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Visual Novels in the US!
I didn't really know this until just recently... But, I found a company that is actually taking on these visual novels!! I hadn't paid attention but check this out... and tell me your impressions :O Especially if you've tried some of these... http://www.hirameki-int.com/ Hirameki International They have 2 categories, AnimePlay PC and AnimePlay DVD... They're visual novels from Japan; apparently pretty popular names like Ever17, Ai Yori Aoshi [PC Visual Novels!] and dvd Visual Novels that you just put in any dvd player and play! [I was suprised... I took a chance on one of these by the name of Phantom of the Inferno, and I really got into it. It's like 20 hours long and you get passwords as you progress, making choices on the dvd... [I always wanted to see this on a dvd!] The other one that I heard was really good, was Hourglass of Summer... Anyone tried these??? Impressions? Comments? I hear they really aren't making much money so I'm worried about the company, but I'm going to take advantage and enjoy what they have done And cheers to them~ EDIT: OH yeah there are some free demos to download ... Here you go~ Just click on the download page... http://www.hirameki-int.com/appc/pro...e17/index.html Oh, and btw they're hentai free as far as I have seen... But the story is awesome... Oh and if you know of another US company doing this also... please share Most amazing jew boots |
Thought I might throw this up as well :
Although there are only a few Visual Novels that are picked up by english companies (namely Hirameki); "This site tries to provide a complete and convenient overview of links to all unlicensed English visual novel fansubs. " .shii.org/translate/ Like Wind —a breath of heart— [near release!] Planetarian [complete] Tsukihime [in progress] Kanon [in progress] and many others Just, informing the uninformed that fans are putting huge efforts into translating some of this genre [Visual Novels!]! Comments? There's nowhere I can't reach. |
yeah, I've played Natsiuro no Sunadokei(Hourglass of Summer) and the play time is about 9 or so man-hours(per char, and varies a bit with each char), a very good interactive non-hentai interactive game/novel. The anime is horrible by the way. Though I hear there was a H-version of this game, I could be wrong. Definately worth my buy. I might get Ever17 later. AWA 12 is coming soon so they might sell some there. And I haven't seen peeps other than Hirameki that is publishing them.
This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it. |
Thanks X-Calibar for the Visual Novel updates ^_^
As for May this year 2 more company picked up Novel translations, one company which the name just isn't popping up in my mind, is planning to focus on Ero-VNs. The other one was just a rumor but from a small division from Japan it self. Hirameki was initially a company for licensing animes, but their deal were all crushed by bigger companies like 4Kids and other 'well known' organisations. They turned their attention to visual games mainly small novel games, Ai Yori Aoshi was one of their first big translation projects that they've taken up! I have bought Ai Yori Aoshi from them, and few of their minor projects. Their translation is quite good, sticks to the original Japanese plot with a slight deviation for Japanese Puns/Jokes. No extra bonuses thou which is a bummer ^ ^ As I quoted before, doing Visual Novel isn't a profitable job because of the culture difference in Entertainment perception. In Japan reading anime/game related novels are part of their daily life (reading of buses, trains, at work, at home, at school or in toilets). For western countries, reading anime/game novels are rare, they are only part of a niche market. But I believe that they will grow sooner or later I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body? |
Please tell me if they're translating Kanon, they will also do Air... PLEASE! I really want a localised version of Air...
Most amazing jew boots { :: ~ Air - the 1000th Summer ~ :: } :: That sea went on forever, into the blue distance :: * That road went on forever, continuing straight ahead * ~ : Summer comes again, shining silver : ~ : When I close my eyes, suddenly I can see that day's blue sky :
Last edited by Kairi Li; Aug 12, 2006 at 10:51 AM.
