My head hurts AKA Huniepop discussion

[Izanagi009_v1legacy]

So, while bored on the internet, I managed to find a Destructoid post [http://www.destructoid.com/poppin-with-hunies-my-virtual-dates-in-huniepop-286773.phtml] about a new "erotic visual novel puzzle hybrid" called Hunie Pop.

Now, the initial article itself is not problematic; Brittany Vincent, the writer, seems to have a passion for visual novels and eroge so she knows what she is talking about. The problem is that when looking up some clips and details on this game, i've come to the conclusion that it's completely juvenile.

To reiterate a point I made in the comments, the dialogue looks like it was made by a 13 year old who thinks he's hot stuff while having the charm and grace of a horny chimp on crack. It's overly profane and snarky for no real reason with the choices you can make often sounding like it came from a man who only has a brain down between his legs.

In addition, while I can't comment on how much the dates develop each of the girls, the fact that the questions you ask them are about fairly superficial points like cup size, favorite drink and hobbies does not paint a good picture on how well done these relations are.

Don't even get me started on the girls. They sound more like fetishes than actual people: a few young moms, an gamer girl loner, a hedonist, a porn star, and a horny professor among others. it's like someone took a harem anime's checklist for which girls to put in and just picked all of them.

There are positives though: art seems to be done well though the girls don't seem to have much change in pose, the puzzle element actually seems well fleshed out and there are a decent variety of girls even if they sound more like fetishes than actual people.

I do not dislike this game, this is only based on my research and I support the propagation of visual novels in the Americas but the writing is just seems base to me.

 

[Izanagi009_v1legacy]

Seems fine to me. There's a place for all kinds of games.

 

[Izanagi009_v1legacy]

Seems fine to me. There's a place for all kinds of games.

it has the right to exist, I just find it juvenile and that it doesn't help the perception of visual novels as a possible art form.

 

[Benpasko]

Sounds like a newgrounds dating sim from back in the day. I can't comment on the game as I haven't played it, but I'd just like to point out some hilarious quotes from the development blog for the game.

After you reach a certain relationship level with a girl, there is a good chance that you?ll be able to invite her back to your bedroom. This initiates the puzzle bonus round.

I was cutting up Beli?s sexual audio and I just thought it was too good not to share a tiny clip with you guys. Enjoy!

http://www.huniepop.com/post/81997133810/truly-a-masterpiece-of-storytelling-yeah-this

I think this blog post is helpful in understanding the mindset of the dev. It seems to be more about the gameplay and porn than the vn or dating aspects. That blog is highly nsfw, but the post I linked should be fine. Couldn't withstand the voice acting long enough to watch the whole video, but I don't expect it to be too porn-ish.

 

[Fat Hippo]

There's already a boatload of visual novels which are basically porn (also referred to as "nukige"). In an ideal world this shouldn't color anyone's perception of the medium as a whole; it's not as if I think less of literature thanks to 50 Shades of Grey. But a lot of people already think of anything related to anime as a haven for freaks and deviants, so I doubt this is going to matter.

 

[Ramus]

Seems fine to me. There's a place for all kinds of games.

it has the right to exist, I just find it juvenile and that it doesn't help the perception of visual novels as a possible art form.

You could say the same about any kind of work that you find "problematic", I think it's more about your comfort level than the concern of what others perceive to be "art".

"Gangster rap doesn't help the perception of music as a possible art form!"
"Pawnstars doesn't help the perception of television as a possible art form!"
"Twilight doesn't help the perception of novels as a possible art form!"
"Street graffiti doesn't help the perception of art as a possible art form!"

Not everything has to be furthering some cause or ideology. Sometimes entertainment can just be entertainment.

 

[Izanagi009_v1legacy]

Sounds like a newgrounds dating sim from back in the day. I can't comment on the game as I haven't played it, but I'd just like to point out some hilarious quotes from the development blog for the game.

After you reach a certain relationship level with a girl, there is a good chance that you?ll be able to invite her back to your bedroom. This initiates the puzzle bonus round.

