AnimePlay
Encyclopedia
Anime Play is a trademark used to refer to the visual novel
games distributed by Hirameki International
and a (discontinued) magazine profiling these games.
s; they can also be played on PCs with DVD-ROM
drives or video game console
s that can play DVD
s like the PlayStation 2
or Xbox
. The restrictions of the DVD format mean that these games are missing many features present in most visual novels such as separate volume controls for music and voices; controlling the speed at which text is played; and ability to save the game at any point.
The following games have been released in Anime Play format:
Hirameki International announced in 2003 that having released Phantom of Inferno earlier that year, they would be releasing fifteen more titles in AnimePlay format in the fourth quarter of 2003, and described all sixteen on their website; however, in summer of 2003 most of these titles were removed from the website. Phantom of Inferno, Amusement Park and Day of Love were the only games released in 2003. The full list of visual novels to which they apparently acquired the rights is:
In late 2005, Hirameki announced on their blog that after releasing the remaining two volumes of Exodus Guilty, the Anime Play DVD series will be discontinued, and all of their visual novel titles will be released on PC.
Hirameki has announced that all of their future releases (after finishing releasing the Exodus Guilty trilogy on Interactive DVD) will be on this product line. It is unknown whether any of the 15 titles announced for DVD release in 2003 are currently slated for a PC release.
As of Jan 2 2008 Hirameki "has decided to bow out of publishing Interactive Visual Novels". The only retail store selling Anime Play products has also gone out of business.
Because of this, no more Anime Play DVDs or PC games will be sold.
and manga
as well. The magazine published its first issue in July 2003. It was announced shortly after the opening of the Hirameki Community Site that Hirameki will no longer publish Anime Play Magazine, choosing instead to focus on releasing PC titles.
Visual novel
A is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...
games distributed by Hirameki International
Hirameki
Hirameki International Group Inc. was an American company founded in March 2000 which specialized in translating visual novels from Japan and releasing them to the American market. It is named after the Japanese word for the noun "flash" or "insight"...
and a (discontinued) magazine profiling these games.
Anime Play DVD
Anime Play DVDs are the only English-language visual novels that are playable on standard DVD playerDVD player
A DVD player is a device that plays discs produced under both the DVD-Video and DVD-Audio technical standards, two different and incompatible standards. These devices were invented in 1997 and continue to thrive...
s; they can also be played on PCs with DVD-ROM
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
drives or video game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
s that can play DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
s like the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
or Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
. The restrictions of the DVD format mean that these games are missing many features present in most visual novels such as separate volume controls for music and voices; controlling the speed at which text is played; and ability to save the game at any point.
The following games have been released in Anime Play format:
- Phantom of InfernoPhantom of InfernoPhantom of Inferno is a visual novel game created by Nitroplus, and distributed by Hirameki International . It came out in Japan in 2000, and then was distributed in America as an AnimePlay title in 2003...
, a crime/romance drama - Amusement Park, a romantic drama
- Day of LoveDay of Loveis a Japanese dating sim produced by ACTRESS, originally released on April 25, 2000, on CD-ROM. A PlayStation port by Princess Soft was released on 26th July, 2001 under the name "Koi Yohou" . The English release was by Hirameki International in the DVD-based AnimePlay format on February 17, 2004...
, a high school romance - Tea Society of a WitchTea Society of a WitchTea Society of a Witch is an interactive AnimePlay DVD version of the Japanese bishōjo game by Front Wing. The English language version is an all-ages DVD game based on the Japanese Dreamcast version. There is also a Japanese version with adult content for PC. The main character is a young high...
, a magical fantasy - Hourglass of SummerHourglass of Summeris a Japanese visual novel that was released by Princess Soft. It was brought to the U.S. by the Hirameki International Group. It is one of the few interactive dating games that have been translated into English...
