in some cases will even be synonymous with each other! However, only one will be correct, and it’s effectively a stab in the dark to figure out which. Once you’ve made your selection, the character will give a stock phrase that translates to either “right” or “wrong”, and you have to spend another 10 hp on conversation to get anything meaningful, even if it’s supposed to be a reaction to what you just said. Also irritating, though for a different reason, is the tendency of a conversation segment to have Only One Possible Response; the equivalent of just clicking “Next.” I feel these moments rob the player of the experience, which is already at a premium.

Finally, there’s the game play. The game will tell you that 50 days is a short time; I disagree. In 50 days, I was pretty much able to max out 3 out of the 4 characters, and that was taking into account the HP wasted on wrong answers and playing the shell mini-game. This game has fewer options than other dating games, since the Give Gift option only tells you what to bring on your date (which is the last thing you’ll be doing in the game). So basically, that just leaves you with Talk. The most interesting part of the gameplay is the shell mini-game, and coming from me, this should tell you something. Fortunately, you don’t have to wait all 50 days; once you set things up for a date with a character, you can end the game early.

My final complaint is the teasing. In the mini-game, there is a promise that gaining a certain amount of points will earn you a secret, with the suggestion being that it’s something naughty. The suggestion is a lie. Now don’t get me wrong; I am perfectly fine with games and authors that refuse to cross over into Adult territory. I approve of this. But teasing can make the player frustrated and annoyed in the best circumstances; making the player work for a false promise is simply mean.

I realize I’ve been awfully harsh with this game. Others seem to have enjoyed it, and I grant that it’s basically a light bit of fluff. However, I personally found it to be boring, as well as the worst girl-oriented dating sim I’ve played to date (pun not intended). Still, try it yourself and see what you think, and if you find you like it, feel free to tell me to stuff it.

My Cup of Tea

AKA The Love Dating Sim for Girls

Author: Kathleen Lieu

Availability: Free, Online/Browser

Format: Dating Sim

Genre: Summer Romance

Rating: Everyone

My Score: 2.5 out of 5

Found At: http://www.nummyz.com/

Summary:

In My Cup of Tea, you play as 17 year old Sara Biea Affen. As the game itself states, "17 yr old Sara thinks she is silly and plain... Will Sara get a honey before the end of summer and the start of senior year? You have 30 days to help her!"

Review:

Let's start with the art: My Cup of Tea is supposedly drawn entirely with a mouse. Drawing with a mouse, a teacher once told me, is like drawing with a bar of soap. As such, the art in My Cup of Tea takes a hit. There's an unpolished, unprofessional look to it; however, it also possesses a certain charm and cuteness. Personally, I get a kick out of the chicken that appears when she sleeps. Also, bonus points for having the "sleeping Sarah" art change after certain amounts of days have gone by; it helps give the game a sense of motion, although admittedly, it's kind of odd to see Sarah thinking "Boys, Boys, Boys!" when in the process of working the lesbian option.

As for the writing: Apparently, the characters from the game are based on the author's own original stories. Given that many dating sims on the internet are simply built around seducing a popular Anime character (Naruto Dating Sim, I'm looking at you), it's refreshing to see such a high dose of originality. That said, there's a certain level of flatness to the characters; 3 out of the 4 suitors basically boil down to The Surfer, The Bisexual Guy, and The Lesbian Option. There are a few bits of trivia - a sister's name here, a favorite book there - but there's some substance lacking. I blame the sparseness of the dialogue, which brings us to...

The Game Play: My Cup of Tea has a simplicity to it, which is good for people new to the genre. Best of all - and I could kiss the author for this - NO MINIGAMES!!! Though, actually, that may not be *entirely* accurate; there are some points in the game where you can play dress-up. However, it's avoidable (you have to actively choose to do it), has no impact on game-play, and I actually find it an amusing diversion. So kudos for that.

While the game is simple, though, it also gets repetetive to the point of being frustrating. The dialogue is very sparse, and characters will repeat themselves several times, which makes it hard to peg exactly where you stand with this person. There's no real indicator for when the relationship is complete, so unless you know what numbers to watch for on the XP, you could quit too soon and miss that character's best ending.

Other frustrating bits are the gift system and the quizzes (called Impress so-and-so). Each suitor has a list of three gifts you can offer them, but they will only like two of them. This creates an unpleasant surprise when you finally earn enough for something expensive, only to have your gift rebuffed. As for the quizzes; there's a reason I prefer clickable multiple-choice options to having to type into a box. When you have to type and submit, too much can go wrong. I must have typed every possible permutation of the surfer's band name - with a The, without a The, spelled right, spelled wrong - and it never took. To this day, I still don't know what answer it wanted, or if it was just broken.

So, when all is said and done, I give My Cup of Tea a 2.5. Word on the net is that this is the author's first dating sim, and if that's true, it's a very good first attempt. However, I find it to be a mediocre game over all. It's a cute way to pass the time, but once you finish, you may or may not wish to replay; which is a shame, since replay value is what puts dating sims and other multi-ending games over the other genres. But even so, it's still worth checking out at least once. And who knows? You might just find that it's your cup of tea. ;)