FAQ/Walkthrough for Sony PlayStation
By jewey (ray@portalofevil.com)
The most up-to-date version of this FAQ can ALWAYS be found at
www.gamefaqs.com!! If you acquired this FAQ from a site other than
www.gamefaqs.com, your FAQ may be outdated!
Current version:
0.35, 06/07/2002
YesAsia.com apparently no longer carries the game, so I took out the links to
them. I guess we're back to Himeya Soft being the only place that imports the
game. Doh.
At first, Boku no Natsuyasumi ("My Summer Vacation" in English, or "Bokunatsu"
or "Boku" for short) doesn't seem too different from most other adventure
games: there is no real "Game Over," you must accomplish one thing to affect
another thing, and so on. But what separates it from all the others is its
setting and its value.
The game tells the story of Boku, a young boy from the big city who, in 1975,
spent his summer vacation (typically one month in Japanese culture) at his aunt
and uncle's house in the countryside. Surrounded by fields, sunflowers and
insects, Boku sets out and discovers new facets of life, and in the end has a
great story to tell. Which, by the way, is how the game is presented: much like
a children's storybook. The narrator, Boku in the present day, occasionally
chimes in whenever young Boku discovers something particularly amazing or
observes something particularly interesting. Also, the character designs are
not by any stretch of the word realistic: done by famed Japanese artist Mineko
Ueda, her characters are simple in appearance, yet they have as much charisma
as real humans do, and interact in a world that looks so realistic itself.
The main game is pretty much devoid of a musical soundtrack: most of the time
you will be listening to the ambient sounds of insects, birds, and running
water. In fact most of the music comes from the intro, the ending, and your
older cousin's clarinet. But the lack of music actually lends itself well to
the game.
As the original PlayStation nears the end of its life cycle, it seems that many
more lackluster games are coming through the pipe. Boku defies this, however,
and aside from being one of the best PlayStation games around, it also happens
to be one of the most beautiful video games ever, if you can even call it a
game...
===============================
==== A. Cast of Characters ====
===============================
-Boku (9 years old)
A tall 3rd grader from the city, and the "hero" of the game. Boku's life is the
one you shape during the month of August.
-Yusaku Sorano (40 years old)
Boku's uncle; a ceramic artist who edited an unsuccessful arts magazine, then
moved his family to the country several years ago and set up his studio there.
-Kaoru Sorano (41 years old)
Boku's aunt, his dad's younger sister, wife of Yusaku; a loving, outgoing
mother and housewife. She always has a story to tell and a song to sing.
-Moe (pronounced like 'moy') Sorano (15 years old)
Boku's older cousin, and a junior high school student. She always dresses in
overalls and striped pink dresses. She cares for Boku very much, treating him
like a younger brother (Boku refers to her as "big sister" much of the time).
Moe seems depressed about having to commute to the city to attend high school
next spring.
-Shirabe Sorano (8 years old)
Boku's younger cousin. While in some ways a rival, Shirabe becomes Boku's best
confidante during his vacation.
-Saori Sorano (In her early 20's)
The eldest of the Sorano girls. An aspiring professional photographer, Saori is
currently attending university but has returned home to track down a mysterious
apparition. Yusaku is actually her stepfather. Boku immediately develops a
crush on her...
-Guts
The "leader" of the three boys that hang out in the secret base under the
expressway. As a fifth grader, he's kind of intimidating, but he always has
some good advice for Boku.
-Fat
A pudgy young boy with a mohawk of some sort. One-third of the boys of the
secret base. In the fourth grade.
-Megane (Glasses)
A nerdy, high-pitched kid. A second grader who is Shirabe's classmate. Megane
is just as into insect collecting as Boku is. You'll always find him manning
the beetle sumo ring.
------------------------------------------------------
-----II. Starting & Continuing a Game - Main Menu-----
------------------------------------------------------
After pressing Start at the title screen you'll be presented with 4 choices.
-Choice 1 is to start a New Game.
-Choice 2 is to Continue an existing game.
-Choice 3 is rather useless as it just loads a finished game (which you can
already do in the last choice).
