Princess Maker 2

One of the most unique and compelling games ever made, Princess Maker 2 is an excellent ?life simulation? from Gainax, and the only game in the Princess Maker series to have been translated into English.

As to what the game is exactly, MobyGames says it better than I could: "Raise a daughter from childhood into adulthood. Your actions determine whether she will live or die, and what she will become. You can have her enter school, seek adventure in the wilderness, get a part-time job, break into high society, or any of many other possibilities. 74 Unique endings.

A very different kind of game." What makes Princess Maker 2 a lot of fun is the sheer amount of options and actions you can do, which result in seemingly unlimited range of personalities your (adopted) daughter grows up to be. Although you are limited to raising her from age 10 to 18, everything you do will influence how the child will grow up. You first choose your daughter?s name, your age, both birthdates, and her blood type. Then you will decide on a detailed routine of her daily life, from schooling and hobbies, to how you want her to react to different people she will meet throughout the game. There are many surprises and random events to ensure that no two games are alike. With many factors that affect your daughter?s character, the game?s replayability is astounding, and the 70+ endings will keep you hooked for months on end. Two thumbs up, way up!

Note: This is the English translation that was never officially released. Therefore, there are gaps in translation, and missing text in some endings. This beta version is created as part of a three-way contract between SoftEgg, who did the English translation, Gainax, and IntraCorp. The game was never released because publisher Intracorp went bankrupt. The contract expired in 2002, so hopefully someone will release the game as shareware or freeware in the future. You can read the very interesting (albeit unfortunate) story of the English version in the Related Link section below.

Review By HOTUD