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If you have a Nintendo DS, you NEED TO PLAY THIS GAME. This game messes with your head
I'm not good at writing up reviews for a game so I'll leave it to the pros... some excerpts from reviews: IGN (9 out of 10): It's been three days since I started playing. Three days that stretched into three nights. Late nights, staying up well into the A.M. hours. It wasn't a choice. It wasn't a decision, ahead of time, to play like that. But as my mind began to become more and more intertwined into the world I'd begun exploring, it seemed impossible to stop. I couldn't stop. I was playing 999: 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors.
This is the game that you might have heard described as a text adventure, or a visual novel, translated for our American market and given an M-for-Mature content rating -- a rarity on DS. And though it is all those things, those things fail to describe what you'll truly find in this box: One complete and total mindf***.
Destructoid (10 out of 10) To give you an idea of just how engrossed I was in 999, I stayed up past 5 AM several nights in a row plunging down every possible avenue. I don't know when was the last time I was so fascinated by a game, especially one as story-heavy as this. When I look back at the small list of quibbles -- having to repeat escape rooms and fast-forward through text on subsequent runs -- I can't honestly say that those faults detracted from the overall experience in the least!
The puzzle portion of Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors is substantial and enjoyable enough in its own right, but it's the story that keeps you hooked. Here is proof that videogame narrative can be everything we wish it could be and more. It gets you thinking, pulls at your fears and emotions, and hits you with a few perception-altering twists. What else can I do but give this game my highest recommendation?
some notes: - this game is very text-driven. Lots of reading - there are multiple endings. I recommend playing at least your first playthrough on your own, without any walkthrough. Getting the ending that ties the whole story together takes multiple playthroughs so it may help to use a walkthrough to get it after your first time playing it(up to you if you want to) - this game was given a M for Mature rating for a reason. Just like you wouldn't let your toddler play Grand Theft Auto, don't let them play this game
Anyways I'd say this is the best game I've played on the DS of my 4+ years of owning one. I normally put Phoenix Wright and Professor Layton at the top, but I think I'm ready to put 999 above them
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Sounds like an awesome game, I'll definitely be trying this out now!! Thanks for the recommendation, my DS has been gathering dust for quite some time now :D
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This game looks amazing. I may have to check it out.
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Canada13372 Posts
oh thanks for the recommendation I love text based ds games/visual novel style. I also remember seeing the trailer for this a while ago now and thank you for reminding me about it. Im off to "get" it now
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I am now thinking about getting this game for my girlfriend, how gorey/violent is it or is it more text based. Do you think its something a typical female rpg player whos a bit squeamish would like?
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there is definitely some graphic/gory images (ie. lots of blood) but most of it is from the text you read. The game has no rpg elements whatsoever, it is purely a visual novel/puzzle game. Squeamish people will probably get uncomfortable but I don't think it's bad enough that people will get nauseous
as for pirating the game, I believe it has some anti-piracy thing where it will freeze early on in the game. I don't know if people found a workaround or not but the best way to play it with a guarantee of no problems is to buy the game!
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This game seems really good. How does it compare to games such as Hotel Dusk or Pheonix Wright?
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some westerners finally finding VN's. hell just froze over.
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On December 19 2010 10:42 lepape wrote: This game seems really good. How does it compare to games such as Hotel Dusk or Pheonix Wright? If you're into those types of games you will love 999... one playthrough is not nearly as long as those games, but the fact that you have to play the game multiple times to find the truth gives the game its length.
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I just finished the second puzzle and I must say this reminds me a lot of those 'escape the room' games I used to love as a kid. I remember staying up late with a friend to beat those too.
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For those who are going to play the game, all I'm gonna say, without spoiling anything, is:
"she was afraid to be alone with another guy"
You'll know what I'm talking about when the time comes, and lulz will ensue.
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Is it like Higurashi o.0? If so it sounds awesome and I might grab it.
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I actually saw this while browsing DS games and looking for resources for GS:Dark Dawn. It seemed pretty intriguing, but now that there's a TL recommendation for it, I'm compelled to try it out.
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Canada8025 Posts
On December 19 2010 10:45 Minzy wrote: some westerners finally finding VN's. hell just froze over. That was my first thought, lol. Apparently the writer for this story is the same guy who did Ever 17.
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Just played it for a lot longer than I expected to... rather difficult to put down. Definitely gets my recommendation as well.
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999 will probably be one of the best and but most underated 2010 NDS game (overshadowed by GS:DD). The plot/writing is amazing - Loved the dialogue at the "elevator scene" xD
Also, about the true ending:
+ Show Spoiler +That was probably the most emotional sudoku I've ever had to complete.
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United States4126 Posts
I'm definitely picking this up after I finish Golden Sun
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Already played it. Serves as decent job for DS VN platformer, right up there with Time Hollow methinks. The writer seems to have preserved his penchant for trying to wow us with one final explosive 'revelation' just like he did on Ever17 though- also puzzle skip option for new game+ would have been much more preferable.
SPOILER + Show Spoiler +The puzzle was very easy, but I guess that's expected to be for game designed for childrens rofl. Also kinda disappointed me it was not indenpendent storylines for each play like Fate: Stay Night, Secret Game: Killer Queen, Higurashi/Umineko etc. to keep things fresh.
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I also heard Misshitsu no Sacrifice (密室のサクリファイス) was also excellent puzzle VN for PSP, but unfortunately it's not getting translated OTL
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I've been playing this game for the past 3 hours and it is FANTASTIC.
I'm definitely picking this up after I finish Golden Sun Kinky, do yourself a favor. Drop Golden Sun right now and play this game instead (or at least play golden sun 1 or 2). This game is just fantastic the puzzles are what I expected from Dark Dawn but never got. The story is what I would expect from a Golden Sun sequel but never got.
This game is like Saw+Phoenix Wright+Professor Layton+Myst. An absolute gem.
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it crashed on my ds lol. T_T, what i played of it was interesting though.
