Fantasy Video Games Codexery

Air (video game)

A journey to find the girl in the sky.

Last updated

Air is a romance visual novel where the player reads narrative and dialogue while making choices that lead to multiple endings.[1] The story follows a branching plot with five main plot lines, three initially available and two unlocked later.[1] The game's title reflects themes of air, skies, and wings, with Yukito searching for the "girl in the sky".[2]

Making and release

After Key co-founder Naoki Hisaya resigned following Kanon (1999), Jun Maeda led planning for Air, wanting to produce something structurally different from Kanon.[3] Maeda focused on making players experience the entire story as a whole while keeping the basic structure of multiple heroine routes.[4] The development team included scenario writers Yūichi Suzumoto, Takashi Ishikawa, and others, with Itaru Hinoue as chief artist.[5][6] An all-ages version was released on July 27, 2001, for Windows, and the Dreamcast port followed on September 20, 2001.[7][8]

The development team prioritized narrative over adventure game mechanics, resulting in a design with limited branching choices that could alter the plot's direction.[4] On September 8, 2000, a limited adult edition of the game was made available for Windows PC.[7]

What the cited sources add

The Hentai.co.uk account describes Air as a hentai game with a small number of ecchi scenes compared to normal H-game releases.[9] The Hentai.co.uk account states that the game retains fame for having one of the most complex plots in eroge history, along with an emotionally moving storyline.[9] According to that source, the soundtrack created controversy after a musician from Singapore plagiarized two songs from it.[9] The Hentai.co.uk account reports that the game's artwork replicates the real city of Kami in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan.[9]

The same source claims that Air "pretty much defines eroges" and shifted focus from sex scenes back to storyline and character relationships.[9]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Air (video game)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Air art works", Paradigm, April 2001, p. 224 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Air (video game)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Air information and synopsis", Hentai.co.uk (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Air (video game)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "「Key」のゲームクリエイターが語る「他のひとには正常でも、自分にはバグって見える世界」", Kodansha, July 1, 2021; "「Key」のゲームクリエイターが語る「他のひとには正常でも、自分にはバグって見える世界」", Kodansha, July 1, 2021; "Kanon", Apple, 17 January 2015; "Key Scenario Staff Long Interview", Colorful Pure Girl, March 2001; "Key Scenario Staff Long Interview", Colorful Pure Girl, March 2001; "「Key」のゲームクリエイターが語る「他のひとには正常でも、自分にはバグって見える世界」", Kodansha, July 1, 2021; "Key Scenario Staff Long Interview", Colorful Pure Girl, March 2001; "Key Scenario Staff Long Interview", Colorful Pure Girl, March 2001 (original not rea en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Air (video game)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Key Scenario Staff Long Interview", Colorful Pure Girl, March 2001 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Air (video game)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Key Scenario Staff Long Interview", Colorful Pure Girl, March 2001; "Spec AIR Nintendo Switch", Prototype; "Air Standard Edition", Visual Arts, April 8, 2005 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Air (video game)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Air Standard Edition", Visual Arts, April 8, 2005; "Air Standard Edition", Visual Arts, April 8, 2005 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Air (video game)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Air 初回限定版", VisualArt's; "Air 初回限定版", VisualArt's; "Air visual novel official website", Key; "Air visual novel official website", Key; "Air Standard Edition", VisualArt's; "Key 10th Memorial Box official website", Key; "Keyの過去五作品がメモリアルエディションで発売です!", Key, April 7, 2010 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  8. Wikipedia, "Air (video game)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Air", Amazon.co.jp; "Air", Sega; "Air", Amazon.co.jp; "Air ベスト版", Interchannel; "key3部作プレミアムBOX", GungHo Works (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  9. "Air information and synopsis", Hentai.co.uk. facts only, no text reused. hentai.co.uk

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Air (video game) (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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Air (video game) · Visual Novels

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Test yourself

Three questions drawn from this entry’s sources. Pick an answer to check it.

1. Who directed "Air"?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Jun Maeda.

From the source: “Main scenario writer Jun Maeda commented that he prefers to include mothers in games if given the choice between only including a mother or a father, as is what happened with Air, though he backs this up by noting that in bishōjo games, wom”

2. In what year was "Air" first released?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is 2000.

From the source: “It was released on September 8, 2000, for Windows as an adult game.”

3. Which company developed "Air"?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Key.

From the source: “Air is a Japanese visual novel developed by Key, a brand of Visual Arts.”

Answers checked against the source article

Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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