Exodus Guilty Review

Title: Exodus Guilty
Original title: エクソダスギルティー
Release date: 1998-11-06
English release date: 2005-11-28 (Vol. 1)

2006-09-15 (Vol. 2)

2006-12-10 (Vol. 3)

Developer: Abel
English publisher: Hirameki International

"Exodus Guilty" was one of the visual novels released by the dead and buried Hirameki in the horrible DVD-PG format for a supposed compatibility with more devices. That's not unusual of the said company. It wasn't even unusual for them to cut the sex scenes. What is a bit more strange, is that the game was split into three volumes, which were released separately.

Swan Song Review

Title: Swan Song
Release date: 2005-07-29
English release date: 2010-06-22
Developer: FlyingShine
English publisher: Yandere Translations (as a fan-patch)

Everyone loves a good apocalyptic fic. You know - angels descending to Earth, Last Judgement trumpets blaring, lost souls begging for mercy, corpses littering the streets... A beautiful and heartwarming sight. And if an actual Apocalypse as per Revelation is not available, any other world-ending disaster will do - like a big mother' earthquake, for example. "Swan Song" is just such a pseudo-apocalyptic visual novel.

Snatcher Review

Title: Snatcher
Alias: スナッチャー
Release date: 1988-11-26 (PC-88) (partial release)

1992-10-23 (PCE) (full release)

English release date: 1994-12-15 (Sega CD/Sega Mega-CD)

2003-12-22 (MSX)

Developer: KCET
English publisher: Konami (Sega CD/Sega Mega-CD)

Fudeba Software (MSX) (as a fan-standalone)

What happens if you take a bit of "The Terminator", a dash of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", pour on a good heaping of "Blade Runner" and sprinkle it with distinctly Japanese tropes? Well, I suppose that would be "Snatcher", unless you know of another Japanese game that fits the criteria.

Mad Paradox Review

Title: Mad Paradox
Alias: マッド・パラドックス
Release date: 1992-08-28
English release date: 1994 (DOS)

2008-02-06 (FM-Towns)

Developer: Queen Soft
English publisher: Samouraï Éditions (DOS)

Demoniac (FM-Towns) (as a fan-standalone)

"Mad Paradox" is the only game ever released in English by the French manga publisher "Samouraï Éditions" as a part of its Geisha Pink Zone label before its bankruptcy. Maybe it's for the better, as MP neither got a decent localization, nor was it a decent game to start with.

Sacred Eyes Review

Title: Sacred Eyes
Release date: 2013-04-18
English release date: 2013-08-18
Developer: Enuemu
English publisher: Velociraptor Clint Thrust (as a fan-patch)

"Sacred Eyes" is just another among a myriad Japanese erotic RPG Maker games out there. What's different is that it actually has a full English translation available. Good for us, because it's not a bad game.

Sacred Eyes Walkthrough

This walkthrough is written for an outdated v1.03 version of the game, which has an English translation.

The latest version of this game (v2.01) includes not a small amount of new content (including additional endings), but is not available in English.

Little Princess Review

Title: Little Princess
Alias: リトルプリンセス
Release date: 1986-12-25 (as Sarawareta Miki-chan)/1987-11 (as Little Princess)
English release date: 2014-10-14
Developer: Champion Soft
English publisher: 2.0 Translations (as a fan-standalone release)

"Little Princess" is a retro Japanese adventure game/visual novel. And when I say retro, I mean 1986. Damn, this game is older than me... It was released by "Champion Soft" and served as a precursor to later widely popular Rance saga.

Vitamin Plus Review

Title: Vitamin Plus
Release date: 2013-11-28
Developer: Ark Thompson (using the art by Butakoma 300g)
Publisher: Ark Thompson

"Vitamin Plus" is an odd fish on my site, as it is an eroge, but not a visual novel. The game is made in RPG Maker VX, but it's not an RPG either. It's more of an adventure yarn with lots of dialogue and the only thing preventing me naming it a visual novel is a lack of narration.

Bionic Heart 2 Review

Title: Bionic Heart 2
Release date: 2013-04-14
Developer: Winter Wolves
Publisher: Winter Wolves

"Bionic Heart" was not a good game, however the second installment fixes some of the complaints I had with the first game. It doesn't mean that "Bionic Heart 2" is not a mess, but at the very least it's a mess one can enjoy.

