Irem Resurrects April Fool's Day Suikoden Game as Actual PSP Release
Love sim has destructible clothing and over 30 types of socks.
Something has finally become of one of those annoying (non-Hideo Kojima) April Fool's Day jokes game publishers like to pull even though everyone hates them. Famitsu reveals this week that Irem will be reviving Doki Doki Suikoden as an actual PSP title.
Doki Doki Suikoden originates as one of Irem's more legendary April Fool's Day joke announcements. Revealed on April 1, 2001, the fake game was meant to be a parody on love simulations and Konami's Suikoden RPG series. The spec sheet promised the largest number of heroines in love simulation history -- 108, to be exact, just like in Suikoden.
As with all its April Fools jokes, Irem went all out, creating an official site and even crafting screenshots and artwork.
The PSP version doesn't seem to have too much to do with the April Fool's joke. You play as a transfer student at a school that's being troubled by "seven mysteries." Teaming up with the game's cast of heroines, you'll need to get to the bottom of the mysteries.
The PSP version's heroines have names that match some of the heroines Irem crafted for the April Fool's joke. They include:
* Yuko Haizeru: A second year student in the newspaper club who falls in love with you instantly.
* Kimika Yakumo: A third year high class girl who's skilled at martial arts
* Nana Hachiouji: A first year student who likes cosplay and always wears cat ears
* Rei Eguchi
* Yoko Hoshino: A junior high student who's speeding through to graduation. She calls you Big Brother.
* Satsuki Ogawa: Your childhood friend who's quite active in clubs
Irem actually made profiles and sprite art for all 108 characters for the April Fool's joke. You can see the list here. The profiles for the characters in the PSP version are totally different from the April Fool's versions. Haizeru, for example, was said to be an alien from the planet Haizeru.
You'll be able to develop love relationships with the heroines as you investigate the mysteries surrounding the school. This isn't just a love sim, though. During the game's simulation part, you'll guide a party of three heroines through the school as you conduct investigations. They'll get into battle, and their clothing will tear off as they incur damage.
You can give your girls extra power through cosplay. The game has lots of costumes and parts. You'll find over 200 costumes, including school outfits and swimwear. Joining accessories and exterior clothing, you'll also find such items as socks and underwear. The game has over 30 types of socks.
It doesn't look like Irem retained much of the gameplay and story elements it prepared for the 2001 April Fool's joke, but that's probably for the best.
Doki Doki Suikoden is due for UMD (¥6,090) and download (¥4,800) release this April. Let's hope the official site Irem eventually opens up matches the April Fool's site in complexity.
