What Is A Visual Novel?

What Is A Visual Novel?:

“As a genre, "visual novel" is not defined by a mechanic or an aesthetic, but rather a distinctive presentation: VNs focus on presenting a text-based story using click-through text boxes, accompanied with static character graphics, and usually feature little to no actual gameplay.”– TVTropes.com

What is a visual novel? I guess the best way to describe a visual novel is like a virtual book that you read and occasionally make choices in that effect the story. But, then things get a little more specific. For example, many fighting games have “story modes”, which have larger plots connected to each character through a series of fights. Also, many role-playing games have story elements.

The main difference is that a visual novel is told mostly through text like a book instead of graphics. There can be graphics, but the story isn't told through the graphics, necessarily. But, then it gets even more complicated when you mix genres like fighting game-visual novels. The story is mostly text, and player decisions effect the plot, with an added fighting game mechanic.

This difference between “story mode” in most fighting games vs. fighting game-visual novels is mostly about how player decisions effect the plot. For example, if you lose fights in a traditional fighting game, you can't progress. The fights are the main game. In fighting game visual novels, losing a fight would effect the outcome, but the story text would continue. The text is the main mechanic, not the fight.

Then, you have kinetic novels, where there is no game at all. No choices are made by the player. It's a book in videogame format. You read it. There are no multiple endings, and there are no side mechanics. I don't really play visual novels that don't have gameplay. I like to make choices.

I just wanted to make this post because I've been posting about visual novels. And I realize that not everyone knows what they are. My favorites are Katawa Shoujo and short comedies like Leave Mr. Bear Alone. But, even some games like Blazblue, a story-heavy fighting game, have visual novel modes that are pretty fun. Like books, they can be any genre, not just dating games. If you have time today, look for a visual novel on Steam. You'll find something you like!

Here Comes a New Challenger (2023):

Here Comes a New Challenger (2023):

“The origins of the gaming phenomena that is Street Fighter II and how it impacted the lives of kids worldwide. It explores not just the aspect of the series, but what made it special to players that played at the comfort of their own home.”

I'm a big Street Fighter fan. So, if you have about an hour, you should watch this documentary on the unprecedented success of Street Fighter II. They interview game designers, and take you through Street Fighter I's game's movie inspirations that are mostly Bruce Lee's “Enter The Dragon”, and Sonny Chiba's “The Street Fighter”. Street Fighter had the basic ideas of Street Fighter II, but with wacky controls, bad hit detection, and limited characters. (1 player had to be Ryu. 1 player could be Ken, but only if he joined to fight Ryu.)

By 1991, Street Fighter II did everything bigger and better. 8 characters, 4 bosses, each with their own fighting styles. The 2-Player vs. mode revived a stagnant arcade industry, and made it ripe for in-home videogame consoles. It took off in a way Street Fighter never did. The meat of the documentary I think, is going through the old character designs (They knew they wanted an international fighting tournament, but who would represent each country?) and music decisions.

There's an interview with the game's composer Yoko Shimomura who confesses that for some countries she had no idea what music should sound like. She'd been to Spain, and was a big fan of American rock, so those countries were no problem. (And from that, we got the iconic Guile Theme for the USA stage.) But, for a country like Brazil...she didn't have a clue. In the documentary, she says she was taking the train home one day, and just filled in the train sounds with jungle drums, which became the iconic Brazil theme music for Blanka, the Brazilian fighter.

After the music, we finally get to explore fighting game tournament culture, a staple of Street Fighter II and all that came after. Championship Editions were released, along with re-makes and new characters like Cammy from England, and T. Hawk from Mexico in 1994's aptly named Street Fighter II: The New Challengers. Some versions like Street Fighter II Turbo added increased speed and really made use of the “combo” system, where players could hit more than once, and string attacks together; which became a classic feature.

But, it's not all just classics. There's a lot in the documentary about the cheesy merchandise that Street Fighter II brought with it. Of course, anything that gets big gets toys. I didn't really like this part of the documentary. If you're a fan, you know some of the toys and games (Even a boardgame!) were cheap cash grabs. Of course they were. It feels like...the director mocking toys and games that fans probably loved at the time. Yes, even the Street Fighter movie with Jean-Claude Van Damme. It felt a little out of place to praise Street Fighter II and then say “But, look at how stupid this stuff for kids was.” We know. We were those kids.

