Little Busters! : Impressions of Komari's Route

First of all this is not a review. I have not finished Little Busters! yet so I am NOT reviewing the game anytime in the near future. I am simply posting my opinion on the first route I have completed.


Little Busters! Opening Movie


Info: Title: Little Busters Studio: Key Price: 8,800 yen (before tax) Website

Despite all the high expectations and "disappointments" and associated drama the community loves oh so much... I like this game and don't regret a cent of the over-inflated price I had to pay Himeya for it. This impressions post is based on Kamikita Komari's route.

First of all the art. The art is so varied and clean and simply adorably moe. There are a lot of CG's also varying from panty shots to simple events to emotional climaxes. The standing character CGs are also numerous and include some side and back views. The first press limited edition which I have, came with a nice book with a lot of the art inside it.

Secondly the music is also superb. The opening song is no Tori no Uta but its still good and the BGM is more enjoyable than some opening songs in other games. The first press limited edition which I have, came with a nice arranged album of some of the music.

Thirdly the minigames are fun but not crippling. You can turn them off if you wish but if you don't the results ultimately do not affect the outcome of the game (which is good because I can't hit a ball if my life depended on it) The sprites for the batting practice are very adorable also ;3

Lastly, the story. First let me say this. My "Japanese skills" are pitiful, pathetic, slow, unreliable, etc. So if I'm off on a point don't kill me. I used Rikai-chan to help read and its slowwww but educational XD. The trunk of the game is fun and enjoyable and all the characters are vibrant and have their chance to shine. The two subcharacters of the trunk, Futaki Kanata (I have only seen her in the trunk events of Kudo's route) and Sasasegawa Sasami and both well developed and well voiced.

This section will have minor spoilers for Komari's path so you have been warned.
Komari's path has no magic, no curses, reincarnations, coma projections, nothing of that sort. It is about facing the truth and accepting reality. It is about the harm of living in a dream. To me, these points were very powerful though the pacing was not the best it certainly was not bad by any means. The end also switched to Komari's POV which was awkward for me but not crippiling. I love her ending song also >.> End minor spoilers

So far, Little Busters! is better than Piece of Wonder by a great bit and from what I hear I am not even to the good part yet. If you can read Japanese I suggest you pick it up.

Piece of Wonder

• Title - Piece of Wonder
• Author - Studio CrossFire
  
• Style - Multi-path Visual Novel (interactive)
• Trial - Yes (see note)
  
• Engine - Proprietary Engine (fully adapted for US environment)
  
• Price - 30$ CD-ROM 24.95$ download edition (see note)
  
• Website - http://www.hirameki-int.com/appc/products/piece/index.html
• Get - Package: RightStuf JBox Hirameki-Direct Download: cNet/Protexis

Piece of Wonder is Hirameki's newest bishoujo game and certainly a strong addition to their line up. This is a science-fiction as well as a romance story and has a tactics style battle system built in.

Graphics - The graphics for Piece of Wonder are fun and colorful but not overwhelming. The art is clean and their is a sufficent amount of sprites for each character. Backgrounds were appropriate but nothing memorable. There are 34 event CG (9-10 per girl and 5 miscellaneous), not a huge amount but a decent amount since the game isn't too long. What is missing in quantity is made up in quality as these event CG are quite detailed and beautiful. I believe this was a doujin soft (amateur work vs. professional studio; not a free one in this case) but the art is very clean and professional despite that. I had no complaints with the battle system's graphics except that the enemies were shown as shapes that looked to me like giant elemental slices of cheese. 8/10

Music/SFX - The music like the graphics has a sense of fun to most of it. There are 19 tracks (Only 18 named in music mode however) and there are some common patterns shared between some tracks each is distinct. I personally enjoyed the music enough to rip the tracks out. (I don't know what happened to that program since the Hirameki boards went down XP) Not the best music but certainly enjoyable and some tracks are quite good. Sound effects are fine as well. 8/10

Voice Acting - The voice acting is well cast, however only the three girls are voiced. The protagonist and other main characters are not. I can't recall any flaws in the voice acting however there is a rather irritating bug with some sound cards. (namely whatever is installed in my Presario 2104 notebook) See system section. 9/10