I was cutting up Beli?s sexual audio and I just thought it was too good not to share a tiny clip with you guys. Enjoy!

http://www.huniepop.com/post/81997133810/truly-a-masterpiece-of-storytelling-yeah-this

I think this blog post is helpful in understanding the mindset of the dev. It seems to be more about the gameplay and porn than the vn or dating aspects. That blog is highly nsfw, but the post I linked should be fine. Couldn't withstand the voice acting long enough to watch the whole video, but I don't expect it to be too porn-ish.

wow, my ears are burning from that horrible voice acting. This is worse than RWBY; at least RWBY didn't make me this irritated.

yeah, it may not be overly porn-like but when I think "dating sim" I think of simulating the long and difficult process of forming a relationship and getting close enough to someone that the two are willing to expose their embarrassing selves, not a game that fast-tracks the relation and speeds over to the bump n grind.

And people wonder why visual novels are not well received.

 

[Sleepy Sol]

It's fine to find it juvenile. I'm sure a lot of people do. Unfortunately, I have an awful sense of humor so I'd probably find it hilarious. Or fortunately depending on your outlook.

To some extent, I think it's almost making fun of VNs that sort of make sex scenes their end goal by just getting straight to the sexy bits. Except it actually has a pretty decent puzzle game attached.

 

[Izanagi009_v1legacy]

i hear the puzzle game part of it is actually pretty challenging and good.
supposedly the design mantra was "gameplay first".

ofc the main reason anyone knows anything at all about it is because people complained about it...

also you managed a worse "review" than hardcore Christians...
https://www.christcenteredgamer.com/index.php/reviews/pc-mac/5810-huniepop-pc
which might be worth pondering...

One: the site I linked was positive towards the game and the person seems to like stuff like Hatoful Boyfriend.

Two: this is not a review but impressions I got from the images and information told to me from the reviews

Three: It's kind of confusing to tell if you are saying "managed to write" or "managed to find" since the sentence wasn't finished.

 

[laggyteabag]

I played this game.

No seriously, I sat there playing it, and I played it to completion. I don't know why, I have never played a game like this before, and a game like this has never interested me before, but for some reason, I decided to play it.

What is the game: Bejeweled hentai edition.

All things considered, it is actually really well voice acted, and it was also really well animated, but if you are looking for a game with an emotional message and well developed characters, oh boy, this is not for you.

First off, it was a pretty decent bejeweled game that was reasonably difficult and awfully satisfying, but it started to get weird when this university student (who was wearing a school uniform because of course she was) who I was "dating" sent me a picture of her masturbating, and that honestly caught me off guard. Then I knew what I was in for.

Again, I don't know why I played it, and I probably will never play it again, but aside from the oddly satisfying bejeweled game that is the "dating" system, there is nothing tasteful about it, but I appreciate it for what it is, and I dare say that I had a lot of fun playing it and meeting all of the characters. I am ashamed I tell you, ashamed!

In addition, while I can't comment on how much the dates develop each of the girls, the fact that the questions you ask them are about fairly superficial points like cup size, favorite drink and hobbies does not paint a good picture on how well done these relations are.

I would also like to point out how you actually use this information. When you talk to a woman, you receive an amount of "hunie" (a currency that is used for upgrades. eg The amount of points that you get for getting a row of a particular colour during the "dating" minigame), and sometimes you get to ask questions about these women. Once you learn a piece of information, they may occasionally ask you a question based on that information, and if you correctly answer, you are awarded with more "hunie". This information is never used outside of this system. +1 to tastefulness.

As for the dates themselves, you are presented with the bejeweled minigame, and once you successfully "date" someone 4 or 5 times, if you then proceed to take them on a date at night, they will then ask to have sex with you, in which case you are then presented with yet another Bejeweled game (that cannot be failed) until you fill the progress bar at the bottom, in which case you are then presented with a naked picture of the woman who you just had sex with. Tasteful combo! X2!

 

[nightmare_gorilla]

I sprung for the uncensored version, i'm not afraid to admit to being a pervert. and you know what?

