- Sep 22, 2018
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Visual Novel Cafe
- Thread starter ayanochanmk2
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- visual novel vn
- Sep 22, 2018
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we're really that rare? i mean i know that most people only know basic japanese but didn't thought there's so few that actually read VNs.
- Jul 1, 2015
- 684
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Anyone remember AXL?
After their artist left (Curio Dealer), they released pack of their games on DMM...
https://dlsoft.dmm.co.jp/detail/russ_0272pack/
https://dlsoft.dmm.co.jp/detail/dmmgames_0084pack/
It doesn't seem good, because releasing all games in packs?.. It means only one... They are closing?..
solfa also performs live concert that September about "Koisuru Otome to Shugo no Tate"... Ehh...
Also solfa said that "eroge industry not in good situation nowadays".
After their artist left (Curio Dealer), they released pack of their games on DMM...
https://dlsoft.dmm.co.jp/detail/russ_0272pack/
https://dlsoft.dmm.co.jp/detail/dmmgames_0084pack/
It doesn't seem good, because releasing all games in packs?.. It means only one... They are closing?..
solfa also performs live concert that September about "Koisuru Otome to Shugo no Tate"... Ehh...
Also solfa said that "eroge industry not in good situation nowadays".
- Sep 22, 2018
- 104
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i've played 3 axl games: キュリオディーラー, レーシャル・マージ, and 王の耳には届かない！. the first i played (and also the best) is レーシャル・マージ. that one is awesome, the atmosphere, romance, environment, it all fits together while the rest is so-so. i noticed that axl have always used the same artist and while i think his art is good and unique i think its relatively inferior in design and his art doesn't really develop at all compared to other artist like the one in yuzusoft or Eushully.
yeah, usually when they released all their games in one pack like that (and their main artist leave) means they're going under (though that's not always the case)
i kinda worried about the future of the eroge industry (with so many going under already) but i think even if that's the case eventually the industry going to stabilize, view it like this: the market is say 1000000 and 500 companies try to compete with each other to gain audiences, eventually its the survival of the fittest, only the best will remains and perhaps when the time is right it will bounces back again and new companies will emerges once again (though that's unlikely considering japan's chronic depopulation problem and the hard work environment they got there, alternative they could search other audiences like maybe abroad)
- Oct 8, 2011
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i am a fan of AXL, and to be frank, i've been disappointed by their stories these past 5 years.
AXL is getting down indeed... rather than the artist, both of their scenario writer is losing their touch.
- Apr 28, 2013
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I've played a couple of AXL games. I have a very soft spot for Dolphin Divers because I quite liked how the MC was handled and developed, and even their two cross-dressing VNs around 恋する乙女と守護の楯 were quite the enjoyable.
レーシャル・マージ just didn't click with me, but no personal qualms involved, キュリオディーラー was okay-ish.
あやかしコントラクト was overall quite good, but for some reason they totally messed up the romance part as the transition between friends to lovers happend VERY sudden; especially with Haruka who started of in a minor "opponent" position for lack of better words. I thought Minagi was extremly adorable!
レーシャル・マージ just didn't click with me, but no personal qualms involved, キュリオディーラー was okay-ish.
あやかしコントラクト was overall quite good, but for some reason they totally messed up the romance part as the transition between friends to lovers happend VERY sudden; especially with Haruka who started of in a minor "opponent" position for lack of better words. I thought Minagi was extremly adorable!
- Sep 22, 2018
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I haven't play dolphin divers yet but i know that its one of their early games but i've tried 恋する乙女と守護の楯 but didn't really liked (when it comes to crossdress nothing beat ensemble for me) but yeah for me AXL WAS a good brand but when i played キュリオディーラ i know that their running out of steam especially as their games always have a mix of fantasy in it but they mostly failed to make it interesting that's why i'm more inclined to purple soft, their story base are alike but purple soft arguably have better art and more complex stories
- Sep 22, 2018
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have you played curio dealer? I actually satisfy myself with the double girls ending (bad end supposedly w) which also have the hottest H scene in the whole game (i've only finished the blonde childhood friend route and boy it was boring)
- Nov 1, 2012
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Those got released around last year's july tho, and they made a "今年もAXLをよろしくお願い致します" comment at the first day of 2019 so at least they are not dead yet but probably shaking because of the artist stuff. I'm actually worried about them as well so checking their website pretty much every day to see some news.
I'm a huge fan of them as well, literally didnt miss any of their games except the Koitate Bara but as you've said since Racial Merge they are just going down. I still like their style of games so kinda enjoyed them but from an objective perspective their last three games were just bad, really bad.
Speaking of childhood friends, don't you find that the childhood friends tend to get the most boring arc?
- Oct 4, 2015
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You have a PSP/PSV version for both, with additional routes in each of them. I was considering buying the Hitotsu Tobashi Renai one but 6400 yen is expensive for a fandisk... Anyone played them and can tell if the additional content is worth it?