-The fourth choice is the Options Menu, which contains four Options of its own.
They are, in order from top to bottom:
* Message Display:
Choose whether or not you want text to be displayed along with voice.
* Sound:
Choose whether or not your TV is Stereo (top default choice) or Monaural.
* Control:
Choose the best control scheme for yourself.
* Vibration:
Choose whether or not you want Dualshock vibration turned on.
------------------------------
-----III. Player Controls-----
------------------------------
Much like the Super NES game EarthBound, you can practically play all of Boku
with just your left hand. Being a game that pushes the feeling of nostalgia in
people of all ages, the control scheme is made simple enough for anybody to
play with minimal effort.
These are the default controls for the game. You can change the control scheme
in the Options Menu (see above).
Also, while the game uses Dualshock vibration, it does NOT use analog control.
-D-Pad:
Pressing Up on the pad makes Boku walk forward.
Left and Right turns him.
Pressing Down will spin Boku 180 degrees.
Controls the hand cursor to select various things in the game.
-O (Circle) Button or L1 Button:
Primary action button. Uses, talks to, jumps over and generally looks at any
specific person or thing. Confirms a selection.
Can be used to skip past movies or text conversations.
-X Button or L2 Button:
Secondary action button. Makes Boku run forward in the direction he is facing.
Can be used to skip past movies or text conversations.
-Triangle or Square Buttons:
Brings up the Status Menu (which actually looks like a cluttered desktop). Here
you can equip the Butterfly Net, look over your insect, kite, fishing hook and
item collection, as well as check out the map and how many days of summer
vacation you have left.
* Selecting the purple glove while using the Butterfly Net will de-equip the
net.
* Pressing X/L2 and selecting the picture frame in the bottom right corner will
return you to the game.
Can be used to skip past movies or text conversations.
-Start Button:
Pauses the game and shows a controls reference.
Can be used to skip past movies.
**This section should be overhauled at some point**
There are 60 total species of insects (and beetles, explained in the next
section) mingling around in virtually every screen in the game. To catch them,
you must equip the Butterfly Net on the Status Menu (see "Player Controls"
above), and then use the O (Circle) button to swing the net around and catch an
insect and store it in your insect box.
If your insect box is full you will be presented with two choices. The first is
to let the insect go and continue on. The second, on the left, is to keep it.
In the process you forego the last bug you caught.
From the Status Menu you can look into your insect box to look at your
collected specimens and/or to let them free. To let one free, press O (Circle)
when viewing one and choose the butterfly icon at the bottom. Choose the first
option on the next pop-up window ("yes") and away it goes.
At home, you can do a little more. Go over to the desk by Boku's bed, and press
the O (Circle) button. Pick the first option to get ready to mount your
insects. You can place any of your specimens in the box on your desk by picking
them out of the box (press O to select one), and from there you can place them
in the box and view them in full 3D (select the magnifying glass), set them
free (move the insect over to the picture frame) and mount them (select the
needle and then press O on the pink liquid).
--Mounting insects
Mounting insects/beetles is the only way to get them recorded in the game. Once
you've mounted an insect, it's instantly recorded in the log (on the same
insect box screen mentioned above, select the small bundle of blue tags in the
upper left corner of the screen to view the log). DO NOT use the eraser at the
bottom of the screen to move on and mount another insect. This will erase the
species from the entire log. To mount another insect, simply repeat the
mounting process and it will "overwrite" the current insect in the box.
You can capture beetles on a handful of trees throughout the game. You don't
always find a beetle on a tree, though, so keep inspecting it. Once you have a
beetle, you can take it back to the secret base and have it wrestle with the
other boys' beetles.
To start up a game, go to the secret base and stand on the opposite side of the
table, facing Megane. Press O (circle) to get started.
The next screen will show you a notebook, your insect box, and a picture of the
country. The notebook displays the stats of the other beetles you have beaten
and who owns it. The picture is used to release insects.
To get a beetle out, select your insect box and find the beetle you want. Then
choose the left icon (butterfly-shaped) to take it out. From here, press Right
on the d-pad to move into the ring. The white chalk circle determines what
level you'll be fighting at (the last option, "King," will set you up against
the sumo champions). Move your beetle over into the ring and press Circle
again. Then move over and press it again on the bell. The fight will begin.
