Review: I-Chu: Chibi Edition is weighed down by the influence of its original mobile game.

I have a passion for mobile rhythm games such as Love Live School Idol Festival, Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage, and I-Chu. The excitement of gathering character cards, leveling them up, and employing those decks to guarantee I have enough strength to beat song levels has always been exhilarating. Additionally, Japanese idol music is quite enjoyable. I-Chu: Chibi Edition appeared to be the perfect game for me because it has everything I like without any free-to-play distractions. Despite being a one-time purchase game, many of those mobile features still interfere with the experience. Furthermore, the translation is remarkably clumsy.

Etoile Vie School is an institution where young men of different ages can enroll in order to become idols. They undergo various training programs in order to become excellent performers. Where do we enter? We are the manufacturer who assists them along the way. We gather character cards to create teams, earn points by playing rhythm-game songs with those decks, and read very brief visual novel chapters detailing their path to fame.

Essentially, this is the process of the gameplay loop. You complete a song on the easy difficulty level with your team of five “talents” that you obtained through gacha pulls. These cards can be merged or upgraded to enhance their power. Upon completing specific songs, you have the opportunity to delve into several narrative chapters. After unlocking a new track, successfully complete it to unlock more story chapters.

Before we proceed, understand that this is not an otome game. Though the producer in your “avatar” is female, there is no romantic aspect present. None of the side stories with those elements from the mobile game are present in the I-Chu: Chibi Edition.

From what I’ve observed, it seems that you can only access more of the story in I-Chu: Chibi Edition by playing on the “easy” difficulty. What you must do in order to progress and gain access to additional gacha banners. Sometimes, the simplified versions of songs play it too safe, and I always manage to get a perfect score on them. Particularly because all of the virtual “friends” available for help have reached the maximum party limit.

To be honest, it might actually not be a bad idea to skip the story. The localization is poor. There are numerous clumsy expressions and peculiar word selections present here. At times, there is incorrect spacing and punctuation between letters. It’s not as terrible as The Villainess is Adored by the Prince of the Neighbor Kingdom, but occasionally it does come close. It’s strange because PQube translations are usually quite reliable.

I was similarly let down by the excessive amount of unlocking required for a console adaptation of a mobile game. Currently, there is someone willing to spend $30 on I-Chu: Chibi Edition. At the minimum, every song should be accessible right away in the free-play area, allowing you to easily listen to any tracks you like. However, they are not. You must read the narrative in order to access them. Likewise, some gacha banners are not accessible. Once more, you must open them.

When it comes to the gacha system in I Chu: Chibi Edition, I have numerous concerns. The chances appear to be just as unfavorable as in a mobile game. After five hours of gameplay, I have obtained only a single LE card, which happens to be for Li Chaoyang. Given that this is entirely offline and extracted from the mobile version, one would expect the rate to change.

It’s unfortunate, because the rhythm game part of I-Chu: Chibi Edition is really enjoyable. Once you begin to unlock a decent amount of tracks, maybe 10-20, you will begin to discover some favorites! Many of the songs were very catchy, and all the singers who performed them seemed quite talented. Enjoyment can be found in Normal and Hard levels, while Maniac offers a genuine challenge.

The concept of I-Chu: Chibi Edition appeals to me, as it offers a single purchase option for a mobile game that provides access to nearly all features. Still, its hindrance lies in how it requires you to unlock all features, the uncomfortable localization, and the ongoing frustrating gacha system. I’m enjoying the music! The game’s rhythm aspect is very stable! After acquiring a few good cards, you have the potential to create powerful teams! All the extra things around it weigh it down.

It is now your time to shine as a producer! Only you have the ability to provide aspiring idols with the guidance they need on their path to fame. Etoile Vie School, established by a prestigious talent agency, is a unique institution that aims to educate and groom aspiring idols. 32 hopefuls, referred to as “I-Chu,” have been selected to enroll in this school and are dedicatedly striving towards their big debut. Reviewed the Switch edition. Copy for review was given by company for testing.

I’m a fan of the concept behind I-Chu: Chibi Edition, since the idea of a single-purchase version of a mobile game is attractive, yet the implementation is not successful.