clickbliss — Densha de Go! Pocket: Yamanote-Sen-Hen Review

Densha de Go! Pocket: Yamanote-Sen-Hen Review

Densha de Go! Pocket: Yamanote-Sen-Hen
Developer - Taito
PlayStation Portable

In preparation for the upcoming release of Densha de Go PLUG & PLAY, I’ve decided to revisit Densha de Go! Pocket: Yamanote-Sen-Hen for the PlayStation Portable.

For those unfamiliar with the series, Densha de Go is a train simulator developed by Square Enix/Taito. But instead of the ugly Western commuter or freight trains, you take command of in games such as Train Simulator and Train Sim World; here, you are at the helm of the aesthetically pleasing, efficient, and reliable trains of Japan.

Densha de Go simulates real-life train services in Japan, ranging from the Chuo Line to the various routes of the legendary Shinkansen (the bullet train). For the installment of Densha de Go I’m playing, the infamous Yamanote Line is at your fingertips. Here is a quick summary of the line.

The Yamanote Line is one of the many commuter lines found in Tokyo. Operated by JR East, it is one of the area’s busiest routes spanning nearly 35 km/22 miles of track connecting some of Tokyo’s important commercial districts such as Akihabara, Shinjuku, and Shibuya.

Before I go full Hideaki Anno and go in-depth about the rolling stock of the Yamanote Line, let’s talk about the gameplay and why it is one of the hardest, but satisfying games out there. When I say it is hard, it is – perhaps even more so than the media’s darling, Dark Souls.

The premise of the game is simple. You take control of the train (E231 series), and you go from station to station as what a commuter train does. But this isn’t the CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) where you can be up to five minutes late, and that would be acceptable. Here you have early or to be right on the dot, or you will be penalized. Here is a sample scenario, you leave Osaki Station at 15:34:03, you have to make it to Gotanda Station by 13:35:20.

While that may sound easy, you have to follow a strict speed limit and slow down fast enough to stop precisely at the marker of the station; otherwise, you will either get your points docked or get a game over. You think rolling around and dodging some boss in Dark Souls is grating? There is nothing more unpleasant than missing the marker by a couple of inches, delaying and messing up the timetable as a result. You’ve not only failed yourself but also your passengers and, worse of all, your employer. That is way much worse than seeing “YOU DIED.”

Even once you get the hang of it, you yearn for perfection. While arriving at the station may sound nice, you tell yourself that you can visit there precisely on the dot. There are few satisfying video games experience out there than achieving the feat.

While the stuff I said might seem a bit daunting – and a bit hyperbolic, Densha de Go, is a relatively simple series to get into. It starts you off slow, teaching the basics well. Even if you are not familiar with the Japanese language, the layout is easy enough to navigate and understand. On the PlayStation Portable, you only use three buttons as most.

For Japanese train enthusiasts, the details in this game are nearly spotless. For example, you can hear the familiar jingles and the station designs (at the time) is almost the same as their real-life counterpart.

If you’ve ever been interested in Japanese trains, then there is no better place than the Densha de Go series.

(None of the games ever received localization for the West, so importing is required if you live outside of Japan.)