The fights are automated so all you can do is watch. Like a real sumo match,
the ultimate goal of winning is to knock your opponent out of the ring. In
beetle sumo you can also win by depleting your opponent's Stamina meter without
knocking them out of the ring. The key to winning, then, is to get a big,
strong, beetle.
There are four different places you can go and try to catch fish: The first two
you'll find will be just a little beyond the house: near the waterfall by the
overpass (go through the back exit of the house and continue on past the brown
rickety bridge that leads to the secret base). Another is in the pond beyond
the secret base. The other two are in the pond by Saori's campsite (the second
one you won't be able to reach until she sets up camp).
Once you're at the side of the water, press the O (Circle) button to whip out
your fishing pole and start to get a bite. When you do get a bite, the
controller will vibrate for a second. At this point you should press the O
button again to reel in the catch. You will then be told what kind it is and
how long it is.
You can start your kite production on August 7th. In the house there is a book
about kites. From the living room you can see a bookcase. Go up to it and press
the O (Circle) button. The kite guide is the second (leftmost) option -- the
other being the insect guide. The first page you will open up to will show a
basic kite, and in the lower left part of the screen there will be an icon that
looks like your uncle. Selecting it will get him to construct the kite for you.
It will take three days for the first kite to be built. To receive it, visit
the uncle in his studio on the third day (in this case, August 10th). It will
actually take 3 days for all eight kites.
Unfortunately, you get no real reward for obtaining all the kites. Boku doesn't
mention it in the diary, either, so the kite exercise is best left until after
you've beat the game.
--Overview/How to play
There are eight different kites for you to get; the final one being a
Boku-shaped kite.
There is only one place you can fly kites: At the crest of the mountain in the
forest area. (From Saori's camera, go to the down-right screen, then right to
the next, and continue up.) Press O (Circle) on the crest and choose the first
option to begin flying. To keep the kite flying high, you'll have to move it
into the wind stream. Use the directional buttons to move the kite to the right
position. The X button will draw back more string, while the Circle button will
let more of it out. The Square and Triangle buttons will bring up the menu. The
first option is to quit, the second option is to view and select your kite.
The blue wheel on the right half of the screen is the wind speed. You are
supposed to draw the kite into the direction the arrow is pointing (using the
D-pad of course) to catch the windstream and be lifted up farther (as long as
you let out string so it can gain altitude). The arrow flucuates a lot so
you'll be moving left and right a lot as well.
--Objective
The objective of the Kite mini-game is to bring the kite 120 meters above the
ground (which is shown at the far bottom right of the screen). When that number
is reached, it will flash red and Boku will exclaim "Yatta!" ("All right!")
Once you succeed with your first kite, you unlock the next two in the kite
book. Go back home and select which of the next two you want made (your uncle
can only make one at a time). Repeat this process to gain the additional five
kites. Each time you'll need to obtain 120 meters, and it gets harder with each
kite as the wind blows stronger and stronger, so be ready to go crazy on your
D-pad.
-------------------------------
-----VIII. Saving the Game-----
-------------------------------
You can only save the game one way and in one place: At night, in Boku's room,
by illustrating the day in the Picture Diary. To access the Diary, go over to
the desk by Boku's bed, and press the O (Circle) button. Pick the second
(leftmost) option to open the Diary. You will open up to yesterday's entry.
Move the hand icon over to the light switch and choose the first, rightmost
option ("hai;" "yes") to write in the diary. And voila, there's your entry! At
this point you can't back out; you have no choice but to pull the light switch
at the top left part of the screen and go to bed.
The next screens will ask you if you want to save the game. Again, choose "yes"
and choose the file you want to save it to (you can overwrite the last save or
choose the bottommost option to save to a new file). After you have (or
haven't) saved, the game will ask you if you want to continue to the next day.
Selecting the second option will bring you back to the title screen.
