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LTTP: 999 - Nine Persons, Nine Hours, Nine Doors (SPOILERS!!!)

B

Bjoern the Smexy

Member
This is my first LTTP thread, but whatever.

About two weeks ago I borrowed this game from a friend.
I finished it with all endings a few days ago, and BOY WAS IT GOOD! Holy crap, seriously, this game is awesome.

The story is really good. No plot holes that I can think of. Twists range from "Huh, okay" (
Seven's amnesia
) to "OH MY GOD WHERE DID THAT COME FROM THAT IS AMAZING HOLY CRAP!" (
Pretty much June being Zero, Santa being her brother and helping her and the reason of the Nonary games of the past and present (helping past-Akane from being incinerated so she can set up the Nonary game as present-Akane)
)

All of the characters are extremely well written. Almost all of the characters have some kind of flaw (Snake is blind,
Ace has proso...prosgo...can't recognize faces
,
Seven has amnesia
...) which really makes them pretty interesting. I really liked to know more about the past of each character. Every single one of their stories was really interesting.

The texts were extremely well translated, too. Aksys did an awesome job here.

The puzzles itself were okay. I had a really hard time with the very first puzzle, because I didn't think to
watch under a specific pillow to get the second half of a coded message
. Also one or two of the later puzzles were pretty hard, while pretty much every other puzzle was a breeze. Which puzzle somehow stands out for me was
the Sudoku puzzle at the end of the game. Being a puzzle in itself which resolves about the number 9 it corresponded extremely well with the game's theme. Although it was a bit on the easy side I enjoyed it pretty much
.

To get back to the story: The endings are really cool, every single one of them.
I got them in this order:
Axe -> Sub -> Knife -> Safe -> Coffin+True
Playing the game through like this was a unique experience because I think I got the order of the endings just right. Every new ending gave me more indepth details of the overall story until it finally came to a conclusion in the last one, where everything suddenly made oh so much sense.

This game is awesome. Seriously. Why the hell did this never come out here in Europe?
It would've probably been pretty successful with the Layton games and Phoenix Wright series being also relatively successful around here.

I really hope the sequel (Virtue's Last Reward) gets a release here because I don't really want to import an American 3DS just so I can play that game.
EDIT: And it's been confirmed a few weeks ago that the sequel WILL come out in Europe thanks to Rising Star Games. For both Vita and 3DS no less.

TL;DR:
This game is awesome and has an awesome story with awesome characters. Buy this awesome game if you haven't already. Awesome.
 
L

Ledsen

Member
I enjoyed the overall mystery (at least until the convoluted ending), but I found the writing to be overly verbose and frankly bad. In a game that's nothing but writing, that's a pretty glaring flaw. It's certainly nowhere near the Phoenix Wright games in terms of script quality. Great concept though.
 
A

Akselziys

Aksys Games Dev.
Bjoern the Smexy said:
TL;DR:
This game is awesome and has an awesome story with awesome characters. Buy this awesome game if you haven't already. Awesome.
Click to expand...

Awesome! :)


If you haven't already, make sure to check out the spoilerific Answers Q&A with Kotaro Uchikoshi, for a nice 999 post-mortem~

http://www.aksysgames.com/999/answers


Hopefully it will help entertain you as you wait for VLR!

Though if you feel like importing VLR, there's always the VITA version!
 
B

Bjoern the Smexy

Member
Akselziys said:
Awesome! :)


If you haven't already, make sure to check out the spoilerific Answers Q&A with Kotaro Uchikoshi, for a nice 999 post-mortem~

http://www.aksysgames.com/999/answers
Click to expand...
In my "This game is awesome" fever after I completed the game I checked out pretty much everything about it that I could, so yeah, I already read the Answer Q&A, but thanks anyway :)


Though if you feel like importing VLR, there's always the VITA version!
Click to expand...

The Vita version is sadly not an option for me, at least not yet. The system has no games yet that I am interested in and I think I may pay less for importing an American 3DS with VLR than to buy a EU Vita and importing VLR for it.
 
B

Byronic Hero

Member
Love to see anybody who has had the chance to play this masterpiece.

When I played through the game for the first time I got the endings in this order:
Knife-Sub-Axe-Safe-True

I actually got one a couple of times and ended up playing the game a total of "9" times including the final go through. Freaky huh?
 
H

Hours Left

Member
I'm jealous of people that get to experience this game for the first time. It's so amazing.

Virtue's Last Reward can't come soon enough.
 
D

dragonlife

Member
This is one of those games where I wish I could lose all memory of it so I could enjoy it anew. The game is a blast to go through. Truly one of the best story-driven games I've ever experienced in my life.
 
R

RurouniZel

Asks questions so Ezalc doesn't have to
Gunloc said:
I'm jealous of people that get to experience this game for the first time. It's so amazing.

Virtue's Last Reward can't come soon enough.
Click to expand...