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I've gotten 4/6 endings + Show Spoiler +Need to get axe + knife ending I know I left the worse for last =P. If anyone has questions ask me or go on Gamefaqs... + Show Spoiler +So many theories on the game, due to the author leaving lots of "plot holes" for players themselves to fill .
I think this is clearly one of if not the best DS game this year. I haven't gotten around to playing Golden Sun yet, and I'm sorry to say I couldn't find this on the shelf at a local Bestbuy or Futureshop. If your looking to find it I think EB/Gamestop would be your best bet.
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so I think I got maybe the worst possible ending on my first run. Thoroughly enjoyed it though, and now I HAVE to play again.
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i've beaten it on three different play-throughs.
and to paraphrase what another netizen has said about this game:
DONT READ IF YOU HAVENT BEATEN IT ON THE BEST ENDING (or even if your not sure) + Show Spoiler + I've never felt so epic doing sudoku in my life.
oh and i dont think it should be compared to golden sun. Those two games are apples and oranges.
Golden sun has a strong foundation of gameplay, complicated premise, traditional RPG, magic and an alright story to match, it has bossfights and orgasmic summon animations.
999 has a out of the world storyline with good pacing, a simple premise, a cast of very diverse and memorable characters, has zero gameplay outside of point and click escape room puzzles, no boss fights, and copious amounts of reading. It is closer to an interactive graphic novel than it is to a game.
One is a book and the other is an old school RPG, you would never dream of comparing either of those with starcraft. I dont think comparing those two just because they are both on the DS is a legitimate comparison.
==== Edit:
Very very very Mild Spoiler (nothing about the plot) regarding ending choices:
and to those who plan to pick up the game, the game REQUIRES a minimum of two play-throughs to get the best ending possible. Endings are decided by what doors you choose at each point in the game. The best possible ending cannot be obtained until you the opposite of every door you would choose in the good ending. Yeah, sometimes theres 3 doors to choose from so "opposite" would have to be at your own best(or worst) judgment.
It might sound confusing but your choices will be legitimately justified and rewarded :D. Saying anymore and I will be stepping into deep spoiler territory.
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time to blow the dust off my ds and gives this a whirl
edit: o i thought this was a new game... no wonder i couldnt find it >.<
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You should have no problem buying a copy off Amazon... I hear Gamestops and gamestop.com may have it too
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I hate you for introducing me to this game the day before my last exam, but I still love you for introducing me to this game.
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On December 20 2010 09:03 Chairman Ray wrote: I hate you for introducing me to this game the day before my last exam, but I still love you for introducing me to this game. I know right? When someone introduced this to me, I got 2 late penalties on assignments, cause I played it for 2 days straight over the weekend... and that kinda blew out my mark out the water... but I got an extension for one and a waive for the other so I didn't lose anything in the end ^_^ good luck on your exam today if you haven't taken it alrdy. =P
The game is way to enticing to put down.
And I wasn't trying to directly compare to it to Golden Sun 3 knowing the completely different elements of both games, but I mean, a LOT of people are going for GS3 over 999 due to it being exactly as you stated, oldschool. I mean if this came out @ a different time, I'm pretty sure this could've done better (aka like 2 weeks after golden sun cause that game is easy as hell as I've been told)
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sounds interesting, will take a look
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On December 21 2010 10:01 Shinshady wrote:Show nested quote +On December 20 2010 09:03 Chairman Ray wrote: I hate you for introducing me to this game the day before my last exam, but I still love you for introducing me to this game. I know right? When someone introduced this to me, I got 2 late penalties on assignments, cause I played it for 2 days straight over the weekend... and that kinda blew out my mark out the water... but I got an extension for one and a waive for the other so I didn't lose anything in the end ^_^ good luck on your exam today if you haven't taken it alrdy. =P The game is way to enticing to put down. And I wasn't trying to directly compare to it to Golden Sun 3 knowing the completely different elements of both games, but I mean, a LOT of people are going for GS3 over 999 due to it being exactly as you stated, oldschool. I mean if this came out @ a different time, I'm pretty sure this could've done better (aka like 2 weeks after golden sun cause that game is easy as hell as I've been told)
Easy as hell, but really long. Many text.
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Sounds amazing, I should check it out.
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I think this is what my brother is getting me for christmas
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FYI for anyone playing this; if you're looking to get all the endings, there is an optimum pattern to do it in, at least when it comes to getting answers to the questions that pop up. Spoilered just in case.
+ Show Spoiler +From left to right: Endings 3+5+6 (axe/knife/submarine) should be done before ending 4 (safe), and finally ending 1 (true end). Ending 2 is a dud end, being a cutoff version of the true end; never aim for this ending.
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On December 19 2010 14:01 Fdragon wrote: Is it like Higurashi o.0? If so it sounds awesome and I might grab it.
The game's design team was led by Kotaro Uchikoshi, who was also the writer of the acclaimed visual novel Ever 17: The Out of Infinity. Grab both.
Preview of Opening Scene + Show Spoiler + The story starts off with Junpei waking up in a ship, with no memory as to how he arrived there. On his wrist lies a bracelet with a single digit, "5", and on the door blocking his escape lies the same number. Suddenly, the window of his room breaks open, and water begins to flood the room.
Fan Art: + Show Spoiler +
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Haha I just finished my first playthrough of the game, and I must say that it is absolutely AMAZING! I got a bad end though so, time to try again :D
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Ahhhhhhhhh, so good. Thanks for showing me it, TL! Such a good (true) ending, with a great twist. <3
I think I might have enjoyed it more than Trials and Tribulations.. D:
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super mega ultra spoilers within: + Show Spoiler +The very end of the game, when he says he will solve this one with his own mind and you have to flip the ds over and then you realize WHY it makes sense and the implication...
one of my favorite gaming moments ever, for sure - conveyed the message far better than any text exposition ever could
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I'm not very good at solving math puzzles T__T
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I haven't used my DS since I studied abroad in Japan a couple years ago. Thanks for posting this- I might just have to dust it off and play this.
