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English Translated Japanese Visual Novel/ADV Thread

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Been playing the common route of Grisaia for far too long
LLShC.gif
. The last scene I recall being in was where Yuuji went out for a run while Makina showed poor Michiru some "self-defense" techniques she learned from him.
While that was righteously funny, I digress. How many more scenes until I get to the fabled "beach episode" where paths start to diverge and I can start a character's route?

Another question: why are there two character designers? Why didn't they just choose the superior Watanabe Akio(Michiru and Yumiko) to do them all?

And lastly, I found some Grisaia-related stuff on Knowyourmeme's Hentai Quotes(NSFW) page:
http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/hentai-quotes
Pretty surprising that someone uploaded Amane's Bed Intruder scene.
 
So since I'm going to be holding off on F/SN until my group watch of F/Z is complete, can you guys recommend me another VN to try out?

I've played Ever 17 (zzz... OHMYGOD), 999 (loved), VLR (loved), Hotel Dusk (loved), Last Window (loved), and Trace Memory (enjoyed). Was looking at Umineko When they cry and Higurashi when they cry cause they seem up my alley.

I'm more interested in murder mystery, mind = blown ala Ever 17, or something ala F/SN even if I've not played F/SN lol.
 
So since I'm going to be holding off on F/SN until my group watch of F/Z is complete, can you guys recommend me another VN to try out?

I've played Ever 17 (zzz... OHMYGOD), 999 (loved), VLR (loved), Hotel Dusk (loved), Last Window (loved), and Trace Memory (enjoyed). Was looking at Umineko When they cry and Higurashi when they cry cause they seem up my alley.

I'm more interested in murder mystery, mind = blown ala Ever 17, or something ala F/SN even if I've not played F/SN lol.

Higurashi before Umineko. Remember dat.

Maybe you could check out Dangan Ronpa.
 

Burnburn

Member
So since I'm going to be holding off on F/SN until my group watch of F/Z is complete, can you guys recommend me another VN to try out?

I've played Ever 17 (zzz... OHMYGOD), 999 (loved), VLR (loved), Hotel Dusk (loved), Last Window (loved), and Trace Memory (enjoyed). Was looking at Umineko When they cry and Higurashi when they cry cause they seem up my alley.

I'm more interested in murder mystery, mind = blown ala Ever 17, or something ala F/SN even if I've not played F/SN lol.

Does the murder mystery have to have "mind = blown" elements in it? If not I would recommend checking out Kara No Shoujo.

I'd also HIGHLY recommend Remember 11, which is in my opinion Uchikoshi's best work
 
Higurashi before Umineko. Remember dat.

Maybe you could check out Dangan Ronpa.

I was going to wait for the Vita version, seemed easier then messing around with the fan translated PSP version (still never got off my lazy ass and modded my PSP). It's also on my must play list

Higurashi's art looks... ugh, I was looking at the various digital options at various shops and it seems like there's different versions of the game? I see one version for 29.95 that has "4 later chapters" then another version for 15.95 that seems to be the full game on the same site :X

Does the murder mystery have to have "mind = blown" elements in it? If not I would recommend checking out Kara No Shoujo.

I'd also HIGHLY recommend Remember 11, which is in my opinion Uchikoshi's best work

Not every murder mystery has to be as good as "And Then There Were None" or "Murder on the Orient Express" and not every VN has to mind = blown me like Ever 17 or 999. I just threw it out there because I enjoy having my mind blown. If a murder mystery is just really well done I'll still enjoy it.
 
Listen to this man.

Coincidentally, BassForever, you've played the exact same VNs as I have and I am currently playing Umineko. So our tastes are very similar and I absolutely adored Dangan Ronpa.

Umineko is definately right up his alley once it gets going. It's just a shame that the ending is indeed a lil letdown. Not really bad but not what I expected.

In fact I think the last 2 episodes of Umineko were the worst with few scenes being brilliant tho. My favourites were episodes 3, 5, 6 IIRC.


Higurashi's art looks... ugh, I was looking at the various digital options at various shops and it seems like there's different versions of the game?
There is PS2 art patch. And I agree Higurashi art is fuckin BAAAAD.
 
