Dethroning the dancing queen in Pinky St Kira Kira Music Night

Poor Evil has it pretty rough. In Pinky St Kira Kira Music Hour, the DS dancing game based on the Pinky St line of figurines, she thought she'd be picked by Ange as the successor and lead dancer for Club Angela. Instead, some "green girl" named Puuchi came along, learned from dancers in other districts and outdanced Evil to inherit Ange's position in Angela. How dare someone upstage Evil!

So Pinky St Kira Kira Music Night begins with Evil outside Ange, in the same position as Puuchi was in the previous game. She still hasn't recovered from her fall from grace, and is still determined to somehow outdo Puuchi. So she decides to travel around Rainbow Town as well, challenging all of the other dancers in their home clubs, in an attempt to learn, and perhaps top, Puuchi's success. Evil won't be beaten by some ditzy blond!

At first only a few club districts are open for visiting (the same ones that were initially open in Pinky St Kira Kira Music Hour), Megu Road, Omotesa Park, and Kira Kaiban. Each district will have a dance club, a photo op place, a gashapon machine for accessories and a store. In each club, Evil has to dance against the main dancer and the district's shop keeper to learn their style.

Dancing is handled in a pretty novel way. Once a dance battle begins, players are prompted to turn the DS on its side, so it is like a book. There are three "panel" areas on the touch screen, and on the very top is a grid that resembles music bars. The other screen displays the two dancers and the crowd bar, which tells you if the crowd wants Evil or her opponent to win. The bars on the touch screen will light up in time to the music, and players tap them to dance. Occasionally players also have to drag along this portion as well if they select harder difficulties at the outset.

Once Evil has conquered a area, she'll receive a dance challenge from either Miki Miki, O-hara or Ako. After she unlocks the first three areas, other districts like Shibu Promenade, Ebi Street, Shimuki Town and T.O.C. also open up. Each area, and each one of the dance challengers, have their own music style. For example, country, parapara, Enka, pop, rock, game and hip hop music are all represented by different sections.

After all the challenges are complete, Evil finally gets the opportunity to challenge Puuchi. The two decide to work together as Angela's stars. Also Miki Miki, O-hara and Ako each go off to join some of the other districts. (For example, Miki Miki returns to Shibu Promenade with Maki and Reina.) So a happy ending all around! Defeating the game also allows you to restart, with faces for all of the other dancers and shop keepers in the game and all of the outfit pieces and items you earned during your runthrough.

And if you really thought the characters were cute, then all of them are available in assorted stores online, with the exception of Ange (Angela's previous lead dancer) and Emi (Angela's shop keeper). The Evil Pinky St. doll was available with the Pinky St Kira Kira Music Hour soundtrack and a special edition of the Pinky St Kira Kira Music Night game, and the Puuchi Pinky was available with a special edition of the first game, Pinky St Kira Kira Music Hour.

Images courtesy of Dimple Entertainment.