The documentary ends with Street Fighter II spin-offs and its influence on later games like Mortal Kombat, and Killer Instinct, up to Street Fighter EX and the anime-style Street Fighter Alpha series beginning in 1996. If you have an hour or so to kill (Ha!), give it a watch. It's really cool to see how Street Fighter went from one clunky arcade game, to its sequel becoming a cultural stable of the 90s, and an inspiration for the genre for years to come. Check it out!

Slay The Spire (2019)

Slay The Spire (2019):

"It's a combination of roguelike-like gameplay with a deck-building card game. It requires players to develop a strategy for their deck on the fly based on the cards they can obtain from loot.”

Slay The Spire is basically a Souls-Like game with cards. You begin the game by selecting a class. Your class determines what skills and abilities (Cards) you have. There's The Ironclad. He's your Tank character with heavy attacks. There's The Silent. He's your Rogue (DPS: Damage-per-Second.) guy with quick attacks and good abilities. There's The Defect, your “Mage-Type”, with weak attack but heavy on spells and abilities.

The one class I haven't gotten yet is The Watcher. But, I assume it's a support-type character. The Monsters you face are fierce, and can do lot of damage usually, just like a Souls-Like. You'll need to balance your block and attack cards each turn. If you don't block, you're dead. If you can't attack, you're dead.

Some monsters can attack and exhaust your cards or steal your cards. Some mini-bosses have special abilities like reflecting attacks back at you or just dealing truckloads of damage. But, fear not. each level of the Spire is like a board, and each defeated monster drops loot. Not every space on the board is a monster encounter. You can have mystery encounter spaces, where something happens whether it's meeting a demon who curses you, but gives you abilities, or a gambling game that can get you new cards. (Or something like that.) Each such space is usually random.

You can also buy potions, cards, and abilities from merchant spaces if you land on them. My favorite spaces though, are campfire spaces. Here, you rest and heal, or upgrade your cards, making their effects more powerful. These are usually good before boss fights or mini-bosses. You can either rest, or upgrade. You cannot do both.

Overall, it's a good game. A tough game. You die a lot. But, it makes me want to replay each time to see if I can do better. I always want to get better cards or try a different class. “Git Gud”, as the gamers say. Give it a try. Check it out on Steam.

Frosty Kiss (2015):

Frosty Kiss (2015):

“It's been a year since Seymon returned from "Sovyonok" and met the girls from the camp in the real world. But it's New Year at hand! And it needs to be celebrated!”

Well, I reviewed a non-canon sequel to Katawa Shoujo, so I might as well do the same for Everlasting Summer. I can't really recommend it, but here I go. Seymon returns from the magic bus that found him back in the USSR. The same girls are there, except for one. Miku the Japanese girl has been replaced by Masha the Russian. I don't know why. Maybe Miku only existed on the magic bus.

Most of the girls retain their original personalities. Slavya has short hair. Ulyana is still the wild child. I guess that makes her my favorite. This novel involves him starting a romance with one (and only one.) of them. Which one is up to the player. Playtime is reportedly very short. Only about an hour for a full play-through.

Unlike the first game, this non-canon sequel was made by 2Chance Projects, not the aptly named Soviet Games. It's a very short game designed specifically for New Year's 2015. That said, it's okay for what it is, but doesn't bother developing the characters. Frosty Kiss assumes you played Everlasting Summer, plops you in modern Russia, and gets right to the romance...it's very Russian that way.

Speaking of Russian, a final word of warning. When you download this game from Steam, you have to manually set the language from Russian to English, rather than downloading a separate English release, as with Everlasting Summer. I had to re-install it, while searching for an English version, because I thought I downloaded the wrong language version. But, after Googling the problem, I discovered the language settings are in the game's main menu.

Like Katawa's side-story, I can only recommend it if you liked the original game. Except unlike Summer's Clover, Frosty Kiss doesn't add much, and is mostly characters commenting on the last game and the new year. Give it a look, if you're interested. Make sure you play Everlasting Summer first. I can't really recommend it on its own. Otherwise, you'll have no idea what's going on.

Katawa Shoujo: Summer's Clover (2014):

Katawa Shoujo: Summer's Clover (2014):

“The non-canon scenario of Miura Miki starting shortly before she meets the new transfer student Nakai Hisao.”