あやかしコントラクト is the only AXL game I played, and it was okay. Packs on DMM don't really mean much, their main artist leaving and no news about a new game for a studio that used to release once a year is more worrying.
Not really, lately I've become more wary of the little sister arcs, with always the same plot points recycled (I have to be a good big bro yadayada). At least with childhood friends there is some amount of leeway to break away from the stereotype (although together? apart for years? same social status? different? etc...). It is boring when the story is about a childhood friend that was always there for the protagonist and he just doesn't notice her feelings for forever.
- Apr 28, 2013
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It can get sometimes absolutely pathetic and "depressing". Dare I say more than Hatsukoi 1/1. The two childhood friend routes still make me want to figuratively cry in how they were handled. Or how Koko's route in Da Capo 2 triggered my deep "dramaphobia" *lol*. Thank you for nothing love triangles >_<. As for little sis routes: Well, I think I've got a pretty thick skin there as long as the *hnngghhh* factor is big enough
and the diabetes shock is strong enough to send me to utopia so that I can overlook the "drama" (should there be any).
- Nov 1, 2012
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Well childhood friend setting can be used very effective and likeable, just like from lovesick puppies' Yuki, oh god she was so awesome, but most of time writers just dont care and don't really put any effort in it.
Lately I'm becoming way more wary about laziness of writers, for example I started playing AmenitysLife today from my backlog and the setting of the game has sooo much potantial for some funny & enjoyable scenes that in my mind I'm screaming like "man at least do a scene like this, or some jokes like this!", but for god only know reasons writer gone with the "hurr I always watch porn and all girls are shit and only porns are important in the life and I'll just speak about porn in the middle of the class" male friend shit for most of scenes. I'm not really sure who the hell laughs to this stuff but apparently this was a better choice than using humanization objects to create some actual funny scenes.
I'm only at the middle of the common route so cant speak for heroine routes but I swear that I could write a way more funny and enjoyable common route instead of this writer, but its not because I'm better than him or anything, I'm pretty sure that he could write way way better things than this but just didnt care / saw this only an eroge and didnt put any effort in it.
- Sep 22, 2018
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true but it heavily depends on the story and her personality. childhood friend is a classical archetype and have been heavily used so there's only so little room for it to develop anymore. its typically portrayed as close to the MC or like a sister/family to the MC but somewhat stays at friend
- Oct 8, 2011
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there's no such things as boring as childhood friends getting into lovey dovey together with all their vanilla... unless in the midway the childhood friends get crush to another guy (not NTR) and wants to break up! so the whole point of story is how the MC prevent all that.
- Sep 22, 2018
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but there is worst. you ever play koichoco (koi to senkyo to choco)? the main heroine they forced on our throat for me was the worst childhood friend ever, one that turn the MC into her guilt atonement entity, bad personality, flashing her panties to the crowd for vote yet get jealous and all, i really hate her and the fact that she's unskippable main heroine for your first playthrough
- Oct 4, 2015
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It's kinda the reverse for me, the cuter the heroine and the more I fancy her approaches and the less I can stand the protagonist ignoring her in the sake of his own ego satisfaction.As for little sis routes: Well, I think I've got a pretty thick skin there as long as the *hnngghhh* factor is big enough
"The friend" is an important position, or being in the middle of nothing but girls in high-school (however friendly they are) would be a nightmare of its own. I understand the desire to make them very awkward so they don't actually pose any threat or competition to the protagonist as far as romance is concerned, but that is often pushed a little too far with the creepy ero-masters and the various traps. I much prefer Hoshi Ori and Mashiro Iro style of friend, a guy that is actually already in a relationship, just don't show the girlfriend ever or some people WILL cry NTR (whether or not the heroine is romance-able...).
Well, アオナツライン kinda fits the bill on that story of yours, maybe not so much on the last part but it's close. I liked it.
- Apr 28, 2013
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I know I'm in the minority, but Chisato's route was my favorite in KoiChoco, but I agree that her reactions in some other route - from what I can faintly and vaguely remember - made it hard to like her in retrospec. The worst route I recall was still Mifuyu's. Even with my questionably lack of comprehesion back then as it was the beginning of my VN "addiction". To be fair, most of the overall drama wasn't my cup of tea so I never replayed the VN.
But I disgress... There have been fortunately quite a couple of - for my happy-go-lucky preference - good childhood friend routes. Hoshiori and Gin'iro, Lovesick Puppies (as already mentioned), Fureraba as I'm a HUGE fan of Rina's route <3 and Suzukaze no Melt was nice in that regard as well. Probably a few others, but my memory is kinda fickly in when it's of use or not.
Wasn't Rina the classmate and Himari the childhood friend?
