May 2011 Eroge Releases

I was hoping that Sukima would come out this month, but it and the bulk of the May releases ended up being pushed back to June. So this month is looking pretty empty. I guess you can waste your time learning how to be social (CURE GIRL), throwing dice at Pokemon moemon (A.G.II.D.C.), making a virtual girlfriend who will strip for you anywhere (Renai+H), having baddies strip her for you (Akatoki!!) or becoming various inanimate… and animate objects (Henshi~n!!!). Enjoy!

After the plethora of games worth playing last month May sure seems like a sub par month filled with games best left on store shelves. Well I can’t complain too much as it gives me more time to work on backlog, games half played, and blog posts. Also in case anyone was wondering, the reason this post is so horribly late is due to Micchi taking two weeks to do nothing but play Daiteikoku.

CURE GIRL

Company: Noesis
Game site: CURE GIRL
Release date: May 20, 2011
Comments:
New release date after being pushed back from April. Kazuki has difficulties communicating with people. However, he’s not alone. Pretty and popular senpai Kotone, cheerful osananajimi Miyu, tsundere kouhai Rena… Yes, they all have problems connecting with others. There’s a social networking site (SNS) called Communis which helps people with similar hobbies and interests meet each other. He is part of the ‘Ningen Shikkaku’ (unfit to be humans) community on Communis, which is frequented by people like Kazuki who fail at communicating in the real world. However, via this site, he soon improves his communication skills. Will he be able to take the next step and attend an offline meeting? Will this be the beginning of his love life?

The system mimics SNS and text messaging layouts, where you have free reign over what you want to do. During communication, you’ll have to make choices that may not seem as straight-forward as most eroge. The plot really reminds me of both Oreimo, in the use of SNS, and Bokutomo, in the gathering of dame ningen. The communication choices really seem like a copy of Oreimo Portable‘s ‘Two-shot’ system. The story is written by Suzuka Miya, who writes the Noesis and Innocent Grey titles. Having played a bit of the demo, nothing really jumps out at me though.

Essentially it appears this game is mostly about using social networking services to bridge the gap between an online domain and reality for people who have trouble adapting socially. I bet you this game was conceived with the target demographics potential anxieties in mind in order to give a fantasy representation of hope for their miserable lives. Sadly real life is not quite as easy as messaging a pretty girl of your choice to have her fall for you and live happily ever after. With the main appeal to this game being the system, I have little to no interest myself, and won’t be playing unless some less fortunate soul informs me of something noteworthy enough to justify the time spent playing. Although this does make me wonder how many of the future fans for this series will end up as internet stalkers…

As a side note this game hits on a major pet peeve of mine regarding choice of subject matter. With the popularity of Bungaku Shoujo, Ningen Shikkaku concept is all over the damn place. This fad not only dilutes the meaning in the first place, but also highlights those who are attempting to cash in on the latest trend instead of putting the effort in to create something new. I suppose Japan just like the US realized that the braindead sheep who follow fads like emo are easy to market to and make money off of.

Well, I think it might be a good thing if people who are stuck in their rooms staring at a screen all day meet people online and then arrange to meet in the real world. Well maybe not suddenly getting a girlfriend, but more friends is always good. I’m actually going to meet up with a friend I’ve known online for 10 years in a few weeks. I’m not a stalker, really.

At least you didn’t get to know them with the express intent of meeting them in real life…

Henshi~n!!! ~Pantsu ni Natte Kunkun Peropero~

Company: May-Be SOFT
Game site: へんし～ん!!!～パンツになってクンクンペロペロ～
Release date: May 20, 2011
Comments:
New release date after being pushed back from April. “Ahhh… I wish I was a girl’s panties” After Yuuji said that, his imouto Miko left him and is now staying at the girls’ dormitory. He debated if panties would be too stimulating and if he should be a skirt or a chair instead, all the while lamenting why he was born a human. Coming home one day, he came upon a talking cat-like thing that had collapsed. As thanks for taking care of her (?), she gives him a cell phone that allows him to transform into anything! Armed with his new ability, he heads out to fulfill his dream of teasing girls.

I’ll definitely be getting this just because this series is so damn hilarious. Even if I don’t share Yuuji’s wishes. I wonder what crazy selection of items will be included this time around. There’s animation included, but after sisters, I think I’ll be disappointed in seeing yet another shoddy Flash animation. By the way, if anyone is planning to pick this up, the limited edition pack with all 3 Henshi~n! games comes with blue shimapan.

