Game Review: Bad Boys Do It Better! First Impression

Game Discription:

You’ve been transferred to a high school with a dorm. 

But it turns out to be… a former all-boys school full of delinquents?! 

“You may be a girl, but who cares?” 

Everywhere you look there are boys, boys, BOYS! Be the envy of every girl! Start your life as the lone flower among them! 

Title: Bad Boys Do It Better!
Route:  Prologue + Free chapter demos
Developer: Voltage Inc
Genre: Romantic Sim, Slice of Life, Mature YA, NA, interactive adventure
Platform Played: iPad/Iphone (iOS)

Avalable on : iOS, Android

Disclaimer: CGs/SS/IMAGES belongs to voltage inc. blah blah blah you guy get what i mean 

 Game Plot

The MC is a high school student who transfers to a dorm school since her parents moved overseas for work. There she finds out she's the only girl since the school used to be an all boys school and is one of the 6 students living on campus. To top that the school does not have the best reputation and is filled with rowdy bad boys!

Characters

There are 5 romancable characters in the game. As for writing this out I have yet to purchase any of the guys but have played the avalable free demo chapters so this are my impressions based on the prologue and demos.

Ryoji Ryukai : Overconfident and sarcastic when I first saw his character I immediately scream ICHIGO, not strawberry Ichigo but Ichigo Sato from Dreamy Days in West Tokyo as he reminds me of my bies from that game and his character is very tsundere and a rebel on steroids! He's (in my mind) the cannon guy and the first character you meet in the prologue, saving the MC form the bullies at her formal school (what's he doing at the MC's forma school??? IDK) and lending her his jacket when she accidentally got paint on her uniform. I'll definitely get his route as the first guy released by voltage is always fool proof good.

Rei Todo: Described as cool and a bit of a space case, I instantly like him cause he looks like an adorkrable nerdy character. He has some sorta dark past that makes him 'the cursed student' holding him back by a year. Still I like his quiet emo/moody character even if he was freaking rude at the start.

Yu Agatsuma : He's described as a stubborn yet sweet firecracker... ummmm ok I'm not so sure if firecracker, sweet and stubborn should mix. In a way he reminds of a bad boy version of Yuta from MFW or Nagito from SITS where he is genuinely nice and considerate towards the MC, a bit of a teased and very cute puppy like. lollls I like him! He looks like a sweetheart and is one of the guys I'm gonna get my hands on.

Akira Sakaki : Mysterious Playboy sums him up as THAT REALLY IS WHAT HE IS!!! Not a good first impression and it does not help or kinda helps depending on how you view it that Voltage have upped their game in the way the sprites moves with animations... more on that later as he literately tries to harass the MC when she was sent to the sick bay in the prologue. Nope nope nope i might give him a pass until I see other peoples thoughts on his route. Thought I should add that I like his character design he reminds me of Iori from Brother Conflict (for some reason I lately have been loving guys with wavy silver hair like Soma from HLITF and Aoi from BUM)

Keiichiro Minase: I can't wait for this guy route to be released as he looks so mysterious! More mysterious than Akira! He's described as Awkward and manly... how could you not like an awkward and manly guy?!?! He reminds me of the character Mori from Ouran High School Host Club where they are both stoic and the quiet giant of the group and stoic.

Poor MC-chan 

The MC: The MC is a high school girl who transfers to a new school with a dorm due to her parents moving overseas (Malaysia aka my home country to be exact) for work. Apart from Dreamy Days in West Tokyo I have yet to play the other Voltage high school games so its hard to compare the MC to others her same age. She seemed to fit in with the boys well and is quiet independent. 

lolllll the MC priorities!!! 

What I love about her is her inner dialog as they were not only hilarious and sassy but realistic! There was a part in the prologue where once she got over the after shock of the fact she's the only girl in the school her first thoughts was 'there goes my dreams of having pajamas parties!' Loll that line made my day! Anyways So far through the demos I played I like this MC a bit more than the DDIWT MC.

Game Play

Once again we have the love meter where your choices influence the ending of the game similar to the sweet/bitter endings we see in games like TLSL, SITS/ BUM and many more. The After Class Ending is what I assumed to be the sweet/romantic/fluffy ending while the Teenage Dream (oh good seriously??? Teenage dream like that katy perry song??? ) ending is that dramatic/seductive/heart pounding climactic ending. Both ending will have unlock able CGs for the specific endings. 

