Princess Debut: Because dancing with someone makes you partners for LIFE
It's time for another Nintendo DS game review! This time I've selected the English translated, otome game, Princess Debut. Princess Debut is like Dancing with the Stars meets... Candyland. I will admit, describing this game makes it sound absolutely lame. In Princess Debut you dance and try to win over the hearts of princes. (Yeah. Lame.) Just as an FYI I haven't played this game in months so my recollection might be a little off.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Geekyness Level: No geekyness, except for the idea that it's an otome game.
The game starts with an insufferably LONG prolog/blah blah blah movie intro thing. Essentially this is what happens. You are an average Japanese girl who supposedly has a lot of hot classmates. Anyway, you go home where this girl who looks JUST LIKE YOU suddenly pops up in your room. She is from an alternate universe where she is--apparently--a princess and is going to have to dance in this fruity festival thing. The princess can't dance worth... anything, so she sends YOU in her place. (because that seemed like a good idea at the time? To send a stranger to pose as you when all of the princes of the surrounding nations are seeking your hand to dance with.)
So you go and there's like six potential guys you can choose to be your dance partner. (wonder of wonders, ALL of them closely resemble your cute classmates.) You meet them all immedately after arriving, so be really careful what you say yes/no to. Part of the reason why I'm a little harsh on this game is that I accidentally got stuck with this blonde kid who I really didn't want to dance PERMANENTLY with, but whoever was in charge of localization for the game made it seem like he was asking if you wanted to dance for a little while at that moment. This is not so. Really he's asking if you want to be his partner. CHOOSE WISELY!
This pink haired weirdo is one of your possible dance partners. Like I said, CHOOSE WISELY!
After you choose a partner you have 30 days before the festival thingy. Your actions (whether you practice or screw off) will manipulate your partner's love meter, for lack of a better word. Dancing is pretty fun, you swirl your drawing pen tool thing across the screen to make your princess self dance and twirl. It reminds me a lot of an easier version of Elite Beat Agents.
I thinkt he white thing behind your head closely resembles the plume of an albino peacock.
It's a very straight shooting game. Pretty cute all in all. I know I come off pretty harsh on this, but I do have to speak up on behalf of this game. It's one of the VERY few English translated otome games so I feel it is important to support it. Plus, let's face it. I'm a recent college grad in her early twenties. Princess Debut is more for younger girls. (The main character is in middle school for crying outloud!) However, would I recommend you buy this game? As long as you aren't looking for something emo and angsty, yes!