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.

Phantom of Inferno Review

Title: Phantom of Inferno
Original title: ファントム -Phantom of Inferno-
Alias: Phantom: Integration
Release date: 2000-02-25
English release date: 2003 (original release)
                                    2005-09-16 (New Package Edition)
                                    2006-02-28 (Phantom Double Pack Edition)
Developer: Nitroplus
English publisher: Hirameki International (original release / New Package Edition)
                               Anime Works (Phantom Double Pack Edition)

Not a single visual novel from “Nitroplus” has ever disappointed me and “Phantom of Inferno” is not an exception. While currently “Nitroplus" has a relationship with “JAST USA”, PoI was released by now dead and buried “Hirameki International” in the reviled DVD-PG format.

Hourglass of Summer Review

Title: Natsuiro no Sunadokei
Original title: 夏色の砂時計
Alias: Hourglass of Summer
Release date: 2002-05-30
English release date: 2004-07
Developer: Princess Soft
English publisher: Hirameki International

“Hourglass of Summer” is one of the visual novels released by “Hirameki International” in a DVD-PG format, which makes it nigh unplayable if you don’t know what you are doing. Even if you know what you are doing, this format brings its own share of problems and thus HI eventually got rid of DVD-PG and started releasing games for Windows. That didn’t save the company, but we have overeager hackers to thank for that.