, a time travel romance - Ishika and Honori, a spiritual detective drama
- Dragonia, a fantasy adventure game
- Exodus Guilty: Vol. 1 - Present, part one of a three-part adventure taking place over three time periods
Hirameki International announced in 2003 that having released Phantom of Inferno earlier that year, they would be releasing fifteen more titles in AnimePlay format in the fourth quarter of 2003, and described all sixteen on their website; however, in summer of 2003 most of these titles were removed from the website. Phantom of Inferno, Amusement Park and Day of Love were the only games released in 2003. The full list of visual novels to which they apparently acquired the rights is:
- Phantom of Inferno: released in 2003
- Day of Love: released in 2003
- The Sixteenth Night Love Song, a love adventure game: status unknown
- The Bride of Ergeners, a marriage adventure game: status unknown
- Lying on Yoshia Heights, a fantasy adventure game: status unknown
- Koimusubi (Lovers' Knot), a romance story: status unknown
- Amusement Park: released in 2003
- Snow Talk, a fantasy simulation game: status unknown
- Separate Blue, a school love story: status unknown
- AzraelAzraelAzrael is the name of the Archangel of Death in some extrabiblical traditions. He is also the angel of death in Islamic theology and Sikhism. It is an English form of the Arabic name ʿIzrāʾīl or Azra'eil , the name traditionally attributed to the angel of death in some sects of Islam and Sikhism,...
, a ghost story: status unknown - Sweet Legacy, a cooking love story: status unknown
- Five O One, an action story: status unknown
- CanaryCanary (anime)is the first eroge game made by Front Wing, and has also been adapted into an anime OVA, which is not hentai. The game was re-released for the Dreamcast and PlayStation 2 in non-adult content.-Story:...
, a school love story: status unknown - Hooligan, an action love comedy: status unknown
- Tea Society of a Witch: released in summer 2004
- Hourglass of Summer: released in summer 2004
In late 2005, Hirameki announced on their blog that after releasing the remaining two volumes of Exodus Guilty, the Anime Play DVD series will be discontinued, and all of their visual novel titles will be released on PC.
Anime Play PC
AnimePlay PC games are the visual novels released in the United States by Hirameki International. Currently, they include:- Ai Yori AoshiAi Yori Aoshiis a Japanese seinen manga written and illustrated by Kou Fumizuki and serialized from 1998 to 2005 in Hakusensha's Young Animal. It is a love story between two characters who haven't seen each other in years but were once childhood friends....
, a port of the PlayStation 2PlayStation 2The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
game. - AnimamundiAnimamundiAnimamundi: Dark Alchemist is a Japanese gothic horror visual novel developed by Karin Entertainment and distributed by Hirameki International in the United States.- Story :...
, a gothic horror game. - Ever17Ever17Ever 17: The Out of Infinity is a Japanese science fiction visual novel produced by KID, originally released on August 29, 2002 for the PlayStation 2 and Dreamcast. A Windows version, Ever 17: The Out of Infinity Premium Edition, was released on May 16, 2003. In December 2005, Hirameki...
, a mystery/suspense/romance game. - Piece of WonderPiece of WonderPiece of Wonder is a hybrid tactical RPG and visual novel originally published in Japan in February 2002 by Studio Crossfire and released on January 21, 2007 in the United States by Hirameki International. The storyline incorporates sci-fi elements. A downloadable version, which doubles as a timed...
, a strategy game/romance. - Yo-Jin-BoYo-Jin-Bois a Japanese visual novel produced by Two-Five. In October 2006, Hirameki International released an English edition of the PC version in the United States....
an action/romance game.
Hirameki has announced that all of their future releases (after finishing releasing the Exodus Guilty trilogy on Interactive DVD) will be on this product line. It is unknown whether any of the 15 titles announced for DVD release in 2003 are currently slated for a PC release.
As of Jan 2 2008 Hirameki "has decided to bow out of publishing Interactive Visual Novels". The only retail store selling Anime Play products has also gone out of business.
Because of this, no more Anime Play DVDs or PC games will be sold.
Anime Play Magazine
Anime Play was also a quarterly magazine published by Hirameki International. It featured a thin print edition, with the majority of its material on an interactive DVD. The magazine mostly reviewed the Anime Play DVD releases, but animeAnime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
and manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
as well. The magazine published its first issue in July 2003. It was announced shortly after the opening of the Hirameki Community Site that Hirameki will no longer publish Anime Play Magazine, choosing instead to focus on releasing PC titles.
External links
- http://www.hirameki-int.com/
- http://community.hirameki-int.com/