Reading: it's not for wimps.

I've always been a very literary-oriented person (I hope that doesn't sound dirty or anything).

It's probably been quite awhile since I mentioned the game 9 Hours 9 Persons, 9 Doors, mainly because I've been playing through my backlog of games and it's only recently that I found the time to start the game.  First of all, it's got amazing art, and I'm a sucker for good art.  But secondly, it involves a lot of reading, and I'm totally stoked that finally, I get a game with more story than just "let's advance the plot between battles."  999, as it is often referred to, is a horror-survival game that involves 9 participants who wake up in a sinking ship that looks an awful lot like the Titanic.  Long, intense story sections are broken up by point and click puzzle and mystery solving parts that really allow you to explore and use various items to solve your problems and access other areas of the ship in an attempt to escape.  This game may be for the DS, but it is NOT for children, and there is a lot of swearing as well as blood and gore (although not too graphic) as well as plenty of psychological horror.  If you've ever been claustrophobic on a ship before, you're not going to enjoy the feeling of being trapped at all.  If, on the other hand, you enjoy lots of complicated plot-ey goodness, including references to Kurt Vonnegut, a pharaoh's curse, weird base-ten math stuff, chemistry, childhood friend drama, and of course, explosive detonator watches.  What's not to love?  But yes, there is a lot of R-E-A-D-I-N-G involved.  It is not for the weak of heart.

"...'And then he reached up and grabbed her-'......WHAAAAAAAAA?!"

Now I know I probably already lost a bunch of you with that statement.  Most people who enjoy gaming are not all that interested in sweeping monologues, much less long-winded diatribe.   This is why there were many complaints about the first Mass Effect being full of too many words and too few shell casings.  And I very highly doubt that "Hamlet- THE GAME" is going to be coming out anytime soon (although I'd love to play a game of "questions").  If you get my aside, you're probably as big into this kind of stuff as I am, and therefore are still reading (or maybe you're just here to look for the boobs, amirite?  Read on...)

ONE OF THESE GIRLS MIGHT BE A WITCH.  Japan's answer?  TAKE OFF HER CLOTHES.

Many people try to argue that video games are art, but very few (if any) people try to argue that video games can provide a literary experience.  This is largely because we have the "DUR HUR BIG GUNS" genre that seems to be the most popular in the United States.  But in Japan, this is kind of different.  As you might have guessed, there's a lot of reading going on in Japan (hence all the glasses, lol- I kid! I kid!).  Most of it is based in manga (ie: graphic novels), or in what is referred to as "visual novels"- games that are heavy in story but provide choices to the player (most of which used to be PC only but seem to largely come out on the DS and the Wii nowadays...I'll give you three guesses as to why).  The most common ones that people attribute to "those weird Japanese pervert otaku" are "dating sims" (often involving hentai or pornographic elements, though "clean" versions are often released alongside the more perverted ones to cover all demographics).  Most of these games basically involve a faceless male character (as these are games that appeal pretty much 100% to heterosexual males), who gets to choose from at least 10 different "types" of girls (you've got your Toyota model, your Honda model, your Ford just to switch it up, etc).  Basically, you then seduce them and try to get them to be your girlfriend or attempt to make it to "home base" and, ostensibly, FOREVAH WUV with the hypothetical 2D girl of your dreams.

Yep, I'll bet that's what you were thinking too.

Ostensibly, these sorts of games come from a society where real girlfriends and boyfriends are afraid to hold hands in public but where you are also able to buy pornographic comics at every corner store when you're like 12 years old.  It's a country where rampant sexualization and sexual prudery somehow coexist together, and that is very, very confusing to the average person who grows up in the United States or other Western countries.

Reading- it's not just for intellectuals anymore- sometimes it's for SEXY intellectuals!

But do not fear!  Just in case you were expecting a bunch of sexy stupidity from this blog, there is actually a very good reason to continue reading on- and that is because of the fact that even though many of us who still love a good point-and-click adventure have lost our Western outlets for these sorts of problem solving games, we're still able to enjoy plenty of these sorts of adventures thanks to Japan's wide array of story-based games that are not directly based on dating anime girls.  Beyond just 999's not-for-kids story and plot, there are plenty of other brain-tingling games that use stories instead of missiles to move the plot along.