Story - Piece of Wonder revolves around you and your friends fight against creatures called evolutions. You get your power from the same source as evolutions but you can control it with special bracelets. Once you get on a girls route (I think only one choice makes a difference) you will become aware of some sort of super-evolution (depends on which path) and fight a boss to save the girl. While this is rather formulaic the paths do vary significantly and are all enjoyable. There is also a nice after story "true end" that is a nice change from the traditional formula. 9/10


System/Gameplay (Battle) -Since the battle system is mandatory (at least on first play through) I consider it important enough for its own full section. I however do not play many traditional games so this section shall be supplemented by my RPG-loving boyfriend's opinion (Mr. JonFawkes)
The battle system is hard to learn without reading the instruction manual, but once you get into it, it's fun and quite addictive. It's alot like Final Fantasy Tatics. Regrettably, the AI can get a bit predictable. Some of the battles are also quite hard which is somewhat unexpected considering the genre. 8/10


System/Extras (Novel) - The GUI is clean the extras are fine (music/gallery mode and shortcut to scene menus) but the system is simple just too buggy. The main menus don't work all the time (click to another window and back to fix) and the BGM cuts out in battle mode sometimes (rarely). Also, the infamous voice problem. The voices cut out mid-sentence on certain sound cards. I fixed this by running dxdaig (start->run-> dxdiag.exe) and changing the hardware acceleration to "basic" under the sound 1 tab. Since almost all other games use DirectX also I found myself adjusting it back to make other games run smoother and eventually just placed a shortcut on my desktop. The card I have is "Conexant AMC audio" which seems, after research, to be the same card Hirameki says is incompatible (C-Media AC '97 Audio Device). This problem is fixable so don't let it stop you from buying the game. Also in terms of extras there is no print manual with the game, just a PDF so you don't miss out on much with the download version. 2/5

Overall - A fun game. The price is right and its easy to find. Despite the flaws it is worth the money.

Score - 44/55 - 80% - good

-------------------------
Trial and Download Edition: What is it and should I get it?

Piece of Wonder does not have a trial version per se. What there is however is a download version that you can play for one time up to 45 minutes with out an activation code. This can be downloaded from cnet's download.com. You can purchase a serial code through Protexis if you and unlock the full game for 24.99$. Protexis seems to be a well established and dedicated digital content distribution company (Microsoft uses them) so it is extremely unlikely that the DRM system will collapse and render your software unusable (this has happened with other content providers). You can only install the download edition to a single computer with internet access. I have not used this particular system but it is likely that the system would need to connect the the internet briefly every time you run the game, which is no big deal if you have broadband access. You may be able to contact Protexis to deactivate the license on one machine and then allow you to reactivate it on another but again I have not tried this. The pros of this method are a lower price tag and instant gratification. If you download music from iTunes this isn't very different.

The CD-ROM edition has no DRM and can be installed to multiple computers if you so desire. You get a DVD style keepcase but no manual except the PDF. I suggest trying out the trial even if you do not want the DRM version it is uninstalled easily enough.

Blogginess - New Comrades

I am happy to announce we have joined in a joint venture with Visual-Novels.net! Many of our reviews are already viewable on their site. =D You can message me on their forums under this same name (jyuichi) and reach JonFawkes the same way. So go check them out and don't be shy!

A Piece of Wonder review is also on its way :D

Ever 17 ~the out of infinity~

• Title - Ever17 ―the out of infinity―
• Author - KID
  
• Style - Multi-path Visual Novel (interactive)
• Trial - Yes
  
• Engine - Proprietary Engine by KID (fully adapted for US environment)
  
• Price - 40$ can be found for under 20 easily
  
• Website - http://www.hirameki-int.com/appc/products/e17/index.html
• Get - RightStuf JBox Hirameki-Direct

Ever 17, my first exposure to visual novels and still one of the best. It took me a year to decide to try this title, but I don't suggest you wait that long. Completely localized by Hirameki's professional team, Ever 17 is a must have for every English speaking visual novel fan.

