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WHAT’S WRONG WITH KONAMI US?
Konami US has blackballed Konami JPN’s Parodius, Policenauts, and its engrossing dating simulation Tokimeki Memorial: Forever With You (for short, Tokimemo), because they’re too "Japanese" (i.e. alien, peculiar). Konami US has ensured they’ll never see daylight here. Why? Translating Tokimemo is too troublesome, marketing it is too risky. Konami US won’t bet on Tokimemo, because there’s a good chance it’ll lose money. Because most US gamers gobble up same-old-shit like sports games (e.g. Final Round, Goal Storm, NBA In the Zone, NFL Full Contact, International Track & Field), Konami US won’t diversify its game line-up. In short, Tokimemo has no (and Tokimeki Puzzle Dama less) chance arriving here, so gamers who appreciate Other games are shortchanged. Will Konami US be foolish enough to pass on Metal Gear Solid? Scanning its track record, it’s quite possible.
Capcom, plainly cashing in on its leviathan Street Fighter franchise, released Super Puzzle Fighter 2X, a fun, novel, well-made puzzler featuring super-deformed Street Fighter fighters. Likewise, Konami released Tokimeki Puzzle Dama, featuring Tokimemo’s popular schoolgirls.
GAMEPLAY
TPD is like Puyo Puyo and Tetris. Here, cute-faced, lil’ globes drop from above, you put together at least three like-colored globes, they vanish from your playing field and rain, as globes encapsulated in lil’ hearts, upon your opponent. To free encapsulated globes, your opponent puts together at least three like-colored globes, any encapsulated globes touching vanishing globes are freed. Often, encapsulated globes are dispensed from above, sometimes adjoined to regular globes. When globes vanish, neighboring globes fall into their empty places, recombining with globes, igniting chain reactions. You win by deluging your opponent’s playing field with globes, encapsulated and/or regular. You win games most efficiently by using chain combos. Got it? Each girl has her own drop pattern. Encapsulated globes appear differently on your opponent’s playing field, depending on your character’s drop pattern.
Also, there are three special globes. Bright white globes, seldom dispensed, free encapsulated globes upon contact. Black globes encapsulate globes upon contact (they’ve no effect on encapsulated globes). Pink globes are Pac-Man-like beasts, encapsulated, facing either north, south, east, or west. When freed, these pink beasts eat everything in their paths.
PUZZLE-FIGHTING ANIME HOTTIES!
Presumably, TPD’s eleven schoolgirls come from Tokimemo. No doubt, Tokimemo fans have a special place in their hearts for these huggable, sweet girls. Not me. Who are they?! I’m guessing one girl’s a bookworm, she holds books, wears glasses. Another’s maybe a singer, she grips a microphone, hums perpetually. An elegant, vain, Veronica-like shopper, and voluptuous, green-haired swimmer are cutest, I suppose, so I use them. I’m certain you wanted to know that.
Navigating TPD’s menus isn’t hard, but I don’t understand TPD’s story. Everything’s in Japanese, and my understanding of Japanese equals my understanding of WingDing. As far as I know, each girl’s vying for some handsome schoolboy’s affection (tee-hee), each girl wants to get to a tree. She’s gotta meet other girls (as well as two guy "bosses") on their turf (e.g. bookworm at library, shopper at shoe store) and duke it out! Before each battle, she insults/speaks with her adversary. With each victory, she gets closer to this enigmatic tree, leaving her classmates crying their pretty eyes out.
Although characters are animated with only a few frames, they’ve an impressive inventory of expressions and gestures. For instance, as you play, your character runs through a series of amusing expressions; if she scores a ten-hit combo, she’s orgastic. Also, as you play, an entertaining biting/boxing match between a pink bull and yellow teddy bear with big eyebrows, miming your fight, takes place in a small panel.
Loading times are tolerable. Sounds are adequate, voices are distinctive. Music is happy-go-lucky, repetitive, not as pleasant as Puzzle Bobble 2 and Super Puzzle Fighter 2X’s music. Generally, TPD isn’t as enjoyable as PB2 and SPF2X. It isn’t as endearing as PB2, or as glitzy as SPF2X. It does less than PB2 and SPF2X to maintain player interest. But, TPD’s addictive still and very challenging. If you’ve played PB2 and SPF2X to death, sample Tokimeki Puzzle Dama. It doesn’t push genre limits, but it’s fun--especially two-player mode, with Tekken 2-like team-battle mode.
(Lemme know if you understand TPD’s option menu, or how games "A" and "B" differ.)