Summer's Clover is a non-canon side-story to Katawa Shoujo. You play as Miki. Miki is adjusting to life after an accident took her hand. She's a side character in the original game, alongside Emi and the track team. Here, she has two suitors to choose from: Hisao and Suzu.

Hisao is the main character from the original Katawa Shoujo. He bumps into Miki, and in this version, they can hit it off and become boyfriend and girlfriend, or just stay friends. I focused on Suzu's branch, because, well, that's my preference. Even if you choose Suzu, Hisao tags along for the story. He's still a main character.

Suzu has narcolepsy. A condition which brings on extreme drowsiness and loss of muscle tone during sudden extreme emotions. Suzu also likes women, it is revealed. So, that opens up her path as well. Essentially you have Hisao or Suzu as paths to choose from, with multiple endings for either character.

Since I only played Suzu's path, I know it's about Miki discovering her interest in women, and also getting Suzu's family to accept their relationship. Suzu also is an introvert who reads manga. (Comics.) As Miki helps her come out of her shell, they spend a lot of time together on the beach and in bedrooms for summer vacation. (Hey! Summer's Clover!) But, everyone but Suzu's cool older sister hates Miki and Suzu as a couple.

Honestly, this isn't a bad game. Only a few things give away that it's non-canon, but it was worked on by an Australian member of Four Leaf Studios. One thing is the characters constantly use Australian slang like “crikey!” and “blimey!” Another thing is some of the new characters look odd in shape and size, because they aren't re-used art from the original game, which is a little jarring, but fine.

Overall, it's a good side-story, with original art in addition to the original game. But, I can understand why it wasn't a fully polished game. It's one Australian guy from Four Leaf Studios working off notes and anime sketches. With Four Leaf Studios now basically gone, it may never get an official release. This might be all there is. But, it should be enough if you're a Katawa Shoujo fan, and want more Katawa Shoujo. Check it out.

Delicious In Dungeon (2024):

Delicious In Dungeon (2024):

“Can sisters be reincarnated from dragon poop? Laios and his friends Marcille and Chilchuck delve into an endless dungeon in search of his fallen sister, fighting monsters, starvation, and corruption.”

Delicious in Dungeon is a kawaii (cute.) little fantasy/cooking anime about a party of adventurers trying to save their friend from the belly of a dragon while also learning about how to cook monsters. First, there's Laios, the fighter. Then, Marcille, the Elvish wizard girl, and then Chilchuck, the pick-lock. Along the way, they meet a master chef dwarf named Senshi who helps them cook and eat monsters.

Each episode is about what monster they cook and how. First, it's walking mushrooms and scorpions, then man-eating plants, then basilisk, among others. (A basilisk is like a chicken-dragon thing.) Then, they discover they can make BBQ from the oil in some of the fire traps in the dungeon. Yes, they are pretend monsters, but the food still looks good, and it's pretty funny.

A lot of the comedy comes from seeing the characters interact. Marcille is really funny, because she is a picky eater, and wants to use magic to solve everything. She's kind of a take-off on the haughty elf trope. She's always freaking out. She's usually the first to say whatever the dwarf has in mind to cook is disgusting.

The leader of the party is Laios. He's a little weird. He wants to eat everything. He's oddly fixated on monsters, and eating monsters. He's even figured out how to eat living armor by cracking it open like lobster and cooking the creatures inside. Senshi helped. This means he's Senshi's best friend.

Senshi is the dwarf/master chef. He's there to cook all the monsters, and teach real cooking techniques. For example, drying out giant slimes before you eat them to make jelly, or taking the tails and venom from giant scorpions to make a nice hotpot. His dream is to cook a Red Dragon.

Chilchuck is a rogue character. He specializes in picking locks and disarming traps. He's a consummate professional. He doesn't know a lot about cooking, but step aside and let him do his job when you need traps disarmed or locks picked. Not a picky eater, but argues with Senshi if he gets in the way of his job.

Overall, it's a nice and funny anime with good-looking food. It may be fantasy, but it'll still make you hungry. The obsessive characters like Laios are basically there to remind you it's a little weird, but it is comical. It's fun to see what they'll cook up next and how. Can't wait 'til they cook that Red Dragon and save their companion! Give it a watch on Netflix!

