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A Pigeon for Everybirdy! (Reviewing the pigeon dating game!)
13 years ago
At last, I'm not the only one who uses that pun (as a friend said, “Ponies can't have all the fun”)! I know, I'm not exactly upholding the message of my last full journal by uploading a bird-related pic, writing a bird-related journal, and posting a bird-related story in the near future. I guess it's just no secret that I love birds! Ask yourself if you do too, and hopefully the answer is “yes.” Now ask yourself another question... would you date one?
After reading this journal's title and that terribly awkward question, any of you Japanophiles reading this might know what I'm referring to already. The land of the rising sun and horse meat ice cream has brought us yet another dating simulator called “Hatoful Boyfriend,” though this one has a pretty unusual twist to it. The name itself is a pun on the Japanese word for pigeon “hato” with “heartful,” and the game is exactly as its name implies. It takes place in a school called St. PigeoNations' Institute, “the most splendid and greatest academy of the pigeon, by the pigeon, and for the pigeon;” I am actually a little disappointed in myself to say I did not make that up. Sure enough, you are a lone human among a student body of doves and pigeons for reasons as unexplained as their actual size in relation to the player. These are not anthropomorphic pigeons, or men with beaks, no... these are actual, wild, talking pigeons. And your goal is to date them. Bravo, Japan.
SPOILER-FREE OVERVIEW!
You join as a sophomore with your rock pigeon childhood friend Ryouta to join a class with a spaztic fantail, another haughtier fantail and his flirtatious brother, all taught by a narcoleptic quail. Other characters include an aloof mourning dove bibliophile, a rather creepy partridge school doctor, and a few other minor characters that may or may not exist in the free version of the game. Your quest is simple... survive school, make friends with the birds, and hopefully find love among them.
Before I go on, it must be said that I'm not very versed in dating simulators. I've played maybe four tops, completed two, and only read one visual novel. However, something I'll admit for all of them is that they've all had very good music, and the soundtrack in Hatoful Boyfriend is my favorite among them. Right off the title screen, the first delicate, glinting notes do a jackknife straight for your heart as you're presented with the images of the main birds of the story. Of course, anybirdy playing this ga... anybody playing this game for the first time would probably take one look at the title screen with photo-captured images of the birds and pant “This has gotta be a joke” between hearty guffaws. Honestly, such a reaction is well-deserved, because the art style they chose lends itself generously to parody. Using real life photographs for characters in dating sims, I assume, is highly unorthodox, especially in the way it deprives much human emotion from the rigid, wide-eyed faces of pigeons. Even a bird fan such as I found it initially difficult to acclimate to the idea that the text I was reading was supposed to be something the obviously-cropped snapshot of a pigeon was saying. While one does get used to it, it takes a little while, especially when you're trying to remember the names for three different characters that may be the same white bird shot from three different angles.
As for the backgrounds, it's a mixed bag. Some of them are Photoshop-filtered photographs with strategically-drawn outlines around objects to give them a handmade polish, while one in particular (the one for your home) is so shoddy, that even I could have done better. ME! In addition, there were a couple scenes when a background photograph still had the source's watermark, resulting in a facepalm of heaping proportions. However, it's hard to blame them for being lazy seeing as how this was a small side-project a few of the creators put together instead of a fully-backed published work by the entire company. Besides, if they were faced with the decision to devote more of their budget on backgrounds or soundtrack, they made the right choice.
While the backgrounds do their job sufficiently (aside for your home), the music provides far more atmosphere and emotional backing for each scene. Some of their choices are a tad unusual, however. For instance, when speaking with a budgeri described as a "gentlemanly" restaurant owner, the creators obviously searched for songs relative to “gentlemen,” landing them with the rather out-of-place melody God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman as his theme, likely unaware of its usage as a Christmas carol. In addition, when introducing the eerie school doctor Shuu, he is accompanied with Tchaikovsky's Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. This choice, I cannot really guess their justification for other than its surreal, mysterious tone being suitable for such an enigmatic character. A few unusual choices aside, the original music is full of heart and, when used appropriately, provides all the emotional foundation and more for the scenes that need it.
