Regardless of some kinks, it is a enjoyable rhythm sport each youngsters and adults can enjoyment out of.
The Closing Grade
1-Up Mushroom for…
Easy however enjoyable gameplay for teenagers and adults; Gives a problem for adults and a simple expertise for teenagers due to the completely different sport modes; Unlockable characters, music, character costumes, and character leveling system present replay worth; Distinctive character talents hold gameplay contemporary
Poison Mushroom for…
Whereas many tracks are catchy, most are from lesser recognized artists and are simply okay; Characters’ well being meters drop too quick and negatively have an effect on the enjoyable; Respectable graphics however may very well be crisper and higher general; some situations of belongings vanishing; Looks like dance timing is off/laggy even after making in-game changes; Use of generic map places was a misplaced alternative to bop by means of Sanrio characters’ hometowns as a substitute; Cannot replay levels immediately or transfer backwards on the map; Cannot change teammates halfway by means of a playthrough
Sadly, Sanrio video games should not usually recognized for being excellent. As a lifelong Sanrio fan, that is disappointing; we wish to have video games that includes our favourite characters which are enjoyable, effectively made, and pleasurable for individuals over 5-years-old. Given the historical past of those video games, I went into Good day Kitty and Mates Happiness Parade with low expectations. By the point I used to be completed taking part in, I put down my controller and thought, “That was truly a lot better than I anticipated.”
Good day Kitty and Mates Happiness Parade is a rhythm sport with a easy idea: faucet your management persist with the beat whereas Good day Kitty and associates dance alongside a parade route. The extra on-rhythm you might be, the upper your rating.
Nevertheless, this sport has a little bit of a studying curve that makes the sport rather less easy to select up and play than I assumed it could be. Most rhythm video games have a visible function that signifies when the participant is meant to faucet a button to the beat, and whereas Happiness Parade does too, it wasn’t instantly apparent the place it was. I used to be fairly certain I used to be tapping to the beat however was simply guessing, particularly as a result of I wasn’t acquainted with any songs on the monitor listing and was noticing that I wasn’t scoring so effectively. I lastly observed the visible cue below the characters’ ft as they’re strolling, which is barely type of useful.
It wasn’t till I poked round within the choices and located the audio metronome you’ll be able to activate that I actually began to enhance. It’s majorly useful, and you’ll alter how loud the metronome is that if it’s too distracting over the music. I began doing a lot better as soon as I used to be going off of audio slightly than visible cues.
I feel a part of the explanation for that’s as a result of there’s a lot happening on-screen than simply Good day Kitty and associates marching to a beat. Along with tapping on-rhythm, you additionally need to navigate the crew by means of obstacles specified by the highway, from fences to “minions” throwing bananas, thriller liquids, holes, and extra. There are additionally beneficial collectibles to select up alongside the best way, together with cash, character playing cards, hearts, and extra.
Every character has their very own distinctive capacity, and also you begin the sport with three characters unlocked immediately: Good day Kitty, My Melody, and Pompompurin. Good day Kitty can befriend the minions, which appears to offer a factors bonus for each new buddy she makes; My Melody can flip all of the cash on the trail into hearts; and Pompompurin can grow to be invulnerable to break for a short while. Every capacity has a cooldown interval that may be shortened and an impact that may final for an extended time period with each character degree enhance. Leveling up requires each a sure (and steadily rising) variety of character playing cards and cash.
In whole, eight extra characters will be unlocked apart from the preliminary three which are obtainable to play with: Unhealthy Badtz-Maru, Kuromi, Pochacco, Kerokerokeroppi (my private favourite Sanrio character), Chococat, Tuxedo Sam, Kiki, and Lala. Every character additionally has a set of clothes and accessories that you may purchase. As quickly as I had sufficient cash, I purchased Pochacco his basic “P” tee.
This sport is surprisingly difficult for being clearly aimed toward a really younger crowd and I feel that’s fairly nice. The fundamental setup is that, after selecting a crew of three, you could traverse a map with diverging paths to play by means of completely different ranges, with the objective to achieve the top of the trail and unlock one of many sport’s 5 completely different endings. Some ranges are the place you’ll discover the remainder of the Sanrio crew ready to be unlocked, which often requires hitting a sure rating on that stage. Nevertheless, as you progress deeper by means of the map, it turns into much less easy to unlock characters; Pochacco, for instance, required incomes a sure variety of factors as soon as, whereas Chococat required incomes the next variety of factors twice.