As I can’t believe this is even mentioned here, nor that I am expected to comment on such worthless ero garbage, I’m just going to save a few minutes of my life by refusing to acknowledge the existence of what amounts to little more than horny teen fap fodder for people thankfully unlikely to ever contribute to the human gene pool.

Sakura no Sora to, Kimi no Koto ~Sweet Petals For My Dear~

Company: ひよこソフト (Hiyoko Soft)
Game site: サクラの空と、君のコト～Sweet Petals For My Dear～
Release date: May 20, 2011
Comments:
New release date after being pushed back from April. It has been said that wishes will come true when the sky is full of cherry blossom petals. However, the number of sakura trees has dwindled due to recent re-development and one can no longer see such a sight. Ryou is the son of a famous artist and much was expected of him, but he decides to live a life of a commoner with few friends. One spring day, his osananajimi Kanata suddenly fainted and was hospitalized. Since that day, his days began to gradually change.

A nice seiyuu cast for what seems to be standard moe-ge. I have a few issues with some of the body proportions. I swear Minto is crazy.

A new month means new delays which of course means plenty of copy pasting for the old delays:

Of course if the DC series is anything to go by we already know cherry trees grant the arbitrary wishes of angsty teens, among other amazing feats of literary genius such as creating delicious snacks in the palm of your hand. So this time instead of duplicating Higurashi, albeit doing a much better job right up till the end, Hiyoko Soft decided to copycat the DC universe with a layer of Canvas thrown over top for good measure. It seems to me their business model revolves entirely around copying the successes of other companies instead of coming up with their own creations. Regardless of where they got the idea this game reeks of forgettable mediocrity. Rarely do I hold a bad game against a company but Tsukisome made me rage like no game ever has before, the writing was decent, the story was surprisingly interesting, and yet they screwed it up with dark themes centering around completely unnecessary NTR rape scenes. I would not be surprised at all if they somehow manage to do the same this time around. At the very least there is little story to worry about them ruining here, the usual cast mixed with wishes, clubs in danger of being disbanded, added to a helping of emotional artist struggling with life and you have a mixture of stolen clichés in this melting pot of redundancy. Aside the problematically repetitive and predictable story lines, Hiyoko Soft has failed miserably to impress art wise in the past, with enough proportion and pose errors to give even the Shuffle! series a run for its money in the awkward artwork category.

Why is it that every game with themes based on the fine arts revolves around a “Oh I’m so sad! I cannot do X anymore because I am sad, woe is me I sure hope some nice girl comes along for me to bang her so I might cheer up ever so slightly.” I am so sick of the concept that the arts are focused on emo kids hopped up on drugs for problems they don’t have trying to be something they are not. Sure Van Gogh may have been slightly crazy, and Picasso randomly decided normal art took too much effort, but that does not mean emo kid equals artist. I would love a game written by people who realize artistic talent has nothing to do with how many anti depression medications you are on, how sad you look, or how much black you can wear. Just as an afterthought, I don’t necessarily mean this to apply to the above game, simply added this rant here as it was the last of the games with artistic themes, though present I predict it will be far more mild in this game. I suppose I could have added this to the camera game but I don’t consider pictures art.

A.G.II.D.C. ~RPG Gakuen 2.0 CIRCUS Shijou Saidai no Kiki!?~

Company: STELLA
Game site: A.G.II.D.C.～あるぴじ学園2.0 サーカス史上最大の危機!?～
Release date: May 27, 2011
Comments:
New release date after being pushed back from March. This is the first title by STELLA, a separate brand created from CIRCUS. A thousand years ago, the legendary hero defeated the maou. Now his descendant Masamune begins his own path towards becoming a hero, but then a girl with a great sense of justice wanted to become his disciple. However, she is the descendant of the maou! She creates the ‘Brave Rangers’ (i.e. student council) and drags him along to the dungeon to defeat evil.

This game uses the same dice RPG system from RPG Gakuen, which is pretty easy to pick up but doesn’t offer too much customization. Just like in the previous title, you explore dungeons while defeating cute ‘moemon’, which are drawn by a wide array of illustrators. I want to get my hands on that cute tennis outfit moemon. The main heroine Hilde was a subchar in the original. Good for if you want to waste time.