I was going to wait for the Vita version, seemed easier then messing around with the fan translated PSP version (still never got off my lazy ass and modded my PSP). It's also on my must play list

Higurashi's art looks... ugh, I was looking at the various digital options at various shops and it seems like there's different versions of the game? I see one version for 29.95 that has "4 later chapters" then another version for 15.95 that seems to be the full game on the same site :X



Not every murder mystery has to be as good as "And Then There Were None" or "Murder on the Orient Express" and not every VN has to mind = blown me like Ever 17 or 999. I just threw it out there because I enjoy having my mind blown. If a murder mystery is just really well done I'll still enjoy it.
You could always do the way I did and watch Higurashi anime and play Umineko VN. Higu anime is quite serviceable and good IMO tho I know some people disagree with me. Umineko anime is terrible tho (and it ends at halfway point before my favourite character even shows up :( )

I did like Umineko better than Higurashi in the end but I do think it enhances the experience to know Higu first (plus I think it was pretty friggin great once it started going).
 
Listen to this man.

Coincidentally, BassForever, you've played the exact same VNs as I have and I am currently playing Umineko. So our tastes are very similar and I absolutely adored Dangan Ronpa.

The first time I heard of Danganronpa was the anime and I was like "ALL IN" until I read it was an adaptation of a game, then I decided to bail out and play it. While I could play the fan translation with how niche these games are I always want to support official English translations regardless of how bad they are.

You could always do the way I did and watch Higurashi anime and play Umineko VN. Higu anime is quite serviceable and good IMO tho I know some people disagree with me. Umineko anime is terrible tho (and it ends at halfway point before my favourite character even shows up :( )

I did like Umineko better than Higurashi in the end but I do think it enhances the experience to know Higu first (plus I think it was pretty friggin great once it started going).

I can tolerate bad art if the story is respectable in a VN, if there is a game I'd rather play it instead of watching the anime. Stein's Gate is the current exception because I'm in a group watch of it.

Seems kind of awkward if an eroge has bad art though lol I'll play the games in order I know Higurashi has an official English release and Umineko has a fan patch correct?
 
The first time I heard of Danganronpa was the anime and I was like "ALL IN" until I read it was an adaptation of a game, then I decided to bail out and play it. While I could play the fan translation with how niche these games are I always want to support official English translations regardless of how bad they are.



I can tolerate bad art if the story is respectable in a VN, if there is a game I'd rather play it instead of watching the anime. Stein's Gate is the current exception because I'm in a group watch of it.

Seems kind of awkward if an eroge has bad art though lol I'll play the games in order I know Higurashi has an official English release and Umineko has a fan patch correct?
Yup. The fan translation of Umineko is actually concidered better than the official Higu one :lol.

But as I said there is a patch to replace the Higu models with PS2 ones.
Uy0h7he.jpg
HOl5KSN.jpg
 
Yup. The fan translation of Umineko is actually concidered better than the official Higu one :lol.

But as I said there is a patch to replace the Higu models with PS2 ones.
Uy0h7he.jpg
HOl5KSN.jpg

tumblr_inline_migdo9lqCI1qz4rgp.gif


Okay you win I'll play Higu lol can you answer my earlier question is there a difference in the versions? Do I need the "4 later chapters" to get the full experience or are they just extra fan stuff?
 

Seronei

Member
Yup. The fan translation of Umineko is actually concidered better than the official Higu one :lol.

But as I said there is a patch to replace the Higu models with PS2 ones.
Uy0h7he.jpg
HOl5KSN.jpg

Higurashi got greenlit on Steam and they said they would improve the translation for the Steam version, no idea when it's releasing on there though.

tumblr_inline_migdo9lqCI1qz4rgp.gif


Okay you win I'll play Higu lol can you answer my earlier question is there a difference in the versions? Do I need the "4 later chapters" to get the full experience or are they just extra fan stuff?

The cheaper one is the first 4 chapters. The 4 later chapters has the conclusion You'll definitely need to read both
 

InfiniteNine

Rolling Girl
Higurashi got greenlit on Steam and they said they would improve the translation for the Steam version, no idea when it's releasing on there though.

Glad they're actually doing that since the translation is pretty stiff in it's current form. If the twins weren't so slow we could just play their version of the translation.
 
tumblr_inline_migdo9lqCI1qz4rgp.gif


Okay you win I'll play Higu lol can you answer my earlier question is there a difference in the versions? Do I need the "4 later chapters" to get the full experience or are they just extra fan stuff?

