Ah, nothing like a good ol’ fashioned beat-em-up with a twist. Many indie devs have already tried – and succeeded – in replicating the formula in their own special way. Now, it’s time for Pippin Games (Wife Quest) to get a turn with the alluring and entertaining Maiden Cops. It’s a brawler that will certainly have appeal with anime fans, though those that enjoy the genre should have no trouble diving in.
The game focuses on a trio of heroine cops – fans of ice cream and video games – who find themselves in a quandary. When a group of deadly vigilantes called The Liberators threaten to overtake the city, they leap into action to save it. That includes taking on gaggles of geared-up girls, along with dangerous bosses, to keep everyone from harm.
Maiden Cops certainly has its cheesecake factor, but doesn’t lean on that alone. In fact, the gameplay is very well done, especially with its defensive counters and its neat combo system. Plus the three definitive characters all bring something to the table, from the small Nina Usagi to the mighty Meiga Holstaur. They all have animal themes and implement them well into their combat style. And yes, you can have two player co-op, in case you want to bring a friend along.
If you can get over the heavy dose of “waifu” love (not that it’s overwhelming, mind you), Maiden Cops is a total blast. It delivers on its hard-hitting action, and also brings a joyous 16-bit style presentation as well. Plus it’s a bargain right now, going for a mere $15. The fact you get this kind of service for such a low price is, well, a total steal.
Maiden Cops Are Here To Bring the Justice!
In the game, you choose from Priscilla Salamander, Meiga or Nina and then hit the streets after a few cute cutscenes. It’s here that you’ll begin to adapt to the gameplay, which features a neat defensive technique to overthrow certain moves.
You have to get the timing right, and it does take a few tries. However, once you do, you can hurl enemies around like Frisbees and lighten up the fighting load a little bit. It’s a nice maneuver that shakes things up, though the general combat is awesome as well.
That’s because of the reliance on combos. You can actually score multiple hits on someone, and even strike them in the air for a little extra “oomph.” This is especially useful on bosses, who are challenging, albeit a little cheap. We wouldn’t expect anything less.
The game lasts a good while, across seven different stages. And you can use your currency to unlock some cool stuff, including bonus outfits, music, cheats and even a digital comic book. You can also choose between Maiden Classic – a general game with unlimited credits – or Arcade Mode, which gives you limited resources in winning.
Two-player local co-op is available, and you can play online with a friend as well – but only in Classic mode. Not sure why Pippin made this decision, but it’s not the worst thing.
Overall, this is a good beat-em-up, selling for the bargain price of $15. There’s a crowded market of these already, but Maiden Cops has enough arresting material to make it stand out.
How Do These Maiden Cops Fare On the Eyes?
Pippin Games has a good understanding of how anime-style games work, as they’ve demonstrated in the past. Maiden Cops is perhaps their shiniest one yet, mainly due to its animations. The characters just look great. Even the smaller end enemies have their moments of detail that are worth checking out.
Again, it does lean into cheesecake territory, so if you’re one of those people that yell, “PUT YOUR CLOTHES ON!”, well…why are you reading this review? Clearly you’re here for the beauty and don’t mind it in the least.
The backdrop stages are also nicely varied, and it’s good to see some racing stages to break things up as well. Maiden Cops on motorbikes? Hey, why not?
And the whole package is backed by a great soundtrack, along with “cute” sound effects and voice samples. It definitely fits the theme at hand here, so no complaints. Plus the bonus songs you can unlock are worth going after.
You Have the Right To Remain Happy With Maiden Cops
Maiden Cops could’ve easily been slapped together to take advantage of the “sex factor,” as it were, and probably made a bundle. But Pippin Games actually put a worthy amount of effort into this one, and it shows. It plays very well for a game of its type, and there’s a gaggle of content to unlock. And it looks and sounds excellent as well, especially for a “budget” sized title.
EastAsiaSoft scored instant gold with this release, and fans of beat-em-ups (or “cute” titles) won’t want to miss it. These cops have definitely earned their badges.
GAMERHUB RATING: 4 (out of 5) JOYSTICKS
Many thanks to EastAsiaSoft for the review code! Maiden Cops is available on Steam/PC, Xbox and PlayStation. You can also get it for Nintendo Switch, but only in Japan at the moment. (Here’s hoping that changes.)
Need more brawling goodness? Check out our review of Beat-Em-Up Collection!