As for the writing, it does a satisfactory job narrating the story while it keeping a colloquial tone suitable for its high school setting. There's still a few silly moments where they break the fourth wall or make a pop culture reference, but I've seen bigger budget productions that make more usage of both tropes and failed to use them effectively. Hatoful Boyfriend just dashes it on. I will admit I love the game over screen, and so will anyone who loves Shadowgate as much as I. Thankfully, they were smart enough to rein the goofiness in during more somber moments. It certainly wouldn't have hurt them to be a bit more elaborate on the narrative side, but I'll credit them for understanding the flow of emotions, which are really what's being played in these kinds of games. I would comment more on the gameplay, but as far as dating sims go, it's pretty standard. You choose places to go, events to attend, birds to visit, dialogue options, and there's a little stat system that records your wisdom, charisma, and vitality. However, it felt pretty tacked on and I could never tell if it actually made any difference in the story.
Despite my criticisms, to quote my friend again, “I'm glad a game like this exists.” It's an interesting project that tests the waters to see just how far we're willing to stretch the more intimate parts of our imagination. But aside from the fact the characters are birds, there's really nothing unusual about it. There's only a very brief mention as to why birds are as intelligent as humans in this world, and about as many moments where their species is actually called into play. Unfortunately, that also means they failed to take advantage of the only reason it stands out among other dating sims, because once you look past the ornithological mask, it doesn't break any new ground.
Still, this game dove (pun intended) straight for my heart and nested there (also intended). What began as a lark (the bird puns keep coming!) expecting a joke ended up becoming a touching adventure in one of the strangest schools in fantasy-Japan, and that's saying a lot. I certainly don't regret playing it, or even paying for the full version. According to a Youtube playthrough, the only differences between the free and full versions are the addition of a couple minor characters and a plethora of little scenes that, combined, make the full game about twice as long, but even then the full game is still a bit on the short side. But the free version contains all the main characters and endings for each, so if you want to try it out, try the free version.
UPDATE: The MAIN story is short, but in the full version, playing through to each ending unlocks more scenario options throughout the game and unfolds more of the overall story, providing the game with a degree of replayability. In that way, a shorter main story is to its advantage since you'll be seeing many of the same scenes for each character's timeline.
If you do decide to try it, note that the game requires the latest version of QuickTime, and because of language settings, has menu bugs with Windows 7. But as long as you can read the dialogue, you shouldn't have to tinker with anything.
Links now, followed by spoiler-filled afterthoughts!
Official Hatoful Boyfriend website
Free demo, and the English patch for it
Official English version of the full game
In conclusion, I leave you with this.
And now...
SPOILER-FILLED AFTERTHOUGHTS! I REPEAT, SPOILERS AHEAD!
FUCK YOU SHUU! FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU TO HELL, YOU FUCKING PARTRIDGE FUCK! Why the HELL are in this game?! Why the bloody anal prolapse hell?! To quote Lord Ilpalazzo, “Who'd put a bomb in a dating game?!” YOU are that bomb! Go back to Dexter where you belong, you sociopathic bird-butchering asshole FUCK!
*Deeeep breath*
I don't like Shuu. The online store for this game gives it a G rating, and I think we can all agree that G here in America isn't the same as G in Japan, which is somewhere between G and PG locally. Shuu's role in Hotaful Boyfriend is downright rated R. Seriously, he is extremely out of place. Why is such a dark, wicked character in an otherwise bright and innocent game? The only thing worse than Shuu is the idea that some people will actually pursue him! (For the record, I did not take his path. A friend with a stronger heart than I gave me the gist of his storyline.) At least Hannibal Lecter was charming and sophisticated until he tries to eat you during his dinner party! No, Shuu is bad news from the start and he just gets WORSE as the game goes on to the point where whenever he appears, you think “I'm going to die today.” He's evil incarnate. When the devil looks under his bed before he goes to sleep, he's making sure Shuu isn't there. He's... he's... HE'S CUPCAKES! SHUU MAKES CUPCAKES! HE! MAKES! CUPCAKES! First that annoying singing family, and now Shuu, THIS is why I can't like partridges! The only kind I ever liked sits in a pear tree, and there's only ONE of them! Fuck!
*Deeeeeeeeeep breath*
Sorry about that. If you don't know what I mean by "cupcakes," it's a My Little Pony fanfic so horrifically gruesome, even I'm familiar with it despite the fact I don't watch the show. It's just the best way I can describe such a morbid element in an otherwise cute, innocent world. I seriously have NO idea why this character is even in the game. He just doesn't fit. At all. I mean, the heartbreaking endings are one thing. But the fact that there's such a wicked character lurking around really defiles the mirthful atmosphere the rest of the game enjoys. Whatever mood you have while playing is put on hold when he's on screen and you're left praying you made the right decisions prior to keep yourself from ending up in his infirmary. He's unnecessarily disturbing, his ending is terrifying, and his inclusion in the game is just a mean thing to do to the rest of the characters. Is he a caricature of a particular dating sim archetype that I'm missing due to my lack of knowledge about the genre? I'm willing to admit ignorance on that, but even then I expect a caricature to not be portrayed so seriously.