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On December 23 2010 06:00 joban wrote: I haven't used my DS since I studied abroad in Japan a couple years ago. Thanks for posting this- I might just have to dust it off and play this.
That's exactly what I did lol :D It's completely worth the effort to dust it off! I'm in love w/ this game
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just got a copy working on emulator, so far it seems pretty smooth through the first parts of the game, hope it keeps up. I also hope I get as intrigued as you guys have been while playing this game :D
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I've been looking forward to playing this game. I try to play every adventure game on the DS, and have been looking for a new one to play since the last Layton game. I'm prolly going to play it today after reading the Destructoid review of it.
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This is definitely the best game out for DS this year IMO
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Valhalla18444 Posts
the video game narrative isn't quite dead yet, despite what square-enix would force you to believe. it's great to see this is being received so well
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I finally finished w/ the good ending, and all I can say is, that game is fucking Amazing! Anyone who owns a DS should definitely try it out :D
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I finished this game a couple days ago, it's probably in my top 5 or at the very least top 10 DS games.
The events leading up to the last puzzle (even though the puzzle itself was easy) were so damn well done, especially + Show Spoiler +having to flip the DS upside down, that was a huge FUUUUUUUCK moment for me when I realized what they just did.
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I'm pissed. lol. Trying to find this game for my brother as a christmas present, and the 3 places I went to didn't have it, or had sold the last copy today.
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On December 23 2010 16:19 MiniTsunami wrote: I finally finished w/ the good ending, and all I can say is, that game is fucking Amazing! Anyone who owns a DS should definitely try it out :D
Did you get the good or "true" ending? If you got the "good" one, then you definitely have to reach the final ending!
Sucks that Gamespot doesn't have this game up for their Best of 2010 awards.
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Apparently no one in australia has this game, all the stores i can think of that stock ds games havnt even heard of it. wtf is this shit.
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you're gonna have to look on online to get your hands on one
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On December 24 2010 11:27 Chimon wrote:Show nested quote +On December 23 2010 16:19 MiniTsunami wrote: I finally finished w/ the good ending, and all I can say is, that game is fucking Amazing! Anyone who owns a DS should definitely try it out :D Did you get the good or "true" ending? If you got the "good" one, then you definitely have to reach the final ending! Sucks that Gamespot doesn't have this game up for their Best of 2010 awards.
Haha naw I got the true ending and it was excellent I also got every other ending except the dud ending before it though, wanted to experience the game to the fullest :D
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United States4126 Posts
----------Spoilers/Wall of text incoming----------- + Show Spoiler + I just started playing yesterday and so far I got the knife and the sub ending. I couldn't sleep last night because I kept trying to link together the two endings. I got the sub ending first and thought that there had to be a 10th person aside from the original 9. Then at the knife ending Junpei made it seem like the killer was someone in the group, whoever benefited the most from getting Lotus' bracelet. But one person alone wouldn't benefit from Lotus' bracelet since they need 3 people at least to open the 9 door, so the sum of the other 2 peoples' bracelets have to be 10 in order for the 9 door to open, so does that mean 2 killers? The only combos possible would be 4/6 and 3/7. Unless the killer wanted both Junpei's and Lotus' bracelet, which doesn't make sense to me since 5+8=13 and you need 18 for the digital root to be 9, which meant two 5 bracelets.
So this gets me wondering back to the sub ending, whether or not there was a 10th person. The only other person who could've killed Lotus/Seven were either Clover/Santa/Ace if they pretended to be dead or something. Or maybe Snake/9th man aren't actually dead and it was faked or something...
I'm on the third playthrough right now and it seems like this telepathy thing takes on some different form in each route. First I heard about the chemicals from Seven and how they communicated with eachother or something to make a hydrate, then it was about the child experiment, then the dog and lady picture, and then the Ice-9 thing. The real ending probably has something to do with this I'm guessing.
I seriously have to find out wtf is going on x_x
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On December 25 2010 13:24 Kinky wrote:----------Spoilers/Wall of text incoming----------- + Show Spoiler + I just started playing yesterday and so far I got the knife and the sub ending. I couldn't sleep last night because I kept trying to link together the two endings. I got the sub ending first and thought that there had to be a 10th person aside from the original 9. Then at the knife ending Junpei made it seem like the killer was someone in the group, whoever benefited the most from getting Lotus' bracelet. But one person alone wouldn't benefit from Lotus' bracelet since they need 3 people at least to open the 9 door, so the sum of the other 2 peoples' bracelets have to be 10 in order for the 9 door to open, so does that mean 2 killers? The only combos possible would be 4/6 and 3/7. Unless the killer wanted both Junpei's and Lotus' bracelet, which doesn't make sense to me since 5+8=13 and you need 18 for the digital root to be 9, which meant two 5 bracelets.
So this gets me wondering back to the sub ending, whether or not there was a 10th person. The only other person who could've killed Lotus/Seven were either Clover/Santa/Ace if they pretended to be dead or something. Or maybe Snake/9th man aren't actually dead and it was faked or something...
I'm on the third playthrough right now and it seems like this telepathy thing takes on some different form in each route. First I heard about the chemicals from Seven and how they communicated with eachother or something to make a hydrate, then it was about the child experiment, then the dog and lady picture, and then the Ice-9 thing. The real ending probably has something to do with this I'm guessing.
I seriously have to find out wtf is going on x_x
I can help! Pretty spoiler free so you can discover things on your own, but maybe after reading it you can get some sleep (or be kept up more trying to figure out what it all means) :D
+ Show Spoiler +There is a possibility for only one person to profit from Lotus' bracelet! Is putting your hand on the terminal how you check in, or can you just put the bracelet close enough to the RED to register? Also, the true ending requires another ending to get to, which has quite a bit more exposition and raises even more questions to be answered by the true ending. Speaking of which, it's hard to know which doors you need to go through in order to get to each ending... have you checked out preview B? Then, after getting the prereq ending... you should check out preview A :p
In any case stick with it! It really is amazing and the fact that you have to go through at least one ending to get to another ends up being very important...
