Girlish Grimoire Littlewitch Romanesque Discussion Thread

JAST Games Game Discussions
#1

![Littlewitch Romanesque](upload://buy08SlU9MtMZKqJotfMyAayoaK.jpeg)

This is a new thread (a continuation of this one) to discuss the game Girlish Grimoire Littlewitch Romanesque.

The game probably has the most enjoyable yet complex gameplay of any title we've released so far. The magic system that is used to teach Aria and Kaya, the two young witches you're raising, require strategy with a wide range of spells and critical timing. There are 200 spells, with some really fun ones to discover. You'll probably be playing for 30-40 hours at least complete all the game quests.

The Editio Perfecta edition is uncut, true to the material in the original plus all the extra material from the fandisc. This is obviously a really great release, a game with massive gameplay set in a complex world of magic and intrigue, with art by Oyari Ashito. The limited package edition of the game is available at J-List, and the digital download is available at our store.

If you haven't heard, we're the game has also been Greenlight and is coming to Steam in 2015. The Steam edition is tailored for a more general audience appeal, with the erotic scenes removed. You can follow up on the details of it's development on our Tumblr Dev Blog.

If you've already played the game, tell us your thoughts. What are your techniques to get the highest spirit scores in to train Aria and Kaya? Who is your favorite character?

#2

Is there any current ETA on the steam release and will the steam release have steam trading cards, special wallpapers, emoticons, or the like? I bought the limited edition editio perfecta version and just started playing it (lack of time prevented me from getting to it til now). The dice system originally looked very simple but I was completely unprepared for how complex it actually is. Rather enjoyable the first few hours and although I was iffy on the artwork it really is a beautiful style and I'm loving it.


Is there any possibility that you'll be able to get release rights to Eiyuu*Senki GOLD? I know the game is releasing via Fruitbat (non-gold version) on playstation but I'd love to see a PC release of the more complete Gold version if that were ever possible...think it might make a good game to go on steam as well (the all ages version I mean). I wouldn't mind seeing more of this art style or more games in a serious fantasy setting (can't wait for the sequel to aselia the eternal).



#3

I just got the packaged version of the VN and I have a question about the download card that was in the case. Is it to redeem a digital copy of Littlewitch or something? I assumed it was just Littlewitch but the wording on the back made it more ambiguous.

#4

My guess is they made a generic card that they could insert with multiple games, not just Little Witch Romanesque, which is why it doesn't have the name of the game on it. The packaged version typically comes with a free download option, yes. An advantage of this is that if you order from J-List (since they track JAST purchases), you can start playing before the game arrives in the mail.

#5

I'm seeing not sure who's my favourite character... I liked Kaya more than Aria at first, but with continuing multiple playthroughs (and actually seeing a few more endings), it's balanced by now.
I really liked the gameplay aspect, but seeing as I ordered the 18+ version of the game, I'm glad it's being censored. The H-scenes feel terribly forced in the game, often not even suiting the situation, I don't regret my purchase though. In general, I'm totally against censorship.

But seeing as the content often didn't fit the situations (in my opinion), it probably delivers a better experience in immersion, so I'm positive that it will greatly be liked from people on Steam.
I'm glad that this game got translated, I liked it that much, that I even bought the sealed PS2 port of the game.

Thanks, Jast USA. :)

#6

I am all about Kaya, as you can tell from my icon. ^^


We are against censorship too, but we also want the industry to grow so more fans can learn about the games. If we can sell 50,000 copies of a quality game that shows how good VNs can bem and 5% of people come try out the full version, I'll be happy.

#7

Hehe, she's a likeable character.
The reason why it's balanced by now in my case is not Kaya being less likeable after experiencing her story, but Aria being more likeable and not just the spoiled brat I considered her to be. :P

Wait, that reminds me, I read somewhere here that you consider to pick up ''If my heart had wings'', or that the suggestion has been made to pick this up.
I thought Mangagamer has been publishing this game, wouldn't that make two releases of the same game?
And assuming that would be case, would Jast USA consider an uncensored and drm-free release?
That was the only reason that stopped me buying this, aside from the hardcopy thing.
Actually, it was for a relatively long time on my list, so I might even would have bought it in digital form.

