KUUKIYOMI 3: Consider It More and More!! - Father to Son

[i]KUUKIYOMI 3: Consider It More and More!! - Father to Son[/i] is the third installment in the [i]KUUKIYOMI[/i] series. The game retains most of its predecessors' fish-out-of-water humor in its gags, though the writing is starting to grow thin in places judging from the series' first female protagonist and themes of fatherhood and family barely getting explored. Some strange cuts to basic aesthetic features leave this entry feeling slightly hollow, though ultimately the comedy is still good enough to justify a recommendation for returning fans. [i]KUUKIYOMI 3[/i] continues the series' zany comedic premise: non-Japanese players gets taught the rules of Japanese politeness through 100 [i]WarioWare[/i]-style minigames of varying believability. It retains the same player grading system, the same postgame unlockable modes, the same secret solutions to the games, and the same unclear control scheme as the previous titles. Generally speaking, how one feels about the prior entries will remains true for this one; returning fans of [i]KUUKIYOMI 1[/i] and [i]2[/i] should be satisfied with this entry. [i]KUUKIYOMI 3[/i] does make an effort to introduce some changes to the formula; unfortunately, most of these are for the worse. This game stars a female protagonist for the first time, as well as being the first game with an explicit central theme: fathers/sons and family. Despite the prominence in the game's subtitle and title art, however, this theme feels barely realized in the actual minigames. Few if any games employ comedic situations unique to female experiences, and the titular father and son are rarely seen. This is not a deal-breaker since the minigames work without the theme, though it does feel like a missed opportunity for this title to stand out on its own. There are a few questionable cuts made from [i]KUUKIYOMI 2[/I] to this game. First, the Japanese subtitles often accompanying game dialogue are now gone; second, the jingle played during the grading segments is gone. The subtitles helped the game feel like a Japanese cultural export, which in turn improved the fish-out-of-water effect and thus the comedy writ large. The jingle is a small touch, but after 200 prior minigames the sound became a series staple and its absence stands out, especially when seemingly cut for no reason. Altogether, these changes make [i]KUUKIYOMI 3[/i] feel like the most generic entry in the series yet - an ironic twist for a title attempting to establish an identity with a new protagonist and theme. [i]KUUKIYOMI[/i] should not try to be any old minigame collection: [i]KUUKIYOMI[/i] should just be [i]KUUKIYOMI[/i]. Overall, [I]KUUKIYOMI 3[/i] is another enjoyable entry in the politeness-testing franchise. The missed opportunity from the underutilized female lead and father/son theme suggests the writing quality is growing thin, and it's probably for the best that G-MODE isn't directly rushing to produce another direct sequel. Because of some strange feature cuts made from previous entries, this certainly should not be a player's first [i]KUUKIYOMI[/i] game to try. If you are a returning player eager to try more, though, this title should placate your passion for politeness. [i]KUUKIYOMI 3: Consider It More and More!! - Father to Son[/i] gets a B-.