McKenzie & Co

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An early CD-ROM game designed for Windows 95 by American Laser Games (under the label that was then known as Her Interactive. Her Interactive was spun off into its own company when American Laser Games declared bankruptcy . Her Interactive is still active today producing the successful Nancy Drew games). McKenzie & Co received a lot of press attention for being one of the few girl-oriented games developed in the United States. Her Interactive was one of the first companies in the United States established to specifically develop games for the female market.

While some think of McKenzie & Co as a GxB dating sim, a catagory which has been popular in Japanese markets, it was called a "social adventure" by its creators and classified as such in the majority of US retail outlets.

While the company behind it claimed feminist motivations, aspiring to help lead girls down the path of computers and technology, it was very controversial, and was considered sexist by many. Some concerns were that it pushed a stereotype of what teenage girls are like, with its emphasis on makeup, shopping, and dating.

This however was mitigated by the fact that the game was developed with the direct input of over 3000 Jr High and High School age girls in the Albuqueque Independent School District. The research was done by the Her Interactive team before, during and after the game's development.

Regardless of controversy, the 5-CD game was quite successful, and sold over 80K units in its lifetime. It is now a difficult to find item. Even rarer is the expansion pack, McKenzie & Co : More Friends featuring new male characters James and Aaron.

The main game set included a music CD featuring several Arizona bands, such as Poet, Cool Notes, Tee Green, and the Strawberry Zots, whose music video "And You" was also included.

Contents

[edit] Story

During the game introduction, the user picks whether they wish to play as Kim or Carly, then the live-action game starts off at a pajama party between a group of friends looking at their yearbook. The user picks out of a set of guys to choose from, depending on which player character they chose. In the main game, the available men are Derrick and Brandon (for Carly); Steven and Brett for Kim. With the expansion installed, James (Kim) and Aaron (Carly) become available. Unlike most dating sims, the love target must be chosen at the beginning and cannot be changed without restarting the game. The goal is to get them to go to junior prom with you (the player character). Various other tasks must be completed as well, such as attending school, working a job, babysitting, bringing the right item to school or a party, and helping other characters find prom dates.

[edit] Characters

  • Kim
    • A playable character
  • Carly
    • The other playable character
  • Steven
    • A potential prom date. Rich and upper-class.
  • Brandon
  • Derrick
    • Potential prom date, athletic.
  • Brett
    • Potential prom date, cowboy type.
  • James
    • In the expansion only, a potential prom date and rebellious biker.
  • Aaron
    • In the expansion only, a potential prom date who is an animal rights activist and vegetarian.

[edit] See also

[edit] Related Links

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