Do the Mambo

(tags game, keyboard, love simulation, date, Dreamcast)

Well after a day of rest and trying two more times, I passed that shiritori part of Typing of the Date, w00t. I made it through with an S rating (though SSS is the best). On the 3rd stage, though, they blindsided me with a yamanotesen (山手線ゲーム) game. At the time, Wikipedia didn't have any information on it, but according to this page, it's a word game for parties. It's straightforward enough. Just select and type a word that matches the theme, but don't repeat a word that has been said already. Ugh. My Japanese phonetic reading skill does not compare to my lack of vocabulary.

Out of the 3 times I tried and failed, there were two topics: "names of fish" (魚類) and "names of Kansai train stations" (関西の駅). I don't know names of fish in Japanese at all. Don't even expect me to guide you through a sushi bar! I know mambo is a fish, because one of my old USB memory thingies was nicknamed "mambo" because hey it looked like that fish. But I was racking up the points on the "names of Kansai train stations". Hey I've lived (and still do) in Kansai for 6 years already, so... But I still failed after probably one or two more at-bats. At least I have a fighting chance next time.

I hate these mini-games, because if you fail just once, you have to start the whole level again. Plus it's hard to learn from just one mistake. What is the point of the life bar if you can't use it?