The Boy And The Heron (2023):

The Boy And The Heron (2023):

“A young boy named Mahito yearning for his mother ventures into a world shared by the living and the dead. There, death comes to an end, and life finds a new beginning.”

Well, I might as well explain my experience of another Hayao Miyazaki movie. I've read a lot of articles saying that this will be his last movie, and it feels like a farewell. To be honest, I think he's been saying every movie will be his last movie since about 2013. We'll see if he makes another movie, but I'm not going to write another post dissecting the farewell symbolism.

With that in mind, the message I got from this movie is that birds are evil. All jokes aside, it's a movie about a boy who discovers a heron who leads him to a tower where his mother who died might still be alive but as a young girl. Birds try to eat him. None of this logic is explained. I think we're just supposed to accept that this fantastical adventure takes place because it is a fantasy movie.

The boy (named Mahito.) tames the heron with a bow and arrow. He then reveals himself to be a shapeshifting dwarf spirit. They go to a lighthouse where a woman guards a fire spirit who might be his mother. There, the birds eat spirits of people yet to be born into the world. He finds his mother protecting the lighthouse with fire magic.

A burned crane explains to him that they are trapped on the island of the dead, and the spirits are all they have to eat. Meanwhile, the parakeet king tries to come into the world of the living, and every bird tries to eat Mahito. They meet a wizard who might be his reclusive uncle in the other world, who tells him he must stay or the balance of the world will be destroyed.

Before the parakeet king can break into the other world, he says goodbye to his mother so she can stay behind, and he can return and she can be reborn as his mother again. If it's about anything, it's really about the cycle of death and rebirth through the mind of a child. And yes, I know it's based on a popular Japanese children's book. But, honestly, I think even without that context, it's still a fun watch...overall, I'd say check it out.

Metropolis (1927):

"In a futuristic city sharply divided between the working class and the city planners, the son of the city's mastermind falls in love with a working-class prophet who predicts the coming of a savior to mediate their differences."

I just want to talk about a movie I like: Metropolis from 1927. It's one of the first sci-fi films, a silent movie from Germany. It's about a future society divided between the rich and the poor. The poor do all the labor and make all the machines. (It's from 1927, so we're talking giant machines with clocks and pumps, it all looks very towering and uncanny.)

One day, a rich young man named Freder discovers a poor woman in disguise, Maria. He follows her down from the opulent bright gardens where the rich enjoy the labor of the poor, into the feverish Machine Hell that is the poor community below. The machine mouths are even designed to look like demons.

Moved by the plight of the poor, Freder joins Maria in an underground church where she preaches the Tower of Babel story. It is apt here because of the divide between the rich and the poor. The hands that built the tower to Heaven knew nothing of the brains that conceived it. The mediator between the head and the hands, so Maria says, must be the heart.

However, Freder's father doesn't like that his son is meeting with the poor and has discovered their world. So, he makes plans with a wild-looking mad scientist named Rotwang to build a robot of Maria and place mistrust in the people's hearts. What follows is some of the best special effects in cinema history, as the robot takes the form of Maria, with electrical effects and all, inside Rotwang's evil lab.

The evil robot Maria preaches that the workers destroy the machines and the rich. She even dances in a show, to display how evil and tempting she is. Freder even discovers the robot Maria canoodling with his father, and falls into a delirium, with great visual effects, where he sees the grim reaper and a skewed reality reflects his madness.

Freder returns to the poor after recovery, and exposes the False Maria. He works with the head mechanic Grot to free Maria. Rotwang and Freder fight as Maria escapes. Rotwang hallucinates that his robot (Maschinenmensch in German.) is the Goddess Hel. Rotwang finally falls of the roof, and dies. Freder shakes hands with Grot, fulfilling his role as the mediator between the head and heart.

Even today, Metropolis is a technical marvel which invented many sci-fi tropes we take for granted. Things like the divide between an opulent rich society and a technologically oppressed poor, a wild mad scientist, and even robots...are seen here for the first time on film. The visual designs, creating a towering Heaven, and a technological Hell below, are still relevant and marvelous.

Whatever version of this film you can find, watch it if you have a chance. I first saw the 2006 version. Several scenes were filled in with title cards and lost to time. But now, through the miracles of technology, you can watch the whole thing for free on YouTube. It's amazing that a sci-fi film from almost 100 years ago continues to inspire. It's a true testament to the power of film-making.

