I got all of the best ending except I have to see nanami and makoto best ending and that it. maybe I will finish today or tommorrow.
For the love of god, how on earth can someone has figured out so many endings in just one day? I toyed around with my copy for few hours last night and tonight, and I could not get anything except ending 15 (Tranquil Day). Does one have to spend an obscene amount of time to exhaust all the combinations in the decision tree, or are there some kind of tricks to play bishojo game that I am currently lacking?
As it stands right now, I am just going to sit tight and hope someone, hopefully from Peach Princess, will come up with a player guide. Skipping all the dialogues for the purpose of testing the right sequential events is something I dread. I am the type of person who want to enjoy reading a progressive story without spending hours being stuck with the same ending.
Just my two copper pieces of opinion. They are not meant to imply anything negative to anyone.
Phi
I don’t know, Natsuki’s ending seemed pretty straightforward, this game had a lot more hints in it than snow drop.
spoilers:
1. Must say “no!” when asked by trio if you have a girlfriend.
2. Pick the option to sweep outside, and the trio should ask you to be their guide, say yes.
3. Go to the Lake…you should give Natsumi your jacket.
4. The tough one is getting ayumi to tell you to go help with the bath. I forgot which chore it was, but if Ayumi says there is a problem with the bath, you have the right one. Natsumi should break the wall…
5. Stay inside and clean. Mop the floors, and Natsumi will trip on your bucket.
6. Later at night, sleep in and the trio bangs on your door. They want to play ping pong. Oblige them and pick Natsumi to go first. If you did everything right…you will win all 9 matches against her. If you lose the last one, you missed something.
Oh darn it, reading Kumiko’s post actually made me spell it wrong, even though I know it is Natsuki and not Natsumi. It is all your fault Kumiko!
I just need to see makotosan ending and I will finish today. ^.^ I played alomost starting friday night and i finished all of the character except makotosan. She is pretty taugh to get ending. But rest of ther girls are easy to see the best ending. If you like to know work-through just send my e-mail address. I like to give a hints or answer to you. Bye And good luck.
I got an Ayumi Best Ending about a half hour ago. She seems like the easiest one to get the good endings with, though I admit I only found one of the “turning points” completely by accident.
What I really want to know though, is what’s the difference between a “Happy” ending and a “Best” ending? Both seem pretty happy to me.
Several of my personal analyses in regards to Ms. Kamiyama’s questions.
1) Is publishing a “walk-through” a good idea in Peach Princess’s prospective? I believe so because it is in the interst of PP to cater a broader customer base. The most ardent bishojo players might protest about what they consider “cheating”, but in reality there are many styles of enjoying role-playing simulation. Appearently, one of the many styles is to enjoy story progression without thinking about the differnt nodes in a decision tree. Placating the perfectionist players and insisting dogmatic adherence to any particlar “Vision” (Verant EQ tm) on how all players should play their products are terrible ways to garner future customers from different education and socioeconomic backgrounds.
It is interesting to point out that one of the primary reasons on why the current U.S. domestic comic industry is stagnating in both sales and popularity is due to the industry’s inability to attract new audience. The profile of a comic reader, an adolescence who is infatuated with superheroes, is entrenched and even perpetuated by the industry for decades. Due to its own myopic business strategy and the advent of popular media such as internet and high digital animation, the core customer base of comic industry was inexorably eroded. This trend will ultimately lead to what I predict an imminent dissipation of the comic industry as we know it today.
The Japanese anime industry, on the contrary, demonstrated how a businese model can prosper by widening customer base. I recall five years ago that the anime industry was below the radar of any corporate and popular media. But by both astute decisions of diversifing genre that suit elementary students (Pokemon) to edcuated adults (Mononoke Hime) to brilliant advertisment campaigns (TV blizes of DBZ, Sailor Moon in major network and press), anime sales and popularity grew exponentially for the last couple years. The question of rather such massive commericalization is conducive in maintaining the integrity of Japanese animation to commentators such as myself is a completely different story. Yet, since firms like Bandai and even Peach Princess exist solely to create demand and extract consumer surplus, a.k.a profit, from those who are willing to pay for their products, integrity is at best a peripheral interest to them.
After a seemingly digression to U.S. comic and anime industries, it behooves me to explain why I even brought them up in the first place. It is evident that the ability to attract customers from different backgrounds is crucial to the success of any firms, at least in the entertainment industry, by boosting sales and protecting against sudden changes in the preferences of any preexisting customer base segment.
Currently, the profile of a typical bishojo gamer, as I am sure the staff in Peach Princess have noticed, is far from the social norm in America. Is it in the best interest of PP, I would ask, to continue targetting this fringe group as the primary customer base?
