Info about Little Busters! English Edition: Official game description: Story ----- Riki Naoe lost his parents as a child, and fell deep into despair. He was saved by a group of kids who called themselves the Little Busters: Kyousuke Natsume, Masato Inohara, Kengo Miyazawa, and Rin Natsume. They took him and played at being heroes who fought tireless evil around them. Riki discovered endless joy in spending time with his new friends, even though the group was silly and their missions tended to end in failure. Over time, it washed away his loneliness and suffering. Years later, the whole gang was attending the same school, and Riki became a second-year. They were still as silly as ever and spent their youth following Kyousuke's silly ideas. Description ----------- "Little Busters!" is a hit visual novel that was originally released in Japan in 2007. In the following year, "Little Busters! Ecstasy" edition came out, promoting Kanata Futaki and Sasami Sasasegawa to heroines, and adding an all-new heroine, Saya Tokido. In 2012, the "Little Busters! PERFECT EDITION" was released with improvements in the "Little Busters! Ecstasy" scenarios. In 2012 and 2013, the game was made into two anime series "Little Busters!" and "Little Busters! ~Refrain~". Both series are available and have gained a large following in many countries outside of Japan as well. "Little Busters! English Edition" is a new version that further enhances "Little Busters! PERFECT EDITION". This new edition supports HD resolution for the first time on PC, and allows dynamic switching between Japanese and English text. Characters ---------- **RIKI NAOE** Ordinary Boy with an Extraordinarily Lively Youth The protagonist. Riki is a bit weak-willed, yet very considerate toward his friends. He always gets involved in the ruckus caused by the troublemakers around him. Riki also plays an important role as the straight man in his pals' idiotic comedy routines. **KYOUSUKE NATSUME** Leader who Turns Ordinary Days into Missions Kyousuke is the only third-year in the team and leads the team. The mysterious side of his personality attracts many girls unbeknownst to him while he enjoys boys' comics like a little kid. **MASATO INOHARA** Lovable Straight Muscle Idiot Masato is simply a muscle idiot. He dedicates his life to bodybuilding and fighting. Masato and Kengo are like cats and dogs, always fighting each other. No one but Kyousuke is capable of arbitrating their fights. **KENGO MIYAZAWA** Masato's Strongest Rival Kengo is a different type of idiot from Masato, one who devotes himself to kendo. He pretends to be cool and collected, but is actually impulsive and short-tempered under his exterior. Unlike the rest of the team, he has a somewhat cynical nature. **KOMARI KAMIKITA** Height: 159cm Weight: 45kg Measurements: 83, 57, 84 Peerlessly Cute Fairy Tale Girl Komari is a girl who loves picture books, fairy tales, and sweets. She is so careless and clumsy that she often messes things up and ends up bringing herself to tears. She lives her life seeking "wonderful things" and "keys to happiness." Komari is, in short, an optimistic airhead. **RIN NATSUME** Height: 153cm Weight: 43kg Measurements: 77, 54, 80 Prideful Kitten who Doesn't Easily Take to Others Rin is Kyousuke's little sister. She is rather unsociable, having grown up under the protection of her brother. She tends to act before she thinks. She is often seen using high kicks when a particular person does or says something silly. **HARUKA SAIGUSA** Height: 163cm Weight: 49kg Measurements: 81, 59, 82 Easygoing Noisy Girl Haruka is not in the same class as Riki, but for some reason can always be found in his classroom. Where she goes, trouble always follows. She either gleefully involves herself, or gets caught up in the mess. She basically flies by the seat of her pants without taking anything seriously. **KUDRYAVKA NOUMI** Height: 145cm Weight: 37kg Measurements: 69, 51, 72 Exotic (Self-Proclaimed) Mascot Kudryavka has a very Japanese personality, influenced by her Japanophile grandfather, despite having been born and raised outside Japan. She doesn't like that fact and forces herself to speak English. She is actually younger than the rest of the team. Everyone around her adores and picks on her as a mascot. Her friends call her "Kud." **YUIKO KURUGAYA** Height: 170cm Weight: 55kg Measurements: 90, 60, 89 A Tad Mischievous Anego Yuiko is one of Riki's classmates, the very personification of an "Anego." Everybody around her counts on her because of her confidence bordering on arrogance and keen insight. She also loves cute girls. **MIO NISHIZONO** Height: 153cm Weight: 41kg Measurements: 75, 55, 79 Parasol-Holding Silent Beauty Mio is a quiet girl who spends every recess reading by herself. She is diligent in everything she does but sometimes goes off into her own little world after getting the wrong idea about things. She never forgets to take her parasol with her when going out. **SAYA TOKIDO** Height: 156cm Weight: 44kg Measurements: 83, 55, 82 Invincible Airhead One side of Saya is a cute girl liked by everybody in her class. The other side is a mysterious spy who at night searches the school grounds for the "treasure" hidden and protected by the Darkness Executives that she occasionally engages. **KANATA FUTAKI** Height: 163cm Weight: 47kg Measurements: 80, 57, 82 Blunt, Unsociable, and Tactless Prefect Kanata is the head prefect at school. She is inflexible, unfriendly, and doesn't hesitate before showering people with insults. She has persistent hostility toward any student who "corrupts public morals." **SASAMI SASASEGAWA** Height: 154cm Weight: 43kg Measurements: 78, 54, 81 Self-Centered Cat Queen Sasami is the hope of the softball club and a prideful girl always accompanied by her followers. For some reason she considers Rin as her rival. Many people stutter when attempting to pronounce her tongue twister-like name. Theme Song ---------- **"Little Busters! -ecstasy ver.