That aside, is that a good statistic?
I have no idea about statistics in that regard. I'm just a person that likes Visual Novels in general, so I buy what pleases me.
If there is something that strikes me and appeals that much, I hype it.
By now, I've beaten Littlewitch Romanesque about... I believe I'm in the middle of my fifth or sixth playthrough, but after the hype died down, I haven't touched it yet.
I'm trying the ultimate challenge: Fulfilling all quests, that don't force an ending.
But I disgress, yet again. :P

What are your plans for future titles?
Surely, you don't just rely on our input, but have made adjustments for future titles as well, right?
Or, are the titles listed at your Tumblr currently the games that take your main focus?
(By the way, nice choice translating Seinarukana, I've seen comments under videos related to this title from people that commented years ago that wished for an English localization.)

#8

It’s too bad Littlewitch never made a sequel or any other game with similar mechanics. It’s also too bad they’re out of business, I imagine that makes it much harder to get anything else done.

I’m curious; titles from dead companies are usually a non-starter, and this game would require even more programming work than usual (being a gameplay game); how’d you guys manage this feat?

#9

Well, the game was taken over by a new company, which has Oyari-san and many other staffers. They're quite a smart company and we love working with them.


Companies from truly dead companies are usually NG, yes. The programmers are gone, the source material is usually gone, and J-companies have this frustrating habit of losing their own source code.

#10

So is there a possibility of releasing a new game in a “Littlewitch” style?

#11

That would be neat, I agree.
Quartett would be a great choice in that regard, and it is short, too.

#12

I rather meant completely new visual novels, not translations…

#13

So, has anybody figured out, what's the deal with the "Game Card" included with the physical edition of Romanesque. It says that the code is supposed to be redeemed on www.jastusa.com website and is valid for one game. However, I see no place to use the code in. It's all pretty mysterious and the card fails to explain anything properly.

#14

I come to this thread to read cheerful discussion about Littlewitch… and I learn that the company that made it is dead. x_x


I’m so glad you guys were able to translate this game, holy shit. My brother fell in love with the game instantly, and now he’s constantly bugging me to buy more visual novels! I hope, and I’m sure, Editio Regia will sell nicely. I’ve felt for the longest time that a new age for western visual novels is around the corner. It’s gonna so much fun!


Unless US CP laws fuck everybody over. @_@


Nick/Peter/whoever-reads-this… have you, perchance, made any contingencies, in case shit hits the fan? I mean, Littlewitch for example was awesome as fuck, but… the laws are vague and shitty, you know. :confused:

#15

If you're looking for more good Visual Novels, I'd recommend any of Crescendo, Family Project, Demonbane, Steins;Gate, Kara no Shoujo, Koihime, Persona 3/4, 999/Virtue's Last Reward, and Hotel Dusk.

#16

@Nandemonai

FINALLY, I was just waiting for someone who knows what he/she's (?) talking about.
I really like Virtue's last reward, but some self-proclaimed wannabe-Otaku critique told me, that the Zero Escape franchise would be a cheap rip-off of the ''12Riven'' series, or whatever it was called, I never looked into this too much.
I never took him for serious, because if this series would be oh-so-awesome, then I'm sure a western publisher would have already tried to pick it up.
Some time ago, I was even talking with the leader of the support section of Atlus about a different title they offer, Conception II, and he told me several things about Zero Escape.

I will include a screenshot of his mail to anyone curious about what exactly he said.
Is this Infinity series that good?
Because somehow, I'm not really convinced about it, since I've never heard about it before up to that point, and if it has a striking resemblance to Virtue's Last Reward, I'm pretty sure information about this would have been more viral.

