Oshare Princess DS: Oshare ni Koishite!

"Easy, child-friendly fun"

* Introduction
A Japanese game I picked up one day when I was really bored and ended up playing for several days. Oshare Princess DS is apparently the 6th in the series and the first for the Nintendo DS. I'd recommend it for young girls around 10-14 and open-minded guys, so long as the language barrier is not a problem.

* Story
Not much of a story, just an excuse for the game to take place if you know what I mean. You play a high school student whose friend is on her way to becoming an idol singer. You have aspirations of becoming a fashion coordinator so one day the folks at her agency trick you into taking part in a TV show that pits fashion coordinators against each other. Rest of the story is devoted to the various guys that cross your path and your developing relationships with them, but that only forms a small part of the game.

* Gameplay
Once a week you go the studio where you meet your chosen rival as well as the girl you're supposed to dress up. Your client mentions an event/occasion she wants to dress up for e.g. a date, and then you have 1 week to go out shopping for suitable clothes and accessories. You can also get a hairdresser, a manicurist and a make-up artist to come help you out, or train with them to better your own skills.

You get money for winning each contest, which you can put towards buying more accessories and clothes, etc, for the next contest. You also have a free day from time to time to buy things for yourself, but there's no point. There are also mini-games like bead-threading that you can play for more money and for fun. These crop up at random and are not much fun, to be honest.

The contests themselves are easy: there are four combinations, Romantic, Sporty, Elegant and one more I can't readily recall. From the client's request you figure out which combination will probably work and then assemble outfits and accessories that conform to that. No need to guess or worry, there are handy meters on the screen to help you. Result, challenge = 0. Not surprising since the game is aimed at young girls.

* Graphics/Sound
The selection of nails and hairstyles could be bigger. Lots of different clothes to choose from but most outfits end up looking very mundane. In terms of graphical quality everything is fine except that the girls all look the same. Colour scheme is heavily pink, as expected from a girl's game. Music-wise I still remember the main theme 6 months after last playing, so that's a good sign. The sound effects were appropriate.

* Play Time/Replayability
If you're into that sort of thing you can have hours of fun fiddling with different clothes combinations, otherwise there isn't much to do and no point in replaying. Total playing time I'd estimate about 15 hours but I never did finish the game so it's a ballpark figure.

* Final Recommendation
If I were 8-14 years old again this might be one of my favourites. Older people, don't bother.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 02/14/08

Game Release: Oshare Princess DS: Oshare ni Koishite! (JP, 12/14/06)