Hanako Games

Shira Oka: Second Chances

#1 by sayuri - Jul 23 2010

Shira Oka is still alive! It's a bishoujo game but the interface is so slick I don't care. Reminds me of an English PC version of Love Plus. There is a demo version that was released two weeks ago. Here's a link to their site:
http://www.shira-oka.com/

#2 by Muse - Jul 23 2010

Oh my gosh! The demo is out?!? *squealllll* Thank you so much for telling us! *skips off to download*

yay

#3 by Naiomi666 - Aug 1 2010

yay! Does anyone know how close to release they are? Cause i have been wanting to play this game for a long time.

#4 by sayuri - Aug 3 2010

Well it took them five years to come out with a demo spanning 3 game months. At this rate they'll probably be done in... 100 years . I actually have no clue when they'll be done, but everything looks pretty solid so it shouldn't be terribly long.

#5 by Muse - Aug 3 2010

sayuri:

Well it took them five years to come out with a demo spanning 3 game months. At this rate they'll probably be done in... 100 years . I actually have no clue when they'll be done, but everything looks pretty solid so it shouldn't be terribly long.

I don't think they are sure, but I believe the game is mostly done, just balancing and tweaks are left.

#6 by liz4187 - Aug 5 2010

they are doing beta testing right now and have been for a bit, so if I could guess, I would probably say it will be out by the end of the year.

#7 by J_Yum1978 - Nov 27 2010

The beta testing has been completed. There is a 2nd extended demo version. Try it out!!

#8 by Muse - Nov 30 2010

J_Yum1978:

The beta testing has been completed. There is a 2nd extended demo version. Try it out!!

In addition to that, they posted earlier that a public release date should be available soon.

(I was one of the beta testers, btw, so I can say that the game is definitely worth your patience! I can also say the team worked very hard, so I know they hope you all enjoy it!)

#9 by J_Yum1978 - Nov 30 2010

Yupyup!! I love the game and I will be buying it for sure!! I'm also planning to buy two more games from Winter Wolves/Tycoon Games sometime next month. So many games to buy but not enough money. Gotta save, save, save!!

#10 by Aletea - Dec 12 2010

The game just came out yesterday! You can buy it on Impulse. I'm trying out the demo now, to see if I want to buy it

#11 by Aletea - Dec 13 2010

Okay, I definitely recommend this game to people! The demo gives you a taste of it, but there is an incredibly amount of depth to the game that doesn't start to show as much until you've made a couple of 'cycles' - there are some undercurrents that are very interesting ....as a result, there's a high re-play value.

#12 by emichan - Dec 14 2010

i heard it was too hard and everyone fails all the time and has to start over

#13 by Muse - Dec 14 2010

emichan:

i heard it was too hard and everyone fails all the time and has to start over

They are adding an easy mode, but you also get a tiny bonus for doing it in regular mode.

It also depends on who you are going for. People like Rena and Alice have pretty easy endings, but others like Yui, Kiku, and Kazuki have very hard ones. They also vary in different ways, so one you might have to be more popular, another good at sports, etc etc. Generally it's just making the right choices and doing tasks that people assign, though.

#14 by Aletea - Dec 15 2010

Well, I think kind of the point is to start over your character does really poorly the first time - and gets reset back to the beginning when he fails. My first run through, my guy was on his fifth cycle (what they call it when you reset to the beginning - with your stats intact, and the knowledge you've gained!) before he achieved an ending. I had 1 reset that was due to lack of knowledge (a reset everyone gets pretty early on), 2 resets due to poor grades, and 1 reset due to a lack of socializing.

But reseting is what makes the game interesting! It's not like most visual novels where replaying it is exactly the same - things are different based on the knowledge you've gained, and your relationships with the characters.

The game is not just a basic, boring highschool game. There is a ton more depth there.

And...a little hint to some people who like this sort of thing~ there are two guys in the game (other than the main character). And word on the Shira Oka forums is that you can get endings with them...they're left purposefully ambiguous, but someone who knows what they are looking for will see it (I haven't managed to get their endings yet, since I've only gotten Alice's so far, so this is word of mouth).

ok!