It is my contention that Peach Princess should cultivate more customers such as myself, who is in the process of attaining a professional and graduate degree. I respect the investigative playstyle of many bishojo game, but I simply do not have the time nor the patience to sit in front of my computer and click through all the options desultorily.
It is crucial for me to make this point crystal clear: I am not saying, either implicitly or explictly, that I am a more important customer than anyone. I am just saying that PP should take into consideration of other unorthodox bishojo gamers such as myself. Further, is my approach of bishojo gaming more worthwhile than others’? DEFINITELY NOT!!! It is simply a divergence in people’s preferences. Most important of all, there is a way to satisify both groups. As Ms. Kamiyama had suggested earlier, PP can send out individual walk-through at email request basis.
As to the issue of piracy, I am puzzled on couple part of Ms. Kamiyama’s assertion. First, since there is no conceivable way for anyone to reverse-engineer the game even if a third party does obtain a guidebook, how can that harm PP itself? Second, theoretically it is possible for someone to get the walk through, translated it from English to Japanese, and sale it in Japan. However, it does not strike to me as economically viable and/or would inflict the Japanese publisher with sufficient business losses that warrant such a concern. Perhaps someone can enlighten me on my questions above.
2) Is it a good idea for Peach Princess to come up with “5 to 10 dollars” player guide? Well, it depends on the business objective of PP. If PP is intented to make a quick buck, then I am sure that someone out there is willing to pay the market clearing equilibrium price of a guidebook. But for me, if I am going to buy any “guidebook,” it better be a full-fledge art books comparable to those of Japan. Since PP can never achieve the internal economy of scale need to break down the average cost, my wish is definitely not going to happen.
A free walk-though will be considered by many as part of the customer service PP offers. I am convinced that such a move would engender customer satisfaction and encourage them to recommend PP’s products to their collegues and friends.
In all honesty, I really do not think coming up with a “walk-through” would impose any actual cost to PP. All it takes is someone who tranlates and/or additional coding to spend a short amount of time (1 hr max???) to write down the correct paths in the decision tree and store it in a text file. So there is no reason for PP to sale the walk-through except with the intent of extracting economic rent (Maybe some chump fee per person to compensate for the labor cost? It depends). Finally…
3) What is the “skill” level of bishojo gamers out there? Well, I cannot speak for everyone, but I would venture to say that the term “skill” is a purely subjective matter. It can mean the art of deducing options based on previous statements in the game, the speed of clicking through options to eliminate possible alternative, or simply the mathematical skill of calculating the probabilities of what any specific option would lead to. It is obviously to me that I am not that good in both elimination and deduction. Since I enjoy an progressive storyline but unwilling to spend hours banging my head on the screen, I guess I am not a very “skillful” bishojo gamers in an abstract sense.
I apologize if its too lenghty for some readers. I am typing this post in a faculty facility in campus, so I write like what I usually do inside the computer lab.
Thats it for now. Hope everyone has an enjoyable experience with “Tokimeki Check-in.”
Regards,
Phi
[This message has been edited by Phibrizzo (edited 08-14-2001).]
[This message has been edited by Phibrizzo (edited 08-14-2001).]
I keep getting ending 15 tranquil days It’s very depressing I want a good ending…I only got the misato and keiko “event” so far
well… i think that PeaPri isn’t thinking about selling walktroughts cause they are primarly trying to get a steadiness in their product sales… maybe you can think that producing a walktrought isn’t something really expensive… but… think this way… if they keep producing things like guides… and the demand of the actually available games can’t support that kind of expenses… this will end with a delayment of the game production cause they won’t have money to keep duplicating the games… so… i think that asking for this kind of stuff seeing that they are actually asking for help from us the costumers in getting bigger retailers is something really disturbing for them… cause we keep asking for more stuff without helping them to sell what’s already available…
well… and regarding to the gamer’s skill… i think that this lies on each one’s ability to solve the games in the less time possible… without asking for help… this applies for games that involve desitions… there’s another kind of skill… the psichomotor skill that applies for game genres like FPS or figthing games mostly…
I finally finsh the tokimeki-check in game it was fun game and it was preety easy for me. But their is too many of character to see the best ending. I collect total of 98% CG. I need two more percent. That two more percent will be umesan bad ending I think. I think he is the hard to see bad ending. But rest of the girls I have all of the best ending and happy ending. Yapeeeeeee <.^ Who ever need to help on tokimeki check in just send to my email when you get confuse or lost. I got that game on last friday. To collect all of the CG’s I almost played at least 20 hours or more to finish the game. person who did not finish good luck.
