Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors

So, 999. It's a DS game where you're kidnapped and forced into some "Nonary Game" with a bunch of other people, which involves solving locked door puzzles and whatnot before the alleged time limit expires, and you die. Or something. There's some text in this one. Oh, and apparently Destructoid thought it was pretty good.

If you're curious, you can play the demo (in English!) for free. Or if you do Amazon, you can buy it RIGHT NOW from here and get it by Tuesday! Take your pick.

Now go, and discuss this thing. And USE SPOILER TAGS OR ELSE!

P.S. Anyone who's played the game, please help with the works page! It's pretty bad right now and looking at it gives me a headache.

Kamidang, no release date for Europe. Of course. Yet again.

Message to publishers: FUCK YOU!

Yep. Sadly, it's probably going to be Devil Survivor all over again. Meaning: we PAL gamers are fucking screwed, again.

I just picked up the game today. I haven't gotten to play it yet, but I'm excited to do so.

It still bothers me that there haven't been a lot of reviews; is this game destined to sink into the ether of obscurity...?

Also? Who thinks that watch is kind of cool (if impractical)?

I myself didn't get the watch, so I can't really judge that.

But the game itself is pretty neat! Good characterization, punchy writing... the random bits of explanation of (not actually so) random subjects you encounter sometimes can be a little disjointed and rambling at time, but still engaging, at the same time. And as the story progresses, they tend to lead to nice little "ohhhh, so 'that's' what that's about" moments.

The escape segments are nice, but it is a bit of shame that, to see all endings, you're inevitably going to have to redo some segments. And that would really be understandable, honestly, but it is a bit of a pity. It'dve been cool if the puzzles had some random variation... but then, if you're just interested in progressing the story, knowing the answers certainly speeds things up. It's not really a deal breaker either way though, I don't think.

edited 25th Nov '10 8:59:19 AM by Registered

Just got this, trying out now with high expectations.

What was the first ending you got? Mine was Submarine ending. EVERYONE IS DEAD. Wonderful. Now I have to play it over and select slightly different options. I understand that almost all of the endings end with a kill 'em all except for the last one, so I guess I'm in for a wild ride.

Also, while the game is cool and everything, let me just point out that I can't fucking stand the female characters in this game. I know that Japan usually has difficulty with making likable females, but jeeze, they are bad in this one. Within the first 15 minutes of gameplay, we are introduced to the three female characters in the game, of which:

• One is in a stripper outfit (not stripperiffic. Literally, a stripper outfit. They say "Dancer").
• One is a preteen girl who gets taken hostage.
• And one is a terribly inserted love interest who faints.

Ugg. Theresia: Dear Emilie, Aksys's last foray into the graphic novel/adventure genre, was actually pretty good with it, but now we're back to below square one with it.

edited 26th Nov '10 11:28:31 AM by Cakman

I got the fifth ending first... Knife. Okay, excellent, found the [9] door, time to get everyone together and shit whoops stab gurgle bleh.

BAD END.

I just got the true ending a few minutes ago, actually. Much more upbeat. If, oh, just a tad confusing. But it all makes sense if you just oh who am I kidding, this shit is bananas. Trying to follow along with the ultimate timeline of this game is like looking at a ball of rubber bands that are all connected to each other in a mobius strip.

But I will say that you should stick with the game, because it is an interesting run. Also, you shouldn't worry so much about the female characters, or judge them so soon. There's a lot more to see. That's not a promise you will like them, mind you... just saying it's premature.

Heh. You sound like me talking to AHR.

I'm not saying that I plan on quiting any time soon, or that there aren't ulterior motives behind the characters. Just that their "traits" as females are so ungodly stereotypical. It'd be like having a couple of homosexuals in the game, with all of them being some different shade of camp gay.

I'm hoping with the apparent success the game is making outside Japan right now might a) motivate the Western companies to buy more visual novel-like games, and b) generally make more games like 999, you know, with puzzles, thriller-themed/Mindescrewing, anime/manga-styled design and supee-interesting characters.

Anyway, true ending was both mind-unscrewing and mind-rescrewing.... I don't get the All-Ice scene at the very, very end (though she looked really cool with her thumb up like that xD. Okay, so how did June exactly disappear from her spot in that incinerator? Because of Junpei's actions (in the present) June is alive all the while in the present game, but then up and disappears...? Hm, and there's Seven. So he might be a co-conspirator with Aoi and Akane in the end?