#15 by Naiomi666 - Dec 18 2010

So i like the game. i completed 1 of the guys endings. It was pretty much a friendship ending. The thing i like about this game is that when you do go back you retain the knowledge of what happened so sometimes your not reading the same thing over and over.

What really bugs me about this game though is the lack of hints when it comes to stats you need. I hate investing into music because a character likes it and then find out in the last section of the game that i needed strength as well, and they send me back to the beginning of the game.

There is a continuing storyline conflict in the game that is going to make you play it over and over so you can resolve it.

#16 by Muse - Dec 19 2010

Yes, you can get the endings with the two guys. They can go bromantic or romantic, if you are looking into it. I love Kazuki's ending!

Basically, there are 10 endings, 2 guys and 8 girls. For the record, some of the girls endings are ambiguous on friendship vs romance too, so it's not just the guys that are like that. But others are definitely romantic, so no worries there.

Also, on the strength vs music thing, it helps to talk to Satsuko for advice a lot: she will often give hints if you need something else, etc. It is a bit tricky, admittedly, because some random events lead up to character's endings, and you don't always get those extra hints. (It's likely, since the affections are always connected, but not a given.)

I'm sure everyone at Okaishi is glad to hear how much you like the game!

#17 by liz4187 - Dec 21 2010

I completed the game (during beta testing). Don't worry if the game seems really hard at the beginning, it will get much easier as the game goes on. A lot of the game is just trying to figure out the characters and what kind of things they like. The replay value is fantastic, this is one of the only games (if not the only game) where seeing the same things gets more and more fun each time

#18 by lunanight - Jun 2 2011

so for the guys its not a romantic ending then? its just like a friendship thing? How can you get kazuki?

#19 by Muse - Jun 3 2011

lunanight:

so for the guys its not a romantic ending then? its just like a friendship thing? How can you get kazuki?

It's sort of between, is my point. That is also the case for some of the girls. I think Kazuki's ending is more romantic than Hiroshi's, however. (You still get a gorgeous fanservicey (but clean) CG of them though.) Only a few of the endings ever have you end in a kiss CG (in addition to the poster one), and Kazuki's is an adorable hug one. Basically it's a super sweet borderline bromance/romance one, and in the end even a couple of the characters are talking about if they think you are more than just friends. If you talk to Satsuko for an evaluation she says the normal "he can't get you out of his mind" stuff so it sure sounds romantically inclined to me.

On a side note, Kazuki's ending arc is one of my favorites! (And he's not even that high up on my favorite character list.)

If I remember right for Kazuki, not only do you need to get him to like you, but also having Suzu and Naoko be friends with you helps, as well as raising your science/math skill. Don't tease him but try to encourage him to do well. He hangs out at the mall and I THINK at the park, iirc. Then again I think everyone might hang out at the park, shopping mall, and the movie theater. (I know that is the case for the movies for sure.) I think it's mall during the week and park on weekends...

#20 by Spazzbunny - Jun 5 2011

Does anyone know what the repercussions would be to using the easy mode? I'd like to play it normally, but I'm the kind of person who, after four or five resets, has become very bored. ^^;; If there isn't a big punishment, I think I'd rather just take it easy and actually enjoy the storyline.

#21 by Muse - Jun 6 2011

Spazzbunny:

Does anyone know what the repercussions would be to using the easy mode? I'd like to play it normally, but I'm the kind of person who, after four or five resets, has become very bored. ^^;; If there isn't a big punishment, I think I'd rather just take it easy and actually enjoy the storyline.

I believe the only difference is you get a certain room deco in Easy Mode after 5 endings (A dunce hat) or a different one in Normal Mode (A cheerleading Satsuko statue, iirc). I'm not totally sure since I haven't played since beta, but I think that is the only difference.

Another tip to try to spice your replays up is try to get different characters to like you and focus on different skills, other than just for the person you are going for. (Like for me, Rena always liked me and Aya always hated me, so I didn't see many Aya events.) It unlocks more random events for you to do.


Also don't forget, everyone, that there are a couple guides on the Shira Oka forums. You have to sign up but they are there!