April 2017 Eroge Releases

The catgirls are back to serve you in NEKO WORKs’ Nekopara vol.3 Neko-tachi no Aromatise, with Maple and Cinnamon in the spotlight. Frontwing continues their Grisaia series with the first two volumes of Grisaia: Phantom Trigger, and Palette starts a new low-priced series with 9-nine- Kokonotsu Kokonoka Kokonoiro. There’s a pretty good mix of games available for everyone!

Not much standing out this month. Some average games that may be worth playing. As well as some extremely awful travesties which could be considered terrorism against intelligence.

9-nine- Kokonotsu Kokonoka Kokonoiro

Company: ぱれっと (Palette)
Game site: 9-nine-ここのつここのかここのいろ
Release date: April 28, 2017
Comments:
This is the first episode in Palette’s new low-priced 9-nine- series, focusing on Miyako. There’s not much to Shiromitsugawa other than being a university town. They worked hard revitalizing the town to appeal to tourists, but it was all a flop. However, it would soon garner the spotlight due to an unexpected source.

Kakeru is a young man who tends to have a blunt attitude, but acts with a strong sense of responsibility. He is a kind person who thinks first about those around him. He led a peaceful life like a normal student until he damaged the sacred treasure enshrined in the Hakuda Tsukumo Shrine. Then, mysterious objects called ‘Artefacts’ appeared from another world and they granted special abilities to those that possess them.

It used to be a ordinary town with ordinary students. Now, Kakeru is caught up in the change of fortune caused by those with newfound special powers.

Each episode will highlight a different heroine, with the scenario written by Kazuki Fumi (Akeiro, Nanarin) and of course, the beautiful art drawn by Izumi Tsubasu. I don’t think there’ll be 9 episodes, but who knows…. However, I’m a bit disappointed that they’re following the trend of making smaller games in installments as it reduces the character interactions which help develop a story. Obviously they intend to make money by bundling goods with the game since the most expensive limited set costs 17,800 yen and the game is only 2800 yen by comparison. I really hope that they will continue making full games. In the meantime, excuse me while I will gawk at the art.

Perhaps unsurprisingly I find myself agreeing with Micchi when it comes to the issue of story in relation to games released in installments. Separating things feels like little more than a scumbag business practice. The goal of it all being to tempt people into continually buying products to get all the content they want. As this is a fairly new method it is hard to properly judge but I suspect the goal is make people pay more in the end after all the puzzle pieces are assembled. Whether that is the case or not yet has too many variables that I am way too lazy to be bothered calculating. Especially as it involves production costs. Still, even if that was not the case and they were just doing it to pad out expenses and lower the risk of each game, the whole thing is still anti consumer.

Generalized speculations on the market trends aside this game in particular seems to be hedging its bets all over. Which does not paint things in a positive light from the start. Reinforcing this is our friendly neighborhood Pandora wannabe opening his box of stupid powers. Frankly such an arbitrary hundred eighty degree setting manipulation makes me sigh in jaded resignation at this point. These stories are getting so bad I am actually finding myself yearning for a comeback of boring cliches. At the very least a cliche is a proven to work concept which is a hell of a lot harder to screw up. In this case if they insist on making the setting involve any kind of supernatural or special abilities things should have been there from the start. In other words him murdering the shrines pet rock would bring him into another layer of the setting. Rather than turning the setting around based on him doing something foolish. There is a huge difference in depth of the story and setting between something minor changing the world, and something minor bringing someone into a pre-existing world.

On a side note, I think the younger sisters have rotted Micchi’s eyes. Average art with a few five minute photoshop effects over some softer colors. That said, it does stand out a little bit based on them actually bothering to spend five minutes on their cover art at least. Even if nothing else judging by what they released so far. 

D.S.i.F. -Dal Segno- in Future

Company: CIRCUS
Game site: D.S.i.F. -Dal Segno- in Future
Release date: April 28, 2017
Comments:
This is the fan disc for Dal Segno. During the winter, Atsuya and his friends received an invitation letter from the island’s manager Ame, who was supposed to have disappeared.

