Foreword: Sword apprentice protagonist and two fighting heroines (short swords and bow) were all that it took to lure me to this game.
Title: Ochiba no Mau Koro
Developer: Noa
Date: 2003-10-24
VNDB link:https://vndb.org/v5367
Youtube walkthrough:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuf4kv1b9hg&list=PLs4Gp5VU4Fv--j9jctcdQ0zRtWU4dw7pU
Synopsis: Amami Kouji lost his parents in an accident when he was a child. After that he was adopted by his father's friend Kusana
Foreword: I only picked this game because it has no reviews and scenario writer is Kanno Hiroyuki. Just can't believe he can write some total crap.
VNDB link:https://vndb.org/v2028
Youtube walkthrough:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lXxwzu3BJc&list=PLs4Gp5VU4Fv8rKP5oDa1nzt0KevjFrmhw&index=26
Synopsis: Naomi Yuiki, 21 years old single, college student. Though her parents died, because of the inheritance she and her brother, Kouta Yuiki age 18, can live without much t
Foreword: It looked like a semi-historical plot-centered game, so why not sample it, really.
Title: Salem no Majo-tachi
Developer: Daiginjou
Date: 2003-08-08
VNDB link:https://vndb.org/v3679
Youtube walkthrough:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P53wX3hGx64&list=PLs4Gp5VU4Fv-sUBbx3VBtkjZ8QS4wiJk4
Synopsis: Year 1699. A young priest, named Kevin, sailed to the peaceful town in the British colony in the New World. This town's name was Salem. He is yet to know a
Foreword: Apocalypse angel story is enough to bait me as long as there aren't more intriguing candidates, but in July 2003 there weren't any.
Title: Kono Sora ga Tsuieru Toki ni
Developer: Digital Monkey
Date: 2003-07-25
VNDB link:https://vndb.org/v4269
Youtube walkthrough:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLs4Gp5VU4Fv_A5pJN26duNo4X_aEnGCZ-
Synopsis: Main character lives happily with his lover and friends around him. But one day the world comes to an end.
Foreword: Girl with a huge sword was a decisive factor for me, but game is quite mysterious and curious looking. It's created for the 10th anniversary of Cat's Pro/Panda House. So, is it as enjoyable as D.U.O.?
Title: Sayonara.
Developer: Panda House
Date: 2003-06-27
VNDB link:https://vndb.org/v6045
Youtube walkthrough:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bNX6mIBR6E&list=PLs4Gp5VU4Fv8rKP5oDa1nzt0KevjFrmhw&index=25
Synopsis: People always die in this world
Foreword: May had zero interesting releases without review for me, so I chose one with the English review already (1). My hope in nakige is crippled, so I wonder if it can be restored with this game, just as it affected this review's author.
Title: Ashita Deatta Shoujo
Developer: Moonstone
Date: 2003-05-30
VNDB link: https://vndb.org/v464
Youtube walkthrough:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSo0XrcBv54&list=PLs4Gp5VU4Fv_DLXni9hleM4mOM7gpQmjf
Synopsis:
Foreword: I know game is a nakige, but it has universally high scores. KID visual novels made for PlayStation look very generic and boring to me. Is this the one that finally puts me to shame?
Title: My Merry Maybe
Developer: KID
Date: 2003-04-26
VNDB link: https://vndb.org/v3697
Youtube walkthrough:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1dosiu-Aik&list=PLs4Gp5VU4Fv-y-sVOTfqsn9Im4pzlumQe
Synopsis: A university student, Kishimori Hiroto enrolls in an educat
Foreword: I played Aya route six years ago, but was left quite confused for the lack of understanding. Anime put its dots, but it deliberately changed the ending. I'm over-enjoyed to finally read all the routes in all the complexity.
Title: Interlude
Developer: Longshot
Date: 2003-03-13
VNDB link:https://vndb.org/v3195
Youtube walkthrough:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE78kKpg5QY&list=PLs4Gp5VU4Fv9mjQjlqFFGFu9r_-rNk861
Synopsis: For a close-knit foursom
Foreword: With Fuwa and vndbreview votes combined One 2 ~Eien no Yakusoku~ got 5 poll votes which is two votes more than closest competitor Masaru: Ashita no Yukinojou 2 has. I already mentioned that One 2 is a masterpiece, so it's time to present my reasoning. As usual, I only picked two heroines to capture while remaining four remain untouched (except for common route cameo).
