-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=- TABLE OF CONTENTS -=
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
I. Introduction
A. Cast of Characters
II. Starting & Continuing a Game - Main Menu
III. Player Controls
IV. Insect Collecting
V. Beetle Sumo
VI. Fly Fishing
VII. Kite Collection & Kite Flying
VIII. Saving the Game
IX. List of Daily Events
A. Alternative Special Eventss
B. The Various "Boring" Days
C. List of events 8/1 to 8/31
X. Questions and Answers
1. 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?
2. 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?
3. Q: What is the significance of knocking around the statue heads at the
small shrine?
4. Q: Why doesn't the dog like me anymore?
5. Q: Do you have any MP3s from the Bokunatsu CD single "Kono Hiroi
Nohara Ippai" by Oto Fumi?
6. Q: The controller didn't just... shake while Boku went to the
bathroom, did it?
At first, Boku no Natsuyasumi ("My Summer Vacation" in English, or "Bokunatsu"
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: they are 3D doodles, almost, with
dots for eyes and limited mouth movement. 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 it all plays into the game fantastically.
As the original PlayStation nears the end of its life cycle, it seems that many
more lackluster games are coming through the pipe. Bokunatsu 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 video game...
...
Okay, I'll save the rest of my adjectives for a real review. :)
===============================
==== A. Cast of Characters ====
===============================
-Boku (9 years old)
A 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 seven years ago and set up his studio there.
-Kaoru Sorano (41 years old)
Boku's aunt, wife of Yusako; a loving, outgoing housewife. Always has a story
to tell, a song to sing, and a dinner plan to announce.
-Moe (pronounced '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. 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
confidant during his vacation.
-Saori Sorano
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...
-Gutsy
The "leader" of the three boys that hang out in the secret base under the
expressway. 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.
-Megane (Eyeglasses)
A nerdy, high-pitched kid who 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 almost play all of Bokunatsu
with just your left hand. Being a game with a nostalgic theme, the control
scheme of Bokunatsu is set up so that basically anybody of any age can enjoy
it.
These are the default controls for the game. You can change the control scheme
in the Options Menu (see above).
-Directional 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 icon to select various things in the game.
-X Button, L2 Button:
Makes Boku run forward in the direction he is facing.
Can be used to skip past movies or text conversations.
-O (Circle) Button, L1 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.
-Triangle or Square Buttons:
Brings up the Status Menu. 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.
There are insects mingling around in virtually every screen in the game. To
catch them, you must equip the Butterfly Net on the Status Menu (see 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).
Please see my forthcoming Insect List & FAQ for more on this part of the game.
Once you catch a beetle on a tree in the forest area, 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 your directional 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.
Please see my forthcoming Insect List & FAQ for more details on this part of
the game.
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) and the other in the pond beyond the secret base. The other two
are in the pond by Saori (the photographer)'s campsite (the second half 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 rumble 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 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.
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. 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
windstream. Use the directional buttons to move the kite to the right position.
The X and Circle buttons will let out more of the kite string. 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.
Currently I haven't been playing around with the kites much to find out how to
get the rest of them, so stay tuned.
-------------------------------
-----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! But
now you have to pull on the light switch again to turn off the lights and end
the day.
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 radio physical exercise. 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.
This is just about impossible to pull off in the way you want it to go,
however. But that's just proof of Bokunatsu's tight gameplay.
======================================
==== B. The Various "Boring" Days ====
======================================
As mentioned above, 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:
******************************
Bokunatsu boasts approximately 600 events to encounter. With such a large
number, many 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 not visiting every area in the
game. Remember, no summer vacation is the same.
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 ([[[ ]]]).
=============
==== 8/1 ====
=============
The first day always starts the same. Below are some little things you can do
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 should get the sugar water from the kitchen. Go a little to the left of
the sink and press Circle as you examing the ices and get the water. It will
prove useful ten days from now.
-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.
-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 Gutsy 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 Gutsy 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. Usually 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 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 ====
=============
-If you go out into the forest area and take the main path, you'll meet up with
your older cousin 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:
----------------------------
What? None? It seems that way... I've consistently got a boring day today. This
could possibly be a "wild card" kind of day, where you need the do one of the
Alternative Special Events (see part A of this chapter).
=============
==== 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 known yet-
----------------------------
Known Picture Diary entries:
----------------------------
-nothing important known yet-
==============
==== 8/11 ====
==============
-Tonight 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 your aunt's older brother who
has died. 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 known 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.
-If you've been chopping the tree near the first fishing pond every day since
you got the ax, 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 dog.
----------------------------
Known Picture Diary entries:
----------------------------
* "Attacked" by the ghost dog.
* The wilted flowers.
* The blooming flowers.
