Comiket 73 Games
 

Since I'm into this doujin stuff anyway, I thought I'd make a writeup of the best Comiket 73 stuff. As always, Comiket 73 had a bunch of doujin cheesy anime games released (or at least trials released and so on), and as always, there are some amazing games in there if you're willing to sit down and sift through the shit. Seriously, shit. :(

Anyway, I'm only gonna bring up the good games that you can actually play, cause you guys are probably very busy people and can't be playing garbage all day, nor browse chaotic primitive Japanese sites that end up not having a demo at all, despite hinting at it (damn you, French Bread :mad: ). However if you feel like it, you can dig through this site for most of the C73 shmup games, and just search around for other stuff.

Well anyway! Here's a few of the better games. I'll try to update this thread a couple more times as I play more of the games. Feel free to contribute as well!

Ether Vapor
http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/4...1632vy8.th.jpg http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/3...1626kc8.th.jpg http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/9...1624da8.th.jpg
Genre: Shmup

A great shmup a bit in the style of Radiant Silvergun/'maximalist' shmups, it has three different firing modes with three corresponding buttons, and charge as well. The game gets quite difficult along the way, and the music is really great. The game itself switches between three modes dynamically (vertical, horizontal, and on-rails style bonus round). Overall, it's superbly fun and looks quite sweet as well.

This is the so-manieth trial release of this game apparently, but I never played it before. To me, this is definitely the best game of Comiket 73.

Space Dynagon
http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/4...sultml6.th.png http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/1...hainrn9.th.png http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/6...bossrb7.th.png
Genre: Pocky & Rocky clone

This is a bit of a weird game. It's basically Pocky & Rocky with swarms of these weird giant head enemies. You can bury the green things and then make them grow for chain explosions... Yeah. I don't know, but it's kinda fun.

命短したたかえ！乙女

http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/4...1015zy8.th.jpg http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/4...1008jv8.th.jpg http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/7...1005dd3.th.jpg
Genre: Real time strategy

A fairly simple RTS game, the music is all fucked up and the engine is kinda buggy but it seems pretty fun. The girls coming from the main building are constructors, the big building is a barracks kinda thing and the smaller buildings seem to generate income. I'm not sure what the building on the stilts does. Perhaps someone who understands Japanese can make more sense out of this one.

DieFeen

http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/5...ss18hz2.th.jpg http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/8...ss22zk9.th.jpg http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/9...ss16zw0.th.jpg
Genre: Shmup

Very cutesy shmup with three basic firing modes that you can switch between and a fairly cool bonus point system that reminds me of Cave. The game is styled similar to Ragnarok Online 2 I think, it's all very fluffy and nice, but it is pretty and the music's nice.

To be continued!

Flying Red Wine Barrel - A Diary of Little Aviator -
http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/384...n003fb8.th.png
gameplay video on niconico
Genre: Shmup

A harmless fun little shmup with a cel-shading engine, the music is probably the best thing about it. The game fills up with bullshit (bullets and powerups) rather quickly, and the powerups are used to launch rockets which can cause chains. It's not bad.

Recettear
http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/4...op05qh0.th.jpg http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/3...on02gr9.th.jpg http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/3...ss02we6.th.jpg
Genre: RPG

An excellent idea, this game puts you in the shoes boots of a little girl running a shop. There is a traditional RPG element, but the stuff you collect is up to you to sell in your shop. The production quality is amazing, with great art, partial voice acting and a lot to explore and develop (8 dungeons total!). Of course, without knowing Japanese this game is lost on most of us (including myself) but for RPG fans with Japanese skills, I recommend this!

Aria Gondola Game
http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/6...ss08ep1.th.jpg http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/8...ss07ee2.th.jpg http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/7...ss02bq4.th.jpg
Genre: Uhh... Gondola... Racing?

This game wouldn't be worth mentioning if it weren't for the fact that EVEN in competition with a Columns clones with unlockable loli art, this game steals the "Japanese people are weird"-award. Just because it is so goofy it's actually kinda fun despite being very rough around the edges.

