Written by D. R. Manor, edited by Otaku Apologist
Shuffle, a classic hentai visual novel developed by Navel. Originally released in Japan in 2004. The non-adult version is available on Steam for $19.99 since 22nd November 2016. Available for PC Windows operating systems. Full Japanese voice acting. Uncensored genitals.
The Windows version was localized in English by MangaGamer in 2009. The game’s distribution at MangaGamer was discontinued in 2016 after a change of management at Navel. The PS2 version was localized in English by YumeHaven in 2016, published on Steam. The Steam version cannot be patched to include the adult content. There are currently no legal commercial channels to download the full adult version.
Shuffle takes places in a world where humans, gods, and devils have lived peacefully together for ten years. The story begins with Rin Tsuchimi, the male protagonist, meeting the princess of the gods, and the princess of the devils. He soon learns that they transferred to his school in order to meet with him again. The girls are his childhood friends, now fully developed women with mature sex drives.
STORY
“The man who could become either a god or a devil.”- Itsuki Midoriba.
As a visual novel, Shuffle’s story branches out into five different routes. It is a character-driven story lacking an overarching plot. The closest thing to a plot would be the homunculus-storyline, which pops up in three different routes.
Most of the routes are really sweet, full of touching moments. The story also has really smooth pacing; It doesn’t dwell on things for too long and it doesn’t rush itself either. The school in Shuffle isn’t very significant. There are a couple mentions of a magic class, but it’s not even shown. Honestly, it feels tacked on just for the sake of saying there are more supernatural elements in this world aside from the gods and devils just casually hanging around. Other than that it’s the standard Japanese school you would expect. The characters simply go to class, have lunch breaks, and head home afterwards.
There are few faults in the story. Kaede’s route is the most flawed one. The storyline is about her coming to terms with something in her past. I felt like nothing really happened with Kaede, as opposed to the other routes where you learn about each heroine’s past and help her overcome it while watching them develop along the way.
The other routes have their hiccups here and there as well. Sometimes the actions the characters take can be a little crazy, although the quirkiness can be excused by the fact they’re teenagers and highly emotional.
CHARACTERS
Shuffle is filled with a cast of vibrant and lively characters. Nearly all of them are likeable, and they each contribute to the story. Even the lead man, Rin Tsuchimi has good characterization with an interesting backstory. Other characters include Rin’s childhood friend Kaede, his sempai Asa, the two heiresses Lisianthus “Sia” and Nerine, and a homunculus named Primula.
Rin, as you would expect, is the usual beta male protagonist suffering from nice-guy syndrome. The writers handle his character well, showing his strong personality traits. He’s occasionally really snarky and knows when to be more straightforward.
Kaede seems like nothing but a cardboard cutout of the stereotypical childhood friend who acts like a housewife. Contrasted with Asa, Sia, and Nerine who show multiple and contrasting sides to their personalities. They all carry emotional baggage from their pasts.
One of the highlights of the main cast is the relationships between them. For example, Sia and Nerine both come to meet Rin for the same romantic reasons, viewing themselves as competitors, but they are actually really good friends. The girls use their mutual love for Rin as a source of bonding rather than turning it into a bitter rivalry. All the characters are likable and it’s hard to not cheer for all of them.
There is also a bevy of side characters, such as the perverted friend Itsuki, the mischievous Mayumi, and the love fanatic Kareha among others. All of the characters are well-executed archetypes. As you get to know them, you see how they react to different situations. They feel alive rather than standard characters, standing on their own as individuals. They each have their own great moments in specific character routes.
The heroines experience character development in their respective routes but some are more well-executed than others. For example, Primula’s route is pretty much focused on her, compared Kaede who has pretty much already finished growing. The difference is noticeable.
ART
The art has definitely aged well. The character designs are uniquely distinct from each other, but not so much it feels like two different games. Each of the main characters also have a wide variety of poses, expressions and outfits for your viewing pleasure. In fact, the girls have so many expressions that once you complete all five routes, you unlock Expression Viewing Mode where you can see them anytime you want. Even the side characters’ designs stand out on their own. In fact, I don’t think most people would be able to tell this game was released in the early 2000’s.
The backgrounds have a nice modern day feel. Some BGs have faceless characters hanging around in the back. The faceless people make the game feel more immersive, because they change between scenes.
SOUND EFFECTS AND VOICE ACTING (SFX)
Shuffle has full Japanese voice acting. Most of the voice actors do a nice job at conveying different emotions. They match their characters. Some of the side characters, ie. Asa’s mother give an off-putting vibe at times. Other than those minor little discrepancies, the voice acting is well executed. Primula’s voice in particular nails her gradual transition from an emotionless girl to a super cheerful babe.
As for the sound effects, they are serviceable enough. There aren’t many and they mostly stay in the background.
MUSIC
The music in the game does a great job at popping up at the right time. Some tracks stand out more than others. The ones that stand out are so good, you can get completely immersed in the melody. Each heroine has their own theme that fits the character.
Purple Moon in particular is a song that really stands out. The song plays exclusively during climactic and heart-wrenching scenes. Starting with a slow and somber lead-in with a harp, then following it up with a chorus of violins. It’s a great track on the soundtrack and gives the more emotional scenes that much more impact. Another notable track is “Don’t be Afraid”. It instantly catches you with a rapid beat of drums and an exciting guitar riff. It’s definitely a good song to get you pumped up. Only problem is it feels out of place in a romantic game like this.
GAMEPLAY
As Shuffle is a visual novel, the gameplay is limited to clicking the screen to progress the story. You also get the occasional choice at certain points in the game. This game only has one ending for each girl so you don’t have to worry too much about your choices.
HENTAI
Shuffle’s hentai scenes are faptastic thanks to the colorful artstyle, and the lively characters. If you’re into anime fapping, the girls have a certain vintage vibe that tickles your testicles. Their personalities and bodies are also varied enough to please multiple different tastes. There are only two sex scenes for each route, but each of those scenes are lengthy and feature a fair number of CGs.
For those who like their sex scenes to tie in with the plot, they would be fond of the ones for Primula. Not only are they the most well-written ones, but they also are directly related to her character development and can even be incredibly emotional at points.
The game does a great job at including as many fetishes and positions as possible in a limited amount of scenes. Aside from intercourse, there’s plenty of fanservice and general nudity throughout the routes to keep your genitals itching for scratching.
CONCLUSION
Shuffle is a fun hentai visual novel. The characters are definitely the game’s biggest selling point. The game has great art and tons of fanservice. The developer knows their audience. I enjoyed my time with this game, especially in regards to the sweet and heartwarming romantic moments that added oomph to the raunchy sex. I warmly recommend Shuffle for fans of hentai harem games.
We struggled to find a site to download the full adult version. If you know a good virus-free site that offers the download, comment on this post and we’ll investigate. In the meantime, you can download tons of sexy hentai games at www.hentai-onahole.moe.
