
Fun Game, but...An Incomplete Demo?!

This game could have gone a long, long way. It's easy to start off on on your own, it's training mode is comfortable & pleasant, and game mode is a pleasure to watch and play, while a little limited.
Once in game mode, surprisingly, even though the analog sticks on my PS2 version were available for these options, there are no options to end the game and return to the main menu..?! Perhaps their planning department's deadline was constrained, as the other options, locations and camera angles were full and satisfactory, with the additional exception of the character choice.
Perhaps their misconception of having a choice of a starter character with a 5-year-old personality (either Phoebe or Mike) warrants rating the game E. Putting it on a mature body gives the planning and marketing departments negative points from this table. (That's a minus value.) Just thank goodness the option to click through the annoying 5-year-old cheers and banter were available. Did I say cheers? The terms snuffles, whines or screeches may be more accurate.
With truly exceptional camera views and beautiful settings, the investment in making an initial character anyone could relate to would have been invaluable.
The 'retry' options which had been available in training mode are completely unavailable. Here, an 'Extra-Easy' mode might be nice for the easy-does-it beginners. (Hey, if you want to make money, why not market for as many people as you can?)
My copy had a couple of small glitches. The choice of seasons was available on two of the options screens, but using one of those froze the game when choosing a particular season. One location showed characters' winter animations with an obvious lack of winter scene graphics. Maybe... I have one of those rare, vintage versions snuck out during pre-demo creation, likely highly valuable to videogame afficionados or educators. (I'll take bids!)
And lastly, an important investment in music would have been appreciated. The music on this game would be comfortably enjoyed on a handheld device, but is really, so incredibly annoyingly trite on a full-version game, (No, my TV does NOT play delicate, esthetically-pleasing tones from music created on far more limited technology suited for handhelds.) All considered, that may be the decisive reason I don't pick up this game more times than I can count on the fingers of one hand.
My final decision: It's absolutely worth making the upgraded version.
Review ID: 10000000010430167

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