I feel the same! If only I could forget everything and experience the magic all over again! :D

EDIT: damn it, dragonlife! XD
 
A

AniHawk

Member
Bjoern the Smexy said:
The story is really good. No plot holes that I can think of. Twists range from "Huh, okay" (
Seven's amnesia
) to "OH MY GOD WHERE DID THAT COME FROM THAT IS AMAZING HOLY CRAP!" (
Pretty much June being Zero, Santa being her brother and helping her and the reason of the Nonary games of the past and present (helping past-Akane from being incinerated so she can set up the Nonary game as present-Akane)
)
Click to expand...

what about the bestest twist

when it's revealed, through a design decision, that the text on the bottom screen had been akane's viewing of all the futures the whole time
 
H

Hours Left

Member
AniHawk said:
what about the bestest twist

when it's revealed, through a design decision, that the text on the bottom screen had been akane's viewing of all the futures the whole time
Click to expand...

So great, as opposed to the one twist I did not like...

June & Santa's bracelets showing the wrong numbers. :/
 
A

AniHawk

Member
Gunloc said:
So great, as opposed to the one twist I did not like...

June & Santa's bracelets showing the wrong numbers. :/
Click to expand...

i think that was one of the things sorta lost in translation. i went with it, even though it was needlessly confusing.
 
H

Hours Left

Member
AniHawk said:
i think that was one of the things sorta lost in translation. i went with it, even though it was needlessly confusing.
Click to expand...

Confusing, and pointless. It never even came into play and I think it was a bit of a cheat. (Though it does lead to one HUGE hint about Zero.)

I hope there's nothing like that in VLR.
 
B

Bjoern the Smexy

Member
Another awesome thing is
the code for the coffin (14383421). Multiplied by 9 it is 129450789, the true numbers of all the Nonary game players.
Little things like that are the things I love about games. It shows just how much work went into creating the story, characters and the elements surrounding it.
 
S

ScraftyDevil

Banned
I love this game so much. I've played through it more times than I can count.

Favourite parts are
Snake's epic revenge-sacrifice in the Safe ending (I seriously though he was a Terminator for a second!)
and the funyarinpa. Kneel before the funyarinpa.
 
V

Vyse The Legend

Member
Fantastic game, and I'm excited for Good People Die.

However, for the love of FUCKING GOD, fix the text speed. It was excruciatingly slow during my first run-through.
 
T

Tricky I Shadow

Banned
Brilliant game is brilliant!

Best story of the gen.
Best atmosphere of the gen.
Best cast of characters of the gen.

Love it! Love it! Love it! Can not wait for the sequel!
 
J

Jintor

Member
image.php
 
R

RyougaSaotome

Member
Gunloc said:
Confusing, and pointless. It never even came into play and I think it was a bit of a cheat. (Though it does lead to one HUGE hint about Zero.)

I hope there's nothing like that in VLR.
Click to expand...

Nah. VLR plays it pretty straight.

In that sort of "FUCK. FUCK. FUCK. WHAT. FUCK. AAAAHHHHH." kind of way. You know.
 
B

BassForever

Member
Bjoern the Smexy said:
Another awesome thing is
the code for the coffin (14383421). Multiplied by 9 it is 129450789, the true numbers of all the Nonary game players.
Little things like that are the things I love about games. It shows just how much work went into creating the story, characters and the elements surrounding it.
Click to expand...

mind-blown.gif
 
G

GSR

Member
RyougaSaotome said:
Nah. VLR plays it pretty straight.

In that sort of "FUCK. FUCK. FUCK. WHAT. FUCK. AAAAHHHHH." kind of way. You know.
Click to expand...

That's what I like to hear.

I think I've been spoiled on something pretty big and I'm still super hyped for it. Of course, that almost adds to it, because if I'm wrong, I'll have misdirected myself even more than the game could.
 
R

RyougaSaotome

Member
GSR said:
That's what I like to hear.

I think I've been spoiled on something pretty big and I'm still super hyped for it. Of course, that almost adds to it, because if I'm wrong, I'll have misdirected myself even more than the game could.
Click to expand...

The game is massive enough (took me 39 hours from beginning to end) that one spoiler isn't gonna ruin the whole thing.

THERE IS A LOT.
 
R

RyougaSaotome

Member
Tricky I Shadow said:
Would you say the game is better than the original? On par? Worse?
Click to expand...

Hard to say. It's paced significantly differently because doing the same thing over again would be boring. That was my biggest surprise in the beginning.

It's definitely not worse, but I think I might have been more invested VLR's story overall.

That being said, I wouldn't have been that invested if I hadn't played 999. Some of the early marketing in Japan was really silly.
 
T

Tricky I Shadow

Banned
RyougaSaotome said:
Hard to say. It's paced significantly differently because doing the same thing over again would be boring. That was my biggest surprise in the beginning.

