The Great Gaymathon Review #65: Sweet Fuse: At Your Side (PSP)

Game: Sweet Fuse: At Your Side

Genre: Otome/Visual Novel

Developers: Comcept and Idea Factory

Publisher: Aksys Games

System: PSP

Release date: 2013

Considering how much I enjoyed Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom a few years ago, I approached the kind of similar--yet decidedly more modern--Sweet Fuse: At Your Side with fairly high expectations.

Which may explain why I initially, at least, found myself feeling a tad underwhelmed by this PSP "visual novel," despite the fact that I consider both its creative setup (it's a mystery that takes place at a video game-themed amusement park) and its colorful cast of characters to be far more appealing that the ones offered up by Hakuoki.

Thankfully, my indifference only lasted for an hour or so. After that, I was fully and joyfully involved with this game's plot--a doozie that involves saving game illustrator and producer Keiji Inafune and a few other folks from being blown to smithereens, along with the aforementioned theme park, by a porcine villain.

That's not to say the experience was all puppies and rainbows. There were times, for instance, when I just wanted the characters to shut up so I could move things along. (And by that, I mean so I could spend some more "alone time" with my main-squeeze-to-be, Ayumu Shirabe.) Granted, chattiness kind of comes with the territory when you agree to play a virtual novel, which tend to feel a lot like Choose Your Own Adventure novels in game form, but that isn't going to keep me from occasionally becoming annoyed by someone who's being just a bit too verbose.

Speaking of visual-novel standbys, another Sweet Fuse element that proved to be a bump in the road for me, from time to time, was the one that basically dictates that a player use a guide if he or she wants to end up successfully wooing a particular man in the end. (And let's be honest here: as much as this game is about solving a mystery and saving Inafune, it's also about winding up with a hot boyfriend.) I know this is a staple of the genre--that one or two missteps can keep you from finding love--but I really would've preferred it if the developers of this game could've found a way to make things less rigid in that regard.

Other than those two aspects, though, I found Sweet Fuse to be a thoroughly engaging and enjoyable affair. Like I said earlier, there's a lot to like about this game's cast--from its spunky protagonist, Saki Inafune (she's Keiji's neice), to its disparate band of potential paramours, to its cigar-chomping baddie, Count Hogstein.

The overall story here deserves praise, too. There are twists and turns, red herrings, dramatic confrontations and colorful dialogue--all of which are part and parcel of any good mystery, if you ask me.

And then there are the little things that conspire to keep players excitedly--or at least attentively--pressing their PSPs' X buttons, like the "Break Time" and "Explosive Insight" segments and the moments that prompt Saki to get pissed and scream, "WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!"

Does all of the above mean I wholeheartedly recommend Sweet Fuse to anyone who happens across this review? Not entirely. Some folks just aren't going to enjoy spending 10 or so hours mostly clicking through text, even if that text is both witty and entertaining. If that doesn't bother you, though, and if you're even slightly curious about this game's concept, I'd certainly recommend giving it a try as soon as you can.

See also: previous 'Great Gaymathon' reviews and Sweet Fuse posts

Shall We Do It? (wrapping up A Link Between Worlds, returning to EarthBound and beginning Sweet Fuse: At Your Side)

So, I finally "beat" The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds last weekend. This is one of the few 3DS games I've finished, I think. I mean, there's Rhythm Thief & the Emperor's Treasure and Mario Kart 7 and ... this? I can't remember any others at the moment. Regardless, I haven't conquered many 3DS games to date, so I'm pretty stoked that I was able to beat this one.

The last quarter of A Link Between Worlds was really marvelous, I have to say. I was especially blown away by the last few dungeons--which in my case means Skull Woods, Dark Palace, Ice Ruins and, of course, Lorule Castle--and the bosses who guard them.

I think the Ice Ruins was my favorite of those four experiences, although I got such a kick out of all of them that it's tough to say which one was the best. Oh, and the final battle? Amazing. Exhilarating, even. Although I have to admit I died during my first attempt because I wasn't quite sure what I was supposed to do at one point.

So, my first playthrough of A Link Between Worlds is over--for now. Initially, I considered continuing on for a bit, so I could gather the rest of the game's heart pieces and return all of those poor, lost Maiamai's to their mother, but then it dawned on me that putting Link and company on the back burner for the time being would allow me to start--or, in the case of the next title I'm going to talk about, get back to--one or two other games I've been chomping at the bit to play.

Before I get to the titles in question, though, I want to share the time I spent on my maiden A Link Between Worlds adventure: just under 21 hours. I know the game can be completed more quickly than that, but a couple of locales did such a good job of capturing my attention that I found myself dawdling just so I could take in the sights a while longer.

As for the games that I turned to after A Link Between Worlds: would you believe EarthBound is one of them? Actually, I guess most of you would--especially if you read this post's header. Seriously, though, I'm back to playing EarthBound. Finally. Don't worry, I didn't start a new game--I just picked up where my last attempted (and failed) playthrough left off.

It took me a few minutes to get my bearings, of course, but after that I was happily on my way again. In fact, I quickly plowed through a whole slew of EarthBound's eccentric landscapes, including Scaraba (my starting point this time around), Deep Darkness, Tenda Village and Stonehenge Base.

I know I've said as much before (or at least I think I've said it before), but I really think I'm going to finish this sucker this time around. The only potential stumbling block is that Bravely Default comes out in a matter of days, and there's no doubt that's going to grab some of, if not not all of, my attention for a good chunk of time.

Thankfully, it probably won't arrive on my doorstep until a week after its release date (so, sometime around Valentine's Day), so it's possible I'll finally see EarthBound's end credits before I get sucked into Bravely Default's deadly tractor beam.