I LOVE THIS GAME

Is the dialogue dumb as yell? yes absolutely, Is it a silly romance game? Yeah. the whole game is dumb but in such an amusing and amazing way I HAVE to recommend it. the dialogue being so stupid would be a ding against it and would make the game unbearable if not for the fact that it's fully voiced. hearing an actual female voice going "Dude! bro! asian chicks... i have yellow fever sooooooo bad, it's like a yellow plague." i nearly pissed myself laughing. It's like having Pam from archer as your fairy god mother. "Get in there and DO her ya pussy!" it makes my sides hurt.

The match three is actually well done and difficult on higher levels so someone put ALOT of effort into one of the silliest games ever. it's like watching a nicolas cage movie with strippers. if you can't find your way to laughing at how absurd it all is you just don't have a sense of humor.

 

[Sleepy Sol]

I sprung for the uncensored version, i'm not afraid to admit to being a pervert. and you know what?

I LOVE THIS GAME

Is the dialogue dumb as yell? yes absolutely, Is it a silly romance game? Yeah. the whole game is dumb but in such an amusing and amazing way I HAVE to recommend it. the dialogue being so stupid would be a ding against it and would make the game unbearable if not for the fact that it's fully voiced. hearing an actual female voice going "Dude! bro! asian chicks... i have yellow fever sooooooo bad, it's like a yellow plague." i nearly pissed myself laughing. It's like having Pam from archer as your fairy god mother. "Get in there and DO her ya pussy!" it makes my sides hurt.

The match three is actually well done and difficult on higher levels so someone put ALOT of effort into one of the silliest games ever. it's like watching a nicolas cage movie with strippers. if you can't find your way to laughing at how absurd it all is you just don't have a sense of humor.

All I've seen of the dialogue was that one video of AGDQ where a guy finished the hardest (heh) part of the game and she (Kyu) says "Thanks for the sex, homie," right afterwards.

I swear, if that one line isn't enough to make you fall in love with the game I don't think you ever would. I'm probably gonna go drop the money on it now. >_>

EDIT: The deed is done (heh...heh.).

 

[lionsprey]

after watching Jesse Cox play trough it my impression of it is that it looks like a better online dating sim ala old school newgrounds
but with a match 3 system that looks fairly interesting. the characters didn't seem that deep but the writing looked decent enough.

 

[GundamSentinel]

I sprung for the uncensored version, i'm not afraid to admit to being a pervert. and you know what?

I LOVE THIS GAME

Is the dialogue dumb as yell? yes absolutely, Is it a silly romance game? Yeah. the whole game is dumb but in such an amusing and amazing way I HAVE to recommend it. the dialogue being so stupid would be a ding against it and would make the game unbearable if not for the fact that it's fully voiced. hearing an actual female voice going "Dude! bro! asian chicks... i have yellow fever sooooooo bad, it's like a yellow plague." i nearly pissed myself laughing. It's like having Pam from archer as your fairy god mother. "Get in there and DO her ya pussy!" it makes my sides hurt.

The match three is actually well done and difficult on higher levels so someone put ALOT of effort into one of the silliest games ever. it's like watching a nicolas cage movie with strippers. if you can't find your way to laughing at how absurd it all is you just don't have a sense of humor.

Basically my thoughts on this. It's incredibly dumb, it's incredibly juvenile, it's incredibly funny and satisfying.

And yeah, surprisingly well made for a silly hentai game.

Some people are really making too big a deal out of this. Seriously, I laughed my arse off and had a lot of fun with the gameplay.

 

[WindKnight]

Now, the initial article itself is not problematic; Britney Vincent, the writer, seems to have a passion for visual novels and eroge so she knows what she is talking about. The problem is that when looking up some clips and details on this game, i've come to the conclusion that it's completely juvenile.

To reiterate a point I made in the comments, the dialogue looks like it was made by a 13 year old who thinks he's hot stuff while having the charm and grace of a horny chimp on crack. It's overly profane and snarky for no real reason with the choices you can make often sounding like it came from a man who only has a brain down between his legs.

From what I've picked up, the primary dev was a 4channer who 'wanted to p*** off SJWs' so loaded the game with sexism and racism (such as all the gifts and foods for the more ethnic characters being stereotypes related their races).

Reportedly, he's also had a massive hissy fit over the criticism such content has earned.