Meaning going again and replaying the stage twice. One of many irritating issues about this sport although is that you may’t mechanically replay the stage. When you end, you’re compelled onto the subsequent stage and might’t transfer backwards. That is comprehensible from the attitude of the dev — they don’t need you to simply blast by means of the sport and be immediately completed with it — however the inflexibility of this mechanic was slightly disappointing. I used to be additionally dissatisfied that you may’t change out teammates halfway by means of a playthrough, however was pleasantly shocked to search out that it’s due to the sport’s very NES-era powerful love methodology of serving to you enhance as a participant. If all three of your teammates take an excessive amount of injury from obstacles on the highway, it’s sport over and you need to begin again from the start of the map.
I’m absolutely conscious that some gamers would possibly despise that old style mechanic. I personally don’t thoughts it (I received’t fake it’s my favourite although), and it additionally offers you a chance to start out over with a brand new crew, determine which mixture of characters is greatest for you, and take completely different paths you didn’t take within the earlier playthrough. And for those who’re pondering of selecting up this sport for a child and apprehensive that is likely to be slightly too hardcore for them, the sport has two problem ranges: Regular Mode and Auto Dance Mode, the latter being “for individuals who wish to calm down” as a result of “the characters will dance for you.” You’ll simply need to do the navigation by yourself, however with out worrying about staying on beat the entire time.
There are 40 completely different tracks within the sport, however I wasn’t acquainted with the artists or songs. That’s a letdown for a rhythm sport, as a result of it’s simpler to play and get into the sport when the music, however most of the tracks had been genuinely catchy and I discovered myself bobbing my head to quite a lot of them. Tracks vary in problem, measured in a single to 3 flame symbols, as do the levels themselves. Whereas most levels help you shuffle by means of songs to select the one you wish to march to, some require you to play by means of a tricky track.
When you attain the top of the map, you’ll unlock one of many sport’s 5 endings. I wasn’t certain what the deciding issue(s) was/had been in figuring out which ending I obtained, however they’re simply cute, fast little cutscenes of the characters.
Graphically talking, Happiness Parade isn’t going to get any accolades. Whereas it’s vibrant, poppy, and fairly to take a look at, it’s additionally slightly tough and muddy and may very well be a lot sharper. I additionally observed some vanishing belongings; in the beginning of each stage, the digital camera pans down the highway, which is flanked by crowds of individuals the whole manner down, however because the digital camera panned chunks of the gang would disappear from the top of the highway furthest from the digital camera. Nevertheless, the character animations are extremely cute and there’s nothing offensively dangerous that makes this sport unplayable or onerous to take pleasure in. Plus, graphics are by no means a promoting level for these Sanrio video games or something that anybody expects top-tier visuals from.
The map had a variety of generic places that might’ve been changed with completely different significant places/hometowns of the characters. I assumed that was a misplaced alternative to play into fan service.
My greatest criticism is that I felt like the sport was affected by some lag, even after making changes to right for that in choices. It simply felt like I wanted to faucet my management stick slightly too quickly to get a Good+ rating (which is even higher than Good). For a rhythm sport, that’s undoubtedly a kink that ought to be labored out previous to launch. I additionally thought characters’ injury meters dropped slightly too quick and that I’d abruptly be down a teammate after simply a few hits.
However general, I feel Good day Kitty and Mates Happiness Parade was a reasonably enjoyable expertise and positively extra participating than I used to be anticipating to have with it. Whereas it’s obtained all the things that will assist it attraction to youngsters, it’s additionally obtained some precise problem that followers of rhythm video games could take pleasure in. Plus, all the unlockable content material and the leveling system encourage replayability, and every character’s distinctive talents hold gameplay contemporary slightly than a monotonous faucet fest.
Whereas the sport has a variety of room for enchancment, it’s additionally one of the best Sanrio sport I’ve performed up to now throughout quite a lot of completely different platforms over time, and much more thought was put into it than simply “faucet to the beat to march Sanrio characters down a path.” I say give it a shot and see if it’s for you, particularly for those who love Sanrio and have time with rhythm video games.
Nintendojo was supplied a duplicate of this sport for evaluation by a 3rd social gathering, although that doesn’t have an effect on our advice. For each evaluation, Nintendojo makes use of a commonplace standards.