July 2009 Eroge Releases

It’s summer! Time to head to the beach and enjoy being a youth! Let’s get fired up!!!

夏だ！海だ！青春だ！燃えるわぁぁぁぁぁ！！！

For those that prefer to stay at home and play eroge instead, there’s no shortage of great titles this month. With 21 games, there’s bound to be at least one that interests you. A lot of them have summer and Tanabata themes. While I’m still working through DCIITY and Primary, if I play all the ones I want from this batch, they’d probably last me till October. Oh, did I mention Natsuyume Nagisa comes out this month? ^____^

Quite a good harvest this month, including many titles that were surprisingly interesting to me. July is going to be another sad month for everyone besides Accany it seems. Too many good titles and too little time.

I’d also like to remind everyone that you can view all the following OPs together via the playlist on Micchi’s Youtube channel.

Angel Magister

Company: mana
Game site: ANGEL MAGISTER
Release date: July 24, 2009
Comments:
A love comedy ADV in a magical setting, with mahou senshi and stuff like that. Nothing really impresses me, so pass.

Oi this month has too many interesting releases for me to worry about something like this. Far too cutesy and a concept I personally dislike so yeah, same as Micchi, pass.

Dies irae Also sprach Zarathustra -die Wiederkunft-

Company: light
Game site: Dies irae（ディエス・イレ） Also sprach Zarathustra -die Wiederkunft-
Release date: July 24, 2009
Comments:
This is a modified release of light’s 2007 work Dies irae with some new routes and CGs. I didn’t play the original and it’s not really style, but I like the OP.

Appears to have an interesting plot, good op, and good art. I never played the original either but appears to be a good game to pick up.I think this has the potential to be a good game however after a few months of disappointment I am a little hesitant. Worth a shot though.

Tiara

Company: Symphony
Game site: Tiara
Release date: July 24, 2009 Delayed to July 31, 2009
Comments:
New release date after being pushed back from May. I guess after Sakura Sakura‘s release last month (Haha Zen! I win!), this is the one most delayed. Since it seems like they’re on schedule, it seems like it’ll actually be released this time. Not really interested, but it does have some well known seiyuu.

Ah I lost, Sakura Sakura came out first. Shame I don’t get to make fun of it this month, so sad. Oh right Tiara… well looks boring and as I am not a twelve year old girl hung up on being a pretty pretty princess, I could not possibly be less interested.

Kitto, Sumiwataru Asairo Yori mo,

Company: propeller
Game site: きっと、澄みわたる朝色よりも、
Release date: July 24, 2009
Comments:
First of all, the OP is one of the best I’ve seen; I love it a lot. The plot revolves around Sasamaru who returns to Yumemitori Gakuen to reunite with his childhood friends, however they tell him that they won’t pretend to be his friends anymore and are distant to him. I like the setting and character design. The main character is also voiced. If there weren’t so many great games this month, this would be in my top 3. I highly recommend it though. Araragi….

I would agree that the OP is well done. However the quasi animation they use looks awkward at best. The motions give off the feeling of a puppet on strings. Plot wise the story has some interesting potential as it diverges from the usual childhood friend type of welcome. Well that is barring tsundere character types. May end up on the dramatic side though. Voicing the main character is an interesting choice which mmm to be honest I am not sure how I feel about that. On one hand it is kind of nice to put a voice to the character, and on the other its needless increase in disk space… Ah well If you like drama seems like a good choice for this month.

Oh, I forgot to mention it’s an ’emotional AVG’. Also, you can turn off the protagonist’s voice if you wish.

Kurenai no Tsuki

Company: ALcot ハニカム (ALcot Honeycomb)
Game site: クレナイノツキ
Release date: July 24, 2009
Comments:
This is the first work by ALcot Honeycomb, a sister company of ALcot. They’re going with a more traditional Japanese approach to the game, with a focus on miko. Great art and OP song.

Not really my type of game but the OP is fairly well done. Enough so that I am a little interested and may end up playing it if I have time.

