Then there are titles like Imagine: Ballet Star, an anime-inspired, story-based, social simulator, ballerina RPG. It's easily the most unique of all the Imagine games and is definitely worth a look for anyone even remotely interested in the world of ballet dancing, but it ultimately stumbles under the weight of its own ambition.
Ballet Star begins by allowing players to choose between three female characters each with their own unique personalities and dancing specialties. All three characters offer their own narrative arc, a feature that gives the game a moderate amount of replay value even if the game actually plays the same way no matter which character you choose. The ultimate goal for each of the three girls is simple, to become a professional ballerina by upgrading skills and competing in various ballet rehearsals and recitals every month.
The game itself is split into monthly chunks with their own story elements and objectives. There's quite a bit to do over the course of each month, so much so that new players will likely feel a bit overwhelmed at first. There are a lot of locations to visit and their purpose isn't made entirely clear upon first being dropped into the main environment. Some offer mini-games to improve your skills, some are necessary for learning new dance moves and participating in recitals and still more are just there to give your character a place to talk to other characters. With so many options it's easy to feel like you're missing something, like the game is offering too much freedom to the player at the expense of overall accessibility.
A few of the game's locations like the arcade, park and diner host a number of statistic boosting mini-games. These are your standard-fare DS challenges, from a glorified rock-paper-scissors match to a strength-boosting round of dodgeball. Each individual game corresponds to a particular statistic – strength, balance, sense, rhythm and teamwork – and successful completion is rewarded by the skill bumps necessary to pull off the game's more difficult dance maneuvers.
Another location of interest is the ballet shop, where players can spend in-game currency to purchase new clothes for use during practices and recitals. The nicer the clothes, the bigger the apparel bonus at the end of the routine. While this is fairly standard for any statistic-based RPG, Ballet Star also offers an additional bonus for sets of clothing that match the performance. Composing an outfit of peasant clothes and wooden clogs to play the part of the provincial damsel Giselle, for instance, nets 100 bonus points to the player. It's a smart little addition that encourages players to actually pay attention to the narratives being performed during the recitals, something most would probably skip over otherwise.
Once players have completed the individual objectives laid out for the month, it's time to participate in the dance recital. Recitals require players to quickly and accurately complete timed touch screen gestures using the stylus. There are four types of dance moves – spins, jumps, poses and steps – all requiring a unique form of input for completion. Spin moves, for example, task the player with tracing a shape onscreen before the time runs out, while step moves require specific screen taps in a predetermined order. None of these challenges are particularly difficult on their own, but the time in which to complete each gesture is extremely limited, rendering one stray or hesitant mark a failed dance move. This mechanic keeps players on the tips of their toes (or, rather, the tips of their fingers) at all times, effectively emulating the kind of pressure real dancers must be under while performing onstage.
These sections of gameplay are enjoyable for the most part, especially since they do really make the player feel the strain of dancing in front of a large audience. But they're also extremely slow to unfold. After attempting each gesture, you're forced to watch the move be carried out on the top screen in a slow, drawn out animation before another gesture input is required. The whole process becomes disappointingly tedious when you consider that each gesture takes about two seconds to complete while the animations can last as long as ten or fifteen. I'll admit that most gamers considering Ballet Star for purchase probably will enjoy watching the well-animated character models, but it's hard to be impressed after the sixth or seventh time around.
Once the recital is completed the next month begins and the whole process repeats itself. The vast number of exploratory options and loose monthly objectives keep the game's progression from getting too stale or linear, but there's really nothing of interest for gamers who aren't enamored by dancing culture.
Ballet Star also offers a decent amount of wireless multiplayer options as well, allowing gamers to challenge their friends to the title's mini-games in both single- and multi-card play. None of the mini-games are particularly deep or unique, but it's a nice feature to have when you want to kill an hour or so on a long car trip.
Verdict
Imagine: Ballet Star is easily one of the more ambitious titles released under the Imagine brand, though this isn't necessarily a good thing. On the positive side, it offers three characters with their own unique stories, a collection of statistic boosting mini-games and a fully featured dancing mechanic that effectively emulates the actual act of ballet dancing. The various mechanics, however, are a bit overwhelming for new players and the included tutorials are likewise verbose and complicated. There's so much to do and see that all but the most patient gamers will have difficulty grasping all of the game's included features, making progression more stressful than rewarding. Imagine: Ballet Star certainly isn't the worst title to be released under the Imagine banner but it certainly won't be remembered as the best, either.
