Cy Girls

Last updated

CY GIRLS (also known as CY Girls or Cy Girls, and as COOL GIRL in Japan) is an action figure series by Takara Tomy and Blue Box Toys under the brand bbi collectible (an official bootleg), featuring an elite unit of female crimefighters, [1] combining the elements of both a doll and an action figure. A Cy Girls video game adaptation (known as Cool Girl in Japan) was developed and published by Konami for the PlayStation 2 in 2004.

Contents

Action figures

The original variation of these action figures (ver. 1.5) features 16 points of articulation (joints) that allows the arms and legs to move out to the sides into a spread position, with movable shoulders, elbows, thighs, knees, ankles, wrists and a neck, featuring interchangeable hands, a detailed nude torso, and pivoting ankles. These figures are featured in Action Girls: 12" Female Action Figure Guide Book ISBN   4-89425-368-2.

In Cy Girls' fictional futuristic universe, the Cardinal-Garrison paramilitary group is an elite all-woman team comprises experts in various fields chosen from around the world. It is a secret global fighting organization established to combat criminal conspiracy and activity, rumoured to have come into existence during World War II. Their vehicles and other equipment witnessed at the scene of the incidents in which they went into action bore the Cardinal-Garrison 'CG' logo, and since the existence of Cardinal-Garrison was unknown, the group became known as the "Cy Girls".

The CG characters series includes the following characters:

In addition to the Cool/Cy Girls line, Takara and BBI released figures available under the Cool Girl brand name with the same trademark logo. This line includes the following licensed ("tribute") characters:

The second type of Cy Girls figures is known as the Perfect Body Female. These dolls molds were not based on the ones produced by Takara Tomy and instead they were manufactured and produced independently by Blue Box Toys, featuring 26 points of articulation based on the basic design of the Ultimate Soldier. This double-jointed feature on the knees and elbows enables them to be posed in the lotus position and any other conceivable position the human body is capable of. There are two interchangeable busts of medium and large sizes with nipples molded on them (the large bust was discontinued and replaced with a much smaller one that was almost flat chested), pivoting ankles and interchangeable hands, designed to hold any weapons or accessory. The products are packaged in a transparent box with a silver painted plastic strip covering the extra bust and the doll is dressed in a grey work-out sports bra with matching shorts.

Video game

Cy Girls
Cy Girls Cover.jpg
North American cover art
Developer(s) Konami Computer Entertainment Japan
Publisher(s) Konami
Platform(s) PlayStation 2
Release
Genre(s) Action-adventure
Third-person shooter
Mode(s) Single-player

Plot

CY Girls the game tells a spy-fi story where in 2058, "Damnation Monday" was the name of a disaster where power failure occurred worldwide. [18] This caused the collapse of various countries and companies. [18] The game's story takes place in 2084, 16 year after "Damnation Monday". [19]

The game has two CG agents as the main characters. CG-1 Ice (voiced by Michelle Ruff), [20] the genius hacker and firearms expert on the mission to destroy an information file in the highly secure corporate building of a company known as Net Justice in Buenos Aires (where she is navigated by her partner Sancho), [21] [18] and CG-6 Aska (voiced by Mari Iijima), [20] a master female ninja with astonishing athletic ability attempting to avenge the death of her father in a secret village in Japan (where she is navigated by her brother Kogetsu). [18]

While only Ice and Aska are made available as player characters, other CG members also appear in the game. [22]

Gameplay

Cy Girls Ice combat screenshot.jpg
Cy Girls Aska combat screenshot.jpg
In-game screenshots of Cy Girls. Screenshots shows the two CG agents Ice and Aska. Ice (left) fights enemies with firearms while Aska (right) uses a ninjato.

Gameplay for CY Girls combines puzzle-solving with two distinctly different combat styles: ninja-oriented melee combat and stealth for Aska, and firearms combat for Ice. [23] Essentially, the game was two different games depending on the character choice, as the game was released as a 2-disc package, containing Aska's data on one disc and Ice's data on the other. [24] After completing the main story on a disc, additional characters from the story were unlocked, as well as an 'Extra Mode', where players could choose any combination of weapons, any unlocked character, or any outfit.

