![]() Sometimes a choice between three seemingly innocuous dialogue choices can be deceptively dangerous (how was I to know that Prince Klaus would get upset when I mentioned how all the girls were chasing him?), or even game-changing. However, the game also presents the player with meaningful events and meaningful choices from time to time. Some of these activities could be considered a trivial layer of gameplay truthfully, there are times when Princess Debut consists of visiting the various settings available and finding small activities or trivial opportunities, like picking the petals off a leaf in a "does he love me?" game accompanied only by bright 2D anime-style art. Given only a month to prepare for the big ball, the player must charm one of six possible princes into being their dance partner, nurture the relationship through daily events and careful dialogue choices, and practice dancing as much as possible in order to level up and unlock new songs. The game's second half comes into play in Story mode. The developers even included an option to display the steps in terms of footprints from the female partner, though it's unlikely anyone could pick up the complex routines by such a method. But on the other hand, what you see on the top screen is impressive, professional ballroom dancing, something worth taking the time to watch in the game's separate movie mode. It's also disappointing that, on closer inspection, the motion-captured dance routines are repeated three times during a song instead of running its entire length. On one hand, this means that the figures on the top screen don't represent any errors or successes made by the player, and that sometimes the costumes players choose can clip with a prince's legs. The 3D figures on the top screen move gracefully thanks to the motion-capturing of real dance professionals for the animations. While tracing is done on the bottom screen, players can glance at the top DS screen for a 3D view of the characters dancing, and for icons denoting the upcoming patterns they'll trace. Another difficulty players will face is unlocking the full catalog of the game's songs and routines by playing through story mode several times. However, when players pursue a high score, something they cannot avoid since they'll be forced to repeat each song's performance more than once, constant concentration is necessary to never miss a beat and garner "great" ratings instead of "good" ones. This gameplay proves extremely accessible, simpler, easier, and slower-paced than Elite Beat Agents. The game offers 20 songs in ten different dance forms, from Viennese Waltz, to Samba, to Quickstep. However, those who count out the 1-2-3 of the waltz, or a 1-2-cha-cha-cha, can confidently start on time after breaks in each song, time the developers set aside so players could catch their breath while the music plays on. Indeed, though the game uses ballroom dancing, players don't need to learn each dance's particular beat they only need to adapt to the tempo so that they can pace themselves and keep on time with the simple patterns they trace with the stylus. Yet at first glance, Princess Debut is a rhythm game in the manner of Elite Beat Agents (Ouendan in Japan), set against the more manageable pace of ballroom music and using the stylus to trace simple to moderately complex patterns. ![]() It's how one plays the game off the screen, as well as on the screen, that matters. Part ballroom rhythm game and part relationship management sim, Princess Debut is a game whose appeal grows the more one is willing to live the game's fairytale. Yet what else could I say when, with just 15 days before the big ball, my dance partner prince stopped showing up to practice, exhibited a distinct lack of self confidence, and still played practical jokes on me every chance he got? Maybe I should've gone with someone more sensitive, like Liam, or that dark brooding Luciano… but I was stuck with boyish, carefree Vince! "OOOOH!" "I HATE BOYS!" If this review had been written half-way through my playing of Natsume's Princess Debut, that exclamation would have been the tagline.
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