In my opinion, the real inconvenience of erogames is that you need a computer for playing them. Don’t take me wrong, I don’t hate computers, it’s only that I lack both time and inclination for forced interaction with something so complex that only someone with a Computer Science academic/technical/nerd background can really hope to understand in ALL its implications.
Because user-friendly, good-natured Artificial Intelligences catering to my Kink remain still undeveloped, I’m dependent on cheap, Micro$oft-enhanced machines instead, and the results often aren’t pretty (see my “Get off from me, Windows!” helpless rant, below).
Take Studio Luchs’ Usaneko, for example: a mistake of my youth, when I still believed in the “Good Graphics = Good game” equation (I was young, and stupid… ), it’s also afflicted with a critical “glitch” which started three years of intermittent but irritating, Computer Science-related searches and studies for solving the problem of its incompatibility with my computer.
The results? I’ve dropped my research notes in the trash bin, and I’ve bought a second computer instead ( …Now I’m old, and even MORE stupid 
).
Short introduction:
Usaneko’s male protagonist is Yuuya, just another of those ubiquitous EroGoddess-Blessed, (University) Student Living Alone characters so popular with erogame producers.
In his case, it’s the decision of helping two cute animals that changes his life. A summer evening, in fact, returning at home after an university seminar, Yuuya selflessly saves from danger a rabbit and a cat (respectively, Usagi and Neko in Japanese), also giving them hospitality for the night.
However the two animals disappear during that same night, and although Yuuya can’t clearly remember/understand what’s happened, he isn’t particularly worried either.
But his Worry Level (and more :oops: , heheh… ) is destined to soar high very soon, when the following morning Yuuya receives the sudden visit of two beautiful girls in maid outfit -and sporting real cat’s and rabbit’s ears and tail to boot- who declare to be members of a never heard before “Maid Association”. Even more incredibly, the two maids also notify Yuuya that he won a free-of-charge, maid service from the Association (the girls are the prize) for the next two months!
At this, Yuuya is absolutely dumbfounded. What’s happening? Who are these girls? Do they have hidden motives? Are they really Human girls? Usaneko has come, and the life of “poor” Yuuya will be never more the same.
Storyline:
Wow, I’m moved to tears just reading my own short introduction, the story seems almost interesting (heh, I’ve a soft spot for underdogs -and cats/rabbits too-, do you know ?)…
But the sad truth is that Usaneko’s storyline is the worst part of the game, little more than a mere collection of bAnal and stale cliches menacing to turn even a single game session into a frustratingly BORING experience. Who cares if you have the option of choosing your weekly schedule (useful only if you are seeking to unlock the Harem ending), or if your maids often “play Cosplay” with Yuuya, changing outfit during many sex scenes (18, more exactly; unfortunately it’s the system that decides when and how this happens, and only if you have chosen the correct weekly schedule)?
However, in my opinion, the really maddening thing is the fact that the two female protagonists of this b-game are nevertheless adorable, irresistibly horny during the numerous (70% of Usaneko, at least) sex scenes and irresistibly cute all the time, and when I see characters SO well developed (heck, even the otaku friend of the male protagonist and his “advances” towards Yuuya, to both girls’ detriment, are something to see) shamelessly wasted in a pathetic excuse of story…
Oh well, at least the sex is gratifying, but if you are searching intellectual stuff for exalted connoisseurs of fine arts, flee for your life… or join me in perdition.
Graphics:
I’ve bought this erogame after seeing its graphics, what can I say more? I don’t remember a single detail badly drawn, and although you can easily find not a few sex romps even more blessed in this sense, Usaneko remains a good choice for those erogamers more interested in appearance than substance.
Sounds:
The musics are fairly nice, and even if only the two maids are dubbed… What a great work!
Maybe the best component of this b-game, it’s ironic that the cause of my computer troubles is hidden here, but, hey, you CAN’T really appreciate Usaneko if the “Voice Off” option is activated, trust me.
Bonus:
Fair, even if almost nothing here is really new.
As free gadget, the game box includes two white-and-black, 15-page-long booklets (a game manual and a drawing collection) full of cute art and interesting ramblings/trivia.
As game content, you will find just the usual CG, Scenario and Music galleries, besides the measly five endings (2 Good, 2 Bad and 1 Harem), even if I’ve nevertheless appreciated the frequent, “hidden” references (sorry, no spoilers here) and the fact that one of the protagonists is the alter ego of Usaneko’s graphic artist.
