January 2010 Eroge Releases

The new year starts off with a bang, as the avalanche continues on January 29th with 23 titles, including 5 sequels and 4 fandisks. Pure love and comedy are the main themes this month, featuring new brand Hearts’ Mercuria and SkyFish’s Harukazedori ni Tomarigi o 2, although there are also a few mystery and battle stories too. The most anticipated title for me is the Hoshizora no Memoria fandisk, featuring Yume and Mare.

Do I need to point out that with 5 sequels and 4 fandisks means there are really only 14 titles, considering the others will only be played by people who played the originals, we cannot really count them as new games or their own titles. Hardly worth calling that an avalanche, especially when you include how many are just delays it comes out to a pretty lackluster month with only a few real games to choose from. While I have some passing interest in a few of the games nothing really leaps out and grabs me as something which I must drop everything to play.

Cross Days

Company: オーバーフロー (Overflow)
Game site: Cross Days（クロスデイズ）
Release date: January 29, 2010 Delayed to March 19, 2010
Comments:
New release date after being pushed back from November. It’s been almost 14 months since I first mentioned this game and it’s been delayed for almost a year. I’m out of things to say.

I am rooting for another delay. Can’t help but think about how funny it would be to see this game delayed yet again.

A week before the scheduled release, the unthinkable happened. It got delayed again.

airy[F]airy ~Easter of Sant’Ariccia~

Company: RococoWorks
Game site: airy［F］airy（エアリィフェアリィ）～Easter of Sant’Ariccia～
Release date: January 29, 2010
Comments:
New release date after being pushed back from November. Art looks nice, but the fight over Tuesday is a bit tacky. Do your best, Elmo.

Really silly concept, already mentioned in November. Will not be picking up this game despite how interesting the one girl looks.

id – Rebirth Session –

Company: rootnuko
Game site: id［イド］－Rebirth Session－
Release date: January 29, 2010
Comments:
The debut game for rootnuko is a mystery ADV occurring on an island. Shirou is a lone wolf detective, who is approached one day by the little sister of one of his old friends. She asks for his help is finding her missing brother. As rumors spread in the town, 12 people gather in the town bar “Cafe seaside” and are told by the masked bar owner that something awaits in the nearby deserted island. However, when they arrive, the murders begin. Yup, it’s one of those closed circle murder mysteries that Zen so dearly loves. The system is similar to Caucausus with the detective mode, but I think the set-up could’ve been made more believable. I don’t see why 12 people would want to go to a deserted island for no good reason. Also, the OP nearly put me to sleep.

Ah yes I do so love closed circle plotlines, even more so when their setup is even less believable than normal. I think even if you like this type of story you would have to ask, when the writers cannot be bothered to take the time and effort to write in a proper setup at the very least, what can you expect from the story itself? I would have to agree with the sedated feeling of the OP, though the background music itself was pretty good.

Narikiri Ba-Couple!

Company: ネル (nel)
Game site: なりきりバカップル！
Release date: January 29, 2010
Comments:
Shinichi is a pretty typical guy, except that his childhood friend who lives next door is one of the smartest and most beautiful girls in the school. Her name is Kanami and their relationship is akin to siblings since they’ve been together for so long. One day when they were taking shelter from the rain, they accidentally broke an old relic and Hiwa, the fox spirit that rules over the land, punished them by placing a curse on them. Soon, the school views them as a couple and their parents wants them to marry, even though they don’t have feelings for each other. The only way to break this ‘curse’ is to kiss each other whenever they’re told to. Obviously Kanami’s a tsundere and there’ll be lots of comedic moments. Among the other heroines, I’m interested in kouhai Kikuko, who reminds me of Hitsuji from Natsunagi. Those looking for a deredere title should check this out.

Well I am not exactly for or against this game myself. I feel that the plot has potential with the way the characters are setup for an excellent balance of comedy and relationship development that I may feel like reading, while on the other hand the overall sensation of the game does not give the impression I would particularly like it. Though that never really stopped me before considering after hearing someone talk about a game it drives me nuts to not know all the little details and I end up reading even if I normally would not have. So I suppose to sum it up, looks like an interesting game for this style, and unless I am playing something else that gives me an excuse not to, I may end up playing it.