I fianlly finish the all of the tokimeki check in. It was fun game. I will say this game is too many of girls and lot of ending. Total I plyed almost 25 hours or more.I started on friday night about 10:00pm that is after my scohool is over. then I played non stop till about 8:30 am then I rest little bit. At that point I only had kyokas best ending and yuki best ending. Saturday I plays few hours. sicne then I played almost 4 hours on sunday, monday and tuesday. and I finally finish the game. One more thing For ending 15 I saw like almost 30 or more. maybe (weak laugh) Good like to you all to finish the game.
Hi:
Can anyone give me a pointer or two in Nanami’s path progression? I got stuck when she kept on winning on the ping pong match. Based on Kumi and Natsuki story path, I have every reason to believe that Nanami has to lost to Takayuki in the match, but I think I have virtually ran all the possible paths and still got stuck.
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Phi.
P.S. I am planning to post a brief reflection on Ms. Kamiyama’s reply later on today.
Nanami’s not like the other two girls (which is why I like her the least of the 3).
If you’re doing the ping pong thing, you’re off.
Number 1…she’s a party girl, she likes to Drink…
Number 2…She thinks you and Ayumi are involved.
Number 3…she’s a ho…what Ayumi won’t offer without you forcing she wouldn’t mind.
Also, you have to have seen her as much as possible before this point, otherwise she’ll just leave.
If you do the pingpong thing with Nanami, you will get the peace ending…but I think the pingpong with Nanami was supposed to act like a hint as to her personality.
Now for my own reflections about this kind of visual novel game.
I like these kinds of games, but I can see why others don’t.
First, if you want a specific story, but can’t figure out where to click, you’ll keep getting the story you’re not interested in. That is Hell of annoying…
I remember when I first got King’s Quest V. The first thing you are supposed to do is pick up a gold coin in the street, which is just a little pixel that’s almost impossible to see. I wasted 3 hours running around before I went to the bookstore to find out what I was missing. That just takes the fun out of the game.
Second, the game seems so limited…it reminds me of choose your own adventure books. I always felt these games would be better done if they were done in secret of monkey island or king’s quest style. I don’t get the impression I’m moving around to an area, I just get the impression I have limited choices. Remember those old text based rpg’s where you could go N, S, E, W? Kind of the precursor to the king’s quests style games?
In those games you could go North, see a character, and say different things to the characters. Of course, then there’s the annoying thing with figuring out exactly what to say…but it felt less limited.
What I do like about these kind of games is that there is character development if you can figure out what to click where. A lot of games these days lack that…and it’s a very welcome change. It’s just…there’s so much MORE that could be done.
I want to try saying different things and acting differently to characters in the game. I want to go out to the mountains at night…not just when Makoto makes me go get mushrooms…
Of course, my roomate was like, it’s an ADULT game, what do you expect? It actually has a STORY… Should see the American crap…“Oh doctor…I"m sick, what should I do?” “No problem baby, take off your clothes, we’ll get it fixed.”
although Nanami Ito is kind of borderline in my opinion
But I guess my roomate has a point. How much time and effort did Konami spend making Tokimeki Memorial? And that game didn’t have that much more options than the current visual novels. And it wasn’t adult. Can you imagine an adult game company with significantly less resources putting in that much stuff PLUS the adult stuff to a limited market with LESS buyers? It’s not going to happen. How about all that PLUS putting the game out in a HOSTILE american customer base?
I think the reason why so many American buyers think Japanese Bishoujo games are retro is because such games remind them of OLD games. There are less options than in the old now defunct king’s quest series, so what is the point of the game? Naturally, then, they overlook the good points of the game genre. Clicking and reading text while still frame pictures flashed was done 20 years ago! Remember Leisure Suit Larry? And you don’t even get the puzzles or the ability to pick up and use items. It’s just show up at the right place at the right time.
Maybe I shouldn’t be so blunt here…but it’s a blunt kind of compliment that few people will say or acknowledge.
Konami wouldn’t release Tokimeki Memorial in America based on how similar games did in America, much less their drama series.
PeachPrincess releases the equivalent of the Tokimeki Drama Series in America, and it’s Adult genre…so an even smaller market.
Wow…all the people at Peachprincess, I admire your guts. All the better for me…Japanese games in English.
Oh as for the skill thing…
Street Fighter 3, 3rd strike is very very popular in Japan. It requires an insane amount of skill because you can parry any attack that comes your way.
It is DEAD in America. It had a lukewarm response at best. The most popular fighting game in America is Marvel vs. Capcom 2. That game is all about shooting your opponent to death so he can’t even move. NO SKILL.
