Here’s a commission from Riiefu of the Equestria Girls as the cast of the PlayStation 2 RPG Nuga-Cel. Nuga-Cel Nurture Garment Celebration is a Japanese video game which on paper is my kind of game. The plot is that Tokyo-23 is a land in turmoil. Each of the 23 districts has its own leader hoping to unify Tokyo-23 under one rule. Some do so for peace and justice, while some do so for their own personal gain. The Red Lance Corps of Minato Area are a team of schoolgirl warriors led by a charismatic young leader, whom they simply call “Master”. Together, they must fight to unite Tokyo-23, but obviously that is easier said than done…

NUGA-CEL! is a light-hearted simulation RPG set in a fantasy version of modern-day Tokyo. The player, as the unseen Master, must assemble a team of female fighters, dress them up in super-powered cosplay outfits, and lead them into battle to unify all of Tokyo-23. The game is divided into days, during which the player can manage their territories and team members, shop for and create new outfits, and either enter a dungeon or attack a neighboring territories. The available territories are often dictated by the story progression, and there are also various scenarios centering on the different characters in the player’s team.

Outside of battle, the player can purchase items and outfits at shops, and there is also an extensive crafting system where new outfits and items can be produced. The defining aspect of the game is its cosplay system. In-game battles are turn-based, up to 3-vs-3. Each character has magical costumes which each give them different skills and abilities, not to mention appearance. Along with your standard health, costumes have their own “health” as well so as the characters take damage their clothes will as well. When a costume is destroyed, the victim is stripped to her underwear, her stats drop low enough so almost anything will one hit kill, and she will lose a turn while she covers herself in embarrassment. It is necessary to switch and repair outfits to keep your party in fighting shape. This applies to both the playable characters and the bosses. The only way for your party to avoid the loss of a turn is to choose to remove your costume before it takes one hit too many which triggers them performing a special move in their underwear. Interestingly in any cutscenes following the battle the characters will have conversation portraits of them either clothed or in their underwear depending on how they were dressed when the battle ended.

Also fun fact, the title Nuga-Cel is a play on the Japanese word “nugaseru” (脱がせる) which means “undress”.

As much as I love the concepts for this game and although half the main party is really pretty, many of the girls including half your party look too young for a game like this so while the game may be ruined by some of its presentation I realized that the solution is to have other characters dressed as the cast of Nuga-Cel. This will be part of a commission featuring the Hu-Mane 6 as the main Nuga-Cel characters after a battle which left them with even their undergarments in need of repair but unfortunately for them it's laundry day so they need to wear barrels while Rarity fixes their undergarments. They all agreed that no matter whose undies she finishes first they should all wear the barrels until she has done them all before putting them back on so that way nobody gets preferential treatment. Despite this embarrassing scenario they managed to bon while waiting, strengthening their already rock-solid friendship.

BTW Pinkie Pie is Piyo.