Stupid Zombies (2013):

Stupid Zombies (2013):

“A man, a shotgun and a bunch of zombies. You're humanity's last hope, and it's your job to keep them in line. Adjust your shots and angles, and watch your bullets bounce from wall to wall, elegantly cutting off the arms and limbs of each zombie.”

Stupid Zombies is one of those time-waster puzzle games where you clear each stage by aiming and shooting until all the enemies are gone. Each puzzle gets harder as you progress. It's like Angry Birds, but with zombies and monsters. The main character is stationery, and you take out all the enemies as best you can.

You have different ammo, different obstacles, and different monsters as you continue. For example, one level you might have bomb ammo, bouncing ammo, or there might be boxes or glass in the way of the monsters. Some levels have traps you can activate like exploding barrels or crates that can eliminate zombies. But, no good Angry Birds-clone is complete without microtransactions (a.k.a. pay-to-win.) and star rankings.

Each Stage has 360 levels. You can unlock 4 stages. You unlock stages by getting a certain score (Up to 3 stars each.) on each level depending on how good you did. Each has their own unique settings and traps, but are essentially difficulty settings. So, Stage 1 is relatively Easy, Stage 2 is Normal, Stage 3 is Hard, and Stage 4 is Expert.

You can, of course, just pay for airstrikes that automatically clear a level. A pay-to-clear attack is a grand tradition of Free-To-Play Angry Birds clones. But, I'm not doing that. I like my Free-To-Play games to actually be free. So, in conclusion, it's Angry Birds with zombies. It won't win awards, but it's a fun, mostly free way to waste time. Check it out!

Leave Mr. Bear Alone (2023):

Leave Mr. Bear Alone (2023):

“A Visual Novel about a bear that kinda just wants to be left alone.”

Leave Mr. Bear Alone is a funny visual novel designed by one guy. It's a short one. Reportedly, it's 500 words. The only way to win is to leave Mr. Bear alone. But, the catch is to read more of the story, you have to follow Mr. Bear. So, he gets more and more annoyed, until you lose.

You see, whenever you choose not to follow Mr. Bear, you win. But, the story ends. It'd probably be a good party game or prank game. It takes about 20 minutes. You can follow Mr. Bear through the lake, to his house, or throw a party in the woods for Mr. Bear...but he really wants you to leave him alone.

Give it a try. It's not too long. But, you're gonna lose a lot. Mr. Bear really wants to be alone. Don't follow him. He's gonna be mad. This is pretty funny. Mr. Bear will say things like “Oh, you just COULDN'T LEAVE ME ALONE!” Make a party game of it, and see who can follow the longest. At least it's funny.

Nausicaä Of The Valley of The Wind (1984/2005 English Dub):

Nausicaä Of The Valley of The Wind (1984/2005 English Dub):

“Warrior and pacifist Princess Nausicaä desperately struggles to prevent two warring nations from destroying themselves and their dying planet.”

After the Seven Days of Fire, the world was divided between tribes with an ever-growing threat: The Toxic Jungle. Only one place in the land is safe. A place known as The Valley of The Wind. Princess Nausicaä tries to restore harmony to this apocalyptic world. She discovers that the wind and irrigation in the Valley keeps them safe.

But, others have different ideas of what will bring peace. The Tolmekian Princess Kushana seeks to annihilate the other superpower tribe Pejite with a destructive weapon from the Seven Days of Fire, the Giant Warrior. It's a race against time as Nausicaä teams up with the Pejite Prince Asbel to bring peace.

Nausicaä and Asbel are kidnapped by Kushana, along with her father Lord Yupa. Tolmekia resurrects the Giant Warrior and does battle with the giant bugs (called Oms.) of the Toxic Jungle. Nausicaä, being a pacifist turns them back and is able to demonstrate that her way calms the Oms and in fact can restore nature.

It's a fantastic journey full of wonder, post-apocalyptic tech (Hover-gliders, robots, tanks, gas masks, flash grenades, and guns.), and Miyazaki's trademark environmental themes, and anti-war messages. It's not without violence, but there is also a message of hope and rebirth. A feeling that peace will come even when it seems like evil will win.

This was a bold message for 1984, and it's easy to see that Tolmekia and Pejite are stand-ins for the global superpowers in the Cold War, with the Giant Warrior being not a giant robot, but a nuclear arsenal. Its themes and story still resonate today, with the need to be in harmony with Earth, and with need for something like Nausicaä's pacifism and curiosity.

