Whether justified or not, Nintendo has developed a solid reputation for targeting its games and consoles squarely toward the "casual" audience. Their latest new title announcement is unlikely to sway that opinion much -- it's a "fashion simulation" for female gamers, much in the style of Koei's rapidly-upcoming POP CUTIE!
Called My Very Own Fashion: Girls Mode, the Nintendo DS title (currently announced for Japan only) puts you in the silk camisole and thigh-high cowboy boots of a retailer at a cool new clothing boutique, helping customers piece together the perfect outfit for their dates or ice-cream socials or whatever. There are over 10,000 fashion items in the game from 16 different categories, ranging from hats and skirts to coats and other accessories; you'll have to make your recommendations based off current seasonal fashions (your DS calendar plays a role here), your customer's likes and dislikes, and how much money she's willing to spend. Get it right, and she'll buy more from you and tell all her friends; fumble it by showing her too much boring stuff, and she'll take her business elsewhere. (Basically POP CUTIE!, in other words, except the clothing and models are in full 3D with this game.)
Your little fashionista begins the game as a clerk at a small shop called Lumina. If you do well enough with your outfits, though, your boss will put you in charge of a new location, where you'll get to change the decor and background music to your tastes. Keep up the good work, and you'll start to get coverage in fashion magazines and even earn a chance to participate in the city fashion contest, earning rare items if you win. Wahey. Even in DS games for girls, hard work gets you everywhere. The game also features Wi-Fi support, though how it'll use it is still unknown.
Girls Mode is due out on Japanese DSes October 23 for 4800 yen. No overseas release has been announced, though diehard Nintendo fanboys may prefer to pretend this entire news article never existed in the first place.Post from 1up