PatchCon! Defend the Library
http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/2650/03gc7.th.jpg http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/7131/04xq3.th.jpg http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/1748/psc01sk7.th.jpg
Genre: RTS-ish
This game doesn't have a demo version so you'll have to get it from somewhere else :3:, but it's well worth it. The game doesn't look like much, but Twilight Frontier never really drops the ball, and this is no exception. The game's setup is fairly simple, you're at the center of the map and from all sides streams of little girls come and you have to kill them. The team is made of 1 melee, 1 homing, 1 bomber, 1 longrange non-homing, 1 supermelee. The first button summons girls, second button levels the character up, and you gain money by killing enemies. It's all quite self-explanatory really. It seems simple but it's a lot of fun, well worth checking out. Now finish Scarlet Weather Rhapsody, dammit!

I can vouch that Patchucon: Defend the Library is a definate must play if you are into RTS games or like doujin games in general. very simple and fun. :D

And filling the screen with 999 Cirnos is always fun.

Thirding PatchCon for hilarity. Nothing like sending an army of Chinas after something.

Also I had no idea Ether Vapor got another trial version. What's new in this one compared to the one released at C72?

I can vouch for Ether Vapor being very fun. A bit different from the danmaku shooters that I've been playing and some of the bosses (like that loli one in stage 4) are giving me quite a few problems. Aside from that though, the game looks extremely polished. The three different firing modes are certainly interesting though I tend to stick to the focus-fire and the lock-on firing mode more often than not.

Still chugging my way through to unlock more continues and shields so I don't die so much.

Recettear sounds like a lot of fun. Reminds me somewhat of the quaint charm of Harvest Moon.

There's more!

RosenkreuzStilette
http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/4475/ss02sl4.th.jpg http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/9987/ss03rr2.th.jpg http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/4097/ss08mw0.th.jpg
Genre: Megaman-clone

It's a great game, but you've played it before! Like, twenty times before! Still, the graphics are nice, the music is groovy and cool, and hey, if you like Megaman you'll like this. I don't know what the game is based on, it looks like Fate/Stay Night, but I don't know for sure, it might be an original that's just hugely similar to Fate/Stay Night. There's also a story mode which of course requires Japnihonskills^__^;;;;

Magical Battle Arena
http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/7...basipo8.th.jpg http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/8...setuth4.th.jpg http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/4503/magicum2.th.jpg
Genre: DBZ-esque fighter, I think

This game is crazy! I mean, the concept is sweet as hell--magical girls square off for no apparent reason in a sort of fluffy girly version of "who is the strongest" ultimate showdown. The game itself puts you in a third person perspective, with your adversary a speck on the horizon. As far as I can tell, you're supposed to throw fireballs at eachother and catch them, and try to get up close to land a kick or something similar. I really couldn't get the hang of this, but it looks really professional, I have to say.

Twilight RefRain
http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/3...in11uv4.th.jpg http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/5...ain2gi4.th.jpg http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/227/twain3cj7.th.jpg
Genre: Touhou-ish Shmup

This is the sequel to Twilight Insanity, which was a pretty decent Touhou-derivative shmup, this is basically more of the same frantic microscopic shmup with lotsa bullets and flying girls. It's definitely worth checking out, although there's no demo on the site from the looks of things.

Saved the best for last in this post... (Sort of anyway)

Gleam of Force (GOF2)
http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/6...ss01sx8.th.jpg http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/3...ss02lk4.th.jpg http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/1...ss05ev5.th.jpg
Genre: Offbeat fighter

I don't know about anyone else, but I absolutely adored Glove On Fight, and its crazy off-beat fighting engine and graphics style. Well, looks like French Bread is working on a sequel! A spiritual sequel in all but name (and even ALMOST in name). Only the trial version is out so far but it's a blast... Although it's hard to figure out what's going on. I'll definitely be looking forward to the full version (and an English FAQ).