Time Leap Paradise

Company: フロントウイング (FrontWing)
Game site: タイムリープぱらだいす
Release date: July 24, 2009 Delayed to August 28, 2009
Comments:
Frontwing realized that the reason why people bought Time Leap was because of the dance sequence in the boot bench, so they made a full fledged dance game sequel (with some ADV and H). I wouldn’t expect it to be high quality (Where’s my DancexMixer…), but there’s clothes and selected songs from ef, Air, Little Busters, Boy Meets Girl, Jibril, Sora Uta and Figu@Mate. Catchy retro-style theme song. Might try it out when I’m bored.

No. Just no. As if Dance Mixer was not enough. I could not even watch the op for this one. I just cannot see the point of 3d girls dancing around to silly jpoppy songs.

Bengarachou Hakubutsushi

Company: raiL-soft
Game site: 紅殻町博物誌
Release date: July 24, 2009
Comments:
A story about Tomohisa’s uncovering of mysteries in Bengarachou and rediscovering of his past, depicted in a ‘future retro’ style. I’m sure Accany can say more about this since he seems to be waiting for it. The graphics are really well done though.

Backgrounds do have a lot of detail however the character art itself feels off. I get the impression it just does not fit with the style in use for the background which catches the eye often. That aside, story wise the game does seem to have more than usual going for it. Although asshole that I am I do get the feeling I would probably end up complaining about everything in this type of story (Somewhat akin to Higurashi in that respect).  Not a first choice for me however it is something that may be worth a read.

Owaranaki Natsu Towa Naru Shirabe

Company: ファイアージュ (φâge)
Game site: 終わりなき夏 永遠なる音律
Release date: July 24, 2009
Comments:
Set in the countryside, Warinaki is about Takumi and the classical music club that he attends with his friends Mio, Kanon and senpai Ritsuko. A new transfer student named Ai joins the school and they try to get her to join the club. Ok, that was a very boring intro, but this is actually one of my most anticipated releases this month and I enjoyed the demo. First of all, there’s no text box, the dialogue is along the bottom. The characters move a lot and the comedic and dramatic scenes are all very well done. There’s a very nostalgic feel to the game and each heroine has their problems that need to be solved. I really loved the music too.

Mio is soooooooo cute! >w<

I bet no one would think that… I am actually interested by this game. Yes, despite the fact I generally scorn this type of game with extreme prejudice I am actually interested in this one. The main reason being I feel the stories are well developed without going over the top dramatic. Characters are interesting, and while their problems may be somewhat cliched and too obvious, as long as the story and the character development are good that hardly matters. Plus… well.. ya see.. *sighs* after the sana … debate.. it is a bit hard to agree but Mio IS CUTE. Saying that makes me feel dirty.

Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it. Mio will win everyone’s hearts!

Kagura Douchuuki

Company: でぼの巣製作所 (Debo no Su Seisakusho)
Game site: 神楽道中記
Release date: July 24, 2009
Comments:
This is Debo no Su’s first game after lead artist Yamamoto Kazue left Studio e.go!. The art style is the same as before and it’s also a miko RPG with the standard bad ends with tentacles and other baddies.

Mikos? Tentacles? where do I sign up!? … So I can avoid this game like the plague it is. Nothing against the type of game but I really cannot get into tentacle game plots.

There is no tentacle game plot. They just happen.

Ashita wa Kitto, Haremasu you ni

Company: HUG
Game site: 明日はきっと、晴れますように
Release date: July 24, 2009 Delayed to July 31, 2009
Comments:
This is the debut game for HUG, GIGA’s sister company. The story’s about Natsuhiko who returns to his hometown after 10 years and reunites with childhood friend Yuuka, who he left on bad terms with. Most of the town has changed since then, but one thing stayed the same: a giant bamboo upon which tanzaku are tied to during the Tanabata festival. It’s been said that one of these wishes will actually come true. The plot seems cliched, but you all know I’m a sucker for promises and wishes (especially Tanabata). Miu is so loli…

Bit of a boring been there and done that type of plot combined with forgettable characters. For me this game just does not stand out enough to be worth the time it takes to play it. Tried and true is fine but does need something to avoid being predictable. Silly Tanabata game, I promise I shall not play you.

I wish you weren’t such an ass.