One last thing about EarthBound before I move on to the third game mentioned in the header above: I don't think I'll ever tire of seeing "oh, boy!" pop up whenever one of my party members gains a level. Nor will I ever tire of the ditty that plays whenever I waltz into one of the game's many shops.

Last, but not least, I started playing Aksys' Sweet Fuse: At Your Side late last week--in part because I wanted to participate in my friend Anne's #DatingSiMonth extravaganza, and in part because I've been curious about this portable dating sim since I first heard about it (which was right around the time its North American release was announced, I have to admit).

So far, I've only experienced about an hour of this otome game--which may sound like an acceptable chunk of time, but in reality isn't. After all, all I did during those 60 or so minutes was get introduced to Sweet Fuse's villain, meet the gaggle of studs who'll eventually vie for my affection and read a lot of text.

I saved and quit just as I was about to encounter the game's first puzzle (of sorts), though, so hopefully I'll have more to say about that aspect in my next "Shall We Do It?" post. In the meantime, my only comments are that I'm pretty keen on the overall art style on display in Sweet Fuse and I'm similarly loving the wacky theme-park setting.

See also: previous 'Shall We Do It?' posts

Raise your hand if you picked up a copy of Sweet Fuse: At Your Side (PSP) yesterday

Sadly, my own hand is not in the air at the moment.

I actually pre-ordered it after first becoming aware of it many moons ago, but I canceled that pre-order after surveying all of the games I've already bought yet failed to play this year.

Now, I'm not ruling out buying a copy later this year, or maybe early next, but for the moment I've decided to live my life Sweet Fuse-free.

In the meantime, maybe I should share a brief description of the game with those of you who've never heard of Sweet Fuse.

Basically, it's a visual novel aimed at women, as it stars a girl who, while navigating a bizarre amusement park filled with video game-themed attractions, must also juggle the relationships that are budding with a handful (six, to be exact) hunks.

Sweet Fuse, which was developed by Idea Factory and is being published in North America by Aksys Games, is noteworthy for a few other reasons, too--chief among them being that it features Keiji Inafune (aka the man who created Mega Man), who helped contribute to the game's development. It also features character designs from the hand of Kumiko Suekane, of Ace Attorney fame.

I don't suppose any of you picked up a copy of this intriguing PSP title? If so, why did you do so--and what do you think of it so far?

Buy: Sweet Fuse: At Your Side

I'm always up for some more Hakuoki

As if sensing that I don't have enough 3DS games on my lengthy "play sometime during 2013" list, the folks at Aksys Games announced yesterday that they're busy prepping Hakuoki: Memories of the Shinsengumi for a North American release.

Unfortunately, they've yet to say when this 3DS otome game (aka visual novel primarily aimed at a femal audience) will hit our shores. They've also yet to say if it'll receive a retail release, a digital one or both.

Should it wind up earning a boxed release, I'll likely buy a copy on or around its street date, as I really enjoyed Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom on my PSP.

Speaking of which, it seems Memories of the Shinsengumi will be an enhanced port of that 2012 title--with the 3DS iteration including 3D functionality, an image and movie gallery, some sort of "photo booth" and six additional stories.

For more information on this pending 3DS release, check out this piece of PR and the game's official website.

See also: 'A somewhat gay review of Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom (PSP)' and 'My five favorite non-3DS games of 2012'

A somewhat gay review of Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom (PSP)

Game: Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom

Genre: Otome/Visual Novel

Developer: Idea Factory

Publisher: Aksys Games

System: PSP

Release date: 2012

Please forgive me for being a bit crass, but I consider Aksys' Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom to be the gaming equivalent of "a grower, not a shower." What I mean is that, for me at least, it wasn't all that appealing at first. I think that's because I expected ... well, something other than what greeted me during the first hour or two of my playthrough of this PSP title.

You see, rather than being the kind of action-packed game most of us in the western world are used to playing, Hakuoki is a visual novel. As such, you can expect to spend a lot of time reading text and hitting your PSP's "X" button over and over again in order to advance the game's story--which follows a young woman, Chizuru Yukimura, as she and the Shinsengumi, a group of samurai who protect the citizens of Kyoto, search for Chizuru's missing father during Japan's Bakumatsu period (1853-1867).

Although you spend a lot of time reading while playing Hakuoki, that's not all you do. Sometimes, for instance, you're able to influence the story's direction a la the Choose Your Own Adventure books that many Americans devoured as kids. At the same time, you're able to influence Chizuru's future, as each decision brings her another step closer to (or takes her a step further away from) one of the game's eligible bachelors, romantically speaking.

Sadly, these moments of interactivity are all too rare. Not only that, but they're more than a bit confusing--especially if you're like me and you've never before played a visual novel or otome game--since it's often difficult to decipher how a particular decision is going to alter Chizuru's path. That said, the interactivity, even if it's a bit ham-fisted, is more than welcome amid Hakuoki's endlessly streaming lines of text.

The good news here is that those endlessly streaming lines of text are both well-written and, for the most part, quite engaging and compelling. Similarly compelling are the game's characters, each of whom are imbued with personality, and its graphics, despite the fact that they're static and more than a little repetitive. Although the word repetitive also could be used to describe Hakuoki's soundtrack, it never really becomes grating thanks to its relaxed nature.

Given all of the above, would I recommend Hakuoki to your average PSP owner? Yes, although with a few reservations. In my opinion, this title is most likely to appeal to those who are OK with playing as a girl, who don't mind games that include a dating component, who enjoy a good page-turner and who have at least a smidge of patience.

See also: Previous 'somewhat gay' reviews