Orion Heart Review

Title: Orion Heart ~Injoku no Suku Mizu Sailor Senshi~
Original title: オリオンハート～淫辱のスク水セーラー戦士～
Alias: Orion Heart
Release date: 2009-03-27
English release date: 2013-05-24
Developer: Portion
English publisher: MangaGamer

Strangely “Orion Heart” was one of the MG nukiges that I expected to like. After all, it’s made by “Portion” – a sister company of “Liquid”, and previously I really enjoyed the latter's visual novel “Conquering the Queen”. Alas, it wasn’t destined to be so…

SSSS: Super Secret Sexy Spy Review

Title: Nakadashi Spy no Sounyuu Sousa -Shikyuu no Heiwa wa Ore ga Mamoru!-
Original title: 中出しスパイの挿入捜査 -子宮の平和は俺が守る!-
Alias: SSSS: Super Secret Sexy Spy
Release date: 2010-10-22
English release date: 2013-04-03
Developer: Softhouse-Seal
English publisher: MangaGamer

Why is it that after playing "Super Secret Sexy Spy" I hear a tune in my head? A tune that sounds suspiciously like AVGN theme song - you know, the one about playing shitty games that suck ass... Must be a completely unfounded coincidence.

Saya no Uta Review

Title: Saya no Uta
Original title: 沙耶の唄
Alias: The Song of Saya
Release date: 2003-12-26
English release date: 2009-02-24 (as a fan-patch)

2013-05-06 (commercial release)

2019-08-13 (re-master)

Developer: Nitroplus
English publisher: TLWiki (as a fan-patch)

JAST USA (commercial)

One hardly needs to introduce "Saya no Uta" - after all it is one of the most famous visual novels in the West and for good reason. No, shock value is not that reason, but rather the fact that it is a brilliantly written little piece of fiction that, while being quite short, still manages to pack a real emotional punch.

Shikkoku no Sharnoth -What a Beautiful Tomorrow- Fullvoice ReBORN Review

Title: Shikkoku no Sharnoth -What a Beautiful Tomorrow- Fullvoice ReBORN
Original title: 漆黒のシャルノス -What a beautiful tomorrow- Fullvoice ReBORN
Alias: Sharnoth of the Deepest Black Fullvoice ReBORN
Release date: 2008-11-21 (2011-12-22 Fullvoice ReBORN Edition)
English release date: 2011-09-05 (2012-11-20 Fullvoice ReBORN Edition)
Developer: Liar-soft
English publisher: Amaterasu Translations (as a fan-patch of both Regular and Fullvoice ReBORN Edition)

Previously I have played and reviewed Liar-Soft’s “Sekien no Inganock”, which was a strange, beautiful and altogether memorable piece of work. Now it’s time to take a closer look at its sequel/spin-off/sister game thingy called “Shikkoku no Sharnoth” where secret societies, British government, supernatural forces and one clueless girl clash over the right for the new dawn to come.

Loren The Amazon Princess Review

Title: Loren The Amazon Princess + The Castle of N’Mar
Release date: 2012-04-30 (main game)
                      2012-09-28 (the expansion pack)
Developer: Winter Wolves
Publisher: Winter Wolves

I have previously already played and reviewed “Planet Stroghold” - another RPG by Italian developer Winter Wolves a.k.a. Tycoon Games a.k.a. Riva Celso a.k.a. Jack Norton. Today it’s time to review another game, called “Loren The Amazon Princess” and also its expansion pack “The Castle of N’Mar”.

May Club Review

Title: VR Date - Gogatsu Club
Original title: Ｖ．Ｒ．デート 五月倶楽部 or メイクラブ
Alias: VR-DATE Simulator May-Club
Release date: 1995-08-25 (original release)
                       2001-05-12 (DX Edition)
English release date: 1999-05 (original release)
                                    2003-03-21 (Milky House Memorial Collection)
                                    2010-12-12 (DX Edition)
                                    2012-06-28 (JAST USA Memorial Collection Special Edition)
Developer: Desire
English publisher: RCY America & Milky House (original release)
                                JAST USA & Milky House (Milky House Memorial Collection)
                                JAST USA (JAST USA Memorial Collection Special Edition)
                                ViLE Project (DX Edition) (as a fan-program/loader)

I believe it would be prudent to review another of eroge classics available in English – “May Club”. This is one of the old visual novels I have never played before. Actually, I did download “May Club” together with a few other VNs more than a decade ago, however I failed to understand how to play it, got bored and dropped it after about an hour. What do you want from me? When I was fifteen I had an attention span of a goldfish and a patience of a bull in heat.

Nocturnal Illusion Review

Title: Mugen Yasoukyoku
Original title: 夢幻夜想曲
Alias: Nocturnal Illusion
Release date: 1995-04-21 (original release)
                       1998-11-27 (Renewal Edition)
English release date: 1998-04-15 (original release)
                                    2003-03-21 (Milky House Memorial Collection)
                                    2011-01-14 (Renewal ViLE Edition)
                                    2012-06-28 (JAST USA Memorial Collection Special Edition)
Developer: Apricot
English publisher: RCY America (original release)
                                JAST USA & Milky House (Milky House Memorial Collection)
                                JAST USA (JAST USA Memorial Collection Special Edition)
                                ViLE Project (Renewal Edition) (as a fan-program/loader)

This time I will review a timeless classic of visual novel world – “Mugen Yasoukyoku”, better known in the west as “Nocturnal Illusion”. It was one of the first Japanese H-VNs released in the occidental territories. Published by “RCY America” that died after releasing only two visual novels, it developed a surprising cult following, despite being a work of completely unfamiliar genre to many people.