Well, I know someone who will not have their wish granted. Wonder who it could be …

77 (Sevens) ~And, two stars meet again~

Company: Whirlpool
Game site: 77（セブンズ）～And，two stars meet again～
Release date: July 31, 2009
Comments:
All the girls in this game have bust size 77. Ok, I’m joking although I would be fine with that. Sevens refers to July 7th, which is Tanabata. In this game, there are three towers (Tower of Intelligence, Tower of Power and Tower of Destiny), each with an Orihime and two star mikos supporting her. The Hikoboshi for this tale is the protagonist Shou, who possesses a ring that the girls want during the Hoshimachi Matsuri. The Orihime that succeeds is allowed to add her own rules to the school, along with other things.

Reading the plot made me very interested in this game. It looks to be very comedic as there’s 10 (?) girls after him (there’s also a mysterious girl named Kuu). The SDs are extremely cute. For some reason, I can only find the intro movies to the Towers of Intelligence and Destiny.

Interesting plot. I like a good comedy so maybe when I am done the serious titles I may pick it up. That said I get the feeling they could have done more with the plot than the somewhat boring and standard high school romance play. With the amount of heroines I also have to wonder how well written the story for each can be.

MQ ~Jikuu no Hasha~

Company: アーベルソフトウェア (Abel Software)
Game site: MQ～時空の覇者～
Release date: July 31, 2009
Comments:
A fantasy based adventure featuring a protagonist who seems to lose everyone that he loves. I don’t really like Abel Software’s character design, however this might be decent for people who want a serious fantasy game.

Coming in at number two for me MQ had my interest for a few months. I will be giving this game a chance though as I have never played a game by Abel before I do not know what to expect. Would also help a bit if they came out with an op to give us a bit more to go on than their site provides.

Ano Aoi Umi Yori

Company: LilacSoft
Game site: あの蒼い海より
Release date: July 31, 2009
Comments:
This is LilacSoft’s first game. Shortly after moving to a new town, Sora is approached by a mysterious girl, who says that she wants to become his friend. Her wish is that she will never forget him. The character design and coloring are quite simplistic and there sure is a lot of blue. For some reason, I was reminded of ALcot Citrus’ ShiniKiss.

Artwork feels a bit too simplistic and story feels kind of bland. A typical romance story, reminds me a little of Air which means no thanks.

Sorairo

Company: ねこねこソフト (NekoNekoSoft)
Game site: そらいろ
Release date: July 31, 2009 Delayed to August 28, 2009
Comments:
NekoNekoSoft is baaaaaack! Sorairo is a lighthearted countryside story which is split into two sections: childhood and current. Depending on which character you focus on during childhood, all 3 heroines will possess different personalities in the current time. The feel is very similar to their previous work Lamune. Can I just label this as an imouto/kouhai/osananajimi game? No matter which route you’re on, you’ll be around all three characters, which is fine with me since they’re all really likeable. Ai’s oniichan suki suki beam is a sight to behold. Myaa~

Interesting system, I like the idea that the past affects the future. On the other hand the characters do not interest me AT ALL so I will be skipping over this one as though it were a spiked pit.

Mogitate BasiL! -commencement-

Company: BasiL
Game site: もぎたてBasiL！－commencement－
Release date: July 31, 2009
Comments:
This is basically a fandisk of past BasiL games Bless and 21, plus two new mini ADVs Rondo and if… Sore wa Maichiru Sakura no You ni, minigames, music and wallpapers. The character design looks very similar to Navel (Shuffle!), but I don’t think it’s the same illustrator.

I agree about the art, the rest is meh, Mascot is cute.

Natsuyume Nagisa

Company: SAGA PLANETS
Game site: ナツユメナギサ
Release date: July 31, 2009
Comments:
It’s finally here!!!!! Hitsujiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The setting for Natsunagi is on an island where it is always summer. Sunflowers line the roads, magical butterflies flutter around and penguins waddle around freely. It is a very mysterious island indeed. Nagisa doesn’t remember anything of his past and meets some girls who seem to know him from before. Who was that special someone that he had forgotten?

I’ve played a bit of trial that came out a few days ago and I really like the mysterious and slightly nostalgic feeling. All the characters, including the subchars are likeable. My favorite is definitely Hitsuji (「やーん！会いたかったよ～～。昨日来たら、学園お休みなんだもん！美浜淋しかったよー」), although Yumi actually was quite funny. Great art and voices are top notch.