-"** Composition & Lyrics Jun Maeda Arranged by Tomoyuki Nakazawa (I've) Takeshi Ozaki (I've) Remix MintJam Vocals & chorus Rita Developed by: ------------- VisualArts/Key Converted by: ------------- PROTOTYPE Translated by: -------------- Fruitbat Factory, Interweave Productions Release date: Nov 1, 2017 Categories: Visual Novel, Choice-based Narrative, Branching Narrative, Character Interaction, Mini-game Collection, Slice of Life, Romance, Story-driven Gameplay Feature scans: - Wiki: score 50; verdict: High Dependency on External Data; summary: The user feedback indicates a heavy reliance on external data sources such as guides, wikis, and cultural references to fully understand and progress in the game. The complexity of the game mechanics and hidden secrets, along with cultural and linguistic barriers, necessitate the use of these external resources. This dependency highlights significant barriers to entry for players who do not have access to or knowledge of these external data sources. - Hardware Profile: No data Feature extractions: - Community Price: - Community fair range: $15.00 - $25.00 - Reasoning: The reviews indicate that the game is considered worth its price, with several users suggesting that it is a fair price for a visual novel (VN). One user mentions that it is worth the price of admission, while another suggests waiting for a sale, implying that the current price is slightly high but still reasonable. The general sentiment is that the game is valuable and worth purchasing, especially during a sale. - Playtime Metrics: - Game completion: 100.0h - Story completion: 20.0h - Session length: N/A - Endgame: 60.0h - Reasoning: The evidence provides direct statements about the playtime required for different parts of the game. The first quote gives a specific range for the common route and each character route, which helps in estimating the typical time for story completion and game completion. The second and third quotes provide total playtime hours from users who have completed all routes, giving a sense of the overall game completion time. The fourth quote mentions the time investment required to reach a significant part of the game, which supports the endgame playtime. - Time-to-fun: - Summary: The game has a slow and repetitive start but becomes more enjoyable after completing the first route and engaging with minigames. - Stance: Fun then drops - Anchor: Completing the first route - Time to anchor: 1h 0m - Friction: slow start; repetitive episodes; boring common route - Unlock drivers: completing the first route; engaging with minigames - Conditions: willingness to invest time; engaging with minigames; completing routes - Player Archetypes: - Story-Driven Emotional Explorer (buy) - Motivation: Emotional engagement and narrative depth - Playstyle: Focuses on experiencing the story and character arcs, often replaying routes to fully understand the narrative. - Experience: familiar - Purchase stance: buy - Labels: Key社 fan; Visual Novel enthusiast - Reference games: Clannad; Rewrite; Angel Beats - Critical Evaluator (sale) - Motivation: Seeking high-quality gameplay and narrative coherence - Playstyle: Analytical and critical, often comparing different mediums and versions of the story. - Experience: veteran - Purchase stance: sale - Labels: Anime fan; Critical gamer - Reference games: Clannad; White Album - Enthusiastic Recommender (buy) - Motivation: Sharing enjoyable experiences with others - Playstyle: Enjoys the game thoroughly and recommends it to both fans and newcomers. - Experience: mixed - Purchase stance: buy - Labels: Key社 fan; Visual Novel advocate - Reference games: Clannad; Katawa Shoujo Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category. Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews. What players like: - Engaging and deep storytelling (weight 0.5): The storyline is praised for being engaging, deeply woven, and excellent. Players appreciate the character development and personal arcs within the story. - Variety of engaging mini-games (weight 0.31): The game includes a variety of mini-games that are found to be interesting and engaging. Players appreciate the different genres and achievements associated with these mini-games. - Praised Refrain route (weight 0.23): The Refrain route is highlighted as a masterpiece and the game's true ending. Players appreciate its length and emotional impact. - Outstanding music and soundtrack (weight 0.23): The game features high-definition artwork and a memorable soundtrack. Players praise the high-quality music and top-notch voice acting. - Engaging common route (weight 0.2): The common route is described as fun, high-quality, and engaging. Players enjoy the slice-of-life elements and interesting storyline. - Included Busterpedia (weight 0.15): The Busterpedia is an in-game dictionary that provides definitions and cultural knowledge. Players find it a useful addition to the game. - Combines multiple genres and humor (weight 0.13): The game is a romance visual novel that combines parody, slapstick comedy, fan service, tragedy, drama, supernatural, mystery, and thriller elements. Players