Enough with the ugly jokes! It's time for Brooktown High to finally prove its worth. Does this American attempt at the dating sim score ... or does it just have two left feet? Let's find out what the critics think:

• Gamespot (56/100) simply couldn't find enough to do: "It's apparent that the game really wants to be played through multiple times to see the different possible outcomes, but it's unlikely that you'll want to play through the game more than once, if even that. Without enough to do, Brooktown High ends up being as shallow as the lame caricatures that populate it."
• IGN (52/100) thinks that sloppy execution ruined what could've been a better game: "You'll find yourself in the midst of the same conversations time and time again, and though they'll sometimes change on dates depending on where you are, when talking on the phone or at school you'll wind up hearing the same things over and over and over again."
• Games Radar (50/100) thinks the game is unfair: "Your dialogue choices are out-and-out traps. For example, we had a discussion in which the only options were to either insult the girl or ask her out - one of which made her mad, the other of which forced us to cheat on our girlfriend - who immediately found out."

Burned! Looks like the game has received universal critical dismay. Unfortunate, because the genre, which proved so popular in Japan, needed better representation than this. Unless you really want to play a dating sim, it looks like the rest of us can simply walk away.

Steve has pointed out the general unattractiveness of the Brooktown High girls not once, but twice. While we would have appreciated some characters that were a bit more easy on the eyes, we have to admit that the newest trailer for this PSP-exclusive dating sim looks pretty fun. The incredibly deformed character designs work well in context of the crazy antics that take place in this sexually charged school. I hate to admit it, but ... does this game actually look fun?

Gamespot has a hands-on preview of Brooktown High: Senior Year, the first dating sim created specifically for the US. Konami is known for their popular dating sim series Tokimeki Memorial, but it seems they are testing the waters for dating sims in the US with Brooktown High. But will US gamers fall in love with a genre that most are virgins with?

That question certainly can't be answered yet, but one can't accuse Backbone Entertainment of making a bare bones title due to the risk. In Brooktown High: Senior Year, you'll create your own guy or gal, use your school lessons to help you improve yourself for the opposite sex, and of course talk to lots and lots of potential love interests. As with any school, everyone is in different social groupings and has different expectations of what they're looking for in a significant other, so you'll have to deal with them accordingly. The game also features licensed music and several mini-games to help keep your daily school day interesting. Given the success of DOAX (which was more dating sim than volleyball game), maybe Brooktown High does stand a chance of getting an A+ grade with gamers.

Brooktown High: Senior Year gets to 2nd base on PSP later this year, from Backbone Entertainment and Konami.

[Update 1: Gamespot also has a great interview along with gameplay footage available.]