Written by Jason Young  on July 29, 2008

Specials: The 2008-2009 Back-to-School List your parents didn't want you to know about.

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With E3 2008 and Anime Expo 2008 back to back, the Los Angeles Convention Center has been a recent hot spot for both gamers and anime fans alike. Admist all the sweaty men and the sweltering 100-degree heat, fans have been treated amazingly well by developers at both conventions. Arc System's upcoming arcade fighter BlazBlue (for the umpteenth time it's not BlazeBlue) was premiered at Anime Expo 2008 as well as the first announcement for the localization of Persona 4 at the Atlus Panel. A week later at E3, Microsoft fired Сthe Shot Heard Around the Net' with their announcement of Final Fantasy XIII for the 360. Talk about a busy week down in Los Angeles.

Between all the madness though, I personally managed to set aside time to visit visual novel panels from Circus and JAST USA to get the current release dates on their newest games and announcements. For those of you wondering if someone would take Hirameki's place, wonder no more. Mangagamer, a new European-based company, has entered the realm of localization for visual novels and has quiet a 1-2 punch for fans albeit in a more adult sense. Here's the current lowdown on the biggest upcoming visual novels and dating sims available in English along with an estimated release date for each:

2008 Releases:


Da Capo, Circus; MangaGamer.com, release date: August 20, 2008

As the crowning pinnacle for English visual novel releases, Da Capo has gone on to spawn several fan-disc sequels, an official sequel, as well as an anime adaptation. Players take on the role of Jun'ichi Asakura around the time he enters high school on an island where a magical unwilting sakura tree blooms year long. As the most famous visual novel to be translated into English, Da Capo promises to take players on a memorable ride full of characters they'll love and girls that they'll wanna share their time with. The game will be available via the MangaGamer official website. Da Capo fans rejoice!



Princess Waltz, Pulltop; Peach Princess, release date: late-August/early-September 2008

One of the most popular visual novels in Japan in 2006, Princess Waltz is a visual novel that features a card-game based system that promises to be both challenging and entertaining. A tale of sword and sorcery, Princess Waltz takes players into a fantasy world where they take on the role of high school student Fukamori Arata. As he goes along with daily life, he suddenly finds himself investigating a mysterious appearance of a prince from a foreign land is studying. Hailing comparisons to the wildly successful Fate/Stay Night, this promises to be one of the more entertaining titles in recent memory.



Suika A.S+, Circus; MangaGamer.com, release date: September 30, 2008
A mildly successful Circus game, Suika has had a cult following that's led to the creation of several books, an OVA, and a couple music CDs. The story takes place across four different segments with different characters and stories that take place in the same town. Similar to Da Capo, MangaGamer will be releasing the game as a download via their website.



Family Project ~Kazoku Keikaku~, D.O.; G-Collections, release date: Fall 2008


Voted one of the best visual novel games of all-time, JAST USA was kind enough to translate the game into English for ren'ai game fans everywhere. Promising to have a heavy story revolving around the theme of family, Family Project is about a group of social outcasts and misfits who get together to form a family. As forces from the outside threaten to break the foundation of the family, you can fully expect some powerful drama to occur along the way.

Tentative 2008 titles:



Shira Oka: Second Chances, Okashi Studios

One of the more ambitious fan-based projects to come out in America, Shira Oka: Second Chances is hoping to be what Tokimeki Memorial never was in the United States. The California-based multimedia startup Okashi Studios is hoping that the game becomes an all-aged catalyst for players new to the world of dating sims and visual novels. Using a stat-based system, the game is more interactive than your typical visual novel and more along the lines of something similar to the Persona 3 system. Minus the shadows and dungeon crawling. This is the first American made game to go fully commercialized, and we wish them the best of luck.



Lightning Warrior Raidy II: ~Temple of Desire~, ZYX; G-Collections
A sequel to the 2008 hack-and-slash RPG title, Lightning Warrior Raidy, the game features a new map interface, places to explore, items, weapons, and more action-paced gameplay. Players tired of reading nothing but text look no further. This is the game for you!



Cosplay Fetish Academy, Sekilala; G-Collections
Fan-service, fan-service, and more fan-service. That's the entire premise behind Cosplay Fetish Academy. The main character of the game, Ryouji, magically finds himself waking up near an all-girl school after a bolt of lightning strikes him and his cousins near the ground. Lovers of all-things fan-service and cosplay should check this one out.



Cat Girl Alliance, Sekilala; G-Collections
Nyaa!? As the title so blatantly suggest, this game is about a group of high school teenagers who have wild fantasies, including animal cosplay! Looking to have just as much fan-service as Cosplay Fetish Academy, this is a title that promises to hide nothing but show everything!

2009 releases:

Downhill Night, Pull; G-Collections
Think Initial D meets Hentai.
Cleavage, Empress; G-Collections
Does this one really need a plot synopsis?

Additional JAST USA announcements are that they're working on their first Сyuri' game, a dark/gothic themed game, and a couple budget arcade titles.