Conquering the Queen Review

Title: Conquering the Queen
Original title: 魔将の贄

Release date: 2004-07-23
English release date: 2011-10-28

Developer: Liquid
Publisher: MangaGamer

Maybe it's unusual, but I do not differentiate between subgenres of eroge. I like them plot based and I also like nukiges. Frankly, it all depend on the mood what kind of game I want to play. And this time I wanted to play a new sexfest from MangaGamer "Mashou no Nie" (retitled "Conquering the Queen" for the Western market). The game was previously known as "The Queen and Princess as Your Rewards", when it was supposed to be released a few years ago and was suddenly pulled to be completely retranslated.

Planet Stronghold Review

Title: Planet Stronghold
Release date: 2011-02-27
Developer: Winter Wolves
Publisher: Winter Wolves
Genre: Indie Western JRPG

Let's temporarily switch our gazes from the far east to the west and review an RPG by Italian developer Riva Celso - the guy behind "Winter Wolves" and "Tycoon Games". Why he needs two different labels to publish his games is an eternal mystery and WW and TG releases have always been hit or miss with me. They ranged from incredibly shitty (Heileen series) to really good (Bionic Heart and Vera Blanc series). So let's disassemble "Planet Stronghold" and see if it is a good game.

Umineko no Naku Koro ni Review

Title: Umineko no Naku Koro ni (うみねこのなく頃に)
Release date: 2008-12-29 (2009-06-07 in English)
Developer: 07th Expansion
English publisher: Witch Hunt (as a fan-patch)

"Umineko no Naku Koro ni" or "When the Seagulls Cry" is the second visual novel in eight chapters (this game contains four of them) created by Ryuukishi07 of "07th Expansion" fame (counting Higurashi saga as a single work). Both Higurashi and Umineko have garnered huge following both in Japan and in the other countries and despite being made by a doujin group have already become franchise names with manga, anime, live movies and other crazy shit based on them ruling the wallets of impressionable masses. Can I say "Moooo"? I have already reviewed the Higurashi series earlier on this blog and can honestly say those were some of the best VNs I have ever played. Can Umineko hold up to that achievement? One way or the other, comparisons to Higurashi are unavoidable.

Monster Girl Quest Review

Title: Monster Girl Quest
Original title: もんむす・くえすと!前章 ～負ければ妖女に犯される～
Alias: Monmusu Quest! Origins -Assaulted by the Vamp-
Release date: 2011-03-09
English release date: 2011-07-23 (Rogue Translator)

2015-04-13 (DLsite)

Developer: Torotoro Resistance
English publisher: Rogue Translator (as a fan-patch)

DLsite

So, it's finally time to review a JRPG, where we are a spiky haired boy with a GAS (Giant Ass Sword), a bad attitude and a penchant to save the world from the big bad Monster Lord terrorizing weak and helpless humans... not. "Monster Girl Quest" is a wonderful deconstruction of many of the prevalent JRPG clichés while being an engaging JRPG/VN hybrid in its own right.

Sharin no Kuni, Himawari no Shoujo Review

Title: Sharin no Kuni, Himawari no Shoujo
Original title: 車輪の国、向日葵の少女
Alias: Sharin no Kuni: The Girl Among the Sunflowers
Release date: 2005-10-21
English release date: 2009-11-04
Developer: Akabei Soft2
English publisher: TLWiki (as a fan-patch)

Err... so, "Sharin no Kuni" - a work that is considered a "Citizen Kane" of visual novel world. If VNDB is to be believed, Sharin is one of the most critically well received adult games together with FSN, MLA and FDA (well, probably not this one). Translated as "Wheel Country, Sunflower Girl", it's a dystopian sci-fi political and social commentary cross-dressing as a romantic adventure game.

Yukkuri Panic: Escalation Review

Title: Yukkuri Panic: Escalation (エスカレーション～狂愛のフーガ～ & ゆーくりパニック エスカレーション)
Release date: 2007-08-31 & 2008-06-07 (2011-06-30 in English)
Developer: Rolling Star
English publisher: Peach Princess

If years of watching porn movies have taught me anything it's that a visit to the hospital will include a mandatory blowjob from a big breasted blond nurse, police precincts are actually pleasure dens for the sadomasochistic clientele and all-girl Catholic schools are obviously places for the purest lesbian love to blossom.

Deus Machina Demonbane review

Title: Zanmataisei Demonbane
Original title: 斬魔大聖デモンベイン
Alias: Daus Machina Demonbane
Release date: 2003-04-25
English release date: 2011-05-13
Developer: Nitroplus
English publisher: JAST USA

At long last! The time has come to review "Duke Nukem Forever"! I will fire up this game that has been so damn long in the making and proceed to kick alien ass, while basking in the masculine glory of Duke himself. Even the fact that I don't even have the fucking game won't stop me, as I have the next best thing - "Deus Machina Demonbane" - a visual novel that has been stuck so long in the publishing hell, that some people even lost hope to ever see it in English. Contrary to the detractors, the game was released (well, about three years late, but that's not the point; is it?).

When the great master H. P. Lovecraft penned his imaginings about horrors from beyond time, space and human understanding, he created vivid and frightening pieces of literature, but he made a huge oversight that diminished the appeal of those works quite a bit. Two of those oversights to be precise: his works lacked giant ass robots and scantly clad lolitas. Japanese being the most advanced nation in the ethereal realm, took it upon themselves to fix it.