Author Topic: Visual Novels (Read 9797 times)

Kudistos Megistos · « **on:** 2010-03-05 22:06:27 »

So, since Heavy Rain has been a runaway success (500k copies sold worldwide, and 100k here in Britain, so I hear), I wondered whether VNs, which have very similar gameplay but are in 2d, will be brought to the attention of more people. I'm a big fan of what I've seen so far, but unfortunately I don't get as much time to [play them as I'd like.

At the moment they're a niche genre in Japan and a tiny niche in the west. This is, no doubt, because they're often made by small companies who can't afford to advertise much, partly because piracy harms their sales and partly because of the stigma attached to games that have any sexual content at all. (Apparently, having 30 mins of sex scenes, all of which contribute to the story, in a 50 hour+ game makes that game into pornography with no redeeming artistic value).

TYPE-MOON classics Fate/Stay Night and Tsukihime are both popular starting points for beginners in this genre, if for no other reason than they're the most well-known VNs and pictures of characters from them pop up on image boards everywhere. FSN also has an anime adaptation, which may actually be better known than the game (sigh). Some people will say that there's a Tsukihime anime as well, but others say that such a thing never happened and that no-one should ever talk about it.

obesebear · « **Reply #1 on:** 2010-03-06 01:38:46 »

I used to love these things back in early elementary school. Of course all I had were books. And usually the main character was a happy bear trying to get honey or something.

therage800 · « **Reply #2 on:** 2010-03-06 01:40:29 »

Quote from: obesebear on 2010-03-06 01:38:46

I used to love these things back in early elementary school. Of course all I had were books. And usually the main character was a happy bear trying to get honey or something.

I don't think that's quite the same thing

titeguy3 · « **Reply #3 on:** 2010-03-06 05:33:05 »

Quote from: obesebear on 2010-03-06 01:38:46

I used to love these things back in early elementary school. Of course all I had were books. And usually the main character was a happy bear trying to get honey or something.

http://www.amazon.com/Tao-Pooh-Benjamin-Hoff/dp/0140067477

obesebear · « **Reply #4 on:** 2010-03-06 05:48:29 »

Quote from: titeguy3 on 2010-03-06 05:33:05

Quote from: obesebear on 2010-03-06 01:38:46
I used to love these things back in early elementary school. Of course all I had were books. And usually the main character was a happy bear trying to get honey or something.
http://www.amazon.com/Tao-Pooh-Benjamin-Hoff/dp/0140067477

This is such an amazing find, I don't even know what to do right now

Kudistos Megistos · « **Reply #5 on:** 2010-03-08 19:12:28 »

Quote from: therage800 on 2010-03-06 01:40:29

Quote from: obesebear on 2010-03-06 01:38:46
I used to love these things back in early elementary school. Of course all I had were books. And usually the main character was a happy bear trying to get honey or something.

I don't think that's quite the same thing

Yeah, that isn't quite the same thing.

Well, it seems that VNs haven't captured the hearts of anyone else here, but it's a genre that I'm sure many people would enjoy; if you like Heavy Rain and are comfortable with anime, you'll be right at home with VNs.

therage800 · « **Reply #6 on:** 2010-03-08 21:31:05 »

What if you like video games like Final Fantasy but never really understood Anime?

Kudistos Megistos · « **Reply #7 on:** 2010-03-08 21:49:33 »

Quote from: therage800 on 2010-03-08 21:31:05

What if you like video games like Final Fantasy but never really understood Anime?

Then turn the subtitles on; it will make the anime much easier to understand.

The link between anime and visual novels is more one of setting and artistic style than anything else (nearly all are made only for the Japanese market and are translated by fans, so there isn't much localisation); as a rule, good VNs have much more well developed storylines and characters than either anime or FF games. I'd say that both Tsukihime and Fate/Stay Night challenge, and may even beat, FF7 for the coveted position of Kudistos Megistos' favourite video game storyline.

therage800 · « **Reply #8 on:** 2010-03-09 07:50:17 »

Interesting... And I never even knew they existed nor did I ever see them, maybe because I wasn't looking (I lived in Japan for a while). I play Final Fantasy for the story more than anything else... So, you may have one bight, out of the two you mentioned, which one's better?