Graphics - The graphics are clean and lively. There are enough sprites to show all emotions, unlike in some other Hirameki games. The sprite and background art is strong but a bit plain while the event CGs are clearly of a higher caliber. The subtle difference in style between the two types is not detrimental. 9/10

Music/SFX - The music is solid , fun, and enjoyable but could use some instrumental variation. The opening and true ending themes are both excellent vocal songs. There is a insert vocal song as well. 9/10

Voice Acting - The voice acting is well done and every character is voiced, except the character you are playing at the given time (There are two protagonists and each has a voice when not selected). The emotions range from screaming to singing and I found no flaws in the casting. 10/10

Story - The story is where this work shines. It starts are a basic situation-dependent romance game, but as you get into each path you find each girl has a past tainted with sadness and mystery. Once you clear the first four good endings, three bad endings and three epilogues you can play the final route which connects all the stories in a stunning and mind-bending conclusion. My family got a Wii (by waiting outside the store for an hour) the day I was on the last part of this game and I didn't touch the Wii till I finished this. It's truly that addictive. 10/10

System/Extras - All the professional system amenities (skip mode, auto mode, etc) and more. A convenient quick-save/load and an auto-save/load complement a set of 65 save slots with changeable thumbnails. There is also a convenient shortcut mode to jump to a specific day in a specific route, which is very useful when searching for the last unmade choice in the entire 200+ hour game (another nice feature is that already selected choices are shown in blue so you can find new routes easily).The extras also abound as this is a translation of the premium edition. These include - screen-savers, system voices, character-categorized CG galleries, a promotional art gallery, and a jukebox mode. You basically get an full artbook and accessory pack with this game. 5/5

Overall - Excellent! Go buy now! You won't find a better deal in the English visual novel market. Despite some minor flaws, Ever17 shines brightly.

Score - 43/45 - 96% - exceptional

A Winter's Tale

• Title - A Winter's Tale
  
• Author - Kenji Endou
  
• Style - Multi-path Visual Novel (interactive)
  
• Engine - ONScripter
  
• Price - Free
• Get - Web Download -
  http://altogether.insani.org/2005/resources/index/phase02-wintertale.html
  http://visualnews.net/doujin-downloads/#winter

A Winter's Tale. A childhood friendship blooms into romance in this leisurely paced visual novel about a boy and girl in the depths of winter.

Graphics - A mixed bag. The sprites are very nicely done. The clothing, expressions, and makeup change often and appropriately. The backgrounds, however, are varying. They are from the numerous free image collections available and range from nicely detailed illustrations to klutzy drawings to even photographs. Using stock backgrounds isn't uncommon but the mixed styles are irritating. 8/10

Music/SFX - The music is not outstanding but clean, varied, and appropriate to each scene and the piece as a whole. The ending theme is a fun vocal song that does not fit the piece in the slightest but was easily the best song in the game. The sound effects are the usual stock sounds and, as usual, are not adjusted for volume so they clash with the music a bit. 7/10

Story - Predictable to a fault and too long for such a piece. There is some drama but it is forced and has a predicable outcome. A Winter's Tale would be much more enjoyable if it had been condensed to only the main scenes. There is one choice but it only changes the ending conversation, not the result. 4.5/10

System/Extras - The system is a mixed bag. At first it appears to be a generic ONScripter release (bland menus) but the translators took some extra time to add in a footnote system for some of the Japanese terms and names used. The extras consist of a postscript which is mostly uninteresting. No cg mode (no CGs) and no music mode. 4/5

Score - 23.5/35 - 67% - mediocre

40 Days and 40 Nights of Rain

• Title - 40 Days and 40 Nights of Rain
  
• Author - ZigZag
• Style - Linear Visual Novel (non-interactive)
  
• Engine - ONScripter
  
• Price - Free
• Get - Web Download -
  http://dejavu.visualnews.net/projects-40days.html
  http://visualnews.net/doujin-downloads/#40days
  

"For 40 days and 40 nights, the rain will fall." A war has left the world in ruins, and in that world, the "tin plate" soldier meets the girl with sky-blue eyes.