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On December 25 2010 13:24 Kinky wrote:----------Spoilers/Wall of text incoming----------- + Show Spoiler + I just started playing yesterday and so far I got the knife and the sub ending. I couldn't sleep last night because I kept trying to link together the two endings. I got the sub ending first and thought that there had to be a 10th person aside from the original 9. Then at the knife ending Junpei made it seem like the killer was someone in the group, whoever benefited the most from getting Lotus' bracelet. But one person alone wouldn't benefit from Lotus' bracelet since they need 3 people at least to open the 9 door, so the sum of the other 2 peoples' bracelets have to be 10 in order for the 9 door to open, so does that mean 2 killers? The only combos possible would be 4/6 and 3/7. Unless the killer wanted both Junpei's and Lotus' bracelet, which doesn't make sense to me since 5+8=13 and you need 18 for the digital root to be 9, which meant two 5 bracelets.
So this gets me wondering back to the sub ending, whether or not there was a 10th person. The only other person who could've killed Lotus/Seven were either Clover/Santa/Ace if they pretended to be dead or something. Or maybe Snake/9th man aren't actually dead and it was faked or something...
I'm on the third playthrough right now and it seems like this telepathy thing takes on some different form in each route. First I heard about the chemicals from Seven and how they communicated with eachother or something to make a hydrate, then it was about the child experiment, then the dog and lady picture, and then the Ice-9 thing. The real ending probably has something to do with this I'm guessing.
I seriously have to find out wtf is going on x_x
Go for the Safe ending (Ending 4). It'll answer the questions that have popped up for you.
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On December 24 2010 14:57 blabber wrote: you're gonna have to look on online to get your hands on one
That's unfortunate. I hope you can get your hands on a copy. It sold out on amazon a few hours before I tried to buy it... I just wanted to get my bro something cool...
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how long does it take for the game to kick off, like in phoenix wright the first good case was case 4.
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On December 25 2010 14:52 We Are Here wrote: how long does it take for the game to kick off, like in phoenix wright the first good case was case 4. the beginning
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On December 24 2010 14:57 blabber wrote: you're gonna have to look on online to get your hands on one No idea where to buy games online, any suggestions?
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United States4126 Posts
On December 25 2010 14:52 We Are Here wrote: how long does it take for the game to kick off, like in phoenix wright the first good case was case 4. Pretty much after 20 minutes in, depends how long it takes you to get to the part where your situation is explained.
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United States22154 Posts
This game is really awesome, I love the puzzles. I would have never stumbled upon it if not for the OP, since this isn't really the type of game I play, so thank you very much OP!
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I got all the endings already and the story is rather fascinating. Mixing fact with fiction, science with pseudoscience makes it all the more interesting!
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United States4126 Posts
On December 25 2010 14:14 Stark1 wrote:Show nested quote +On December 25 2010 13:24 Kinky wrote:----------Spoilers/Wall of text incoming----------- + Show Spoiler + I just started playing yesterday and so far I got the knife and the sub ending. I couldn't sleep last night because I kept trying to link together the two endings. I got the sub ending first and thought that there had to be a 10th person aside from the original 9. Then at the knife ending Junpei made it seem like the killer was someone in the group, whoever benefited the most from getting Lotus' bracelet. But one person alone wouldn't benefit from Lotus' bracelet since they need 3 people at least to open the 9 door, so the sum of the other 2 peoples' bracelets have to be 10 in order for the 9 door to open, so does that mean 2 killers? The only combos possible would be 4/6 and 3/7. Unless the killer wanted both Junpei's and Lotus' bracelet, which doesn't make sense to me since 5+8=13 and you need 18 for the digital root to be 9, which meant two 5 bracelets.
So this gets me wondering back to the sub ending, whether or not there was a 10th person. The only other person who could've killed Lotus/Seven were either Clover/Santa/Ace if they pretended to be dead or something. Or maybe Snake/9th man aren't actually dead and it was faked or something...
I'm on the third playthrough right now and it seems like this telepathy thing takes on some different form in each route. First I heard about the chemicals from Seven and how they communicated with eachother or something to make a hydrate, then it was about the child experiment, then the dog and lady picture, and then the Ice-9 thing. The real ending probably has something to do with this I'm guessing.
I seriously have to find out wtf is going on x_x
Go for the Safe ending (Ending 4). It'll answer the questions that have popped up for you. I'm trying to get through all of the endings myself without looking at a guide to get the full experience. I just finished the ax ending and + Show Spoiler +WHY COULDN'T JUNPEI JUST STOP CLOVER WHEN SHE GOT OUT OF THE CAPTAIN'S QUARTERS T_T
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Game is officially better than GSL; stayed up all night to finish the true end. + Show Spoiler + Love the commonalities in plot between this game and Ever17 made certain elements too predictable, nonetheless loved them both.
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On December 25 2010 15:07 GMarshal wrote: This game is really awesome, I love the puzzles. I would have never stumbled upon it if not for the OP, since this isn't really the type of game I play, so thank you very much OP!
Whole heartedly agree there. I'm a huge Ever17 fan but I haven't looked at anything relating to the game ever since KID went bankrupt. So happy to have found this thread.
Also to all who enjoyed this game, I highly recommend Ever17!
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i hated hotel dusk. will i like this game?
edit: i liked the phoenix wright series though. except the last one about miles edgeworth.
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If you're rating it above Layton, I'm definitely gonna give this game a go. I still gotta get the third Layton game, but I'm moving this to the top of my priority list
On December 25 2010 14:52 We Are Here wrote: how long does it take for the game to kick off, like in phoenix wright the first good case was case 4.
Case 3 was amazing
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On December 26 2010 01:09 redtooth wrote: i hated hotel dusk. will i like this game?
edit: i liked the phoenix wright series though. except the last one about miles edgeworth. I didn't like hotel dusk either!