“Let’s meet again at the village where snow falls and the fireflies fly”

Travelling to the snow-bound onsen town where the ‘snow fireflies’ are said to dwell, they were greeted by the new manager Kanade, along with fireflies dancing about in the falling snow. It was actually an event organized by the Amakase Research Institute to thank them for taking good care of Ame and the fireflies are actually man-made fairies.

Then, the true fireflies actually appeared during the night with a full moon. In the midst of the fantastic scene, Ame reappeared before them once more. Is it another artifical event or is it a miracle for this night only?

I never did get into D.S. like I did with D.C.. I’m still waiting for more D.C.III…

Stupid but since this is a fandisk I’m not even going to consider it worthy of pointing out why.

Grisaia: Phantom Trigger Vol. 1 & 2

Company: フロントウイング (Frontwing)
Game site: グリザイア ファントムトリガー 第1・2巻
Release date: April 28, 2017
Comments:
This is the first two volumes in Frontwing’s new all-ages game in the Grisaia series. Following the Heath Oslo incident, the existence of the US-Japanese anti-terror organization CIRS has become a matter of public knowledge. CIRS has been rebuilt from the ground up, and its most covert functions spun off to a new agency: SORD (Social Ops, Research & Development).

The goal of SORD is to train a new generation of operatives to defend the country against future threats. To that end, the organization has established a series of schools up and down the country. Mihama Academy, more-or-less left to rot after its abrupt closure, has been given new purpose as one such ‘specialist training school’.

This new incarnation of Mihama Academy is home to a diverse group of students, who every day work to polish their unusual skills – sometimes on the job. Mihama now entrusts the misfit girls who attend it with guns and live ammunition. Paying their own safety no heed, these students are again and again plunged into dangerous extrajudicial missions – all for the good of the realm.

“We’ve been provided with a place in the world.
That alone isn’t enough –
there wouldn’t be any meaning in living, if that was all we had…
It’s not enough just to be made use of by others.
I live by my own strength, and I fight to survive.
That’s the only way those of us who actually make it through can find forgiveness…”

No matter how much life grinds them down, what future awaits these girls, who’ve themselves chosen the path of the gun?

Frontwing has been tapping the English market, using Kickstarter campaigns and releasing their games on the Steam platform. It makes sense for them to expand on their successful Grisaia series, although some might be disappointed that it is all-ages (at least for now). There will be at least 3 volumes, with possibly more planned afterwards. To be honest, I don’t care much for the firearms and battles, but I do like the character relations and backgrounds. It also always has good production values, especially the artwork and OP.

Oh look Frontwing is back with what is probably my most hated series of all time. Were it only one game that failed to catch on I may not hate it so much. But when stupidity becomes contagious I can’t help but wish for a Darwin vaccine to give the world a final solution to this epidemic. How the people who write this even managed to breathe long enough to keep going baffles me. Although not as much as how the dumb asses who liked this intelligence insulting garbage keep fueling the continuation. Perhaps I am looking at things in the wrong way, and the people making it aren’t really that dumb. Just take sadistic pleasure in laughing at the retarded sheep who actually pay to lap up their half-assed, horribly written, and plain stupid stories. I know I would if I was them. In the end I don’t know if I would rather tell Frontwing to eff off or beg them to hire me.

Tayutama 2 -After Stories-

Company: Lump of Sugar
Game site: タユタマ2 -After Stories-
Release date: April 28, 2017
Comments:
This is the fan disc for Tayutama 2. Takachiho-shi Yakotami-chou is a particularly powerful spiritual spot where humans and Tayutai work hard to coexist in harmony. There is a festival there called the Jintaisai which started naturally from their mutual expressions of gratitude. The Tayutai would create a gift using their powers and give it to the one that the human that they live with and love; in return, the human would share his own spiritual energy with the Tayutai. However, there was an incident at this year’s festival. It was one that no one could’ve imagined.