Ice and Aska fight with different weapons and techniques. Ice fights with firearms, using cover mechanics that include taking cover behind walls/objects and shoot at enemies. [25] Ice can use gunfight moves such as somersaults and cartwheels when using auto-targeting. [26] For Aska, she fights with a ninjato and other ninja weaponry. Aska has a guard meter which depletes every time she's able to block a physical attack. In addition, Aska's able to run on walls. [26]

In addition, all unlocked characters had the ability to 'dive' into the world of cyberspace. [24] Known as Cyber Dimension or Cy-D, standard moves were disabled, forcing all characters to resort to using punches and kicks to defeat enemies within the domain while new moves and skills are only founds in cyberspace data points. [19] In addition, players would have a maximum of 10 minutes within Cy-D before reaching game over (explained in-game as being the amount of time the character could remain within Cy-D without suffering a complete mental breakdown.)

Development

On May 9, 2002, Konami announced that Cy Girls will be released for the Playstation 2. [27] It was announced at the 2002 Tokyo Toy Show (TTS) that the game would see a 2003 release worldwide. [28]

Konami said that the game would be shown on May 22, 2002 at the annual E3 convention. [28] During the convention, Konami confirmed plans to release the game in North America. [29] The game was also previewed at the 2003 E3 convention. [30]

Cy Girls is made up of two discs. Disc 1 is for Ice's scenario while Disc 2 is for Aska's scenario. [31] The game uses the same engine used for Metal Gear Solid 2. [25]

Reception

The game received "mixed" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. [32] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of 26 out of 40. [36] Tokyo Drifter of GamePro said, "You would have to be an insanely devoted fan of the action-figure line from which the characters originate and a fan of repetitive level exploration to gain any type of enjoyment from Cy Girls. It all seems like such a waste as there are ideas present that could have made a good game great, but in a bad game like this, they only manage to bump the score by a point." [43] [b]

Ice and Aska were featured in Play's girls of gaming special in 2003. [44] In 2009, GamesRadar+ counted Cy Girls among the games "with untapped franchise potential," commenting that the game "failed in many ways, with half-formed ideas and shoddy level design that had the player incessantly backtracking through levels." [45] It also included the game on its list of the top shower scenes in games in 2012. [46]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ In Electronic Gaming Monthly 's review of the game, one critic gave it 7/10, and the rest gave it each a score of 5/10.
  2. ↑ GamePro gave the game 3.5/5 for graphics, two 3/5 scores for sound and control, and 2/5 for fun factor.

Related Research Articles

<i>Castlevania</i> Video game series

Castlevania, known in Japan as Akumajō Dracula, is a gothic horror action-adventure video game series and media franchise created by Konami. The series is largely set in the castle of Count Dracula, the main antagonist of the Belmont clan of vampire hunters.

Silent Hill is a horror anthology media franchise centered on a series of survival horror games created by Keiichiro Toyama and published by Konami. The first four mainline video games in the series—Silent Hill, Silent Hill 2, Silent Hill 3, and Silent Hill 4: The Room—were developed by an internal group called Team Silent, a development staff within the former Konami subsidiary, Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo from 1999 to 2004.

<i>Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater</i> 2004 video game

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is a 2004 action-adventure stealth video game developed and published by Konami for the PlayStation 2. It was released in late 2004 in North America and Japan, and in early 2005 in Europe and Australia. It was the fifth Metal Gear game written and directed by Hideo Kojima and serves as a prequel to the entire Metal Gear series. An expanded edition, titled Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence, was released in Japan in late 2005, then in North America, Europe and Australia in 2006. A remastered version of the game, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater - HD Edition, was later included in the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PlayStation Vita, while a reworked version, titled Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D, was released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2012. The HD Edition of the game was included on the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 compilation for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on October 24, 2023. The same year, Konami announced a remake, entitled Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, set to release for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S in 2024.