Well, okay, the game does take skill, of a cheesy kind. What I’m trying to say is…Americans seem to be interested in the end result. Americans don’t play Street Fighter 3 because it’s too hard to learn, and too hard to win in. Everyone plays Marvel vs. Capcom 2 because it’s so easy to pick up and shoot people with. I think a lot of people will agree with me when I say the most enjoyable portion of a bishoujo adventure game is to actually see and understand the story. I don’t want to put a jigsaw puzzle together. I want to see the damn picture!
So it is with fighting games in America as well. The end result is considered most important. Beating the game…winning against an opponent, that’s the bottom line.
At least that’s my opinion.
Or maybe it’s because we’re mostly males and we just want Ayumi to take her clothes off as fast as possible.
okay…
I believe I get your second point, but I am not sure how to apply the bit of information in your first point. Further, I am totally confused with the way you phrased your third observation. I am sure that you are intending to describe something not in my recollection. Can you elaborate on that?
About your other comment, I think text-based MUD closely fits your description. Overall, I do not a frequent patron of computer games. I guess my proclivities in both watching anime and reading in general drew me into the bishojo gaming universe.
Honestly, I do not think that dating games without any adult element will stand a chance in the U.S. domestic market. There are simply way too many other avenues of experencing unadulterated romance vicariously, such as internet chatting and afternoon soap opera.
Anyway, I do have few positive comments on the content and interface of “Tokimeki Check-in.” However, I think I will save them for another post.
Phi
IIRC, about the time in Snow Drop that I was getting frustrated enough to post, I actually began to solve the game. This game I’m just beginning to solve (Yuki’s ending) and it took the following:
(1) - map the decision tree. write down the decision points, put a check by the decision you made, write a couple brief words about what happened with the decision you made. If you saved and tried the other path, write that down too. Don’t overdo it unless you’re totally anal, you’re sketching out possibilities at first
(2) Don’t be afraid to cut off other possibilities to get the one you want. This game doesn’t seem to reward waffling.
I’m surprised how much you can figure out from a single decision tree, after it’s been written down. Of course, I spent a day playing it, confused, and I don’t claim to be any kind of game genius. But that single sheet of paper will help. Also, Scudd is right, read what the girls tell you.
Grey.
Number 1…she’s a party girl, she likes to drink.
Number 1a…she’s a party girl who likes to drink, and she wouldn’t mind if YOU drank alcohol.
Number 2…She thinks you and Ayumi are involved.
Number 2a…If Ayumi sees you drinking she gets mad, and you’ve never seen her mad before.
Number 2b…You need to deny you are involved with Ayumi as much as possible, but that’s more important earlier in the game.
Number 3…Nanami is a ho…and Ayumi is not.
Number 3a…Forcing yourself on Ayumi would be horrendous for Ayumi…(in fact it would end the game) But if you came close…she just might leave in tears and Nanami might just see. But on the other hand, if you forced yourself on Nanami, she wouldn’t mind. (Talk about destroying my image of her.)
Number 4…Nanami likes to have fun and is into the ‘new’ stuff.
Number 4a…Nanami likes having a guy show her around fun spots as much as possible. Even better if you miss work for it.
Number 4b…Even better if she goes to a fun spot and gets something material out of it.
(Grumble, aren’t all girls like that? Gee, hard on the wallet. I bet KUMIKO is like that…Oh wait…since I bought Tokimeki Checkin…that means Kumiko got my money! <doh!> )
Number 5…Nanami is good friends with the other girls in the trio.
Number 5b…Nanami doesn’t mind being forced, but the other two girls aren’t like her in that respect.
Number 5c…Natsuki is too competitive and often offers more than she’s willing to give in order to continue competing. This hint gives too much away, oh well.
Number 6…Kumiko is a lesbian.
Number 6a…If Kamiyama-san denies she’s a lesbian, it is because she is not a virgin.
Worried, Mad? To us guys it is the same thing. Trust me…most of the time guys view it as the exact same thing. My math professor said it best when he said, “I don’t want her to mother me! I already have a mother!” The situation was almost exactly the same.
Okay, so you’re right about Nanami. I still don’t like her though…But that’s just an opinion.
gee… talking about long sized posts…
I guess I didn’t state myself clearly enough.
So far the only endings I’ve gotten are “Best” endings, with Mai and Ayumi respectively, and I guess I was just wondering what the difference was between “Best” and “Happy.”
I’ve spent most of the past day making a big decision tree out of multiple notebooks. I think I’ll just go streamlined and list decisions and who shows up and when, etc. Otherwise I’d end up with 68 versions of Day 2 to graph.