In issue 108 April 2002 edition of the PCGamer Magazine(UK) there was a special article on the ‘underground’ of PC gaming (i.e.what you won’t find on the street). Along with Emulation, and game Mods, there was a section on bishojo games . Here’s what they had to say:
The Japanese have a well deserved reputation when it comes to games. After all, apart from the Xbox, it’s their consoles that are sitting next to our TV’s, and such titles as Final Fantasy, Metal Gear Solid 2, and Zelda make us want to buy them. But when was the last time that you played a japaese PC game that wasn’t entirely a conversion?
This is the big problem - most of the big developers worth following write exclusively for consoles, with only a handful devoted to PC, released by companies such as Peach Princess and Himeya. Of that handful, a mere fingernailful are translated into english and released over here, and most of these are grit (a replacement word for shit). The majority of these are bishojo (pretty girl) erotica - pornograhic cartoons tied together by a basic ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ game with multiple endings. Take Water Closet, a newly arrived title that mixs sex with scatology, with puzzles including getting a urine sample to hospital and dealing with a sudden bout of diarrhoea during a photoshoot. Or perhaps Maid’s tale, in which you have to train three perky young maids in the fine arts of cooking, cleaning, and prostitution.
Even more reputable licenses, such as Gainax’s epic anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion, made their PC debut in a strip mahjong game instead of something more befitting the license. Like Pong (meant to be a joke).
Not all Jap PC games are so dodgy, but the overwhelming majority of the available imports are - technically you can import the others, such as Air and Setimental Graffiti 2, but unless you can speak and read Japanese there is little point in doing so.
While the production values are typically low, the games themselves are usually much more challenging and compelling than their western equivalents.
(“phew”,Cracks fingers after all thet typing)
The four screenshots were mostly from PeaPri titles, 2 for Toki Check-in,1 for C.Point,1 i’m not sure. They have obviously played Water Closet, and must be fans of Peach Princess!!! . If you suddenly get an increase of orders from the UK, you will know why.
What does everyone else think of this? By the way don’t flame me, I didn’t write the thing, flame them!
Hell I found a copy of Erotica Iland in the family game’s section of a GAME store