I love the game, teh endings...almost all of them, really. And the Nightmare Fuel is, despite being horrific (because of the game I now fear doors that open and are dark behind them), also awesome. Nicely weaved into the whole story. Mmm, I certainly enjoy Kotaro Uchikoshi's plots/games. The world needs more of these games.

Ugg I just played through the game for a second time, choosing different pathways at every turn and I still got the submarine ending. What happened?!

Uhm, should we post some sort of solution here?

True Ending: Required Safe Ending, is the continuation of Coffin Ending. Doors 4, 7, 1, take the Clover bookmark from Santa, listen to the Ice-9 conversation in the Freezer, talk to Seven about the Ice-9, when he supposedly remembers something about his past (Door 7), give Clover the Clover-bookmark (also Door 7), tap the z-e-r-o-screens in the Captain's quarter behind Door 1... if I remember correctly that was what was needed. Correct me if it doesn't work.

Coffin Ending: Choose Door 4, 7, 1, take the Clover-bookmark, talk about Ice-9 whenever possible, give Clover the Clover-bookmark, tap the z-e-r-o-screens in the Captain's quarter behind Door 1; you will get this ending before the True Ending that has practically the same choices if you haven't gotten the Safe Ending yet; you will get both endings (Coffin & True) at once if you have done the Safe Ending before this ending.

Axe Ending: Choose 5, 8, 1, (I think I chose 4, 7, 1 with the difference that I DID NOT remind Seven of Ice-9, amongst others I think and did not give Clover the bookmark I got behind Door 4), I think these choices more or less automatically lead to the Axe Ending; basically, do not unravel the mystery behind Clover's and Seven's past.

Safe Ending: Choose Door 5, 8, 6, you absolutely must tap the safe in one of the small rooms of the First Class Cabin behind door 5.

Knife Ending: Choose Door 4, 8, 6, I don't know if there are any other specific choices you absolutely HAVE to choose, it just worked for me...

Submarine Ending: Choose Door 4 or 5, then 3, you will automatically go through 2 afterwards; or any choices for the first two doors, and at the end door 2.

These are the basic door choices with a few specific story-mode–choices that are absolutely needed; if any of you fail to get the wanted ending with the choice of doors only (which are basically all bad or not-true endings), post in this forum or follow a FAQ in GameFAQs.

Guys, I need more of you who have finished the game and can help me understand the end entirely. There are a few loose ends that won't get tied no matter how I look at it. So go any play it~ You've got 9 hours –*shot*

Talking about the characters: They are all based on the Enneagram of Personalities. And the girls are indeed a bit stereotypical. (THIS is really a spoiler for all endings!->) And all three speerately and by different guys get taken as hostage at some point. Though Akane/June subverts this - it was an act, all a BIG act. Which is why Akane went from Distressed Damsel in my opinion to a super-awesome The Man Behind the Man.

edited 2nd Dec '10 11:00:56 AM by CeleS

I'm astonished how some of you managed to play it several times over so quickly. I'm barely 3/4ths of the way through my first play.

(And I may be deluding myself, but it seems that the path I've taken so far (5-7-1) is pretty good, as far as information gathering goes. My main suspicion at this point is that Ace is Zero, which is made all the more infuriating by Junpei not even considering that possibility yet.)

One free weekend, neglecting all chores and tasks and you find yourself with enough time at hand to give yourself to the desire of finding out what this game is about already. That's how my last weekend went xD

^@Jhiday: Well, Junpei's the main character. A lot of main characters in these thriller or horror flicks are Too Dumb to Live and only survive because they are the main character xD It's good that you are gathering a lot of information now, so you can skip these at another playthrough. Ace, huh? Very interesting... I don't want to spoiler you now, so I better shut up.

I got my hands on this game, oddly I was about to finish that card puzzle for the door before the game crash and me breaking the rule of not saving. Still, I believe I have something interesting to grind on.

^^ Junpei's not too bad, though. He's sometimes pretty clever, and I'd probably be as baffled by the whole thing.

I mean, I've been through most of the When They Cry franchise. I can bear protagonists acting a bit stupid for the sake of the plot.

It's a bit bizarre that he does practically everything in the puzzle sequences, but that's a storytelling choice I can get understand.

^@Mr Nekomata: Go for it! Too bad you did not save...they even remind you of it at the start! (And I just thought "Well, must mean SOMETHING if they even warn you to save often...") Anyway, do it, do it :D

^@Jhiday: Heh, forgot to say that I do know that Junpei isn't as bad as some main characters (say, the main character of Doubt...and, well, sometimes Battler, true.). Actually, he's pretty decent...and the one who actually does everything, I guess. Justified however. Not just because of the gameplay, though.

edited 2nd Dec '10 12:56:09 PM by CeleS

Even though I'm pretty much on new grounds when it comes to visual novels, the last ones I played happened to be Saya No Uta and Dear Theries. Well, I have to give them that the puzzels so far have been creative.

