Bad Apple Wars

Last updated
Bad Apple Wars
Bad Apple Wars Cover Art.webp
North American cover art. Despite being a PlayStation Vita exclusive, the North American release does not include the "only on PlayStation" branding.
Developer(s) Otomate
Publisher(s)
Platform(s) PlayStation Vita
Release
  • JP: November 19, 2015
  • NA/EU: October 17, 2017
Genre(s) Visual novel
Mode(s) Single-player

Bad Apple Wars [lower-alpha 1] is an otome visual novel video game developed by Otomate, exclusively released for the PlayStation Vita by Idea Factory in 2015 in Japan and by Aksys Games in 2017 in North America and Europe. The game follows a student named Rinka who, after dying in an accident wakes up in an afterlife modelled around a high school setting. It launched to favourable reviews by Western critics, who generally praised the story.

Contents

Gameplay

As a visual novel, players read text to enjoy the story, occasionally making decisions on how to progress which ultimately effect the plot's outcome. The game has a unique 'soul touch' feature where during select romance scenes, the player can tap their Vita screen to advance the story, with certain tap selections influencing later outcomes. [1] The game is also compatible with the PlayStation TV microconsole.

Synopsis

The game follows Rinka, who, on her way to her first day of high school, is struck and killed at a crosswalk by a passing car while stopping to grab her shoe that falls off her foot. After death, she is greeted by Mr. Rabbit (a teacher with a rabbit mask) in the afterlife in front of NEVAEH Academy, a purgatory-esque setting for deceased students with strict rules including masked headgear for all faculty and students. A teacher at the school, Mr. Rabbit brings her to the academy's opening ceremony, which is attacked by the 'Bad Apples,' a group of students who oppose the strict authoritative nature that the schools runs on. [2]

Players are given the choice to side with bad apples or good apples (those who abide by the rules of the school administration, including the student prefects which enforce them), with each pathway involving unique branching paths and multiple endings which are dependent on choices made by the player during their playthrough.

Development and release

The game was announced on April 17, 2015, for a release later that year as a PlayStation Vita exclusive by Otomate, the visual novel branch of Idea Factory. [3] The title ultimately released in Japan on November 19, 2015. [4] A patch for the Japanese release was released on November 24, correcting a typographical error that was present in the game. [5]

Aksys Games announced a localization of the game at Anime Expo 2017 on July 1, 2017, alongside several other visual novel titles, originally set for a September 29, 2017 release both digitally and physically. [6] On September 1, Aksys announced the title would be delayed by two weeks, with a new launch date of October 13 for international audiences. [7] A day one 'launch edition' was available in North America exclusively at GameStop, which included a complimentary 48-page artbook inside of a unique cardboard collector's box. [7] [8]

Reception

Bad Apple Wars received "generally favorable" reviews according to review aggregator Metacritic, with a 78/100 based on seven critic scores. [9] Upon release in Japan, Famitsu's four reviews each gave the game a 7/10 score (for a collective 28/40), commenting that the game's world was good. [10] In a 7/10 review for DualShockers, Azario Lopez noted that while the world is interesting, inconsistencies in the diverging story paths held the title back from other otome visual novels available on the market. [11]

Notes

  1. ↑ Japanese: バッドアップルウォーズ, Hepburn: Baddoappuruu~ōzu

Related Research Articles

An otomegame is a story-based video game that is targeted towards women. Generally one of the goals, besides the main story goal, is to develop a romantic relationship between the female main player character and one of the usually male, secondary lead characters.

