TMGS 3rd Story: Premium
Hell yeah, I'm playing TMGS3 Premium.
So far, I'm loving the hell out of the moving characters, but I'm really disappointed in the skinship (or as it's called 'approach') system. All you do is press or hold down a button, and there's only 4 of them, so that makes 8 different things you can molest your guy with - versus the many things you could do in the DS version with 3 different stylus touches, and loads of body parts. In Premium, there is no body part you can select. Talk about a disappointment.
So far, this is what each button does:
○ press: smile
○ hold: stare
△ press: touch (touch where!?)
△ hold: hold hands
□ press: tease (tease where!?)
□ hold: 'bully' (chop?)
Holding analogue stick up: getting closer until you 'lean' on him
But I do love how you can walk up to them and get in their face. And I mean ... really up in their face.
One of the things that Premium does right, is making Arashi blush loads more.
Approaching the guy might scare him off, if you're still at :) and below (especially :|), so it's better to play it safe and smile and stare at him. When he's at :D or ^_^ go nuts and molest his face.
Love-Mode has now been turned into a weird 'Ex-approach' mode, in which you RANDOMLY try to punch buttons and see if he likes it. There is no pattern in here (aside from 'press O, then triangle, then square, RINSE AND REPEAT AND HOPE IT WORKS), and it annoys the hell out of me. Love-Mode was one of the best things in TMGS, and now it's a chore to get through. Bad Konami, bad, bad Konami.
The heroine can now also be two different types, an angel and a devil. The angel one is the default personality (cute, moe, submissive, oh-please-help-useless-me), and the devil one is supposed to be more of a bully and takes the initiative more. Which I love, love - LOVE. I haven't yet seen the differences, since I have just turned into a 'Sweet Devil lvl 1', but I'll keep you posted.
Anyways, some touches are angel, and some touches are devil. Things like holding hands, leaning close to him and chopping him are devil, whereas teasing, staring and touching are angel.
I just have to show you how much fun it is to walk up to the guy:
Left image is where he stands by default, right image is how close you can get to him if he lets you.
Have I mentioned how awesome it is to see them move? It really makes them feel more alive. They should have this for all future games, seriously. And maybe make them do poses too? Instead of shifting from left to right. Not that I'm complaining, it's already pretty fricking awesome.
Oh, remember how hard it is to change the nickname of the guy you're going after? In the DS versions, the game goes out of their way to make the guy with the highest affection completely avoid you, so you barely had any chances to change what you call him. And if you ran into him? Tough luck; he ran into you first, skipping the name changing all together.
In Premium, this seems to have been lessened, I run into the guy much more often. The best thing? If he runs into me, I can still change the way I address him, thank you Konami.
I wish I could read Japanese, I have no idea what they're saying.
You know, I wonder, how in the world do you get Taira in Premium? You could only get Taira if you touched him in the background with the stylus ... which is not an option on the PSP. Maybe he's not even available, I have no idea.
There's also something new, during dates you can get an 'episode' or something like that, which is just extended dialogue (different from going on a date 3 times in a row), and you get to touch him some more.
The ugly sweatshirt makes its return, but at least the scenery is nice.
Since I can't read Japanese, that is kind of a moot point for me. But hey, nice feature anyway (when is this ever going to get an English translation!?).
Speaking of going on the same date 3 times in a row, the extended dialogue gives you plenty of opportunities to molest your guy. I had a whopping 177 approach points - and I haven't got a single clue if that's a lot or not!
I'm guessing the 'lean onto him' is the equivalent of touching his lips in the DS version.
Ok, well that's enough fangirling over Arashi here. So far, those are really all the changes. Of course, there's also the Boy's Life, which I haven't touched upon yet, maybe later.
Good points:
I miss Masaki Motoharu.
Edit: quick edit to this entry, as I've stumbled across Arashi's extra CG for Premium. You get it after you score 1st place in the tree-legged race in your second year (since I always pick that mini-game, it was a nice surprise).
[Arashi's CG, spoilers obviously]
Yakuza Arashi! And look at Taira in the background! Two of my favourite guys in the same CG, this is pure fanservice for me.
So far, I'm loving the hell out of the moving characters, but I'm really disappointed in the skinship (or as it's called 'approach') system. All you do is press or hold down a button, and there's only 4 of them, so that makes 8 different things you can molest your guy with - versus the many things you could do in the DS version with 3 different stylus touches, and loads of body parts. In Premium, there is no body part you can select. Talk about a disappointment.
