Brooktown High: Senior Year review

The PSP gets its first "I forgot how much I hated High School" simulation

12DOVE Verdict

Pros

  • +

    Dialogue isn't half bad

  • +

    Characters are cartoon sexy

  • +

    Finally scoring

Cons

  • -

    Off-their-rocker behavior

  • -

    Three useless mini-games

  • -

    Missing in-game Spring Fling

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Just like the lovable-yet-undateable best friend character in every single teen date movie, Brooktown High: Senior Year has a heart of gold and a fatal flaw. Actually, it has several flaws, but the big one is that it recreates the erratic conversations and neurotic mood-swings of the teenage psyche too well. In other words: these babes are all crazy, and the bros aren't far behind.

Why else would the bikini-clad blonde invite you to the beach, then hate every outfit you wear (even the swimsuits the game tells you are perfect for the beach),then invite you to the make-out cave, but ditch you no matter what you said? Why else would the blue-haired goth hottie tell you she loved you on Saturday, ask you on Monday to make out and take her on more dates, and then stubbornly refuse to actually go on the requested date no matter what you said or which of the eleven possible date sites you invited her to? And why, oh why would she finally walk away with the request that you not wait too long before asking her out again? The answer is simple: somebody is off her meds.

Granted, things start off okay. You create your character - male or female - and choose a few personality attributes. Then, it's just a matter of choosing your clothes and making friends with the 20 other students at school (ten boys, ten girls). Your ultimate goal? Find your life partner... or at least someone to help you out with that whole "not having any sex" thing.

More info

GenreStrategy
DescriptionJust like real high school romance, this clique-ish dating sim is too neurotic to last.
Platform"PSP"
US censor rating"Teen"
UK censor rating""
Release date1 January 1970 (US), 1 January 1970 (UK)
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CATEGORIES
Eric Bratcher
I was the founding Executive Editor/Editor in Chief here at GR, charged with making sure we published great stories every day without burning down the building or getting sued. Which isn't nearly as easy as you might imagine. I don't work for GR any longer, but I still come here - why wouldn't I? It's awesome. I'm a fairly average person who has nursed an above average love of video games since I first played Pong just over 30 years ago. I entered the games journalism world as a freelancer and have since been on staff at the magazines Next Generation and PSM before coming over to GamesRadar. Outside of gaming, I also love music (especially classic metal and hard rock), my lovely wife, my pet pig Bacon, Japanese monster movies, and my dented, now dearly departed '89 Ranger pickup truck. I pray sincerely. I cheer for the Bears, Bulls, and White Sox. And behind Tyler Nagata, I am probably the GR staffer least likely to get arrested... again.