While it may not reflect in my prior posts, I like to lose myself in platformers every so often. I'm not a stranger to Mario, Sonic, Rockman, and several other iconic characters who went about their devil-may-care business braving pitfalls, squeezing through narrow pathways and getting past fiendish obstacles, animate or inanimate.
Koisuru Purin! ~Koi Wa Daibouken! Dr. Kanmi No Yabou!?~ is based on the shoujo manga that first ran in Shogakukan's Ciao! magazine. It tells the story of an oddball love triangle happening between an ikemen boy, a high-spirited (*cough*tsundere*cough*) girl and... a cute little blob of pudding? The game itself is a platformer with all the usual flavors, but adds it's own sugary style to the mix.
Rina: Back off, you tasty, calorie-laden freak! Yuuya is mine!
Once again, Yuuya Yoshikawa becomes an uneasy witness to his girlfriend Rina Uchida fiercely competing with Purin-chan to find out once and for all which one of them loves him the most. A UFO suddenly appears in front of them and out pops the mysterious Dr. Kanmi, who upon seeing Rina proposes marriage to her on the spot. Yuuya doesn't stand idle after hearing this, and Rina cooperates with him to show Dr. Kanmi some good-old fashioned PDA (not the device, you geeks!). The mad scientist snatches Yuuya in a fit of anger and takes him to Kanmi Island, threatening to use the poor boy as a guinea pig for experiments unless Rina reconsiders the proposal.
Rina and Purin-chan eventually make it to the island, which is inhabited by hostile mutant desserts. They have to put their differences aside for now if they are to successfully rescue the boy they both love.
Does stepping on a mutant doughnut and eating it immediately after it normalizes count in the 3-second rule?
Koisuru Purin's platform action works in the sense that you're essentially controlling two characters. Completing levels together is a must for the most part, but you also have the option of sending Purin-chan by herself to navigate through places that Rina can't reach or get into, like high platforms, narrow passages and water. (since Rina swims like a hammer) However, they can't stay apart for too long. Purin-chan must either find a bell to call Rina to where she is, pick up a glass of milkshake to extend her active alone time, or just teleport back to where she left Rina and do the whole part over.
BOSS FIGHT! They can also be eaten once defeated... but would you want to ingest beat-up food?
Each time you defeat a pastry enemy, they turn into edible sweets that Rina can use to restore health or improve her mood... sweets are a girl's #1 cure-all, no doubt. (though I find it a bit iffy that she can stand to eat something that used to be alive and hostile... beggars can't be choosers, I guess) When her mood hits maximum, Rina has the option of summoning a fairy that can fly around the level for a limited time, making obstacles a breeze.
Without Candy-chan's strength and bomb-making expertise, that silver Yuuya coin will be forever beyond Rina's grasp.
As you go through the island, you'll also be able to find and enlist the aid of Purin-chan's friends, each having their own special abilities: for example, Candy-chan can lift bricks and destroy certain blockades with her candy bombs, while Soda Ice-chan can scale walls and turn into a sled which Rina can use to traverse over water. There are five of them in all, counting Purin-chan. Switching between partners is as simple as tapping on their respective avatars at the touch screen. You'll need these abilities not just to clear the level, but to be able to get the Yuuya coins scattered all over the place. Completing a coin set for every level (1 Gold, 3 Silver and 10 Bronze coins) will eventually unlock new outfits (read: dress colors and patterns) for Rina to use.
Rina was in a bit of a rush to get to the island that she never bothered to pack a change of clothes. But with some dye and a bit of imagination, her one-piece dress can look different everyday! Hygiene issues, while also a major concern, is another pickle altogether...
Though the coin collecting can be tedious at times, Koisuru Purin! proved to be a very fun romp. Switching between pastry allies to conquer various obstacles will serve to keep your mind working on the fly, an aspect severely lacking in most contemporary titles within the same genre. As corny as this may sound, the whole experience can be summed up in one word: SWEET! ^_^
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