I consider what the MC does to her in her route cross the line into bullying level and to me that is unacceptable...well, as far as I can remember it anyway.
- Apr 28, 2013
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You are right. I read Himari's childhood friend tag and looked at Rina's section on vndb *facepalm*.
- Sep 22, 2018
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its quite a shame that such a beatifully designed game with nice song (the op song is just so breathtaking) and nice voice actress choose her as main heroine, i know its for the story but cant they work something up? but somehow its so popular enough to get an anime adaptation. still have you played 蒼の彼方のフォーリズム? like koichoco its also made by sprite and got an anime adaptation (supposedly its about superpowers and all) i havent played it but curious on how it compares with koi choco. there's also another sprite game that looks promising before or after koichoco but i didnt bother with it as its my creed to not play vn with ero in it (so eroge or nukige) not because im a pervert that demand to see the women naked (no wait, i am) i mean even i sometimes bored with classical h scene and yawn all the time and sometimes i cant bear it so i just skipped it, but beacuse i believe that h scene is essential in romance as its probably the goal of romance (to bond and gain deeper connection with each other... or maybe im just a pervert after all)
- Sep 22, 2018
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- Nov 5, 2010
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[MENTION=7737]Animaksiat[/MENTION]; you called? =\
Took a while cuz busy but I just finished Happiness! 2: Sakura Celebration. I was quite looking forward to it because Happiness! was my first game ever. There are many references to the first game, which really bring nostalgia. There are 5 routes in total, 4 individual routes and the grand route. The order is enforced; you have to play Karen's route first before going through Rino's, Fuuko's and Shizuki's, and the grand route will be unlocked after everything else.
-August announced Senmomo's fandisk for September. Which part of the story can they expand this from, apart from adding more ero stuff? Is there really any milking potential? I still got PTSD from how they utterly trivialized all the heroines.
Took a while cuz busy but I just finished Happiness! 2: Sakura Celebration. I was quite looking forward to it because Happiness! was my first game ever. There are many references to the first game, which really bring nostalgia. There are 5 routes in total, 4 individual routes and the grand route. The order is enforced; you have to play Karen's route first before going through Rino's, Fuuko's and Shizuki's, and the grand route will be unlocked after everything else.
The common route starts just like the first game. It was near Valentine and our protagonist Kazuki met with a girl from his past. Then spring came followed by a slice of life period during which there are choices to make. And then the first route is Karen's, from which we learn about the mechanics of the "curse" and "calamity" behind the town. I'm pretty sure the dev forces us to play through Karen's route first because of the plot about the girl in Kazuki's memory. For the revelation to have a meaningful impact, this route have to be played first. For me this is the most balanced route in the game which I think is perfect for the first route; Karen is the kind heroine type without any eccentric traits, and the amount of romance, mystery, action and drama are well-balanced.
Rino the tsundere's route focuses on her rivalry with Karen and her relationship with Kazuki. It's the least relevant to the town's curse, having almost nothing to do with the main plot apart from mentioning a few elements. Thus it lacks the drama and in turn results in a weak climax. 90% of the route is the couple doting on each other, sugar level is diabete-inducing high and there is very little information regarding the main plot. Overall this route is still enjoyable for a good romance.
Next is Fuuko, the self-proclaimed fiancee who openly flirts with Kazuki. Fuuko is the daughter of the shrine priest and knows about the secret of the town quite well. She wants to breaks away from the tradition and takes care of the curse in her own way. You learn more about her family and the secret of the town, though not much stuff that will strike you with awe in addition to Karen's route, which you're forced to read first. While still a decent route, it can be a boring one if you're expecting something new from the story.
Last is Shizuki, the serious imouto. We learn about the death of Kazuki's parents and what they were doing to fight the curse in her route. Even though I'm not that much of a fan of imoutos, I still like this character very much, maybe because I doesn't feel that typical imouto aura emanating from her. However, I still don't like how this route is presented. Apart from the romance, the whole route feels like information dump for the final grand route, because all they did in this route was read past event records to explain the story to the reader. The climax was also disappointing because I expect a more fitting last boss and a less anticlimactic resolution. I was left flabbergast when I realized it was over.
After all individual 4 routes are finished, the grand route will be open. The previous 4 routes are like pieces of puzzle that will be assembled in the grand route, and every question will be solved. The story is wrapped up with a good and happy end. I'm going to be biased here though. I don't like harem story and I don't like the direction the romance is heading in this route. There are more ero scenes with sub-heroines Mizuki and Mashiro. I don't know if we really need these ero scenes. These just happen abruptly without proper romance transition. They have ero scenes only because ero scenes are mandatory. Mashiro has a very important role but as a heroine she's just a token loli. And should Mizuki even exist? I don't really get this twin imoutos thing. The story has a plot point about an imouto, but apart from that one scene she is consistently useless through the whole game. Maybe just delete Mizuki and give that role to Shizuki instead? She makes a much better imouto.