----------------------------------
-----IX. List of Daily Events-----
----------------------------------
The only way to have a spectacular summer vacation is to have an eventful
month. Without logging a special event in his Picture Diary, Boku will have a
"boring" day. Having too many boring days directly affects the outcome of the
ending. This section outlines the basic events (undocumented events that you
can essentially accomplish any day of the month) and the special events that
can only be completed on that particular day, and later written about in the
Picture Diary.
Boku starts each morning before breakfast out in the backyard with his uncle
and cousins doing some exercising. The rest of the morning and early evening is
spent trying to complete the events listed below. Then at night it's
dinnertime. Boku ends each day by filling out his Picture Diary and going to
bed.
With all that said, let's get down to business!
=======================================
==== A. Alternative Special Events ====
=======================================
If you do not complete a day's special event, you can still "make up for it" by
completing another event, such as:
-Going fishing for the first time.
-Starting your first Beetle Sumo match.
-Starting to water the flowers in the back.
-Flying a kite for the first time.
-Catching an insect for the first time.
Note that this is not so easy to pull off in the way you want it to go,
however.
Here's a tip: on the days in this FAQ that have "-nothing important discovered
yet-" written on them, you can try performing one of the above events.
======================================
==== B. The Various "Boring" Days ====
======================================
As mentioned earlier, failure to trigger special events will result in a
"boring" day. Boku illustrates these days in his Picture Diary in a variety of
scenes. Here's what I've seen so far:
-Boku lies on a grassy knoll, looking up at the sky.
-Boku sits on the porch with the family dog.
-Boku draws a picture of one of his uncle's pottery pieces.
-Boku sits alone in a blank scape, with only his shadow to keep him company.
-Boku draws a mighty colorful picture of the sun.
-A profile of the family dog.
=======================================
==== C. List of events 8/1 to 8/31 ====
=======================================
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!PLEASE READ BEFORE CONTINUING TO MAXIMIZE YOUR KNOWLEDGE:!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Boku boasts approximately 600 events to encounter. With such a large number,
much of the events are random and depend on when you get a certain item.
Therefore, events that may be mentioned in this FAQ and/or mentioned in the
game's Picture Diary on one day, in one whole game session CAN IN FACT HAPPEN
ON ANOTHER. This primarily occurs due to avoiding certain areas on certain
days. So remember, **no two summer vacations are alike.**
I will note any "duplicated" events if possible, telling you what other day it
might occur on.
Look for the notes enclosed in groups of brackets ([[[ ]]]).
The structure of this section is as follows: The day of the events, the things
you can do during the course of that day, followed by a listing of the known
Picture Diary entries triggered by the indicated events. ---Events marked with
a pound sign (#) are the ones that correlate to the Diary entries.---
I'm sorry this isn't more clear, but I've organized things to the best of my
abilities.
=============
==== 8/1 ====
=============
The first day always starts and ends the same. So instead of elaborating on
this day, here are some little things you can do around the house every day
from now on.
-At any time in the day you can pop open the refrigerator in the kitchen and
have your choice of things to drink.
-Each evening before dinner you can talk to your aunt in the kitchen. She will
then ask you what you want for dinner. This doesn't affect the game much at
all.
-Each evening you can take a bath in the door just behind the dinner table.
----------------------------
Known Picture Diary entries:
----------------------------
* Excited about summer.
=============
==== 8/2 ====
=============
-You can begin watering the Morning Glory flowers on the side of the house
today (behind the doghouse). If you water it each day after this, they will
bloom on August 10th. To water them, walk behind the doghouse and kick (press
O) the spigot to spray the flowers with water.
#You can discover the secret base under the expressway and discover a broken-up
watermelon on the table.
-You can topple the shelf in your uncle's studio when he's away.
-You can take a drink of water from the fishing pond.
----------------------------
Known Picture Diary entries:
----------------------------
* The mysterious watermelon.
=============
==== 8/3 ====
=============
-You can now get the fishing pole in the tool shed (go through the backdoor
from the kitchen for the shortest way).
#Go through the side gate of the house and help your aunt and uncle in the corn
patch. Go up to an ear of corn and press the O (Circle) button. Then walk back
to the basket and press O again. You can only carry one ear at a time. Pick
every ear to complete the event.
