PachiPara 14: Kaze to Kumo to Super Umi in Okinawa

Overview

PachiPara 14: Kaze to Kumo to Super Umi in Okinawa is a pachinko simulator developed and published by Irem solely for Japan on the PS2. The final game in the series released for that platform, PachiPara 14 once again simulates a handful of Sanyo's Umi Monogatari line of pachislot machines, specifically the CR Super Umi Monogatari in Okinawa MTA and SAD models. It is also the last game to feature the long-running PachiPro Fūunroku subseries as an open world RPG; while the name went on to reappear in the series 3DS' installments starting with the first release of PachiPara 3D: Taikai Monogatari 2, it transitioned into a predominantly visual novel genre in the wake of series producer and longtime Irem developer Kazuma Kujo leaving the company in March 2011 to form Granzella.

Pachinko Gameplay

PachiPara 14 features simulations of two Sanyo-produced pachinko machines in their Umi Monogatari line: the CR Super Umi Monogatari in Okinawa MTA and the CR Super Umi Monogatari in Okinawa SAD. The changes from the machines featured in the previous game, PachiPara 13, are predominantly aesthetic in nature. As such, consult the PachiPara 13 page for more detailed information about how to play the Umi Monogatari pachinko machines.

Pachipro Fūunroku 6 Mode

As in past PS2 entries in the PachiPara series, PachiPara 14 features a completely separate open world RPG mode by the name of Pachipro Fūunroku 6. This is the third and last incarnation of the Pachipro Fūunroku subseries as an open world RPG before it would transition into the visual novel genre upon its revival in the PachiPara series' 3DS entries.

Narratively, Pachipro Fūunroku 6 is a direct, but largely standalone sequel to PachiPara 13. Players once again assume the role of the same customizable protagonist as that game, with the story building off the ending where they chose to keep playing pachinko, rather than quit and travel the world. To that end, PachiPara 14 begins with a pachinko match gone awry, with the player thrown off a ship after being accused of rigging the match. They wake up on a riverbank back on their old stomping grounds, discovered by members of Asagao, a local theater troupe. Despite these dubious circumstances, the troupe takes the protagonist in and provides them with cover to try and help them shake off their pursuers, with Chinatsu, the game's main heroine, taking a shine to the protagonist in particular. Eventually, however, the protagonist must secretly reenter the world of pachipros, professional pachinko players, in an attempt to rescue Keisuke, Chinatsu's younger brother, who recklessly joins their ranks after becoming dissatisfied with life as part of Asagao.

Much of the core gameplay in Pachipro Fūunroku 6 remains the same as its prequel. Gameplay is split between playing pachinko, often in duels against other pachipros, and leading a normal life while engaging in various activities that the game has to offer. Once again, the game features hunger, cleanliness, health, and intelligence stats, all of which must be fostered in realistic ways in order to achieve success at pachinko, as high stats raise improve the player's own luck. Hunger, for instance, can be addressed by eating out at one of the game's many restaurants and food stands, while cleanliness can be taken care of by visiting a Japanese bath house. Like Pachipro Fūunroku 5, players can unlock an array of supernatural powers to use during pachinko duels to help turn the tide in their favor and accrue more pachinko balls in various ways after building up a meter with up to five levels to a sufficient amount.

The protagonist's personality is also still dictated by dialogue choices that the player makes, with the game often posing a wide array to choose that vary from socially sensible to the zany and awkward. These choices impact the overall way that other characters perceive the protagonist and affects which characters the player can choose to date, with gay and bisexual options also returning.

Although pachinko remains a prominent way to make money, players aren't required to play it outside of critical story scenes. Should they wish to do so, they can opt to make money by other means, such as by the newly added horse racing and cee-lo gambling minigames, as well as the newly revamped fishing system. Money earned can then be spent on food, clothing, housing, and furniture and other objects that players can decorate their homes with in the vein of games such as The Sims and Animal Crossing.

In addition to pachinko duels, one new mechanic featured in this game that appears regularly during story segments are theatrical plays held by Asagao. Throughout the story, the theater troupe will hold plays throughout town and the player is given different roles to act in them. Accompanying these role assignments are short scripts that players are expected to read ahead of time in order to know what to do during the actual plays. Once it's show time, a series of button prompts appear at various sections as the play proceeds in real time, with different lines corresponding to each of the face buttons. Players have a limited time frame to choose the correct line so that the show can proceed without a hitch, thereby increasing their renown amongst the local populace.

Also new to Pachipro Fūunroku 6 is the baseball minigame. Players can visit the local high school from which they graduated in the previous game and engage in a home run derby against the high school team, either alone or as part of a date.

Pachipro Fūunroku 6 Cast

Major Characters

Anzu Murase (Female Protagonist)/Ginji Shiina (Male Protagonist)

Voiced by: Komatsuna Sakato (Female)/Shōgo Kawashima (Male)

22 years old at this point in the duology, the player character is a four-year veteran of the pachinko playing world, having continued to participate in it as a pachipro after the ending of the previous game. After a pachinko match on a ship goes awry, they join the theater trope Asagao to shake off their interlopers and rebuild their life. The protagonist may either be female or male at the player's discretion and can also be assigned a different name at the start of the game.

Chinatsu Miura

Voiced by: Madoka Akita

The main heroine and romantic interest of the game, Chinatsu is one of the members of Asagao and dreams of making it big one day as a theater actress. Initially choosing to not ask about the protagonist's past so as to respect their privacy, as it turns out, she has a major grudge against pachipros like her protagonist, having grown up watching her father abuse her mother when things went poorly. Nevertheless, she's a kind, gentle person at heart who cares deeply about her younger brother, Keisuke, worried about what could happen to him if he remains a pachipro. If the player treats her well, she can be romanced as either protagonist and asked to move in with them.

Sayaka Mochizuki

Voiced by: Kaori Matoi

Sayaka is the leading actress of Asagao who retains the starring roles in its plays around town and is admired greatly by Chinatsu as an aspiring actress herself. Always extremely friendly and cordial to the protagonist, she quickly finds out about their real occupation as a pachipro, but doesn't treat them any differently upon learning the truth, going so far as to keep it a secret from Chinatsu to avoid unnecessarily rocking the boat. Living in the same apartment building as the protagonist and Chinatsu at the start of the game, players can also choose to romance her as either protagonist.