Depends on what things he likes? Does he like anime/manga normally?
If so, what types/series? And more importantly (since this is what we’re trying to get at), what genres?
Will he prefer something more story based or more sex-centric?
Can’t really help pick something without those kinds of details.
True, balanced might be a decent starter, but if we know more about the individual, we can decide something more tailored to his taste and reel him into the world of B-games quite fast and easily =D.
As much as I like Figure of Happiness for the twins, I thought people always recommended Kana: Little Sister as a “first time” game from the English selection. I’ve never seen a bad rating/review for it at least…
I dunno… As much as I admit that I started with KLS myself, the heavy pseudo-incest elements in it would turn of some people (I have a small siscon interest, but this wouldn’t apply to everyone)
In my humble opinion, we’d have to know if your friend can speak and read Japanese. That is a slightly important factor. If he’s limited to only English… then it shifts to interest.
Would he play purely for the sex ? Then any yarugee title by GC would please him, though the shenanigans in Mick Me Honey are slgihtly hard to beat. Does he want a game where there are no chocies, but he can reolplay his favourite fantasy ? Then there’s Chain: The Lost Footprints.
Now, leaving those aside, if he wants a ‘dating sim’… give him True Love, or its weaker knock-off, ganguro Girl.
And as for story… if he wants to continue on the whole ‘fanatsy roleplay’ aspect, give him Critical Point. If he wants ‘an old game’… give him Tokimeki Check-in.
The best is for last. If he doesn’t mind siscon… then by all means, give him Kana. If he wants some mystical elements… give him Figures of Happiness, Yume Miru Kusuri Tsukihime (sicne it’s fansubbed). If he wants horror: Divi-dead. I’d also recommend Crescendo.
Try a game like Yin Yang or Divi-Dead. Both take a long time to get to any of the hentai material. Avoid stuff like Bible Black or the X-Change (main series) games. Those go right into the hentai fast. If I remember Divi-Dead probably takes the longest to get the h-content, and by the time it does, you’re already hooked by the story. It is a bit darker though.
I recommend one of the following for a first-timer: Sensei 2, Shukketsubo - Virgin Roster, or Tsuki -Possession-. The thing is, you want to get right to the point. Either he’ll like it right away or be detered from it for life. You don’t want to have him go through a few games before arriving at a conclusion. Hit with something that represents visual novels: RAW, ADULTERATED, HARD-CORE, TENTACLE-FILLED SEX (on rare occasions w/o the tentacles).
On a serious note, I recommend Hourglass of Summer if you don’t want it to contain ecchi scenes or Crescendo if you don’t mind if it does.
I for once wouldn’t do that.
Sure it has a great story that is extremely emotionally involving - but exactly this is the reason why nobody should be pushed into playing it without being prepared for its emotional intensity.
In an extremely bad case, this could be like forcing a person with a weak heart and altophobia into a triple-looping-rollercoaster!
Well… hrm…, if you want to get him hooked, I’d actually recommend starting him on a non-eroge then after establishing the fact that these are potentially good, you can move him to eroge.
I’d even venture to say you could start him with Tsukihime (like you started yourself), but install the All Ages mod of it. Ever17 might also be a bit up his alley being mystery/intrigue with a heavy technology dropscape in it too.
If you really want to real people in, you don’t want to permanently scar them away with ero =D.
taps her chin Well… in my honest opinion, I say you start him off with a classic! “Tokemeki Check In!” has a lot of variety, multiple endings, and will make him think a lot trying to get certain endings and scenarios. It should keep your friend occupied for awhile, and it has tons of replay value, which is always a plus.
That or I would recommend “Critical Point”, which takes place in space, for all those fans of Macross, Robotech, and Gundam. It has over twenty different endings, a really good storyline, and again, replay value.
I hope this helps some!
-Nicole
[ 07-23-2007, 07:15 AM: Message edited by: NicoleWagner ]
Glares at him This is a first time player, we don’t want to scar him for life! As I suggested before, a few mellow games with strong story lines and replay value might be the best way to go, and to get a new customer. (Though I do admit that Critical Point did have a few bloody moments, but it held you in suspense on what was going on, and who was the REAL bad guy!)
-Nicole
For a first-time player who don’t want erogames, i’d say it’s better to start with EVE BURST ERROR or PHANTOM OF INFERNO. They both are non-ero games with strong storyline and animated scenes. Many other Hirameki games are good for a first-timer.