Graphics - The graphics were handled a bit differently for this game compared to most. Full CGs of the setting were the main visuals for the story, very high in detail and colored well. These were all quite dark and serene, setting quite the mood for the story. When the characters were shown they stood out, each character drawing was full of detail, and though not overwhelming, and very beautiful. Traditional sprites were not used and the characters were never seen in setting, but rather, on a plain white, which was quite bland and didn't seem to serve the story very well visually. 9/10

Music/SFX - All of the music sounded like they were all played on the same instrument (likely piano), but every song was varying and never boring. The music was soft and calm, fitting well with the dark atmosphere of the story. The music played softly in the background and wasn't distracting. Sound effects were very generic, as if they were from a free website. They did not fit very well with the game at all, being quite disruptive at times. 8/10

Story - The story was original, well written and well translated. They story kept consistent, maintaining the perfect mood throughout the entire story, not being over or under dramatic. The plot was well thought out, everything flowed well, even the surprises fit in without seeming like they were thrown in at last minute. However, the story was too drawn out, it could have easily ended at several points in the story. 8/10

System/Extras - This release has all the features expected from an Nscripter game, generic save/load, log mode and hide text, but nothing new or different. Disappointingly, there were no extras to unlock. Art from the game can be seen at the creator's site here. 2/5

Score - 27/35 - 77% - Average

Blogginess- New Reviewer!

We have a new reviewer today! Jon Fawkes has offered/been forced to join the team here at Sleepless Nights. His first review has already been posted (A Midsummer's Resonance) so step up and tell him what you think. :D I've also posted a review of the game Planetarian today. As always the reviewer's name is listed at the bottom of the post.

7 days till Little Busters!

A Midsummer Day's Resonance

• Title - A Midsummer Day's Resonance
  
• Author - Kagura Saitoh
• Style - Linear Visual Novel (non-interactive)
  
• Engine - ONScripter
  
• Price - Free
• Get - Web Download - http://altogether.insani.org/2005/resources/index/phase02-resonance.html http://visualnews.net/doujin-downloads/#midsum
  

A Midsummer Day's Resonance is a sweet story about a girl who falls in love. A (somewhat) science-fiction story filled with romance and surprise. I enjoyed it thoroughly, from beginning to end.

Graphics - The sprites were very cute and simple. The art for each chapter header was very nice as well. Backgrounds were also well done, high in detail, and helped a lot in conveying emotion. The only irritant was that the characters were consistently displayed in as a hologram which is consistent with the story, but somewhat awkward looking. 9/10

Music/SFX - The music was pleasant and subtle, so it didn't disrupt the game. There was a large variety of music, and it didn't feel overplayed. The sound effects however, were kind of disruptive, and could sometimes ruined the mood of the situation, like in a sad scene, where everything is silent and then you hear this loud *shiiiing*. 8/10

Story - The concept was original and the writing, even the science fiction bits, were easy to understand. The story was paced nicely and written well. There were some parts where improvements could be made in terms of conveying emotion. Some parts needed to be more sad, like the parts where the connection cuts out; while other parts needed to be more happy, like the parts where everyone was together. 8/10

System/Extras - This release has all the expected features of an ONScripter game but the "hide text" ("Clear" in the right-click menu) function doesn't work properly. The extras include a gallery mode for the chapter illustrations and a music mode. There is also an additional extras menu (rot13 for puzzle spoilers) juvpu jnf npprffrq ol tbvat gb gur tnyyrel naq ivrjvat gur PTf va gur beqre tvira ng gur raq bs gur tnzr. This menu had rough sketches, a character sprite gallery, and some additional humorous scenes. 4/5

Score - 29/35 - 83% - Good

Planetarian ~The Reverie of a Little Planet~ CD-ROM Edition

• Title - Planetarian ～ちいさなほしのゆめ～ (Planetarian ~The Reverie of a Little Planet~)
  
• Author - KEY - Kinetic Novel
  
• Engine - RealLive (does not require JP enviroment after patching)
  
• Style - Linear Visual Novel (non-interactive)
• Trial - Yes http://visualnews.net/demo-downloads/#planet
  
• Website - http://key.visualarts.gr.jp/product/planetarian/ http://planetarian.insani.org/
  
• Price - ¥1,395 download edition; ¥2,940 CD-ROM or PS2
  
• Get - Editions and methods will be discussed below
  

Planetarian is the story of a dying world, a living robot and the man who interacts with both. While it is a short piece and a simple piece it is one of the best works in English today.

