Description
Two things. First, if you came straight to this video and didn't check the community posts, this video and LPP's story has been completely translated and published to English through closed captions as a test, so toggle it on if interested (I did not translate TSP as it already has an Engrish translation). The other thing is this video was captured on PS3 hardware with BC of PS2 through HDMI, OREI Splitter (HDCP Override), mClassic upscaling and Elgato HD60 X up to 1440p to get a clean console capture. PS2-to-PS3 games on PSN have their digital signatures removed, making them region-free and they also all have digital manuals that I used to doctor high-quality scans.
"Twinkle Star Sprites: La Petite Princesse" is the proper sequel to ADK and SNK's classic 1996 Arcade versus cute-em-up, "Twinkle Star Sprites". TSS was not particularly profitable, but it had a loyal fanbase due to its excellent graphics, cute characters and elegant spin on the traditional vertical SHMUP formula, inspiring several works over the years such as "Kanossyu", "Kanossyu 2: Triangle Vacation" (which is AWESOME), "Macky and Pentell" (true derivative work with TSS characters, but "indie") and "Rival Megagun". Released in 2005 by SNK Playmore, the team was looking to bring back various IPs after the bankruptcy of the original SNK and TSS saw enough interest in polling to see a revival. While there is technically another sequel in 2007 for mobile phones, "Twinkle Star Sprites Gaiden ~Twin Star Memories~", it was released on mobile phones through the "SNK WORLD-i" service and abandoned the current gameplay system for a traditional vertical shooting experience. While TSS saw numerous ports, LPP is exclusive to PlayStation 2.
The story features many new characters as well as returning characters, although the bulk of the plot centers around "Time Buttermitt", a 10 year old "Time Sorceress" and "Star Princess" (also known as "La Petite Princesse" or "The Little Princess"). Comically, the game takes place about three days after the events of TSS where the original heroine, Load Ran, defeated Mevious. Due to the aftermath of said prior events, "Star Distortions" have started to appear across numerous realms, tearing the very fabric of the universe. Ran has also gone missing and her avid fan, Time, goes on an adventure to stop these distortions from destroying everything with the legendary "Twinkle Star" while hoping to find Ran in the process. If she can't stop the distortion with the star alone, she is committed to using her abilities to manipulate time and return things to the way they were prior to the distortions.
LPP is mechanically near-identical to the original game, and differs from most other vertical shooters of its time by adding a competitive element akin to a fighting game. The game is always one-on-one, with players selecting a character and then shooting down enemies. Each character has different shot patterns, charged shots and "Boss Attacks" that can be deployed by building power from shooting down enemies and grabbing power-ups. Shooting down enemies creates explosions that damage enemies in the area and are designed to create "Chain Reactions", which will send "Attack Balls" to the opponent which the opposition can dodge or shoot. Shooting them will send them back to the player, creating a "Counter", and countering counters makes them faster and will also generate special attacks and even bosses with enough persistence. As such, it's arguably more important to shoot shots than take down enemies.
Bombs can be used in a pinch to clear the screen and offer brief invincibility, and the stakes increase after fighting for more than 100 seconds, as a Grim Reaper will also come to take you down. There is also an orb that can be destroyed which activates "Fever" mode, where chains are faster and more normal attacks (Zakos) are generated. Like the original, there are three main modes: Story Mode (the "main" plot), Character Mode (a traditional Arcade Mode with little story, but every character is playable and each have endings) and Versus Mode. LPP has traded its beautiful pixels for 3D... it's not too bad considering SNK Playmore didn't have a big budget to work with, but some assets are kinda blurry (this can be reduced through emulation)... curiously, the game mimics the slowdown of the original game by default, but can be removed in the options. Mimori Fujinomiya returns for the character designs which are top-notch cute and the soundtrack and voice work is complimentary to the total package. The game also features a gallery of some art as well as unlockables that include the Sega Saturn's opening FMV and the original Neo Geo AES version of Twinkle Star Sprites... this version seems to have minor bugs (the ADK / Neo Geo logos don't show).
The game is short but fun. This is a video of the full story, one CM run, Saturn opening and a sample of the Neo Geo game. Enjoy.
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