Little Busters - Game Discussion (Little Busters & Ecstasy!)

[Aspirety]

This seems like a good place to reach out to.
Attention everyone! I am a huge fan of Little Busters, and I come seeking fellow fans of the game from all corners of the world. I am starting a collaboration project from Little Busters everywhere to send out a 'love letter' to the LB fandom in Japan, in the form of a video to be uploaded to Nico Nico Douga, in order to raise awareness in Japan of the otaku consciousness in the broader world.

http://kakeracomplex.wordpress.com/2...oject-outline/

I ask that anyone who shares my love of the game give this a look and consider it, I believe it to be a worthy cause

[Klashikari]

Originally Posted by Randrak42

I'm actually more interested in Saya in EX and her involvement in the plot to be honest. Pretty sure they added in the H-scenes just to please the fans too used to Nukige games.

That's the less likely reason for that.
To begin with, anyone remotely aware of Key works who want to have their H fix definitely know that key games are hardly anything good in that department. So no, hardly a nukige aspect, but rather "another" reason to distinguish normal and EX, and to "please" some people who would be fine with any +18 kind of stuff.

While they are definitely terrible, the H scenes hardly ruin "anything" since they are basically "there" without having a direct weight and effect on the main plot (as skipping them doesn't affect it whatsoever), nor a silly setup allowing the protag to "do" all heroines, like certain series such as utawarerumono.

[Randrak42]

Originally Posted by Klashikari

That's the less likely reason for that.
To begin with, anyone remotely aware of Key works who want to have their H fix definitely know that key games are hardly anything good in that department. So no, hardly a nukige aspect, but rather "another" reason to distinguish normal and EX, and to "please" some people who would be fine with any +18 kind of stuff.

While they are definitely terrible, the H scenes hardly ruin "anything" since they are basically "there" without having a direct weight and effect on the main plot (as skipping them doesn't affect it whatsoever), nor a silly setup allowing the protag to "do" all heroines, like certain series such as utawarerumono.

I see, that makes sense. Thanks.

Honestly, I'll only be playing the Ex version because I'm intrigued by Saya presence and I want to see Futaki's side of the story. I hear that Sasasasasami's route is played more for laughs than anything else.
And I wish I could play EX BEFORE the anime rolls around, but that doesn't seem likely.

[Randrak42]

Your opinion, won't even bother to fight you over it...but...

Originally Posted by bigdeal000

b) Isn't Kurugaya+Kyosuke a much better couple?

eh...no...just no...

Spoiler for Refrain:

Also any mention of Refrain kisses are automatically deleted in my mind :I

[Linkark07]

Originally Posted by Randrak42

I see, that makes sense. Thanks.

Honestly, I'll only be playing the Ex version because I'm intrigued by Saya presence and I want to see Futaki's side of the story. I hear that Sasasasasami's route is played more for laughs than anything else.
And I wish I could play EX BEFORE the anime rolls around, but that doesn't seem likely.

Well, look at the bright side: with the popularity of the anime the translation group might speed up the translation project.

[Mahou]

Originally Posted by bigdeal000

Ok. So I'm here to post my opinion after finishing Kurugaya true ending + refrain a second time.

1. I love this game, it's awesome.

Spoiler for the game:

2. Kurugaya's true ending it's pretty cool, confesing to Riki. She looks like she's ready to give and accept love this time around. Sure, she accepted last time to, but this time she is clear of all hesitations. We still don't know exactly what made her like that, but this is not Naruto. There are people out there without tragic stories behind them.

3. Refrain2...wait a sec....OMFG, Rin's too cute to be real! Wait, she's not!! There, done.
I could fanboy over that scene for 30 minutes, writing c**p around here and getting banned. As per Rin or Kurugaya, i'll go with Rin, and here's why (don't take this too seriously, i'm a fanboy and i might blow things out of proportion):

a) Kurugaya confesed to riki in the real world. Rin kissed him. Kiss>confession in my book. The ending I think is cannon is this one, the refrain ending, where Kurugaya is just herself, without any love
b) Isn't Kurugaya+Kyosuke a much better couple? I mean, they seem to be on the same wavelenght, as Riki notices more than once. Come on, Kyosuke needs some love too. Out of all the girls, she's the best for him.
c) She's the first one that apearred in front of unborn Riki. That was her shadow, i'm sure.
d) As i said before, she and riki have awesome teamwork. Rescuing everyone and all the stuff they did togheter.

