Name: Welcome to Pia Carrot (80.00% in 12 votes) Type: SIM Platform: WINDOWS Company: Cocktail Soft Release date: 1997 Reviewed by: Tabris
Overview:
Your Dad is really unsatisfied with your grades and you and your dad have a bet that you will not fail the next exam. Unfortunately you lost. Your end of the bargain to the bet is that you have to spend the summer working in your dad's restaurant Pia Carrot. To think, working in a restaurant over your precious summer vacation! What a waste! Yet, as soon as you step foot inside Pia Carrot, your life has taken a turn for the best…
Story: 100%
One of the most unique story I have ever played. This game does not take after any of the popular series such as Doukyusei or Tokimeki Memorial. This game has its own special story which do not need any of their function to play and it perfectly fits into the whole plot sequence. Like many other games however, it contains Multiple command that can change the ending in that game. The game also has the function to pick what job you want to do in Pia Carrot. The job you do can also affect your ending because you gain skills in the different categories such as style, talk and others.
H Content: 100%
The H-content is achieved just like many of the other games. Before the game ends, the girl you like will H with you. The quality of the pictures are excellent as well. Even though it is not as good as many of the new games, it is very understandable because it is made in 1996 so during that time, I would think the CGs are beyond compare.
Graphics: 100%
Like the H-scenes, the quality are still kept through out the game. All pictures are the same way. Also, when you are doing your job, they have your character and the girl you are working together with in a SD character. It is very cute but that part reminds me of Princess Maker 2 when she does her training.
Sound: 80%
Well the game has sound in the CD version but not the ripped version. It gives you an error when you run it without but it can still go on. Too bad I cannot get the sound of the game because the sound in the Saturn version is DAMN GOOD.
System/Setup: 80%
Like every window game, this needs Japanese fonts to play. Besides the fact that it needs Japanese fonts, everything else is simple. The setup of the game is very different though. The day is separated in to two morning and night. So everyday, there is only two choices of what to do that day. Also, you can only save the game at the end of the day that makes it difficult.
Gameplay: 85%
A new way to approach the Romance and selection game. This is definitely a good way to approach the game too. The categories which you can build up on is very crucial to getting the girl as well as talking to them and selecting the correct choice when is your turn to choose. I am surprise that no one copies this style of approach to gaming and instead most people end up taking the Doukyusei way. If your bored of the games that is similar to Doukyusei in game play, I would recommend this game as an alternative.
Extras: 100%
This game deserves every extra point it earned. I never saw such well-done graphics in an early game before. Also the graphics in Saturn are also worth mentioning. Another extra worth mentioning is that you get to choose the uniform for the girls working in the restaurant in the beginning of the game. Even though there is only three uniforms to choose, this is a new innovation because you would not be able to choose uniforms for girls going to high school.
Rating: 90%
Bonus points goes out to the secret character because the secret character is very interesting to get and also there are magazines that you read and collect during the course of summer which shows you new games and new pictures done by Cocktail soft.
This game is one of the classic in Cocktail soft. I can say it ranks up to Doukyusei 2 in my book. The originality, the graphics and the story are all very interesting characteristic in the game. Pia Carrot 2 is out and I think aftering playing this game and beating all the characters in the game with all three uniforms, I think I would say I would love to play Pia Carrot 2 as well.
