| Amelia.lzh (Amelia by Kid) |
[20 Feb 2004|09:38pm] |
Hm: First I have to say that this is a revision that's been posted on the BKP. I'm reviewing it, though, because it was in this update and so I felt it was fair game.
Now, let's see, the over all atmoshphere is really nice...it makes me think of winter time because of the blacks/grays/blues. I like how the theme is JUST black, white, and blue, and how the blue is very bright and stands out. The face is very appealing, and everything's overall well-drawn. One of the interesting (out of many) things I find about this set is that you can change the layering on some shirts skirts and pants...you can make a shirt go OVER pants or UNDER pants, and that's really nice. I didn't exactly find the snap-to on-off button at first because the little dress confused me, but that's more my fault than Kid's. I also enjoy the layout, it's simple and non-cluttering, and goes well with the menu. The clothes are very cute, and original, as well. It's a very simple, well-constructed doll. One of my gripes, and this may be due to bad monitor or OS differences, is that the darker shade is too light. At first I thought it wasn't shaded at all until I zoomed in and inspected it. That and one of the breasts being kind of jagged pixel-wise bothered me, but it still didn't dampen the over-all play.
Vote: Yes
Rick:
I've always been a fan of Kid's dolls. They have a very intimate, sweet setting that reminds me of a children's picture book. I like how her dolls always feel like actual people, with realistic-sized wardrobes and to-the-point features. She is a master of creating streamlined dolls with no superfluous extras. This doll, of course, is no exception to this rule. I love the art- Kid's knack for detail is never more apparent than in the images on the t-shirts or the patterns on the skirts. I particularly enjoyed how the different clothes could be layered in different ways- it provided many new opportunities to mix-and-match outfits. My only real complaint would be the lack of backs on some of the clothes- but that's a very minor complaint.
Vote: Yes
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| Fbjaney.lzh (Flashback - Janey by Key) |
[20 Feb 2004|09:40pm] |
Hm: This is a really interesting set that looks very poetic and artistic, and gives hints at the book it's based on. It makes the player want to read the book just to know what the doll's about. I wish there were an explination in the Readme.txt or something behind all the little poetic lines used in the doll. I know they're from the book but I wonder what exactly the girl's talking about. I like all the DETAIL put into the little paintings, it shows Key was dedicated to this set (even if it's not what she originally planned.) The clothes are interesting, unique, and since the character is an artist/poet, I'm guessing it fits the character well. The sunrise/sunset feature is VERY pretty and well done. The background is pretty interactive, which is a nice thing to play with other than dressing up the doll itself. I like the over-all art, it's a little rough around the edges, but it's still of good quality. The upset-the-cat feature was very cute and I did it a few times just to see the cute face he makes. This doll has alot of character and I can tell that Key put her heart into it.
Vote: Yes
Rick:
Key is one of my favorite artists, but this doll let me down a bit. I can tell that it's one of her older dolls- this was drawn in 2002, and doesn't hold a candle to her newer dolls, which I think are amazing. I haven't read the book that this doll is based on, so I really can't comment on that aspect- but the book references scattered throughout the doll got me really curious about the character! At first the fashion seemed somewhat limited, but when I noticed the jar of jewelry and pins in the upperhand corner, I had a lot of fun customizing the outfits! Another nice thing about the doll was the animation from night to day- it's really nice to see such smooth effects in KiSS! This was overall a fun doll marred by a few minor issues (such as the inability to switch sets, and the somewhat small wardrobe)- though I would have liked it a lot more had I not been 'spoiled', as it were, by Key's newer dolls.
Vote: Maybe
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| Cutiecat.lzh (Cutie Cat by Animehamster) |
[20 Feb 2004|09:42pm] |
Hm: The base is really cute and the style reminds me of Chikkareggae's (at one point or another), but when I opened it I was assualted with the dreaded MIDI. Most times MIDIs don't bother me, but if you're going to put a MIDI in a doll, atleast make sure it has something to do with the doll, and there's an ON and OFF button. That's very important because not many people in the KiSS community really enjoy MIDIs, especially if they start as soon as you open the doll and go on for a few minutes. I can't say the artist tried her best because she says in the readme.txt it took her a few hours. If you want to make a good doll, or atleast try, I figure a doll should take you ATLEAST a few days. Now, let's take a look at the cels...the clothes are very bright, which can be pulled off well, but wasn't in here. I don't think she has an even grasp of colours on the computer, but alot of artists just starting out don't. The background is bright blue with a bright pink title, which doesn't really work because the pink is just swallowed up by the blue. The blinks are poorly timed. She keeps her eyelids closed for a few seconds and blinks in real life don't last that long. I like that the person attempted FKiSS even though they're new at this, but it bothers me that they couldn't take the time to bug check it or make sure it looks good when played with. The artist says they're 11 in the readme, which I can understand some of these things, but I feel it's my obligation to review it nonetheless. I just want to point out that this doll has some potential, it just didn't make it all the way to the finishing line. My overall advice to Animehamster is to spend more time on her dolls.