In conclusion, I can’t say I’m totally satisfied, but at least the Quality Rating of all this stuff remains constantly at fair/good levels, and this is more than enough for me.
Final considerations:
A waste of potential is the only possible definition for Usaneko, which mainly suffers from almost total lack of decent storyline and original content. Admittedly, most erogames share these characteristics, but Usaneko initially showed some promise of greater things, and it’s sad to see that promise turned into a Cash (Sex) Cow instead.
However, it’s exactly because of Usaneko’s good sales if Studio Luchs finally got the money for reinventing itself, taking a new name/brand (Psy-chs) and starting a new, more successful career catering to very different tastes, therefore Usaneko played an important role in erogame history, if not in our erotic collection, after all.
Definitively a sex romp for nostalgic old grandpas :lol: .
Studio Luchs Home Page:
http://www.luchs.jp/luchs/index.html
Usaneko Home Page:
http://www.luchs.jp/luchs/oldluchs/pro/ … index.html
Getchu - Usaneko Page:
http://www.getchu.com/soft.phtml?id=24524
Usaneko Downloadable Stuff (Studio Luchs released much free material for this b-game, also conveniently providing a single page for all the Links):
http://www.luchs.jp/luchs/oldluchs/pro/ … _down.html
Usaneko Demo Game, greater (150MB’s - with character voices and opening movie):
http://kagami.pettanko.net/luchs/usanek … neko_l.lzh
Usaneko Demo Game, lesser (94.6 MB’s):
http://kagami.pettanko.net/luchs/usanek … neko_s.lzh
Usaneko Demo Movie, Hi-Res (28.7 MB’s):
http://mirror.fuzzy2.com/egg/modules/my … 77&lid=155
Usaneko Demo Movie, Low-Res (19.6 MB’s):
http://www.luchs.jp/luchs/oldluchs/pro/ … sa_320.zip
Usaneko Opening Song (1.24 MB’s):
http://www.luchs.jp/luchs/oldluchs/pro/ … o/op_s.lzh
Usaneko Closing Song (3.11 MB’s):
http://www.luchs.jp/luchs/oldluchs/pro/ … mo/end.lzh
Baldo’s “Get off from me, Windows!” rant:
I tell you, Usaneko is cute, but if I had known beforehand the headache of its technical defect…
Specifically, the problem derives from Studio Luchs’ choice of implementing the character voices through an unusual(?) audio codec, not included in more recent(?) versions of Windows.
Initially I believed that a simple eMail to Studio Luchs’ Customer Service was enough for gaining that codec and solving the issue, but I was wrong. Just obtaining the “Codec Patch” was hard work (yes, I needed an entire BBS thread for getting the notion that maybe a Japanese file archive requires a Japanese file archive extractor… ), and my clumsy attempts at Computer Science were even worse (that BEEP codec, if applied as described, DOESN’T solve the problem. On the contrary, it causes continual crashes every time a program uses the audio card, EVEN after its removal)…
Let’s skip my loooooong sob story, the real problem here is that overbloated computer system, Windows, or more exactly, Micro$oft’s policy of developing linguistically different versions of its systems, often requiring different programs for managing the same functions, and VERY often causing conflicts if you install foreign programs written for radically different languages.
That’s the problem with Usaneko, and nothing I’ve attempted changed the fact that an ITALIAN WinXP system can’t fully run this erogame, whereas English WinXP works fine in this sense. It’s mostly for these compatibility issues if I’ve recently bought an English notebook (to say the truth, I wanted a Japanese notebook, but importing one from Japan to Italy is anti-economical -no one here knows if someone sells Japanese computers in Western Europe?-), and I recommend this as first step towards maximum enjoyment of your Japanese software, if you happen to be non-English-speaking, (ero)game addicts like me 
.
Usaneko Support Page (where you will find the specs of the disaster, and remember that OTHER erogames too share its “slight problem” -this, for example-):
http://www.luchs.jp/luchs/sup.html
The Japanese Gaming Guide to Windows XP (the best -the only?- site devoted to erogame compatibility issues, even if centered around very old games only):
http://home.comcast.net/~kagamix2/xp-compatible/
Peapri’s “official” Notebook Thread (aka the “Can you save poor Baldo from those nasty machines?” thread, it’s full of good advice for aspiring notebook erobuyers):
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=3895
…