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forums.haeleth.net/viewtopic.php?t=787 Looks like Air is getting some work done~ I'd imagine it's far from complete but, there's hope as well as a lot of work done You could try posting on haeleth fourms, it's probably the best place to talk about Visual Novels~! What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now? |
Newsflash:
at2006.haeleth.net "In 20 words: al|together is back for 2006, with a very simple mission: Love translation. Love stories. Spend a month sharing them together. The main translaton phase is over. Submissions are now being checked, packaged, and prepared. The main body of releases will take place later this week, time permitting. In the meantime, insani have continued their impressive record of meeting rigid deadlines by releasing the five games they are contributing to this year's festival, so please enjoy those while you wait for the rest!" Check ww.shii.org/translate/ for Insani's releases! [Free mini Visual Novel games!] The titles of the ones already out are... OMGWTFOTL Adagio At Summer's End Panda Samurai Visions from the Other Side And at least 4 more that will be released pretty soon! This annual event rocks Even if you missed last year; you can still download the old ones with bit torrent~! Red Shift I, Too, Saw Dreams Through Air A Winter's Tale Resonance Kira ~snowdrop~ The Poor Little Bird plain song plain song -christmas special- io[Christmas Eve] So basically bunches of great new things; I'll have to make time to try lol OMGWTFOTL! What does OTL means lol hmmm EDIT: If someone tries some of these please post a review! Maybe I'll post something when I get to it ~ FELIPE NO
Last edited by X-Calibar; Aug 22, 2006 at 07:51 PM.
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End of the Year Update~
Alright! Time for the end of the year wrap up for : Visual Novels
a.k.a. choose-your-own-adventure computer games in english! [yum! :P] On the Fan Translated Side : al together 2006 "lumine claro" ----------------------------------------- The freeware/fanware japanese to english translation festival is pretty much wrapped up~ With bunches of translated games to grab... "FOR FREE!" http://at2006.haeleth.net//release.php I played OMGWTFOTL, lol really ... weird but loll. I'll be playing the rest after I finish the current game I'm on~ [they are small downloads below 10 megs each] Downloaded em all to play as I get a chance~ ----------------------------------------- Mirror Moon's TYPE-MOON Tsukihime Visual Novel Status : TRANSLATED AND COMPLETE! ======================== http://mirrormoon.org/ The fan game that was made famous in Japan has now been translated into English by the dedicated people from Mirror Moon~! The anime was based on the game, with only mild success... but the game is pretty much widely regarded as a total success [As I understand it TYPE-MOON was a group of fans who pulled their efforts together to make a game... Tsukihime, which was so successful they sold it, got it made into an anime, and it's reached us and spawned Fate/Stay Night :O] I haven't gotten a chance to play since you have to find and purchase/import the game; but if happen to have this game, CHECK IT ! :O ======================== Planetarian CD Version! ------------------------------------------ This isn't exactly Fan news..! But, the game Planetarian translated by Insani at the beginning of last year : http://planetarian.insani.org/ Now can be played with Reverie's voice the whole way through! :O If you import/get the Planetarian CD Version [20-30$ US] and combine it with the downloadable version [10$ US?] with the English patch~! You can apply the voices to the translation ;) YUM! ----------------------------------------- Shuffle! and Wind ~a breath of heart~ Near Completion! Kanon Kanceled [...], and Narcissu 2 Translation in the works! ======================== From what I understand these have been translated and are currently in the editing process~! So in a month or a year, more fan-translations to ENJOY! YES! http://nnl1.com/ http://gamepatch.se/news.php On a sad note, Kanon the fan translation has been postponed indefinitely :( http://www.haeleth.net/index.shtml But then again on a positive note, Haelth has gotten permission to translate Narcissu 2 which we will be able to enjoy for free! ======================== ------------------------------------------ ======================== ------------------------------------------ Hirameki Newsflash! On the official english Retail scene : http://www.hirameki-int.com/ One of the few official translators for Visual Novels to English; Hirameki has released : ANIMAMUNDI Exodus Guilty Parts 2 and 3 Yo-Jin-Bo! This year! And they have been holding a Christmas sale to purchase one get one free~ for US / Canada; 39$ for one PC game and one DVD game, or 26$ for 2 DVD games~ [International you can purchase products through rightstuf.com I hear!] Also Piece of Wonder is announced and probably coming pretty soon! This is a small company and they haven't had tons of customers... plus this is a niche of the Anime industry that most people don't know about..! But there is really good stuff here...! So, here's hoping this reaches at least one interested person ;) VISUAL NOVELS!