Along with the usual three choice we see twice per episode, we are introduce to a new choice mechanic called the 'Love Tap'  which sounds kinda wrong... where we have this spinny heart with two opposite choices in place of the usual three choices to influence the love meter. This will appear several times through the game and you need to tap on the screen your answer before the timer runs out! 

I like this time crunch of a mechanic. It brings me back to why I originally played Telltales walking dead was for the time pressure choice mechanic.

Need more information about the game play? Check out my First Impression of Voltage Inc Otome games where I go into more detail.

Looks/Sounds

When I first saw this game the bright neon mix with angst it actually reminds me of Nintendo's Splatoon! Minus the squid part :P  I love how the game look like a edgy shoujo manga. The fun bright neon color scheme, paints splatter to look like graffiti all suits the games theme.

As for the character sprite, its once again are edgy and angst as heck! We have piercings, colored hair, dark emo looks, uniforms that look very sloppy and everything needed to look like a bad ass delinquent. The closes they resemble to is Dreamy Days in West Tokyo and I actually won't be surprised if this is like a predecessor/ sister app to that game especially since the cast of DDIWT makes cameo as NPC in some scenes. The cameo's is probably just fan services to hit the veteran Voltage Inc fans with more sentimental/nostalgia feels but I like the idea of those cameos especially since (from what I see in the tumblr ss) this game is set around the time of season one of DDIWT since so guys in that game are still in high school.

New mechanics/sliding animations are added which I'm hoping its gonna be a new thing for their up and coming games. There is this thing where when the character sprite tries to move closer to the MC, his character sprite is ANIMATED yes animated to move forward. Also character sprites as they move in and out of the frames as they interact have this animation where they *swoop* in and *swoop out*. I've already encountered this mechanic when I played the up and coming Shinsengumi game when it first came out in Japan but I didn't expect to encounter this mechanic/animation in this game.

Most voltage games don't really have dialog box (maybe they did in the past?!?! idk as I've only been playing voltage games for like 6+++ months so I'm still a greenie) as in the past you just darken/lighten the screen to read the dialog. In this game they use this dialog box that looks nostalgic and old fashion (in a good way)! Seriously seeing this dialog boxes brings back memories of when I used to play pokemon and harvest moon and dialog boxes like this will pop out when taking/interacting with characters.

As for the music, as always voltage has upped their game over the last couple of years when it comes to soundtrack. I especially like the intro music is upbeat and cheery with that electric guitar edge.

Narrative/Writing

I don't normally play voltage games where the characters are in their teens apart from Dreamy Days in West Tokyo but with the theme of this game where the MC falls for a misunderstood high school delinquent sold me! 

I meant come on who does not want to make a bad boy good for the weekend :p I like the interaction of the boys where though its rougher, you can still see how close the boys are.

Also the side characters like the Saejima science teacher/ home room teacher and Natsuo aka 'Nana' the residence director are both great and hilarious especially when they try to discipline but fail tell off the boys for crossing the line. 

Overall

I'll be honest, I was not that interested in the game when it first came partly is because I now prefer games with older/mature/working in society life content but out mostly cause I am so obsess with After School Affairs and Butler Until Midnight that if I were to added another game to my obsession my wallet's gonna cry! 

But then as they released the game, Voltage came out with some great promotional stuff like a voting campaign on which character will get not only his first three chapters free to read (which is great as 3 free chapters is the right amount to test the water and get an idea if you're gonna like said character's route), a free sub story on the sweet cafe and best of all A HELLA LOTTA FREE CGs! Like come on just the idea of getting free CG's is enough for me to download the app so that I can load my already crowded phone/hard drive of more eye candy to look at! 

I seriously thought this was just gonna be a meh app that I'll probably wait for sales but after playing the prologue and getting a sense of the game and characters I'm already making future plans for the guys I'm gonna get my hands on the next time I get my hands on itunes credit (at the moment I have enough for getting the last two character routes in After School Affairs and a little extra in case another sales comes' along... am currently recovering from that nostalgic sales...) and on the list is definitely Rei, Yu and Ryoji.

The prologue was a good introduction to the game where I had a good idea of the MC, the plot of the game and all the characters.This game looks nostalgic especially for those of us who are done with school and as for me the dorm or shall I call it boarding house reminds me of the boarding house I lived in when I was finishing my final year of high school! *sigh* that was a good time :D. 

Definitely give this game a go as the idea of the game while it looks like its filled with teenage angst its still cute, quirky and relateble. Recommend if you're new to voltage and are looking for a younger' game/story but also recomended if you like the high school setting and don't mind romancing with a bunch of rebellious teenage boys.

