Pipi & Bibis
2 Players	Arcade
Toaplan 1991

Although following the steps of cutesy non-scrolling platformers like "Snow Bros.", "Tumble Pop", and more recently "Nightmare In The Dark"; Toaplan's "Pipi & Bibis" does not cater to female audiences to the degree classics "Rainbow Islands" and "Bubble Bobble" did during this sub-genre's most popular days. Titles like these, as we all know, received the "female gamers" torch from earlier legends like "Ms.Pac-Man" and "Centipede", which made arcades a more friendlier place for the female gender back then.

"Whoopee!!", as it is known in Japan, has no female-oriented adult content whatsoever even though it follows a formula very popular among female arcade gamers. One or two simultaneous players take control of Pipi and/or Bibis, the two skill-deprived spies whose mission is to clear stages in order to get some pixel nudies. Unlike other similar titles though, eradicating all enemies is not the way to go. Pipi and Bibis have an affinity for time-bombs, which they enjoy setting on computer-like devices that populate each stage. After all bombs are set you'll have to quickly find the exit before they explode, and move onto the next stage.

Pipi & Bibis - Arcade

When I said "skill-deprived" I wasn't kidding. The first button shoots the spy's gun, which works exactly like a taser. Keep the button pressed after shooting to progressively damage enemies until they fall down a level.
The second button... well... there's no second button. Most games Pipi & Bibis is based on have a second jump button, but Toaplan decided this time to make it more "interesting" (read "hard as hell") by borrowing "Elevator Action"'s elevators and stairs and "Mappy"'s trampolines.
Moving vertically on elevators becomes easier once you learn Pipi and Bibis can actually stun enemies by slide-kicking as they get on and off of them, but just when you think you are getting the hang of it the game replaces all instances of them with trampolines. Having played lots of Mappy myself, what happened then was very curious. I kept repeateadly getting killed by enemies when jumping on trampolines, thinking I was somehow immune to them in mid-air like Namco's elephant cop. My slow brain never got used to this even though it is possible to maneuver left and right in the air, and I finally gave up.

Arcade flyer

Regardless of the trampolin issue I could not overcome, Pipi & Bibis becomes both uninteresting and ridiculously hard after the first girl is uncovered. The inability of the taser gun to deal with multiple targets at the same time, continuously respawning enemies, and their unrelenting advance quickly become frustrating. Add the fact that enemies CANNOT be killed unless they are standing on the bottom floor (from which they fall off the screen when tasered), the complete lack of bosses and power-ups and you realize Toaplan really messed this one up.

Snow Bros.'s graphic style is very obvious in Pipi & Bibis, although with a little less quality. It gets the job done with no thrills.
As far as the music goes, banal notes of what seems to be jazz try to give the game a faint "Blues Brothers" touch. Nothing to really care about.

The ladies:
There are 6 girls total, each of them progressively stripping throughout 4 stages. You can move the camera around with the joystick once you cleared a girl's forth stage for a full-body view. Nudity censored by pixelation. The art is acceptable for 1991, but their eyes just creep me out.

There's absolutely no reason to play Pipi & Bibis given how numerous and better the titles it's based on are. Still, you might want to give it a quick look if you happen to be a hardcore fan of either Toaplan's work or this sub-genre.

Billiard Academy: Real Break
2 Players	Arcade
Nakanihon 1998

At first an apparent blatant ripoff, Real Break seems to have the nerve to feed off of "Pocket Gal" series' legacy by copying everything from the game mechanics to the atmosphere, giving it a superficial face-lift in the process to help sell more units. But upon closer inspection its quality and presentation work their magic on you, and a few quarters later you are completely sold.

It's hard to blame Nakanihon (a small company known for its dedication to that branch of arcades only Asians can truly enjoy: quiz, mahjong, and pachinko titles) for leeching off of Data East's success when their final product turns out to be a little better in every aspect than the title it is based on. It's a rare occurrence, but always a welcomed surprise.

Billiard Academy: Real Break - Arcade

I'm getting to dump you.

The title Real Break is based on is, of course, "Pocket Gal Deluxe". The jazz bar atmosphere, game progression, and HUD are more or less the same, but it's only after a couple of games one starts to notice its faster rhythm, slightly different physics, and unusual gameplay.
Aimed more towards the casual player, Real Break doesn't take itself as seriously as Data East's series; offering more shot opportunities (lives), two difficulty levels, a permanent trajectory guide, and bonus situations that despite totally diverting from the game's rules make it more enjoyable to non-pool fans.
The different kinds of shots, power bar, "9-Ball" and "Pocket Game" game modes (present only in the Pocket Gal Deluxe console ports), frenetic "Super" ball (here known as "Hyper" ball) and the ladies' pocket requests have all made the transition. But it's Real Break's original bonus shots the game so generously grants what sets its gameplay appart from the rest. In these, the computer re-positions whatever quantity of balls are left on the table so that they can all be pocketed at the same time in one perfectly aligned but computer-calculated easy shot. Effectively saving one's ass at the last moment but greatly reducing the game's challenge level.

Billiard Academy: Real Break - Arcade

Thanks! But you are not making any.

Nakanihon's arcade pool truly shines thru its visual presentation. Beautifully bright palette, gorgeous girls, classy bar/jazz club atmosphere, and a very clean and attractive presentation are standard; but it's details like instant replays and shots' special effects what put Real Break above the rest.
Jazz seems to be the way to go for pool titles, and Real Break doesn't disappoint. Surprisingly, you'll also come across some very upbeat anime-ish tunes.
Lots of digitized voices of Japanese girls making sexual innuendos in barely-understandable English go hand in hand with a few "Engrish" phrases, but what else is new?

The ladies:
3 ladies are available in Easy mode, and 5 in Normal mode. Although there's no nudity, the quality of the design is as good as it gets in 2D arcades. Most likely the best looking girls in this sub-genre. The girl's figures can also be panned at will with the joystick, and even zoomed in to get into those "hard-to-reach" areas...

A solid "Yes". If you liked Data East's take on arcade pool, Real Break is the logic step up if its carefree nature doesn't bother you too much.
On the other hand, if you never tried arcade pool or just don't really care much about it, this is the title that has the best chance of getting you interested.