Today, part of what makes Nausicaä fun to watch for me is the 2005 Disney English voice cast, which includes Uma Thurman, (Kashana) Shia LaBeouf, (Asbel) Mark Hamill (Pejite Mayor), and Patrick Stewart (Lord Yupa). Princess Nausicaä is Alison Lohman. If you have time today, give it a watch! It holds up!

Broforce: Broforce Forever Update (2023):

Broforce: Broforce Forever Update (2023):

“The free update to the world's most patriotic video game is out now! New Bros! New Baddies! New Challenges! Play the entire campaign again. And again.”

Broforce added some new characters earlier last year. Let's talk about them. Broffy the Vampire Slayer is obviously Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Her special is holy water which can resurrect her if she dies. It also kills demons. But, since I never got to the levels inside Hell, it's not very useful; she throws wooden stakes instead of shooting. The resurrection aspect is neat.

Seth Brodell is Seth Brondell from The Fly. He vomits acid for his attack. The acid is pretty powerful, and can even kill bigger enemies like the Bruiser in one shot. Plus, he can fly for a little bit with a double-jump. He can use teleportation for his special, which is nice to zip around and clear up challenging spots.

Speaking of challenging, Demolition Bro is another Sylvester Stallone character, from Demolition Man. He throws bombs, but not like the McGyver bro, where it automatically just works. No, you have to attack once to throw the bomb, then attack again to detonate it. Thank goodness he's got a standard melee attack. His special's pretty good though: a bomb that freezes everyone around him.

Bro Gummer is Burt Gummer from Tremors. He's got a big high-powered sniper rifle with a nice kick. Honestly, he feels a little overpowered. His special is sniper mode. It's like Brobrocop's special targeting attack, letting you select and take out several enemies. Except Bro Gummer's is way more powerful.

Next up, we have Xebro, Warrior Princess (Xena: Warrior Princess.) She can attack with a sword like Brolander and Broheart. For her special, she throws her chakram. (Her steel boomerang thingy.) It kills everyone around her and returns to her. Also, as with the Mad Max Bro, you can collect multiples of their special attack items. So that's nice!

Desperabro is obviously Antonio Banderas's character from Desperado. He can make enemies dance, by playing the guitar if you stand still. His melee attack is his guitar. He shoots two shotguns. His special is to call in his buddies with a rocket launcher and a machine gun! He has a lot of ways he can be useful. I think he's my favorite of the new bunch.

Of course, Broforce is still fun to play. There were even some minor changes to classic characters like Bronoversial Soldier (Universal Soldier.) He now shoots rapid shots, and his special has been updated to not only a resurrection ability, but also now his special scares nearby enemies, which is helpful.

Well, I just wanted to talk about the new characters. Definitely, my least favorite of the new bunch is Demolition Bro. Which is unfortunate, because that's a great action movie. Regardless, it's still fun to blow everything up and run-and-gun everywhere. It's Broforce's thing. And that's why I can play Broforce: Forever...forever!

Street Fighter IV: The Ties That Bind (2009)

Street Fighter IV: The Ties That Bind (2009):

“An anime OVA based on the Street Fighter IV videogame.”

OVA means Original Video Animation. In this case, this was an OVA intended solely to promote the then-impending release of Street Fighter IV in 2010. It introduces new characters like Sakura, Juri, Crimson Viper, and Seth. It also introduces the new villain organization S.I.N. Let's get right into it!

Right off the bat, Cammy and her team are investigating a burst of power from South America, eventually calling in Guile and Chun Li. But, their investigation leads them to S.I.N. Chun Li is on to Juri. S.I.N. is who's investigating Ryu's power, the “murderous intent”. (Satsui no Hado.)

Meanwhile, back in the US, Crimson Viper is a CIA agent trying to track down Ryu through Ken Masters. She tracks him down, gets Ryu's location, and fights him in Japan, trying to get him to unleash his full power, just like Seth. Crimson Viper fights Cammy off, and Sakura (The Ryu fangirl.) shows up to cry, and convince Ryu not to turn evil.

