Hirameki deal

[Kimuzukashii_MEIJI]

I was reading the J-List update this evening and saw that Peter is offering a deal in which you get free games by Hirameki.

Announcing the 2009 PC Dating-Sim Game Sale. We thought it’d be a great time to do something nice for our customers who play Japan’s amazing PC dating-sim games, and so we’re having special sale just for you. First, take $5 off the price of shrinkwrapped package versions of dozens of great games from G-Collections and Peach Princess, our way of saying thanks for your past and future support. Then, we’re going to give you free games from Hirameki with every two titles you pick up, which are fun to play. Of course, the discount you get for buying multiple games together still applies. This is a great time to pick up an interactive PC dating-sim game or six! Browse all items now!

I find myself with this question: Is there anything by Hirameki that J-List still has available that I would be interested in having? What are your opinions on this? Personally, the only game I saw that really interests me is Ai Yori Aoshi, even with what Dalburnan said.

@Dalburnan

Don’t waste your money is all I can say. It’s insanely short, and the plot is completely empty. I enjoyed the anime, but the game was just terrible.

I figure as long as the game is free, at least I might get some good images out of the game. Again, what do you all think? Alas, the game I would most like to get by Hirameki is Ever 17, but it has been sold out for several months now, which is something I know firsthand since I wanted to get it in my last order of games from J-List.

[Reikon]

Hourglass of Summer is good, but it uses the horrible DVD system. You really should try to track down a copy of Ever 17 though.

[BettiePage]

If your a fan of Ai Yori Aoshi then its a good enough visual novel. Just think of it as 2 unbroadcasted episodes in VN form.

You have the original cast back to reprise their roles.

I believe there are 2 parts to this VN. A summer episode and a winter one.

I think in JP there is also a fall and spring VN that we never got.

[PeachPrince]

@BettiePage

I think in JP there is also a fall and spring VN that we never got.

No big loss.
I traded some of my hgames with someone I know from university - one of the games I got was Ai Aori Yoshi.
That was the worst trade ever.
Beating the game took me like 1 hour or so.

God…it was so… awful… dont get it unless you are a hardcore Ai Aori Yoshi fan,
who likes everything related to that series.

No, seriously: Save your money and buy another game for it. You will be very, very disappointed with this game.

[Dalburnan]

I can’t stress enough how bad this game was. Personally I really did enjoy the anime, I even own it. The game isn’t even worth it free, I haven’t looked at what titles they still have to offer, but I’d suggest getting anything else.

[Kimuzukashii_MEIJI]

Well, as Shingo pointed out in the locked sticky thread he created, J-List has put up further information on the sale, which you can look at here. By clicking on the “PC Dating-Sim Games” button and going in to the Hirameki International sub-section, it appears the following games are what is available:

Standard DVD Player Format: Exodus Guilty vol. 1-3 (in a set or individually), Tea Society of a Witch, Hourglass of Summer
PC CD-ROM Format: Ai Yori Aoshi, Animamundi, Piece of Wonder

As far as I can tell this list is accurate, but since the sections and sub-sections on J-List can be erratic (e.g. The iTunes Japan card showing up in the T-Shirts & Uniforms section), I can’t guarantee it.

@Reikon

Hourglass of Summer is good, but it uses the horrible DVD system. You really should try to track down a copy of Ever 17 though.

So in other words, since I refuse to deal with the nightmare I’ve heard about the DVDs, and Ai Yori Aoshi is supposed to be a horrendous experience, there isn’t anything that would interest me. (For those who don’t know my tastes, just click on the “my last order of games from J-List” link in the opening post of this thread.) It’s just as well I suppose, as there are only two games (that got more than one vote) from the ones that were suggested to me that have the discount (those being Bazooka Cafe and Heart de Roommate). Since I generally order my games from J-List in groups of four, and I’m trying to have enough money saved to finally buy the parts and build my new desktop PC, I think I’ll pass up the offer this time.

[peter]

Oh, I liked the Ai Yori Aoshi game, especially all the fresh stuff that you don’t normally see in these games, i.e. the mini games and stuff. I thought that was good. Also the technical presentation was outstanding, with tons of graphics. It did not, unfortunately, bring the story into some weak-in-the-knees awesome new area. emotionally. Still, I hope everyone takes advantage of the sale to get some more games, including the Hirameki titles they might not own already.

[Darkstar]

Piece of Wonder is the best of the three PC games listed. After that, Animamundi, then Ai Yori Aoshi.

I haven’t played Hourglass of Summer yet, but I dimly recall that some mention it positively on this forum, so that might be worth the bother.

I don’t know how Exodus Guilty could be a nightmare. It is one set story. The horror for me is I can’t speed it up just a bit in its message scroll rate, but it can get pretty boring watching the text flow by with no input needed, not even a space bar/enter key, for 60 minutes or more at a time. But since it is a short “experience” (20 hours for the whole set), I’m coping.

Tea Society of a Witch wasn’t recieved well at the forum, and having played it, I agree. I was underwhelmed by it. But if it had been given to me as a free bonus, I wouldn’t turn my nose up at it. As a free game, you wouldn’t be able to complain about it because you didn’t spend money on it. It can be played, so at free, you get what you paid for.

[Webslinger]

Hourglass of Summer is the best game listed. Unfortunately it’s a dvd game.

Ever17 would be the best choice, but it’s not available.

[le_nuage]

Hourglass of summer is not a bad game.
The story is quite interesting even if the main character is just stupid (if he was smart there wouldn’t be suche a plot).

The problem (except for the fact that there are no H-scene in this game…) is that some paths feel like crap (AÔ, Ligene, Tomomi).
Only Mana and Kaho are interesting.

[witchboy]

Animamundi is a great game, my favorite. It’s full of great gothic art, music that really sets the mood,well developed characters, meaningful relationships, amazing story. It’s got a fair amount of light yaoi content, not much beyond a grope here and there and some skin ( no really naughty shots) from guys so prettty they look like girls. No actual sexual intercourse that I’ve found. The game does give you an option of your sexual preference at the begining of the game so your character can be into girls and avoid the yaoi content if you choose. There is a female love intrest available in the form of the plucky heroic princess. Even in the yaoi paths the sister is his greatest love, even without the incest getting physical.
The storyline involves the anti-hero making a deal with the devil to save his cute loli sister ( and there is some incestous overtones suggested), getting deeply involved in forbidden alchemy and the sordid occult community. If you 're interested in a grim gothic epic I totally recommend Animamundi.