“Ah!? Where did my pantsu go!?”

The fandisc will be about pantsu. I’m not kidding. Every single character’s voice clips talks about pantsu (mainly Sora stealing them). In addition to additional stories for the four heroines, there’s also a new pink-haired loli who joins the fray, Momo. She’s a lost Tayutai who is taken in by them. I would take her in too! Hau~ omochikaeri~!

Fandisk from Lump of Sh…

Newton to Ringo no Ki

Company: Laplacian
Game site: ニュートンと林檎の樹
Release date: April 28, 2017 Delayed to May 26, 2017
Comments:
Shuuji and his osananajimi Yotsuko were tracking down his missing grandfather when they unexpectedly went back in time to the 17th century. He destroyed an apple tree upon his arrival in front of a young small-chested girl. What he didn’t know was that she would be known later as a father of modern science, Sir Isaac Newton!

Due to his untimely actions, the world was robbed of the discovery of universal gravitation. Will he be able to correct history and return to the present?

Don’t look for a deep story here; they went straight out and called it a comical time travel ADV. Their debut title Kimiyume was much in the same vein. Play it if you want lots of gags or just so you can be with a loli… for SCIENCE.

Also, you have to watch the teaser. Professor Hymen commands you.

You know things are getting desperate for the gender swapping historical figures market when they reach Newton. At least they aren’t taking themselves or their story too seriously though, so I won’t fault them for any of that. If the game is funny, all will be forgiven.

Teaser

Meguru Sekai de Towa Naru Chikai o! -Meguri Kuru Haru-

Company: Studio e・go!
Game site: 廻るセカイで永遠なるチカイを！ -巡り来る春-
Release date: April 28, 2017
Comments:
This is an append disc for Megutowa, with Harune (CV: Fujisaki Usa) upgraded to heroine status. Her story will be separate from the main route, while there will also be post-marriage scenes for each heroine. There is also a power-up in the battle system, with new youkai and skills.

You all knew this was coming. There’s no way they would add a loli imouto as a subcharacter without giving her a route. It would be a travesty!

Fandisk where they made a youkai heroine. 

Digest

Hatsukoi＊Syndrome

Company: Campus
Game site: 初恋＊シンドローム
Release date: April 28, 2017
Comments:
Everyone says that your first love never comes true. Yuuto thinks that it is indeed true since he, like most others around him, had lost his first love. But unlike the others, his broken heart has still not healed to this day.

Looking at the watch that his first love Haruka had gave to him as a present, he decided that he will finally move on from the past. He resolved to bury the watch under the giant cherry blossom tree on the school grounds, which is said to be seen as being in full bloom by those who are in love, and cut loose from his past regrets. However, there was a girl wearing an unfamiliar school uniform who had arrived there before him, looking up at the cherry blossom tree. Lunalight noticed him and asked him a question while smiling:

“Do you want to fall in love?”

The magician-in-training Lunalight wished to experience first love and also breaking up, in order to understand love and become a full-fledged magician. It was a fateful first meeting for Yuuto, who was still bound by his first love. He would also be reunited with the girl from his past, who had given up her first love to become a magician. What will become of the futures of these three, who are held captive by first love?

Lunalight is the only heroine in Campus’ latest low-priced offering, with Haruka not getting a route (not even in the future). It’s best to give up on the past. It’s a requisite for magicians to have experienced lost love (to train their mental strength), so that’s the reason for Lunalight’s particular request. It sucks for the protagonist though, to be used for their career advancement. Maybe I could change her mind? She’s a pretty cute kouhai after all.

I lost enough brain cells this month. With how blatantly retarded this setting is I really don’t believe I have to say anything and people will understand just fine why it’s bad.