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A lot of people don't even take a look at Visual Novels thinking they're just dating sims. It's a lot deeper than that and even the ones with h-stuff in just has it to attract a bigger audience when it'd be fine without it.
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So I've been racking my brains out over several things the endings did not fully explain as well as more questions that came about during true end. Anyone want to discuss? :D
Click for WALL OF TEXT and TRUE/GOOD ENDING Discussion + Show Spoiler +Does the Mummy Exist?Elements of ForeshadowingLike a short story, it seemed that every bit of text and little event in this game was super important and not just thrown in as filler. Much like in Ever17, it seemed that those "weird" stories or events (Akane's constant fever) played an important role in explaining what exactly had transpired 9 years ago. All the allusions and stories played an important role in foreshadowing the endings as well. Ice-9, Morphogenetic Fields, the Ship of Theseus, Futility, the Rabbit Hutches, Santa's hatred for what the 4 leaf clover stood for and the Curse of the Mummy. It also seems that all the books in the Library are huge clues to the whole story. I can figure how each plays a role in the plot except for the Curse of the Mummy and it really, really bugs me because it creates more questions about what really happened 9 years ago the game can't answer it! It doesn't go on! Explanation of ImportanceIce-9 and Morphogenetic Fields stories were a prelude in to the whole psychic connection through a Social Holon as per Sheldrake's research and Leibniz's seven fundamental philosophical Principles. Which in this universe, seem to be factual science. The Ship of Theseus was a clue about two things and one main story element which was Snake's disappearance. Snake's prosthetic arm, his kidnapping and swapping of clothes. As well as Ace's whole prosopagnosia thing which lead to the murder in the shower. If you change a part of something is it still really the same thing? If a man starts wearing Snake's clothes does is he then become Snake like the second ship in the Ship of Theseus paradox which was built from its old wood? To Ace, the answer was yes etc etc. Akane's story of Futility and authors predicting the sinking of the Titanic was a clue to the 9 year psychic connection thing. I found that Akane's fever was very important. It foreshadowed the whole incinerator event, it also was a clue to Zero's identity. Her fever would arise every time Junpei seemed like he was going to fail at finding the true end or began to get stuck in a puzzle. Then she would get better near the end of the puzzles because he was getting closer to helping her with the emotional sudoku puzzle. Very much like in Back to the Future when Marty kept fading in and out of existence before he got Darth Vader to come down from the planet Vulcan to convince his parents to fuck. The story of the rabbit hutches predicted the loleveryonedead(except for Ace; they didn't check his pulse obviously he pretended to be dead and then killed Junpei, Lotus, and Seven), in which they were the rabbits and Junpei was responsible for catching the killer. Santa's story was quite obviously important; it showed that the number 4 or Clover could be viewed as a threat. Even in some of the puzzles like in the room like in the Lab, when you fail the puzzle it says "4 is your end", is a warning about Clover. Ok, point is everything is important.. and on to the juicy part: The Curse of the Mummy (Allice) There's obviously something big here considering there's no answer as to why there was a naked Egyptian hitchhiker in the middle of the Nevada desert. There's obviously something more to the story. I think Lotus is some how connected to the importance of Allice. Other than the clothes being a dead give away, there are several other reasons that led me to this conclusion. Every character EXCEPT Lotus was directly involved with the events that had transpired 9 years ago. Lotus' only connection seemed to be that her kids were abducted and that's how she was connected to all of this. I refuse to believe that she was just some additional character they threw in there just because they needed to fill an empty number slot. The thing is... everyone's past was revealed EXCEPT for Lotus. So now under the assumption that everything in the game is important: I think the mummy is real and Lotus is related to it show howWhen Ace was talking about how he founded his company he said when he found the coffin the only thing inside was some plant. That plant looked a lot like a Mandrake root. In Greek Mythology (valid because there were books in the library on Greek Mythology) the Mandrake root is a symbol for immortality. Mummys are immortal, undead, etc. Is Lotus the mummy?Frequently through out the game they keep making jokes about how old of a woman she is. A clue about a connection with the mummy? How did the door in the freezer seal shut? Magic mummy ice powers? Is Lotus connected to someone through the Morphogenetic Field?Her brute force password attack on the PC in the Lab seemed to parallel the whole trial and error through repeated experiments to produce a Holon within a Morphogenetic Field. Why did Lotus always turn blue when she died?Like seriously? Every other corpse was pink and bloody. She was always bluish. One of Lotus' kids was named Nona...just a rose by any other name or does that name have any extra meanings?Nona means 9. Nonary game. Does this mean Lotus some how "gave birth" to the Nonary game too? Was she involved in its creation? Why did Lotus bring up prosopagnosia, amnesia, and blindness in her conversation with Junpei? Did she know that the people in the group of 9 had these disabilities? How?I mean that cannot be sheer coincidence that Lotus would talk about prosopagnosia and then BAM that was the HUGE clue for Junpei in discovering Ace's true identity. Also the same for the others; their conditions were all related to their true identities. Is there some significance between the comparison of Lotus to the symbol of Hermes (Mercury)?Hermes often helped travelers have a safe and easy journey. Many Greeks would sacrifice to Hermes before any trip. Every time Lotus died, the ending was a disaster for the entire group. Could that be the only reason for the comparison? What about Hermes being known as a trickster or a messenger the gods (immortals / mummys)?
Oh man, this game is awesome. What do you guys think of my questions and theories?
+ Show Spoiler +
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Eh... anime and their ridiculous boobs... I might give this game a try but anime is a serious turn off.
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this game gave me the chills
got through one ending and don't really feel like playing through the rest, but I think its just me because I'm a big sissy when it comes to these types of semi-horror-survival games
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Got through 3playthroughs, working on the other 3 atm....thanks for OP for posting it on TL, would have never stumbled upon this game
Spoilers Inc. + Show Spoiler +First Play: Coffin ending, wow....that was wtf Second Play: Submarine ending, June *cries* Third Play: Knife, I die before June :D Fourth:Axe, Crazy girl Fifth:Safe, wow wtf :o Sixth: WOW
EDIT: just 100% everything, wow....that last puzzle was just evil xD
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United States22154 Posts
I just finished the true ending, and all I have to say is that it was worth the tedium of solving the same puzzles over and over again. Its one of the best DS games I've ever had a chance to play. Can someone suggest more games like this? I really enjoyed it but I'm not even sure as what genre to classify it as.