Vote: No
Rick: Agh! The first thing I noticed was the horrific midi! Since I usually listen to my own music while on the computer, the music was jarring and irritating, especially since there was no way to turn it off. It made playing with the doll very grating and tedious. The base was cute and shows promise, especially since it's from such a young person. The lack of detailing on certain items bothered me, though- the only difference between the socks, and the boots were the color, and the few lines on the shoes denoting lacing. Some things, like the hair and the pants, had a good amount of detailing, so the lack of details on some items just came across as lazy. The palette didn't bother me too much, though the bright blue background hurt my eyes a bit. I've never been a fan of black outlines on cels- they are incredibly hard to pull off unless the artist has very clean, intricate lineart. This doll does not have clean, intricate lineart. I'd like to see Animehamster put more effort into her next doll- with a little bit of time and energy, she could put together something very nice. This doll has a few nice things in it (like the cat face on one of the shirts, very cute!), but I just didn't enjoy it for the most part.
Vote: No
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| GG_LL.lzh (Game Girl by L. Gully and Luke) |
[20 Feb 2004|09:43pm] |
Hm: I love how it feels like a story and a game at the same time, the opening screen is so different than what I'm used to. We usually see a title of the doll, and maybe a picture of her face and when you click it you get the actual set, but this one has her lying in bed, which goes well with the real-girl atmosphere. The idea that she exists, she has her own house her own things, etc. I have to mention they used JPEG images creatively, using them as backdrops and items the doll can hold. I know there are other dolls that use jpegs/photos as backgrounds, but this looks like an interactive enviroment, and not just a pretty picture to go in the background. The hidden things in each set are fun to find and play with, and the cosplay makes me very happy, being the comic book nerd that I am. I like how they brought the interactiveness of the set and the dress-up play together, and it does have repeated playability. One thing that did dissapoint me though was the opening screen put me in the mood for a GAME doll, as in, it's a game itself, not just a doll that looks/feels like a game. I thought I'd really be taking Game Girl through her day, but I still had fun with her. She's very in character, and her clothes really look like things I've seen comic book reading/video game playing girls wear. I wish I could find out more about her character though speech, I think a speech effect would've made this set even more spectacular than it already is, but it doesn't take away from the set.
Vote: Yes
Rick: I relate to this doll just a little too much, being both a gamer and a comic book fan. I really loved the "to-do" list in the beginning, it set up the character and feel of the doll very nicely. Normally I am bothered by photographic images mixed into KiSS dolls, but for some reason this didn't bother me at all- it gave the doll an oddly grungy feel, which I really liked. I also enjoyed the use of sounds- they were well-integrated without being overbearing. There were too many little effects and background reactions to list- this doll really kept me occupied for a long time! Unlocking all the costumes was really fun, it really helped the viewer to get a feel for the doll as they poked around the backgrounds. I was a bit annoyed that the costumes mapped all in the same place- it made browsing through her clothes a bit hard, especially after all the costumes had been unlocked. On a personal note, this doll made me incredibly happy, as I actually own a number of the comics and action figures shown throughout the doll :) .
