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Last year, Hato Moa and Erick Scarecrow ran a successful Kickstarter campaign to create Hatoful Boyfriend plushes. 2,514 people ended up kicking in $145,015 to get stuffed Ryouta, Okosan, Shuu, Kazuaki, Sakuya, Yuuya, Anghel, Nageki, Souma Isa, and Maid Ryouta plushes. On November 3, 2016, Hato Moa and Erick Scarecrow decided to do it again. The Hatoful Boyfriend 2nd Semester Plush Project crowdfunding campaign has launched on Kickstarter.

This time, the goal is to make 5” plush birds based on characters from Hatoful Boyfriend and Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star. The project is hoping to raise $50,000 by December 6, 2016, of which over $27,000 has been raised already. The goal is to make Azami, Tohri, Rabu-san, Hitori, Kazuaki-kun, Ryuuji, Albert, and The King plushes, as well as a special 12” Anghel set that will also include Wallenstein, Dark Anghel, and an Anghel Poncho. A yet-unnamed $65,000 stretch goal has also been announced.

The smallest contribution someone can make to the Hatoful Boyfriend 2nd Semester Plush Project is $25. This will get people either set 01, which includes Tohri, Azami, and Rabu-san, or set 02, with Hitori, Zakuaki-kun, and Ryuuji. For $45, people can get both sets. The Albert or The King plush sets, which include the limited edition birds and both sets 01 and 02, require $100 contributions. The 12” Anghel set is $250. Expected delivery is April 2017.

Each bird will have embroidered features and be made of super velour material, as well as have a hang-tag and PVC character label.

The post Hatoful Boyfriend 2nd Semester Plush Project Kickstarter Begins appeared first on Siliconera.

There’s a little problem with the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita versions of Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star, the Hatoful Boyfriend companion game released last week on December 15. It is supposed to be a cross-buy game. However, technical difficulties have kept that from happening. Devolver Digital has just released an update saying the problem will be fixed by January 8.

With cross-buy, people who buy a game for one Sony platform also have the ability to it on other devices on which it appears. Due to a PlayStation Network problem, people who purchased the PlayStation 4 version of Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star weren’t seeing the PlayStation Vita version in their library, and vice versa. After January 8, people who own it will be able to both the handheld and console versions of the game.

Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star is a visual novel starring St. Pigeonation’s students and teachers as they enjoy the holiday break between before the third semester begins. The characters stop Christmas thieves, go to Comiket, and meet a King. It is immediately available for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and PC. 

The post Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star Cross-Buy Issue To Be Resolved By January appeared first on Siliconera.

Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star is the festive Hatoful Boyfriend complimentary visual novel. Set between winter break and the third semester of the original game, it follows Hiyoko and the fine feathered fellows in the cast as they get up to various holiday antics. There are four main episodes in the game, each offering a different sort of adventure.

While Hatoful Boyfriend was the sort of game where any moment could be golden, Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star is more subdued. It attempts a more cohesive narrative, despite introducing an outlandish “King” and a supernatural story focusing on Anghel’s abilities. It’s also a largely kinetic visual novel. It has a tale to tell and you’re going to hear it. If you do need to make a choice, it will either do nothing or lead to a bad ending. To help prepare you, there are three choices in the first story, none of which change anything. The second story has one choice and, if you don’t pick the right answer of the three, you’re taken to a bad end. The third story has one choice, which leads to a bad end if the incorrect option is chosen. Finally, the fourth story has three choices and I recommend saving before each one. A wrong answer at any of the branching points will lead to a bad ending.

Don’t let the threat of a bad end and linear storylines scare you. There are still plenty of special moments to enjoy in Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star. To give you an idea of what to expect, these are three that absolutely won’t spoil the overall experience for you.

“The Christmas Thieves Attack!,” the first episode in Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star, is about a group of thieves stealing Christmas trees. Hiyoko, Ryouta, Sakuya, Okosan, and other of St. Pigeonation get caught up in the events, hoping to foil the heists. The most memorable moment for me in this tale comes right at the very beginning. Given the mystery surrounding the thieves, Hiyoko seizes on the opportunity to reference one of Capcom’s best series, Ace Attorney. When Ryouta is relaying his firsthand of the initial heist, where Rabu was assaulted and Torimi Cafe’s tree taken, Hiyoko makes sure to “object,” tell him to “hold it,” and continually point her finger at every revelation. It’s especially great since Hiyoko remains “in character” throughout the episode.

It’s a happy reminder of the contents of the original Hatoful Boyfriend. The first game was full of little Easter eggs that referenced other video games, and that Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star immediately does the same is reassuring. Especially since the “Hold on!” and “I object!” effects are just similar enough to call to mind Phoenix Wright.

The second adventure in Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star is “Fallen Chronicles – Absolute Zero.” It turns out Comiket still exists in this bird-inhabited future, and Anghel is working on a creation for the “Day of Judgment, Ragnarok.” Hiyoko ends up helping out as a volunteer at the event, as does Ryouta. Which brings me to the one of the most memorable parts of this section. Hatocatch Pretty Coore is an established series within the game’s world, along the lines of Precure or other magical girl stories. Talk about cosplay comes up quite a bit in this episode, and that means Ryouta gets another costume to wear! His appearance as Coore Grey is something to behold.