<i>Banshees Last Cry</i> 1994 video game

Kamaitachi no Yoru, released in English as Banshee's Last Cry, is a visual novel developed and published by Chunsoft for the Super Famicom in 1994. The game is the second sound novel by Chunsoft and brought a myriad of other companies to develop similar games. The term "sound novel" was a registered trademark, but is regarded as a genre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aksys Games</span> Video game publisher

Aksys Games Localization, Inc. is a video game publisher that specializes in translating and localizing Japanese video games for English-speaking markets. It was founded by Akibo Shieh in 2006. Some of its clients include Bandai Namco Games, Xseed Games, and Atlus USA. Aksys Games is best known for its involvement in the Guilty Gear series, as well as for publishing numerous Otome games in English. It has become a full-fledged game publisher with the announcement of Eagle Eye Golf for PlayStation 2, and has expressed a desire to publish for all current platforms from Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony.

<i>Zero Escape: Virtues Last Reward</i> 2012 Japanese visual novel

Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward is a 2012 adventure game developed by Chunsoft. It is the second installment in the Zero Escape series, and was originally released for the Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita. The story follows the player character Sigma, who is abducted and forced along with eight other individuals to play the Nonary Game, which puts its participants in a life-or-death situation. As the story progresses, the characters unravel the secrets behind the Nonary Game.

<i>Mind Zero</i> 2013 video game

Mind Zero, stylized MIND≒0, is a dungeon crawler role-playing video game developed for the PlayStation Vita portable video game console. It was developed jointly by Acquire and Class of Heroes developer ZeroDiv, and published by GungHo Online Entertainment. It was released in Japan on August 1, 2013, and in May 2014 in Europe and North America by Aksys Games.

<i>Zero Escape</i> Video game series

Zero Escape, formerly released in Japan as Kyokugen Dasshutsu, is a series of adventure games directed and written by Kotaro Uchikoshi. The first two entries in the series, Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors (2009) and Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward (2012), were developed by Spike Chunsoft, while the third entry, Zero Time Dilemma (2016), was developed by Chime. Zero Escape is published by Spike Chunsoft in Japan, while Aksys Games and Rising Star Games have published the games for North America and Europe respectively.

<i>Tokyo Twilight Ghost Hunters</i> 2014 video game

Tokyo Twilight Ghost Hunters is a 2014 visual novel produced by Toybox Inc. for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita. It was originally released in Japan by Arc System Works and was released in North America by Aksys Games and in the PAL region by NIS America in 2015. An updated version with a reworked battle system, titled Tokyo Twilight Ghost Hunters Daybreak: Special Gigs, first released in Japan in 2015 before releasing worldwide for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and Windows.

<i>Collar × Malice</i> 2016 video game

Collar × Malice is a visual novel video game developed and published by Idea Factory under their Otomate brand. It was released for PlayStation Vita on August 18, 2016, in Japan, and by Aksys Games in North America and Europe on July 28, 2017. A Nintendo Switch port was also released in 2020. The game was well received by critics, and sold well in Japan for a niche game of its genre and platform. A fan disc, Collar × Malice: Unlimited, was released on July 26, 2018. A two-part anime film adaptation by Studio Deen, titled Gekijōban Collar × Malice Deep Cover, premiered in May and June 2023.

<i>Code: Realize</i> 2014 video game

Code: Realize − Guardian of Rebirth is an otome visual novel video game developed by Otomate for PlayStation Vita, released in 2014 in Japan and in 2015 in North America and Europe. The game features a steampunk aesthetic and a cast of literary and historical figures, including Arsène Lupin, Abraham Van Helsing, Victor Frankenstein, Impey Barbicane, and Count Saint-Germain. Two fan discs, Code: Realize − Future Blessings, and Code: Realize - Wintertide Miracles were released on November 26, 2016 and February 14, 2019, respectively. Aksys Games localized both games in English. An anime television series adaptation by M.S.C aired from October 7 to December 23, 2017.

<i>Nil Admirari no Tenbin: Teito Genwaku Kitan</i> 2016 video game

Nil Admirari no Tenbin: Teito Genwaku Kitan is an otome visual novel video game developed by Otomate for PlayStation Vita that was first released on April 21, 2016. It was written by Yuma Katagiri, with art by Satoi. A sequel, Nil Admirari no Tenbin: Kuroyuri En'yōtan, was released in 2017, and was followed by another sequel, Nil Admirari no Tenbin: Irodori Nadeshiko, released in 2018 for the Nintendo Switch. An anime adaptation of the original game, directed by Masahiro Takata at Zero-G, aired in Japan from April 8 to June 24, 2018.