Let me know your thoughts/ route recommendation on the app I mentioned.  Also follow me on tumblr (rotantrm) and the hashtag  #row plays otome for more of my otome rambling and game play commentary. 

Till Next Time, Happy Playing

Book Review: The Beginning of Everything /Severed Heads and Broken Hearts by Robyn Schneider

 Goodreads Description:

Golden boy Ezra Faulkner believes everyone has a tragedy waiting for them—a single encounter after which everything that really matters will happen. His particular tragedy waited until he was primed to lose it all: in one spectacular night, a reckless driver shatters Ezra’s knee, his athletic career, and his social life.

No longer a front-runner for Homecoming King, Ezra finds himself at the table of misfits, where he encounters new girl Cassidy Thorpe. Cassidy is unlike anyone Ezra’s ever met, achingly effortless, fiercely intelligent, and determined to bring Ezra along on her endless adventures.

But as Ezra dives into his new studies, new friendships, and new love, he learns that some people, like books, are easy to misread. And now he must consider: if one’s singular tragedy has already hit and everything after it has mattered quite a bit, what happens when more misfortune strikes?

Robyn Schneider’s The Beginning of Everything is a lyrical, witty, and heart-wrenching novel about how difficult it is to play the part that people expect, and how new beginnings can stem from abrupt and tragic endings.

Title: The Beginning of Everything (published as Severed Heads and Broken Hearts in the AU/UK)
Author: Robyn Schneider
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance, Coming of Age

Format: Paperback
Pages: 335
Publisher: Katherine Tegen
Source: Purchased at MPH Bookshop at KLIA (just before boarding :P)

Golden boy Ezra believes that life does not start till you get yourself into a tragedy. For him that was the summer before senior year when he gets into a car accident, shattering his leg and ending her career as a star tennis player. The book follows the aftermath of his accident as Ezra discovering who he is and what he wants to do in life with the down fall of his athlete career and losing the status of being one of the "in crowd" with the help of the new girl Cassidy.

I love this story so freaking much and connected with it instantly! A way to describe this book is as if its written by a best friend who knows me well and incorporated all the things that I love in a book. It’s intelligent, witty and spontaneous! The synopsis was what  intrigued me and the moment I picked up the book I could not put it down as I was captivated with Ezra and his story. There were some parts where I foreshadowed in the book but the way the plot twisted was very different from what I expected. There was a good hint of mystery where it feel like there were missing clues which all ties up in the end.

While it was well paced out, I had mix feelings about the ending. It was not a picture perfect ending it was bittersweet and was happy with where Ezra was at the end of the book and the final few pages were beautifully and poetically written as well as ultimately satisfying. 

The characters were really fun to read! They relatable characters that I want to befriend with. Also 50 points to Gryffindor for the awesome Doctor who and Harry Potter references! They were great Easter egg and I had fun fangirling to it. 

Ezra's character development made the book for me. I was charmed with him from page one and the more I read about him the more I swoon over him! He’s a ‘Nerd in a Jock’ body which I love stories like that. He’s intelligent, sarcastic and quirky who cares a bit too much about what people think and feel insecure. 

No joke I wanted to jump into the book and shake the dude silly shouting ‘Don’t give a crap about them’ or ‘Stand up for yourself’.

He started out at the low point, self-cautious and trying to blend in with the crowd but at the end he realises his potential, grew in confidants, stand up for himself, move away from the stereotype and his ‘friends’. Even though Cassidy's was the one who pushed him change in the end it is himself who made him change for better and be true to himself. Also he learns to let go of the past in order to move on with life.

I love reading from his POV with his brainy, snarky and unique narration along with the random puns throw here and there. Also I never swoon over a MC guy character but Ezra is one of my ultimate bookish boyfriend!

Cassidy remind me much of a lovelier of John Green characters Alaska and Margo where they are this pretty, smart, funny with a hint of mysteriousness. She is under the love hate section of the book where I adored her but was frustrated with her! Like the cover of the book Cassidy was a roller coaster to read. She comes out as happy-go-lucky, free spirit and intelligent but deep down she has her secrets and is broken.

I enjoyed her character’s spontaneous adventure and energetic yet mysterious personality which was fun to follow but when the book hit a certainty point, I became not a fan of her because her secretive personality drove me NUTS. I like her relationship with Ezra as she influence him to change his mind-set. Their very different personalities fitted together very well which made their interaction very entertaining to read about.

