New Game: 999

Or should I say 'newly bought old game'?
I'm going on a diet again this week after spending my food allowance on two new graphic novels and a video game. 
It has been four years since I last added a new game to my Nintendo DS collection. After moving on to my dark days of PSP gaming, and upgrading to the Valhalla sent Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, going back to collecting DS games seems like a blur now. Well that blur became crystal clear last week when I read about the announcement of Zero Escape vol. 3.
All thanks to the power of hype 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors beat out Fire Emblem Awakening and Fantasy Life, making it my first priority on my hit list. 
The next game on my list would most likely be its sequel, Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward, so by the time Zero Escape 3 hits the shelves I know better what to pick up on first sight.

the packaging is still adorably shiny L(OuO/)

The reason why I've overlooked the Zero Escape series was probably because I had very poor taste in games back then. Back when I was still a DS nut I didn't know this thing called the internet existed, so my preference in games mostly relied either on the sequels/spiritual successors of the games I played on the GBA, or games based on TV shows that I liked. Of course my gaming life wasn't all filled with poor choices back then as I also own a handful of first party titles. But other games that were the center of hype and glory each passing year were legend untold to me. Then again, 999 has a Mature ESRB rating so even if I had a copy of the game I wouldn't be allowed to play it...he.hehe.hehehe. Mature.

Anyway, I found a copy of the game in the UP Town Center branch of Data Blitz. It's rare to find a brand new copy of 999, and it was for a discounted price of 850 so it's definitely a steal. Virtue's Last Reward is another story. I couldn't find a copy, but maybe it's just the universe telling me to chill and play 999 first.

999 is, for the most part, a visual novel with puzzle solving elements. Kinda like the Professor Layton series but with more blood, violence, and tragedy. Danganronpa...yes more like Danganronpa in nature. The main theme of this game is survival.
The game begins with Junpei waking up inside a cabin. 

Puzzled by his current situation, Junpei tried to get out of the room only to find the door sealed tight. His situation was made worse when, the very moment after he realized he was inside a ship, the window cracks open and a torrent of water gushes in. This event triggers the 'seek a way out' mechanic where Junpei starts to flesh out the room looking for useful items that would help him escape. As items are found puzzles usually become available which, when solved, gives the key to getting out, whether the key is literally a key or something else that can be used to escape. The whole atmosphere playing the first part of the game actually felt like time was against you and there is a need to hurry the f*** up but even with the stress inducing music and the prospect of drowning looming in the corner it's actually fine to take your time investigating the room. Junpei is able to escape after finding two sets of three key cards on separate briefcases. He escapes the room by getting the digital root of [5] from the key cards available. As with the number 9 and the [Nonary] game, the digital root is a recurring theme throughout the game. To get the digital root of a group of numbers, add them all together until one digit is left. Example the sum of key cards 1, 6, and 7 is 14. 1 + 4 is equal to 5. The digital root of 1, 6, and 7 is 5.

After the initial ordeal, Junpei finds himself lurking alone in what appears to be a cruise ship without the merry atmosphere. He rushes towards the upper decks and there he finds seven other people in the same situation as him. A few conversations later the last person, Akane, shows up completing the 9 unwilling participants of the Nonary game.

Junpei is bracelet 5. He has no codename other than what Akane calls him: "Jumpy"

There's an air of mystery surrounding these characters and with how far I've progressed I can't really tell if it's safe to make assumptions about who's hiding something and who isn't.
The visual novel part of the game becomes apparent for the majority of my second session with 999. Zero, the main antagonist, explains the Nonary game to the group of unique characters. There are 9 people, 9 hours to find the exit which is the door marked by a number 9.

the remnants of [9]

The game is pretty interesting and it's nice to know that the general atmosphere of the game isn't dominated by despair since the characters have their own sense of humor.
Like this one...
What do you guys think this is?

A dog? No, no. That, my dear friends, is a FUNYARINPA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!@#$%$#@!#$%
What's a Funyarinpa? What blasphemy is this?!
Apologize to the FUNYARINPA!!

source

PS. I did my research. I still don't know where FUNYARINPA suddenly came from, and what it is exactly.
But I really did lost it at Junpei's Funyarinpa moment. 
FUNYARINPA!!!!!

Gotta go!