I’ll start by saying that I officially need a break from laptops. Everytime I go near my laptop at the moment it goes into super update mode and downloads the same old thing that I no longer need. This naturally sparked me to start playing NeverWinter on the PS4 and now life has become so anti-social that I feel if I go outside the sunlight would alienate my body and I might just burst into flames. In comes Idol Wars Online, a fantastic game to keep me sane and in darklight for the next several days.
I’ve done a couple of reviews for Nutaku in the past, so some of you may be familiar with them already. If not, then why not?! You should at least chuck the name into Google and see if there’s anything on there. You see Nutaku are an online gaming portal with *wait for it* an absolute tonne of online Japanese anime games. Not only that but all of them are pretty awesome and will keep you occupied for several days, especially if you play some of the naughtier ones (hands on boys!). The other positive is that it’s free so relax! You can put away your wallet and go buy yourself a bag of maltesers because it won’t cost you a thing!
So the new release by Nutaku is Idol Wars Online, is a J-Pop Manager Simulation, in which you take control of some fantastic Japanese pop sensations and send them out to gather more Japanese pop sensations. There’s lots of quests, recruiting, lessons and awesome skills that you can get a hold of!
The game kicks off with just an ordinary employee who becomes a top knotch producer for the entertaining world of Idol Wars. You’re introduced to Miwako, a shy and cute peached haired girl with breasts bigger than footballs. The game jumps into it pretty fast, and you’re introduced to your 10 idols who are all pretty unique and have lots of different skills, abilities and statistics. I’m not sure if these always remain the same, but I would imagine some do, some don’t.
After you’ve met your lovely ladies, you’re then told how to care for them and love them (Not in that way you sickos!). You can use idol and awakening items to increase the rarity of a star. Not only does this dramatically increase their statistics and increase their level cap, but it also seems to make them appear slightly different (a bit more glamorous) through evolution. Once you’ve done, you’ll be treated to a new look at your new idol. Before I even knew it, the game had snatched away my lovely Japanese cowgirl from me ( 
) lucky for me though I was treated to a couple of others just to help me mend my broken heart.
Whilst on your epic quest to the top of the charts, you will have a fun little mini game where you search for your rival. Once you find your rival, you will be able to send your girls on the attack, by attack I mean that they sing them to death… Or at least that’s what I think they do. But if you win, then you’ll be treated to some lovely rewards, which you will also get whilst scouting for your rivals and some new idols. Not only do you earn rewards and idols, but you also increase your production rank, meaning you can be more of a badass.
The game has lots of cool features such as the Break Limit. If you have more than one of the same idol, you can use the break limit function which allows you to increase the idol’s max level and give her even more lessons to make her stronger. Not only this but it also increases the rarity if you do it 3 times. This is a good way to use those excess idols and really make a difference in the music business.
After you’ve got a certain amount of idols, you can start forming different units, one for battling and one for recruiting. Nutaku always tend to make forming their units a little easy for the newer players, so don’t be afraid to use the auto-select button to grab hold of the recommended unit. You can feel free to mix and match as you please, but the logic behind the game will grab the most reliable of your squad for what you aim to accomplish, a great little feature!
If you’re feeling good enough you can also enter Dream Fest, a lovely event where 25 users face off against 25 other users in a battle of pop. I know that Nutaku have always included some element of Player VS Player in their games, but I wasn’t’ expecting this much. Each production can choose two entry times per day, and the competition is held five times each day.
If a giant orgy of destruction isn’t quite what you’re after, then you can go into the live battle where you can face 1 v 1 in a duel to the death… or maybe just to lose popularity I guess. This is a nice change of pace from questing, and allows you to see your girls in full swing. Not only this, but you also get some nice rewards for doing well, and increase your battle rank. Not to mention that I actually won my first online battle, something I’ve never actually done before!
The game rewards you in so many different ways that it’s unbelievable. You get gifts galore for practically doing nothing sometimes. If you’re feeling particularly lucky then you can partake in the Gacha, which will gift you a new lovely idol for your team. How good is that?!
The graphics in Idol Wars Online are great and really what you’d expect from an online Japanese anime based game. There’s clearly been a lot of time and detail placed into this game and I think it really pays off. All of the characters are unique and beautifully drawn and it’s becoming a popular trait of Nutaku to spend so much time and detail on their graphical design. As a game, the graphics really do shine through.
The music is minimal, which is nice because it’s only really needed when… when it’s needed. Still, the music is great and very catchy. Not only this but it’s also completely relevant of the game that you’re playing, so don’t go expecting some heavy rock anthems here, we’re talking strictly pop! Sound effects are always tricky to pull off, but it’s been done well, and when paired with the graphical elements it really does improve the entire ambience of the game.
Overall, the game is a blast to play and definitely something that I’d expect from a Nutaku game. If a J-Pop Manager Simulator isn’t really what you’re after then Nutaku have an entire host of games at their disposal like Kanpani Girls, an awesome game in which you control an army of super strong Japanese warrior girls with some big ass weapons! If that floats your boat then you can read my review here. If you’re still interested, and you must be if you’ve read all this then get yourself over to Nutaku and get your pop on!
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