-Go poke the beehive with the fishing pole (stand a safe distance and press the
O button). Do this once every day until it falls off.
----------------------------
Known Picture Diary entries:
----------------------------
* The corn patch.
=============
==== 8/4 ====
=============
#Today your younger cousin Shirabe will show you around the area. Your aunt
will take a picture of you two in the sunflowers next to the fishing pond.
-You can meet up with Guts in the watermelon field by the watermelon patch.
----------------------------
Known Picture Diary entries:
----------------------------
* Boku marches happily through the meadow with Shirabe.
=============
==== 8/5 ====
=============
-If you met Guts in the watermelon field, you can go back to the secret base
under the expressway and you will again talk with him.
#After dinner your uncle will leave the house. On any other day, if you go out
far from the house he will catch you and you'll have to go back. Tonight,
however, you can go all the way out to the small waterfall where the fireflies
have come out to play. And yes, you can catch them with your net.
----------------------------
Known Picture Diary entries:
----------------------------
* The fireflies
=============
==== 8/6 ====
=============
#Talking with your aunt will get you some candy.
#The beehive will fall down today if you've whacked it with the fishing pole
once every day. If so, you can now explore the forest area!
-If you went up to the crest of the mountain in the forest area, you can view a
little scene and then begin making kites tomorrow (see Kite Collection & Kite
Flying section of this FAQ for more info).
-You can finally meet the rest of the boys in the secret base.
----------------------------
Known Picture Diary entries:
----------------------------
* Lots of candy!
* Knocking down the beehive.
=============
==== 8/7 ====
=============
-You can start using kites. (See Chapter VII of this FAQ above for more on
kites.)
-If you go out into the forest area and take the main path, you'll meet up with
Moe and talk with her. After she's done talking, go around the screen and pick
all the patches of yellow flowers. Like with the corn, you can only carry one
"bouquet" at a time and bring it back to her.
----------------------------
Known Picture Diary entries:
----------------------------
-nothing important discovered yet-
=============
==== 8/8 ====
=============
-Go talk to your uncle behind his studio where he's chopping up wood. Later
tonight the hatchet will be "retired." You can get the hatchet from the tool
shed, and then tomorrow you can go down past the fishing pond where the bridge
has been taken out and chop at the tree every day for five days to create a new
bridge.
#Tonight you can look out your bedroom window and check out the fireworks show.
----------------------------
Known Picture Diary entries:
----------------------------
* The fireworks show.
=============
==== 8/9 ====
=============
#You can encounter the big fish in the pond by the expressway. Catching him is
difficult, as he will rarely get a good hold on the hook.
-After dinner you can pluck some hair from the family dog.
-You can now enter your cousins' room and talk to Moe.
----------------------------
Known Picture Diary entries:
----------------------------
* The big fish.
==============
==== 8/10 ====
==============
-nothing important discovered yet-
----------------------------
Known Picture Diary entries:
----------------------------
-nothing important discovered yet-
==============
==== 8/11 ====
==============
#Tonight after dinner the family will gather around and light off sparklers.
----------------------------
Known Picture Diary entries:
----------------------------
* Lighting off the sparklers.
==============
==== 8/12 ====
==============
-A priest will visit today, to give blessings to a passed family member. A
somber morning, but Boku still finds a way to have fun.
-Talk to your aunt soon after the events in the morning.
----------------------------
Known Picture Diary entries:
----------------------------
-nothing important discovered yet-
==============
==== 8/13 ====
==============
#If you haven't been watering the flowers, they will have wilted today. However
if you have, today they'll have bloomed, and provide Boku with some seeds.
-If you've been chopping the tree near the first fishing pond every day since
you got the hatchet, today it will finally collapse and you'll open up the
remaining part of the game.
#If you've knocked down the tree, you can continue on and meet up with the
ghost of a wol.
----------------------------
Known Picture Diary entries:
----------------------------
* "Attacked" by the ghost wolf.
* The wilted flowers.
* Seeds from the plant.
==============
==== 8/14 ====
==============
-You should get the sugar water from the kitchen. Go a little to the left of
the sink and press Circle as you examine the ices and sugar case (seperate
screen) and get the water. It's not mandatory, but it will prove useful a few
days from now.