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAHOO!! lol I'm out of gas; end of the year update OVER! Sources : http://www.hirameki-int.com/ http://www.shii.org/translate/ Videos : Yo-Jin-Bo >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Unofficial Preview : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Su5m5brYr78 Opening Music Video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6fVO0gi8ac Animamundi >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Opening Music Video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMHVNpmfK1k Exodus Guilty >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Opening? : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSTBl0S7NFk Planetarian >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Unofficial Preview : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbGDmYEIx80 Wind ~a breath of heart~ >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Opening : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cdE2hu0pKI Shuffle! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Opening : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Na6l1G0zAbY And here are some videos for the older Visual Novels that are out~ Ever17 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Opening : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uz3yQmPsrY Phantom of Inferno >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> An Opening : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30Vlbrq4r7o Hourglass of Summer >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Opening : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BEnv6xNyA Ai Yori Aoshi >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Pretty sure it's the same opening as the pc and anime http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mjr6nJRnVag Tea Society of a Witch >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Opening : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gmDNmlE55s [These are all I could find!] Here's to a bright new year for Visual Novels~ *cheeers!* What, you don't want my bikini-clad body? |
I'm not sure there's been an action a fansubber has done since Anime Junkies to get people so riled up. Jam it back in, in the dark. |
On that link for Wind, it describes a little bit about that fiasco I think, but now I think it's cleared... But, I must make this plain... PAY to PLAY! I do not condone any stealing, nor do I suggest it; Whether Hirameki or the big names, these games are usually reasonably priced if you look around or ask around~ [Except Tsukibako :P argh] There's nowhere I can't reach. |
I hadn't bothered to figure out what Visual Novels are, but still to this moment, I associate them with hentai, with the limited exposure I have to the concept, hearing about Fate/Stay and Utawarerumono deriving from visual novels. Although that's probably not the case, hentai or not, I NEED an English Tsukihime visual novel as well as Kanon since I'm very intrigued by these series.
This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it. |
I wrote this in the Hirameki fourms...
which basically sums up seeing Visual Novels as Hentai, and what Hirameki is trying to do~
Hirameki on the other hand has been quoted cancelling games due to this fact [meaning steering clear of hentai, because as I heard someone say "When's the last time you heard of a X-Rated film that's as popular as any nonX-rated popular film; Never right?"], because they are trying to remove themselves from the niche market; They are quoted saying that they are just going to pick up "good" games; and they don't really care if it's from a popular line or not. And from what games they've released I think they have a pretty strong record, although few sales still due to nobody knowing about them. AMN: Is Hirameki looking at specific genres to bring over? As in, would you guys like more adventure titles as opposed to romance titles? Shinichi Shimura: We essentially do not look at any one genre. What matters the most to us is not whether a game is an adventure game or a romance game or a mystery game but rather if it痴 a good game. If it痴 an interesting well-done, well-acted, well-drawn game. The way that we most care about genre is what our fans want. If there is a sense that the American audience is hungry for any for any particular genre then we will give preference to that genre but right now our focus is and always has been just good games. Source : http://anime.advancedmn.com/article.php?artid=3036 I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?
Last edited by X-Calibar; Dec 16, 2006 at 08:33 PM.
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The way I like to think of it, nearly all visual novels are h-games, but not all h-games are visual novels. What differentiates a visual novel from an h-game is its story. Take the sex out of a game like Tsukihime or Kanon and you're left with a fascinating story -- Kanon (and other Key games like Air) has actually been released on consoles as an "all ages" (no sex) title. Take the sex out of a generic h-game and... uh... expensive coaster?