That said, I also thought the endings were too depressing overall. Again, maybe I don't play enough dating sims, but I thought winning the heart of the one you love was the object of these kinds of games, not just to reach the end. As far as I know, there is no happy ending to this game, which hurts me more than most because of its birdy exterior, and I like it when birds are happy. I just didn't expect a game where so much of its build-up is so optimistic and bright, yet all of its payoff is so depressing. I think that's another opportunity this game missed. One of the benefits to multiple characters in dating sims is to provide a spectrum of endings involving them- good, bad, and in-between. In this game, there's just bad, sad, and cupcakes. If they're all going to be bad, at least build the entire game around the mood so not every ending a kick in the balls. 'Cause my balls hurt.
If this game is supposed to be a dating sim parody, why is there such an overusage of bleak, dark themes and a lack of attention to memes among the genre? If it's not supposed to be a parody, then aren't its and gloomy endings and deprivation of pigeon-dating denying itself of its own gimmick and denying fans of what they came to play the game for in the first place? Unless there's something I'm just not getting, I can't really tell what this game's goal is, but when so much of the game's origin is in a language I don't understand, I guess that's to be expected. In the end, I think the game confirmed a lot about myself. I love birds, I love it when birds are happy, and while heartbreaking tearjerkers have their place, I'm a sucker for "happily ever after."
But now I'm out of tuna. Crap.
BAD END.
ANOTHER UPDATE: I found a few reliable sources in English explaining Moa's (the lead creator) design for the game. After reading it, I find that the game sits right in between dating sim and visual novel, where story and gameplay are of equal focus. In other words, it's more like a choose-your-own-adventure book than a dating sim, so the goal isn't so much to capture the heart of the bird of your dreams, but to hear their tales from a perspective closer to the characters themselves. That fits because there's actually a sequel and a spin-off called HolidayStar in the works, so their tales aren't over just yet. I'd hate to be "that guy," but... I'm gonna be "that guy." If you enjoyed the game and would like to see the story continued in English, visit Moa's tumblr and request for an English version of HolidayStar, and it could happen! Seriously, she opened the ask box largely for that exact reason.
After reading this journal's title and that terribly awkward question, any of you Japanophiles reading this might know what I'm referring to already. The land of the rising sun and horse meat ice cream has brought us yet another dating simulator called “Hatoful Boyfriend,” though this one has a pretty unusual twist to it. The name itself is a pun on the Japanese word for pigeon “hato” with “heartful,” and the game is exactly as its name implies. It takes place in a school called St. PigeoNations' Institute, “the most splendid and greatest academy of the pigeon, by the pigeon, and for the pigeon;” I am actually a little disappointed in myself to say I did not make that up. Sure enough, you are a lone human among a student body of doves and pigeons for reasons as unexplained as their actual size in relation to the player. These are not anthropomorphic pigeons, or men with beaks, no... these are actual, wild, talking pigeons. And your goal is to date them. Bravo, Japan.
SPOILER-FREE OVERVIEW!
You join as a sophomore with your rock pigeon childhood friend Ryouta to join a class with a spaztic fantail, another haughtier fantail and his flirtatious brother, all taught by a narcoleptic quail. Other characters include an aloof mourning dove bibliophile, a rather creepy partridge school doctor, and a few other minor characters that may or may not exist in the free version of the game. Your quest is simple... survive school, make friends with the birds, and hopefully find love among them.
Before I go on, it must be said that I'm not very versed in dating simulators. I've played maybe four tops, completed two, and only read one visual novel. However, something I'll admit for all of them is that they've all had very good music, and the soundtrack in Hatoful Boyfriend is my favorite among them. Right off the title screen, the first delicate, glinting notes do a jackknife straight for your heart as you're presented with the images of the main birds of the story. Of course, anybirdy playing this ga... anybody playing this game for the first time would probably take one look at the title screen with photo-captured images of the birds and pant “This has gotta be a joke” between hearty guffaws. Honestly, such a reaction is well-deserved, because the art style they chose lends itself generously to parody. Using real life photographs for characters in dating sims, I assume, is highly unorthodox, especially in the way it deprives much human emotion from the rigid, wide-eyed faces of pigeons. Even a bird fan such as I found it initially difficult to acclimate to the idea that the text I was reading was supposed to be something the obviously-cropped snapshot of a pigeon was saying. While one does get used to it, it takes a little while, especially when you're trying to remember the names for three different characters that may be the same white bird shot from three different angles.