-Tomorrow is War Memorial Day, the anniversary of the end of World War II and
Japan's defeat. Your aunt will tell you a story about it.
-At the secret base, Guts will also tell you what he knows about War Memorial
Day.
#If the tree bridge has been created, today you will have another "date" with
Shirabe that will lead you all the way to the top of the coast and all the way
until the evening.
----------------------------
Known Picture Diary entries:
----------------------------
* Food in the clouds?
==============
==== 8/15 ====
==============
-Today the family will leave for the day, leaving Boku home alone.
-You can catch a television program about War Memorial Day this morning.
#If you go to the crest of the hill where you fly kites, Boku will stop and
look at a mysterious shiny flying object in the sky. [[[NOTE: MAY ALSO HAPPEN
ON 8/27]]]
#You can pick up a whale fossil out by the beach.
----------------------------
Known Picture Diary entries:
----------------------------
* Boku writes about the whale fossil.
* Visitors from space?
==============
==== 8/16 ====
==============
#A swing will be built out in the backyard. You can play on it any time of day.
Unfortunately, Boku just keeps swinging back and forth until you press the
action button again.
#If you go out by the big sunflower field (beyond the makeshift log bridge),
your aunt will take a photo of you there.
----------------------------
Known Picture Diary entries:
----------------------------
* The picture taken by the sunflower field.
* Swinging on the swing.
==============
==== 8/17 ====
==============
#Out in the forest you will discover an automatic camera. Then a little farther
on you'll see a small bridge by the waterfall has been laid down, and so has a
little camping area! Who's out camping? You will soon see...
----------------------------
Known Picture Diary entries:
----------------------------
* The mysterious tent.
==============
==== 8/18 ====
==============
#If you go and visit your uncle in his studio, he will give you a new fishing
hook. This new hook will enable you to catch the big fish from 8/9 much easier.
[[[NOTE: THIS MAY ALSO HAPPEN ON 8/25]]]
#Go to where the automatic camera is and you will meet Saori. She has set up
camp there. Apparently she is trying to find proof of the ghost wolf that is
around the area.
----------------------------
Known Picture Diary entries:
----------------------------
* Saori and her automatic camera.
* The new fishing hook from your uncle.
[[[MAY ALSO HAPPEN ON 8/25]]]
==============
==== 8/19 ====
==============
#Talk to Moe after breakfast to hear more of what's bringing her down.
-You can again meet up with the ghost wolf, in the same area as 8/13.
----------------------------
Known Picture Diary entries:
----------------------------
* Moe depressed at the dinner table.
==============
==== 8/20 ====
==============
#After breakfast, your aunt & uncle have a talk with Moe about her recent
depression.
-You again meet up with the ghost wolf by the big tire pile (one screen before
the beehive).
[[[NOTE: THIS MAY ALSO HAPPEN ON 8/21 OR 8/25]]]
-If you go and visit Saori, she'll give you a picture of yourself taken by the
automatic camera. You should now have three pictures in your photo album.
-If you then go back to the automatic camera and press O (Circle) near it, you
will make a funny face photo that you can get later.
-Saori visits the house and takes a bath that evening.
----------------------------
Known Picture Diary entries:
----------------------------
* The ghost wolf.
[[[MAY ALSO HAPPEN ON 8/25]]]
* The talk with Moe.
==============
==== 8/21 ====
==============
-Saori tells you a story if you go and visit her.
#Boku and Moe take a bath together. Soon, Boku sinks under the water and almost
drowns.
----------------------------
Known Picture Diary entries:
----------------------------
* The bath incident.
==============
==== 8/22 ====
==============
-You can meet up with a mean snake near the big tree at the screen just past
the corn patch. Your uncle will save you from it. Come back to this screen
immediately after and you can get its shed skin.
-Go talk to Saori a couple of times. (Choose the first answer when she asks you
about the snake.) If you got the sugar water from the kitchen, go back to the
automatic camera, press Circle in front of it, and Boku will set a trap for the
ghost.