I was speaking idiomatically. |
[If only I could get you to play Ever17..!]
I personally don't want to ride an expensive rollercoaster decorated with sexual images [usually lol.....] I just want to enjoy a ride that'll keep me wanting more! Hirameki has learnt... Most adults don't want to ride a rollercoaster with their friends while a stranger performs strange sexual acts on them. We just want to have fun! Anyone who has played Planetarian would be... irked or amused to hear it called a H-game; but I guess that's the wrap towards these kind of games. That's why I keep typing, hoping to dispel that automatic association [hopefully I'm not being too annyoing ] I mean do we really need to have sex in a heartwarming/sad story like that? Although most Visual Novels begin with h-elements; minus games like Planetarian, Hirameki has been choosing games carefully and editing that specific content and removing those parts if they exist [which of course to seriously informed fans is a mixed reaction]; But, then that gives way to a new larger willing audience; and so far I haven't felt like I've been put out at all after playing these games. Hirameki has not released a single H-Game. [although originally before editing some may have contained those elements] and US ESRB would definitely rate Hirameki games above Teen if they did have that content. But to give you an example of an existing visual novel game with H-elements that didn't need it, and I believe hasn't sold as well as others; stuck in with the rest of the crowd : X-Change, Tsuki ~Possession~, etc which I've read to be completely different types of games. Here's a review I read yesterday about Kana : Little Sister ; which I think I initally just dismissed as probably a sick h-game ol Cause I mean... Kana : Little Sister ... in the H-Game category... Yeah I think I'll pass on that... And yet : http://www.mobygames.com/game/window...iewerId,15940/ Although that company chose to leave the h-parts in; from the review it sounded like it didn't need it at all. So... Well in any case, I think what you said is clear, most Visual Novels start as H-Games and what I said is too? A bright future for Visual Novels in the US, means stripping [...] the H from the H-Game Visual Novels :P What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?
Last edited by X-Calibar; Dec 16, 2006 at 09:31 PM.
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H aside it was truely a good novel, and like Air, the scene is just there for the eye candy. just skip em if ya dont like them.
FELIPE NO |
Personally I really liked "Kana" with out the ecchi scenes. The plot is wonderful and the character building is surperb. The sex scene is just like an additional perk to the story it can be ignored totally and still won't change the story at all.
Same goes for many of Key's games and Alice's games! What I find is there has been lacking in visual novel releases this quarter. More animated H-games has been released, which isn't my cup of tea How ya doing, buddy? |
Just wanted to let everyone know...
A new Visual Novel has been released! Piece of Wonder, by Hirameki; Just downloaded the 45-minute trial last night and here's part of the reaction I wrote on their site: I'm liking it!! I've played a little ways into the trial, and I'm a sucker for the crazy humor I was presented with so far~ At this point it doesn't feel like it's going to be a long epic novel game, although I haven't tried the battles yet; yet I was having fun, with its quick odd pace, warm art and lots of choices to direct the action: I want more ~ I thought something was wrong with the voices, but I figure they just trimmed them for the trial... So to sum it up, I didn't have any expectations of this one, due to the pictures I saw; but after playing the trial... I'm impressed enough that I want more! Here's visual news' first impression : http://visualnews.net/2007/01/22/fir...ece-of-wonder/ And here's where you can read about it and download the trial at the bottom! http://www.hirameki-int.com/appc/pro...ece/index.html Not a bad start to the year for Visual Novels~ Jam it back in, in the dark. |
A long awaited piece of news...
Wind -a breath of heart- Re:gratitude
http://nnl1.com/ http://nnl1.com/wind/
EDIT: Oh yeah the demo's there too! So what are you waiting for :P Yet another huge step for fan translations~ *celebrates* There's nowhere I can't reach.
Last edited by X-Calibar; Feb 10, 2007 at 07:03 PM.
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