There are 2 arcs. Both contain 4 chapters. So that 4 later chapters are likely 5-8.

And it is the full experience. 4 chapters to set up the mystery and 4 to start clearing it up.
 
Thanks for the clarification everyone :)

Also Higurashi is an eroge correct? So I should be playing this when my family isn't around to judge/freak out lol
 

Burnburn

Member
Not every murder mystery has to be as good as "And Then There Were None" or "Murder on the Orient Express" and not every VN has to mind = blown me like Ever 17 or 999. I just threw it out there because I enjoy having my mind blown. If a murder mystery is just really well done I'll still enjoy it.

Cool, then you should check Kara No Shoujo out, I thought it was really well done. It's also quiet grim and gloomy if you're into that. If you decide to play it, I would recommend using a guide after you get a bad ending too many times. The game is pretty unforgiving and you have very little room for error.

Well, if you're not convinced in playing the Higurashi games already, hehe.
 

InfiniteNine

Rolling Girl
I literally do not get how someone thought this'd be good enough. Pretty sure I could draw better than that :lol

Small studios first game with a staff of three people. :p The writer did all the artwork himself, his friend editing of the script (RIP), and another person handling coding and such.
 
Not an eroge, no nudity at all (or well, that one time doesn't count...)

Well that's a disappointment relief.

I'm also planning to pick up School Days because I hate myself curiosity to see an actual good ending to the dumb thing lol.

Also I should clarify I've yet to start my new job (supposedly will be this week assuming my background check doesn't get screwed up again) so I'll have to wait til then to buy these. Any good free/legal games to try out til then?
 
Well that's a disappointment relief.

I'm also planning to pick up School Days because I hate myself curiosity to see an actual good ending to the dumb thing lol.

Also I should clarify I've yet to start my new job (supposedly will be this week assuming my background check doesn't get screwed up again) so I'll have to wait til then to buy these. Any good free/legal games to try out til then?

You could always do the Umineko demo. It has its own translation patch and contains the whole 1st chapter.

There might be one for Higu too but youd have to stand the art.
 

Durante

Member
Yup. The fan translation of Umineko is actually concidered better than the official Higu one :lol.

But as I said there is a patch to replace the Higu models with PS2 ones.
Uy0h7he.jpg
HOl5KSN.jpg
Maybe (probably!) I just suffer from a case of shitty art Stockholm syndrome, but I feel like the, well, bad character art and ultra-low-budget photoshopped backgrounds actually add to the generally creepy Higurashi experience.

Anyway, it's great, play it in whatever way you can.
 

InfiniteNine

Rolling Girl
Maybe (probably!) I just suffer from a case of shitty art Stockholm syndrome, but I feel like the, well, bad character art and ultra-low-budget photoshopped backgrounds actually add to the Higurashi experience.

Anyway, it's great, play it in whatever way you can.

Well I'll tell you the original assets have a better impact in some scenes because Alchemist kinda went all generic whenever they remake a 07th Expansion game and this goes for Umineko as well.

Also it looks like MangaGamer is selling both Japanese Umineko games on their site now: http://www.mangagamer.com/detail.php?goods_type=1&product_code=93
So easy to purchase and then just apply the witch hunt patch for fun times.
 
Maybe (probably!) I just suffer from a case of shitty art Stockholm syndrome, but I feel like the, well, bad character art and ultra-low-budget photoshopped backgrounds actually add to the generally creepy Higurashi experience.

Anyway, it's great, play it in whatever way you can.
I thought Umineko art was terrible at first but I grew to like em.

but...

I wouldn't look at THIS at a gunpoint:
8PTRfj6.jpg


LOOK AT THAT HAND! NOBODY DRAWS THAT BAD!
 

aravuus

Member
Small studios first game with a staff of three people. :p The writer did all the artwork himself, his friend editing of the script (RIP), and another person handling coding and such.

Three people? Guess that explains it then.

Not like I have a massive interest in the VN anyway, I remember the anime adaptation actually being good.

I
8PTRfj6.jpg


LOOK AT THAT HAND! NOBODY DRAWS THAT BAD!

what in the fuck
 
I'm not sure why a Conquest SLG should be in a thread about VNs and ADVs. I enjoy it but it doesn't really fit in here too well.

