Kiniro no Corda PSP
Now that I finally have a PSP, after having the Kiniro no Corda original game for, oh, about 2 years XD, I am finally playing it. It’s interesting playing through the first story while being familiar with the characters from 2 Encore and seeing them meet and develop relationships.
The gameplay has some differences from 2 Encore, and it took me a while to figure out how to play. I’ll compare the process in getting ready for a performance in each:
1. Get music for a performance.
- Original:Each piece is split up into three or more sections, and you need to get them from Fahta (fairies) that you can only find in an area after practicing by yourself.
- Encore 2: Buy a piece of music at Lily’s store.
In both games, you need a certain skill level to play each piece, and if it’s not high enough, you need to practice other pieces to raise it first. But in the original, you also have a level for each of three styles, and these also have to be high enough for each piece. Also, harder pieces have certain skills that you require, which you get by perfecting easier pieces. You can also buy skills at the fahta stores.
2. Practice pieces alone.
- Original: It doesn’t matter where you are to practice other than being able to run around and look for Fahta afetr practicing. People don’t listen to you practice.
- Encore 2: Different places have bonuses to practicing in them, but you can also go where people are and get Bravo Points practicing in public.
3. ‘Finish’ pieces.
- Original: First you have to get the adaptations of a piece. To do this, you need to get to 20 with each section of a piece, then run around finding Fahtas with adaptation bells. When you ring these bells, you see a little skit (literally, it’s on the school stage with characters acting) about the origin of the piece and showing keywords to describe that adaptation. Sometimes you choose answers to add keywords as well. These keywords come into play when choosing what adaptation to play in a concert, because they each have keywords that you should try to match. The you need to practice an adaptation to perfect it – this is when you can get bravo points.
- Encore 2: You have to get people to play pieces in an ensemble with you. The concerts require different numbers of pieces to be ready, and you have to choose a good ‘order’ depending on the styles of the pieces. Each piece requires a certain combination of instruments, and each musician (either a major character or a music student) has a certain requirement before they’ll play with you. When you have an ensemble ready, you all need to practice together to gain expertise at a piece. Some characters (ahem, Kaji) are kind of low level when you first meet them, so you might have to practice with them (as a duet) before they’re high enough to play certain pieces.
4. Perform in concerts.
- Original: Here you compete with the other major characters. I haven’t won one yet, haha, so I don’t know exactly what it takes, but I think it’s a combo of difficulty level of the piece), perfection level both in the original and adaptation.
- Encore 2: You put on a concert and try to get a certain level of audience response. Before the concert you also have to play in earshot of enough people to get them to attend – each concert has increasing required attendance. The audience response depends on how many people are there, how perfect your ensemble is and how good the players are at the piece, and the difficulty level. You also don’t get as many points if you re-use pieces from past concerts.
5. Win.
- Original: Apparently you don’t have to win the competition to get a good ending – I didn’t, and I got Yunoki’s ending, though I’m not sure if it’s the *best* ending possible with him.
- Encore 2: You do need to ‘win’, but it’s more a question of survival – each step has its own pass requirements that you need to achieve.
Other differences:
- In Encore 2 Lily is the only fahta
- In the original you can do quizzes with Lily to get free items, as well as getting them when you’ve found certain numbers of fahta.
- No Kaji in the original! Wahhh!!
- Some different spots in the original that you can run around, like the train station.
- No dates in the original, since you’re just developing relationships.
- No ‘fights’ in the original – in Encore 2 major characters would have an argument while practicing in an ensemble and you’d have to help them make up.
- I don’t know if there’s any point in playing a duet or ensemble in the original, though you can do it. Maybe just more bravo points? Also, in the original you have to be near each person you want to play with, you don’t just call them up like in Encore 2.
- In the original time to practice and talk to people is calculated as minutes until 6pm when you go home. In Encore 2 you have a set number of practice sessions and events don’t factor into this.
Overall, I think I like Encore 2 better – it’s slightly easier, and characters have more events. But the original is definitely very good, and as the first in the series, is important to play to get background for each character.
Has anyone else played both? Which did you like better? Anything I missed that you’ve noticed?
Nise no Chigiri
VitaminX Evo Plus
Miyako
I too prefer Encore 2 cos its easier! And i like the concept of performing together with the other characters instead of performing solo like in the original one.
PS: I have to agree with you..Kaji is also my fav one..Hee~