Pop Cutie

I was hesitant to write gaming posts, but I do play games so I guess I could be considered a gamer.  A casual gamer?  A recreational use gamer?
Growing up with three brothers, I was constantly exposed to video games but I only got to play them when someone wanted to test out a new fatality code for Mortal Kombat.  When I finally did get a little gaming time in I would inevitably try to make Mario jump by yanking up on the controller and end up in a pit of lava.  One of the my brothers would sigh.  The other would laugh.  The other would take the controller and "teach me" how to play, which meant he was going to play for 3 hours straight and why didn't I go play with my Barbies or something?
Moving forward to a very boring trip to Pennsylvania where it rained the entire time and, perhaps sensing the impending outbreak of my cabin fever, one of the teenagers took pity on my and offered the use of a Nintendo DS and the game Animal Crossing.  And it was good.
You mean I'm not limited to the doing the same levels over and over again?  A spandex-clad ninja isn't going to rip my spine out through my throat?  I can befriend talking animals?  What sorcery is this?
As soon as I got home, I went out and procured my own DS and a copy of Animal Crossing and proceeded to sink hours of my life into the game.  And when life in my town got repetitive, I began to seek out similar games:  the cuter, the better.
Which lead me to Pop Cutie!  Street Fashion Simulation.  The game had a tiny blurb in a Game Informer (It's not Call of Duty.  I'm lucky GI gave it the time of day.)  and I immediately knew I had to have it.

Domestic help chic! Source

The gameplay is fairly simple:  You are given a stall at a sort of upscale flea market to run.  You are in charge of designing the clothes you need to sell, stocking the clothes, assisting customers, and hiring employees.  Your work day is spent walking along the street outside the market and talking to people who tell you what the latest trends are.  You want to stock up on trendy things so you can make those dolla dolla bills, y'all.

Pink kitties are a timeless classic.  Source

The fashion design aspect was somewhat laughable.  Clothing styles were presented based on chosen keywords and then you could choose the colors.  If you were worthy enough, you got called into a "Fashion Battle" where you dressed a model, based on a trend or theme and had to compete against some rather colorful characters, your rivals.  Battle wins and your shop sales helped you advance in the game and actually graduate from selling knockoff Louis Vuittons at the flea market to owning your own boutique.  Tres chic! 
True to my gaming roots, I never won the fashion battles.  I was too busy toiling away in my shop to care.  I was a designer for the people, dammit.  Ain't nobody got time for haute couture. 
Pop Cutie was definitely a time sink and, because it was originally released in Japan, it definitely did not disappoint in the cute department.  Your mailman is a robot, you are often helped by an alien frog (because alien frogs know everything about fashion), and a mentor dressed in kigurumi.  It's the perfect mix of playability, kawaii, and quirkiness.