SEGA have uploaded a lengthy video for SEGA AM2’s arcade game KanColle Arcade (which we talked about in our JAEPO 2016 article), with voice actresses Saki Fujita (who provided the voice samples for Hatsune Miku) and Yuka Ōtsubo demonstrating how the game is played. Fair warning before you watch the video: the voice actresses spend quite a bit of time touching the Kanmusu’s (“fleet girls”) bodies via the arcade cabinet’s touch screen to get a reaction out of them. Additionally, enemy attacks can sometimes partially shred the girls’ costumes, revealing their underwear and/or showing cleavage. So this may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Below you can find a short overview of the gameplay shown in the videos, as well as the videos themselves.
While the videos are in Japanese, you can get a good idea of the mechanics of the game. First off, the player needs a list of physical cards that comprise the team of Kanmusu (“fleet girls”) that they’ll be using. The arcade cabinet accepts these cards, which brings the player to the character screen, showing the 3D models of the Kanmusu and allowing them to further customize the team before heading out into battle. Once the player picks a mission (which costs “GP”, an in-game currency which in turns costs real money), we move to the actual gameplay (also in 3D).
Initially, fighter planes can be sent out ahead of your fleet to scout for enemies (known as Abyssal ships). Once they’re found, the battle can commence, with both fleets exchanging fire. The direction and speed of the fleet is managed by the player in real-time by the cabinet’s ship wheel and telegraph. Positions where the enemy is about to fire are shown ahead of time on the battlefield, so quick alterations to the fleet’s course are needed to steer them out of danger. In addition, the cabinet also has a fire button to launch attacks, and the touch screen is used to issue various orders.
Similar to Potentials in Valkyria Chronicles, attacking the enemy can also trigger a special attack from the character currently being used. Once the battle is won, the player is rewarded with a score, and may also receive a new Kansumu card to use in future battles. You can see all this in action in the videos found below!
Saki Fujita Video
Yuka Ōtsubo Video