It's definitely not worse, but I think I might have been more invested in this game's story overall.

That being said, I wouldn't have been that invested if I hadn't played 999. Some of the early marketing in Japan was really silly.
Click to expand...

lJjfS.gif
 
G

GSR

Member
RyougaSaotome said:
The game is massive enough (took me 39 hours from beginning to end) that one spoiler isn't gonna ruin the whole thing.

THERE IS A LOT.
Click to expand...

That's definitely the impression I'm getting. And unlike 999 it seems like repetition between routes is comparatively minimal and there's not really any way to get the same ending by making different major choices (like how in 999 you could get to
Sub
as long as you picked 2 at the third door choice).
 
R

RyougaSaotome

Member
GSR said:
That's definitely the impression I'm getting. And unlike 999 it seems like repetition between routes is comparatively minimal and there's not really any way to get the same ending by making different major choices (like how in 999 you could get to
Sub
as long as you picked 2 at the third door choice).
Click to expand...

Very very minimal. I won't spoil anything, but progression is handled very differently and the game is extremely honest with you as soon as it hands you the controls.

People will see what I mean within the first
half hour of playing
.
 
N

Nocturnowl

Member
I enjoyed the game but i'm one of those people who much preferred the plot when it was in a simpler state, before the mind bending and overly wordy true ending, yeah i'll just take the axe ending and be on my way, damn that was a brilliantly chilling ending.
 
B

Byronic Hero

Member
Bjoern the Smexy said:
Haha, just noticed through the Backloggery that a friend of mine got the game borrowed from a friend of hers in a pretty awesome kinda way.

This was the package she received:

[pic]
And the accompanying letter and game:
[pic]

That's pretty fucking sweet, I must say :D
Click to expand...
Whoever her friend is, is clearly a god.

I mean seriously, that friend is spouse material.
 
N

Necrovex

Member
Since this thread is not too old, I'll make some slight impressions about 999 here.

I completed all the bad endings:
sub, knife, axe, and safe,
exactly in the order I described too. You guys weren't kidding about the importance of getting each and every bad endings. Some of these endings were simply cruel and monstrous, so I loved each and every one of them.

I wish I didn't have to replay through the puzzle parts, but hey, that's why Gamefaqs exist. Because of that, it isn't as painful replaying through old parts. So far, my favorite ending has been the last one I played.

The safe ending was really fucked up. I was in the edge of my seat devouring the text. I never expected Ace to be the murderer, but the pieces of the puzzle fits. I'm really curious how the true ending will unravel itself. Before the plot twist revealing Snake was alive, I made the assumption that he wasn't truly dead and stashed away in that coffin.

I'm really expecting the discussion of the rat puzzle that Santa brought up in the steam room to have a pivotal role for the True ending. I'll see if that theory pans out later today.

Because of time restraint, I'll end my post here. I aim to finish the game today. Afterwards, I can be properly hyped for the new Zero game.
 
W

wrowa

Member
_Keiichi_ said:
It's a great game, though having played Ever17 i saw some twists coming.
Click to expand...

Do you have some tips for playing Ever17? I remember starting to play it after I've finished 999 but I stopped rather quickly again. I think I had the feeling that the game expected me to be at certain random places at the right time which kinda turned me off. I don't know if that impression was actually accurate, though...
 
T

Taruranto

Member
wrowa said:
Do you have some tips for playing Ever17? I remember starting to play it after I've finished 999 but I stopped rather quickly again. I think I had the feeling that the game expected me to be at certain random places at the right time which kinda turned me off. I don't know if that impression was actually accurate, though...
Click to expand...

Well, there isn't too much to say. The novel is actually quite linar, but don't be afraid to use a walktrough and i suggest doing You's path first, it's the one that introduces most things but doesn't solve anything. (Many find Tsugumi a better start, but i disagree, it completely kills the mystery of You or Sara's paths)

If you feel confused about what's going on that's part of the experience!
 
A

axisofweevils

Holy crap! Today's real megaton is that more than two people can have the same first name.
Just completed every ending of this game. My mind is blown.
Can't wait for the sequel.
 
Jawmuncher

Jawmuncher

Member
I'm playing it right now and absolutely loving it.
People were right about the puzzles not being all that hard, which I like because nothing worse than being stumped and having to resort to a guide.

Can't wait to finish this up and get the endings so I can grab the next game on vita.
 
Monocle

Monocle

Member
For me 999 is one of the highlights of this generation. I found the story engrossing and I really enjoyed filling in the blanks with successive playthroughs.

A note for newcomers to 999: it's essential to play until you've seen all of the endings. Otherwise you'll miss out on large chunks of the plot, as well as key insight into the characters' motivations.
 
D

demidar

Member
999 was my GotY. That's how much I loved it, BUT if you are going to play this game keep you're expectations in check.
 
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