Information translated by Code Knightmare, with scans from Famitsu and Dengeki magazines. Please give credit by linking.

>> Go to PSP/PS2 preview of Code Geass: Lost Colors

nintendo ds lite Platform: Nintendo DS
Release date: Oct. 25, 2007 (Japan)
Rating: N/A
Gameplay style: RPG
No. of players: 1

What's a marvelously successful anime without a game to boast its success? You play as Lelouch, and like Lelouch, you can channel the power of the Geass to exert control on your enemies, teammates, and follow Lelouch's story as he attempts to change the course of the future.

Three modes of gameplay...
Gameplay revolves around three different modes. One mode has the player walk around in chibi form as someone other than Lelouch in a map-like area, the second mode prompts the player to fight against other Knightmares, and the third mode involves decision-making as you relive scenes from Code Geass. The most intriguing gameplay element would be what cinches the purchase for most fans.
Bandai makes good use of the DS's microphone by allowing the player, as Lelouch, to actually give voice commands using a built-in voice recognition system.
Bandai makes good use of the DS's microphone by allowing the player, as Lelouch, to actually give voice commands using a built-in voice recognition system. This attractive gameplay element is utilized in all three game modes. In map-mode, you play temporarily as a character such as Karen or Euphie, and by listening carefully to the now computer controlled-Lelouch's instructions, you must navigate Karen through the right roads on the map to her destination. From first-look, map-mode is nothing more than a simple task that gives you the excuse of hearing Lelouch voice-overs, such as "Head West!" or "Not that way!", over and over again. Not a very exciting prospect if you have to do it more than once.

Lelouch: Go east!
Soldier: Hey! We're being hit hard from behind!

In the name of Lelouch Vi Britannia!
Battle-mode doesn't get much more complex than that. You regain control of Lelouch and order your comrades to attack your enemies in a side-scrolling screen. On the command menu, you may choose between the options of "attack," "skill," "item," or "escape."
It'll feel like you're really interacting with your favorite characters as you shout, "Karen" or "Zero" to come to your aide.
How choosing to escape might affect the story is unknown, but from what the preview has shown, it's worth your time to stay and put up a fight. Battles are non-random encounters, where, you input voice commands to order a specific person to attack. It'll feel like you're really interacting with your favorite characters as you shout, "Karen" or "Zero" to come to your aide. Like pawns under mind-control, they'll do exactly as you say. Hopefully, this no-brainer attack mode is scrambled into something more interesting by the other options in the command menu. Like an RPG, you can choose special attacks or use items from the command menu. From the preview, it's difficult to tell if the battles will be turn-based, but that's likely the case since the game is denominated as an RPG.

Karen, Ougi, and Zero faces off against Viletta and Jeremiah. Input your command!
Call on your teammate! "Karen! Do it, do it now!"

The third mode may prove to use voice-recognition to the most amusing extent thus far in the game. This is where the most critical RPG element comes into play, and where the voice-recognition system gets to shine. While watching a series of cutscenes or experiencing an event, you would occasionally be prompted to use the power of the Geass. A menu appears on the lower screen, where phrases are flashed around the screen, much like the lower screen of the Fullmetal Alchemist game on the DS. Anyways, you'll be prompted to speak an order into the mic and Lelouch, reacting the phrase in his voice, causes the consequent on-screen scenes to occur. In one scene, you can command the soldiers from the second episode to shoot themselves, just like the anime. It appears that you are given the privilege to say a number of different phrases, and whatever you decide, would affect the storyline.

Speak one of the phrases. "In the name of Lelouch Vi Britannia, I order you...!"

Voice-recognition aside, another aspect that the game boasts is its graphical prowess. From cutscenes to voice-overs, Code Geass on the DS faithfully, lovingly reproduces the story from the anime. Fans of the series would definitely relish the chance to re-watch their favourite scenes and do their own voice-acting. Non-Code Geass veterans, however, should be cautious of this title, because as with any anime-based game, the story or characters may not appeal to you, and the gameplay style seems considerably lackluster and simple. One advantage of it being a DS game is that the DS is region-free, so fans outside of Japan may import without fear. Reserved copies include a bonus CD with screensaver, radio CM, and voices clips possibly used for ringtones.
Platform: PSP/PS2
Developer: Bandai-Namco
Release date: Mar. 27, 2008 (Japan)
Rating: N/A (pretty much T)
Gameplay style: Simulation
No. of players: 1
From the ashes of those naughty for-girl/for-guys Code Geass books, rise something similarly tantalizing on another medium that's-dare I say it- more erotically interactive than ever. Bandai-Namco unleashes Code Geass: Lost Colors on us all, and made it a dating sim that seems to come straight out of guilty fantasies.

I shall have you, my darling...
The premise is as sensible as a dating sim could concoct: you, the player, gets to create your own character, who has conveniently lost his/her memory. You're saved by Milly Ashford and introduced to the Ashford Academy, at which point you're free to accost any, and all, Code Geass characters who come your way. The game is pretty flexible, allowing you to choose to go after guy or girl, opening up many alternate scenarios never seen in the anime. Your character eventually gains the ability of Lelouch's Geass, so if you're looking for more control than picking up girls, you have the choice of allying with either the Order of the Black Knights or the Empire of Britannia, further multiplying the number of different routes you can take to complete your story. It could be- in fact-YOUR story, and with a cast of over 40 characters showing up in the game, and over 20 different endings, it's a choose-your-own-adventure of tremendous dating proportion. To amplify the experience, those characters are voiced by their original voice actors, an indispensable necessity to any anime-to-game adaptation.

That's the first time I've seen her blush, at least. Dating is a free-for-all, even if your partner is nearly an obscurity.

Most of the game, like any dating sim, revolves around interacting with characters and makiing decisions when prompted, which would yield the character to respond in some way. In this aspect, Lost Colors takes a new liberty to incorporate Code Geass's fighting context by including battle mode, where you fight your enemy under yet more prompts. These battles are accompanied by a set of animation footage so you can possibly re-enact scenes from the anime. Not limited to season one characters or scenes, players would be able to witness never-before-seen scenes as well as spot characters from season 2.

Port me up, Scotty.
Gameplay is exactly the same between the PSP and PS2 versions. One exception is that one console sports bonus scenarios plus other changes in scenario-related context. The more profound addition to the PS2 would be that you can "create events"; details are unknown, but Dengeki (Japanese gaming magazine) says, "You can even make your character say embarrassing things!" Oh boy. The PSP will not be without its perk, either. The Special Black Rebellion edition will include a UMD filled with 2 hours of condensed Code Geass which covers all of season one.
Lelouch says some firey things here. It's almost too corny to repeat in writing.

'Create your own character! Create your own scenario!'
Make no mistake, Lost Colors is a dating sim, and it does not try flatter itself as anything otherwise. Yet, with the exceptionally large cast of characters, yielding a staggering number of different prompts and decisions to make, Lost Colors shifts into the right fan-driven gear. If you're the adventurous type, however, Lost Colors will fail to fulfill since its whole gameplay revolve around reading and choosing a prompt. Whatever the case, Bandai-Namco must be reading minds of dreamers. Indeed, pairing Lelouch up with XXXXX is definitely a fun prospect to look forward to.

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