appreciate the humor and varied genres. - Great gameplay and voice acting (weight 0.13): The game is praised for its great gameplay and voice acting. Players feel that the game met their high expectations. Common complaints: - Some routes are boring (weight 0.18): Several players found certain routes in the game to be less engaging or unsatisfying compared to others. - H scenes criticized (weight 0.18): The H scenes in the game were widely criticized for being poorly executed and feeling out of place. - Rushed or underdeveloped storylines (weight 0.14): Some storylines in the game were felt to be rushed or underdeveloped, leading to criticism. - Specific routes criticized (weight 0.14): Certain routes, such as Kud's route and others, were criticized for being poorly written or rushed. - Grammar and text errors (weight 0.14): Players noticed grammatical and text-based errors, including typos and repeated words. - Protagonist's low presence (weight 0.08): Players noted that the male protagonist's presence in the game was minimal, affecting their engagement. - Excessive melodrama (weight 0.08): The game was criticized for having over-the-top and poorly executed melodrama. - Repetitive minigames (weight 0.08): The batting minigame and other minigames were noted to become repetitive over time. - Unclear route choices (weight 0.08): Players found some route choices to be unclear and some routes resolved too quickly. - Confusing narrative (weight 0.08): The game's narrative was criticized for being confusing and difficult to follow. - Repetitive gameplay and music (weight 0.08): Players found the gameplay and some music to be repetitive, detracting from the overall experience. - Weak character development (weight 0.08): Certain characters were criticized for having weak development, leading to disappointment. - True ending requirements (weight 0.08): The game requires completing all female character arcs to reach the true ending, which some players found tedious. - Game pacing issues (weight 0.08): The game was noted to drag at times, affecting the overall pacing and player experience. - Disappointing endings (weight 0.08): Some of the game's endings were found to be underwhelming and disappointing. - Display issues in windowed mode (weight 0.08): Players reported experiencing display issues when playing the game in windowed mode. - Uneven side story quality (weight 0.07): The quality of side stories in the game was noted to be uneven, with some being weaker than others. Gameplay feedback: - Emotional and character-driven narrative (weight 0.54): The game offers a strong narrative with emotional depth and character-driven storytelling. Players can expect a story-rich experience with well-developed characters and plot twists. - Multiple routes and endings (weight 0.43): The game features multiple routes and endings, allowing players to experience different storylines and outcomes based on their choices. This includes branching narratives and individual character routes. - Mini-games variety (weight 0.37): The game includes a variety of mini-games such as baseball, shooting, maze, and combat-style encounters. These mini-games are integrated into the main gameplay and provide additional challenges and rewards. - Game mechanics and features (weight 0.33): The game includes various mechanics such as RPG elements, dungeon crawler segments, and convenient features like skip and reverse buttons. These mechanics enhance the overall gameplay experience. - Visual novel with interactive elements (weight 0.33): As a visual novel, the game combines traditional storytelling with interactive elements such as mini-games, gameplay mechanics, and player choices that affect the narrative. - High gameplay duration (weight 0.25): The game offers a long gameplay duration, with some players reporting over 60 hours of content. This includes multiple playthroughs and extensive storylines. - Comedic and slice of life elements (weight 0.24): The game incorporates comedic elements and slice-of-life segments, providing a mix of humor and everyday life scenarios alongside more serious and dramatic plot twists. - Translation and language support (weight 0.13): The game supports multiple languages and has undergone a translation process to ensure quality. This includes an English translation and an interactive menu for easier navigation. - Unique gameplay elements (weight 0.1): The game includes unique elements such as a detailed fighting system, enciclopedia, and fan service. These elements add depth and variety to the gameplay experience. Performance notes: - Resolution limitations (weight 0.12): The game's graphics are limited to 16:9 720p resolution, which may not meet the expectations of players looking for higher resolution graphics. - Audio problems (weight 0.09): Players report issues with audio, including missing sounds and loss of audio during subsequent startups. - Display and scaling issues (weight 0.09): There are various display issues, particularly in windowed mode, and scaling problems that affect the visual experience. - Censorship and content changes (weight 0.09): The game has censored backgrounds and includes new routes and dialogues, which may be a point of contention for some players. - Hardware compatibility issues (weight 0.05): The game crashes with certain hardware configurations, such as when using a 7.1 channel headset. - Performance workarounds (weight 0.05): Players suggest using Magpie with Anime4K upscaler to improve the game's performance and visual quality. - Minor audio