Overview – developed by Zoo Corporation and published by Eastasiasoft, Pretty Girls Speed is the latest entry in the Pretty Girls series, this time with a competitive speed based card game. Challenge 10 girls to fast paced card battles in 2 different modes, with gameplay that requires both skill and luck to succeed. This title is available for Nintendo Switch and the PlayStation platform, with links to each version of the game at the bottom of this review.
Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank Eastasiasoft for providing the copy of Pretty Girls Speed that was used for this piece. The provision of this title has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.
Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review, I will be skipping the story section as there is no plot for this release, going directly into the gameplay.
Gameplay – Pretty Girls Speed is a competitive card game, with a simple objective to win against the pretty opponents. The objective of the game is to use all the cards in your deck faster than your opponent, matching cards in sequence in either ascending or descending order. Each side is given a deck of cards, with the player and opponent drawing a hand of 4 cards, along with a starter card from each side. The battle then begins and each side tries to use all their cars first.
During the card battles, players can play cards from their hand as long as there is a card that will allow the sequence to continue. However, if there are no cards that can be played, the game will draw a new card directly from the deck, allowing the match to continue. This system adds an element of luck to battles, as it is possible for several cards to be drawn from both decks before play can continue. If there is no deck left, a card will be selected from the hand.
Once all of the cards from either side are used up, the round is over with the winner being the person to use their last card first. The speed element is a key factor to the main Battle mode, where the player takes on 10 female characters in 2 out of 3 round matches. These matches are also times, with the fastest completion time for a victory being logged as the high score. The fastest time will also be added to a global leaderboard, where players from all over the world can compete against each other.
Secondary to the Battle mode is the Challenge mode, where the player takes on 100 challenge stages. This secondary mode doesn’t have a leaderboard, but is a good solo challenge, offering more content outside of the main game. The two gameplay modes offer a lot of content for the modest price point, providing a good few hours of play. The difficulty of each stage and challenge increases over time, but the random nature of a card game can make it feel unfair at times.
Now with the gameplay covered, let’s get into the other aspects of this release, starting with the controls.
Controls – Pretty Girls Speed has an accessible and easy to play control method, offering both button inputs and touch screen controls. The button controls to use cards function with the D-pad and thumbstick, making it very simple when playing on a screen in docked mode. But the touch controls are the preferred way to play this release, with faster response times and more flexibility when using a stylus or just a finger.
Difficulty – the difficulty curve is a little complex as the challenge really depends on the reaction speed of opponents, the luck of getting the right cards and the skill/speed of the player. This can lead to one sided rounds, where the player has no playable cards for a while, or when there are playable cards the opponent can drop a card in immediately before. This combination of AI and random luck can feel unfair, but it is the nature of card based games.
Presentation – the visual style for this release is simple, but aesthetically pleasing. There aren’t any elaborate animations or over the top effects, with portraits of the girls that have that distinct Zoo Corporation style. The sound for this game features a nice and basic soundtrack, with guitars and electronic sounds that work together well. There is also the inclusion of voice acting for each of the girls in Japanese, with lines that are said in and out of battles/challenges.
Final Thoughts – having played some of the previous titles in the Pretty Girls series, I went into this this title with an expectation of a simple but solid experience, which this game delivered. The gameplay is simple, with a single objective and can be easily picked up with little issue. The luck element is unfortunately this titles biggest stumbling block, as it can cause a player to lose quickly if the opponent draws well.
As a low cost title it is worth the price tag, since it takes the one thing it needs to do and does it well. There is a lot of content on offer here with 100 challenge stages, 10 girls to battle and the global leaderboards. With that all said, I can easily recommend this title as it is a fun and fast paced challenge, featuring a selection of attractive character designs all at a modest price point.
In the end, I give Pretty Girls Speed a final score of 4/5. This is a fast paced and challenging release from Zoo Corporation, with attractive female characters, simple to pick up gameplay and plenty of gameplay content at a modest price point. If you want to check this title out for yourself, links to each version of the game will be below.
Link to Nintendo Switch version (HERE)
Link to PlayStation version (HERE)
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