<i>Tokimeki Memorial</i> Video game series

Tokimeki Memorial is a dating simulation series by Konami. It consists of eight main games in addition to many spin-offs. The games are notable in the dating sim genre for being highly nonlinear. Their nickname amongst their fans is the contraction TokiMemo.

<i>Castlevania: Lament of Innocence</i> 2003 video game

Castlevania: Lament of Innocence is a 2003 action-adventure game developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo and published by Konami for the PlayStation 2 console. Part of Konami's Castlevania video game series, it is the first installment of the series on the PlayStation 2 and the third to make use of a 3D style of gameplay. It was released in Japan and North America in late 2003 and Europe and Australia in early 2004.

<i>Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim</i> 2003 video game

Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim is a 2003 action role-playing game developed by Nihon Falcom. It was first released for Windows before being ported by Konami to the PlayStation 2 in 2005 and the PlayStation Portable in 2006.

<i>Shadow of Memories</i> 2001 video game

Shadow of Memories is a mystery adventure game developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo and published by Konami. Originally released for the PlayStation 2 in 2001, it was later ported to Xbox and Microsoft Windows in 2002. A PlayStation Portable version was released on October 1, 2009 in Japan and on January 26, 2010 in North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Takara</span> Japanese toy company

Takara Co., Ltd. was a Japanese toy company founded in 1955. In March 2006, the company merged with Tomy Company, Ltd. to form Takara Tomy. The Takara motto was「遊びは文化」("playing is culture").

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Microman</span> Multimedia franchise based on a toy line

Microman was a science fiction toyline created, manufactured and marketed by Takara Co., Ltd. from 1974 to 1984 as well as from 1998 to 2007. The Microman line was a series of 3.75-inch-tall (9.5 cm) action figures with accompanying vehicles, robots, playsets and accessories. Unlike other toylines at the time, Microman figures were marketed as being the "actual" size of cyborg beings called "Micros" that hailed from a fictional planet known as "Micro Earth" and disguised themselves as action figures while on planet Earth.

<i>Silent Hill 2</i> 2001 video game

Silent Hill 2 is a 2001 survival horror game developed by Team Silent, a group in Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo, and published by Konami. The game was released from September to November, originally for the PlayStation 2. The second installment in the Silent Hill series, Silent Hill 2 centers on James Sunderland, a widower who journeys to the town of Silent Hill after receiving a letter from his dead wife. An extended version containing a bonus scenario, Born from a Wish, and other additions was published for Xbox in December of the same year. In 2002, it was ported to Windows and re-released for the PlayStation 2 as a Greatest Hits version, which includes all bonus content from the Xbox port. A remastered high-definition version was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2012 as part of the Silent Hill HD Collection. A remake developed by Bloober Team was released on October 8, 2024.

<i>Konami Krazy Racers</i> 2001 video game

Konami Krazy Racers is a 2001 kart-themed racing video game published and developed by Konami for the Game Boy Advance, released as a launch title for the system. Konami Krazy Racers makes use of a variety of characters and concepts from several of Konami's franchises, including Castlevania, Metal Gear, and Gradius. It plays similarly to the Mario Kart series, with eight characters per circuit and offensive/defensive items placed at predetermined points in the tracks. Konami Krazy Racers received mostly positive reviews. It was later released through the Virtual Console for Wii U in 2015.

<i>Silent Hill 4: The Room</i> 2004 video game

Silent Hill 4: The Room is a 2004 survival horror game developed by Team Silent, a group in Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo, and published by Konami. The fourth installment in the Silent Hill series, the game was released in Japan in June and in North America and Europe in September. Silent Hill 4 was released for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Windows. Its soundtrack was released at the same time. In 2012, it was released on the Japanese PlayStation Network. On October 2, 2020, it was re-released on GOG.com with patches to make it playable on Windows 10.

