Years of loyalty means something in Planeptune. After being a side character in the very first Hyperdimension Neptunia game back in 2010, IF, (or Iffy as her friends call her,) has moved up from wandering adventurer and guild leader to main character! In Superdimension Neptune Vs. Sega Hard Girls, Iffy leads the charge alongside newcomer, Segami, against the Sega Hard Girls as they fight to protect the history of Gamindustri.
If you’re unfamiliar with who the Sega Hard Girls are, the characters are human incarnations of Sega consoles that have been featured in various manga, anime and game projects in Japan. So naturally, having them integrated into the Neptunia universe is a perfect fit. Seeing as this game is heavily built around the former console manufacturer, the Sega based CPU’s will be the only ones to face off against the Hard Girls. So if you’re hoping to see Vert renew her relationship with Iffy, or even Noire and Blanc return after the release of their own games, you’re out of luck. However, I’m all for Plutia, Neptune, Nepgear and the newest CPU who debuted in this year’s Megadimension Neptunia VII, Uzume Tennouboshi, getting their time to shine. Even if our typical protagonist is a motorcycle this time for some reason.
But Neptune becoming a two wheeled vehicle isn’t the only change coming in this crossover RPG, since the battle system takes on some interesting new mechanics compared to the mainline series. Developed by Felistella, the team behind the excellent Re;Birth remakes for the PS Vita, the battle system looks nearly identical at first. Once you start playing however, longtime fans will notice how much has changed with IF in the lead. The typical Guard Break system has been replaced with a standard set of normal and special attacks. Adopting a turn order system similar to games like Final Fantasy X while retaining the free movement gameplay that the series is known for, who goes first is determined by how much you attack. Each character can attack as much as they want until they fill up a meter that prevents them from acting any further. Going crazy and beating your opponents into the ground might not be the best way to go though, because the more you attack, the longer you’ll have to wait until your next turn comes up. The last thing you want for your adorable party is to become completely helpless while the enemies grind your health to zero.
As we know, it wouldn’t be a Neptunia game without crazy transformations, and Sega Hard Girls will be no different. The thing is, Iffy never got a cool form like the CPU’s in past games. As the star this time around, that’s all about to change. Acting in battle will also fill up your Fever, which allows you to literally jump up and grab the extra power to perform a Dream Fusion in the middle of a battle, (from a gem that resembles a Chaos Emerald no less.) With Iffy sporting an awesome red jacket to go with her new blonde hair, and Segami being able to take the form of the Sega Hard Girls as the game progresses, (which includes Game Gear, Mega Drive, Sega Saturn and Dreamcast for those keeping track,) the girls will be playing with power when we’re finally able to play through their journey to keep history from falling apart.
With brand new worlds and environments to explore, game references that go so far back that even the hardest of the hardcore might miss out on them, and a greater emphasis on exploration to go with the updated battle system, I’m really looking forward to how this crossover is going to play out. Between getting to see IF in the lead role, the Sega Hard Girls making their first non-cameo appearance in a Western released video game, or playing with some fan favorite Neptunia CPU’s, here’s one more reason to be a Vita owner when Fall rolls around. Now, where’s our Vert game!?