These particular high-profile titles got attention from gamers outside of Japan, too, creating many international fans who would share and translate these doujin games, often using less than legitimate means. Because most doujin games are just burned to CDs or distributed online, they lack copy protection.
Widespread piracy is undoubtedly destructive, but given how difficult it is to legally acquire copies of many doujin games, the distribution of pirated software did at least lead to an increased awareness of these niche self-published titles outside Japan. But their gamble paid off, with Recettear selling several hundred thousand copies. As the first independent Japanese game released on Steam, Recettear greatly expanded the audience for doujin games and opened the floodgates for other publishers to start translating these Japanese titles.
Bringing over these smaller Japanese titles was often an uphill battle, with resistance from storefronts like Steam, a market steadily being overwhelmed by other indie games, and the sometimes uneasy relationship between the original Japanese circles and publishers.
Nevertheless, a number of publishers that specialise in localising independent Japanese games have sprung up in recent years, including Playism and Fruitbat Factory. Given how crowded the marketplace is these days, the increase in publicity for these niche games has helped them to stand out and find a devoted audience.
Most doujin games are still far from massive sales successes, but there are a plethora of independent Japanese titles that received critical acclaim, such as Hatoful Boyfriend, The House in Fata Morgana and Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight.
Before I wrap up this article, I want to quickly introduce a couple of other doujin developers whose work is easily available in English. These are some of the more well-known circles who have their own trademark style, so I recommend checking out their games if something takes your fancy.
Edelweiss — While many doujin developers stick to simple 2D titles, Edelweiss have taken on several ambitious 3D shooters and action RPGs. Their eye-catching sprite work recently got the studio working on official licensed titles based on Record of Lodoss War, Konosuba and even Shin Megami Tensei.
Calappa Games — This small circle makes games about epic three-dimensional battles as rival species fight for survival. They also all involve marine life. The likes of Neo Aquarium , Ace of Seafood and Fight Crab allow players to control cumbersome crustaceans in truly unique fighting games.
The spirit of Dicing Knight lives on in games like the Fallendom series, but PlatineDispositif has also developed a number of fast-paced shooters like Gundemonium and Hitogata Happa. This is really just scratching the surface of what the doujin development scene has to offer.
The indie moniker itself is a foreign loanword in Japan, so it comes off as something new and sexy. While the indie industry is booming and companies are investing heavily in up and coming studios, doujin titles are portrayed as unprofitable products from reclusive creators.
Of course, for these hobbyists keeping a low profile is often intentional as doujin titles include fangames in a legal grey area. Digital distribution is far easier than printing discs and events like Comiket are no longer necessary for aspiring developers to sell games and network.
So as the indie landscape evolves, I hope it even tiny doujin circles can find a way to thrive there. Even as the scene grows beyond the doujin days, the early efforts of Japanese circles are still something to be celebrated, so I hope that people continue to explore the past and fans uncover niche titles for new audiences to discover.
Definitely one of the biggest doujin hits ever, that spawned countless anime adaptations, sequels, spinoff games, etc. Haha, I was wondering if someone would call me out on that! Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
Cupid Parasite Review — Divine Comedy. Free to role play — Sakura Kakumei. The wonderfully weird world of Wii RPGs. Six things you need to know before playing Lightning Returns. Sakura Wars Review — Setting the stage. Skip to content Uncategorized. First, what the heck is a doujin game? Some properties like Madoka Magica have received a huge number of fanworks.
When it was released it was a slow and methodic game, quite good as graphics and music go but not so much on the gameplay. Though it keeps its own system of fairies satellites with their own life bar. Home Page. Red Killer 2nd Age is a shmup clearly based on the Siter Kain ones.
It looks like a Reflex clone but there's no reflection system. There's a front beam, which gauge depletes when used and slowly resplenishes when not used, but that's all. The standard shot is a 7 ways shot: it aims at every angle minus the back. There are no power ups at all. Monolith is quite an interesting platformer.
But there's 3D. Chibi Shooting is a nice oldschool shmup, just slightly updated with some manic shootings and a ship with a small hitbox. Apart from the normal shot there's a boost button to escape tricky situations. The latter is charged by destroying enemies. When boosting you're invincible and destroy any enemy in contact with the ship.
There are 20 zones and each one is divided in 3 parts A, B, C. Depending which enemy you destroyed last in zone A and B change the enemies in the zone C named "Counter Attack". When a shooting star appear on screen it means you have been too slow to kill all the enemies and they shoot more aggressively. The faster you clear the waves, the more bonus points you get.
Finally there are extends each points. To sum it up it's a cross between Nomltest and Cosmo Gang the Video! If you want to play with a joypad or a joystick you can use a program like joytokey. Download Home Page. You've got a life gauge 3 , so there's no instant death but there's only one life. There's an overheat gauge 4 , so sometimes you need to stop shooting for a second or two. There are only 3 buttons used : shoot, anchor shot and select skill to level up.
There are 2 characters to choose, each one with a different set of weapons. Chokotto DiaRunba. Chokotto DiaRunba is an original action puzzle game. You character is always walking to the right of the screen. You must move the platforms in order to avoid the enemies and to destroy them by combining two, like the blobs in Puyo Puyo and many puzzlers.
Of course any contact with them is fatal. Progressive Front. Progressive Front is a 2d overhead vs shmup fighting game. Download Promotional Video. Older Posts Home. Subscribe to: Posts Atom. Search now! Popular Games. Life Fortress Volcabamba.
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