Title: One 2 ~Eien no Yakusoku~
Developer: BaseSon
Date: 2002-04-26
VNDB link:https://vndb.org/v670
Foreword: I made up mind not to read reviews about BM0 in order to preserve original experience, but I was surprised to see negative impressions of BM0 in other visual novel reviews of 2002! Wow, what could this game possibly do to piss so many people off? Can it really be worse than DoNoR with its blurry backgrounds?
Title: BM0 Zankoku na Yoru ni Kanojo no Sakebi wa Dare ni mo Kikoenai.
Developer: FlyingShine
Date: 2003-02-21
VNDB link:https://vndb.org/v9602
Youtube wa
Foreword: Why would KeroQ make a moege? This thought bothered me for a while. But what if KeroQ tricked everyone and made something entirely different under facade of moege?
Title: Moekan
Developer: KeroQ
Date: 2003-01-31
VNDB link:https://vndb.org/v3139
Youtube walkthrough:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=011WabnKsQ8&list=PLs4Gp5VU4Fv_47rfDklNMh3spmTY4nrpl
Synopsis: An anarchistic country that is said to dominate the world exists on a vast island known as
Year 2002 was quite curious. A lot of heavy weight candidates finally entered the scene.
New portion of Visual Novel Openings 2002 with songs.
My list of masterpieces in 2002:
Baldr Force
Bokura ga Koko ni Iru Fushigi.
D.U.O. ~Song for All~
Ever17 -The Out of Infinity-
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni
Hotosenaru Uta Chitosenaru Shirushi
Kikokugai - The Cyber Slayer
Kusarihime ~Euthanasia~
Masaru: Ashita no Yukinojou
Foreword: Guns and girls is a great concept, but it can go all way wrong as it happened with DoNoR. Can Silver Co., Ltd. really pull it through?
Title: Gunsister
Developer: Silver Co., Ltd.
Date: 2002-11-29
VNDB link:https://vndb.org/v2814
Youtube walkthrough:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pt49qIwDIFw&list=PLs4Gp5VU4Fv8Da9PQZfIpp0SKP3KvrVNi
Synopsis: 250 years from now. Human race is reduced to 2.5 billion due to fierce confrontation with the fairy race.
Foreword: Girls with swords - will they repeat success of Gunsister?
Title: Tamamayu ~Miserareta Mitsu no Ito~
Developer: Mireille
Date: 2002-12-06
VNDB link:https://vndb.org/v6182
Youtube walkthrough:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLs4Gp5VU4Fv9XSjuPuqPVDpGPnkGKY1Z-
Synopsis: Mysterious girl Shoko suddenly transfers to main character's school. One day she confesses to protagonist, but gets rejected. She says she has an ability to control the darkne
Foreword: I'm always curious about another FlyingShine game, but this time scenario by Arakawa Takumi is the biggest attraction point.
Title: Bokura ga Koko ni Iru Fushigi.
Developer: FlyingShine
Date: 2002-08-09
VNDB link:https://vndb.org/v6544
Youtube walkthrough:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBEIudaA_x8&list=PLs4Gp5VU4Fv8VvcJZUr-a2osG0BOPAdMl
Synopsis: Shinichi Manabe attends Seiryo High School. His father is a writer. 5 years ago, Shinichi went to se
Foreword: RSR is the last big game of Sogna. I can't pass without saying farewell.
Title: Viper-RSR
Developer: Sogna
Date: 2002-07-31
VNDB link:https://vndb.org/v970
Youtube walkthrough:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsrmSBbNUMM
Synopsis: A game that blends old school dungeon crawling along with animated cutscenes.
It is a dark age in the kingdom of Alitalia. Monsters ransack cities, slaughtering the men and taking the women as their slaves. Four adventu
Foreword: I was wondering what FC experimental branch (Dreamsoft) was capable of. Synopsis is quite fantasy-ish and girls with katana are featured, so I'm sold here.