As for the backgrounds, it's a mixed bag. Some of them are Photoshop-filtered photographs with strategically-drawn outlines around objects to give them a handmade polish, while one in particular (the one for your home) is so shoddy, that even I could have done better. ME! In addition, there were a couple scenes when a background photograph still had the source's watermark, resulting in a facepalm of heaping proportions. However, it's hard to blame them for being lazy seeing as how this was a small side-project a few of the creators put together instead of a fully-backed published work by the entire company. Besides, if they were faced with the decision to devote more of their budget on backgrounds or soundtrack, they made the right choice.
While the backgrounds do their job sufficiently (aside for your home), the music provides far more atmosphere and emotional backing for each scene. Some of their choices are a tad unusual, however. For instance, when speaking with a budgeri described as a "gentlemanly" restaurant owner, the creators obviously searched for songs relative to “gentlemen,” landing them with the rather out-of-place melody God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman as his theme, likely unaware of its usage as a Christmas carol. In addition, when introducing the eerie school doctor Shuu, he is accompanied with Tchaikovsky's Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. This choice, I cannot really guess their justification for other than its surreal, mysterious tone being suitable for such an enigmatic character. A few unusual choices aside, the original music is full of heart and, when used appropriately, provides all the emotional foundation and more for the scenes that need it.
As for the writing, it does a satisfactory job narrating the story while it keeping a colloquial tone suitable for its high school setting. There's still a few silly moments where they break the fourth wall or make a pop culture reference, but I've seen bigger budget productions that make more usage of both tropes and failed to use them effectively. Hatoful Boyfriend just dashes it on. I will admit I love the game over screen, and so will anyone who loves Shadowgate as much as I. Thankfully, they were smart enough to rein the goofiness in during more somber moments. It certainly wouldn't have hurt them to be a bit more elaborate on the narrative side, but I'll credit them for understanding the flow of emotions, which are really what's being played in these kinds of games. I would comment more on the gameplay, but as far as dating sims go, it's pretty standard. You choose places to go, events to attend, birds to visit, dialogue options, and there's a little stat system that records your wisdom, charisma, and vitality. However, it felt pretty tacked on and I could never tell if it actually made any difference in the story.
Despite my criticisms, to quote my friend again, “I'm glad a game like this exists.” It's an interesting project that tests the waters to see just how far we're willing to stretch the more intimate parts of our imagination. But aside from the fact the characters are birds, there's really nothing unusual about it. There's only a very brief mention as to why birds are as intelligent as humans in this world, and about as many moments where their species is actually called into play. Unfortunately, that also means they failed to take advantage of the only reason it stands out among other dating sims, because once you look past the ornithological mask, it doesn't break any new ground.
Still, this game dove (pun intended) straight for my heart and nested there (also intended). What began as a lark (the bird puns keep coming!) expecting a joke ended up becoming a touching adventure in one of the strangest schools in fantasy-Japan, and that's saying a lot. I certainly don't regret playing it, or even paying for the full version. According to a Youtube playthrough, the only differences between the free and full versions are the addition of a couple minor characters and a plethora of little scenes that, combined, make the full game about twice as long, but even then the full game is still a bit on the short side. But the free version contains all the main characters and endings for each, so if you want to try it out, try the free version.
UPDATE: The MAIN story is short, but in the full version, playing through to each ending unlocks more scenario options throughout the game and unfolds more of the overall story, providing the game with a degree of replayability. In that way, a shorter main story is to its advantage since you'll be seeing many of the same scenes for each character's timeline.
If you do decide to try it, note that the game requires the latest version of QuickTime, and because of language settings, has menu bugs with Windows 7. But as long as you can read the dialogue, you shouldn't have to tinker with anything.
Links now, followed by spoiler-filled afterthoughts!
Official Hatoful Boyfriend website
Free demo, and the English patch for it
Official English version of the full game
In conclusion, I leave you with this.
And now...
SPOILER-FILLED AFTERTHOUGHTS! I REPEAT, SPOILERS AHEAD!
FUCK YOU SHUU! FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU TO HELL, YOU FUCKING PARTRIDGE FUCK! Why the HELL are in this game?! Why the bloody anal prolapse hell?! To quote Lord Ilpalazzo, “Who'd put a bomb in a dating game?!” YOU are that bomb! Go back to Dexter where you belong, you sociopathic bird-butchering asshole FUCK!
