[Release] Harmonia on Nintendo Switch

[Hiromi]

The console port of Harmonia (Visual Arts/Key) was released on Nintendo Switch recently on Oct 20, 2022.

Come to think of it, this was probably the last work from Key where Itaru officially worked as the company illlustrator. She quit the company in Sept 2016 and Harmonia came out literally three days later on Sept 23.

Spoiler

For the eccentrics who can read German, I wrote an article on the release with a few more trivia and technical details. For the non-Saxon Anglos, you could DeepL the webpage. You might want to check it out if it sounds interesting. (That's it for the self-plug, the rest of this post concerns the actual game, shitsurei shimass.)

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How did you guys like Harmonia?

I really liked Itaru's coloring in this game, the skin tone is especially well done, particularly noticable on the thighs pictured above and oppais on the in-game CG. But otherwise I have the impression that the face she draws has gotten more derpy compared to her peak in Clannad. I mean they don't look that bad, but they come off rather flat, in both sense of the word.

The voice acting was lovely as well. I associate Mizuhashi Kaori with the violent pettan tsundere from Baka to Test who starts speaking gibberish in German when she's flabbergasted, but Shiona from Harmonia (the blonde girl above for those who haven't played the game) has a diametrically opposite character compared to Minami. A holy sister overflowing with babumi... Not really my fetish but her voice soothes my depraved soul.

When it comes to the music, well, you've got Orito Shinji working on most of the music in this agame. I don't have the game installed on my PC right now, so I can't check whether it's him, but I like the BGM embed above the most. I think it captures very well the vibe of the town in the story, an oasis in the middle of a decaying world. A temporary breathing space, but will the peaceful days last forever? This faint trace of wistfulness and unease in an otherwise relaxing piece is something Key does very well, in my opinion.

Unfortunately I won't be buying this console port for now, due to the grave reason of... not having a Nintendo Switch at home. This port allows you to switch the language between Japanese, English, and Chinese (probably in-game like the Steam edition of Little Busters), so it's not like I'm not interested in it, since I'd like to try reading it in the original language. Maybe one day I'll get a Switch and the game, when I'm not using my shiokuri for onaholes and onsei sakuhin on DLsite.

It's a short kinetic novel, and a very good one at that. Recommended for those with a Nintendo Switch and a penchant for emotional stories.

The price goes around 25 USD on the Nintendo E-Shop, which is suprisingly a little bit more expensive than the Japanese price (2,980 Yen, around 20 USD). I guess one could also say that this port is worth three games, so it's not really expensive in the end.

[auntwitch]

Dang, I already have this on steam. I hope it sells well on the Switch--- love that we're getting more and more ports! Was I expecting the Switch of all things to become a portable VN machine when I bought it? Honestly, no. Glad it is.

[Hiromi]

13 hours ago, auntwitch said:

Dang, I already have this on steam. I hope it sells well on the Switch--- love that we're getting more and more ports! Was I expecting the Switch of all things to become a portable VN machine when I bought it? Honestly, no. Glad it is.

On Switch, visual novels should be able to reach a wider audience than PC exclusive titles. With this, hopefully more young people will get into this wonderful niche and ameliorate the over-aging problem in the eroge population.

[littleshogun]

Since you mention coloring, perhaps the reason on why Hitaru Inoue's art is not as good as back when she design Koropukkur is because of the coloring in which I find that it's not as good as her earlier arts (ie Kanon, Clannad, or even Harmonia here). I always felt something odd at Koropokkur design, but back then I can't seem caught into it until you're mention the coloring, and now that I look at it the art in Koropokkur didn't have her usual coloring work done (Whether it's because the release is in the rush or the budget is not as much as when she works on KEY VNs I don't know). For Mizuhashi Kaori, my first impression is on how she voiced Kirara in Yumina but of course she's capable to do the other tone, such as Mami from Madoka and Touko from Sanoba Witch.

As for Harmonia itself, I can say that it's more or less like Planetarian premise to a degree here. I did sort of remember that it was released back in the past, although I need to search my VNTS Review to see if I really cover it (And turned out I didn't write much of it). It also released by KEY themselves instead of Sekai, in which back then they already have partnership in regard of localized Clannad. Well even though I didn't own Switch here, hopefully anyone else who only own Switch can enjoy Harmonia there.

Edited October 30, 2022 by littleshogun