SharkLord
Smash Hero
Ah yes, Sakura. Quite possibly one of the most divisive characters on this thread.
Even though I defended her staunchly on Day 500, I actually didn't know any of the fine details on the gameplay or the storyline or whatnot. I'll still defend her, but yeah, that was decidedly not my finest moment. Now that that's off my chest, let's do it right this time.
Sakura Wars is an interesting case. It's a truly massive series in Japan, having a metric %$#@ton of adaptations. Animation, manga, stage shows, themed cafes, you name it. If there's a form of media, chances are Sakura Wars has an adaptation there. Good luck accessing them if you're an overseas fan, though. As such, Sakura's in a unique situation in terms of speculation. She's emblematic of the lopsided popularity situations; If Smash was Japan-only, she'd be a frontrunner, but in the West, she'd be lucky to squeeze into the double digits of likelihood. Overall, I'm gonna have to give her a 30%.
But hey, at least she's in a better spot than, say, Takamaru, right?
But anyways. Now that we've addressed the elephant in the room, let's get down to business. Explain what this series is all about so you know her as more than that one speculation darkhorse who gets brought up a lot.
Sakura Wars is an interesting blend of genres. For starters, Sakura herself is a samurai who pilots a steampunk mech to fight off demons and is also a stage actress in her off hours. From that alone, you can tell it's a very Japanese sort of game. Sakura Wars itself is half-strategy RPG, half-dating sim, where you take the role of a commander for a branch of the Imperial Combat Revue, a defense force against the demons that disguises itself as a performance theater. The mood and emotions of your units influences their performance in battle; If you've been treating them well during the interactive segments, their stats will surge, and if they're feeling blue their performance will be rather shaky.
Sakura is a country girl and newcomer to the Flower Division of the revue. Though she can be rather awkward and clumsy at times, she is a very skilled swordfighter. Wielding the ancestral Reiken-Arataka, Sakura is skilled enough to slice water droplets in two. While she can fight on-foot, in her home series she primarily pilots a Koubu, a steampunk mech powered by magic. If you want a mech fighter, you know where to look.
Sakura Wars released in 1996 and exceeded expectations, causing Sega to heavily invest in the series. Aside from the many adaptation I listed above, it got a sequel to similar acclaim, followed by a third that focused on a Paris branch, and a fourth game that was more of an epilogue than a full fourth game, bringing the two divisions together. Notably, the four games were able to be linked together, meaning the relationships started with your units could be carried over to the next game. A fifth game was released that focused on a American branch, and was actually translated, something that was planned from the original.
Unfortunately, the franchise had been on decline for a while, and so it was put on the backburner for a while. That being said, the franchise was still quite popular, winning two polls for "Franchise revival" and "Brand investment," even while the series was on a lull. The franchise also got top billing in the Project X Zone games, and was finally revived in 2019, starring a new Imperial Combat Revue and a new Sakura. I think it's safe to say that Japan loves the franchise, and if Nintendo wants a Japan-appeal character, Sakura would be a pretty good pick. Only if they want a Japan-appeal character, though; The lopsided popularity issue means that's the only niche she can really fit.
Want score is 70%, I don't know the series very well, but it seems pretty cool and I'd play it if I could access it. Besides, magic steampunk samurai mech. What's not to like?
For further information, watch this video. It explains things much better than I could, though it was made a while ago and doesn't go over the 2019 game.
Abstain on KOS-MOS. I've done enough writing for the morning.
Even though I defended her staunchly on Day 500, I actually didn't know any of the fine details on the gameplay or the storyline or whatnot. I'll still defend her, but yeah, that was decidedly not my finest moment. Now that that's off my chest, let's do it right this time.
Sakura Wars is an interesting case. It's a truly massive series in Japan, having a metric %$#@ton of adaptations. Animation, manga, stage shows, themed cafes, you name it. If there's a form of media, chances are Sakura Wars has an adaptation there. Good luck accessing them if you're an overseas fan, though. As such, Sakura's in a unique situation in terms of speculation. She's emblematic of the lopsided popularity situations; If Smash was Japan-only, she'd be a frontrunner, but in the West, she'd be lucky to squeeze into the double digits of likelihood. Overall, I'm gonna have to give her a 30%.
But hey, at least she's in a better spot than, say, Takamaru, right?
But anyways. Now that we've addressed the elephant in the room, let's get down to business. Explain what this series is all about so you know her as more than that one speculation darkhorse who gets brought up a lot.
Sakura Wars is an interesting blend of genres. For starters, Sakura herself is a samurai who pilots a steampunk mech to fight off demons and is also a stage actress in her off hours. From that alone, you can tell it's a very Japanese sort of game. Sakura Wars itself is half-strategy RPG, half-dating sim, where you take the role of a commander for a branch of the Imperial Combat Revue, a defense force against the demons that disguises itself as a performance theater. The mood and emotions of your units influences their performance in battle; If you've been treating them well during the interactive segments, their stats will surge, and if they're feeling blue their performance will be rather shaky.
Sakura is a country girl and newcomer to the Flower Division of the revue. Though she can be rather awkward and clumsy at times, she is a very skilled swordfighter. Wielding the ancestral Reiken-Arataka, Sakura is skilled enough to slice water droplets in two. While she can fight on-foot, in her home series she primarily pilots a Koubu, a steampunk mech powered by magic. If you want a mech fighter, you know where to look.
Sakura Wars released in 1996 and exceeded expectations, causing Sega to heavily invest in the series. Aside from the many adaptation I listed above, it got a sequel to similar acclaim, followed by a third that focused on a Paris branch, and a fourth game that was more of an epilogue than a full fourth game, bringing the two divisions together. Notably, the four games were able to be linked together, meaning the relationships started with your units could be carried over to the next game. A fifth game was released that focused on a American branch, and was actually translated, something that was planned from the original.
Unfortunately, the franchise had been on decline for a while, and so it was put on the backburner for a while. That being said, the franchise was still quite popular, winning two polls for "Franchise revival" and "Brand investment," even while the series was on a lull. The franchise also got top billing in the Project X Zone games, and was finally revived in 2019, starring a new Imperial Combat Revue and a new Sakura. I think it's safe to say that Japan loves the franchise, and if Nintendo wants a Japan-appeal character, Sakura would be a pretty good pick. Only if they want a Japan-appeal character, though; The lopsided popularity issue means that's the only niche she can really fit.
Want score is 70%, I don't know the series very well, but it seems pretty cool and I'd play it if I could access it. Besides, magic steampunk samurai mech. What's not to like?
For further information, watch this video. It explains things much better than I could, though it was made a while ago and doesn't go over the 2019 game.
Abstain on KOS-MOS. I've done enough writing for the morning.
