Ichigo
Hashimaro translates to Strawberry Marshmallow
«©NCSX»
The limited
edition of Ichigo Mashimaro includes a posable figure of
Miu Matsuoka in a
pink yukata with a big red bow tied around her chest. The
little darling also has two blue bows in her hair
and black sandals which also happens to have bows on
top. A second outfit consists of a pair of red
checkered shorts and a white shirt with a doily
design on the bottom fringes. Miu's arms may be
positioned up to cheer for something or knocked back
down so she appears dainty. Sideways positioning is
also possible. Every order will include a
large 16-page pamphlet which contains full color
artwork of the five gals.
Itoh and Chika Nobue are sisters, with Itoh playing
the part of jaded teenager who is seemingly
disaffected beyond her years. Chika is younger but
more sensible than her older sibling. Three young
friends complete their unholy circle and the quintet
involve themselves in mundane situations made
interesting by their reactions to normal situations
and occurrences. An innocuous door-to-door cosmetics
salesman is accused of being a molester, an underage
Itoh smokes and drinks, and other contrasts which
challenge the rhyme of "sugar and spice, and
everything nice."
In the PS2 game, the protagonist returns to Hamamatsu and spends
four weeks of the summer with Itoh and gang in
interactive scenarios. The world map in Ichigo is
viewed from overhead and a few buildings of interest
are highlighted. Five little faces appear on the
buildings where the different girls are hanging out.
To visit someone, click on a building and be greeted
by a girl that is morose, puzzled, peeved, happy, or
bored. It all depends on the situation and how one
handles it will affect how the girl feels towards
the protagonist. Various sound effects also convey
the surroundings. When the gals are at the beach,
the sound of water and waves will reverberate in the
background. Various mini-games such as "Space Shot"
may also be enjoyed.
To reinforce the atmosphere of the Ichigo Mashimaro animation, the
voice actresses from the series supply their
impressive vocal talents to the girls as follows:
Nobue Itoh - Played by Hitomi Nabatame
Chika Itoh - Played by Saeko Chiba
Matsuri Sakuragi - Played by Ayako Kawasumi
Miu Matsuoka - Played by Fumiko Orikasa
Ana Coppola - Played by Mamiko Noto
The voice actresses mutter, yell, snipe, and massage every word for
a lively Ichigo Hashimaro experience.
During the course of interaction, the girls will develop feelings
for the protagonist which is denoted by hearts. Each
girl's portrait is shown inside a circle and five
hearts are above each one. If you have pleasant
interactions, the hearts will slowly fill up.
When indoors, options available include:
Go out - View the overhead map and inspect where
the gals are
Phone - Reach out and touch someone
Item - Use an item
Schedule - check the calendar for pre-arranged
outings
When in your room, options include:
Sleep - Visit the sandman
Mail - Email a girl and get to know her better
Item - Use an item
Schedule - check the calendar for pre-arranged
outings |