#17

@animeloverxX93 - yes, the Infinity series really is that awesome! One of the two scenario writers for Ever17: the out of infinity (the best game in that series of games) was Kotaro Uchikoshi. This is the exact same man who worked on the main scenarios for both games in the Zero Escape series. I won’t go into any long detail here about why this game is amazing, but the reason why not too many people talk about any games in the series has a lot to do with when it came out. Hirameki International (no defunct) released the game in NA on December 20th, 2005. Not only was it a visual novel (no puzzle/gameplay elements!), but it was only available on CD in a package copy, and there was no kind of exposure outside of the small group of people who even knew what VN were, or the fact that there were any quality non-18+ titles.

If you like science fiction or mystery-type games without any gameplay, or really enjoyed the Zero Escape series, I’d recommend each game in the infinity series in a heartbeat. While you may not enjoy them quite as much since you’ve already played the Zero Escape games, you owe yourself to check out Ever17 and Remember11 at the very least. Both are available in English, but good luck finding a legal copy.

Also note that the Director and other Scenario writer for Ever17 also did a VN called I/O Revision II. It’s not as good as the aforementioned titles, but it’s also worth a look if your into mystery/science fiction/suspense titles. Most games that involve Takumi Nakazawa (Killer Queen, Never7/Ever17/Remember11, Myself;Yourself), Kotaru Uchikoshi (Zero Escape, Infinity series), Takeshi Abo (music composer for Ever17 + Steins;gate btw), or Romeo Tanaka (Cross+Channel, Kana Imouto, Yume Miru Kusuri, Rewrite, I/O, LN series Jinrui wa Suitaishimashita) are worth checking out.

btw - in reference to 12Riven: it’s recognized as the weakest out of the four Infinity games produced by KID.

#18

@animeloverxX93 - In regard to why no one has really released that series outside of Ever17 in NA has a lot to do with the games rights issues. If you follow the trail, it can get pretty tangled, though it probably has to do more with who owns the rights now more than anything. This is pretty much how it goes: KID made the original games, they went bankrupt. Many different ex-KID employees would go on to do different things:
- Takumi Nakazawa formed his own visual novel studio, Regista, where they made an original game (I/O), but are essentially a porting company from what I gather now
- Kotaru Uchikoshi essentially went freelance, working with Chunsoft on 999/Virtue’s Last Reward. A sequel to VLR has not been put into production yet
- A bunch of other ex-KID staffers went on to found 5pb. - together with Nitroplus they would create the ScienceADV universe (with other companies as well, like MAGES) to create Chaos;Head, Steins;gate, Robotics;Notes, etc. 5pb. also created other similar VNs such as Dunamis 15 on their own.

In terms of the rights for the Infinity franchise, the rights went from KID (now defunct), to CYBERFRONT (now defunct), to MAGES (I think this is the case… since the digital games are published under that name on their online store). Now that MAGES has merged with (or bought out by) Kadokawa, getting those games released in any market outside Japan is looking harder than ever.

tl;dr - Maybe someday we’ll see a release of the Infinity series in English, but unless any localization houses are able to convince MAGES/Kadokawa to release such an old franchise, it looks like few people will have to find alternative methods to play the games.

#19

@animeloverxX93 -
Glad my recommendations could help you :slight_smile:

Also don’t ever bet money that good VNs are automatically considered for localization. This is the VN market. VNs have really started to take off in the last year or so. But I’ve been a fan since the late 90’s (and a paying customer since the early 2000’s) and this is most definitely a new thing.

Even in 2015, where we can expect dozens of releases (between Sekai Project, MangaGamer, Jast USA, and all the other miscellaneous publishers) that’s still a small fraction of the games that are released in Japan.

And this is new. Really new. The state of the VN market even 18 months ago was the state of the RPG market pre-FF7. I’m making myself look old (get off my lawn, damn whupper-snappers! … zzz …) so I’ll explain. Back in the SNES and PS1 eras, a lot of good RPGs were never officially translated. The general consensus was “there is no market” and they cost a lot more to translate than other games at the time. This is why Persona 1’s original PSX release had half the game cut out, and it was translated rather poorly. This is why Suikoden 2 goes for hundreds of dollars on eBay right now (even though its localization is so awesome it contains a few lines of untranslated text!).