Bionic Heart Review

Title: Bionic Heart
Release date: 2009-07-22
Developer: Tycoon Games (Winter Wolves)
Publisher: Tycoon Games (Winter Wolves)

So, I was thinking to fire up "Bionic Heart 2" and see what Italian developer Riva Celso has done with a sequel to his early dystopian "cyberpunk" VN, but then I realized that it has been four years since I have played the original "Bionic Heart" and I might not remember everything very well. That led to me replaying "Bionic Heart" in all of its amateur glory.

Bernd und das Rätsel um Unteralterbach Review

Title: Bernd und das Rätsel um Unteralterbach
Alias: Bernd and the Mystery of Unteralterbach, ベルントとウンターアルターバッハの謎
Release date: 2013-10-27
English release date: 2014-06-22
Developer: BerndSoft
English publisher: BerndSoft

Wow... this is something unusual - an Original German Language Visual Novel, or OGLVN for short. That's something I haven't reviewed before. Hell, that's something I haven't played before.

Bernd und das Rätsel um Unteralterbach Walkthrough

This is a 100 % complete English "Unteralterbach" walkthrough.

Valkyrie Svia Review

Title: Ikusa Otome Suvia
Original title: 戦乙女スヴィア
Alias: Valkyrie Svia
Release date: 2006-12-22
English release date: 2014-01-24
Developer: Black Lilith
English publisher: MangaGamer

So, it's time to review a Lilith nukige for the enjoyment of all the perverts and lovers of the darker eroge. It's a shame that there is unexpectedly nothing "dark" about Svia, though...

Soul Link Review

Title: Soul Link
Alias: ソウルリンク
Release date: 2004-12-17
English release date: 2009-12-28
Developer: Navel
English publisher: MangaGamer (the game licence has expired and it's not available for purchase anymore)

"Soul Link" was one of the earliest games released by fledgling MangaGamer. Initially there was a fan translation project, but then the translator went to work for MG and the game was eventually released officially.

Café 0 ~The Drowned Mermaid~ Review

Title: Café 0 ~The Drowned Mermaid~
Alias: Café 0 ~Oboreta Ningyou~
Release date: 2011-10-04
Developer: roseVeRte
Publisher: roseVeRte

The game was crap. See, that was the easiest review to write, ever. "Café 0" wouldn’t get a passing mark as a free game, but it’s actually a paid product. My mind just throws an error message whenever I think about it.

Jisei/Kansei/Yousei Review

Title: Jisei
Release date: 2010-06-08
Developer: Sakevisual
Publisher: Sakevisual

"Jisei" is the first game in Sakevisual’s mystery trilogy that also encompasses "Kansei" and "Yousei". It was released four years ago and relies heavily on supernatural detective tropes.

Dysfunctional Systems Episode 1: Learning to Manage Chaos Review

Title: Dysfunctional Systems Episode 1: Learning to Manage Chaos
Release date: 2013-04-04
Developer: Dischan Media
Publisher: Dischan Media

"Dysfunctional Systems" is the first commercial OELVN from "Dischan Media" - the makers of "Juniper's Knot". And it's a darn good one to boot.

Monster Girl Quest! -Part 3- Review

Title: Monmusu Quest! Shuushou ~Makereba Youjo ni Okasareru~
Original title: もんむすくえすと！終章 ～負ければ妖女に犯される～
Alias: Monster Girl Quest! -Part 3-
Release date: 2013-06-01
English release date: 2013-12-05
Developer: Torotoro Resistance
English publisher: Rogue Translator (as a fan-patch)

The release of an English language patch for “Monster Girl Quest 3” was both a day of great joy and of great sadness. It was a joyful day, because… well, we finally got a chance to read the final part of Luka’s journey. However, with this release “Rogue Translator” who gave us the ability to experience this journey officially retired from visual novel translation scene. RIP

Eroge! ~Sex and Games Make Sexy Games~ Review

Title: Eroge! ~H mo Game mo Kaihatsu Zanmai~
Original title: えろげー！～Hもゲームも開発三昧～
Alias: Eroge! ~Sex and Games Make Sexy Games~
Release date: 2010-06-25
English release date: 2013-09-13
Developer: ClockUp team Anise
English publisher: MangaGamer

I haven’t been playing many visual novels lately and decided to rectify it by picking a certain nukige from MangaGamer. I'm talking about “Eroge”, which is an eroge named eroge that is an eroge about the making of eroge. Uhu, that sounds like fun. Or not, as you will see.