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I just finished all of the endings. I started without any guides and got the knife and submarine endings. I think I used a guide to figure out the last bad ending and then did the safe and true ending. This game is really fantastic and has such a great story. This game is highly recommended.
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On December 26 2010 02:28 blabber wrote:Show nested quote +On December 26 2010 01:09 redtooth wrote: i hated hotel dusk. will i like this game?
edit: i liked the phoenix wright series though. except the last one about miles edgeworth. I didn't like hotel dusk either!
If I had to describe it I'd say it's Hotel Dusk+Saw or something like that...
I think it's more reading than actual playing... But I think it's definately one of the best DS games out there. All personal taste of course.
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This game sounds super intense for a NDS game. I'll stick to pokemon black for now
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I just have to toss in another vote for this game. I finished it in 3 days and simply could not put it down. It has a few minor flaws, and the plot can get kind of silly, but the game does a great job of creating and resolving tension over multiple playthroughs. If you like reading, psychological horror/mystery/weirdness, and a bit of puzzle solving here and there....grab this game.
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On December 25 2010 17:43 Kinky wrote:Show nested quote +On December 25 2010 14:14 Stark1 wrote:On December 25 2010 13:24 Kinky wrote:----------Spoilers/Wall of text incoming----------- + Show Spoiler + I just started playing yesterday and so far I got the knife and the sub ending. I couldn't sleep last night because I kept trying to link together the two endings. I got the sub ending first and thought that there had to be a 10th person aside from the original 9. Then at the knife ending Junpei made it seem like the killer was someone in the group, whoever benefited the most from getting Lotus' bracelet. But one person alone wouldn't benefit from Lotus' bracelet since they need 3 people at least to open the 9 door, so the sum of the other 2 peoples' bracelets have to be 10 in order for the 9 door to open, so does that mean 2 killers? The only combos possible would be 4/6 and 3/7. Unless the killer wanted both Junpei's and Lotus' bracelet, which doesn't make sense to me since 5+8=13 and you need 18 for the digital root to be 9, which meant two 5 bracelets.
So this gets me wondering back to the sub ending, whether or not there was a 10th person. The only other person who could've killed Lotus/Seven were either Clover/Santa/Ace if they pretended to be dead or something. Or maybe Snake/9th man aren't actually dead and it was faked or something...
I'm on the third playthrough right now and it seems like this telepathy thing takes on some different form in each route. First I heard about the chemicals from Seven and how they communicated with eachother or something to make a hydrate, then it was about the child experiment, then the dog and lady picture, and then the Ice-9 thing. The real ending probably has something to do with this I'm guessing.
I seriously have to find out wtf is going on x_x
Go for the Safe ending (Ending 4). It'll answer the questions that have popped up for you. I'm trying to get through all of the endings myself without looking at a guide to get the full experience. I just finished the ax ending and + Show Spoiler +WHY COULDN'T JUNPEI JUST STOP CLOVER WHEN SHE GOT OUT OF THE CAPTAIN'S QUARTERS T_T
Yea that was pretty stupid, I mean it was obvious what it was...
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I finally bought the game and I must say the storytelling is quite impressive.
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Don't read until you have fully experienced the game.+ Show Spoiler +I am crying. This game has literally brought me to tears. I've never seen such a clever use of the DS. Only on this medium would the game make sense. When you flip your DS upside down to finish the sudoku Akane's reflection mirrors your own perfectly. In that one scene where you are both Akane and Junpei it's just too much. No other game has kept me so engrossed in it's story. The presentation was flawless.
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The story line doesn't make sense.+ Show Spoiler +How can akane exist in the present if she died in the past?And if she didn't die in the past, then why does she need to create a second nonary game to ensure that she lived? I think what the developers are trying to say is that akane lived by talked to junpei in the future, but that doesn't make any sense. That's like going back in time and having sex with your mom to become your own dad. =/ The game was awesome, don't get me wrong, but that's such a ridiculous plot device.
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+ Show Spoiler + indisputably, the storyline of "im in the present and you have to connect to the past and then fix it for childhood me so that i can be saved instead of destroyed so that i can be here now, and i know how all that has happened even though i am alive now so i must not have been dead then, but if i am alive now what would be the point of going back?" is a train wreck. BUT, that being said, the presentation, the build up, and the cast of characters, the dialog, as well as the integration of the nonary number lock system and the murder mystery makes the game really fucking awesome.
if the plot was a bit more solid, i would be overjoyed. But as it is, despite the plot failings, everything else was flawlessly executed.
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On January 04 2011 14:04 Xanbatou wrote:The story line doesn't make sense. + Show Spoiler +How can akane exist in the present if she died in the past?And if she didn't die in the past, then why does she need to create a second nonary game to ensure that she lived? I think what the developers are trying to say is that akane lived by talked to junpei in the future, but that doesn't make any sense. That's like going back in time and having sex with your mom to become your own dad. =/ The game was awesome, don't get me wrong, but that's such a ridiculous plot device.
+ Show Spoiler + You're pretty much correct; Akane lived by communicating with the future Junpei. However, all it allowed her to do was cheat the timeline; unless she could bring about the exact chain of events which resulted in her past self being saved, a paradox would occur and she would cease to exist. Until the point at which her past self's life was saved, her existence in the current timeline is artificial.
If anything, it seems more unreal to me for Junpei to receive information from another continuum's version of himself at virtually the same point in time (when he suddenly knows what to do with his watch at the coffin).
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put story discussions in spoilers, please, thanks.
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I want to give this to my little bro. He's like 13. Will this give him nightmares of the terrifying kind?