FF7 came out, and publishers started realizing people will buy RPGs. But nobody ever bought anything that wasn’t named Final Fantasy. Many games were still passed over. It wasn’t really until Disgaea was successful that quirky Japanese-culture-heavy RPGs like Recettear became popular enough to put out in English.

There are a huge amount of really really good visual novels that haven’t come out. And with a small number of exceptions, most of them never will because games that are too old often can’t be licensed at all or wouldn’t be worth licensing if they could.

After the success of Steins;Gate, where is Chaos;Head? Or Robotics;Notes? After Demonbane, where is its sequel? Shuffle is one of MG’s best-selling titles ever, so where is Shuffle Essence?

As for Ever 17 - I still need to get the True Ending so I can’t say a whole lot about it. But it’s pretty good. Not as good as 999/VLR, but still pretty good.

#20

@Okabe007

Thanks for this long in-depth insight to the Infinity franchise.
As much as I'm glad about you being sp specific, I'm still not convinced about it being THAT good.
I'm more or less left with two different (albeit similar) opinions about this, while still not really liking it.
I guess I will still not consider to play it... especially if the official English hardcopy version is so incredibly hard to track down, it will be overpriced as ... well, anything else that comes to mind being extremely costworthy.
I'm currently trying to track down the original release of Kana Imouto, and even that is a pain in my backside. Assuming this title will be even harder to track down, I will pass.
I personally am happy with games most other people would consider to be ''average'', so I guess I will keep sticking to the kinds of games I personally know that I like.

No hard feelings, thanks for elaborating. :)

@Nandemonai

You sure do sound old. :P
But I do have to wonder why Clannad got picked up then... it's extremely popular among anime fans in general, I find it sad that because of its popularity, exactly the already popular games get localized.
I can see Sekai Project, Mangagamer and Jast USA tending to release all kinds of VN's, but why did it exactly had to be Clannad... it's incredibly mawkish, from what I've heard about the anime and read so far in the VN itself.
I could understand that it would be an attempt to have something localized that gives you as a publisher a certain sense of ''assurance'', something that will most likely seel very well.
My only concern about this is if it becomes a standard here - I don't necessarily want to see games like Clannad, Rewrite or Kud Wafter here... I really like Key's work, but I don't want overdramatic romance stuff here, even though I like the genre.
I would rather want to see the west suffer a massive shock therapy, being confronted with unorthodox games (not necessarily borderline stuff like Yuzuminatsu, but yes, something that takes a new path - I was shocked when reading about things like Yuzuminatsu even existing O_o).
It's understandable publishers most likely won't be that bold and give these games a try, but maybe, if they would try to push their way into PS3/PS4/PS Vita, it could became another market.
I would literally kill to get ''If You Thought it Was a Harem Heaven, it Was a Yandere Hell'' (ahahaha... get it? Funny... no? Oh well :x) localized in English.
No really, how does this whole business even work?
I would have thought there is already popular demand for certain anime games in form of visual novels for Sony's Playstation consoles. :/

''Shuffle is one of MG's best-selling titles ever, so where is Shuffle Essence?''

That is a good question, I was wondering about this, too.
Why hasn't it been picked up by now by Mangagamer?
Unlike the other titles you mentioned (except for Steins;Gate, perhaps), it seems like people are consistently asking for Shuffle Essence+ to be translated.
There were even attempts of translating it to English entirely by fan-translators, but no one ever managed to finish it. Shuffle Essence+ already counts as a new, separate game, if you ask me, considering how much routes are romancable characters are being added.
There would of course be people that wouldn't want to buy the ''same'' game, but the magnitude in the changes is tremendous.

By the way... why hasn't ''Hoshizora no Memoria - Wish upon a shooting Star'' been translated? It has a decent fan-translation, I can see that it cuts down on attractiveness, but it would definitely be a good-selling title, even someone who has no clue about anime would notice that by looking at the art and a simple VNDB entry, to be more precise, the length of the game and the critics.
Some things just don't seem to make any sense to me in this regard. :/