I know c and d could be countered with "that's what kyosuke planned" but still, If there really was someone better, Riki would have overcome Kyosuke's will, I'm sure. After all, Riki is the one that finished what Kyosuke could not.

My longest post yet.....

Spoiler for Refrain:

The 2nd refrain part, where Riki and Rin saved the whole clue was actually outside of Kyousuke's prediction/plotting. Hence, you see his dialogue where he speaks proudly of Riki and is glad to have him as a friend.
Ignoring that the whole save-everyone part was a major @sspull with the back-to-embryo scene

@Kurugaya true end: I expected something more than her simple confession and afterwards *bam* ending. Thus it felt quite lacking for me. But, her overall route was fair enough romance-wise, in contrast to Rin's boring up to eventless romance (also not counting the tiny scene in the second refrain end). Rin's romantic development was for me a huge letdown/disappointment because it had the potential to be that much better. Their interactin dynamic was good, her growth in Rin2 was very well done and even the "normal" end in Refrain depicted them more couple-like (as in supporting eachother), if my memory serves me right.

@Kyousuke: Honestly, with each playthrough I grew more and more annoyed with the KyousukexRiki bromance. Additionally, I started also to dislike him, especially in Rin2. Yes, his plotting was for a "good" cause, but him acting like a he did was almost rage-worthy. He was more likeable in the beginning with his comedic lines.
I still prefered Komari and Kud's route the most. Komari's happiness theory was quite convincing

[Randrak42]

Yea, out of the girl's routes Kud and Komari were my favorites as well, closely followed by Anego's.

[Balzac]

Spoiler for Everything:

Well you know they could have just ended it there in first Refrain. After all, the job was done, the two were free to live the rest of their lives supporting each other and it was high time to move on. But this is a major Key release, so somehow there has to be a point where all the tears and emotions bled from the reader has to be rewarded somehow. And Key isn't known - bar a few like AIR and Tomoyo After - for leaving it at the bittersweet end. Always has to be the sweeter side.

Would people like it better if it had ended there?

Also regarding the H thing, remember it is a Japanese game first and foremost, and they have to make sales somehow. Only way to do that is to appeal to their customers. Sure, it works if you have made a name for yourself as a pretty good company who makes fine works but others don't have that luxury. I vaguely remember it being proving in Clannad's release. (And I was the only one in my circle to proclaim on my high horse that there had to be an H version released of that game later )

[Mahou]

Originally Posted by Balzac

Spoiler for Everything:

Well you know they could have just ended it there in first Refrain. After all, the job was done, the two were free to live the rest of their lives supporting each other and it was high time to move on. But this is a major Key release, so somehow there has to be a point where all the tears and emotions bled from the reader has to be rewarded somehow. And Key isn't known - bar a few like AIR and Tomoyo After - for leaving it at the bittersweet end. Always has to be the sweeter side.

Would people like it better if it had ended there?

Also regarding the H thing, remember it is a Japanese game first and foremost, and they have to make sales somehow. Only way to do that is to appeal to their customers. Sure, it works if you have made a name for yourself as a pretty good company who makes fine works but others don't have that luxury. I vaguely remember it being proving in Clannad's release. (And I was the only one in my circle to proclaim on my high horse that there had to be an H version released of that game later )

I didn't mind the h-scenes in Ecstasy because it reminded me of Kanon's which were simply stated as a "reward" or something like that(?) The feeling that they had been kind of "tacked on" was more or less obvious, I think (at least to me).

Spoiler for response:

I liked the 2nd refrain ending. Despite it's180° turn, I was aware of Key's "miracle"-endings. And I'm a huge, huge fan of happy endings as I will always avoid bad endings or similar like there's no tomorrow .
OT: When I read that there was no good ending for Air, I was like "Dang it!", even though I had read only the manga.

[Randrak42]

Spoiler for Waaaafffuuuu:

Well...my feelings about the second Refrain Ending are kinda...meh. It is not because I'm a Kurugaya fanboy, but it feels kinda like having Rin as the final girl is forced on us. This is why I loved the first refrain ending that leaves it open as to who ends up with Riki.

I always hated when a VN has a true ending with a final girl in it because it gives of the feeling that every other route you have played was just filler. It's like they force it on you like
"Hey, you know that one girl who's route you really liked and you think is a better match for the MC? WELL YOU ARE WRONG!"
And before you say that I only feel this way because in the true route the MC didn't end up with my favorite...even in VNs where he does I get this feeling of being forced into it.

