Rant: The Quickies in Madison County
It's late around here, and in my lack of sleep I decided to write some things.
PSP: It seems like more "cleaned up" eroge are being released on PSP, which follows the supposed trend set by otome games, as well as companies like leaf and a couple of the other big ones. The more notable examples at the moment are Kazoku Keikaku, which has a set release date of Autust 12, 2010. This version seems to be based on the PS2 version of the game, but is being handled by a different company (Interchannel I believe did the PS2 version, while Cyber Front will be doing the PSP release). In effect, this means we'll have a clean game that includes a route centered on Kei (Jun's sister) in addition to the five routes from the PS2 release.
Next on the list is Sakura Sakura, which is set for an August 26, 2010 release. Piacci's website currently mentions an original scenario as well as new CG artwork being the selling points of the PSP version. This is on top of a limited edition release that has been announced, which will include stuff like a bonus drama CD and such. Personally, I'm curious to see how this "original scenario" will play out. Since the game focused more on comedy than ero, it would work out fine, but I can't see them introducing anything totally brand new given that the game has six (eight counting Masashi and Takada-san) active characters.
Breaking my heart yet again, light has pushed back R.U.R.U.R. -petit prince- to an "indefinite" release date. At this point I have no idea of what the hell is going on with them, since there was a good amount of info released on the game. The only thing I can think of is them running into some major issue that's outside of production, but even then that's a stretch.
FutaAne: I'm almost done with this game, and will begin working on the review for it as soon as I finish the two routes for Wakaba. That being said...
I'm really not impressed. What I mentioned before still stands, but as I cleared Haruna, Mikoto, and Haruna+Mikoto's route, it's become more and more obvious how shallow this game is. Too much rides on indecision and too many lines are kind of repeated. It feels like characters are restating the same thing every three or four lines. On top of that, this game has done something I was hoping I would never run into: it attempts to add appeal to the game by inserting characters and references from another game for no good reason.
Mind you, this has been done before; Majikoi makes a couple of references to Kimi ga aruji de shitsuji ga ore de and has a couple of the characters from that game make voice cameos. By the same token, Rune Lord had most of the cast from Zwei Worter kind of just show up. Still, those two examples used their inserts as clever "bonuses" to the story, and never really build up anything leading to them. FutaAne, on the other hand, inserted a wordy reference to AneImo2, and has Yuuichi+Haruna+Mikoto run into Kirishima Satsuki (from the same game).
I can also apply a comment a fellow blogger made on Ooyari Ashito to Shinonome Kazuhiko (FutaAne's character designer), since the art overall is also somewhat "meh". Either that or whoever assisted him with artwork for previous games got fired or something...
DEARDROPS: The Master Up is finished, and the game is currently slotted for release on June 18, 2010. The story looks to be interesting, and will admitedly touch a part of me few stories have (as the protagonist is a violinist that ends up joining a rock band).
I'm amused by how they handled giving voice samples, as the character section on the game's website has a part that allows the person at the computer to conduct a mini-interview with the characters (barring the protagonist, since he has no VA assigned). I am more curious to see how this will stand out from the foundation set by Kira Kira, though.
Featured Character:
Name: Ogasawara Chika
Game: Maji de watashi ni koi shinasai!
Voiced by: Nishizawa Hiroka (under the alias Serizono Miya)
Designed by: wagi
Chika is introduced as one of the background characters in Majikoi, and is a member of class F along with Yamato, Miyako, Chris and Kazuko. Her nickname is "Sweets", as she works in a wagashiya (Japanese confectionery shop) owned by her family. As an outsider to the Kazama Family, she doesn't appear much during any of the main heroine routes, and instead has a route of her own.
She starts out looking at Yamato as simply a classmate, and instead has her sights set on Shouichi, the leader of the Kazama Family. Of course, Cap's lack of interest in women is what generally keeps her in check, and at times even gives her the feeling that she's not going to find anyone suitable for herself.
She eventually tries to set up an goukon (a joint party that can double as a matchmaking meeting where equal number of men and women gather in hopes of finding someone to hook up with) for herself and three of her friends, and is stuck with Yamato, Moro, Gakuto and Yonpachi being the guys in the group, as she couldn't convince Shouichi or Gen-san to take part in it. It kind of works out in the end, as two of her friends manage to hook up with Moro and Gakuto, while Chika herself ends up talking to Yamato.
To her own surprise, she finds that she has a very easy time talking to Yamato, as both have similar tastes in music. This common interest is what leads to them going out together to try out restaurants, and before long Chika realizes she likes our protagonist. The story follows the relationship as it develops, with its ups and downs (like Yamato learning that Chika is the controlling type of girlfriend). Things pick up again when a thief manages to steal all gym and bathing suits from all girls in school, leaving the boys to catch the thief (and clear their own names in the process).
Once the true thief is caught, Chika shocks the entire cast by being the one to lose it and beat the thief to a pulp (despite Kazuko, Chris and Miyako being in the room as well). This results in her classmates calling her "Bancho" (a title usually reserved for gang leaders that are known to be strong fighters) instead of "Sweets" afterwards.
On a side note, Chika is something of an ironic character, as she looks down on the otaku characters (Suguru, Yonpachi, and to a lesser extent, Moro) because of their expectations of women being so influenced by anime and eroge. Despite this, she herself expects men to be like the rich bishounen in the stories and romance novels she reads. Suguru even goes as far as telling her that at least the otaku admit that what they're looking for doesn't really exist.