-At dinner there will be a party.
----------------------------
Known Picture Diary entries:
----------------------------
* Illustrates Boku's friendship with Megane (apparently triggered regardless of
daily activities).
==============
==== 8/23 ====
==============
-Going back to the camera, you'll notice the sugar water is missing...
#Talking with Saori, she will give Boku a kiss.
[[[THIS MAY ALSO HAPPEN ON 8/24]]]
-In the cave near Saori's camp, you can finally pick up the strange book.
----------------------------
Known Picture Diary entries:
----------------------------
* Boku's fantasy wedding with Saori.
[[[ALSO 8/24]]]
==============
==== 8/24 ====
==============
#After breakfast, Saori wil excitedly visit Boku with a picture showing
evidence of the ghost wolf! Boku will then acquire the photo. (This all happens
if you leave the sugar water trap by the camera, of course.)
#If you go back to the automatic camera and press O (Circle) near it, you will
make a funny pose photo that you can get later.
[[[THIS MAY ALSO HAPPEN ON 8/27]]]
#In the cave near Saori's tent, you can finally acquire the odd book in the
middle.
-Moe talks blue again at the dinner table.
----------------------------
Known Picture Diary entries:
----------------------------
* Boku tells of his exploits fooling around with the automatic camera.
[[[MAY ALSO HAPPEN ON 8/27]]]
* The mysterious book in the cave.
* The ghost wolf uncovered.
==============
==== 8/25 ====
==============
#Talking to Shirabe 2 times in the daytime will trigger the Picture Diary entry
for today.
[[[THIS MAY ALSO HAPPEN ON OTHER DAYS]]]
-At night, your uncle will have finally ignited his kiln (the odd rock
formation covered by a blue tin roof a little ways past the house).
----------------------------
Known Picture Diary entries:
----------------------------
* Simply Shirabe.
[[[MAY ALSO HAPPEN ON OTHER DAYS]]]
==============
==== 8/26 ====
==============
-The firing of your uncle's pottery will have completed. Needless to say, he is
pooped.
#If you go under the expressway, a summer shower will descend upon the land,
but only for a little while. It will leave a beautiful rainbow when you come
out.
----------------------------
Known Picture Diary entries:
----------------------------
* The summer rain leaves a rainbow...
==============
==== 8/27 ====
==============
#The shining object in the sky near the crest of the hill (see 8/15).
----------------------------
Known Picture Diary entries:
----------------------------
* The shining object in the sky near the crest of the hill (see 8/15).
==============
==== 8/28 ====
==============
-Saori has left. She leaves a letter for Boku.
#Boku comes down with a fever that lasts the rest of the night.
----------------------------
Known Picture Diary entries:
----------------------------
* Boku's fever
==============
==== 8/29 ====
==============
-It's time to say goodbye to your pals at the secret base.
#After dinner, Boku gets a phone call from his dad. Boku's mom finally gave
birth!
----------------------------
Known Picture Diary entries:
----------------------------
* Boku's new sibling!
==============
==== 8/30 ====
==============
#Shirabe has gone missing. Boku finds one of her hair ribbons on the porch. To
find Shirabe, arrive at the big sunflower field at around 2:00 in the
afternoon. After talking to her, return home.
----------------------------
Known Picture Diary entries:
----------------------------
* The sunflower field.
==============
==== 8/31 ====
==============
-Well, it's time to go...was your summer vacation the most memorable moment of
your life, or simply another speck on your subconscious? How will this one part
of your life affect your future? After the credits roll, you'll find out...
The game has five different endings, so try to view them all!
NOTE: If you want, I would suggest saving this day to a new file. When you come
back to it, you are simply brought to a menu which shows all the items you
collected on your vacation, and you can view the ending movie as many times as
you want. Also, you can replay 8/30 and view 8/31 in all its entirety. This is
what I personally did because I love the game so much. :)
----------------------------------
-----X. Questions and Answers-----
----------------------------------
Q: It says in this FAQ that on some days I need to do certain things at a
certain time in the day. How do I know what time it is?