That’s also another thing that Hatoful Boyfriend unintentionally does well. Like all visual novels, it’s a means of informing people about Japanese culture. The first game introduced some people to the visual novel genre, and this supplemental story helps people understand what Comiket could be like and why people might dress up in costumes of their favorite characters. After all, cosplay isn’t exactly a common thing outside of fandom circles. Ryouta’s explanation and example is surprisingly educational.

The last two stories in Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star are two parts of “The Day the Night Slept.” I was almost going to pick two memories from this segment, but I didn’t want to risk spoiling the second part for anyone, so we’re only looking at a memorable moment from the first half of this adventure. In this storyline, Hiyoko, Ryouta, and Nageki start off on a train heading home from St. Pigeonation and end up encountering a King. It also features some spoilers from the original Hatoful Boyfriend, so keep that in mind before you head into this two part portion.

This segment begins with Mr. Nanaki telling the class that the Astronomy Club is going to have an event the next night to observe a total lunar eclipse. This being Hatoful Boyfriend, an eclipse is never just an eclipse. Hiyoko, Nageki, and the rest of the class go to a roof for the moon viewing party. It’s what leads up to this part that makes this storyline so special. Nageki is a rather unorthodox character, and the first part of this episode provides more insight into his nature. We learn more about what he is and isn’t capable of, tying up some lose ends from the first game.

It’s these early moments in Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star’s second to last chapter that show why it’s so important as a supplemental piece. It helps expand the series’ lore. What it does for Nageki in the first 10-15 minutes of “The Day the Night Slept” is invaluable for people who were fans of the character. It’s information that couldn’t have come up in the original game, but we still get a chance to savor it.

Each person will take away different things from Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star, depending on who and what they loved most about the original game. There’s plenty to learn and enjoy in these side-stories, which means people who loved Hatoful Boyfriend will get something out of this.

Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star is immediately available for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and PCs.

The post Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star’s 3 Most Memorable Moments appeared first on Siliconera.

Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star is basically a digital fandisc filled with additional stories starring the cast of the bird dating game. Players will get to unlock the additional adventures of Hiyoko and the birdies as they get into the holiday spirit and enjoy a break from St. Pigeonations. However, that might not be where you want to start. Instead, you may want to go through the six radio episodes first.

Listing them under a Radio heading is a little misleading. There’s no voice acting, and it’s still in the visual novel format. It is set up like a talk radio show, though, with Ryouta answering “viewers’” questions. Think of them as an opportunity to learn a little more about the series, story, and characters.

The primary mission of Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star’s radio segments is to provide more in-universe information. All other cast , aside from Hiyoko, appear to answer questions about themselves and the game. For example, Nageki’s, one of the only characters to not have a Tanabata wish, reveals what his would have been. Ryouta shows off another costume he would wear at the maid cafe. There’s even some discussion about Bad Boys Love spoilers. (Don’t worry, as all spoilers are marked.)

What I found most interesting about this Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star bonus was the inclusion of practical information. For example, did you know Okosan is a real bird? He’s based on Hato Moa’s dove. All pictures of him seen in-game were taken by the developer. There are even some tips for people who might want to buy an Okosan of their own to keep as a pet, which was a nice bonus.

There are also facts about the other birds. For example, did you know that Chukar partridges take dustbaths? They do so to clean parasites off of themselves. Dr. Iwamine claims he doesn’t engage in such archaic behavior. Still, the thought of seeing him frolicking in the dust is an adorable image.

Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star is immediately available for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and PC. It’s a visual novel, but of the kinetic variety. That means the player doesn’t make any decisions as they play and follow a linear storyline.

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The Hatoful Boyfriend spin-off has a release date. Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star, which can best be described as a fan-disc of loosely related, spin-off stories staring Hiyoko, the hunter-gatherer human, and her feathered boyfriends, will be released on the PlayStation Store and Steam before December 25.

Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star will come to PCs first, for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It has a December 15 release date on Steam. A week later, on December 22, it will come to the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita.

The events of Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star pretty much disregard most of the endings of Hatoful Boyfriend, especially the Hurtful Boyfriend route.Instead, it contains four main and six short stories starring the cast. Most involve Hiyoko experiencing Christmas adventures with characters like Ryouta, Nageki, Sakuya, Yuuya, and Shu.

It’s also important to note that Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star is a kinetic visual novel. This means there are no choices. The original game allowed player to influence the plot with their decisions.

The post Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star Will Be Home For Christmas appeared first on Siliconera.

Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star, the sequel to avian-themed visual novel Hatoful Boyfriend, is heading to PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and PC this fall.

Holiday Star will have you returning to series creator Hato Moa’s bird-dating world, this time with a holiday theme, meaning you’ll get to visit winter wonderlands to find romance with familiar faces and completely new ones.

You can also expect anime-inspired magical girl transformations of your pigeon boyfriends, lab-grown birds who attempt to steal Christmas, and a mysterious King of the Holiday Star. Also promised are episodic side stories to explore including Ryouta and his radio show.

Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star is being developed by Mediatonic with Hato Moa and published by Devolver Digital. It’ll be presented in high definition with hand-drawn scenery and a new watercolor world.

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