As a newcomer to a title that, if you look it up, has quite an impressive cult following and pedigree, it’s always a bit of an odd experience. While I have played a number of games over the years in this same vein, where your goal is to manage the upbringing of your child somewhat meticulously in the hope that they turn out well, it’s cool to finally spend some time with one of the titles that started that ball rolling.

What you’ll find is a granular statistics fan’s dream, working to figure out how to somehow manage your limited finances, your daughter’s time, and her demeanor. For the first runthrough or two, each of which will take a handful of hours, you’ll need to be ready for some challenges though, as in true old-school style the games underlying mechanics are an enigma at times. You’ll find that there’s a critical steady balance you’ll need to find for most things, moving her in the direction of activities and personality traits you hope will work out, but then being mindful not to run her into the rocks in other areas through neglect.

With claims of roughly 70 different potential endings, if you find the experience to be addictive you’ll have plenty of strategies to explore. There’s absolutely a sense of accomplishment when you finally complete your run, getting to see the fruits of your labor even if early on they’re perhaps a bit more on the sour side. The good news is that the trauma of your earlier daughters will better secure happier futures for their later siblings.

You absolutely shouldn’t mistake the title as implying that the game has in any way received a top-to-bottom overhaul. Looking at previous incarnations of this decades-old title the changes have mostly been aesthetic, just gussying things up to not look quite so dated, but it seems that the core experience has generally been left untouched. If you’ve been a fan or eager to finally see it on a Nintendo system, I’m sure this will be a delightful excuse to jump into the fray once more. If, however, you’re not familiar with the series, and perhaps your sensibilities are more modern, this may feel a bit too dated, even if it promises a time-tested and deep experience.