This is target #1 for me! Time to get bumpy jumpy!

Feels pretty normal to me. Overall story feels nice but a bit bland. This is more of a game for Micchi than myself: simple, happy, and cute.

Hitsuji wait for meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee~~~

Scary blue text has returned, it is sana all over again. At least this time I have far less interest in the game so I doubt there will be much argument from me about the characters (Lucky you Micchi and M3rry).

(Why is Sana never capitalized…)

Fault!!

Company: Ciel
Game site: フォルト!!
Release date: July 31, 2009
Comments:
New release date after being pushed back from June. Not much to comment on other than Tony’s art is nice and imouto Mio is cute. Oh, and nice touch with using the surnames Sugiyama, Matsuoka and Date.

More interested in the art than the game. The game itself looks kind of boring. Already dealt with it last month.

Mecha-mimi

Company: CandySoft
Game site: メカミミ
Release date: July 31, 2009
Comments:
Kotarou was walking one home day when he was attacked by two androids. Lucky for him, he was saved by another android named Yuno, who proclaimed that she belongs to him and will do anything to protect him. Sorry, but mecha-style nekomimi doesn’t fly with me. I’d rather watch Strike Witches Sky Girls.

So animals are no longer good enough! Lets give the girls robotic animal ears! People like gundams and they also like girls! Lets make girls into gundams, it’s a BRILLIANT idea! That way we can get twice the market. Too much of a silly gimmick to have any kind of interesting story, if you feel that toasters are sexy than this is the game for you.

Memoria

Company: パープルソフトウェア (Purple Software)
Game site: メモリア
Release date: July 31, 2009 Delayed to August 28, 2009
Comments:
There exists two independent worlds Asteria and Esteria, which are suddenly connected via a gate that appeared. A dog-eared girl named Haruna comes through the gate to explore this world. This is basically a kemonomimi game and it’s really cute (especially chibi Yuuki). I was slightly disappointed that Purple Software didn’t make another animated OP, but the song was really well done.

I dunno if it is just me but the premise sounds a lot like shuffle? Either way despite the silly ears gimmick the OP gives a more sedate feel than I would have expected. May be a game worth playing after all.

Natsuiro Penguin

Company: リトルプリンセス (Little Princess)
Game site: 夏いろペンギン
Release date: July 31, 2009 Delayed to September 18, 2009
Comments:
Just like their last game Furufuru Full Moon, nothing really stands out in this game. It’s a cute school-based love-comedy ADV. I’m most interested in the subchars: genki mysterious girl Korone, loli teacher Yua (not as loli as the one and only Yui from Hani Hani though) and slightly yandere idol Moka. Since there’s no OP, I included the PV from Comiket 75 last December.

So little stands out about this game that I almost fell asleep just thinking about it. Only way I will play this… is if the penguin has a route.

Sorry, no bestiality here, you sick sick man.

Yumemiru Koi no Musubikata

Company: あてゅ・わぁくす (AtuWorks)
Game site: 夢みる恋の結びかた
Release date: July 31, 2009
Comments:
At the Ataragi shrine, there is a sakura tree that blooms only in the summer. There’s a saying that when it blooms, two lovers tied with the branches will remain happy forever. Tomoya is approached by four girls who confess to him. Awww… I sense that this is my type of game. Unfortunately, there’s so many other good games. Too hard to choose!

Add in a bit of cute a pinch of loli and a dash of beach and.. ahh forget it the game doesn’t stand out enough for this month. I cannot say I much like the idea of the four confessions, unless that comes rather late game. Even then I cannot say I like the idea much. Not enough development that way.

Micchi’s Top 7 for This Month (cuz I can’t choose)

1. Natsuyume Nagisa
   
2. Owarinaki Natsu Towa Naru Shirabe
3. 77 (Sevens) ~And, two stars meet again~
4. Sorairo
5. Kitto, Sumiwataru Asairo Yori mo,
6. Yumemiru Koi no Musubikata
   
7. Ashita wa Kitto, Haremasu You ni

Zen’s Top 3 for This Month

1. Dies irae Also sprach Zarathustra -die Wiederkunft-
2. MQ ~Jikuu no Hasha~
3. Owarinaki Natsu Towa Naru Shirabe
   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOdrz3awOSE