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On January 04 2011 14:57 Gummy wrote: I want to give this to my little bro. He's like 13. Will this give him nightmares of the terrifying kind?
I think 13 is a bit too young to really understand the game, but if you think he can understand it, it might freak him out a bit but I dunno if it would be traumatizing =D
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I'm just curious, I haven't played this game but played Ever17, the visual novel. I heard the twist is more or less the exact same thing, can anyone who has played both confirm/deny this?
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On January 05 2011 08:41 Xinliben wrote: I'm just curious, I haven't played this game but played Ever17, the visual novel. I heard the twist is more or less the exact same thing, can anyone who has played both confirm/deny this?
+ Show Spoiler + I played Ever17. The general plot is the same. But. Ever17= weak/ confusing build ups, awesome and amazing ending. 999= awesome build up, weak ending
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Just finished playing this game, all the endings... I must say it's perhaps my favorite game narrative ever. I definitely echo the recommendations of everyone else here.
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People need to port VNs outside Japan more. I mean I'm pretty sure the new version of Umineko would be a huge hit in America if they ported it.
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On January 04 2011 14:04 Xanbatou wrote:The story line doesn't make sense. + Show Spoiler +How can akane exist in the present if she died in the past?And if she didn't die in the past, then why does she need to create a second nonary game to ensure that she lived? I think what the developers are trying to say is that akane lived by talked to junpei in the future, but that doesn't make any sense. That's like going back in time and having sex with your mom to become your own dad. =/ The game was awesome, don't get me wrong, but that's such a ridiculous plot device.
It's quite simple really + Show Spoiler +
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Sounds awesome im gonna try to get this work on my comp...
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Wow, special thanks to OP and people bringing Ever17 in the discussion, I directly grabbed Ever17 and then 999 and this was really an extremely great experience. I really recommend it to everybody who likes good stories.
As said by certain people, you really feel that the same team wrote the two scenarios ^^.
spoiler (for 999 and Ever17) + Show Spoiler + For people saying the storyline does not make sense with time paradox, i think you probably need to see the thoughts "travelling" from junpei tu akane as Blick Winkel in Ever17. Like something that is above everything and that can see all the possible timelines and parrallel universes. That's really how i managed to get a decent explanation out of it
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JIJIyO
Canada1957 Posts
So I just got a bad end, but this game is awesomeeeeee. I only have one ending, so I haven't opened any spoilers yet. So I was wondering if I should play the second play through with + Show Spoiler +? What did you guys do on your second play through?
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Always play through with memories. It's intended that you do so, and will help to make sure you go down a different path by greying out the options you've already selected.
The game's just getting good JIJIyO, you're in for a treat
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Oh man, I bought this game solely because of the comments I read here and I just finished my first playthrough in just a few days. I really didn't find out that much but I'm so excited to start this all over again.
I wish I could just forget about school for the rest of the week and just play this awesome game.
EDIT: Just finished this again (it's so quick when you just skip the parts you've already seen and the puzzles aswell are superfast) and I somehow managed to get the same ending AGAIN. TT So now I've gotten twice the ending with
+ Show Spoiler +
Everyone dying and Junpei dying at the room with the submarine. The first time I just happened to choose the door with "2" on it, since I got a choice. This time I didn't even get to choose, I forced myself to the door "3" (that was the one where Snake was found dead) and eventually just had to go to "2" again. I guess I shouldn't force myself to find Snake the next time, just go for the other doors and in the drawing just choose another door.
I gotta say, quite frustrating to have complete the game twice and I still know so little about the story. Oh well, another round coming up later in the evening.
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Anyone know whether this is going to get an EU release or am i going to have to splash out on one thats been imported from the US?
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Finally got this game yesterday because of this thread, even though I'm in the middle of Dragon Quest 9. Definitely putting that down until I get most, if not all, of this game's endings. Only played roughly 3 hours last night and the game starts out awesome from the get go. The last 30 minutes I planned to play stretched into 2 hours and I'm normally a disciplined guy when it comes to stuff like this.
Thanks to the OP for the recommendation and I definitely can't wait for the weekend.
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i dont think it will ever be released in Europe because it would need a lot of different language traduction.
On the first try I got the knife end and it felt really strange. i I just hoped for the other ends to explain a bit more and hopefully it was the case.
Again, just PLAY THIS GAME!!
(and ever 17 too)
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For those who still have questions about the story or characters: + Show Spoiler +http://www.aksysgames.com/999/answers
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I'm gonna check this out. Sounds really interesting!
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i got all 6 ending!!!! AMAZING GAME. i love every hour of it!
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why is this game so expensive? =/ I want to try it out, but I'm not spending $40 for this game.
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On February 20 2011 03:19 RoosterSamurai wrote: why is this game so expensive? =/ I want to try it out, but I'm not spending $40 for this game. It will be the best 40 dollars you ever spend. Trust me the game is amazing and they deserve so much more praise than they are getting.
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United States22154 Posts
On February 20 2011 03:19 RoosterSamurai wrote: why is this game so expensive? =/ I want to try it out, but I'm not spending $40 for this game.
Alternatively download a ds emulator find a rom hack for it and play it on your computer, it won't be as convenient, but hey you'll save 40$
the game is absolutely worth it though, it hooked me on VNs (I'm about to finish Ever17) I went out and bought it after playing the romhack version just to support the producers.
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Awesome game. I played it for a good 3 days to get all the endind and even though the true ending was kinda far-fetched it was delivered beautifully
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hey if you guys want another DS game recommendation, check out Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective! Starts out kinda wtf but once you get into the flow of things it's fun. Main problem is that there's pretty much no replay value at all.
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Ooh, I am loving all the nice feedback. Going to try it out now.
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Couldn't stop playing. It was an AMAZING game. It was very thought-provoking.
SPOILERS Ending rant!
I have had my questions answered by the lovely link above! Thanks kororo!
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woa this game really does get you to solve puzzles in such an amazing game.