*Deeeep breath*
I don't like Shuu. The online store for this game gives it a G rating, and I think we can all agree that G here in America isn't the same as G in Japan, which is somewhere between G and PG locally. Shuu's role in Hotaful Boyfriend is downright rated R. Seriously, he is extremely out of place. Why is such a dark, wicked character in an otherwise bright and innocent game? The only thing worse than Shuu is the idea that some people will actually pursue him! (For the record, I did not take his path. A friend with a stronger heart than I gave me the gist of his storyline.) At least Hannibal Lecter was charming and sophisticated until he tries to eat you during his dinner party! No, Shuu is bad news from the start and he just gets WORSE as the game goes on to the point where whenever he appears, you think “I'm going to die today.” He's evil incarnate. When the devil looks under his bed before he goes to sleep, he's making sure Shuu isn't there. He's... he's... HE'S CUPCAKES! SHUU MAKES CUPCAKES! HE! MAKES! CUPCAKES! First that annoying singing family, and now Shuu, THIS is why I can't like partridges! The only kind I ever liked sits in a pear tree, and there's only ONE of them! Fuck!
*Deeeeeeeeeep breath*
Sorry about that. If you don't know what I mean by "cupcakes," it's a My Little Pony fanfic so horrifically gruesome, even I'm familiar with it despite the fact I don't watch the show. It's just the best way I can describe such a morbid element in an otherwise cute, innocent world. I seriously have NO idea why this character is even in the game. He just doesn't fit. At all. I mean, the heartbreaking endings are one thing. But the fact that there's such a wicked character lurking around really defiles the mirthful atmosphere the rest of the game enjoys. Whatever mood you have while playing is put on hold when he's on screen and you're left praying you made the right decisions prior to keep yourself from ending up in his infirmary. He's unnecessarily disturbing, his ending is terrifying, and his inclusion in the game is just a mean thing to do to the rest of the characters. Is he a caricature of a particular dating sim archetype that I'm missing due to my lack of knowledge about the genre? I'm willing to admit ignorance on that, but even then I expect a caricature to not be portrayed so seriously.
That said, I also thought the endings were too depressing overall. Again, maybe I don't play enough dating sims, but I thought winning the heart of the one you love was the object of these kinds of games, not just to reach the end. As far as I know, there is no happy ending to this game, which hurts me more than most because of its birdy exterior, and I like it when birds are happy. I just didn't expect a game where so much of its build-up is so optimistic and bright, yet all of its payoff is so depressing. I think that's another opportunity this game missed. One of the benefits to multiple characters in dating sims is to provide a spectrum of endings involving them- good, bad, and in-between. In this game, there's just bad, sad, and cupcakes. If they're all going to be bad, at least build the entire game around the mood so not every ending a kick in the balls. 'Cause my balls hurt.
If this game is supposed to be a dating sim parody, why is there such an overusage of bleak, dark themes and a lack of attention to memes among the genre? If it's not supposed to be a parody, then aren't its and gloomy endings and deprivation of pigeon-dating denying itself of its own gimmick and denying fans of what they came to play the game for in the first place? Unless there's something I'm just not getting, I can't really tell what this game's goal is, but when so much of the game's origin is in a language I don't understand, I guess that's to be expected. In the end, I think the game confirmed a lot about myself. I love birds, I love it when birds are happy, and while heartbreaking tearjerkers have their place, I'm a sucker for "happily ever after."
But now I'm out of tuna. Crap.
BAD END.
ANOTHER UPDATE: I found a few reliable sources in English explaining Moa's (the lead creator) design for the game. After reading it, I find that the game sits right in between dating sim and visual novel, where story and gameplay are of equal focus. In other words, it's more like a choose-your-own-adventure book than a dating sim, so the goal isn't so much to capture the heart of the bird of your dreams, but to hear their tales from a perspective closer to the characters themselves. That fits because there's actually a sequel and a spin-off called HolidayStar in the works, so their tales aren't over just yet. I'd hate to be "that guy," but... I'm gonna be "that guy." If you enjoyed the game and would like to see the story continued in English, visit Moa's tumblr and request for an English version of HolidayStar, and it could happen! Seriously, she opened the ask box largely for that exact reason.
Anyway, it's a really interesting find. Thanks for the synopsis. :>
And these pigeons are as big as you?
....right?
This is some Miyazaki acid shit right here.
Correct. Sounds awesome, no? =P
And these pigeons are as big as you?
The game never really divulges that little tidbit, and it's frequently been a source of humor in its fanart. I'd like to think they're at least big enough to hug. It is a dating game after all. X3
....me gusta 8|