In conclusion, This is just a mediocre pick. The story is fine for a moege at least, but mostly forgettable. (TBH I was more interested in the romance with the girl from the past, than the main plot about the calamity itself, because I really love Haruhi's route in the first game.) Still quite good if you play for the heroines. I love all the main heroines. But other things are too bland to make you want to finish the whole game. The whole "magic" settings are pretty wasted; there aren't many portrayals of other things magic apart from the action scenes, and even those are a little scanty. (The grand route just skipped a whole subheroines' battle scene, and even the main heroines don't have much screen time outside their routes).
The only okay route in the whole game is probably Karen's route, and that's the first route you're forced to go through. After that everything is so exhausting to read, maybe except Rino's route if you don't care about the plot.
Maybe, just maybe, if this game had been a little longer, putting in more detailed plot progression here and there, adding twists that actually interest readers, it could have been much better. While the story doesn't feel rushed, I feel the dev tried to make it more compact than necessary.
At least if you have fond memories of the first game apart from its trap meme, you should try this game, but don't be surprised if it disappoints.
Rino the tsundere's route focuses on her rivalry with Karen and her relationship with Kazuki. It's the least relevant to the town's curse, having almost nothing to do with the main plot apart from mentioning a few elements. Thus it lacks the drama and in turn results in a weak climax. 90% of the route is the couple doting on each other, sugar level is diabete-inducing high and there is very little information regarding the main plot. Overall this route is still enjoyable for a good romance.
Next is Fuuko, the self-proclaimed fiancee who openly flirts with Kazuki. Fuuko is the daughter of the shrine priest and knows about the secret of the town quite well. She wants to breaks away from the tradition and takes care of the curse in her own way. You learn more about her family and the secret of the town, though not much stuff that will strike you with awe in addition to Karen's route, which you're forced to read first. While still a decent route, it can be a boring one if you're expecting something new from the story.
Last is Shizuki, the serious imouto. We learn about the death of Kazuki's parents and what they were doing to fight the curse in her route. Even though I'm not that much of a fan of imoutos, I still like this character very much, maybe because I doesn't feel that typical imouto aura emanating from her. However, I still don't like how this route is presented. Apart from the romance, the whole route feels like information dump for the final grand route, because all they did in this route was read past event records to explain the story to the reader. The climax was also disappointing because I expect a more fitting last boss and a less anticlimactic resolution. I was left flabbergast when I realized it was over.
After all individual 4 routes are finished, the grand route will be open. The previous 4 routes are like pieces of puzzle that will be assembled in the grand route, and every question will be solved. The story is wrapped up with a good and happy end. I'm going to be biased here though. I don't like harem story and I don't like the direction the romance is heading in this route. There are more ero scenes with sub-heroines Mizuki and Mashiro. I don't know if we really need these ero scenes. These just happen abruptly without proper romance transition. They have ero scenes only because ero scenes are mandatory. Mashiro has a very important role but as a heroine she's just a token loli. And should Mizuki even exist? I don't really get this twin imoutos thing. The story has a plot point about an imouto, but apart from that one scene she is consistently useless through the whole game. Maybe just delete Mizuki and give that role to Shizuki instead? She makes a much better imouto.
In conclusion, This is just a mediocre pick. The story is fine for a moege at least, but mostly forgettable. (TBH I was more interested in the romance with the girl from the past, than the main plot about the calamity itself, because I really love Haruhi's route in the first game.) Still quite good if you play for the heroines. I love all the main heroines. But other things are too bland to make you want to finish the whole game. The whole "magic" settings are pretty wasted; there aren't many portrayals of other things magic apart from the action scenes, and even those are a little scanty. (The grand route just skipped a whole subheroines' battle scene, and even the main heroines don't have much screen time outside their routes).
The only okay route in the whole game is probably Karen's route, and that's the first route you're forced to go through. After that everything is so exhausting to read, maybe except Rino's route if you don't care about the plot.
Maybe, just maybe, if this game had been a little longer, putting in more detailed plot progression here and there, adding twists that actually interest readers, it could have been much better. While the story doesn't feel rushed, I feel the dev tried to make it more compact than necessary.
At least if you have fond memories of the first game apart from its trap meme, you should try this game, but don't be surprised if it disappoints.
-August announced Senmomo's fandisk for September. Which part of the story can they expand this from, apart from adding more ero stuff? Is there really any milking potential? I still got PTSD from how they utterly trivialized all the heroines.
Last edited:
- Oct 8, 2011
- 4,484
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yep! that's me...
ugh.. i wished that's not senmomo, eustia's fandisc.... eustia deserve a good ending.
- Sep 22, 2018
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hello there. for some reason i get 503 error for a whole day when i try to access this site yesterday just saying
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