Graphics - The graphics are simply wonderful. The art is detailed and lively. Event CGs are interspersed through out the story and the sprites vary frequently. No skimping on backgrounds either. 10/10

Music/SFX - The music is very good, setting the mood quite well. I have found my self sitting and just listening to the jukebox mode over and over. 10/10

Voice Acting - This is the main difference between editions. The download editions have no voice acting (except the first line in the prologue ?), the CD-ROM edition has voice acting for Reverie (Yumemi) only and the PS2 has full voice acting. I am reviewing the CD edition. Reverie's voice was done excellently by Keiko Suzuki. I am looking forward to her performance in Little Busters! as well. The voice fit perfectly and added significantly to certain scenes in the story. Only downfall was the lack of voicing of other (albeit very minor) characters. Partial voicing tends to bug me (Except the protagonist. I don't like them voiced) but I understand it since these characters consisted of maybe 15 minutes of the entire work. 9/10

Story - The story is a bit slow to take off but pays off entirely. Reverie as (practically) the only other character is developed magnificently. This is a very character driven story. If you don't like such things make sure to try the trial before you decide to buy this or not. Insani's translation also is wonderfully done, with such details as adapting the characters name. (Something I don't normally agree with but the meaning of it is important to the story.) 10/10

System/Extras - All the normal features of a modern professional game engine (RealLive) including auto-mode, skip mode, log mode but also with a chapter list for loading and a beautiful GUI for the save/load menus. The extras are the usual Music and CG modes. 5/5

Overall - Wonderful game. Us English speakers should feel grateful that someone went through the effort to translate and release a patch to us no matter how difficult acquiring a copy can get.

Score - 44/45 - 98% - exceptional

-------------------------

How to get a copy of Planetarian

Insani's patch is designed for the original download version of Planetarian. However this version has been replaced by a new DRM system . The patch no longer works for the new system. Due to much piracy of the original version, Insani (understandably) refuses to release anymore commercial patches including ones for other versions of Planetarian and does not condone any other patches with their translation. However it is quite possible to patch the CD version and this is what I have done to play this story. There are instructions on how to do that here. The CD version is available from Himeya Shop here. If you can read Japanese you can purchase the new download edition here or the PS2 edition here.

Midsummer Haze - the long awaited review

• Title - Midsummer Haze
  
• Author - Sakura Shima
• Style - Short branching novel (interactive)
• Engine - KiriKiri2 (requires Japanese Enviroment)
  
• Price - Free
• Get - Web Download - http://at2006.haeleth.net/game.php?id=13

Midsummer Haze.....I look forward to finally being able to delete this game after 3 long months. MH has a one choice with two options.....and four endings....yes four. To get the third ending you have to play one of the paths around 50 times and to get the fourth you have need to stall at the choice until it is triggered. Now this is very clever but the story isn't.

Graphics - Solid art, nothing special. Fairly colorful. The backgrounds are stock images. There are no event CGs I can remember. 8/10

Music/SFX - The music is good and appropriate to the scenes except the final ending song which is techno. Sound effects are appropriate. 8/10

Story - Story..... there was one....kinda. The idea was good but the implementation is boring at best and the plot twist invokes more of a "huh?" than the intended "oh" . The only part of it that I enjoyed was the third ending but it was rather incongruent to the story. 3/10

System/Extras - This is a KiriKiri game (Japanese environment required). The system is straight forward not a pretty GUI but it's simple and easy to use. The ending system is pure undiluted evil tho. As I mentioned before, you have to play the one path about 50 times to get the only ending worth anything in this game. Thankfully there is a fast-forward button. After you get this ending you unlock the extras which are a postscript, translator's note, and extra story which would be good except, at least in my case, you will hate the characters by that point. Then there's the fourth ending with the techno theme and you're done, no extras after that one. 2/5

Score - 21/35 - 60% mediocre

OMGWTFOTL

• Title - OMGWTFOTL
  
• Author - HANPAMANIA-SOFT
• Style - Short Nonsense Novel (interactive) 16+
• Engine - ONScripter
  
• Price - Free
• Get - Web Download http://insani.org/omgwtfotl.html, http://at2006.haeleth.net/game.php?id=5

First of all.... this game will offend you. If it doesn't please go get help.

Secondly.....where to start....? This game is impossible to describe so my review format is out the window because it would be comparing apples to oranges. This is no Red Shift, but despite the lack of plot its not another VFTOS either. This game is hilarious in a way I can only describe as sophisticated delinquent. The music is good, the art is solid and can be cute or ugly but, my god, WHAT did they smoke while writing this....?

The plot was lost somewhere between the fights, the copulating bears, the U.S. Navy base, and the high-school love confession. It flows but its utter nonsense.

