Looking for a couple of genres

[HopefullyAHero]

I plan on becoming a forum regular here soon and I haven't been around VNs for a while. So, I was wondering what are some of the "classics" I should read first?

 

I've only read two so far:

• Hoshizora no Memoria
• Little Busters

 

I cannot read Japanese and this topic is also finding other VNs in general. I'm kind of a sucker of the "pure love stories" where love beats all and stuff.

I'm also looking for some VNs that have RPG elements, or Card Game-like elements.

 

Thanks for reading!

[Ceris]

If you liked Little Busters and don't mind long VNs, you could always check out other Key VNs like Clannad or Rewrite, but I can't help you with those two game-play elements though, sorry.

 

Clannad isn't available here on Fuwa due to it being licensed, but later on, you will be able to buy it off stream, already translated to English. You CAN get Rewrite from here though. I absolutely loved Rewrite, and it one of my favorite things from Japanese media, so I personally recommend it, since I loved Little Busters as well~

[Decay]

For your second request, see these threads: https://forums.fuwanovel.net/index.php?/topic/7186-vns-with-rpg-mechanics/ and https://forums.fuwanovel.net/index.php?/topic/7126-looking-for-vn-wgameplay-with-plot-as-priority/. I will say that there are no good translated VNs with card battle mechanics.

 

For your first request, most VNs feature romance as a strong driving factor behind the story, but most of the popular translated VNs actually tend not to be pure romance stories. If you liked Little Busters, other Key games like Rewrite might be good for you, although there's more of a plot focus in that. Other decent translated romance VNs include ef and Symphonic Rain. Maybe consider Majikoi for a fun, totally absurd romantic comedy type experience. There's a partial patch out now and there's a decent chance that a complete patch will be out before the end of the year. (no promises, though!)

 

(edit: The forum bug present when pasting in multiple links in a single line is really frustrating.)

[Silvz]

You can play Symphonic Rain. It has some gameplay [you have to "play" the piano-like instrument from the story] and it has a LOT of romance, plot twists, more romance and PLOT TWISTS. It is very good :3

[Guest]

Read Clannad.

[rainsismyfav]

Check out: ONE https://vndb.org/v51 and Yume Miru Kusuri https://vndb.org/v44

 

None of these have RPG elements but they're focused on romantic development (along other themes).

[Decay]

Read Clannad.

Only after the retranslation is finished. 

[Heizei_koukousei]

Only after the retranslation is finished. 

Yeah.. Its not really worth playing the way it is now.

Tomoyo's route is a perfect pure love story and isn't subject to most of the bad translation that CLANNAD is known for so you could just play that part of the game.

 

Grisaia no Kajitsu is a "classic" among the community now

[Snowtsuku]

I cannot read Japanese and this topic is also finding other VNs in general. I'm kind of a sucker of the "pure love stories" where love beats all and stuff.

[Kosakyun]

Fate/Stay Night and Tsukihime are also timeless classics.

Read them if you like fantasy and action.

They're really good. Trust me.

[Carronade]

Muv Luv Alternative! Too bad you have to read Muv Luv first...

[Kosakyun]

Muv Luv Alternative! Too bad you have to read Muv Luv first...

[Snowtsuku]

I'm still confused with the series.

What's the sequence of the games, and which are translated?

[Kosakyun]

Muv Luv

Muv Luv Alternative.

Both are translated.

[dreamweaver]

Okay if you want pure love stories i would suggest Clannad, Rewrite and Muv Luv Alternative.

The latest "classic" Grisaia no Kajitsu is great too

[JRaiKetchum]

Hmm.. classic romance stories...

 

Can never go wrong with another Key work. Also try ONE ~kagayaku kisetsu e~ (https://vndb.org/v51). It was done by the same team who went on to become Key.You can see where they are starting to develop their own style.

 

As someone had already mentioned, Tsukihime (https://vndb.org/v7) is another good one.

 

May I also throw out there ef (https://vndb.org/v88) as another good romance. It is more drama heavy.

 

If you are looking for something closer to Key, check out Mizuiro (https://vndb.org/v192) by NekoNekoSoft. The only patch out there translates the Hiyori route, which closely resembles the style of Key's works.

 

If you are looking for RPG elements, Tears to Tiara (https://vndb.org/v238) straight up. Koihime Musou (https://vndb.org/v369) is another good choice. It is a more tactical RPG.

 

Hope this helps!

-Rai

[Kosakyun]

If you are looking for RPG elements, Tears to Tiara (https://vndb.org/v238) straight up. Koihime Musou (https://vndb.org/v369) is another good choice. It is a more tactical RPG.

 

Hope this helps!

-Rai

[JRaiKetchum]

Did you recommend Tears to Tiara for the gameplay or for the story?

I haven't been hearing good things about it so I've been reconsidering downloading it.

What are your thoughts about it?

You could pm it if you want.

[Kosakyun]

Personally I have played only the demo way back when. I am going more by the fact that it is well known within Leaf fandom and is a VN RPG. It is on the list of mine to play at some point.

 

-Rai

[Zakamutt]

Hmm, this should be interesting. I'll throw some stuff out here that makes sense if you think about it but isn't obvious:

 

G-Senjou no Maou - mindgames and action is a thing. But at least two routes, including the true route, matches what you want. Especially one~

Saya no Uta - debateable, but some consider this fundamentally a romance story. True love overcomes everything... with constant guro backgrounds and your eldritch abomination girlfriend and... well, it's disturbing

True Remembrance - definite thing in the end. Also good in general.

Katawa Shoujo - romance and character drama. Nakige, so in a similar genre to Little Busters.

Kanon - Key's first game, has moderately better art than ONE. Key created Little Busters as well.

[Darkshine]

If you want a love conquers all story Da Capo 2 has that all covered. It's pretty much the driving force of the VN. 

G-Senjou no Maou does love stories justice in the True Route so that's something to look forward to if your interested, though you should save the best for last.   

[HopefullyAHero]

Thanks for the many recommendations, everyone. I really look foward to some of them. (Like Katawa Shoujo)

I do have a question about one called Dangan Ronpa.

 

Isn't it on the Vita or something like that? Because i've heard only good things about it.

[Kosakyun]

Thanks for the many recommendations, everyone. I really look foward to some of them. (Like Katawa Shoujo)

I do have a question about one called Dangan Ronpa.

 

Isn't it on the Vita or something like that? Because i've heard only good things about it.

 

It's also in the PSP, as far as I'm concerned.

Yeah. It mostly gets positive reviews, since the people really liked the game.

I, however, haven't played it yet.

It's surely on the PSP though.

Not sure about Danganronpa 2. I think that one's on the Vita.

[HopefullyAHero]

It's also in the PSP, as far as I'm concerned.

Yeah. It mostly gets positive reviews, since the people really liked the game.

I, however, haven't played it yet.

It's surely on the PSP though.

Not sure about Danganronpa 2. I think that one's on the Vita.

So the original one is the VN version, and Danganronpa 2 is a Vita-exclusive?

[Decay]

Danganronpa 1 and 2 both have PSP and Vita versions in Japan. In english, Danganronpa 1 received a fan translation patch for the PSP version, and almost as soon as that was released, NIS America announced that they would translate and release the Vita version of DR1 in english. It's a new translation. After that, they translated and released DR2 for the Vita. So DR1 has PSP and Vita versions in english, while DR2 is Vita-only in english.