This review contains spoilers, click expand to view.
For as long as I can remember, character customization has been an extraordinary game mechanic. It gives the player a sense of identity...and the freedom to define their overall gameplay experience. But while customization is usually a nice side mechanic, how enjoyable would it be if it was the core mechanic instead? Style Savvy is a fashion simulation game that tries to flesh out the customization as much as possible. And the final result? A pretty good game! Not great or game breaking, but I had pretty nice time. This game is mainly targeted towards women, but I'm not going to let that stop me from becoming queen of the fashion world. It all starts off with a whimsical opening cutscene welcoming the player to the world of fashion. And after filling out a job application that just requires your name and birth, you get to make your start as a sales associate at Grace's Boutique. But before I get into the gameplay here I'm going to announce the elephant in the room. During gameplay you have to hold the DS sideways. Oh...alright then. This was pretty uncomfortable to control at first, I mean I did this before during the giant fights in Bowser's Inside Story. But while those fights lasted only about 10 minutes long, Style Savvy remains like this for the entire game. Its not abysmal per se, but I did drop the pen a lot during my first play though while getting used to the control style. On the other hand, it does grant extra room for the graphics to shine. This game is bright and colorful regarding the overall design. I'd say it looks as good as the original Fossil Fighters. The gameplay has you assist various customers searching for the right outfit. You'll need to carefully analyze their budget and figure out there favorite look in order to make a good sale. It may be tricky at first to take in all the different branding information, but like a Pokemon type chart...it sticks with you. Like someone requesting a new pair of pants wearing black clothes covered in spikes would probably like something from Mad Jack, a brand that makes clothes for rock' and roll fans. And if you're lucky, you'll pick out a perfect match outfit that makes the customers want to buy more. After making enough sales, your success is rewarded with your very own boutique to command! And if you want to rise to the top, it's best to stock on a strong variety. There's over 10 freaking 1,000 clothes to choose from! Yeah most of them are just recolored designs, but regardless that's mighty collect-a-phon challenge. The shop design is pretty good too, you can select from multiple different backgrounds and music options as well. It's a shame that you can't really explore the store or decorate for that matter like most customization games, but it's better than nothing. Thankfully the other customization options are much more fleshed out. You can edit your avatar's hair, eyes, lipstick, mascara, eye brows, and every piece of clothing purchased in the past. It's a nice way to celebrate after ranking up your shop after hours of dealing with girls who want to buy shorts in the middle of winter. I keep asking myself if its enough though. Probably the most annoying thing I've had to deal with in this town, is serving impossible clients. Some girls will request to purchase something that you don't own, it gets more annoying when it's not even in stock in the Buyer's Center. Sometimes girls will walk in to talk about your mannequin displays instead of buying them, ya jerks! Journalist Felicity will ask you early in the game to post your favorite clothing piece and then you'll be bombarded with girls asking for said clothing piece constantly, so its best to stock off before the shop selection changes. Other times, you'll get girls who have to remind you 6 times that they're almost ready in the dressing room. Worst of all is the fashion shows. Admittedly, they're fine main game stages. They just quiz you on basic brand knowledge. But what's annoying is that you can only challenge these stages once a day! This isn't mobile game, but there's time-based mechanics that affect the main challenges of the game! If you don't save and soft-reset the game carefully...It's impossible to beat this game in one sitting. Its like if in Pokemon you lose to Brock on the first try and then he closes the gym for 24 real life hours. If they did for previously completed challenges I'd understand, because completion grants you rare items. On the plus side, you get some sweet rewards after clearing the game. Like a fancy tiara! And the ability to change your avatar's face...and now its looks like I'm being demonically possessed by one of the Barbie villains. In the end, I had a pretty good time here. The story theme was pretty bland and I doubt I'm going to remember any of the characters. But if the gameplay doesn't satisfy players, the colorful clothes combinations you can create will definitely inspire plenty of dreams.… Expand
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