==============
==== 8/14 ====
==============
-Tomorrow is War Memorial Day, the anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing. Your
aunt will tell you a story about it.
-At the secret base, Gutsy 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.
-Your aunt will tell you a story about War Memorial Day.
-You can pick up a whale fossil out by the beach.
----------------------------
Known Picture Diary entries:
----------------------------
* Boku writes about the whale fossil.
==============
==== 8/16 ====
==============
-A swing will be built out in the backyard. You can play on it any time of day.
-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.
[[[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 dog 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 dog, 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 dog 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 new fishing hook from your uncle.
[[[MAY ALSO HAPPEN ON 8/18]]]
* The ghost dog.
[[[MAY ALSO HAPPEN ON 8/25]]]
* The talk with Moe.
==============
==== 8/21 ====
==============
-You again meet up with the ghost dog by the big tire pile (one screen before
the beehive).
[[[NOTE: YOU MAY ENCOUNTER THIS EVENT ON 8/20 AND 8/25]]]
-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.
* The ghost dog.
==============
==== 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. 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.
==============
==== 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 ====
==============
-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]]]
-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.
==============
==== 8/25 ====
==============
-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).
-You again meet up with the ghost dog by the big tire pile (one screen before
the beehive).
[[[NOTE: YOU MAY ENCOUNTER THIS EVENT ON 8/20 AND 8/25]]]
----------------------------
Known Picture Diary entries:
----------------------------
* Simply Shirabe.
* The ghost dog.
[[[MAY ALSO HAPPEN ON 8/20]]]
==============
==== 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 ====
==============
-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 8/24]]]
-Go to the crest of the mountain. Boku sees a flying object in the distance (a
meteor?).
This might not happen to everyone, though; I've only experienced this once and
have not yet figured out how to trigger it. But apparently this is the only day
it will occur.
----------------------------
Known Picture Diary entries:
----------------------------
* Boku tells of his exploits fooling around with the automatic camera.
[[[MAY ALSO HAPPEN ON 8/24]]]
==============
==== 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...
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-----
----------------------------------
1. 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.But Usually 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Q: Why can't I do [such and such] when it seems so viable? How come I can't
open [such and such door]?
A: Like any other video game, there are some things you just plain can't
do. Also, trying to manipulate 2D backgrounds to your liking isn't very
possible yet...
6. Q: Do you have any MP3s from the Bokunatsu CD single "Kono Hiroi Nohara
Ippai" by Oto Fumi?
A: Yes, but considering the brouhaha about MP3s, I don't have a place to
tell you where to get them. To obtain the single somewhat more legally, look at
the next chapter of this FAQ.
7. Q: The controller didn't just... shake while Boku went to the bathroom, did
it?
A: Yes, it did. Technology is awesome, huh?
--------------------------------------
-----XI. Where to Buy & a Warning-----
--------------------------------------
As of this writing I have only discovered one retailer online that carries
Bokunatsu: Himeya Soft, located at http://www.himeya.com. This is where I
ordered it and was not disappointed. They ship internationally, too. The base
price is currently USD$64.00. They ship from their headquarters in Japan; the
website is located at their California offices.
Be warned, however, that Bokunatsu includes the heavy-duty mod chip protection
present in many recent SCEI-published games, and there is so far no game
enhancer code to disable it. Those of you with "out of date" modchipped
PlayStations should be wary of purchasing Bokunatsu at this point in time. A
disable code for game enhancers will be added here as soon as one pops up in
front of me. To those of you who can't wait, I suggest getting on the forums at
the Asian Game Shark Code Centre (http://www.agscc.com/) or the Game Software
Code Creators Club (http://www.cmgsccc.com/) and requesting some work to be
done on Bokunatsu.
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...).
As with the rest of my FAQs, I rarely boast perfection, completion, or
digestion (er...). On that note, if you find...
-ANYTHING out of place, misspelled, or otherwise in err in this FAQ,
-ANYTHING elaborating on any aspect of the game (the Daily Events List is in
need of some fleshing out, maybe even a rewrite),
-ANY location (online or off) that sells Bokunatsu in Western territories,
...please let me know via email at ray@portalofevil.com.
As for crediting such contributions:
By default I put whatever name you use as a signature. If not that, then the
name used as your full name before your email address. And if not that, your
email address proper. You can specify which of those you'd rather I include if
you'd like, or just say nothing at all.
-Some extra info on the Daily Events came from a Japanese web site based on
Bokunatsu, found at http://server5.hypermart.net/bokunonatu/.
-Himeya Soft deserves a pat on the back for being the only online store (that I
found) that even carried the game. Plus they seem to do great business as well.
:)
-More store thanks: JPopHelp for carrying the single. What I said above applies
here.
-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.
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.