If you like South Park or Excel Saga this may very well be the game for you, I enjoyed it very much but it incited blood-lust in my classmates.

Overall rating - Good

GENUFLECT OR DIE!

Japanese Enviroment -Info-

Okay okay, I've mentioned once or twice that you need a "Japanese enviroment" for many of these games, so what is that?

Well, first of all this only applies to users of Window$ 2000, XP, and Vista. Everyone else is out of luck.

I'm gonna start with the most convenient option first - AppLocale. AppLocale does what it sounds like it does.... localizes applications. AppLocale is for Windows XP and up and can be downloaded free here http://www.microsoft.com/globaldev/tools/apploc.mspx in exchange for you mortal soul (or rather... a windows validation). The problem with AppLocale is that it doesn't work on all games (Clannad for example) for this it is considered inferior to true Japanese non-unicode settings.

For instructions on how to install AppLocale, click here (they are specific to KNGE but work for any program).

Your other option is to change your non-unicode settings to Japanese, the problem with this is it changes some normal programs to Japanese as well such as - part of Microsoft Paint, Apple Software Updater, and the part of the installer for the Windows Validator plugin. Most of theses programs only change partially in to Japanese so they can be navigated fairly easily (all the menus in MS Paint stay in English). If you play a lot of Japanese games this may be the best choice for you.

For instructions visit http://www.microsoft.com/globaldev/handson/user/xpintlsupp.mspx will give you basic instructions; don't forget to install East Asian support files (you might need your Windows CD).

If something doesn't work try this - (I only have found one that needed this ever. An untranslated trial for a minor game.)

1. Open the [Regional and Language Options].
2. Click on the [Regional Options] tab.
3. Select [Japanese] from the pull-down menu at the [Standards and Formats] section.

Sore Ja Matta Ne

• Title - それじゃあ、またね。(Until We Meet Again)
• Author - LUNA BLESS
  
• Engine - Kirikiri 2 (requires Japanese environment)
  
• Style - Linear Visual Novel (non-interactive)
  
• Price - Free
  
• Get - Web Download - http://insani.org/soremata.html

Sore Ja Matta Ne does not have the look or feel of a typical visual novel. It is a very short sweet story with supernatural elements. There are no voices or choices and the sounds are very sparse to match with the simple grayscale art.


Graphics - I like them but they are very simple. There are no sprites and backgrounds but rather every scene is a drawing with the characters making the story feel a lot like a movie. The some shots felt a bit plain tho and the CG train clashed with the character style slightly in some minor shots. 8/10

Music/SFX - There aren't many tracks or SFX but they are used well. Most often you hear the sound of the train running but the music that is used is very good. No voices. 10/10

Story - The story is creative and heartwarming. It flows well with out any inconsistencies I can remember. 10/10

System/Extras - This game is a KiriKiri release so you need a Japanese environment. (If you don't know what that is post a comment or click info in the sidebar as I hope to add a entry explaining it soon.) Sore Ja Matta Ne has no menu screen and no extras, it just throws you in to the game. The save/load functions and options menu are in the title bar and right clicking hides the text box. This game has auto and skip modes. 3/5

Overall - Play it for what it is, a good story.

Score - 31/35 - 88% - Good

At Summer's End

• Title - なつのおわりに (At Summer's End)
• Author - （猫）milk cat
• Style - Short Linear Novel (interactive)
• Engine - ONScripter
  
• Price - Free
• Get - Web Download http://www.insani.org/atsummersend.html, http://at2006.haeleth.net/game.php?id=2
  

At Summer's End is the second doujin game I played, after Narcissu. It is a short sweet little (non-fantasy) story with a few choices that do not affect the plot. The plot revolves around a boy and a girl who are long time friends. This story won't change your life but is fun and short to play over a cup of tea.