NekoNeko Fandisk 3

Company: ねこねこソフト (NekoNekoSoft)
Game site: ねこねこファンディスク3
Release date: January 29, 2010 Delayed to February 26, 2010
Comments:
NekoNekoSoft’s latest fandisk will focus mainly on their latest title Sorairo, but also include characters from past games Scarlett, Sanarara, Lamune and 120 Yen no Haru. There’s ero omakes for Sorairo, side and after stories, as well as the requisite mahjong minigame. Recommended for those that have played NekoNekoSoft’s past games and liked them. I’m mostly interested in more Ai-chan~

Fandisk, but for more than one game, hooray. Not that I care in the least as I have played none of the games themselves.

Harukazedori ni, Tomarigi o. 2nd Story ~Tsuki no Tobira to Umi no Kakera~

Company: SkyFish
Game site: はるかぜどりに、とまりぎを。 2nd Story～月の扉と海の欠片～
Release date: January 29, 2010
Comments:
The sequel to SkyFish’s late 2007 work Harutoma, it features a brand new cast in the same setting. Global warming had caused the water to rise, covering more than half the land. At the same time, an outbreak of the Satori disease wiped out half of the world’s population. It is said that everyone has been infected with the disease and it’s only a matter of time before the symptoms show. While at the hospital, Wataru meets Akari and her kindness and smile captures his heart. I haven’t played the first game, but I felt Primary‘s stories were well done and pure love and bittersweet stories are exactly what I’m looking for. Not to mention there’s a cute imouto Korun, who’s great at everything.

I get the impression that the artwork for this game does not match the setting, the characters feel very cute, with very soft and gentle tones and shades used, while the setting gives the impression of doom and gloom. As much as I like fractured world settings, I can’t get behind this game since it just does not feel right. As a final note I am fervently hoping that Korun dies from the disease, if she does I may play the game just out of spite.

And here I was thinking that you were going to be less spiteful this year…

Anything I may or may not have agreed to in the last year is null and void, it is a new year with new things to spite, how could I possibly pass that up!?

Puara!

Company: しゃくなげ (Shakunage)
Game site: ぴゅあらっ！
Release date: January 29, 2010 Delayed to February 19, 2010
Comments:
His parents conveniently having went on a world tour, Reiichi is left alone with his childhood friend Miharu. A sudden confession. A kiss without explanation. Then, a short girl barges in and declares that she’s come to have his kids as promised. Aside from the catchy OP, there’s nothing from this game that really stands out. Shakunage isn’t known for their scenarios (I was disappointed in Mimisuma) and love comedies are pretty common. I think a harem end might be possible though.

OK as much as I like a good laugh, I also find it meaningless and unfunny without the backdrop of a real story. Which is the problem in Puara, there just is nothing more to it than pick one of the random girls who each will embody a certain mix of well known traits, hilarity, H, end.

Yunibaru! Paranormal Girls Strike!!

Company: ApRicoT
Game site: ゆにばる！ PARANORMAL GIRLS STRIKE!!
Release date: January 29, 2010
Comments:
Shinichirou is the master of the ‘Big World House’, but the tenants aren’t human. They’re witches, gods and aliens! They have lots of enemies so every day is troublesome and he has to help fight them off to protect their ‘peaceful’ life. ApRicoT continues their dotabata theme after Maple Colors 2. I think this could be relatively entertaining if you don’t care much about the plot. His osananajimi Makie has ecchi visions and nosebleeds all the time. So cute!

Coherent plot please. This is almost as though they made this game to appeal to every otherworldly fetish they could think of. Since everything here screams random and pointless comedy with disjointed story elements, I personally wont touch it with a ten foot pole. If you happen to enjoy random wacky humor without much story to drive the jokes, and happen to want a more fantasy based setting I suppose this would be the game for you…

CM:

Curefull!

Company: 戯画 (GIGA)
Game site: キュアフル！
Release date: January 29, 2010
Comments:
Yuuya is a talented soccer player and he was going to enter via a scholarship, but he suffered a leg injury shortly before admission and the scholarship was revoked. Now he had to take the entrance examination as a regular student and he was depressed and wanted to give up. Enter his childhood friend Haruna, who was like an older sister to him, cheering him on to do his best so that they can be together. After making it in with her support, he finds out that the cheerleading club Haruna is part of is in danger of disbanding. He understands the power of the cheering spirit and decides to join the club to help keep it alive.