Oh, okay. :(

Alicesoft's games fall in the space of being too much of an actual game to be a VN but aimed towards the same 18+ audience as one. So somewhere in some eroge purgatory.
 
Cool, then you should check Kara No Shoujo out, I thought it was really well done. It's also quiet grim and gloomy if you're into that. If you decide to play it, I would recommend using a guide after you get a bad ending too many times. The game is pretty unforgiving and you have very little room for error.

Well, if you're not convinced in playing the Higurashi games already, hehe.

I'll check that out as well thanks :)

Generally my rule is first run is blind making legit choices I would make or the character I'm playing would probably make, second run is do literally the opposite. After that I go all in on a guide to find all the endings so I don't spend hours repeating the same bad endings over and over trying to get the true end.

You could always do the Umineko demo. It has its own translation patch and contains the whole 1st chapter.

There might be one for Higu too but youd have to stand the art.

If I download a demo of a chapter and finish it when I get the full game will I be SOL and have to replay the chapter or will I be able to skip straight to chapter 2? Also for these games that are actually multiple smaller games that are compiled does each one have multiple endings or are they fairly linear?
 

InfiniteNine

Rolling Girl
Oh, okay. :(

Alicesoft's games fall in the space of being too much of an actual game to be a VN but aimed towards the same 18+ audience as one. So somewhere in some eroge purgatory.

Well the story portions are extremely small as well otherwise I'd put it in on technicality if it were more story focused like Utawarerumono.
 

Burnburn

Member
Also I should clarify I've yet to start my new job (supposedly will be this week assuming my background check doesn't get screwed up again) so I'll have to wait til then to buy these. Any good free/legal games to try out til then?

Phenomeno, here's the link to the GAF OT

Edit:

Generally my rule is first run is blind making legit choices I would make or the character I'm playing would probably make, second run is do literally the opposite. After that I go all in on a guide to find all the endings so I don't spend hours repeating the same bad endings over and over trying to get the true end.

Hehe, I always do the same thing.
 
I'll check that out as well thanks :)

Generally my rule is first run is blind making legit choices I would make or the character I'm playing would probably make, second run is do literally the opposite. After that I go all in on a guide to find all the endings so I don't spend hours repeating the same bad endings over and over trying to get the true end.



If I download a demo of a chapter and finish it when I get the full game will I be SOL and have to replay the chapter or will I be able to skip straight to chapter 2? Also for these games that are actually multiple smaller games that are compiled does each one have multiple endings or are they fairly linear?

You can skip chapters.

Higu and Umineko are entirely linear. Umi does have 2 endings with a choice right at the end but it is basically like reading a book.
 

InfiniteNine

Rolling Girl
I'll check that out as well thanks :)

Generally my rule is first run is blind making legit choices I would make or the character I'm playing would probably make, second run is do literally the opposite. After that I go all in on a guide to find all the endings so I don't spend hours repeating the same bad endings over and over trying to get the true end.



If I download a demo of a chapter and finish it when I get the full game will I be SOL and have to replay the chapter or will I be able to skip straight to chapter 2? Also for these games that are actually multiple smaller games that are compiled does each one have multiple endings or are they fairly linear?
They're fairly linear besides the last chapter/game in the series which branches into two separate endings, and you can unlock chapters from the main menu by clicking on the unlock button for a specific one.
 
Phenomeno, here's the link to the GAF OT

Edit:



Hehe, I always do the same thing.

Does the freeware game finish the story or will I be left with blue balls at the end?

You can skip chapters.

Higu and Umineko are entirely linear. Umi does have 2 endings with a choice right at the end but it is basically like reading a book.

They're fairly linear besides the last chapter/game in the series which branches into two separate endings, and you can unlock chapters from the main menu by clicking on the unlock button for a specific one.

Awesome thanks for the info :)
 
One thing that surprised me about Umineko is how funny it turned out to be. There was something about the humour combined with the dark setting that just made me laugh like a madman. Not many games/thingys do that for me. It is just such a weird journey.
 

Zafir

Member
Maybe (probably!) I just suffer from a case of shitty art Stockholm syndrome, but I feel like the, well, bad character art and ultra-low-budget photoshopped backgrounds actually add to the generally creepy Higurashi experience.