Ryu surrenders himself to the CIA, who turns him into S.I.N. He and Seth (And Ken!) fight. It's a pretty straightforward OVA. It basically establishes who's fighting for Good vs. Evil. Plus, it shows that the then-new characters could kick some of the old characters' butts. It's just enough to make you want to play Street Fighter 4. It's only about 64 minutes long. Give it a watch if you're a Street Fighter fan like me.

BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle (2018):

BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle (2018):

“BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle is a 2D crossover fighting game developed and published by Arc System Works, first released for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and Windows in 2018. Cross Tag Battle features characters from different series, including BlazBlue, Persona 4 Arena, Under Night In-Birth and RWBY.”

Well, it's BlazBlue with some extra characters, and tag team mechanics! I liked it. It has some characters I didn't know about like from the Under Night In-Birth series. (But, I get that they are monster-themed characters.) Honestly, it's worth it just for the novelty of seeing characters from Persona 4 like Chie fight Ragna The Bloodedge or Ruby Rose from RWBY.

The attacks and combos are insane, as usual with BlazBlue. Plus each character has a “clash” button, that automatically performs a small tag team combo. I thought that was nice. It sets up some nice juggling. Battles are 2-on-2. You can tag another fighter when one is low on health. Or set up tag attacks! There are some “secret” characters too, like Neo Politan from RWBY, or the Blitztank from Akatsuki Blitzkampf.

Apart from single player 2-on-2 battles, each franchise in the game (BlazBlue, Persona 4, Under Night In-Birth.) has its own story mode (visual novel.) to complete. Or you can complete the full story mode where every franchise is summoned by BlazBlue, and they all have to find magic stones to return to their franchise homeworld...by engaging in 2-on-2 tag team battles, of course.

Some of my favorite characters in this game are Ahkiko from Persona 4 and Yang Xiao Long from RWBY. Both boxing types, and good for quick combos. Plus, anyone can release special attacks when you fill your character's “Cross Burst” Meter. Those are always neat. Overall, I'd say check it out on Steam.

Everlasting Summer (2013):

Everlasting Summer (2013):

“Everlasting Summer is a visual novel that tells the story of a man living in modern Russia who finds himself mysteriously transported to a summer camp somewhere in the Soviet Union.”

A lonely modern Russian kid named Seymon goes to the bus station one day. When he wakes up, he finds himself mysteriously transported to the Soviet Union in a pioneer camp. Think Soviet Scouts! Within the pioneer camp, there's a number of different girls you can pursue, including Alisa, Lena, Ulyana (the party animal.), Miku, (A Japanese girl.) and Slavya. Each girl has 2 endings good and bad. There are also “secret endings” I've heard about where you can discover a nuclear shelter in the camp, or discover evil clones.

There's even an ending where you make a robot cat girl, who will be available to pursue next game. I've never gotten that far. As far as I know, each girl has 2 endings. One where you stay in the USSR and lead a good life. Or one where you find your way back, but something bad happens! (Lena's version has Seymon kill himself.) It's a unique game. Heavy on sci-fi, and alternate realities. I'd say give it a try, if you can stomach the sappy USSR nostalgia! The game was originally released in Russia only in 2006. The 2013 version is the English release.

Missing Stars (2023):

Missing Stars (2023):

"After a certain incident that left him traumatized, Erik Wilhelm transfers to Privatgymnasium St. Dymphna, a special Viennese school for teenagers living with psychological disorders, where he meets a colorful cast of characters that will turn his formerly uneventful life upside down."

It feels a bit unfair to review Missing Stars after reviewing Katawa Shoujo, but I'm going to do it anyway. It confuses quantity with quality, but is still heartfelt and inspired by Katawa Shoujo, despite being a complete mess. I think there's something like 6 girls to interact with. But, it feels like a lot more. Act One is very long. (Although, after looking it up, the whole game does have about the same playtime as Katawa...10-30 hours, depending on the paths, reading speed, etc. But, man, does it feel bloated.) It is openly promoted as a “mental health Katawa Shoujo”. It takes place in Austria, and basically tries to copy Katawa's plot, except for mental health instead of physical disabilities. I wish I could say I enjoyed it, but the game is just too big and too unfocused in its message, with every character feeling very disjointed in writing style, disability, and message.