<i>Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly</i> and <i>the Ashen Hawk</i> 2015 video game

Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly and Psychedelica of the Ashen Hawk are two otome visual novel video games developed by Otomate. They were published for PlayStation Vita by Idea Factory in Japan in 2015 and 2016, and by Aksys Games in North America and Europe in 2018. Intragames and Idea Factory released Black Butterfly for Microsoft Windows in 2018, and Ashen Hawk in 2019.

<i>7scarlet</i> 2016 video game

7'scarlet is an otome visual novel video game developed by Otomate and Toybox Inc. It was released for the PlayStation Vita by Idea Factory in 2016 in Japan and by Aksys Games in 2018 in North America and Europe. The player reads through the story, making choices that determine its direction, and takes the role of college student Ichiko Hanamaki, who goes to the town of Okunezato to investigate the disappearance of her brother together with her friend Hino Kagutsuchi.

<i>Spirit Hunter: Death Mark</i> 2017 video game

Spirit Hunter: Death Mark is a horror visual novel adventure game developed and published by Experience, and is the first entry in the Spirit Hunter series. It was originally released in June 2017 for PlayStation Vita in Japan, and was later ported to PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One. The game was published worldwide by Aksys Games in October 2018 for the same platforms except Xbox One, and was additionally released for Microsoft Windows in both English and Japanese in April 2019. It is followed by two sequels: 2018's Spirit Hunter: NG, and the upcoming Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II.

<i>Spirit Hunter: NG</i> 2018 video game

Spirit Hunter: NG, short for No Good, is a 2018 horror visual novel adventure game developed by Experience. It is the second entry in their Spirit Hunter series, following 2017's Spirit Hunter: Death Mark, and is planned to be followed by the in-development Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II. The game was originally released for the PlayStation Vita, and has since been ported to the PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, and Nintendo Switch.

<i>Root Rexx</i> 2015 video game

Root Rexx, stylized as ROOT∞REXX, is an otome visual novel video game developed by Otomate, exclusively released for the PlayStation Vita by Idea Factory on January 22, 2015 in Japan. The game follows Mochizuki Kazune, a teenage girl who meets members of the fictional boy band Rexx.

References

  1. ↑ Williams, Max (November 6, 2017). "Bad Apple Wars Review (PS Vita)". Rice Digital. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Bad Apple Wars UK)". Bazaar-Bazaar. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  3. ↑ "オトメイト×スオウによる新作乙女ゲー『バッドアップルウォーズ』発表！)". GamesTalk (in Japanese). April 17, 2015. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  4. ↑ "Bad Apple Wars Review". Otome Kitten. October 13, 2017. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  5. ↑ "パッチ配信のお知らせ)". Otomate (in Japanese). November 24, 2015. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Bad Apple Wars Headed To North America On September 29". Siliconera. July 1, 2017. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  7. 1 2 Romano, Sal (September 1, 2017). "Bad Apple Wars delayed to October 13 in North America". Gematsu. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  8. ↑ Luster, Joeseph (September 2, 2017). ""Bad Apple Wars" Visual Novel Moved to October 13 in North America". Crunchyroll . Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  9. 1 2 "Bad Apple Wars for PlayStation Vita Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  10. 1 2 BAD APPLE WARS（バッドアップルウォーズ）(PS Vita)のレビュー・評価・感想情報 [BAD APPLE WARS (PS Vita) review, evaluation, impression information] (in Japanese). Famitsu. March 27, 2019. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  11. ↑ Lopez, Azario (12 October 2017). "Bad Apple Wars Review -- Being Bad Never Felt So Good". DualShockers. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.