Image via PQUBE
We all have our secrets – And my dark obsession is my adoration for anime-themed rhythm games. From Hatsune Miku’s Colorful Stage! to Theatrhythm Final Bar Line, I want to hit buttons to a sick, J-Pop beat. I*CHU: Chibi Edition lets me do just that but as a converted mobile game filled with visual novel elements and gacha mechanics.
When most visual novel fans think of gacha, we immediately get hit with that impending doom of microtransactions seen in Pokémon Masters EX or Genshin Impact among other titles. However, publisher PQube provides all the joy of pulling characters and progressing storylines without spending any extra money. Play rhythm games, get currency, and unlock idols, all for an astoundingly affordable price.
Key Details
- Developer: Liber Entertainment Inc./ OperaHouse Corporation
- Publisher: PQube
- Platform: Nintendo Switch
- Release Date: October 3, 2024 (English Release)
- Where to Buy: Nintendo Store
- Price: $29.99
- Review Copy Provided: Yes
An Evolution Worth Playing
The I*CHU series has an interesting background. It was originally released as a mobile game in 2015, and met with intense interest from players in Japan. Unfortunately, the game was taken offline in 2020. Despite this, the developers went on to make it playable offline, eventually developing I*CHU: Chibi Edition for the Nintendo Switch.
Now, I*CHU: Chibi Edition has been translated into English thanks to publisher PQube, allowing new audiences to enjoy the visual novel/rhythm game hybrid.
We take on the role of a young producer training up a collection of aspiring idols. The 32 characters all have interesting personality quirks, anime tropes, and voices as sweet as sugar. This is a good thing – As it’s their music you’ll be playing in the rhythm game elements of the title.
I*CHU: Chibi Edition is broken into three main elements: The rhythm game, the visual novel stories, and the gacha mechanics. They each have their pros and cons, with some elements of the game outweighing others in enjoyability.
Nothing Beats A Huge Library of Music
The Rythm Game element of I*CHU: Chibi Edition is by far the best part of the entire game. While it absolutely sucks to play on joy-cons, thanks to the Nintendo Switch’s touchscreen, it can be played by tapping the screen on the circles where the button directions sit.
Because the game was originally played on mobile devices, I would highly recommend playing directly on the screen. It is much more intuitive and lets the rhythm game mechanics shine.
I*CHU: Chibi Edition boasts an enormous library of J-Pop for players to unlock. There are also multiple difficulty levels, with the hardest settings reminiscent of the “Expert” mode of DDR.
This game turned me into a monster. All day, all I thought about was getting my Switch out so I could play more songs. I wanted to unlock more. I wanted to have them all so I could thumb through my library like a dragon sitting on a stack of J-Pop CDs. It was disgusting, and I enjoyed every minute of it.
Even right now, I am thinking about how many songs I still need to beat on the higher difficulty settings.
In short, I*CHU: Chibi Edition‘s rhythm game elements are top-tier. They are fun, the music is great, and the gameplay is addictive. Just this set of mechanics alone is worth buying the game.
Gotta Gacha ‘Em All
I love a good gacha mechanic. There is something so satisfying about sticking currency into a digital machine and watching it spit out new characters for me to look at and admire.
I appreciate that the gacha system in I*CHU: Chibi Edition is built entirely around currency earned by playing songs and progressing the main storylines and seasons.
However, this element of the game is deeply hampered by a few really unfortunate issues. First, the systems aren’t well explained in English. It’s hard to understand what it is you are collecting when you first start putting I-CHU Discs into the pull pools.
Additionally, when you pull a particularly rare character, the image pops up in a grainy, pixelated resolution that ruins the experience of getting a premium reward. After a few of these, I was so disappointed I started to avoid the gacha tab entirely, opting to focus on getting more songs instead.
I am sure that anyone who played the mobile game when it was still live likely had a wonderful time playing the gacha, I just wish it had been better optimized for the Switch, and that the English directions were a bit clearer on what the purpose of all the pulls were for. I can tell that all the scores are important and that getting new characters offers more options and helps with scoring on songs, but trying to puzzle it all out is a hassle I didn’t enjoy.
Tropes Everywhere From Every Anime Ever
When it comes to the visual novel elements of I*CHU: Chibi Edition, this game pulls out all the stops. Super cute shy character that has a stuffed animal mascot? Check. Super grumpy, dark-haired macho dude? Check. Absolutely annoying blond “American” with Naruto energy? Check and check again.
In fact, when I first started working through the story, I found myself flooded with flashes from every anime I had ever watched. I*CHU: Chibi Edition gives Ouran High School Host Club meets Fruits Basket meets Card Captor Sakura. It’s so intense, and there are so many characters that they become an onslaught of single-toned talking heads.
I wanted to like the story element of I*CHU: Chibi Edition so badly. I am a die-hard fan of otome visual novels, and was here for chapters and chapters of adorable anime boys doing their best to become singers. Unfortunately, a mixture of flat English translations and runaway tropes just left me feeling empty. I found myself idly thumbing through chapters just to get to the next song challenge.
It’s a shame, because the art and character designs are disgustingly cute and I wanted to put all of the dumb boys in my pockets and take them home.
So many games that start as mobile apps have this issue. You can see where the paywalls used to be, where the encouragement to spend real money would have allowed players to get more energy or currency to get to the next chapter – but for the song they wanted to unlock, not for the story they were trying to read through.
It’s a tough break really, as I felt that with more organic conversation via the translations, this could have been more engaging.
Final Score – 7/10
I*CHU: Chibi Edition is a great rhythm game, and for the price, it is absolutely worth it. The massive song library and addictive gameplay make it so much fun to play, and any J-Pop fan will adore the wide variety of music.
Unfortunately, the wobbly gacha mechanics and cardboard storyline really hold I*CHU: Chibi Edition back as far as the visual novel elements go. There are just better options out there for fans wanting a deep story with good writing.
I*CHU: Chibi Edition isn’t one to miss out on if you enjoy a good rhythm game, but it won’t be the best fit for everyone. I’d recommend it specifically for gamers looking for a low-stakes, cozy title with excellent music.
**Bonus Action was provided with a Nintendo Switch copy of I*CHU: Chibi Edition for the purpose of this review.**
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