Graphics - The backgrounds are very professional looking while the character style looks a bit amateur. This is easy to get used to and the art has a bit of whimsy charm to it. The colors are bright and colorful to match the light story. Each scene also has a sketched opening image with a title. 7/10

Music/SFX - The music is also mostly light and cheery but there is a very nice slower song as well. It is simple but very nicely matched to the story. The sound effects consist mostly of punching and crickets. There are no voices. The sound effect are not of high quality (and the crickets get annoying) but they are not bad either. 8/10

Story - Like all other aspects of this game, quite simple but solid. The plot is well built but predictable. A happy ending. 7/10

System/Extras - This is an ONScripter release. For all of you who can't figure out why I bother to say that it is because ONScripter games happily run on English OS's while most others require tweaking. They also tend to be multi-platform instead of Window$ only. The interface is much nicer than the average doujin game. It includes all the standard features of a visual novel and some of the features I've only seen in commercial games, such as Quicksave/load, thumbnails, and a detailed options menu. The extras were the standard CG mode and music mode (the tracks had names which was quite nice). 5/5

Overall - A nice, light, little game. Worth the time spent on it. Enjoy it for what it is.

Score - 27/35 - 77% - average

Red Shift

• Title - 常世の星空 (Red Shift)
• Author - Team EXTRA
• Style - Short Linear Novel (non-interactive)
• Engine - ONScripter
  
• Price - Free
• Get - Web Download http://insani.org/redshift.html

I played through this novel in a few days, a scene or two a day. Each scene was 20-30 minutes long. I didn't know much about it before I downloaded it but that wasn't a problem. This was a very easy novel to get hooked on. This could be called a science-fiction/fantasy game but it is a very human story. You play as a high-school boy, Kouya, who meets a rude and unusual albino girl in the park and is forced to keep her company. I can't say anymore without spoiling the plot. ;)

Graphics - The graphics for this game are very nice. They are not as detailed as the ones in VFTOS but they are clean, expressive and well colored. The event graphics are relevant to the story and helped it along with out standing out too much from the regular CG. Each scene also had a sketched intro graphic which was quite nice. 10/10

Music/SFX - I enjoyed the music in this title very much. It worked very well to set the mood of each scene. It is all simple instrumental likely synthesized but the music is well chosen for the scenes and has enough variety you don't get sick of it by the end. The transitions were a bit abrupt but nothing unreasonable. The SFX were well integrated to the story and not over used. 9/10

Story - The story was deep but not overly-complicated. It starts very simple and builds up to an exciting climax. Even though it gets a bit technical at the end I never felt overwhelmed by the fantasy/SF concepts. The story is focused on character-interaction and the characters are all very well developed. The story is very easy to follow and has a satisfying conclusion. 10/10

System/Extras - This is an ONscripter release. It has all the typical functions of a visual novel. (save, load, log mode, hide text) It runs with out a glitch. The extra menu is a CG menu where you can choose an event graphic to view and cycle through its variations. There is no music/jukebox menu. 4/5

Overall - I definitely recommend this visual novel. It is one of the best I have played. Very entertaining, suspenseful and a bit humorous. ^^

Score - 33/35 - 94% - exceptional

Visions From the Other Side

• Title - 向日の夢 (Visions From the Other Side)
• Author - Treasures
  
• Style - Short Linear Novel (non-interactive)
• Engine - ONScripter
  
• Price - Free
• Get - Web Download http://at2006.haeleth.net/game.php?id=3

I just finished this visual novel not 20 minutes ago. I downloaded it on a whim from al|together 2006. Since it is doujn software I didn't expect it to be long but didn't expect it to be this short either. It was enjoyable but there are better games out there.

Graphics - The reason I downloaded it in the first place was the graphics. They are very nice though sometimes a bit unrelated to the story. Some are a bit unpolished but very nice for doujin work. They are also stored in the program files as jpegs so you can copy and save them very easily. 9/10

Music - The music was enjoyable but a bit harsh sounding and much louder than my other games. The soundtrack is entirely MIDIs with WAV files for sound effects. While I have nothing against MIDIs these are nothing really notable. Again, the music is stored as normal files in the program files folder. 6/10

Story - This is where it dies....there is no coherent story. While there is simple flow, there is no plot and it feels like an omake chapter to something else. Luckily, it is very short. 2/10

System/Extras - VFTOS is an ONscripter release. I have not found a save function. The interface is not explained in the readme or anywhere else but being a VN you just click the mouse or hit enter to prompt text and you can press up-arrow to review old text. Once you finish the game, a CG slideshow (instead of an extra menu) is unlocked. 1/5

Overall - Don't bother with it unless you just are bored. No save function. It'll entertain you and the ending is kinda cute but overall it's not as good as most.

Score - 18/35 - 51% - mediocre