Niizuma LOVELY×CATION

Company: hibiki works
Game site: 新妻LOVELY×CATION
Release date: April 28, 2017
Comments:
This is the latest title in hibiki works’ CATION series. It’s been a year since Hibiki started working in beautiful Sakuragi, a city of four seasons. He’s gotten used to his new life and everything is smooth sailing, but he started to think about his future when his close friend got married. He realized that marriage was something that doesn’t just happen one day, but it is the culmination of ‘everyday’ actions over a long period. Having made up his mind, before long he fell in love with a girl. It was the first step towards a happy marriage.

Similar to Ginharu, this game is separated into two parts: lovers and married couple. There’s only three heroines instead of the usual four. The E-mote system has been improved too, and there’s still the usual systems (lovely call, map selection and item collection to increase attributes). I’m not sure why they keep using the map system when it just seems like a waste of time (you’ll most likely be using a walkthrough anyway). It seems we’re getting more of these married life games. Is it a sign of an increasing age of the target audience?

Not a fan of excessive interference in eroge in general. Most of it is just there to be annoying for no real point. Just let us pick a girl at the end of a common route that introduces all the basic characters and their relationships. After that any other choice should either be a bad end or just for comedic purposes. No point to anything else really.

As far as the married life stuff while it is getting more common, rather than age I feel its more about closure. Many games feel as though they end somewhat abruptly. Can’t really bask in the afterglow of a complete route. This is even more pronounced when it is well written and the reader can feel for the characters. Much like a cool down walk after a run the post marriage arcs bring a sense of ending to the story that gives the readers a better feeling at the conclusion.

Majo to Ken to Sen no Tsuki

Company: KAI
Game site: 魔女と剣と千の月
Release date: April 28, 2017
Comments:
New release date after being pushed back from March. This game takes place after the events of PENDULUM. Peace seemed to have been returned to the world with the decrease in the remaining number of circulars. However, one day the pure white circulars suddenly turned into pitch-black demons who have a increased penchant for destruction. These ‘evilised’ spread all over the world in an instant. The Magus Order continued to fight on the front line, but they were being overwhelmed by the power of the evilised.

In the midst of battle, Ren was turned into a circular due to the great magic power and was going to ‘evolve’ into an evilised until Sayaka was able to seal him in suspended animation. However, they would eventually have to fight against this immense power in the future. As a last resort, Sayaka decided to create the homunculus Rei using a part of Ren’s soul and hidden magic powers to fight against the evilised.

More tentacle action. Now in black.

Scantily clad girls showcasing the next generation of fully automated, adjustable, and flexible sex toys.

Nekopara vol.3 Neko-tachi no Aromatise

Circle: NEKO WORKs
Game site: ネコぱら vol.3 ネコたちのアロマティゼ
Release date: April 28, 2017 Delayed to May 26, 2017
Comments:
This is the third volume in everyone’s favourite Nekopara series. It’s another day at the pâtisserie “La Soleil” for Kashou and his catgirls. The proud and fashionable Maple gets along well with Cinnamon, who is apt to think delusional dirty thoughts. Maple worried about dreams which she started having and Cinnamon wanted to help her best friend, but didn’t know what to do.

Watch as they grow up and strive for their dreams in this heartfelt catgirl comedy, which is only a little lewd. Now open for business!

You mean Cinnamon will finally get to do this and that!? Look, she can’t wait!! For me, I’m more of a fan of the refined and savvy Maple. We have lots of maple up here and it’s sweet. I’m sure her story will be just as sweet. Does that mean that Shigure finally gets a route next…!?

It’s Nekopara 3.0.

Micchi’s Top 3 for This Month

1. 9-nine- Kokonotsu Kokonoka Kokonoiro
2. Nekopara vol.3 Neko-tachi no Aromatise
3. Grisaia: Phantom Trigger Vol. 1 & 2

Zen’s Top 3 for This Month

1. Newton to Ringo no Ki
2. Niizuma LOVELY×CATION
3. Nekopara vol.3 Neko-tachi no Aromatise

I have an idea: how about a law of imouto gravitation?

I’m perfectly fine with throwing little sisters into a singularity, so I approve.