Title: Asa no Konai Yoru ni Dakarete -Eternal Night-
Developer: DreamSoft
Date: 2002-06-28
VNDB link:https://vndb.org/v1205
Youtube walkthrough:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooV-q4jSD9A&list=PLs4Gp5VU4Fv-k2sH-Gg8wOnLUF96lDXAB
Synopsis: Main character dates his childhood friend. Days pass hap
Foreword: Voiced protagonist has become deciding factor to choose Fearless] over Shitai o Arau. Fearless] also is a mystery to me structure-wise and story-wise.
Title: Fearless]
Developer: Active
Date: 2002-05-10
VNDB link:https://vndb.org/v2360
Youtube walkthrough:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsCMKS_aJ5M&list=PLs4Gp5VU4Fv8rKP5oDa1nzt0KevjFrmhw&index=22&t=0s
Synopsis: Azumi Shizuhara is an orphaned student attending Rakuryo Gakuin.
One rain
Foreword: A bad-ass cover and cyberpunk setting is all that it took to interest me.
Title: D.U.O. ~Song for All~
Developer: Panda House
Date: 2002-04-26
VNDB link:https://vndb.org/v2235
Youtube walkthrough:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ttjs7mdDS3Q&list=PLs4Gp5VU4Fv_0xb07WK6DgqoNosWs_kET
Synopsis: It happened on December 25, 2001, right after the new century began.
It was the biggest and worst disaster in human history, "Apoptosis Crisis."
A vir
Foreword: Girl with a gun and concept similar to EVE from FlyingShine - that's a curious thing to investigate provided that only a year later the same brand will create Cross Channel!
Title: Donor - Onna Tantei Ryoujoku
Developer: FlyingShine
Date: 2002-03-08
VNDB link:https://vndb.org/v6542
Youtube walkthrough:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlZTV0b7nLY&list=PLs4Gp5VU4Fv-uWqueJwenXF1BJZOgphqE
Synopsis: Futaba Kawana is an attractive American detective, wh
Foreword: I already chose another game for review in February... but in the end just could not ignore this huge pillar of today's visual novels. Without Kusarihime there would not be Saya no Uta, Cross Channel, Fate/stay night and Higurashi, so it's significance for the history can not be overerestimated.
Title: Kusarihime ~Euthanasia~
Developer: Liar-soft
Date: 2002-02-08
VNDB link:https://vndb.org/v37
Youtube walkthrough:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6J_joeqKri0&
Foreword: I won't lie, Sollunea is the only game from January 2002 that has nice fantasy setting and is available. So, is it any fun?
Title: Sollunea
Developer: Luchs
Date: 2002-01-25
VNDB link:https://vndb.org/v3189
Youtube walkthrough: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cGFnvGrDnA
Synopsis: An adventure novel set in a medieval European fantasy world. A remote village in engulfed in war flames. Village is visited by traders who say that they were attacked by fe
Year 2001 is a year of lost opportunities for visual novels, at least for chunige. The matured industry failed to produce breakthrough works. Of course there are lots of new cool openings Visual Novel Openings 2001 with songs.
My list of masterpieces in 2001:
Renaissance
Yougen Tennyo
Vampirdzhija Vjedogonia
Silent Hill: Play Novel
Gensou Suikogaiden Vol. 2: Crystal Valley no Kettou
Mizuiro
No Reality
Chain Ushinawareta Ashiato
Foreword: Virus... mystery... girl with a gun... I liked these setting elements and just dived into it without reading anything about the game. Here's my honest impression.
Title: Virus
Developer: Celt
Date: 2001-12-07
VNDB link:https://vndb.org/v17856
Youtube walkthrough:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Q6Lq5QEyqE
Synopsis: Main character is separated from his older brother and sister due to parents' divorce. A few years later sister asks him to check on brot
Foreword: I did not have much hope for this game until I found a Japanese review calling this game a hidden gem and praising its atmosphere.
Title: Faust
Developer: Tail
Date: 2001-12-14
VNDB link:https://vndb.org/v9803
Youtube walkthrough:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAn6MX7Tj6U
Synopsis: In a peaceful city, a series of strange "vampire" murders happened. As if to ridicule people who don't believe in the existence of such monsters victims appear one after
