EDIT: They are making a sequel. YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Links:

www.aksysgames.com/999

Not many videogames have me treating them like a book. Actually forget that. I don't treat any like that.

That is, before I bought 999.

This game is part of the relatively small genre of visual novels that make get published in North America. Typically this genre is only appealing to Japanese audiences, since most developers for these games use Japanese influenced visuals and story telling techniques.

It was released for the DS on November 16th. It is one about 6 or 7 games rated "M" on the system.

Quite frankly I need to read more books. Specifically, I need to read more series of books, because I am most often stuck in a situaition where I buy a new book in a series I love, and finish it within 3 days. Then 6 months of waiting for the next installement.

When I first heard about 999, I said to myself: "It's going to be bland and boring, and I won't bother buying it".

I was very very very very very very wrong.

After the game's release, reviews started popping up, praising the game to no end. It wasn't perfect, but it was pretty damn good.

The game was shipped here expecting very low sales. Because of high reviews, many people snatched up any copies in stores. Now the game is quite hard to find anywhere but on-line.

Either way, I can't express in words how much I loved the 30 or so hours I played this game.

Let me summarize the plot and gameplay, so you won't feel out of the loop.

1. The title. A very odd but intruiging title is it not? Essentially, 9 people who either don't know each other or don't remeber some things have been kidnapped. They have also been put on a boat. The boat happens to be sinking, and will sink completely in 9 hours. 9 people with 9 hours to escape.

Sounds easy enough right? Not in the slightest way, no. You see, everyone has a bracelet that won't come off their left wrist. Each person has a different number from 1 to 9. In order to escape the ship, you must make it through 9 doors.

Each door has a number from 1 to 9. To proceed through the door, groups of 3 to 5 people must add their bracelt numbers together, and if that number is 2 digits, you add the two numbers in the 2 digits. This final number is the door you can go through.

Example: 2+5+7=14. 1+4=5. You can go through door number 5.

The thing is , if you go throught the door and you weren't part of the group of 3-5 popel woh added their numbers, there is this little tiny thing where a bomb in your intestine will blow up and make a terrible mess. So yeah.

2. In between the story sequences, there are escape sections, where you must solve clever number/logic/musical/miscellanious puzzles to escape. Theses sections add much to the story, the sense of danger, and the overall enjoyableness of the game.

3. Yuo are forced to make tought desicions along the way. When you do the math, not everyone can escape from this ship. And since you can't pass through a door unregistered without exploding, someone is going to end up drowning, or even worse.

4. Each character is creatively written, and you'll grow attached to almost everyone stuck on this stupid boat.

Ace: Bracelet # 1. Amn elderly man who is pretty smart and very calm.

Snake: Bracelet # 2. A very odd but very interesting character, this young man is blind, but also fast, strong, and knows more than he lets on.

Santa: Bracelet # 3. A whit haired young man who looks like a weird Japanese interpretation of a North American street punk.

Clover: Bracelet # 4. Snake's sister. Pink haired and short, the youngest of the group.

Junpei: Bracelet # 5. Your playable character. He has brown hair and dresses like Marty from Back to the Future.

June: Bracelet # 6: Junpei's childhood friend.

Seven: Bracelet # 7. A hulking mass of person who looks like a moron but is definitely someone you want on your side.

Lotus: Bracelet # 8. She is dressed like a belly dancer. Yep.

The ninth man: Bracelet # 9. A paranoid and frail looking man.

Throughout the story, these 9 unlucky souls try to escape, figure out woh kidnapped them, and basically try not to kill each other.

5. Multiple endings. There are six different endings based upon your choices in the game. 4 bad ones, one decent one, one stupid one, and one really really really really great ending.

Seriously, even though you have to complete every single puzzle each playthrough, I enjoyed every new cleverly executed plot twist. The "real" ending is so creative, you'll be thinking about this game for months afterwards.

Conclusion: Buy the damn game. If you don't, they won't make a sequel, and I will hate you from now on.