That's it for today.
-Moroboshi Yuumei
PSP: It seems like more "cleaned up" eroge are being released on PSP, which follows the supposed trend set by otome games, as well as companies like leaf and a couple of the other big ones. The more notable examples at the moment are Kazoku Keikaku, which has a set release date of Autust 12, 2010. This version seems to be based on the PS2 version of the game, but is being handled by a different company (Interchannel I believe did the PS2 version, while Cyber Front will be doing the PSP release). In effect, this means we'll have a clean game that includes a route centered on Kei (Jun's sister) in addition to the five routes from the PS2 release.
Next on the list is Sakura Sakura, which is set for an August 26, 2010 release. Piacci's website currently mentions an original scenario as well as new CG artwork being the selling points of the PSP version. This is on top of a limited edition release that has been announced, which will include stuff like a bonus drama CD and such. Personally, I'm curious to see how this "original scenario" will play out. Since the game focused more on comedy than ero, it would work out fine, but I can't see them introducing anything totally brand new given that the game has six (eight counting Masashi and Takada-san) active characters.
Breaking my heart yet again, light has pushed back R.U.R.U.R. -petit prince- to an "indefinite" release date. At this point I have no idea of what the hell is going on with them, since there was a good amount of info released on the game. The only thing I can think of is them running into some major issue that's outside of production, but even then that's a stretch.
FutaAne: I'm almost done with this game, and will begin working on the review for it as soon as I finish the two routes for Wakaba. That being said...
I'm really not impressed. What I mentioned before still stands, but as I cleared Haruna, Mikoto, and Haruna+Mikoto's route, it's become more and more obvious how shallow this game is. Too much rides on indecision and too many lines are kind of repeated. It feels like characters are restating the same thing every three or four lines. On top of that, this game has done something I was hoping I would never run into: it attempts to add appeal to the game by inserting characters and references from another game for no good reason.
Mind you, this has been done before; Majikoi makes a couple of references to Kimi ga aruji de shitsuji ga ore de and has a couple of the characters from that game make voice cameos. By the same token, Rune Lord had most of the cast from Zwei Worter kind of just show up. Still, those two examples used their inserts as clever "bonuses" to the story, and never really build up anything leading to them. FutaAne, on the other hand, inserted a wordy reference to AneImo2, and has Yuuichi+Haruna+Mikoto run into Kirishima Satsuki (from the same game).
I can also apply a comment a fellow blogger made on Ooyari Ashito to Shinonome Kazuhiko (FutaAne's character designer), since the art overall is also somewhat "meh". Either that or whoever assisted him with artwork for previous games got fired or something...
DEARDROPS: The Master Up is finished, and the game is currently slotted for release on June 18, 2010. The story looks to be interesting, and will admitedly touch a part of me few stories have (as the protagonist is a violinist that ends up joining a rock band).
I'm amused by how they handled giving voice samples, as the character section on the game's website has a part that allows the person at the computer to conduct a mini-interview with the characters (barring the protagonist, since he has no VA assigned). I am more curious to see how this will stand out from the foundation set by Kira Kira, though.
Featured Character:
Name: Ogasawara Chika
Game: Maji de watashi ni koi shinasai!
Voiced by: Nishizawa Hiroka (under the alias Serizono Miya)
Designed by: wagi
Chika is introduced as one of the background characters in Majikoi, and is a member of class F along with Yamato, Miyako, Chris and Kazuko. Her nickname is "Sweets", as she works in a wagashiya (Japanese confectionery shop) owned by her family. As an outsider to the Kazama Family, she doesn't appear much during any of the main heroine routes, and instead has a route of her own.
She starts out looking at Yamato as simply a classmate, and instead has her sights set on Shouichi, the leader of the Kazama Family. Of course, Cap's lack of interest in women is what generally keeps her in check, and at times even gives her the feeling that she's not going to find anyone suitable for herself.
She eventually tries to set up an goukon (a joint party that can double as a matchmaking meeting where equal number of men and women gather in hopes of finding someone to hook up with) for herself and three of her friends, and is stuck with Yamato, Moro, Gakuto and Yonpachi being the guys in the group, as she couldn't convince Shouichi or Gen-san to take part in it. It kind of works out in the end, as two of her friends manage to hook up with Moro and Gakuto, while Chika herself ends up talking to Yamato.
To her own surprise, she finds that she has a very easy time talking to Yamato, as both have similar tastes in music. This common interest is what leads to them going out together to try out restaurants, and before long Chika realizes she likes our protagonist. The story follows the relationship as it develops, with its ups and downs (like Yamato learning that Chika is the controlling type of girlfriend). Things pick up again when a thief manages to steal all gym and bathing suits from all girls in school, leaving the boys to catch the thief (and clear their own names in the process).
Once the true thief is caught, Chika shocks the entire cast by being the one to lose it and beat the thief to a pulp (despite Kazuko, Chris and Miyako being in the room as well). This results in her classmates calling her "Bancho" (a title usually reserved for gang leaders that are known to be strong fighters) instead of "Sweets" afterwards.
On a side note, Chika is something of an ironic character, as she looks down on the otaku characters (Suguru, Yonpachi, and to a lesser extent, Moro) because of their expectations of women being so influenced by anime and eroge. Despite this, she herself expects men to be like the rich bishounen in the stories and romance novels she reads. Suguru even goes as far as telling her that at least the otaku admit that what they're looking for doesn't really exist.
That's it for today.
-Moroboshi Yuumei