So far, this is what each button does:
○ press: smile
○ hold: stare
△ press: touch (touch where!?)
△ hold: hold hands
□ press: tease (tease where!?)
□ hold: 'bully' (chop?)
Holding analogue stick up: getting closer until you 'lean' on him
But I do love how you can walk up to them and get in their face. And I mean ... really up in their face.
One of the things that Premium does right, is making Arashi blush loads more.
Approaching the guy might scare him off, if you're still at :) and below (especially :|), so it's better to play it safe and smile and stare at him. When he's at :D or ^_^ go nuts and molest his face.
Love-Mode has now been turned into a weird 'Ex-approach' mode, in which you RANDOMLY try to punch buttons and see if he likes it. There is no pattern in here (aside from 'press O, then triangle, then square, RINSE AND REPEAT AND HOPE IT WORKS), and it annoys the hell out of me. Love-Mode was one of the best things in TMGS, and now it's a chore to get through. Bad Konami, bad, bad Konami.
The heroine can now also be two different types, an angel and a devil. The angel one is the default personality (cute, moe, submissive, oh-please-help-useless-me), and the devil one is supposed to be more of a bully and takes the initiative more. Which I love, love - LOVE. I haven't yet seen the differences, since I have just turned into a 'Sweet Devil lvl 1', but I'll keep you posted.
Anyways, some touches are angel, and some touches are devil. Things like holding hands, leaning close to him and chopping him are devil, whereas teasing, staring and touching are angel.
I just have to show you how much fun it is to walk up to the guy:
Left image is where he stands by default, right image is how close you can get to him if he lets you.
Have I mentioned how awesome it is to see them move? It really makes them feel more alive. They should have this for all future games, seriously. And maybe make them do poses too? Instead of shifting from left to right. Not that I'm complaining, it's already pretty fricking awesome.
Oh, remember how hard it is to change the nickname of the guy you're going after? In the DS versions, the game goes out of their way to make the guy with the highest affection completely avoid you, so you barely had any chances to change what you call him. And if you ran into him? Tough luck; he ran into you first, skipping the name changing all together.
In Premium, this seems to have been lessened, I run into the guy much more often. The best thing? If he runs into me, I can still change the way I address him, thank you Konami.
I wish I could read Japanese, I have no idea what they're saying.
You know, I wonder, how in the world do you get Taira in Premium? You could only get Taira if you touched him in the background with the stylus ... which is not an option on the PSP. Maybe he's not even available, I have no idea.
There's also something new, during dates you can get an 'episode' or something like that, which is just extended dialogue (different from going on a date 3 times in a row), and you get to touch him some more.
The ugly sweatshirt makes its return, but at least the scenery is nice.
Since I can't read Japanese, that is kind of a moot point for me. But hey, nice feature anyway (when is this ever going to get an English translation!?).
Speaking of going on the same date 3 times in a row, the extended dialogue gives you plenty of opportunities to molest your guy. I had a whopping 177 approach points - and I haven't got a single clue if that's a lot or not!
I'm guessing the 'lean onto him' is the equivalent of touching his lips in the DS version.
Ok, well that's enough fangirling over Arashi here. So far, those are really all the changes. Of course, there's also the Boy's Life, which I haven't touched upon yet, maybe later.
Good points:
- Moving portraits breathes life into the characters.
- Sweet and devil Bambi.
- No more split screen!
- Slightly improved GUI.
- Extra dialogue.
- The ability to molest your guy up in his face.
- BLUSHING ARASHI, LOOK AT ALL THOSE BLUSHY SCREENSHOTS.
- Skinship > Approach, 'nuff said.
- Love Mode > Ex-approach, SERIOUSLY. What the hell Konami.
- As always, no guide on how to 'Approach' guys, unless you dig into the options.
I miss Masaki Motoharu.
Edit: quick edit to this entry, as I've stumbled across Arashi's extra CG for Premium. You get it after you score 1st place in the tree-legged race in your second year (since I always pick that mini-game, it was a nice surprise).
[Arashi's CG, spoilers obviously]
Yakuza Arashi! And look at Taira in the background! Two of my favourite guys in the same CG, this is pure fanservice for me.