^@Mr Nekomata: Then I hope you enjoy this slightly different visual novel. Actually it's one of the best I have played (though I haven't played many, I lack the ability to read Japanese), mixing puzzles and visual novel with such a horror-thrill setting is quite unique. I hope that either there'll be more following this example and actually make it to the States, or hat there will be a sequel or so...or not quite a sequel as anotehr game with similar elements. That Saya No Uta sounds interesting...as soon as I have more place in my computer storage, I will try it out. And do you mean Theresia - Dear Emile? That si what I am currently playing but I can't play it when dusk starts...sadly, I am very easily frightened playing such games (999 is somehow still okay with the puzzles and fairly little guts as well as everyoen is together, sorta), never managed to play Resident Evil, either...but that's because I couldn't control the characters... Anyway, this game is kinda a uniue visual novel, but trying out dfferent visual novels is a good thing, anyway :D

THANK YOU SO MUCH, CELE S!!

I looked all over the internet via google, and I could not find ANY explanatin of the dfferent endings, and it began to annoy me after getting the same one twice in a row.

On a separate note, I think I may have had the ultimate twist ruined for me. I... I THINK I did. IF YOU HAVE NOT FINISHED THE GAME, DO NOT UNSPOIL THE FOLLOWING.

Basically, I went onto the fan page on facebook for 999, and clicked "like." Know what the first comment that came up was? It just said:

" omg, this game is really good and kinda scary. My older brother already ruined it for me though and told me that Junpei is Zero."

Now, granted, I have not finished the game, and don't know if this is an accurate twist, if the person was sincere and stupid. sincere and trolling, trolling and lying, or what. I still plan to complete the game, but I feel kind of sad now.

Also, Theresia: Dear Emilie was a FANTASTIC game. And yeah, especially if you play with headphones, the game can get pretty scary with the traps. The traps are a BIT annoying, but you just need to learn to look at everything before you touch it.

edited 3rd Dec '10 5:57:18 AM by Cakman

^@Cakman: No problems. like said, I really, really, really need some people I can discuss with and I'm too lazy to register at Game FA Qs...

Uh, if you want to be spoiled about your spoil...though technically I don't quite spoil you...technically. Well, that claim isn't quite right but isn't quite wrong, either in some aspects. It's complicated. Very. It's written by the gyu who made Ever17, after all. His plots tend to be quite a Mind Screw... Just play the game and expect some MORE twists xDDDD

Darn, I forgot how Ace's real name is, and I wanted to edit a trope explanation on the 999-site....xDDDD

Heh, will play Theresia this weekend when I have time xD And I quite like (and fear) the atmosphere, so I will take soemt ime to finish that xD

edited 3rd Dec '10 10:11:00 AM by CeleS

Finished my first play through. And well, that ending was a complete "Fuck You !" especially considering it really looked like I was inches away from victory. TO BE CONTINUED, really ? Especially as I was pretty sure that Snake was in that coffin... Also, fuck you, Santa.

Well, my initial plan for my second run was to try those doors I left out on my first go, so as to gather as much complementary information as possible, but I'm really not optimistic about that (the exploration of Door 5 has been a huge let-down so far).

Plan C would be to stick with that asshole Santa at every opportunity, or at least explore Door 6 myself. Well, I'll try that later.

^ You actually got the True Ending path on your first playthrough. You just can't get the True Ending until you've seen Ending 4.

^ There is a reason it is labeled as to be continued... I got that ending as first as well. Was also frustrating as hell, I had the same conclusion as you about that coffin. Oh, and you surely have figured out why that ending is called Coffin Ending ...to convert it to the True Ending you need the Safe Ending (Ending 4), but it IS more interesting to explore all other doors, I did teh same, so go for it!

edited 4th Dec '10 5:19:35 AM by CeleS

Okay, 2/3rds through my second playthrough. It's been somewhat underwhelming as far as new information is concerned, although Lotus turning out to be a 1337 Haxx0rz was fun, and I got a bit more information about Snake.

I did LOL, though, at the hilariously long Double Entendre scene if you play dumb with June in front of the Jupiter elevator.

Hum, I now have to choose between the two doors I have yet to explore... Darn, 2 is very tempting, but I fear Santa getting the gun again if I don't take 6.