Basically all the chars are onee-san/senpai types and cheerleaders. I would’ve thought that Zen would be interested, but he says he’d rather have sumo wrestlers cheering and jumping around in fundoshi. I don’t understand his tastes, but personally I’d be more interested if GIGA made a Curefull!2 with all imouto/kouhai types. (￣ｰ￣)ﾆﾔ…

Nee sans and senpais are great and all, but kind of defeats the purpose when every character tries to fill the same niche, they lose the appeal of having that one character to rely on. That said the plot of guy joining a cheerleading club because it was about to disband is just so boringly blatant a setup that there is no room to even make fun of it. Without even confirming with the OP or site, you can tell just by the cover this game is going to suck. Breast size and partial transparency stresses the ecchi elements of the game. Not a game for plot… or well, hell even if you happen to want an H game based on cheerleaders this looks lame with the terrible artwork and oversized busts.

To address other matters brought up by a certain blog owner, I hate cheerleaders, even if they did not represent the sleazy brain dead members of society I would still hate them. There is no point to their existence, I used to play sports a lot, and I for one cannot remember caring one bit about the cheerleaders being there or not. So yes, at least sumo wrestlers would make you laugh… then cry, as you struggle to delete those horrible images from your head, at least their breasts are smaller.

Shapeshifter

Company: ファイアージュ (φâge)
Game site: シェイプシフター
Release date: January 29, 2010
Comments:
Yuuma is caught in a fierce battle and a pretty girl comes to his aid. Her name is Natia and she intends to protect him and the town from destruction. He greatly wishes to be able to help her, and that’s when a bright light envelops them and Natia’s weapon transforms into a giant sword. So a normal boy will become the key to saving the world… no, the universe! Shapeshifter takes a 180 degree turn from Warinaki and focuses on transformations and battles. The game uses the same presentation style as other φâge games, which I like a lot. Hemi-tan will like the wide assortment of delicious mahou senshis.

Mahou senshi / shoujo are close enough to the same thing that I feel the same degree of disgust for both.

Sugarcoat Freaks

Company: リトルウィッチ (littlewitch)
Game site: シュガーコートフリークス
Release date: January 29, 2010
Comments:
New release date after being pushed back from December. This will be littlewitch’s final release. Tamahime is omochikaeri material.

Not interested.

Doinaka Channel 5 ~Kochira Suzunone Gakuen Housoubu~

Company: はむはむソフト (HamHamSoft)
Game site: ド田舎ちゃんねる5～こちら鈴音学園放送部～
Release date: January 29, 2010
Comments:
As the title suggests, Doinaka Channel 5 takes place in the countryside. Keisuke and the Suzunone Gakuen broadcast club are asked to help make a TV program to promote the town. However, each segment will be capped at 5 minutes. If you watch the OP, you’ll realize this will be 100% non-stop comedy. The art style fits the playful and whacky feel of the game well. The song’s pretty catchy too.

What is with all the comedy releases in January it feels like half the month is zero plot and all comedy. More silly comedy, though at least the art fits well enough.

Mercuria ~Mizu no Miyako ni Koi no Hanataba o~

Company: Hearts
Game site: メルクリア～水の都に恋の花束を～
Release date: January 29, 2010
Comments:
This is the first game by Hearts, a Softpal brand and sister company of UnisonShift. Wataru, classmate Himiko, kouhai Ai and guy friend Seishuu ‘fell’ into a glowing puddle and ended up in the realm of water and magic, Imbruglia. Split up from the everyone else, he sees the kingdom’s Princess Ria standing in front of him. After reuniting, they decide to attend the magic school academy to learn magic to return to their world. In the meantime, they will participate in the fantasy school life.

Mercuria is one of the titles that I’ve been waiting for since it was announced. Similar to UnisonShift, the art is really pretty and the stories should be decent and full of deredere. A pure love ADV with a magical flair. That’s a must play for me ^o^

Not that I have a problem with fantasy settings, but what is the point of these games. Seriously you take a normal school system make it cute add in magic and end up with something terrible. If it was not for the whole, everything is the same in a new setting, I would not mind so much. Without developing the setting and use of the setting more in the plot I see no point to include all the useless extra which is only there to add a new touch to the visual aspect. Speaking of which I did like the backgrounds.

Rune Lord

Company: CLOCKUP team DYO
Game site: ルーンロオド
Release date: January 29, 2010
Comments:
Oh god, they’re huge… Sorry, got distracted. It’s a peaceful seaside town that was disturbed by a deafening roar. Then various giant robots came through a gate from an unknown world. Enter our aptly named hero Seigi who decides to take the fate of the world into his own hands, even though he has no experience in doing anything close to that. But don’t worry, believing in yourself will always mean success. Or was it believing in the you who believes in yourself? Ah, whatever. It’s got mechas, fighting, lolis and… How do those stay in there?