A: There's a clock in the house just above the TV, but that isn't very
efficient in the long run. However, for time-specific events there's not much
else you have to do on that day, so you can spend your time switching back and
forth between screens until something happens. The time only moves forward when
you walk into another screen.
Q: Okay, so I know what the aunt asks me before dinner. But what does she
tell me *after* when she's kneeling beside the end table?
A: I believe she tells you what's 'on the menu' for tomorrow's dinner.
Q: What is the significance of knocking around the statue heads at the
small shrine?
A: It seems there is no significance. Nothing special is triggered and Boku
never writes about them. Apparently it's for novelty use only since they reset
back to normal the next day anyway.
Q: Why doesn't the dog like me anymore?
A: Because you plucked some of its hair off (see 8/9). You can't make it
like you again, either.
--------------------------------------------
-----XI. Where to Buy & Modchip Warning-----
--------------------------------------------
--Import Stores Who Sell Boku:
So far, I've only found one retailer online that carry Boku: Himeya Soft,
located at http://www.himeya.com. Himeya Soft was where I ordered the game and
was not disappointed. They ship internationally, too. They ship from their
headquarters in Japan; the website is located at their California offices.
As for the CD single "Kono Hiroi Nohara Ippai" by Oto Fumi, you can find that
at the website JPOPHelp Music and Books (http://www.jpophelp.com). The Oto Fumi
page is at
http://www.jpophelp.com/scripts/prodlist.asp?artist=Fumi%20Oto&dnum=200, and
it's not hard to pass up the single. They don't seem to ship internationally,
but I got the single swiftly (well, I do live about 50 minutes from their
headquarters, but still...).
Be warned that Boku includes the heavy-duty mod chip protection present in many
recent SCEI-published games, but those with game enhancers (i.e. GameShark,
Xploder) can disable this protection by inputting one of the following codes in
their enhancer (if one doesn't work, try the other):
Code 1:
D00492A6 1040
800492A6 1000
Code 2:
D00499E2 1040
800499E2 1000
Unfortunately I cannot provide any support beyond this point (especially if
you're new to the whole modchip disable concept). I can verify these codes
functioning with a Gold Finger 2in1 enhancer/plugmod.
-Some extra info on the Daily Events came from a Japanese web site based on
Boku, found at http://server5.hypermart.net/bokunonatu/. (gone now...sob)
-Himeya Soft and JPopHelp deserve a couple of pats on the back for being the
only online stores (that I found) that even carried the game and its companion
single. Plus they all seem to do great business as well.
-Of course, extra-big thanks must go to Sony CEI, Contrail and Millennium
Kitchen for producing one of the most memorable video games in the past decade,
and my personal Game of the Year for 2000. I'd ask for a sequel, but I don't
know how much better you could make it (well, I can offer a couple of
suggestions...).
-And last but certainly not least, CJayC of GameFAQs.com for putting this thing
up for the world to see.
Lots more elaboration to the Kite section thanks to pchan.
-0.26, 6/26/2001
Just some cleaning up, really, but...
Did you know that Boku joined Sony's "PlayStation the Best" line in Japan on
June 14th? ("the Best" line is the Japanese equivalent of the "Greatest Hits"
series in North America, or the "Platinum" series in Europe.) The game now
retails for 2,800 yen (roughly USD$30). YesAsia.com now carries the game!
Details in chapter XI of this FAQ.
-0.25, 4/12/2001
MODCHIP CODES FOUND!! See Chapter XI.
-0.24, 4/11/2001
Finally reached a "missing link" event having to do with the ghost wolf; see
8/24. Not to mention general revisions.
-0.23, 1/23/2001
Revisions, revisions, no additions.
-0.22, 1/07/2001
Decided to scrap plans on the Insect FAQ; pictures and Japanese text would've
been the only ways to make it useful (and those two things are in the
instruction manual, natch). On that note, I elaborated on insect mounting in
Chapter IV. Plus, a small revision in Daily Events.
-0.21, 12/19/2000
Cleanup, new CD single info (see ch. XI), miscellaneous adding, and a new cast
of characters; with it comes a host of name changes.
-0.11, 11/25/2000
The requisite "cleaning up after the initial release" release...
