Comparison of Versions
Hmm, my bad for not doing this when I should have. That said, here’s a little version comparison of Neon Genesis Evangelion: Ayanami Raising Project. Now, where should I start. I’ll begin with gameplay to build up some text before I post pics. Also, take note when I use ARP (Ayanami Raising Project - PC & Dreamcast) and ASP (Asuka supplement Project - PS2 & NDS), otherwise you might get confused.
Gameplay
For the most part, gameplay remains the same, but there are some differences. The gameplay in the original PC release was broken, buggy and very unbalanced (especially Rei’s love meter) for the most part, so much that Rei sees Shinji when she dies (I’ve mentioned this before if anyone remembers) even though you as 2nd Lieutenant has a higher love meter (or whatever the fuck you want to call it) than him. I mean, if something like that which is a crucial part in the game is broken, then get out. Leave. And come back when you fucking fix things. No, let me say this, they couldn’t be that dumb, that was probably intentional knowing how Anno loves to torture Reifags and see them suffer. 3.33 anyone? Yeah, that’s what’s really going on here. I knew it all fucking along. Anyhow, they did put out a patch, which didn’t really fix anything because I still got that same fucking bug. I take it back, they are that dumb.
Also, while I’m on gameplay. It was greatly fixed and actually balanced with the Asuka Supplement Project ports. In the original, it was too easy to build stats. You were given too big a stat boost with the training options. You could send Rei to NERV any or every day of the week if you wanted to, sky rocking her respective stats into cloud 9, winning Angel encounters within a few attacks. No joke, that’s how unbalanced it is. But in ASP, they refined it and made gameplay very balanced. And there, NERV is only available on weekends as opposed to the entire week which makes things that much better. So, you can’t spam NERV training or ridiculously boost stats, either. Also, I would like to mention that all the Eva pilots have different stats (health, attack, defence) in the Angel battles in the original PC release, but in ASP they all have the same, and the respective stats are only used for dodging and accuracy if my memory serves me correctly. Anyhow, I didn’t like that, it was an unnecessary edit. But they probably did so in an attempt to make the fights longer, I guess. Anyway, the teaching Rei words training option works differently in ARP than it does in ASP. In the former, you have to enter in the words (lewd ones) you want to teach her using your keyboard yourself, while in the latter, it simplifies things by removing that pesky chore and rather auto chooses the words from a very long list instead, which was a drag to translate by the way.
Now, lastly for gameplay. The Angel missions in the original PC version and the respective missions dialogue was very rushed. They didn’t speak all the dialogue from the show during the moments, and it went over very quickly. However, this was all fixed in ASP, where the dialogue was greatly corrected and the missions were extended to be that much longer. Also, they added more training options and stats in ASP, which were essentially the ARP ones split into two for the most part. There’s no point in listing them all, so here’s an example or two:
- Physical Strength
Strength
Fitness
Graphics
Now, onto graphics. You know, there was actually a little censoring with the ports. Not much, but they added some glare and such to cover up GNR’s nipples, and more of it when Rei’s bikini falls off after she is hit by a wave at the beach, with it also being redrawn and with less censoring (they moved her hands to cover up her nipples instead of glare) may I add.
Now, other than censoring, all the new CG’s for the new events (some existing one’s redrawn, too), more/changed character textbox portraits and endings that they added had a different artist than the original PC release, which sometimes clashes with the original PC art as only some of it was redrawn. Also, they redrew Rei’s stances to boot, too. And well, they do look better, but I still kinda like the PC one’s. They have some charm to them.
Lastly, the menu in-which you choose where to go in Tokyo 3 and the menu’s and such are different in every version. I kinda liked that but the 3D ones do look kinda goofy, but how can you resist the Dreamcast version when it has a cute looking… nude Rei floating about the screen? Umm, was that part of Anno’s master plan as well? Nah, just kidding.
Features
Well, there’s not much to say about features. The only differences I can say is that Asuka was added as well as a bunch of new events and endings for Rei in ASP. A quiz mode in the NDS version, which is the only one to have it. You can view both event and ending CG’s in the ports as you could only view endings in the original PC release. A new Dejiko (Nyo) shop and new items/clothing to buy in ASP, which presumably has something to do with unlocking the NDS exclusive Dejiko ending for both Rei and Asuka. A Gurren Lagann costume for both Asuka (Yuko) and Rei (Nia) solely in the NDS version. And lastly, 2nd Lieutenants voice was removed in ASP, but was kept in the Dreamcast version since that’s more or less a direct port of the PC version.
Also, you may also note that the shops in this game like Animate and the like are real life stores in Japan. A nice little features if you ask me. Anyway, that’s really it for my comparison. I hope/think I covered all the differences or at least most of them, and I hope you enjoyed it, too. So, unless you’ve got any questions or want to leave a comment. Until next time! See ya!
Note
Did anyone notice my Zelda reference in the NDS translation? I thought someone would have mentioned it by now. For those who are curious, it is at the point where you have to choose which entry plug Rei is in, in the lake and if you choose the one Asuka is in, she shouts at you since she’s naked.
End
Well, that was it. If anyone actually read it and got this far, thanks for reading. If not, then I hope you at least enjoyed the pretty pictures. Also, thoughts?