Powerful Pro Baseball, previously known as Jikkyō Powerful Pro Baseball, and eBASEBALL Powerful Pro Baseball and marketed internationally as Power Pros, is a Japanese baseball video game series created by Konami. It is known for its super deformed characters and fast-paced, yet deep, gameplay. Most games in the series are developed under license from Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and the Japan Professional Baseball Players Association (JPBPA), allowing the use of team names, stadiums, colors, and players' names and likenesses. Six games in the series also feature licenses from Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA), two from the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) and Korea Professional Baseball Players Association (KPBPA), and one from the World Baseball Classic.

<i>EverGrace</i> 2000 video game

EverGrace is a 2000 action role-playing game developed by FromSoftware for the PlayStation 2 (PS2). It was released in Japan in April 2000 by FromSoftware, North America by Agetec in October 2000 as a launch title for the PS2 in the region and PAL territories in January 2001 by Ubi Soft and Crave Entertainment.

<i>Silent Hill: Origins</i> 2007 video game

Silent Hill: Origins is a 2007 survival horror game developed by Climax Studios and published by Konami Digital Entertainment. It was released worldwide in late 2007 for the PlayStation Portable, beginning in early November with the United Kingdom. A port for the PlayStation 2 was released worldwide in early 2008, beginning in March with North America. The fifth installment in the Silent Hill series, Origins is a prequel to the first game (1999). Set in the series' eponymous, fictional American town, Origins follows trucker Travis Grady as he searches for information about a girl whom he rescued from a fire. Along the way, he unlocks his repressed childhood memories. Gameplay uses a third-person perspective, and emphasizes combat, exploration, and puzzle-solving, similar to the previous installments.

<i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Battle Nexus</i> 2004 video game

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Battle Nexus is a 2004 beat 'em up game developed and published by Konami. It is the sequel to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and is based on the 2003 TV series.

<i>Firefighter F.D.18</i> 2004 video game

Firefighter F.D.18 is an action game created and developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo and published by Konami. The game was released on March 9, 2004 in North America for the PlayStation 2.

<i>Busou Shinki</i> Japanese media franchise

Busou Shinki is a Japanese media mix franchise from Konami Digital Entertainment, first launched in Japan in 2006 with a line of action figures followed by a companion online game. The franchise encompasses various manga, anime, novels, video games, and more.

<i>Beyond the Labyrinth</i> Video game for the Nintendo 3DS

Beyond the Labyrinth is a dungeon crawler role-playing video game developed by tri-Ace and published by Konami for the Nintendo 3DS handheld video game console. The game revolves around a group of players who have begun playing an online multiplayer game, only to find themselves thrust into a world completely different from theirs. They encounter a girl who has become trapped in this world's Labyrinth, and the two parties must work together to find a way out.

