Chulip is really a different game. Its the sort of game you wont want your friends to catch u playing.
The game play does not take a lot of getting used to; you move your character at either normal walking speed or a slow sneaking speed. X will initiate a conversation or action, square and circle will handle your inventory actions, and triangle will give your Kiss-O-Death. There is much to do in Chulip, and I do not want to ruin any elements of the story. The basic plot is this, you and your father move into a slum town. Your family is very poor, at the start of the story there is a point that you will rummage through a dumpster for food, this moment kind of made me realize just how poor the main character is. You then meet a girl whose name you can choose, and then go through a series of questions to determine her initial impression of you. From then on, you will be trying to earn kisses from every character you bump into so you can increase your hearts and attractiveness.
The graphics are not this games strongest area. The graphics may not be cutting edge enough for all the eye candy junkies out there, but they are certainly ample at creating the right atmosphere for this game. In addition, it needs to be taken into account that this game was only recently translated and is actually over 2 years old. I really feel that the graphics are suited quite well for the game world.
The sound in Chulip is not bad. The music is whimsical and fits the feel of the game very well. The sound effects are fine, and the character voice range from funny to downright annoying. This is I suppose the area that most closely relates to animal crossing, the voices of the characters you speak to are basically just like the voices in animal crossing, except maybe with a little more variety. The only weak area in the sound category is perhaps the lack of sound at points. Often times you will only hear the main characters foots steps, sometimes there is a cat meow, or a crow caw, but most of the time the game is void of ambient sound effects.
What will drive most gamers like me to buy and appreciate this game is its obscurity. Chulip is an EB/Gamestop exclusive, meaning it will never be sold by another store. In addition, the game is only going to be printed once, so when the copies are sold (and there are not many copies to be sold) they are gone for good. In fact, the game just became available yesterday and already is nowhere. With a $29.99 price point, this will be hard for any true PS2 collector to pass up.
I suppose a final point to mention is that I am entranced by quirky Japanese titles like Katamari Damacy, Disgaea, and now Chulip. This is the type of game American gamers get to experience way too little. So If you can find yourself a copy ,and like games that are totally different, give Chulip a chance you will not be disappointed, maybe a little ashamed, but not disappointed.