The romance was a roller coaster to read about! I adored Ezra and Cassidy relationship trough the book! It was fun watching their relationship and there were some really cute and sweet moments between them. Then it hit a certainty point I felt the boat shattered! *cries!*

The cast of side characters was amazing! I love reading about the Debate club gang where they are a smart, intelligent and diverse group of kids who do well in school yet knows how to kick back and loosen up. I love reading about the 'cool nerds' and kinda identify myself as one.. well sorta :P! 

Toby is one of my favorite characters to read! Won't mind a full book about him. Freaking cool guy and one of those loyal friends who'll always be there no matter what. Also he's freaking cute when he make references and fanboys about Doctor Who and Harry Potter. Like Ezra he has been trough his own tragedy when they were younger, though it involves a Disneyland roller coaster incident which made him an outcast in school. Even so he is confident, hilarious and know his motives and what he wants to do in life. I also like how he addresses about his sexuality when he confesses about being gay but does not want to come out in high school. 

His friendship with Ezra is one of my favorite bormance in YA. He welcomes Ezra's friendship at his downfall with open arms and was there to be his voice of reason when Ezra needed a hit in the head!

Also there is Pheobe who I adored! An aspiring journalist with a cute yet edgy personality. I love reading an Asian character who diverge from stereotype 'asian kid'. I also don't mind reading a full book on her. 

As for Ezra's old friends I am just going to say they are all fishing self centered potholes (trying to keep swearing pg-13) Especially Charlotte!!! gosh!!! i wanted to jump into the book and strangle that BEACH cause she acted like she is the flipping queen and annoyed the heck out of me! Long story short they were the stereotypical jerky jock/popular kids that kinda annoyed the heck of me. 

Overall I enjoyed it! I love the story and writing style as well as the pop culture references! Its filled with both beautiful poetic quotes and funny witty moments that made me laugh out loud. Also the quote above is my fav of the bunch.

I not only connected with the story and the characters (especially Ezra) but related to the scenario of moving on in life after a tragedy as I too faced a 'tragedy', on a few things including health wise (which I am not gonna go into too much details as its just something too personal and kinda emotional. FYI I am better now) when I was eighteen and it kind of change my life drastically. 

This book seriously have a special place on my favorites shelve! It helped me during my low times as what Ezra felt with his health condition and how he moved on in life motivated and inspired me! Long story short its one book that influence me and 'saved' me not to mention turn my perspective on life. 

I've re read this six times ++ and counting. Its the one book I push to friends when they want a book to read especially when they were recovering from a John Green/TFIOS book hangover. 

The Beginning of Everything is an optimistic, realistic and moving coming off age story of self-discovery and moving on with life after a tragedy along with moving from exception that one was expected to live up to after a downfall. 

I laugh with this book till I cried (of both happy and sad tears as Cassidy is kind of a heart breaker). A book for fans of Doctor Who, Harry Potter and John Green!

 

Quick note: When I first read the Beginning of Everything I was at a low point of my life where I had 'tragedy' after 'tragedy' happening to me that affected both my health, studies and life wise. I related to Ezra on what he was going through and the book inspired me to be a bit more spontaneous, pick up the pieces and move on with life. I mentioned this book over and over and over again that its one of my most influential books of all time cause if I were to choose a book that 'Saved my life' this will be the book.

For the UK/ AUS readers, the book is published under a different name and cover called Severed Heads and Broken Hearts which to be honest kinda suits the plot of book more. Even so I like the original US cover which is the one that I owe, more than the new cover which is blue instead of yellow.

Also the Author is coming out with a new book this year on May 28 2015 called Extraordinary Means which I was lucky to get an ARC of from Netgalley so a full review COMING SOON closer to the release date. 

FYI I already read the arc and have a 'little review' on my Goodreads and all I can say is I LOVE IT AND MY MIND IS ALL OVER THE PLACE!!! And I might have pre ordered a lovely hardback of the left cover from the book depository... Okay I did pre ordered it with another anticipated YA! :D

Also I feel like a Russian spy with secret hidden information as there is so much I want to say about Extraordinary Means but have to hold back till closer to the release date.

So till then I re-read The Beginning of Everything to hype myself (and to get over a bad book hangover) for reading the physical copy of Extraordinary Means which kinda explain why I'm now reviewing it even though its been over a year since I first read it.

Long story short then just PICK UP THIS BOOK! 

Also Check out my Anticipated YA releases for MAY 2015 (Click Here)

Till Next Time 

Book Review: Spark (Spark #1) by Rachael Craw

Goodreads Description:

Evie doesn’t have a choice.

