By Alec Meer on December 9th, 2011 at 4:16 pm.
The words, I do not have them. Hatoful Boyfriend is a game about the lives, loves, classes and picnics of young, argumentative pigeons and their pigeon teachers at the world’s only pigeon school. It’s more a visual novel than a game, but you do get to make a few choices and increase your (human, pigeon-fancying) character’s stats and… well, it’s about dating pigeons. And going to a posh school for pigeons. I would imagine that’s reason enough to play it.
It’s clearly one big gag rather than a forlorn fetish, but don’t let that stop you. First you’ll need the game itself, but because that’s in Japanese you’ll then need the English dialogue patch. The rest, I leave for you to discover. If you’re impatient, a poorly-translated video of some of the Japanese version is below.
So there’s that.
Via Simon Parkin.
09/12/2011 at 16:18 Teddy Leach says:
Is one of the classes ‘learning to crap on people’?
09/12/2011 at 16:18 The Army of None says:
Tesla would be very pleased.
09/12/2011 at 16:20 Dominic White says:
To clarify, you actually play as a human girl, looking for love in an all-bird school.
09/12/2011 at 16:52 sinister agent says:
It’s clearly a metaphor for … something.
09/12/2011 at 17:39 Nim says:
Someone sure has high-flying expectations of what to find.
09/12/2011 at 16:21 Dan Lawrence says:
You can also read an amusing playthrough of the game by an expert in the genre here:
http://www.quartertothree.com/game-talk/showthread.php?t=67529
09/12/2011 at 16:26 McDan says:
That’s hilarious, I may just get this game now. The fat bird doctor was the thing that sold it for me.
09/12/2011 at 17:02 TheSaddestSort says:
Ho ho ho~
09/12/2011 at 17:03 Urthman says:
Lotsa spoilers in that thread, if you care about getting your pigeon dating sims spoilered.
09/12/2011 at 16:22 Fierce says:
Damn airborne rats. They do not deserve love. My breadcrumbs are MINE DAMMIT!
Only in Japan…
09/12/2011 at 16:23 googoogjoob says:
the website has no links to actually purchase the advertised “full version” of this game, which makes me think it might be a troll project
but then there’s also some text that appears (in translation at least) to hint at a release of the full game next summer- but it’d be really weird to release a demo with like 2/3rds of the content this far ahead of the actual game
maybe it is some weird japanese/vn thing
09/12/2011 at 19:31 BTA says:
It has already been released in full, but only at events, which isn’t uncommon for Japanese games like this. The creator’s talked about releasing the full version in English sometime around January.
It’s certainly a “troll” project in that it’s all one big (very funny) joke, but it’s completely real and playable. There’s even a drama CD coming out soon, and the sequel’s being worked on.
09/12/2011 at 16:24 Hoaxfish says:
bah, now this is what I call pigeons: http://www.swiss-miss.com/2011/04/champion-pigeons.html
09/12/2011 at 16:25 Apples says:
As someone actually interested in fancy pigeons (and other birds), this looks hilarious and I’m looking forward to playing it when I get home.
09/12/2011 at 16:26 nimzy says:
Flighty birds. :V
09/12/2011 at 16:28 Chiller says:
FINALLY.
11/12/2011 at 22:42 FRIENDLYUNIT says:
Yes, this!
09/12/2011 at 16:30 Rao Dao Zao says:
Will there be hot chicks?
09/12/2011 at 16:36 Lambchops says:
NO I don’t want no pigeons!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9speafWQ3eI&feature=related
With apologies to your ears.
09/12/2011 at 16:41 Kaira- says:
Why, Japan, why?
Why?
09/12/2011 at 17:42 Delusibeta says:
It seems a very obvious target for a parody, and I expect this is that parody.
09/12/2011 at 19:03 Phantoon says:
I actually saw a reference to this on Manly Guys Doing Manly Things-
But I had no idea it was REAL.
09/12/2011 at 22:48 Wulf says:
Why? Because Japan is invariably awesome. Their entertainment industry has been in a stable and non-fluctuating state since it began to exist, and this will continue to be a truth.
I love everything about the Japanese entertainment industry, really. And how easy it was for people to get into independent comics publishing long, long, long before it was in any other part of the world. They’ve got some truly amazing stuff going on there for those who want to poke their noses in and explore.
This also an example of Japan not giving a damn, because Japan is Japan, and thus – awesome.
09/12/2011 at 16:41 Aninhumer says:
I’m not really sure why the translators called it “Hatoful”. The name is clearly a transliteration of “Heartful”.
EDIT: I’ve just seen the video, I guess the reason is google translate.
09/12/2011 at 17:00 tooque says:
Hato is the Japanese word for pigeon, so I guess it was meant to be a clever pun.
09/12/2011 at 17:02 CaLe says:
Japanese? Puns? NAWWWWWW.
10/12/2011 at 09:03 chackosan says:
Some part of Japan are huge on the puns. At least that’s what reading Hajime No Ippo led me to believe.
09/12/2011 at 16:53 Paul B says:
Hope this is better then my memories of watching Geordie Racer at Primary School.
09/12/2011 at 17:00 CaLe says:
Feels less funny in English somehow.
10/12/2011 at 05:55 Voxel_Music_Man says:
微妙なニュアンスが伝わらないし、文化と考え方も違うからそりゃそうだろ。
Blackadderを日本語に訳しても日本人に面白さが伝わると思う？ww
From your comment I’m assuming you’ve played in both languages :P Comedy, poems and lyrics don’t usually translate well…
09/12/2011 at 17:23 wcaypahwat says:
I didn’t think my night could get any crazier, but now it has. Thankyou, hivemind.
09/12/2011 at 17:29 Antsy says:
What do you Doo in this?
09/12/2011 at 17:55 WPUN says:
“It’s clearly one big gag rather than a forlorn fetish…” You obviously have never been to Japan or have even seen the heavily censored pigeon cosplay underground. You should try it; find a Japanese chick to take you under her wing.
09/12/2011 at 18:13 Krauss says:
Are there any tits in this?
09/12/2011 at 19:29 Woden says:
Clearly those are pigeons; tits are an entirely different species.
09/12/2011 at 22:50 Wulf says:
…that’s…the best and most intelligent pun I’ve seen on RPS all week.
There has to be some sort of award for that.
09/12/2011 at 18:19 povu says:
I have the weirdest boner right now.
09/12/2011 at 18:59 SquidgyB says:
Finally.
Hentai for twitchers.
09/12/2011 at 18:30 Drake Sigar says:
Typical Japanese fare.
09/12/2011 at 22:51 Wulf says:
What makes it interesting is that Japan’s typical is so atypical for the rest of the world. I can’t say that I ever get bored with Japan’s typical.
09/12/2011 at 18:59 Woden says:
As this game was previously mentioned by Manly Guys Doing Manly Things (http://thepunchlineismachismo.com/archives/970) and has now been mentioned by RPS, I may be forced to play it to maintain my membership in the Weird Things That Are Popular On The Internet Club.
09/12/2011 at 22:52 Wulf says:
/me too!
Though I’m not so convinced about the popular part. At least not outside of Japan.
11/12/2011 at 11:18 vanarbulax says:
But surely it’s merely the premier avian school as *you know what if you’ve played it* would call for them to be the dominant form of school….OH GOD THIS GAME HAS ME DEFENDING IT’S LOGIC!
11/12/2011 at 21:17 Pie says:
This is just getting more weird isn’t it? プリンセスX(I probably shouldn’t mention this) and パカプラス！and this in the same year.