Doki Doki Literature Club! (2017):

Doki Doki Literature Club! (2017):

"Hi, Monika here! Welcome to the Literature Club! It's always been a dream of mine to make something special out of the things I love. Now that you're a club member, you can help me make that dream come true in this cute game! Every day is full of chit-chat and fun activities with all of my adorable and unique club members: Sayori, the youthful bundle of sunshine who values happiness the most; Natsuki, the deceivingly cute girl who packs an assertive punch; Yuri, the timid and mysterious one who finds comfort in the world of books; ...And, of course, Monika, the leader of the club! That's me! I'm super excited for you to make friends with everyone and help the Literature Club become a more intimate place for all my members. But I can tell already that you're a sweetheart—will you promise to spend the most time with me? ♥"

So, this is actually a creepy anime that pretends to be a high school romance game until its horror elements are slowly revealed. There's a girl that commits suicide, a girl who slowly wastes away, a girl who's totally into stabbing, and a girl who takes over your game until you delete her character file. Once you know it's actually a horror game, (Spoiler alert.) the joke wears off really quickly, and you just click through all the forgettable dialogue to get to the next girl. Can't recommend.

Cupid (2015):

Cupid (2015):

“Love is both poison and cure, both knife and remedy.“

"Rosa's best friend, Catherine, is dead and she is sure Catherine’s betrothed, Marquis Guilleme is to blame. Mother says so. Mother says he has to pay with his life. Although, she knows by now Guilleme is no ordinary man. He is tainted. A monster. He cannot be killed by usual means. To seek the best revenge, she must find out all his secrets and destroy him. But will her own dark desires consume her or liberate her? No matter. Mother will tell her what to do."

Cupid (2015):

I liked this game. But, I only had the patience to get one ending. The plot is basically about a poor girl and her abusive relationship with her mother and suitor in 18th century France. She is mocked by the court until she's taken in by a nobleman (the suitor.) who actually is Cupid. I found the story unique, but a bit long. Well, I killed Cupid in the one ending I got, and I have no desire to replay. A bit too melodramatic, and a long read, for what it is.

BlazBlue: Continuum Shift (2009):

BlazBlue: Continuum Shift (2009):

“A few days have passed since the reported raid by Ragna the Bloodedge, The 13th Hierarchical City Kagutsuchi forgets to celebrate New Years, as his alleged involvement in the Mysterious Bombing and "Huge Pentacle Sightings" becomes the talk of the town. With the NOL offering no official explanation, the citizens voice their own theories, exaggerating and spreading rumors like wildfire. Completely indifferent to the state of the city, Ragna grips his massive sword and quietly bides his time—waiting for the chance to achieve his true objective, and then, the enormous power that has ensnared Ragna begins to activate...”

A Fighting Game/visual novel. Colorful characters, attacks, and sometimes waifus. One is a squirrel, and there's a couple cats, a couple robots, a vampire, and one character (Arakune) is a bag full of bees. The main character is a spiky-haired edgelord with a big sword who swears sometimes. There's a backstory about Magic Weapons and time travel, but it's not important. The last boss is Michael Jackson with demon powers, basically. Honestly, if it weren't also a fighting game, I'd say it made no sense. It still makes no sense, but at least it's cool to see. Actually, the visual novel aspect is pretty forgettable, for as complex as it wants to be. But, it's still a cool fighting game. I'd recommend it. Check it out.

Highschool Possession (2015):

Highschool Possession (2015):

"Hikaru was just a normal young man with a crush on two girls at school, that is until his whole world changed as he literally had to walk in the shoes of his dream girls... Only to find his school idols were not so perfect after all."

Generally, I think bodyswapping is a dumb premise except in Freaky Friday where it teaches teens responsibility and adults to loosen up. But, I actually enjoyed this game. The main character magically swaps bodies with a girl he likes while he's in a coma. Then, he discovers she's being bullied. He tries to help her. How much you help depends on the ending you get. There are a few scenes where you can discover abuse or explore your body more. I just like that the main character helps his crush. I thought that was nice. Check it out on Steam.

Katawa Shoujo (2012)

Katawa Shoujo is the visual novel which began my love of visual novels. Hisao (The main character.) transfers to a high school for disabled people, Yamaku Academy. There's a blind girl, a burnt girl, a girl with no legs, a deaf girl, and a girl with no arms. The path you take depends on the girl you pick, and each girl has 3 possible endings. As a disabled person, I liked it, and there's a lot of replay value to get every ending.

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