Let's prolong the chart.
| Year | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 75 | ||
| 1992 | 80 | ||
| 1993 | 121 | ||
| 1994 | 155 | ||
| 1995 | 180 | ||
| 1996 | 183 |
There's roughly the same number of visual novels in 1996 as in 1995. Romance games are everywhere this year, especially in the second half of it where Windows games preside. First half of 1996 is quite traditional mixed pc-98 representation familiar by previous years.
Let's see what year 1996 brought:
- Windows 95 brought 256 colors - something that pc-98 could never rival. Games not ported to Windows, but made specially for Windows like Dousoukai ~Yesterday Once More~ showed it clearly that there is just one possible future for VNs - on Windows and game consoles.
- The second half of 1996 showed clearly that with the rise of Windows games, there are much fewer creative games as well as mixes of genres.
- Bigger number of CGs and even more simplified gameplay tendencies persist - newer dating sims barely resemble the complexity of pioneers
- 1996 was the year when game accessories like wallpapers started to sell well - that provoked the creation of specialized moe titles
- With Shizuku and Kizuato Leaf transformed the sound novel genre that used to be wall of text on some background horror stories into what we now know as contemporary NVL novels with big character sprites and eliminated gameplay elements .
- 1996 is the first year that bore no new genre, no big development in systems. And that's also good as the market started to stabilize.
- There aren't that many RPG this year, but the remaining ones are of superb quality. Four masterpieces are RPG this year, plus two more games of the month are RPG as well.
Let's count the masterpiece level games of 1996:
1. Angel Halo
2. Be-Yond ~Kurodaishou ni Mirareteru~
3. Bounty Hunter Rudy
4. Es no Houteishiki
5. Harlem Blade ~The Greatest of All Time.~
6. Kakyuusei
7. Kichikuou Rance
8. Kizuato
9. Kono Yo no Hate de Koi o Utau Shoujo YU-NO
10. Ma Doll
11. Mujintou Monogatari 3 - A.D. 1999 Tokyo
12. NOëL NOT DiGITAL
13. Pia Carrot e Youkoso!! ~We've Been Waiting for You~
14. Sakura Taisen
15. Star Platinum
16. Stone Walkers
1. Angel Halo
2. Be-Yond ~Kurodaishou ni Mirareteru~
3. Bounty Hunter Rudy
4. Es no Houteishiki
5. Harlem Blade ~The Greatest of All Time.~
6. Kakyuusei
7. Kichikuou Rance
8. Kizuato
9. Kono Yo no Hate de Koi o Utau Shoujo YU-NO
10. Ma Doll
11. Mujintou Monogatari 3 - A.D. 1999 Tokyo
12. NOëL NOT DiGITAL
13. Pia Carrot e Youkoso!! ~We've Been Waiting for You~
14. Sakura Taisen
15. Star Platinum
16. Stone Walkers
Sixteen it is! Just note that some of the games are included for sheer concept originality or impact they made on further works. But the game of the year can't be just an important game. It should be the best from the best and definitely not a dating sim. Nothing stands close to a girl who chants love at the bound of this world, YU-NO. I played it some five years ago. Both the real world maze and the fantasy world beautiful ending are still vivid in my memory. It's a great adventure with most memorable characters and a huge impact. Hands off, the best work of Elf and it's probably the last time Elf hosts the game of the year. Windows era shall have its own champions.
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