Cy Girls (video game)
Two discs, two agents, one spy-fi mission.
In 2004, Konami brought the Cy Girls action figures to the PlayStation 2 with an action-adventure game. Released as COOL GIRL in Japan, it follows secret agents Ice and Aska on their missions. Critics found the game stylish but criticized its puzzles and gameplay, leading to mixed reviews.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Konami Computer Entertainment Japan
- Publisher
- Konami
- Released
- February 19, 2004 (JP)
- March 23, 2004 (NA)
- May 7, 2004 (EU)
- Genre
- Action-adventure; Third-person shooter
- Modes
- Single-player
- Platforms
- PlayStation 2
Facts from the source article.
Plot
Set in 2084, twenty-six years after the global power failure known as Damnation Monday, Cy Girls follows two CG agents. Ice, a genius hacker and firearms expert, is tasked with destroying an information file in the Buenos Aires headquarters of Net Justice, guided by her partner Sancho. Aska, a master female ninja, seeks to avenge her father's death in a secret Japanese village, aided by her brother Kogetsu. Other CG members appear as support.
Gameplay
Cy Girls is an action-adventure game combining puzzle-solving with two distinct combat styles. Aska uses ninja-oriented melee combat and stealth, while Ice employs firearms with cover mechanics, somersaults, and cartwheels. The game is split across two discs: Ice's scenario on disc one, Aska's on disc two. Each character has unique abilities—Aska can run on walls and has a guard meter that depletes when blocking, while Ice uses auto-targeting. After completing a disc, additional characters and an Extra Mode are unlocked, allowing any combination of weapons, characters, or outfits. All characters can enter the Cyber Dimension (Cy-D), where standard moves are disabled and only punches and kicks are available; players have ten minutes before a game over.
Development
Konami announced Cy Girls for the PlayStation 2 on May 9, 2002, and showcased it at the 2002 Tokyo Toy Show, targeting a 2003 worldwide release. The game was shown at E3 in May 2002, where North American release plans were confirmed. Demos appeared at the World Hobby Expo in Tokyo in July 2003, and at E3 and TGS that same year. The CG cutscenes were produced by Digital Frontier, known for work on Bono Bono and Ping Pong; sound effects were by Shizuo Kurahashi. The game uses the Metal Gear Solid 2 engine and offers two camera modes: Novice (auto-follow) and Expert (manual control), with an optional enemy lock feature. A limited edition Ice figure was bundled with the game in Japan, and 100 Aska figures (based on an unused outfit) were distributed via lottery. The COOL GIRL Konami Official Perfect Guide was released on March 31, 2004.
Reception
Cy Girls received mixed reviews, according to Metacritic. Famitsu scored it 26 out of 40. GamePro's Tokyo Drifter described it as appealing only to devoted fans of the action-figure line, noting that good ideas were wasted by repetitive level exploration. In 2009, GamesRadar+ counted it among games with untapped franchise potential, citing half-formed ideas and shoddy level design with excessive backtracking. The game was also included on GamesRadar+'s list of top shower scenes in games in 2012.
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