Maple Colors
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese erotic visual novel
and adventure game developed by CrossNet and published by Apricot, released on July 25, 2003 for Windows. The game was later ported
to the PlayStation 2
by HuneX
and published by Kadokawa Shoten
on March 31, 2005; adapted into a two-episode animated series by Image House and localized
in North America by Critical Mass.
. Though reasonably limited, players control chibi
versions of characters, able to travel around isometric maps, perform tasks, collect items and even participate in mini-games. In a more recognizable fashion, players watch and listen to sequences of story and then select choosable actions or responses when they are presented. As choices are intricately linked to alternating routes of plot, the direction of the story is changed, leading to erotic scenes between characters and ultimately one of various endings. In order for the player to watch all the possible endings in this regard, he or she will have to effectively replay through the game several times, all the while making different selections.
. A rebel by virtue of his delinquency, Saku and fellow schoolmate Aoi Mirai are wrongfully held responsible for a fight when they come to the aggressive aid of a defenseless student being bullied; faculty members ruling to expel
them and their disorderly class. Aizen Yukihito, the respected though contemptible head of the drama club, with eyes set on Aoi, proposes a commutation
requiring the offenders to enlist their entire class in a play or else face expulsion. Both sides, agree.
of the game on February 1; this was postponed until February 3 the day after. Despite this, the trial was actually released on February 4; select participants were additionally awarded game merchandise.
After updating the game website with additional screenshots, CrossNet announced that Maple Colors would be released on July 18 on May 22. The site was revamped on May 30, followed by more screenshots, a sample of the opening video and theme "Breakthrough Your Heart" by Yuria, and then additional screenshots from June 6 to 9. On June 11, after announcing the voice actors working on the project, CrossNet stated that Maple Colors had been postponed until July 25. The day after, CrossNet announced that it was hosting a public venue to showcase the game in Akihabara
from June 13 to 14. This was followed by subsequent updates to the game site from June 18 to July 1.
Two days later, on July 3, CrossNet scheduled another venue for July 11 and 12 in Akihabara and Osaka
. With the release date readily approaching, CrossNet announced on July 7 that it would be hosting a celebratory event; confirming that the July 25 date was unchanged. As final commercial endeavors, the complete soundtrack of the game was released on September 26 by Lantis; a radio drama following on October 22.
released on January 30, 2004, fared better, ranking 4 out of 20 for the month of its release, 16 for the month of February, and 40 out of 50 for the overall year. Maple Colors: Kessen ha Gakuen Matsuri!, according to the July 2004 issue of Famitsu
, scored an industry rating of 6.8 out of 10.
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...
and adventure game developed by CrossNet and published by Apricot, released on July 25, 2003 for Windows. The game was later ported
Porting
In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed...
to 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...
by HuneX
HuneX
HuneX is a video game developer formed as a partnership between NEC Home Electronics, Ltd. and Human in 1992. HuneX mainly produces Bishōjo games and Otome games.-Games:*77: Beyond the Milky Way*Aikagi: Nukumori to Hidamari no Naka de*Angel's Feather...
and published by Kadokawa Shoten
Kadokawa Shoten
is a well-known Japanese publishing company based in Tokyo, Japan. Kadokawa has published both manga novels and magazines, such as Newtype magazine...
on March 31, 2005; adapted into a two-episode animated series by Image House and localized
Language localisation
Language localisationThe spelling "localization", a variant of "localisation", is the preferred spelling in the US and Canada. is the second phase of a larger process of product translation and cultural adaptation to account for...
in North America by Critical Mass.
Gameplay
Unlike the formula of most visual novels, which are noted for their minimal interaction, Maple Colors is slightly different in that it combines elements of an adventure game with that of interactive fictionInteractive fiction
Interactive fiction, often abbreviated IF, describes software simulating environments in which players use text commands to control characters and influence the environment. Works in this form can be understood as literary narratives and as video games. In common usage, the term refers to text...
. Though reasonably limited, players control chibi
Chibi
is a Japanese slang word meaning "short person" or "small child". The word has gained currency amongst fans of manga and anime. Its meaning is of someone or some animal that is small. It can be translated as "little", but is not used the same way as chiisana [小さな] but rather cute...
versions of characters, able to travel around isometric maps, perform tasks, collect items and even participate in mini-games. In a more recognizable fashion, players watch and listen to sequences of story and then select choosable actions or responses when they are presented. As choices are intricately linked to alternating routes of plot, the direction of the story is changed, leading to erotic scenes between characters and ultimately one of various endings. In order for the player to watch all the possible endings in this regard, he or she will have to effectively replay through the game several times, all the while making different selections.
Plot
Saku Yoshijiro is a young Japanese transfer student of the fictional Kouka Academy, an institution renowned for its theatreTheatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
. A rebel by virtue of his delinquency, Saku and fellow schoolmate Aoi Mirai are wrongfully held responsible for a fight when they come to the aggressive aid of a defenseless student being bullied; faculty members ruling to expel
Expulsion (academia)
Expulsion or exclusion refers to the permanent removal of a student from a school system or university for violating that institution's rules. Laws and procedures regarding expulsion vary between countries and states.-State sector:...
them and their disorderly class. Aizen Yukihito, the respected though contemptible head of the drama club, with eyes set on Aoi, proposes a commutation
Commutation of sentence
Commutation of sentence involves the reduction of legal penalties, especially in terms of imprisonment. Unlike a pardon, a commutation does not nullify the conviction and is often conditional. Clemency is a similar term, meaning the lessening of the penalty of the crime without forgiving the crime...
requiring the offenders to enlist their entire class in a play or else face expulsion. Both sides, agree.
