17 replies to this topic

[Moogle-Girl]

999 is a virtual novel for the Nintendo DS about a group of 9 people who are kidnapped from their homes by a mysterious cloaked person who goes by [Zero] and are forced to play the Nonary Game. They must escape from the ship where they're being held captive within 9 hours, or the boat will sink and they will all drown. The only way out? Seek a door that carries a [9].

This game is fantastic, easily one of the best virtual novels out there. Are there any other people out there who've played it?

Oh, and since it's pretty hard to talk about 999 without spoiling something, I should warn you, this topic is liable to contain all kinds of spoilers. Tread lightly if you haven't played all the way through the true end.

Edited by Moogle-Girl, 19 July 2012 - 03:18 PM.

[cantavanda]

Looks like an awesome game

[ElectroMan]

Loved it. Every single aspect of it, beside some tiny nitpicks here and there.

The plot is pretty solid, even the premise promises so much to the newcomers and invites them into a game that, not only foreshadows and builds up to a grand finale, but actually delivers it and so much more. It has plot points over plot points that matter even in the littlest of details to the final scheme, the multiple paths possible to play through are perfectly crafted and fit in a natural way with the other possible outcomes. The presentation of the scenes and screenshots are masterfully designed and do a well enough job to sink the players into the action. Puzzles are diverse and a lot of the time thought provoking, but never irritatingly so. Characters are interesting, every single one of them. Their backstories are revealed and most of the characters do get drastic development as the story progress, leading to a more dynamic and organic plot.

It somewhat has some replayability value to it. I haven't played the game through again for a second time, but I will sometime in the future, that is for sure.

Edited by ElectroMan, 19 July 2012 - 09:37 PM.

[Moogle-Girl]

It has plot points over plot points that matter even in the littlest of details to the final scheme

Spoiler

Funny how Alice and Ice-9 are basically exceptions.

Puzzles are diverse and a lot of the time thought provoking, but never irritatingly so.

I believe it was Lotus who pointed out how none of the puzzles were unfair. They didn't require luck or wild guessing. The difficulty is just amazingly balanced: they're hard enough to be interesting, but easy enough for you to breeze right through them when you're just passing through the room to get a specific ending.

It somewhat has some replayability value to it. I haven't played the game through again for a second time, but I will sometime in the future, that is for sure.

I replayed it fairly recently, and it certainly proved interesting to make connections I hadn't made before and get to look at...well, Zero in a whole new light. It just pays to put some distance between playthroughs, for the same reason you wouldn't reread a good book right after you finished it.

Edited by Moogle-Girl, 19 July 2012 - 11:02 PM.

[Z3R0M0N5T3R]

This looks like a great time. I enjoyed adventure titles, mostly point and click years ago, and these DS novel games keep popping up. I'll have to find a way to get this and Hotel Dusk some time.

[Moogle-Girl]

Well hey, 999 is one part point-and-click escape-the-room puzzles and two parts virtual novel, so I think you'd enjoy it. :3

[QuickPatch]

There's a sequel coming up and is going to be released in America soon.

http://en.wikipedia....e's_Last_Reward

I'm a little saddened that the game is going to have more 3D objects instead of 2D. I've never been a huge fan of 3D visual novels. It's hard to make 3D really expressive. I hope it fills in the first game's sequel baits.

[Moogle-Girl]

Bluh, yeah, agreed about the 3D thing. I love sprite-based graphics, so--

The game contains full voice acting,

contains full voice acting

full voice acting

HNNNNNNNNNNG

[daman123125]

Such a nice hidden gem, I'm surprised it made it to the US (Aksys FTW). All the endings and challenging puzzles. Not to mention dem plot twists.

Wish more visual novels made it over to the US.

EDIT: I'm so glad the sequel's making it over here. Definitely getting it for Vita.

full voice acting

HNNNNNNNNNNG

Better be good, have an option to turn it off, or include the original Japanese voices...

Edited by daman123125, 21 July 2012 - 06:51 AM.

[QuickPatch]

full voice acting

HNNNNNNNNNNG

Better be good, have an option to turn it off, or include the original Japanese voices...

Normally I welcome any voice acting, both good or bad, since the former adds emotion to the text and the latter adds laugh inducing moments, but 999 is not a series I would want to laugh at.

I really hope by "full voice acting", it means english too. I'm more of a dub guy, when it comes to subs versus dubs, if only because foreign voice acting is the equivalent of emotional sound effects you would hear in games like Legend of Zelda. At least, to me anyway. The only Japanese I know I learned from Kill Bill and Foo-La-La.

[Moogle-Girl]

I hope the previous characters make appearances. Hearing their voices would be the best thing ever. (It's not likely, I know. )

[nearlyNonexistent]

I hope the previous characters make appearances. Hearing their voices would be the best thing ever. (It's not likely, I know. )

Clover and Alice are, at least. Which leads to possibility of flashbacks while talking with them.

[Scoutaloo]

I remember not being able to play this game because it was(and still is) one of the only M rated DS games. Why exactly does it get that rating?

EDIT: ESRB says Blood, Drug Reference, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, and Violence. Does the game really deserve all of these warnings, or is it not as bad as the rating suggests?

Edited by Scoutaloo, 23 July 2012 - 08:21 PM.

[nearlyNonexistent]

I remember not being able to play this game because it was(and still is) one of the only M rated DS games. Why exactly does it get that rating?

Swearing.

[Moogle-Girl]

EDIT: ESRB says Blood, Drug Reference, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, and Violence. Does the game really deserve all of these warnings, or is it not as bad as the rating suggests?

Definitely, kind of, you bet (one word: SANTA), does this answer your question?, aaannnd yes. It's got its fair share of swearing and descriptions of corpses are disgustingly detailed, even if nothing is really shown but a whoooole mess of blood.

[ElectroMan]

Please note, nothing in this game is gratuitous. Everything is thought out, no gore is for mere shock value, no sexual references are out-of-the-blue, no swearing is unnecessary beside constructing and establishing a character (to be fair, I would swear just as much or even more if I was in that situation). Those are all legitimate warnings, but I would still highly suggest this game to the older teenager crowd and onwards.

[Moogle-Girl]

^That.

[Scoutaloo]

Alright, thanks for the clarity guys.