1) Hotel Dusk

This game turns the average DS game on it's side- LITERALLY.  You hold the DS like a book, using the touch screen to make notes and interact with the environment in order to solve the mystery of Hotel Dusk.  One of the most interesting parts about this game is the fact that the characters appear to be animated by old fashioned paper and pencil- it's got a very distinct textured feel.  Plus, the music is very relaxing, most of the time.  It's also fairly atmospheric and helps you get absorbed into the story itself.  At the end of each "episode" you have to answer a mini-quiz, but it's useful as well, largely because the game is pretty long and you'll have to remember a fair amount of information to untangle all of the different stuff that's going on

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2) Luminous Arc (1 and 2)

Luminous Arc is largely a SRPG game, but it also has a lot of character development and story elements as well.  You can even talk to a selected character at the end of each episode, deepening your connection with that character.  Plus, in the actual story parts, you can sometimes make decisions as to how you respond.  Even though this is less "point and click" than you might otherwise see in a game, it still adds a level of interaction that you can't otherwise get.

3) Summon Night: Twin Age

Another action adventure game, Summon Night: Twin Age also has a lot of story parts where you can make decisions about who you can talk to and deepen your relationship with.  You can play with a female or male character (and switch freely- one of them stays with you as a CPU), so by the end of the episode, whoever you picked to play as your "dominant" character can talk to a list of different characters, as well as make decisions in the thick of the game when story elements pop up.  While there is a good amount of fighting involved, it does tell a very in-depth story, and that is enhanced through the long text-based dialogue sections.

4)  Trace Memory

Trace Memory is very similar to Hotel Dusk only it involves a young girl who is trying to solve the mystery of her parent's disappearance when she was a baby.  She receives a special device on her birthday (that looks strangely like a DS, lol), and her aunt and legal guardian takes her this small island to help figure out the mystery (of course, there's also another mystery involving a ghost, but I don't want to ruin it for you).  For a Japanese game, this really feels a lot like Myst without being horrifically confusing like Myst was for me.  It's got a lot of puzzles, as well as problem-solving, and you can probably pick it up for less than 10 dollars. The colors and music are similarly enjoyable as Hotel Dusk, and there are even multiple endings!

5) Bastion

Now, I'd be stupid if I neglected to mention this non-Japanese game that really incorporates story into the game (albeit in a very different way than I've ever seen).  The narrator who tells the story as you control the character gives an almost "dad reading a story to a child" feeling that really takes me back to when I was a kid and my dad used to read Treasure Island to my brother, sister and I.  There's a very unique and beautifully done aspect to this game, from the art to the controls to the way that the narration changes as you make various decisions.  Honestly, I would love to see more games like this- stories that are told to you as you play them.

Rule 132: Japan can make anything cute.

While I do enjoy games that focus on battle over story and many others do as well (there are a couple of shooters that come to mind with laughably confusing, nonsensically shallow plots that are very popular indeed), I think that with the widespread movement of books to digital readers from hard media is also going to open us up to new and different ways of telling stories in games as well.  Visual novels might largely still be "one of those weird Japan things," but I am very thankful that there are several developers who are still keeping that literary spirit alive in their games, as well as those who are kind enough to localize and translate these amazing games from Japanese to English.

I know that a lot of these wonderful people may not be reading my little blog, but I simply want to extend a "thank you" to everyone who keeps this niche of games alive!  I know that it may not hit the average kid or adult demographic, but these games have a lot of value in and of themselves, and as for me, I'll be looking for a side of reading with my gaming main course.

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As for you, dear reader, what are your thoughts on these sorts of story-based games?  

Do you think that, along with art, that story is integral to a good game, or do you simply like the action and nothing but the action?

And finally, what is your favorite story-based game?

Until next time!

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WE INTERRUPT THIS REGULARLY SCHEDULED BLOG

Public Service Announcement Time! :D

Regardless of your age, weight, race, health, etc- the #1 way to lower your mortality risks is through 30 minutes of low-impact exercise (ie: walking) a day which can easily be done in three 10 minute intervals.  I suggest this to everyone- you don't have to try and lose weight, even- the walking in and of itself is ENOUGH!

On an unrelated note, I just had my yearly blood work done and I check out fine (which is great, since my thyroid doesn't work at all, and I have to take medication every day so that I can have normal thyroid hormones in my body.  My doctor even wrote me a really positive note about how great it is that I keep up my healthy lifestyle.  Contrary to popular belief, I'm not some tri-athlete, but I do exercise daily- it's important to me to keep moving because it feels good and I enjoy how my body feels afterwards.  My weight has not changed for over two years (and I do have my share of lumpy bits, lol), but my health has improved every single year because of my daily exercise.  And that's really all I can hope for! 

Some people say that if you have a dog, your best bet in staying happy and healthy is through walking the dog at least once a day.  If you have a 3DS like I do, you can actually "take your handheld on a walk" as well!  If you leave it in sleep mode, your 3DS will even count your steps and give you reward coins as an added bonus! :)

So, if you can, take your gaming on the road with your own two feet.  

I want all of you to be as healthy as I've been lucky to be myself!  The best gift you can give yourself, no matter what walk of life you come from, is the gift of a little walking.