New Style Boutique 2 Fashion Forward review

Some months ago I was exited to announce that Girls Mode 3 was being released in Japan, the new sequel to Style Boutique (Europe) and Style Savvy (USA). I have liked playing the first two games because of their management style gaming and the way the games make the utmost of online functionality. By now, the game has been released in Europe, although there’s still no news about an American release. I’ve been playing it the last couple of weeks, time for my review.

The game starts with a letter from your grandmother, who has left you a tiny key. You feel like Alice in Wonderland when you open the tiny mysterious door to the dolls house, especially when a tiny girl come out, who introduces herself as Sophie. Apparently your grandmother played together with her grandmother in the town where Sophie lives, called Beaumonde city. After creating your own little character you find yourself in Beaumonde too, a town that isn’t as fashionable anymore as it used to be, although Sophie really tries with her fashion boutique. Pretty soon you find yourself taking on the management of the shop.

Managing the shop means making your customers happy by making sure you have their favorite brands and colors in stock, trying to find them the outfit that suits them best. Brands like Marzipan Sky, AZ-USA and Raven Candle have become familiar names for the fans of this games series. Stocking the clothes and accessories in the Exhibition Hall can kinda make you feel greedy, there’s so much to chose from as the game has 19.000 pieces in total. This game doesn’t have men’s fashion anymore, which is a bit of a pity, but then there’s loads to do, you won’t really miss it.

Changing your shops’ interior and background music, there’s a hairdresser that makes her appearance as well as a make up artist. As is usual in Style Boutique new features are added slowly to the game, and boy, there are a lot of features to add. You get to collect colors for the makeup pallets or for dying hair by snapping pictures around Beaumonde and showing the pictures to Iris. That way you will unlock new colors. There are six areas to visit in the town, and there’s always someone to chat with, drink a cup of coffee with or you can check out a rock concert at the club.

What I looked forward to most in the games however was the Caprice Chalet. In this house you can decorate dollhouse rooms, using miniature furniture that you can buy or that your clients give you. You can make a room at first, but soon you will have collected so many items that you can make bathrooms, cafes, restaurants etc. you will even be able to make functioning shops and rent the rooms to get a little income. Pictures you have taken, or selfies, can be turned into posters in the wall. The decorating isn’t as smooth as it is in Happy Home Designer, but the items you can use do look very crisp and sleek. Plus the rooms are exchangeable through Streetpass too. In the connectivity area there’s lots to enjoy, which I always think is a big plus in a game. Spotpass will bring you new clothing, you can use Amiibo to get special clothing items like a Mario cap. You can share your rooms, not only through Streetpass but online too using codes too.

You can of course compete in fashion shows, in the game but on MiiVerse as well, using the clothing items in the game or designing items yourself, combining patterns and fabrics, and even adding a hand drawn logo. You do the makeup, the hair, and you can even model them yourself, using button combinations to strike a pose on the runway. Like I said, there’s so much to do you’ll never be bored.
I can safely say this is the best game in the series, all the great things are back plus lots more. The girls are still clapping enthusiastically when you find them the right clothes, but I tend to smile indulgent at that. The game is always positive and happy, you’ll feel energized playing it. That’s youthful enthusiasm for you!