I love sci fi, in fact it is probably my favorite genre, this just screams crap though. The main character doesnt fit, the story is lazy, and the boobs defy all known physics. I do not get why they make eroge with storylines that feel like a manga targeting ten year olds. Then again I may play it just to see who dies from the massive explosion that ensues when a certain two objects free themselves with apocalyptic force from the chains which bind them.

I think we’ve found the weapons of mass destruction.

I shall volunteer myself for the dangerous mission of carrying them out of the country.

Otome Renshin Prister

Company: エスクード (Escu:de)
Game site: 乙女恋心プリスター
Release date: January 29, 2010
Comments:
In a nameless world where there is a ring of light in the sky and a giant tower on the ground, there exists mysterious living things called ‘Pristers’ which are alter-egos for the girls they follow. There’s a big event to determine the ‘magic girl’ and each of the 3 kingdoms send their own team to compete for the title. So it’s basically Digimon! And they can even digivolve!

Really now, who comes up with this, again with the children’s anime style storylines. I don’t even care anymore so if you want me to comment or sarcastically make fun of this you are out of luck.

Hana to Otome ni Shukufuku o Royal Bouquet

Company: ensemble
Game site: 花と乙女に祝福を　ロイヤルブーケ
Release date: January 29, 2010
Comments:
Twin sister Akiko’s popularity leads to her inclusion as a main heroine in the fandisk to Hanaoto. The game will basically be after stories for each of the heroines from the original game.

I love fandisks, I do not have to write anything significant, such a timesaver.

Amai Toki -Sweet Time-

Company: P-factory
Game site: 甘い刻 -SweetTime-
Release date: January 29, 2010 Delayed to February 26, 2010
Comments:
In his dreams, Ryou sees a beautiful girl dressed in traditional clothes crying in an old fashioned courtyard and there is nothing he could do. Also, the girl looks very similar to the new apprentice teacher Megumi. Is this a scene from his past life? Will they be able to fulfill her feelings from the past? Ah, love that transcends their current lives into the next. There’s something truly romantic about it, but I just can’t find myself being interested in the true heroine, Megumi. I think it’s something with her hair or the rigid way they draw her.

Not very interested in something that feels very romance oriented. While I can understand the appeal to there being that sort of deeper connection which transcends time, but without something else to keep me interested in the story I cannot see the value in playing this. Afterall we already know the endings, so what is there that can possibly entertain us during the plot that has not already been given away…?

Kikouyoku Senki Tenkuu no Yumina FD -ForeverDreams-

Company: ETERNAL
Game site: 輝光翼戦記 天空のユミナFD -ForeverDreams-
Release date: January 29, 2010
Comments:
The fandisk to Yumina focuses on Nayuta and the battle RPG system is pretty much similar as the original game. If you’ve played the first, you should already know all this (I’m looking at you, Kresnik).

Fandisk!

Oni Mari.

Company: 130cm
Game site: 鬼まり。
Release date: January 29, 2010
Comments:
Oni Mari is the after stories to Oni Uta, which was a bit disappointing. Great OP just like last time. The main story this time around seems to be Koharu’s goal to be a good onee-chan to Akito. That’s quite a difficult goal indeed…

A fandisk I might actually play. I liked Koharu a lot, but Himeka got on my nerves, and the story felt like it was going nowhere so I ended up dropping this game. Maybe the fandisk will fix those problems and make me want to play it again.

Isn’t Koharu more like an imouto than an onee-chan?

Koharu is… just a sort of spoiled brat who wants her little brother all to herself, for some reason I just find her jealous antics really cute and amusing soo… I don’t care I just want more Koharu.

It’s because she has black hair, right?

I take offense to that! EVERYONE in Oni Uta had black hair…. (So I guess it is actually because of her … *cough* erm..  ribbon…).

Tsukisome no Kasa -the end of scarlet luna-

Company: ひよこソフト (Hiyoko Soft)
Game site: 月染の枷鎖 -the end of scarlet luna-
Release date: January 29, 2010
Comments:
Renka moves to the countryside due to his foster father’s work. His mother passed away when he was young and he had never met his true father, but he wishes to be able to meet him some day. Walking along the beach at dusk, he meets a mysterious girl who asks him who he is. The plot summary doesn’t tell us much and the OP only adds to the mystery. For some reason, I am reminded of ALcot Citrus’ Shinikisu.

