Backbone's Isaac Bender talks about Brooktown High: Senior Year

Posted Apr 11, 2007 at 6:43AM by Karl B. Listed in: Interviews, Titles, Games Tags: Backbone Entertainment, Konami, Sony
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Brooktown High: Senior Year - Image 1


Brooktown High: Senior Year is a dating sim game for the Sony PSP handheld system. Now, that might not sound "cool" to some of the more "macho" gamers out there in Gamerland, but this title looks to be one hell of a fun game. Anyway, NetJak managed to score an interview with Backbone Entertainment's Isaac Bender, the lead programmer for Brooktown High: Senior Year.

Bender revealed that there's no multiplayer planned for Brooktown High: Senior Year, but he says that if they get a chance to do a sequel, it's definitely one of the things they'd like to use. Bender also revealed some details about the characters who players will be encountering - and dating - in the game. Here's what he said:

As far as the 20 datable characters go, there's a wide range of guys of girls. We've established four basic cliques - jock, prep, rebel and nerd - and the characters generally fall into one of those categories, though many of them are a combination of two of the cliques.

But each character is really unique and most them have little quirks that make them really fun to interact with. For example, Nigel is paranoid about being hit on the head by falling space debris. If you go on a date with him anywhere outdoors, he's going to be uncomfortable and looking for shelter. Another quirky character is Delia, who is convinced she's half elf.

Of course, fleshed-out NPCs would mean squat without a good player character. Here's Bender on the player customization features that can be found in Brooktown High: Senior Year:


As far as the player character, anything goes. Players can fully customize their in-game likenesses to be whatever they want. We get you started with a "Cosmo-magazine" style personality quiz that sets your gender, personality type and initial stats. Once you set your personality, there's a character creator, where you can customize a lot of things about your character, like height, weight, hair, and skin color.

Another cool thing you can do is select your "emo type" which determines the set of animations your character uses throughout the game, and has choices like Confident, Sexy, Mellow, and Shy. The datable characters do have voiceover, but not of every single word. If their dialogue is lengthy, the first line or phrase will have voiceover, but the rest will not.


With high levels of customization and playback value, we're sure those who've played through their share of dating sims for other systems (one memorable title that comes to mind is Tokimeki Memorial, the game that inspired Brooktown High: Senior Year) will find this one worthy of being the first true dating sim for the PSP.

Brooktown High: Senior Year from Konami and Backbone Entertainment is slated for a May 22 release. For the full interview, click on the "read" link below.

 
 
 

Comments [refresh]

by Danj - 2007-04-11 02:43
» ugh

"we're sure those who've played through their share of dating sims for other systems (one memorable title that comes to mind is Tokimeki Memorial, the game that inspired Brooktown High: Senior Year) will find this one worthy of being the first true dating sim for the PSP."



Well, yes, they would... if the character designs didn't make people want to rip their eyes out and boil them in oil, or possibly do Exorcist-style projectile vomiting. The dialogue that's been shown in the screenshots we've seen so far leaves something to be desired too.

by databoy2k - 2007-04-11 04:32
» Dating Sim Eh?

"we're sure those who've played through their share of dating sims for other systems (one memorable title that comes to mind is Tokimeki Memorial, the game that inspired Brooktown High: Senior Year) will find this one worthy of being the first true dating sim for the PSP."



You know what else? I'm sure those who've played their share of dating sims really badly need to experience a date in real life. I have to admit, this to me is right up there with calling the PSP "Sexy." I can't help but laugh at people with that sad of lives that they'd find a game console "sexy" or a dating simulator to be "worthy" of more than a trip to the trash.



It'd be one thing to game with your girl... it's another thing to have your girl in a game, if you know what I'm saying. Maybe my preference is pushing her *real* buttons, and not the ones marked with an X ;)...



Sorry to flame the fanboys of this genre, but come on guys - they say we're outnumbered on this planet, surely you can find SOME girl in the real world!



--Databoy2k

by z7shaft - 2007-04-11 06:46
» z7shaft

get a life

a real chick

a social life





not a dumbass game with weird graphix...

dating simulator will never give you what you want

will never be enough



you have to experience the real thing

by wolf - 2007-04-11 07:47
» ...

who is buying it...

people with no life

by Dude!!! - 2007-04-11 08:17
» Dude!!!

Without online play not good for this kain of game..............its a game you can't date 8 girls in real life or can U you? o_o

by jjcool - 2007-04-11 09:30
» can u

can u have sex in this game???

by Rachel - 2007-04-11 10:03
» z7shaft is a virgin

So.. experience it with your psp's umd slot you strawberry short ***** wiseass..

by Rachel - 2007-04-11 10:05
» of course

you just can have sex with a hologram..

by Rachel - 2007-04-11 10:06
» I do

and I have a life.. I have a car, a BF.. AND A PSP!! stfu... LOL

by really? - 2007-04-11 10:15
» really?

are there tits and stuff in it?? cuz that would make it totally worth buying (by buying i mean downloading :P)

by internetsbadass - 2007-04-11 11:36
» pimping

a bunch of virgins trying to look cool on the interwebs on how they have a life and don't need this piece of ***** game with these ugly ass biatchies...

if you had a life you wouldn't be posting here in the first place...

by Not logged in - 2007-04-11 12:08
» Lol, agreed.

My friend once said to one of those pixel lovers, "At least my girlfriend's name doesn't end in .JPG!"

by bob - 2007-04-11 12:39
» you had a life

then y did you post

by z7shaft - 2007-04-11 14:03
» z7shaft

Well I Do have a life, and I drop here sometimes when checking for updates on homebrew.

Am a very busy dev for a company and just got involved in all this psp thing, and its going well!



it doesn't matter if you get that game, but what do you prefer, your virtual preprogrammed AI chick, or a real girl, maybe not like the girls on the game, but at least real.

by databoy2k - 2007-04-11 21:48
» Rachel 1, z7shaft 0

POINT!

Sorry, couldn't resist!

--Databoy2k

by Rachel - 2007-04-12 04:42
» :)

bang me databoy2k

by Rachel - 2007-04-12 04:44
» LOL..

then you havent heard about I-Doser yet, don't cha? LOL.. Loser...

by lol - 2007-04-13 07:16
» lol

o yes u can :)

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