 

[hentropy]

This is an amusing read: http://techraptor.net/content/huniepop-ultimate-feminist-game

As someone who plays and has played a variety of different VNs (both H and otherwise). The story is certainly very straightforward and "juvenile" one could say. Screw all the girls is the object of it.

I found it a very well-made game. It's largely its own beast, not something much like Japanese VNs. It's not trying to be and it's not. Its perspective is quite American, and it doesn't apologize for that. The characters are fairly broad archetypes, but it is surprisingly well voice acted throughout the game and it brings the characters to life, even if they are fairly stereotypical. There's an option to play as a woman which really only affects an occasional greeting, but it's a nice touch nonetheless and shows some awareness if the audience. I would say that its greatest quality is that it knows what it is and does what it is trying to do well. It was never meant to be a serious romance game, even its dating game elements are pretty light. I think the characters are more fleshed out than people tend to give it credit for, particularly in smaller details that aren't entirely spelled out (unfortunately going into them would spoil interesting aspects of the characters. They may not be the most unique characters, but they are... realistic. And that's because they're based on- you guessed it- real women. Kyanna's story might seem stereotypical, but talking to her she is anything but. The other extreme is what is done in Japan- giving women incredible and exceptional backstories and personalities and quirks but in the process one wonders whether there is a single person like that on Earth, let alone Japan.

I got addicted to it (to the point of getting 100%) mostly due to the puzzle aspects, both the actual puzzle games and the filling out of various profiles. I do not play a lot of puzzle games, freemium or otherwise, but the puzzles go get quite challenging and require quite a bit of strategy, almost to the point where it feels like a light strategy game.

Overall it is quite an impressive game if nothing else. I can't say it has much replay value, but that's true for most similar games.

 

[Windcaler]

I watched a playthrough of hunniepop...I think it was last week. From my point of view it came off as a self aware parody of erotic novels more then a badly written and/or immature one. Now to be fair, when I was a lot younger (10 years or so ago) I read a lot of visual novels and my favorite one was probably Nocturnal illusion because I liked the idea of a place in limbo that people couldnt really escape. That said, I remember there being far worse ones then hunniepop.

Anyway, IMO the art style is exactly what its meant to be, the voice acting is actually pretty good, and the writing itself is pretty good when you view it from that "self aware" stand point.

During the playthrough when the player met the Japanese teacher and the fairy said "Dude...bro...Asian chicks...dont even get me started. I have the worst case of yellow fever ever. Ever! Like a yellow plague." I lost all chance of controlling myself and that line will forever be etched into my mind as well as its delivery. I found that line to be absolutely hilarious and I probably always will. Thats what really drove home the "self aware parody" point of view for me.

At face value it looks like its little more then candy crush hentai edition, which is fine if thats what people want. However when I looked deeper at it I saw there was more to it but to be fair Im viewing it from a different perspective then the average gamer will.

The women you meet are not all that deep, theyre more stereotypes then characters. There are moments when you get to see a character like Jessie's desire for an open relationship and viewing sex as just sex, meaning very little as far as a relationship goes. However those moments are few and far between. In fact the most developed character is probably the fairy. Perhaps the part that bugs me the most is the players character is as blank of a slate as possible (although to be fair you can be male or female which is nice to see for diversity's sake) so the player can slip them on and off like a pair of shoes. I think I would have preffered them to be an actual character rather then the blank slate. I just feel like that works better for these kinds of games

So no, I dont think its an immature game when you really look at it. If you just look at the surface value, yeah i can see how anyone could come to that decision. Not so much when someone looks deeper. I suppose the old saying "dont judge a book by its cover" applies here

Edit: There was one point I forgot to touch on, that being the ideas of racism for giving some of the girls gifts that were related to their ethnicity. I really dont see a major issue there. My fiance is fully japanese, she imigrated here when she was a kid and she appreciates any gift that is "japanese themed". Last year I imported a very expensive kimono for her birthday present and she loved it (she still wears it from time to time). I dont think theres racism in that kind of gesture whether it be in real life or in a game.

 

[Solkard]

What puzzled me most, is how it made it onto Steam.