Kudistos Megistos · « **Reply #9 on:** 2010-03-09 10:10:44 »

I wouldn't venture as far as to say that one is better overall than the other. However, I'd say that Fate/Stay Night might be better for a beginner. Both of these games have English patches over at Mirror Moon.

therage800 · « **Reply #10 on:** 2010-03-11 04:56:48 »

But wouldn't they be better in Japanese since it's the original language?

Kudistos Megistos · « **Reply #11 on:** 2010-03-11 06:39:33 »

If you can read it...

therage800 · « **Reply #12 on:** 2010-03-12 04:13:43 »

When you live there learning to read it is inevitable... Well at least enough to get by; can use a kanji dictionary for the rest.

Timu Sumisu · « **Reply #13 on:** 2010-03-12 14:20:35 »

is there a version for mac?

Kudistos Megistos · « **Reply #14 on:** 2010-03-12 14:30:00 »

Quote from: timu sumisu on 2010-03-12 14:20:35

is there a version for mac?

Since VNs count as games, there are no Mac versions

(well, there are a few, but they are mostly obscure western VNs)

However, most of them work with WINE as far as I know. I assume that WINE for Mac can do most of the things that WINE for Linux can do.

Quote from: therage800 on 2010-03-12 04:13:43

When you live there learning to read it is inevitable... Well at least enough to get by; can use a kanji dictionary for the rest.

I hear that the Japanese in them isn't usually very hard. If you can read it, then it's obviously much better to go with the original.

Timu Sumisu · « **Reply #15 on:** 2010-03-12 14:35:29 »

*ish still trying to get wine working*

Sounds good, should help me practice muh japanese!

therage800 · « **Reply #16 on:** 2010-03-15 01:16:03 »

I've been wondering this for a while. Why did you use Nihon-shiki instead of hepburn for "timu"?

Timu Sumisu · « **Reply #17 on:** 2010-03-15 05:00:52 »

Quote from: therage800 on 2010-03-15 01:16:03

I've been wondering this for a while. Why did you use Nihon-shiki instead of hepburn for "timu"?

@.@

kupo?

I was unaware of having used anything over nething else

Kudistos Megistos · « **Reply #18 on:** 2010-03-16 13:37:06 »

Different standards for transliterating Japanese.

Presumably, whichever site Timu used went with Nihon-shiki because it produces a more exotic looking romanisation. Or maybe whoever made the program chose that standard for no reason?

titeguy3 · « **Reply #19 on:** 2010-03-16 14:20:54 »

methinks the man doth refer to you writing "timu" instead of "chimu". Although "timu" is a lot more specific.

I really wasn't aware that people needed translators to turn things into romaji...isn't it common sense...?

therage800 · « **Reply #20 on:** 2010-03-17 01:27:34 »

Quote from: titeguy3 on 2010-03-16 14:20:54

methinks the man doth refer to you writing "timu" instead of "chimu". Although "timu" is a lot more specific.

I really wasn't aware that people needed translators to turn things into romaji...isn't it common sense...?

Yeah, it's just that native English speakers usually use the Hepburn method; which would be "chimu". It's not common sense if you don't know Japanese phonetics... However, Timu eluded to speaking Japanese earlier...

Timu Sumisu · « **Reply #21 on:** 2010-03-17 02:17:14 »

Quote from: therage800 on 2010-03-17 01:27:34

Timu eluded to speaking Japanese earlier...

eh... not really

I know what watching an excess of anime and japanese cinema can teach you

I've tried some language programs, but never gotten far. (oh, also a few words/phrases frmo aikido classes)