References

  1. ↑ "CY GIRLS 12 inch Collectible Figures". Iconusa.com. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved September 26, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Item: Sky". The Action Figure Archive. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Item: Ice". Figure-archive.net. Archived from the original on October 6, 2011. Retrieved September 26, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Item: Jet". The Action Figure Archive. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Item: Kat". The Action Figure Archive. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Item: Blaze". The Action Figure Archive. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Item: A.J. McLeod". The Action Figure Archive. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Item: Shadow". The Action Figure Archive. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  9. ↑ Crawford, Michael (February 16, 2004). "Cy Girls Ice and Asuka - Michael Crawford's Review of the Week". Captain Toy. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Item: Aska". The Action Figure Archive. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Item: Nikki". The Action Figure Archive. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Item: Ebony". The Action Figure Archive. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  13. ↑ "Item: Aurora". The Action Figure Archive. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Item: Destiny". The Action Figure Archive. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  15. ↑ IGNPS2 (November 17, 2003). "Japanese Release Dates (November 17, 2003)". IGN . Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on September 3, 2023. Retrieved June 8, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  16. ↑ "CY GIRLS INSIDER -- Vol.08". Konami . March 24, 2004. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  17. ↑ "CY GIRLS INSIDER -- FINAL INSTALLMENT". Konami. May 7, 2004. Archived from the original on September 26, 2011. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  18. 1 2 3 4 "Cy Girls Preview".
  19. 1 2 "Kikizo | PS2 Review: Cool Girl / CY Girls".
  20. 1 2 "CY GIRLS INSIDER -- Vol.01". Konami. August 22, 2003. Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  21. 1 2 Navarro, Alex (March 24, 2004). "Cy Girls Review". GameSpot . Fandom. Archived from the original on March 30, 2023. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  22. ↑ "CY GIRLS INSIDER -- Vol.06". Konami. January 16, 2004. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  23. 1 2 Lewis, Ed (March 24, 2004). "Cy Girls". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on September 26, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  24. 1 2 "Cy Girls: Hands-On". 30 January 2004.
  25. 1 2 "Kikizo | PS2 Preview: CY Girls".
  26. 1 2 "Cy Girls: Hands-On". 30 January 2004.
  27. ↑ "2002東京おもちゃショーで発表！コナミとタカラのコラボレーション、Ps2『Coolgirl』 - 電撃オンライン".
  28. 1 2 "コナミとタカラ、共同で人気アクションフィギュアシリーズ「Cool Girl」をゲーム化! Ps2で来年夏に発売予定".
  29. ↑ "E3 2002: Cy Girls officially announced".
  30. ↑ "Konami: E3 2003 Booth Report". 14 May 2003.
  31. ↑ Bowen, Ty (September 14, 2022). "Every PS2 Game With More Than One Disc". GameRant . Valnet Publishing Group. Archived from the original on September 3, 2023. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  32. 1 2 "Cy Girls". Metacritic . Fandom. Archived from the original on January 17, 2024. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  33. ↑ "Review: Cy Girls". Computer Games Magazine . No. 162. theGlobe.com. May 2004. p. 11.
  34. ↑ Elliott, Shawn; Johnston, Chris; Varanini, Giancarlo (April 2004). "Cy Girls" (PDF). Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 177. Ziff Davis. p. 122. Archived from the original on April 5, 2004. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  35. ↑ Bramwell, Tom (May 6, 2004). "Cy Girls". Eurogamer . Gamer Network. Archived from the original on March 27, 2016. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  36. 1 2 "COOL GIRL". Famitsu (in Japanese). Enterbrain. Archived from the original on November 12, 2019. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  37. ↑ Helgeson, Matt (March 2004). "Cy Girls". Game Informer . No. 131. GameStop. p. 107. Archived from the original on December 3, 2008. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  38. ↑ McElfish, Carlos (April 2, 2004). "Cy Girls - PS2 - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on December 30, 2008. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  39. ↑ Varanini, Giancarlo (April 2004). "Cy Girls". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine . No. 79. Ziff Davis. p. 99. Archived from the original on April 4, 2004. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  40. ↑ Lopez, Miguel (March 29, 2004). "'Cy Girls' (PS2) Review". X-Play . TechTV. Archived from the original on April 14, 2004. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  41. ↑ Robischon, Noah (March 19, 2004). "Cy Girls". Entertainment Weekly . No. 756. Dotdash Meredith. p. L2T 14. Archived from the original on September 26, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  42. ↑ "Cy Girls". Playboy . Playboy Enterprises. April 2004. p. 38.
  43. ↑ Tokyo Drifter (April 2004). "Cy Girls" (PDF). GamePro . No. 187. IDG. p. 74. Archived from the original on December 13, 2004. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  44. ↑ Girls of Gaming Volume 1, 2004, page 50, Play Magazine
  45. ↑ GamesRadar+ staff (April 30, 2009). "123 games with untapped franchise potential (Page 3)". GamesRadar+ . Future plc. Archived from the original on January 5, 2023. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  46. ↑ GamesRadar+ staff (June 23, 2012). "The Top 7... shower scenes". GamesRadar+. Future plc. Archived from the original on March 14, 2014. Retrieved September 26, 2021.

Video game

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.