Vote: Yes
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| Kim_mimi.lzh (Mimi by Kim-chan) |
[20 Feb 2004|09:44pm] |
Hm: The style is very similiar to Digimon, but with a touch of something else from the artist, which is a good start. The clothes look well-drawn and everything's generally well-done. I like how the Digimon changes and makes different cute facial expressions if you poke her. The animation is well done (just a tad slow, but not enough to openly gripe about it), and the cels themselves are well drawn with good detail. It'd be nice if you could change the little digimon back, or, over a certain amount of time the digimon transformed back to it's origianl state, but that's not too big of a deal. I also like how the digimon's reactions to your poking her are randomized, so it doesn't get old too fast. The expressions for Mimi are adorable, though I don't know why she randomly starts to cry...overall, I'd give it a-
Vote: Maybe
Rick: I used to watch Digimon religiously when I was around 12 or 13, so seeing a doll of one of the characters brought back fond memories. This is a great start for a first doll- the art and coding are very competant, there is a good variety in the wardrobe, and there are a number of extras which really make this doll shine. However, I was a bit disappointed that the Digimon did not have a de-evolve button- the transformation animations was one of my favorite parts of the doll and I would have liked to have been able to replay it. I really loved Palmon's reactions to being clicked- very cute and gave a lot of character to the doll! My final complaint has to do with the hairstyles- Mimi has had more hairstyles throughout the series, and I was a bit let-down that it didn't include any of them.
Vote: Maybe
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| Mayusan.lzh (Mayu by Julia) |
[20 Feb 2004|09:45pm] |
Hm: The detailing in this is absolutely gorgeous...the hair and clothes have such articulation, it's hard to look at this doll in a negative light. I really enjoy this doll even though I'm not into J-Rock. The face and body are in a nice realistic, yet simple style, and the clothes look like they took alot of time and patience to make. I have a few problems with this set, though: The MIDI on/off button is in Japanese. Since most KiSS artists and enthusiasts now a days are English or English speaking, it'd be a bad decision to put in Japanese on different option buttons. But I like that the midi button atleast turns the music OFF if you click it again. Another thing about the buttons is that it doesn't go with the generally soft feel the doll gives off. It's kind of a harsh bright purple, along with the doll's underpants. It can be over-looked, since the colours in general go with the over-all scheme, but it's just a little too unnatural for me. I do have a problem with the (beautiful) base, though. It's that it's anatomically incorrect...this isn't too much of a problem with cartoonish dolls, but since it's realistic looking I expect him to have something under those shorts, but it doesn't really take anything from the play. One more thing that sort of got to me was that most of the outfits are one or two peices, so you can't really mix and match. But because the art is so good, I couldn't give this doll a No or Maybe, something about the art just wins me over hands-down.
Vote: Yes
Rick: I loved Julia's Dada doll to pieces, so I was extremely happy to see that she had released another doll! She has a very nice artstyle, her methods of detailing and shading are very different from what most artists have been doing lately. Though Jack was bothered by the midi in the doll, I really didn't mind it at all, because it was so easy to turn off. I don't feel it should be required that all interface options in dolls be in English- an interface should be designed to be easy to use no matter what the player's native language. What did annoy me though, was the lack of buttons for the hair/makeup changes- there were just a few too many hairstyles to cycle through comfortably. I was also somewhat surprised to see that the doll was yet again anatomically incorrect- male dolls without any nipples do creep me out slightly.
Vote: Yes
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| Zerofull.lzh (Zero by Miss Chaos) |
[20 Feb 2004|09:46pm] |
Hm: My first thoughts when playing with this doll were something along the lines of: "She's just so angry!" The clothes are well-drawn, and the base is interesting, because the head is tilted down with a shadow for the bangs, and the way the eyes shift about angrily are great. The character seems like she would have a story behind her, but we're offered no story in the readme, just angsty, angry comments from the little base herself. It's kind of cute in a strange way, but probably wasn't meant to be cute. Her angsty/angry comments come off as more silly than serious, but I'll give the artist this much, it's VERY HARD to pull off angst or true anger very well, especially in a story/setting/character we know little about. But over-all it's a nice doll, I just wish there was an explination to why this little girl is SO ANGRY.
Vote: Maybe
Rick: I agree with Jack's comments about the angst/anger in the doll, though it didn't bother me as much as it did him. The doll seemed to be a pretty accurate portrayal of alternative highschool kids, both in fashion and in terms of speech. The wardrobe didn't really do it for me though- it was pretty much all designs I've seen before, with the obligatory Sailor Fuku on one side. The base doll and the face were very adorable, though the flattened shading on the chest seemed slightly lazy on the artist's part. I really liked the downcast head- it was the first thing I noticed about the doll, and is still my favorite detail. This artist shows real promise, she's obviously a talented artist with some good ideas- I'd like to see her create more original designs however. Though the clothes are very mix-and-matcheable, as I said before, it's all things that have been done before.
Vote: Maybe
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