Characters
- Yoshijiro Saku is the unlikely protagonist of the series. A recent second-year transfer student, his life takes an unexpected turn when he is blamed for fighting and threatened with expulsion, along with fellow classmate Mirai Aoi. Given the chance to redress his actions, Saku is assigned to recruit his entire class, a notorious group of disobedient misfits, to perform in a play lest having to leave school permanently with them.
- Loud and headstrong, Mirai Aoi is a second-year student and the most iconic character of the series. Known among her class by the nickname "Captain", Aoi is a temperamental, fastidious leader, determined to combat the ridicule and undermining she and her group regularly receive from the rest of the school. An accomplice by association, Aoi is required to assist Saku in appropriating their class for the play; a task she grows to respect and admire him for.
- Momiji Aio is a second-year student, recognizable by her long pink hair and flamboyant wardrobe; aspiring to be a playwright and director. A short, friendly girl, Momiji is meek and easily intimidated by nature; on stage, a serious and capable actress. She is good friends with Aoi.
- Distant and reserved, Sora Suzuhara is a second-year student who is also on the swim team. With a preference for solitude and disinterest in others, Sora is antisocial, nihilisticNihilismNihilism is the philosophical doctrine suggesting the negation of one or more putatively meaningful aspects of life. Most commonly, nihilism is presented in the form of existential nihilism which argues that life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value...
, mysterious, and deadpanDeadpanDeadpan is a form of comic delivery in which humor is presented without a change in emotion or body language, usually speaking in a casual, monotone, solemn, blunt, disgusted or matter-of-fact voice and expressing an unflappably calm, archly insincere or artificially grave demeanor...
. Through her acquaintance with Saku however, Sora becomes emotional, open and appreciative.
- Amu Uzuki is an adolescent entertainer, actress and celebrity, widely known and recognized across Japan for her acting, affluence, and looks. She visits Kouka Academy in response to the play being arranged and offers to participate in it; taking a fondness for Saku. In spite of the fame and fortune she commands, her classist family, constant traveling, few friends and nonexistent love life take a toll on her; wishing to abandon it in favor of a relationship.
- Direct and quiet, Motoko Sakimori is a second-year student who doubles as the local Shinto shrine mikoMikois a Japanese term that anciently meant a "female shaman, spirit medium" who conveyed oracles from kami , and currently means a "shrine maiden; virgin consecrated to a deity" who serves at Shinto shrines.-Word:...
. She is recognized for donning her robes in place of a school uniform, serious, tough-love attitude, nage-waza martial arts and purple hair. In a fashion similar to Sora, Motoko opens up around Saku, showing a less seen, tender side of her; one including an affection for anything cute!
- Yoko Momoi is a second-year student who is on the girl's softball team as an ace pitcher. A friendly though clumsy girl, Yoko is easily intimidated, buckles under pressure and struggles with theatre. Of all the characters that appear in the game, Yoko is the only one bespectacled female.
Development
Maple Colors was officially announced via its website going live on January 15, 2003; character profiles released same day. On January 29, CrossNet reported that it would be releasing a public, downloadable benchmarkBenchmark (computing)
In computing, a benchmark is the act of running a computer program, a set of programs, or other operations, in order to assess the relative performance of an object, normally by running a number of standard tests and trials against it...
of the game on February 1; this was postponed until February 3 the day after. Despite this, the trial was actually released on February 4; select participants were additionally awarded game merchandise.
After updating the game website with additional screenshots, CrossNet announced that Maple Colors would be released on July 18 on May 22. The site was revamped on May 30, followed by more screenshots, a sample of the opening video and theme "Breakthrough Your Heart" by Yuria, and then additional screenshots from June 6 to 9. On June 11, after announcing the voice actors working on the project, CrossNet stated that Maple Colors had been postponed until July 25. The day after, CrossNet announced that it was hosting a public venue to showcase the game in Akihabara
Akihabara
, also known as , is an area of Tokyo, Japan. It is located less than five minutes by rail from Tokyo Station. Its name is frequently shortened to in Japan...
from June 13 to 14. This was followed by subsequent updates to the game site from June 18 to July 1.
Two days later, on July 3, CrossNet scheduled another venue for July 11 and 12 in Akihabara and Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
. With the release date readily approaching, CrossNet announced on July 7 that it would be hosting a celebratory event; confirming that the July 25 date was unchanged. As final commercial endeavors, the complete soundtrack of the game was released on September 26 by Lantis; a radio drama following on October 22.
Patches
On July 24, 2003, the day before Maple Colors was released, a series of debilitating bugs were discovered. That same day, CrossNet announced that it was developing a patch to address the issues in time for the release. The following day the patch went live, downloadable from the official game website, bringing the game up to version 1.11. Despite the effort, two more patches were developed to supplement the previous patches as well as address newly discovered bugs, bringing the game up to a stable version of 1.11β.Reception
Maple Colors was met with mixed reception, ranking 28 out of 50 on Getchu.com for the year of its release. Maple Colors H, a gaidenGaiden
is a Japanese-language word meaning "side story" or "tale", used to refer to an anecdote or supplementary biography of a person. This use of gaiden is commonly used in popular Japanese fiction to refer to a spin-off of a previously published work that is neither officially considered a sequel nor...
released on January 30, 2004, fared better, ranking 4 out of 20 for the month of its release, 16 for the month of February, and 40 out of 50 for the overall year. Maple Colors: Kessen ha Gakuen Matsuri!, according to the July 2004 issue of Famitsu
Famitsu
is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD...
, scored an industry rating of 6.8 out of 10.