Princess Maker 2 Regeneration – Nintendo Switch Review

Overview – originally developed by Gainax and brought to modern platforms by BlissBrain and Monkeycraft, Princess Maker 2 Regeneration is a new iteration of the cult childrearing simulation. As the Hero who saved a faraway kingdom, you have been bestowed a daughter from the heavens, tasked with raising her to maturity. This release is available on Nintendo Switch and Steam, with a PlayStation release in august, a link to each version of the game will be at the bottom of this review.

Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank PR Hound for providing the copy of Princess Maker 2 Regeneration that was used for this piece. The provision of this software 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, starting with the story. Please note, I will be only covering the core mechanics of the game and things that may occur in a typical playthrough, as I don’t want to spoil any of the secrets and surprises that this game has to offer players.

Story – long ago, there was a kingdom ruled by a prideful king and his subjects grew arrogant in their prosperity. None worshipped the heavens and indulged themselves in hedonistic desires, invoking the wrath of God and suffered divine punishment at the hands of the Demon Lord. As the Demon Lord lay siege to the kingdom, having catastrophic effects and laying waste to the royal army and palace. All seemed to be lost and the capital was to fall.

However, a wandering swordsman saw this calamity unfolding, throwing himself headlong into battle with the Demon Lord. In the moonlight, the lone wanderer engaging the Demon Lord in a duel, vanquishing them after a hard fought battle. After the battle, the hero is granted residence in the capital, making it his home. Years later, the hero is called outside the palace where he is contacted by one of the gods, who bestow upon him a child of heaven tasked with raising her to maturity.

Gameplay – Princess Maker 2 is a childrearing simulation, where the player must raise their daughter from age 10 to 18, guiding them and making sure they are taken care of.  At the start of the game, players must enter their name, give their daughter a name (her canon name is Olive which I will be using throughout this review), birthdate and a blood type. Other details are asked of the player and when all of these are given, the game begins properly.

The player must care for Olive for 8 years, assisted by their butler Cube, they must plan out the life of Olive on a month by month basis. At the start of each month, there are several options for actions that can be selected before setting the schedule for Olive. Before setting her schedule, Olive can visit the palace, attempting to converse with various inhabitants including the minister and Queen consort. There is also the town where many merchants can be visited.

Olive can also be dressed in several outfits, with different weather situations affecting her, requiring specific clothing to keep her healthy. Adventuring equipment can also be bought and equipped to Olive, allowing her to go out on expeditions outside the Capital. There is also an interaction system, where the player can have one-on-one time with Olive, speaking to her and providing pocket money. This has an effect on the relationship between Olive and the player.

Players can also set a diet that Olive will follow, which can affect her in various ways with 4 options to select from. Last are the status screens, which will show how Olive is doing, highlighting her different statistics and overall growth. It is important to monitor these different aspects, as they can have an impact on the way that she develops. The different stats can also cause positive and negative effects, which can potentially lead to devastating consequences.

When it is time to set the schedule for Olive, there are four options that can be chosen with three activities that can be assigned per month, with each phase taking up 10-11 days. Here is a breakdown of the different activity types that can be assigned per month;

• Study – Pay gold to send Olive to classes so she can be tutored in various statistics, these will positively impact those surrounding that subject, like artistry, decorum and combat skills. Classes can also affect her reputation within the capital. However, some of the classes may have a negative effect on traits that run counter to the subject. Be aware, if there are insufficient funds for the study, then Olive will be turned away from the classes.
• Work – Olive can work several part time jobs, allowing her to improve her related skills and earn money as she progresses. These jobs include working in a restaurant, at a nursery and doing house work. Like the Classes, it is possible for jobs to reduce the proficiency in one area while boosting another, along with modifying her reputation.
• Errantry – send Olive out on expeditions, where she can explore different areas, encounter monsters and find treasure, with a day/night cycle and simple camp system. During these adventures, Olive can be controlled directly, transitioning into a full top down RPG style of gameplay, featuring turn based battles. If Olive is defeated or the end date is met she returns home, keeping all treasure obtained.
• Time Off – allow Olive to take some time to herself, either going off into town or going on vacation. When going into town, she can be given pocket money to spend, or go out without any. Then there are paid vacations, which can be taken at the mountain or ocean. This time off is important as it is important for managing the stress that Olive will accumulate during the month.