+ Show Spoiler +just got through the 1st puzzle with the blue/red suitcases and the door.. took me a while
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On March 04 2011 17:18 blabber wrote: hey if you guys want another DS game recommendation, check out Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective! Starts out kinda wtf but once you get into the flow of things it's fun. Main problem is that there's pretty much no replay value at all.
Definitely an interesting game, I just dislike that feeling you get sometimes of having to experience the same couple minutes of a scene over again.
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Love this game!!!!! Seven is the best character ever!! Hopefully this marks the return of point and click adventure games!
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Greatest. Game. Ever. I cannot believe I've never heard of this game until now, and it's freaking brilliant. Even though some parts are bullshit, and you have to repeat a lot, the story is brilliant, and the ending is ridiculous.
If this is the only game you play in your entire life, it'd be a good life. The story is just... damn. I got to recommend this to everyone with a gameboy.
To understand this game, you need to do the first 5 endings before doing the final one, because it's just so. damn. awesome. And you'll spoil yourself if you don't do it in the right order.
Warning though, you read more than you play, unless you're a video game hero.
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All these positive remarks are making me want to give this a try.... Got a few more days before school starts up again s I might have to give it a try.
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Tried this game because of this topic. Started 7 hours ago Couldn't stop, even thought "after this door, I go to sleep"...7 hours...and I got an ending + Show Spoiler + This game is real good, even if the game parts are just an excuse for this to be called a game and not a novel.
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Big fan of this game. Hotel Dusk is my favorite DS game, so I gave 999 a try. A couple weeks later, I got all the endings I love how each ending gives a bit more of the full story until you stumble upon the real ending and everything makes sense. Every character plays a big role in the overall plot, which I wasn't expecting.
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best story on DS period. Kinda scary sometimes too.
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Wow. Just picked this up after reading this thread a while ago. I've never been this into a DS game before. Like, I get entertained, but I don't actually fall into the story and actually pay attention to the details.
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Guess I'll pick this one up whenever I get my 3DS. I'm going to start playing DS games I never could.
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You guys are really convincing, going to give it a go tonight.
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fml + Show Spoiler +Thought I was doing all good, then boom, stabbed in the back (this Jumpy person can't even hear someone walk up behind him t.t) and "bad ending." I'm only a little ways through my 2nd try. Speeding through text you've read already is nice.
edit: + Show Spoiler + Wowwww just got another "bad ending" where I die. At least this time I got to see my killer... I feel like you make so few choices too, one of my qualms is that most decision don't seem that important, the most important ones being which path you take.
edit: + Show Spoiler + Finally finished the safe, and true endings. It kept me up thinking last night. The ending is good, really good, but I can't say it was the ending I truly wanted.
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sequel was announced (for release on the 3DS and PS Vita) http://psp.ign.com/articles/119/1191558p1.html
hopefully it comes to the USA!
i'm sure it will be a good game, but I don't know if I'll enjoy it like I did with the original 999 since the new one is probably going to use a lot of the same elements as the first
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my excitement for the sequel was immediately brought down by 3DS and PSVita
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Holy shit a sequel.... on 3DS. =/
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Wow...I have to get a 3DS now. One of the new characters remind me of Alice.
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Well, basically my thought on this sequel is that 3D will ruin the nice graphics and turn into an awful pack of textures seemingly looking like characters.
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This looks sick, gonna have to buy a 3ds then sell it after playing this rofl (and maybe the new zelda game)
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Really hope they release it in the US. Perhaps I'll get a 3DS or just play it on emulator.
Whenever the thought of 999 pops back into my head it kind of has a draining effect on me. Was just such an immersive experience.
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I played 999 after a history of PC VNs. Yes, it was good, no it was not great.
The puzzles took away a lot from the story in my opinion. Some people enjoy them, I thought they just delayed going through the routes again. Going through the route each time was a pain in the ass. Going through them the first time was okay. But if I want puzzles, I'd play Pheonix Wright. I'm looking to play a mystery story.
On that note, the story. I did enjoy it quite a bit.+ Show Spoiler +I thought Ace was suspicious, by virtue of him not having his backstory explained at all. By the same logic, I thought June and Junpei were suspicious. I didn't suspect Junpei because of Knox's 7th. I didn't expect Santa at all though, and I was suspicious of Snake. I was half/half on whether it was his body in the room since it said his head was half destroyed. It didn't specify whether his face was recognizable. Assuming he was alive, he could've been responsible for a lot of what happened. I did figure that it was his body in the coffin. The time paradox spoiler, I didn't even imagine.
But really, a lot of other VNs have comparable or better stories. Ever 17 (By the same person who made 999), G-Senjou no Maou, Umineko No Naku Koro Ni, etc, etc. Also, 999 was rather short.
All in all, good game. Best DS game, I dunno. I haven't played many DS games.
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The 3d pictures look like it has a lot less personality than the 2d pictures. I don't know if this game will be enough to get me to buy a 3DS, but hopefully it'll have a decent library of other games as well by the time this game is out. I hope this gets localized.
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I know this is an old thread but DAMN, what a sick game to play through (multiple times!). I highly recommend this to anyone who has a DS. Goosebumps all the way.
A few thoughts about the endings: + Show Spoiler +1) The June being alive for the second nonary game is a freaky paradox, right? I mean, it's a stable time loop (she gets saved by Junpei as a child then goes back as Zero and runs the second nonary game in order to make Junpei save her), but I still get confused thinking about it. At least it means that all the non-true ending are impossible to happen, they're just "what-ifs" accessed by Junpei's/June's powers. 2) Are Junpei and June both transmitters and receivers? I understood that since Santa was a receiver, June was a transmitter, but she managed to connect to Junpei. Power of love ? 3) What's up with the sub ending? The sub just seems to not make any sense in the original nonary, which had the children going for the door 9. It's strange that the children would have an alternative way to get out. At least it means getting in a sub in the desert means the killer (probably Ace, the one with the knife and the soporil) is doomed.
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