Since this is just a new variation on RPG Gakuen there is little need for me to comment here, if you liked the original game chances are you will enjoy this one too, and if not well at least you know better this time and can avoid it.

Vermilion -Bind of Blood-

Company: light
Game site: Vermilion -Bind of Blood-
Release date: May 27, 2011
Comments:
light’s latest work is a hard-boiled vampire ADV. Toshirou is in charge of managing public order in the city. Along with a community of vampires, they purge those that commit crimes. However, they come upon a monster which is said to have massacred many in the past. If you like action and vampires, I guess you’d like this. I’m passing though.

Honestly I have no idea what to think about this game, I have enjoyed the Dies Irae series from light, but vampire stories always make me apprehensive about the creators ability to pull off a such a story. Some of the outfits bother me as well, being a little too pointlessly lacking in coverage for example the girl in the picture above who forgot that shorts are not supposed to look like panties. Rather than be especially opinionated one way or the other about this title, which would end up being predictably negative on first impressions anyway, I will wait and see when I get around to playing the game. For others it does appear to be better than the usual run of the mill vampire stories typical of eroge so if you happen to enjoy the theme itself most likely going to be a game worth reading.

Worlds and World’s end

Company: rootnuko
Game site: Worlds and World’s end -ワールド・エンド・ワールズエンド-
Release date: May 27, 2011
Comments:
Waking up every day, Takumi believed that his normal school days would continue forever. Hearing about random mysterious attacks in the town and religious groups claiming that the end of the world is near, Souichi believed that it would never concern him. Tied down in a small village by bonds he cannot sever, Yuuji believed that there is a place for him to go to. Everyone has their own wishes and beliefs, but rests assured that even in the darkest night, the sun will rise the next morning. Even as the end of the world approaches…

The synopsis is relatively interesting and seems to follow the story of 3 guys instead of one. It has some serious undertones, as well as a supernatural aspect. The night world where everything is enveloped in darkness and silence almost seems like an alternate world à la 11eyes. Maybe worth taking a look.

Am I the only one incredibly sick of “normal” protagonists who are average and only want to be average for the rest of their lives? While it may function well as a means of propagandist suggestion directed at gullible minds, it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth when playing through the eyes of someone who wants to be boring in a medium meant to be entertaining. If I wanted normal I would read a typical novel instead of playing eroge, I wish the creators would put more effort into properly incorporating their protagonists into the mold of their story.

Rant over with, I find the premise of this story to have some potential, though I doubt it will be realized as the precedent set by the majority of games implies even the most interesting of stories tend to be let down by poor writing and development. Despite that I am going to give the game a chance at the very least.

Akatoki!! -Hana to Mawaseyo Koi no Ishou

Company: エスクード (Escu:de)
Game site: あかときっ!! -花と舞わせよ恋の衣装-
Release date: May 27, 2011
Comments:
This is the fandisk for Escu:de’s clothes shredding battle ADV title Akatoki!, featuring after stories for the 5 heroines as well as another stories for Miyu and Chikka. There is also a versus battle mode with rewards for winning. All the girls have new costumes, such as pajamas for Nayu and an idol outfit for Maki. Kurikuri also loses her clothes this time ^^ Definitely a pick-up for fans of the first game.

Did not care about the original game, care even less about the fandisk, personally I find this series pathetic but to each their own I suppose.

Delivara! -deliverance of strays-

Company: Parasol
Game site: でりばらっ！ -deliverance of strays-
Release date: May 27, 2011
Comments:
New release date after being pushed back from April. Ryou has a fear of girls so strong that he cannot speak with any girl that he meets for the first time. He heads to the capital to help his cousins Asuka and Sumika with their cafe Murakumo. However, he is not used to being in the city, especially living under one roof with them. At his new school, he meets a true idol Kyouko, a classmate that for some reason keeps glaring at him Aya, and a strange girl that is affectionate to everyone Mikoto. Surrounded by so many girls, will he be able to rid himself of his fear of girls?

A lighthearted comedy with a magic side, which is used as a tool for some difficult-to-believe situations. Well, anything for moe appeal, right? I have absolutely no problems with a nekomimi Sumika. She’s sooooooooo cute, going Ryou-nii~ Hau~ omochikaeri~!

Without the magic element this would be a fairly standard game, with the only real defining feature is the more pathetic than usual protagonist, which sure seems to be an ongoing theme for this month. Anyway with the magic element the game looks sub par as is typical of moege with magic you can be sure there won’t be much legitimate use for it other than as either a deus ex machina or cheap gimmick for lolicons lustily longing to lunge their lengthy lance at lovely mahou shoujo. 