One day she’s an ordinary seventeen year old, grieving for her mother. The next, she’s a Shield, the result of a decades-old experiment gone wrong, bound by DNA to defend her best friend from an unknown killer.

The threat could come at home, at school, anywhere. All Evie knows is that it will be a fight to the death.

And then there’s Jamie. irresistible. off-limits.

Title: Spark (Spark #1)
Author: Rachael Craw
Genre:YA, Contemporary, Science Fiction, Romance
Format: Paperback

Pages: 464 pages
Publisher: Walker Books Australia
Source: Won from Giveaway hosted by Author.

I saw the book at Dymocks a while ago and thought 'WOW... that's one wicked cover'. Eventually I won the book from a giveaway hosted by the Author on her Inside A Dog giveaway and gosh was this one wicked reads!!!

Spark is a unique sci-fi twist to the contemporary genre. I enjoyed the concept and plot of the story along with the amazing cast of characters.

Follow Evie who's mum recently passed away and moves in with her Aunt Mariam, she suddenly goes trough a growth spurge and developers an odd urge to protect her best friend Kitty from anything that harms her. 

On top of that she becomes super human where she gets enhanced hearing and intelligence, swift reflexes, ability to see peoples memories and telepathy, rapid healing ability and thanks to her sudden growth spurge, she now has the body of a supermodel and athletic fitness.

She eventually finds out due to a DNA experiment gone wrong decades ago she is a SHIELD bounded by DNA to protect her SPARK who happens to be her best friend Kitty from her STRAY who Evie needs to find out before he/she kills her.

I enjoyed reading about Evie as she transformed and grow trough the book. Long story short she is freaking badass!

While I like her character trough most of the books the only time I was annoyed of her was when she refuses to listen to her Aunt's advice and gahhhhh I wanted to hit her on the head and shout 'bad idea'!!!

Also she faints A LOT trough the book which in some scenarios where she faints is kinda funny especially when she goes 'swoon overloaded'.

I like Kitty (cute name btw) though I do wish we got to know a bit more about her characters as at times I found her pushed to the side. When I first read the synopsis I thought 'oh boy not a damsel in distress'. But NOPE! That didn't happen as Kitty is strong, confident, independent and just as determined as Evie to protect herself from her Stray! Also I find it kinda cool whenever she swears 'bloody' which also reminds me she has a British accent.

I also enjoyed her friendship with Evie. It funny reading about Evie chasing after Kitty to protect her like an 'clingy boyfriend' from her Stray. Even so I love how Evie is protective to Kitty and how they are both loyal and care for one another.

Speaking of boyfriends...  lets talk about Kitty's gorgeous twin brother Jamie...

JAMIE = ME GUSTA

Like can we take a moment to just appreciate the swoon worthy awesomeness of Jamie?!?! He is everything I like in a bookish boyfriend!!! British accent/slang, effortless cool guy, cheeky, sweet, funny, caring, badass, NOT ANNOYING, and just all round awesome!!!

Also his relationship with Evie was one of the things that made the book for me! Its established at the start that they had a brief history and awkward kiss before he left. Due to this Evie have sort of a love hate relationship with him and Jamie is trying to make up for the mistakes in the past. In fact he gets bonus points in my book for being straight to the point on his feelings with Evie as one thing I noticed in YA where the relationship goes the wrong way is miscommunication!

Aunt Mariam is another favorite character! She did amazing job of being the mentor and parent figure to Evie. She also have a secret that could turn the tables on her relationship between her and Evie.

The plot of the book was engaging, filled with fast pace action along that put me on the edge on my seat and some really good plot twist that turned the book 360 for me! 

A couple of the major plot twist that happened I kinda foreshadow as the story progresses but there was this one... 

Yup... I'm dead... didn't see it coming... caught me off guard!

The training and action sequence were epic and I could easily visualized them. Also I love the martial art term used in the book and they were well used. 

My only complained was the break down and information shooting trough out the book. At the start there was a lot of information pushed out that was kinda overwhelming and confusing. Basically its like learning a new language or the world building but as the book progresses I got used to it.

Overall Spark was a great start to the series! Highly recommend if you are a fan of sci-fi or want to start out with sci-fi this is a great way to immerse yourself with the genre.

A great fast pace action pack plot with intense romance, strong friendship and air of suspense and mystery.

I can't wait for the next two books that are coming out in 2015(Stray) and 2016(Sheild)!!!