Granted, LB is different from other VNs. Unlike other VNs with multiple routes and 1 true route where the other routes are just What Ifs, every route here really happened and characters are aware of it. This is what gets to me...Riki was seriously in love with every other girl and they loved him back but as Refrain's second ending rolls around, all of that is forgotten as if it never happened.
Honestly, someone could go "Common Route > Rin1 > Rin2 > Refrain (with second ending)" and not really miss anything. Not many changes would have been needed in Refrain if the other routes weren't played.
What they did was basically have Rin2 lead up to Refrain. In a way Rin's route could be viewed as the True Route along with Refrain(with second ending) and the others are more like extras.

Personally...I believe Refrain's second ending was a mistake, it might bring closure to the Rin fanboys but the rest are left hanging in the wind. An open ending in a VN isn't that bad, it doesn't force the idea that "the girl you liked more is the wrong one" on anyone.

Funny thing is I do feel that the girl that matches the best with Riki is Rin, very closely followed by Komari. The other girls don't feel like they have the compatibility level as those two when it comes to Riki. Kurugaya, for example (as you my have noticed...she's my favorite), seems like one of the least compatible girls for Riki compared to the other ones. I love her and of course I'd love her to end up with Riki but I know that it makes more sense for him to end up with Rin or Komari. Yet the simple fact that Rin being the final girl is forced on us with Refrain2 is a huge turn off. And it annoys me because now, every time I play refrain I'm forced to watch the second ending...pissing me off every single time.

Ah well...just my two cents out of boredom.

[Randrak42]

Originally Posted by bigdeal000

I would love to hear some reasons for that.

Cause...no.
Don't fight me on this :I

Originally Posted by bigdeal000

He even proposed to her (kinda). But yeah, overall their romantic development was just lame. That's why, unlike Randrak42 I'm gonna say that refrain2 does not force rin on us but gives her some justice. Sure, the placing sucks, but I'ts better than nothing.

The placing is horrible. If they wanted to show more Rin romance then they should have done it in her own routes rather than Refrain. Put that romance in her route and she's on the same level as the other girls...put it in refrain and at the end, of all things, then it's like it's telling you that Rin is the final girl...deal with it.
Plus the bit where we can't pick which refrain ending we get is the most annoying of all.

Originally Posted by bigdeal000

Ah well...just my two cents out of boredom.

You copying me bro!? You want some of this!? Come at me bro! Come at me!

[Randrak42]

Note to self: Bigdeal is no good with jokes.

Noted!!!

[Linkark07]

Anego, stop fighting. Anego is cool and doesn't get mad easily.

[Randrak42]

Originally Posted by Linkark07

Anego, stop fighting. Anego is cool and doesn't get mad easily.

Ha Ha Ha! Don't worry, it takes quite a lot to make me mad...quite...a...lot.

[Randrak42]

Originally Posted by bigdeal000

About that, i heard that you can get the first ending by

Spoiler for choice:

Telling no to rin when she asks if that is a proposal (in the hospital, before they revive everybody) Not checked though, so I'm not 100% sure.

Well fuck me sideways with a spoon and call me Mary Sue, I've played Refrain 4 times...don't tell me I picked yes the last 3 times...

Everything I've said about the Refrain endings up until now...disregard it all...I'm stupid and unworthy of Anego...I shall be changing my avy and siggy now so not to shame her.

[Linkark07]

Yep, just confirmed it.

Spoiler for Rin:

You can tell Rin you want to be with her but just for protect her.

[Randrak42]

Once again...I have no complaints about this VN

[Balzac]

Someone asked the very same question in this very thread. Just look at the previous pages for it; it's been confirmed that that particular track's not included in any official soundtrack.(while Sha-la-la Ecstasy is)

[Randrak42]

I just found out that
Kud's VA also voices the Sweet personality in Artificial Academy
Komari's VA voices Koto in Period
Anego's VA voices Mizuki in Yume Miru Kusuri


...
Mostly because these are games I love and have played more than a few times (well Period I'm currently playing) and I didn't even realize it until I noticed Koto and started digging :I

[Phlebas]

Originally Posted by Randrak42

I just found out that
Kud's VA also voices the Sweet personality in Artificial Academy
Komari's VA voices Koto in Period
Anego's VA voices Mizuki in Yume Miru Kusuri


...
Mostly because these are games I love and have played more than a few times (well Period I'm currently playing) and I didn't even realize it until I noticed Koto and started digging :I

I thought Koto was instantly recognizable when I started playing Period .