Kamikaze☆Explorer!

Company: クロシェット (Clochette)
Game site: カミカゼ☆エクスプローラー！
Release date: May 27, 2011
Comments:
In the near future, the living areas for humans reduce due to climate and terrain changes. As if in unison, some of the younger generation develop special powers called Metis. There are many types of Metis, from magic barriers to being able to breathe under water. Suminoe Gakuen was constructed to train and develop those students with Metis. Keiji doesn’t have any powers, but he was scouted by an agent from the school and ends up attending the school. He is then recruited into Argonaut, a club for helping people with their problems. One day, they hear about a strange rumour about the recently developed Kamigase-shi…

I like Oshiki Hitoshi’s clean erokawaii style, but are they trying to kill me here? 80% of main heroines with huge breasts is way too unbalanced. I’m so glad that Sumire Saori is around to appease those of us that like them smaller. The idea of going around helping others with their problems remind me of Hatsukoi Sacrament and Consome!, but this time there’s magic, which it makes it so much better! I’m fond of Clochette titles since their character interactions are really well done and this title is no exception. The demo was quite enjoyable. Now if only they were smaller…

Of course we all know that pollution and rising sea levels would cause powers with a silly name to sprout in humans, every reputable medical journal has already published their irrefutable findings on this subject. So it stands to reason that any story set in the future would need to incorporate such powers in order to have a realistic story. This naturally means it has nothing to do with the fact that Clochette suffers from a chronic inability to write a story that allows for meaningful character growth without incorporating some supernatural element designed to create dramatic situations. Even without reusing some variation of the same concept for every game they create I am positive they could manage to create a game that offers compelling stories and heartfelt character growth, I mean really who could possibly think otherwise, right?

Sarcasm aside, after trying Amatsu Misora Ni I have come to realize the basis of Clochettes business model is something I fundamentally disagree with. Even when their settings and characters are appealing and interesting they suffer from an inability to write situations and dialogue into their settings in a satisfactory manner. Rather than a charage Clochette is just plain moege using a few gimmicks as a story for appearances sake. If you only care about a few “Moe” scenes without concern for them representing something significance and have no consideration towards the elements which bind them together their games may very well appeal to you, otherwise probably best to avoid this company. 

As a side note, unlike Micchi I do not place so much emphasis on the characters physical characteristics, so while a few of the options here may be on the extreme side it is not something that would prevent me from playing the game.

Itoshii Kanojo no Mamorikata

Company: アクセル (AXL)
Game site: 愛しい対象（カノジョ）の護り方
Release date: May 27, 2011
Comments:
New release date after being pushed back from April. Yuuto enrolled in a military school in order to fulfill a childhood promise with Yui. But when he met her again, she demanded to know why he came there. He realized that her smile had disappeared. This is because their class is ridiculed for being weaker than other classes. Their classroom is not well furnished and his bed is more like a table. Their teacher announces that there will be a battle in which the rewards will be a proper desk and chairs… and an air conditioner as well! Yuuto decides to help their class win this battle and bring a smile back to Yui’s face.

AXL sure is fond of bodyguards. This actually seems like a more comedic version of one of their previous titles Koitate. What I love most about AXL are all the SDs and there’s no shortage of them this time around either. We all know the key to a girl’s heart is an air conditioner.

Eroge version of BakaTest with just enough modifications to the story to prevent it from being a direct carbon copy. The blatant copy paste of a popular concept aside, other than the comedy there is nothing here to make this any more interesting than other games either this month or waiting in backlogs everywhere. Sadly I feel their setting was born from watching Angel Beats and will result in something just as bad. While I may love comedy titles, I don’t find a patchwork of extremes in randomized settings used to bring out cliché jokes that have been used dozens of times already to be the least bit funny. AXL’s major failing here is in their blending of popular concepts rather than building their own story and setting to allow for a more malleable relationship between the various elements of their game and the comedy that drives their characters.

Yamiyo ni Odore -Witch wishes to commit the Night-

Company: Yatagarasu
Game site: 闇夜に踊れ -Witch wishes to commit the Night-
Release date: May 27, 2011
Comments:
New release date after being pushed back from April. Witches and magicians have always been fighting each other since the beginning of time. It’s not because one is bad or good, but because their powers keeps the world in balance. So, in a time continuum separated from the world, they continue their long battle. Note that you can choose to be a male or female protagonist.