Speaking of stress, Olive will accumulate different amounts of stress based on the job or study she is doing. When stress accumulates, there is the possibility for various negative effects to occur, including sickness and delinquency. If Olive becomes sick, she must rest, see a doctor or visit a sanitorium, as she can become bedridden and eventually result in her premature death. Olive becoming a delinquent can negatively impact her jobs, which will make employers reject her.

Sickness and Delinquency are only a few effects that can occur during the growth of Olive, which can be triggered by changes to her health, statistics and other elements. It is important to monitor the changes in her behavior, as some of the outcomes will drastically alter the route that players may want her to take. Taking care of Olive’s wellbeing is just as important as her training, studies and work, so it is important to speak to her regularly and monitor her status.

During the year, the annual harvest festival will occur, where Olive can participate in four different contests, including a cooking contest and a combat tournament. Three of the competitions are automated, whereas the combat tournament consists of turn based battles against a series of opponents. At the end of each contest, if Olive performs well enough, she will be provided with a cash prize, reputation points and even special reward items if she places first.

As each year passes, Olive will become older, with her depiction changing as she becomes taller and develops. During each year at her birthday, she can be given a gift, which will make her happy and positively affect her relationship with the father. As Olive becomes older it is possible for her to be pursued by various suitors, which can be accepted or rejected. Along with the suitors, there is also the chance for other visitors to appear during the course of Olive’s life.

The last thing to discuss is the ending of Olive’s time with her father. When Olive reaches the age of 18, her final birthday with her father will occur, allowing a final gift to be given. After this, the end of her story will play out where she can get a good, bad or neutral ending. The endings are affected by the choices that are made during her childhood, being affected by her stats and relationships. After the ending plays out, a score will be given based on that ending.

Now with the gameplay covered, it is time to discuss the other aspects of this release, starting with the controls.

Controls – this game has a super simple control system, using two button inputs for the majority of the game, with hand prompts that are always on screen. This makes the game easy to pick up and play, as anyone will be able to enjoy the game regardless of their limitations. It is a lot of fun to play, with the RPG style segments being a real highlight as they are big shift in gameplay style. This game is best enjoyed in handheld on Switch, as it gives the game a warm comfortable feel.

Difficulty – this game is an odd one when it comes to difficulty, as there is a lack of information and tutorials to explain mechanics to the player. The lack of a manual or any how to play information is a bit of a pain, as it meant I was fumbling in the dark trying to figure out what to do a lot of the time. Thankfully, there is the ability to save and load freely, letting players fix mistakes. There are guides and Wikis available, which can be a great resource for players who struggle.

Presentation – visually, the artwork and graphics have been redrawn for modern displays by Takami Akai, who worked on the original princess maker series at Gainax. All of the reworked graphical elements are a treat to behold, maintaining the spirit of the original. There is also brand new art and animation made especially for this release. The sound really ties the whole thing together, with wonderful music and Japanese voiced dialogue that knocks it up a notch.

Final Thoughts – I have been aware of Princess Maker as a series, knowing that the original release of this entry was a real cult favorite. When I received the offer for this release, it was an easy choice to take this title for review. I really dove into this and had a bit of a mixed experience when I started, but after a while and looking at a few resources it all clicked into place. I spent many hours with this release, getting to see several of the endings, but there are many more to discover.

The redrawn artwork and new content from Takami Akai is fitting, as this was made for the 30th anniversary of the original PC-98 release. There were a few minor complaints that I had with this, with a few minor grammar and spelling issues, as well as the lack of tutorial/manual which I find are a negative. However, I am more than happy to give this a recommendation. It is a fun and entertaining time, with plenty of content, lots of secrets to discover and many, many endings to see.

In the end, I give Princess Maker 2 Regeneration a final score of 4/5. This is delightful and engaging experience, that is well deserving of its cult status, with wonderfully designed visuals, a plethora of story twists and endings that kept me coming back for more. If you want to check this release out for yourself, a link to each currently available version will be below. UPDATE: the PS4 version has been released since, however, there is some content censored out in this version.

Link to Nintendo Switch version (HERE)

Link to Steam version (HERE)

Link to PlayStation version (HERE)