Name: Alchemic Girl (67.00% in 10 votes)
Type: SIM
Platform: WINDOWS
Company: Black Package
Release date: 1998
Reviewed by: Lamuness
Now let's see... What game has both a bring-up Simulation component as well as a fighting/exploring RPG component? Personally, the only game I can think of is Princess Maker, not much else. Well, Black Package has released Alchemic Girl, which has both of these components, just like Princess Maker.
The game takes place in the late-19th-century to early 20th-century England. At that time, as some of you might know, there is this thing call Alchemy. FYI, Alchemy is the so-called chemistry where scientists try to convert regular metals and stones into precious Gold. For course, this doesn't work, but people at that time don't know that. Anyways, the player (you) belongs to a rich family and has a definite interest in adventures and mysterious things. When you grew up, with your uncle's help, you went to an Alchemy lab, and you became a Alchemy scientist. Later on, 3 cute girls will join the lab, and you are responsible to teach them the "science" of Alchemy.
As I said before, there are 2 components in the game. In the bring-up simulation, you guide your students to mix stones and metals into the "oven" (hell, I know nothing about Alchemy so sorry about the stupid term) and result varies from bad to good to very good. And the students' stats will increase accordingly. Whatever stuff you get out of the "oven" is yours to keep, ranging from tea kettles to frying pans. Besides mixing stuff, you can choose to go to town to purchase stones for mixing or other items, go speak to the head of the Alchemy lab, or go to sleep. On Sundays, you can also choose to take one of your students out for a date.
The RPG component is basically another Zone's Youju Ranbu's 3D-dungeon-one-point-perspective-maze concept. Every now and then the head of the lab orders you and your students to go the dungeons (full of monsters) to get Alchemy ingredients for her. You will get EXP and your level will go up. During battles, you don't attack with super-duper weapons. Instead, you attack with the wooden rods, tea kettles, frying pans, or simply whatever you get out of your "oven" earlier during the bring-up simulation stage. Also, the stats applicable in the bring-up simulation affects your performance in battles.
Personally, I find it very intriging to see both components merge together in many different ways. Also, I LOVE the idea of attacking with tea kettles and frying pans. Not only are they funny, but also is a fine example of how the 2 components work with each other. However, I think that both components are still slightly too simplistic, especially the RPG component. If they have more dungeons, and vivid the battles more(the battles are just a bunch of messages, no effects), Alchemic Girl will be a much better game. The graphics, although not as insanely beautiful as Cocktail Soft's games, are still very nice. Also, the music and sound effects are done very nicely.
Overall, despite the slight simplicity of the game, Alchemic Girl is a really nice game, and it's definitely worth playing. I think it's probably one of Black Package's best games ever released. It has a very innovative idea and game designs which keeps you hitting people with tea kettles. No, don't do that hehe.
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