We don’t normally see 3D RTS (real time simulation)/RPG in eroge and it’s obvious why. The controls are shoddy at best and the story set-up doesn’t say much (although you can’t always tell a book by its cover). I give them points for trying, but if I wanted to play such a game, there are so many better ero-free titles. The OP was pretty good though. But, wait, there’s a PTS (pantsu trace system) where you peek at your characters’ pantsu from a low angle. Oh, we were supposed to be fighting monsters? Screw that!

Yay another TRPG eroge that I won’t be playing. Neither the story nor characters interest me, and rather than a story told from a male and female perspective who seem to almost be twins I would have preferred something where you can choose which girls viewpoint you want to play from. Still an interesting inclusion, not sure on the point of course, but an interesting idea none the less. Gameplay is sadly likely to be inferior to the games most of us are used to playing, so unless you are someone capable of filling in the gaps with moe or ero it probably is best to avoid games such as this for gameplay, instead spending your precious time on something with more satisfying content.

Kikokugai (All-Ages Version)

Company: ニトロプラス (Nitro+)
Game site: 鬼哭街 （全年齢版）
Release date: May 27, 2011
Comments:
This is an all-ages remake of Nitro+’s 2002 dark title Kikokugai, which was written by Urobuchi Gen (who everyone should know for Magica Madoka now). It’s now fully voiced with upgraded graphics and a new image song. The story is set in a future Shanghai where qi master and top assassin Kong Taolou returns to avenge a betrayal and foiled assassination attempt, as well for his little sister Ruili. If you haven’t played the original, you might want to pick it up now. Remember, China is a dangerous place.

Ah I remember this game, from back when Nitro+ actually made decent stories, though I can’t imagine how this can be an all ages game. Fundamentally the story centered around the gang rape and murder of the protagonist’s sister and his subsequent revenge, turning that theme into an all ages game baffles me. Another thing is I feel that at times the art feels as though it got worse instead of better, as though they are using more refined methods but simplified it to the point it lost some of the feeling. Not sure if I will play this game, there were times I really liked the game, and times I hated it with a passion, though it does get major points for having a well made protagonist who was not just some worthless lump of flesh wasting oxygen while girls fawned all over him. Still, I have no trouble recommending this game, as it has an interesting setting and well designed characters, even if the story can leave a bad taste in your mouth at times, usually when involving the sister. If you have a penchant for darker themes, girls suffering, and NTR this may be an excellent pick as it has a far better story than most games with similar themes. This is assuming they address all the same things only deign not to show it.

I do agree that the art change is a bit jarring. Maybe because it doesn’t fit in a remake of an ‘old’ game.

Possibly, I think the simplification of shading especially affects it more than anything else.

Otome Kairo

Company: モヴィエンド (Moviendo)
Game site: 処女回路
Release date: May 27, 2011
Comments:
Hiroki lives by himself since his parents are busy working at an android development company. They sent him the latest model android Alicia for testing and also for her to support him at home. One day when walking home from school, he came upon a lost android. She was innocent like a child without much knowledge about the world around her. She would laugh, cry and get hungry like a human… she was unlike any android he had seen before. Her name was Sara and she wanted him to be her master. From then on, she started to have feelings for him, and Alicia also started experiencing emotions that she never had before.

This is a low price game at 2100 yen only, so don’t expect too much plot. Sara is really cute though and I’d gladly be her master. Would she count as a meido in my harem if I took her in?

Oh joy of joys, yet another Chobits the eroge, as if we had not enough of these silly titles to deal with already. Since Micchi pretty much covered all the basics and there is really nothing to this game to begin with, I’ll just point out that if you want a human like android story then you are probably better off with Kikokugai.

Hatsukoi Yohou.

Company: I.D.
Game site: 初恋予報。
Release date: May 27, 2011
Comments:
New release date after being pushed back from April. This is the first game by I.D.. The pure white snow descends on the street, turning it into a beautiful snowscape. It’s like it is a pure heart that hasn’t been sullied. However, that purity quickly disappears once touched. Koutarou lives alone and he often wonders how lovers pass this cold season. Do they become closer to one another and spend the holidays by themselves? It would a lie to say for him to say that he doesn’t feel lonely at times. Then this winter, he fell in love for the first time. A first love he cannot forget.