After that, he could try erogames with strong storylines and just a few eroscenes, like CRESCENDO and KANA. He will cry his eyes out before he can see any hscene. 
Kana -Little Sister-, Private Nurse, Heart De Roommate, Gore Screaming Show.
HAH he wont know what hit him 
.
I think “Tokimeki Check-In!” is a great game for “introducing” someone into the world of b-games. It’s fun, light-hearted, with a non-complex (but good in its own terms) plot.
You can also try something with a more elaborated plot, like “Crescendo” or a title from AngelSmile. (although titles from AngelSmile have a “bad habit” of having a lot of bitter endings…)
I think it’s going to be hard to give him a game that he can really get into without getting turned off by the hentai or knowledge that it’s a bishoujo game. I’d recommend Kana ~Little Sister~ for anyone who wanted to try a b-game, but in this case since you said he thinks poorly of his sister I would avoid it for now.
Crescendo is a great game with minimal h-scenes. Hourglass of Summer is a really good story if you can stand the somewhat slow pace of the game’s system, and it doesn’t contain any h-scenes. Critical Point is a good sci-fi mystery game, and it does have some action in it. Figures of Happiness is really good too, but I do recall an early h-scene in the beginning of the game. Heart de Roommate might be good because it plays out like an anime, so you could hook him in with that. Plus, the h-scenes don’t come in until the middle of the game, I think.
Lastly, Ever17 is one of my favorite games of all time. The story is so complex and interesting that it had me hooked for days. It’s really long and has great replay value. I’d have to recommend going with this one to try hooking your friend without turning him off to bishoujo games.
I second the motion. 
My suggestion is do one of the following. First start him off with at least one non ero game and see how he likes it. For straight bishoujo games I’d reccomend either Hourglass of Summer, Ever 17, or Phantom of Inferno (Phantom was my first visual novel just to let you know). Now, I noticed that you mentioned he was a Starcraft fan, so if you want to give your friend a light introduction I’d reccomend the few games that technically fall into this genre; they are Vanguard Bandits, Growlanser Generations, and Ar Tonelico. Of those three I’d reccomend the first two as they’re not too long or hard to beat (though in VB the Kingdom Branch good ending is a bit complicated to get).
After you’ve settled your friend into the genre, I reccomend starting with Tokimeki Check In as that was my first, and it basically is the basics for a bishoujo game. After that, find out what he’d like to see to decide where to move on from. In most cases I’d reccomend Crescendo as the next step, but if he wants an RPG get him Brave Soul, if he wants sci fi get him Critical Point, if he wants horror get him Divi Dead or Tsukihime if you can. If anime wise he’s into Oh My Goddess or Onegai Teacher get him Private Nurse or Figures of Happiness.
Critical Point has too much rape and S&M for a first-timer. You can considerate Tsukihime and Phantom of Inferno, too. They both have a more action-focused story.
[ 07-24-2007, 03:53 PM: Message edited by: Peter Gilis ]
I think Tsukihime’s plot somewhat complex/big for a novice. He might get bored if he doesn’t really like reading…
I’d recommend “Crescendo.” At least, it’s my favorite. Interesting characters, involving story lines, nice music. And it’s not even that hentai. If your friend is not into that stuff, it’s possible to avoid it my making the right (or wrong) decisions. The first time I played it through, the ending was absolutely G-rated. Tell him to concentrate on Kaho if he doesn’t to see anything rude. I’ve played this game about 97 times and I haven’t been able to get into her pants yet.
I can’t think of any game that would meet all the criteria other than Crescendo. There are other story-heavy games, but Crescendo is the best. Crescendo is going to be extremely hard for someone to dismiss as just porn, especially since some routes are beatable without any hscenes at all.
Critical Point is good, but has more sex and not AS good a story.
Tokimeki Checkin! and Snow Drop both also have too much ecchi. You really have to work to get ecchi out of TCI! but it’s more of a comedy – ther’es not much deep stuff there.
Divi Dead might work, if he likes horror – never played it myself.
The AngelSmile games or Chain might work too, they’re pretty good.
But I’d go with Crescendo first. Since your friend absolutely hates hentai, you’ll have to get him on something he can’t possibly deny is good, and not even the crew at Something Awful could find bad things to say about Crescendo.