I am interested in this game, quite a bit actually. Maybe it is because of the lack of concrete plot and how I am curious how things will play out. Either way this looks like it has some potential for an interesting storyline, and the cover girl just so happens to be relevant to my interests.

Kagura Gakuenki

Company: でぼの巣製作所園記 (Debo no Su)
Game site: 神楽学園記
Release date: January 29, 2010
Comments:
Kagura Gakuenki follows Debo no Su’s debut game Kagura Douchuuki, except in a school setting and relates to the oft-talked about ‘seven mysteries’ of the school. While on a test of courage, a girl goes missing and other girls are killed. A miko appears and believes that this is the works of demons. Admittedly, I’m not really interested in Studio e.go!/Debonosu’s works as they all seem to go back to the same old Japanese style RPG and tentacles always show up at one point or the other. Pass.

I would be a bit more interested in this game were it not for the feeling a bit lazy on the plot. The seven mysteries is too common, as are problems occurring / demons appearing during said events. When relying on such a cliché for the basic plotline I am forced to wonder whether this would really be worth reading.

Hoshizora no Memoria Eternal Heart

Company: FAVORITE
Game site: 星空のメモリア Eternal Heart
Release date: January 29, 2010
Comments:
MAREEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!! YUMEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After finishing Hoshimemo, I thought that Yume’s route was really well done, but that it would be better if there were more loving moments. In addition, Mare’s route was too short and it felt rushed and out of place. However, this fandisk will fix all that! The focus will be on Yume and Mare’s after stories. Yume’s story will focus on their life after her discharge from the hospital and their search for the lost meteorite. In Mare’s story, they promise to be together forever, but a certain miko is determined to break them apart. In addition to the entire TenKuru (Asuho!) and Occult Club members returning, Mirai’s imouto Ima will finally show up: another tsundere to add to the mix! All of this together means this is a must play for me! ^o^

I am also looking forward to this fandisk, I hope that Asumo is killed by a falling meteorite, Chinami is abducted by aliens, and Isuzu is run over by a car. With the three of them taken care of the cast will be worth reading about and then I too will play this game.

For the last time, it’s Asuho!

You should be proud of me for even remembering the name of such a boring and useless character in the first place. Normally I would forget it in about five seconds when my short term memory lets go. Since Asumo stuck, Asumo it is.

Seirei Tenshou ~Kowareyuku Sekai no Shoujo-tachi~

Company: ザウス (XUSE)
Game site: 精霊天翔～壊れゆく世界の少女たち～
Release date: January 29, 2010
Comments:
This is a spinoff from popular series Seinarukana; This time it’s an adventure and shooting game. You play as Christopher, who can merge with one of the 5 heroines via their crystal pendant to boost their power and of course, feelings for you. Christopher is a treasure hunter looking for the legendary treasure “drop of life”. After getting hold of a map, he heads to the island but are intercepted by a flock of flying demons. There are some girls fighting against the demons and in the midst of the chaos, he is dragged into the fight as well. Shooting games are a fun way to pass time, so this might be a good change of pace.

Too much work to play this game! Well on the other hand if you enjoy flash game level gameplay in your eroge plotlines might as well play it. Without the quality of gameplay as in a dedicated game I never like doing the work to move the story with these games, so this will be a pass for me.

Well, I think this is one of the few shooting game style eroges out there, so there’s not really anything to compare against. If you think about it, a lot of the RPGs made by professional companies aren’t that high quality either.

This is true, though scrolling shooters can be really frustrating at times, and do not work well on the computer without a controller.

I see Micchi is at it again with another top 5. Shh you.

Micchi’s Top 5 for This Month

1. Hoshizora no Memoria Eternal Heart
2. Harukazedori ni, Tomarigi o. 2nd Story ~Tsuki no Tobira to Umi no Kakera~
3. Mercuria ~Mizu no Miyako ni Koi no Hanataba o~
4. Narikiri Ba-Couple!
5. Hana to Otome ni Shukufuku o Royal Bouquet

Zen’s Top 3 for This Month

1. Tsukisome no Kasa -the end of scarlet luna-
2. Oni Mari
3. Narikiri Ba-Couple!