Anyway, it's great, play it in whatever way you can.
Hah, I kind of agree. That image is an excellent example, that dead stare always creeped me out on the original art, don't think the higher quality art has the same affect.
 

InfiniteNine

Rolling Girl
Hah, I kind of agree. That image is an excellent example, that dead stare always creeped me out on the original art, don't think the higher quality art has the same affect.

Yeah it was the same for the PS3 version of Umineko the faces are decent but they don't have the impact the original artwork had.
 

cj_iwakura

Member
Yeah unfortunally. I think someone translated them and put the translation up in dry text, but iirc... that was in Russian.

Nope, English too.


And I prefer Umineko's original look to the remake's. I can ignore the hands. The expressions are dynamite.

Higurashi though... yeah, it's ultra bad.


Anyway, I strongly recommend Phenomeno. It's great, especially for Halloween. (Someone go bump the OT around that time please.)
 

Gazoinks

Member
Thanks for the Phenomeno rec. I recently came into VNs via Katawa Shoujo (it seems to have that effect), so I was looking for good free VNs of other types to check out, and this seems good. Plus aBe art. :D
 
So since I'm going to be holding off on F/SN until my group watch of F/Z is complete, can you guys recommend me another VN to try out?

I've played Ever 17 (zzz... OHMYGOD), 999 (loved), VLR (loved), Hotel Dusk (loved), Last Window (loved), and Trace Memory (enjoyed). Was looking at Umineko When they cry and Higurashi when they cry cause they seem up my alley.

I'm more interested in murder mystery, mind = blown ala Ever 17, or something ala F/SN even if I've not played F/SN lol.

As others have said Kara no Shoujo is a pretty good fit if you're looking for something up the murder mystery alley. Has a pretty solid soundtrack as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ziLLIp6FOE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTMwAWL1l5A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CG0Wru1WBRc


If you're looking for something vaguely F/SN related though then you could probably hit up Tsukihime as it's another VN from the same developers, Type-Moon.

-continues to wait for Mahou Tsukai no Yoru and Fate/Hollow to be translated-

zzz
 

Marche90

Member
Wow... Can't believe this thread got this many responses in a single day. Normally we're lucky if we make it past 30 responses per month!

PatrickWhoAreYouPeople.jpg

Been playing the common route of Grisaia for far too long
LLShC.gif
. The last scene I recall being in was where Yuuji went out for a run while Makina showed poor Michiru some "self-defense" techniques she learned from him.
While that was righteously funny, I digress. How many more scenes until I get to the fabled "beach episode" where paths start to diverge and I can start a character's route?

Another question: why are there two character designers? Why didn't they just choose the superior Watanabe Akio(Michiru and Yumiko) to do them all?

Uh... shouldn't be too long (I think). I can't tell you exactly how much you have left, though, since I already finished the VN and deleted the save games. And while true that Watanabe's designs were amazing (I had a Yumiko avatar for a while, since she was my favorite character from that novel), Sachi's design is pretty cool in its own right, for example. I would say Chizuru too, but a) I don't know who designed her and b) she wasn't an heroine for this VN. She has her own route in the sequel, though :)

Thanks for the Phenomeno rec. I recently came into VNs via Katawa Shoujo (it seems to have that effect), so I was looking for good free VNs of other types to check out, and this seems good. Plus aBe art. :D

Being free with a decent storyline and pretty long (plus above average art for a free VN)
I can see why it had that effect

As others have said Kara no Shoujo is a pretty good fit if you're looking for something up the murder mystery alley. Has a pretty solid soundtrack as well.

Seconded (or third'd) Kara No Shoujo. Just a warning: It's very explicit, in both violence (or rather, just too bloody) and sex scenes. Get past that, though, and you have one very awesome VN with killer storyline and art.

-continues to wait for Mahou Tsukai no Yoru and Fate/Hollow to be translated-

zzz

;_;
 

Gazoinks

Member
Being free with a decent storyline and pretty long (plus above average art for a free VN)
I can see why it had that effect

Yeah, not to mention it's natively English. I watch anime and stuff so it's not like I'm afraid of Japanese media, but it being written in English means it avoids clunky translation problems and such. The only problem with Katawa Shoujo is pitching it to someone without sounding horrifically creepy. xD

I started reading an LP of Kara no Shoujo, but I think I'll just play it sometime. Wasn't far enough into the LP to get spoiled on anything.
 
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