One of Natsume’s latest works-in-progress, Cheer We Go is a cutesy role-playing game about a young teen girl who’s just moved back into town and starts a cheer team to revive the dying school spirit at her new junior high. You navigate your way through the storyline by tackling the different modes and minigames in order to put the “pep” back into “pep squad.”
The game is still in the early stages of development, but there are at least two modes that will for sure be playable: story mode and dance mode. In story mode, the whole goal is to move into your new home and get to know everyone in town and in school. You talk with friends, go to all your old favorite stores and parks, and flirt with the cute jock who rules the school. This mode gives the game its RPG feel and was actually kind of enjoyable. Extremely girly, but enjoyable. invalid item ID specified in tag
The second mode, dance mode, is exactly what it sounds like — your character and another cheerleader practicing cheer routines. Using the stylus, you make the characters move based on visual cues that flash across the screen. Your timing better be spot on, though, or your fellow cheerleader will start throwing you dirty looks. Not so peppy now, are we?
As for the minigames, only two were available to try, though Natsume is planning on releasing with a total of four. In Mega Sweets, you have to create a stack of sweets similar to an ice cream sundae but made up of almost anything with sugar: kiwis, whipped cream, cookies, etc. To do this, you have to select items to layer from a set of four plates that are covered and then moved around — like those sleight-of-hand tricks magicians try to pull. There’s always at least one plate with a cockroach on it, though, probably out of some boyhood instinct to make girls scream that still lives on in the game designers. invalid item ID specified in tag
I didn’t get a name for the other minigame, but it was all about blowing dandelions apart to spread their seeds and grow new plants. But don’t let the mean old crows swoop down and eat your plants! Hitting them with the stylus stuns them (yes, that’s right, you are indeed a cheerleader with a mean right hook), giving you enough time to protect the dandelions and shoo the crows away.
So far, Cheer We Go looks like a fun game if you’re a girly girl under age 12. If you’re a hardcore cheerleader who considers it a sport more than an activity, you’ll probably be offended by the stereotypes portrayed in this game. But all in all, this is a cute game made for young girls with an interest in dance, cheerleading and socializing on a junior high level.
Gwoman is a young, L.A.-based gamer who's addicted to RPGs, hack-n-slash and all things Final Fantasy. Because so many of her friends also are gamers, she is reasonably well-informed about other genres. When she plays a game, she plays ALL of it; finding and besting every sidequest, hidden character, boss fight, secret pathway and ultimate weapon is the only way for her. This, along with baking goodies, running an etymology Web site and the occasional bout of clubbing, is how Gwoman spends most of her time outside of work.