My romantic side tells me to play this for sad girls in snow.

My romantic side tells me to copy paste from last month:

Maybe it is just me but using snow or cherry trees or any such nonsense as a metaphorical allusion to life or the future or even a relationship as a central theme does not give a story deeper meaning nor make it more romantic. As I happen to feel frustration from the perspective of the protagonist on the level of a Shoujo storyline are best kept to NTR games I can’t say I find much of value here. Having always stated I utterly loathe shoujo stories for being so terrible I would almost rather watch or read something to do with magical girls, to me this game is nothing short of blasphemy against all that is holy. In the interests of fairness however I will say that … uhh… nope can’t think of a positive, the art is just as bad as the story, somehow they managed to bring that awkward and poorly drawn shoujo style into an eroge with about five percent fewer sparkles to help keep from turning off a male audience. Frankly unless you are into angsty drama being forced down your throat like … well use your imagination, mine involved prisons and showers and is probably best left unsaid here,  point being it is something marginally less pleasant than watching a marathon of Madoka Magica and the most apt comparison I could envision to compare with playing this game. So in conclusion unless you are a god amongst masochists, happen to lack male genitalia, or somehow really like that feeling of indecisive and frustratingly impotent romantic build up I advise against this game.

Your romantic side is lazy.

A man’s romance is to be as lazy as possible.

Taiyou no Puromia

Company: SEVEN WONDER
Game site: 太陽のプロミア
Release date: May 27, 2011
Comments:
New release date after being pushed back from February. This is the debut game for SEVER WONDER. Kodama stood in the sun-basked streets of Milsant. Even though he looks like any young man, he doesn’t have any memories and there was a baby in his arms who he cannot be separated from. Milsant is ruled by 6 female priests known as the ‘six flowers’. Their powers come from the ‘six large trees’, which were suddenly all surrounded in darkness. He meets Flarerouge, the most powerful of the six girls and servant of the Sun God, and they embark on a journey to recover the light that was lost in the world.

It’s a simple fairy-tale like premise which has its fare share of both action and comedy. The backgrounds look great, but I find the depiction of Puromia to be a bit awkward compared to the other tachi-e. Maybe it’s because of the huge eyes and mouth and general chibi-ness. I wonder if it’ll turn out nice like Trample on Schatten!, which was also illustrated by Kawahara Makoto.

First off I have to ask, am I the only one to notice that the tower at the center of this city looks suspiciously like the tower of Babel? Suspect and revealing architecture aside Taiyou feels more or less like the standard fantasy eroge setup of which there is typically one per month. Maybe most similar to NanaPri I have trouble finding any potential in the story to be something worthwhile. Only thanks to this month being as devoid of entertainment as a desert is of rain shall I give this game a chance.

Miina△Desu! (Miina-san, Kakkee Desu!) -Love Icha Doukyo Seikatsu no Susume-

Company: FIANCEE
Game site: 美衣菜△です！（みいなさん、かっけーです！）－Loveイチャ同居生活のススメ－
Release date: May 27, 2011
Comments:
New release date after being pushed back from April. This is the debut game for FIANCEE. Yuusaku confessed to Miina and they became lovers. She was an ojousama who had lived a sheltered life, but now they will be living together. However, it doesn’t all go smoothly, with their neighbours being suspicious of them, their classmates learning about them living together and other love rivals appearing. It also doesn’t help that he doesn’t understand girls well nor does she understand boys. The only thing that works to their favour is their strong love for each other. Will that be enough to overcome all their obstacles and come to a happy end?

The game system revolves around 6 parameters for Miina: affection, assertiveness, submissiveness, curiosity, aggressiveness and femininity. By choosing properly, you can turn her into your ideal ‘wife’. Cute chars, but being affiliated with Abel Software makes me question if they can pull it off. Yuusaku’s catchphrase is “Let’s have a 4P next time”. You go get ’em, Tiger!

Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V by your powers combined:

Perhaps it is only me, but I feel this game premise would have done better under the assumption of an arranged marriage between Yuusaku and Miina instead of a more simplistic dating situation. There is something about the inclusion of other characters and ability to change her that lends itself to more of a time consuming character creator than a well thought out story. I have already mentioned recently my extreme distaste for anything that involves modeling a heroines characteristics to suit your personal tastes and how offensive I find such concepts so I shall leave that part alone here. Instead I just want to ask what the point of a game like this is, almost feels like a wordy version of games such as Dance Mixer, where you create a character to your tastes and then…. do nothing with it. Suppose there has to be some appeal in the changes over time in her character by the late game and all but with a shallow premise like they love each other but somehow don’t understand a thing about each other I cannot imagine there being any really worthwhile character interaction or development. The changes in her character will most likely be minimal at best involving little more than a slightly changed dialogue reaction to a few scenes or a change in her looks to reflect how her person developed. If you just so happen to be one of those minority (god I hope its a minority) of readers who care more about the moe traits of a character than their story and development as a person or romantic interest then this game appears to have been made to cater specifically to your shallow preferences.

Koi dewa Naku –It’s not love, but so where near.

Company: しゃんぐりらすまーと (Shangrila Smart)
Game site: 恋ではなく ――It’s not love，but so where near.
Release date: May 27, 2011
Comments:
New release date after being pushed back from April. This is the debut title by Shangrila Smart. There are two protagonists: Norifumi is a guy who has been taking pictures since he was small, and Yumi has been working as a model. Instead of a cast of heroines, this game rather follows a story told from both of their perspectives. Even though the title suggests that it isn’t above love, it tells a drama of adolescence set on the solitary island of Toshima. Their childhood friend Tasuku had wished that they can film a movie of their lives up to their graduation. Spending Christmas with everyone, a fateful Valentine’s Day, love and friendship… everything is captured by their pictures. But not much time remains until their graduation when they will go their separate ways.

As I mentioned last month, it should be a good story, but the set-up might not be for everyone. I’m still not interested in cameras… although I am looking to buy a new one lately. But I guess that’s not related. 

I am Captain Copy-Paste:

Before I even venture forth into my thoughts on this game I would like to mention that I feel they could use to add an “me” after the “so” in the title… ya know so it makes sense in english and all, or at least do away with the “where”.

When talking about the story on the other hand I feel that it is a wise move for Shangrila Smart to develop a game that stands out as unique in that it focuses on a primary girl almost if not exclusively and focuses on the development of their respective relationships, dreams, and careers. There is however a problem this creates in an eroge market, if the primary heroine does not appeal to you there is little reason for you to bother with this game, this significantly narrows the consumer base who may potentially purchase the game. Perhaps if she was a blonde twintail loli they would be able to manage but I worry the appeal is currently not wide enough. As Micchi mentioned the camera references are somewhat off-putting if you happen to not be into photography, with that said I appreciate the use of camera types as an analogue to the various characters personalities, it is almost a clever idea. However as it is a bit too forceful and lacking in subtlety, the writers ability to convey the implied meaning behind it with calculated subversiveness is lost upon a reader faced with the writer’s obnoxious attempt at creating an easily understood connection. Sadly as much as I want to applaud the company for the risk they are taking in developing a story and character development centric game, it just is not the type of game for me, so while my hat is off to them I can’t play this game myself.

Renai+H

Company: TEATIME
Game site: 恋愛＋H
Release date: May 27, 2011
Comments:
This is TEATIME’s 18+ answer to the popular Love Plus. Not storyline to follow, just a free reign SLG adventure with your bishoujo of choice. You get to choose between cheerful ojou-sama Ayano, tsundere ‘imouto’ Saki and calm ‘onee-san’ Nana. You can customize her appearance and personality and then take her out on a date. Will you hold hands, share a passionate kiss, or maybe…? It’s up for you to decide! There’s also pocky and jankenpon mini games.

It’s about time that they did something other than Love Death. I’d much rather give a girl a ohimesama dakko than a swift beatdown with a scythe. The lens flare is still there though. Of course, Saki would be my fav, although Ayano is fine too. Seems like it’ll be fun for a few hours. Maybe it’s worth considering in this empty month.

Do. Not. Want.

Also beware of bugs.

The 10 FPS is a feature.

That feature exists so you can slowly enjoy all the action without missing anything.

Micchi’s Top 3 for This Month

1. Koiiro Sora Moyou FD Hatsukoi Yohou.
2. Kamikaze☆Explorer!
3. Henshi~n!!! ~Pantsu ni Natte Kunkun Peropero~

Zen’s Top 3 for This Month

1. Kikokugai
2. Vermilion -Bind of Blood-
3. Taiyou no Puromia

One more month till Koisora FD!!!

Unless it gets delayed…