skip to main |
skip to sidebar
"Previously released on the Nintendo DS to celebrate the mother company, Koei's 30th anniversary, Yume no ukihashi is now upgraded and re-released for the television screen on your PlayStation2.
Watch the scenarios between the three generations of Hachiyous, marvel at how the same seiyuus could bring out the difference in the characters and see how the 24 retainers chat with and tease each other in this cross generation party.
The PlayStation2 version comes with more fully voiced scenes, from the small ones such as assisting you to cross the dream bridge and exchanges with each other occasionally. Get to know more about the two divine guards as they get more plot scenarios.
Meet all your 24 retainers as well as other important figures in Harukanaru Toki no Naka de history in this classical romantic adventure."
Figures of the Haruka boys have been released earlier, and its time to see their actions in the game. Designed by shojo manga artist Mizuno Tohko, its no surprise that the game is gearing towards the female markets. In fact the studio which made the game, called Neoromance, already spells out who the game is for.
Mainly a text based dating game, the Harukanaru Toki no Nakade series mixes beautiful stills and animations together with turn based RPG elements and mini games. It creates an environment that pulls in a different sort of gaming community.
Shojo, however, doesn't just mean teenage girls (in some cases, even men are referred to as shojo. But this is another matter). Besides school girls, a lot of housewives and working women are in love with the game as the Neoromance radio program shows.
Letters have been sent to the host of the program, stating how the game fulfilled the ladies' desire for loving words, praises or even romantic poetry, that husbands or boyfriends tend to neglect.
Not everybody can write poems or is able to recite them properly. Even badly written ones require a lot of talent and effort. Creating an atmosphere where reciting poetry is more romantic than hilarious is a lot of work as well.
So ladies (and gentlemen?), stop putting so much pressure on your other half and play the game instead. Gentlemen (and ladies?) if you just happened to be in love, or is in need to impress someone who refuses to compromise, play the game and learn a thing, use it as a tutorial.
Harukanaru Toki no Nakade Yumenoukihashi is available on both Nintend DS and PlayStation2 while the Haruka 2 and the new Haruka 3 Aizoban are available on Sony PSP.
"Harukanaru toki no nakade, Koei's Japanese styled romantic adventure has set new standards for the genre with every installment. The third installment in the series spots some of the most desirable men. Score dates with them in the game and take their figures home to fully admire their magnificence.
The first Hachiyous to come are the seiryuu pair Arikawa Masaomi and Minamoto no Kurou Yoshitsune. Masaomi is your best friend, the first to fall into the chasm of time. Through hardship and continuing strife, the tall handsome youth became a formidable militarist.
Asoda Saku of Kotobukiya has brought out the essence of the young man through his confident smile and posture while the maker of Kurou, Tatsumaki crafted the legendary swordsman's hidden power through his flowing robes and unsheathed sword.
Both figures are sculpted immaculately with the smallest detail such as a fold in the robes and the carvings on the weapons. Both of the figures' bases are painted with the character's image flowers, enjoy the classical Japanese flavor along with the finer aspects of the male species."
Relative to the beautiful ladies that make their way to the figure world, there is only a small number of men who manages this feat. Those who accomplish this are usually from fighting games such as Street Fighter etc. Others are usually extremely popular anime characters such as Edward Elric from Full Metal Alchemist and Lelouche from Code Geass (both of them ranked top place in Japanese anime character polls).
So it's quite refreshing to see some none-ultra muscular/masculine 2D gentlemen made their way to the 3D world. Although both are holding swords or sabers, these two are more romantic heroes than fighters. Those who have played Harukanaru Toki no Nakade should be quite familiar with them, while those who has studied Japanese history may gawk at these new images of historical characters.
Minamoto no Kurou Yoshitsune is one of the best known tragic hero in Japanese history with numerous of plays featuring his rise and dramatic demise. An invincible swordsman in history and a bishounen in plays, the novels and soap operas that featured him usually attracts a huge following (best example: Hideaki Takizawa's Yoshitsune).
But no matter how much his character diverts from the historical texts, he has never been casted as a hot blooded, ginger haired loud mouth. This unique representation and the addition of endearing shortcomings of the character won him a new fan base (consisting mainly of girls, perhaps?)
If you think the character changes with Kurou are hard to swallow, wait till you meet his loyal retainer Musashibou Benkei.
Arikawa Masaomi, on the other hand is not quite a historical figure, however, by falling through the abyss of time, the poor seventeen year old boy was forced to play the role, and assume the responsibilities of a deceased military genius, Daira no Shigemori.
His martial spirit and prowess can be seen most clearly in the game, however, it's his Romeo and Juliet-esque relationship with the heroine that touches the hearts of the game's fan base.
Games, history and figures are a wonderful combination, grab these figures and study gaming tactics and history with them today.
Related products:
Minamoto no Kurou Yoshitsune
Arikawa Masaomi
Posts