improvements (weight 0.04): Audio has been added for minor characters, enhancing the overall audio experience. - Adequate performance (weight 0.04): Some players report that the visual novel ran okay, indicating that performance issues may not be universal. Recommendations: - Recommended for visual novel fans (weight 0.41): This game is highly recommended for fans of visual novels and those who enjoy impactful, emotional stories. It is particularly noted for its engaging narrative and character development. - Amazing story and character development (weight 0.31): The game is praised for its amazing story and well-developed characters. It focuses on themes of friendship and has a realistic feel that resonates with players. - Highly recommended to everyone (weight 0.12): Many reviews simply state that the game is highly recommended to everyone, highlighting its broad appeal and high quality. - Play without walkthroughs (weight 0.07): Players are encouraged to experience the game without using walkthroughs to enhance their enjoyment and discovery. - Skip boring routes (weight 0.04): Some players recommend skipping the less interesting routes and focusing on the main route for a better experience. - Watch the anime instead (weight 0.04): A suggestion to watch the anime for a more concise experience, implying that the game might be too lengthy or less engaging in comparison. - Wait for a sale (weight 0.04): Some reviewers suggest waiting for a good sale before purchasing the game, indicating that it might be overpriced at its regular price point. - Not recommended for new players (weight 0.04): The game might not be suitable for new players, suggesting that it could be complex or not beginner-friendly. Other player notes: No miscpoints Emotions: - Joy (weight 0.22): Players experience joy due to the engaging story, realistic character interactions, and emotional impact of the narrative. The enjoyable mini-games, beautiful visuals, and themes of friendship also contribute to this positive emotion. - Frustration (weight 0.1): Frustration stems from the game's lengthy gameplay time, lack of interaction in individual routes, and the need to use guides to navigate the story. Technical issues like game freezes, crashes, and repetitive gameplay also contribute to this emotion. - Nostalgia (weight 0.09): Players feel nostalgia due to the game's themes of friendship and school life, which remind them of past experiences and friendships. The emotional impact of the story and music also evokes a sense of nostalgia. - Sadness (weight 0.07): The game's emotionally heavy moments and strong emotional impact lead to feelings of sadness. The bittersweet and tragic elements of the story, as well as tearjerker moments, contribute to this emotion. - Enjoyment (weight 0.06): Enjoyment comes from the game's excellent storyline, engaging character routes, and well-developed characters. The mini-games and the game's focus on friendship also add to the overall enjoyment. - Excitement (weight 0.06): Players feel excitement due to the engaging mini-games, character animations, and the anticipation of the game's official release. The game's themes and fun activities also contribute to this emotion. - Admiration (weight 0.04): Admiration is felt towards the game's narrative, character development, and the quality of the story and characters. The adaptation and character design are also praised. - Satisfaction (weight 0.04): Satisfaction arises from the well-written and long individual character routes, enjoyable character interactions, and the emotionally resonant writing. The true ending and character arcs also contribute to this feeling. - Nostalgic (weight 0.03): Players feel nostalgic due to the game's themes of youth and friendship, which evoke memories of past experiences. The emotional impact and engaging storylines also contribute to this sense of nostalgia. - Happiness (weight 0.03): Happiness is derived from the game's funny and fun moments, as well as the enjoyment of the characters and story. The gameplay and story also contribute to this positive emotion. - Disappointment (weight 0.03): Disappointment comes from the lack of interesting character lines, boring and shallow routes, and the dull protagonist. The lack of official Chinese support also contributes to this feeling. - 感动 (weight 0.02): Players are moved by the story and character development, as well as the emotional impact of the Refrain line and its ending. The character emotions and the overall narrative contribute to this feeling. - 失望 (weight 0.01): Disappointment is felt due to the handling of certain character routes and the unsatisfying writing of some storylines. Specific routes like 小毬线、库特线和来谷线 are mentioned as disappointing. - Inspired (weight 0.01): Players feel inspired by the game's themes of friendship and overcoming adversity. The themes of mutual rescue and friendship also contribute to this emotion. - Amusement (weight 0.01): Amusement comes from the funny and healing interactions among the characters, as well as the interesting daily life segments. The high-quality English translation also adds to the amusement. - Gratitude (weight 0.01): Gratitude is felt towards the game's impact on the user's life and personal growth. The game's influence on the reviewer's personal development contributes to this emotion. - Felicidad (weight 0): La felicidad proviene de la valoración positiva de la experiencia de juego, considerándola digna de cada segundo invertido. La recomendación del juego también contribuye a esta emoción positiva.}