999: The Novel App Reviews

I was worried it would lose some gravity on IOS, but what it lacks in puzzles now it makes up for in nicer visuals and a handy flow chart.

999: The Novel (and the Zero Escape series in general) stand out by using interactive elements in order to create a unique and entertaining story that can’t be told quite as well through any other medium. Fans of sic-fi and horror will take particular interest in the plot, but I highly recommend this to anyone who is curious to see the potential in video games to extend the boundaries of storytelling beyond what we have discovered from books and film.

I disagree about supporting this developer. The only reason to make an app that isnt cross compatible with other devices is greed. I was recommended this app from a blog and without knowing better bought the iPhone only version. This is ridicules. So many other graphic novels and comics are cross platform titles. This is a port, so they have already made their money. Now they are out to make it thrice over. Last time they get my money.

Wonderful. I do miss the puzzles, but it never claims to have them, so I cant really knock off any stars, as the story and characters are still completely amazing.

Excellent narrative, great characters and just bloody interesting.

Best game ever and the iOS version does it justice. Best storyline ever. Hands down.

yesssss its finally here!! VLR next!!!

On the original Nintendo DS,999 was a smash hit puzzle game/novel. The puzzles were challenging but fair. The iOS version however lacks puzzles sadly,but does offer better graphics then the original. The story is still amazing,and it will affect you on a deep level. I recommend this game to anybody who loves a good story.

999 is by far one of the best visual novels I have ever read. The sequel Virtues Last Reward is even better. There is a third game in the making but it is being halted due to the fact that the people funding it feel that it might now make enough money. All I ask is that you give this story a shot and if you fall in love with it like I know you will show your support and join the Facebook page for operation bluebird and make the final game a reality.

Im familiar with this title 9 Hours 9 Persons 9 Doors as well as its sequel Virtues Last Reward which were both amazing games after playing them on the DS/3DS. After checking out this version of the first game, I can honestly saw that it is as amazing as ever despite the lack of puzzles. A few concerns were a few typos here and there as well as the rendering of the casino background which seemed a little blurry from my view and a few of the cutscenes that were unfortunate cut in the visual novel version. Just like its sequel Virtues Last Reward, a flowchart is added if you choose to jump around and want to unlock every possible ending before wanting to finish the story and for those who have played the DS version you may come across a surprise or so. I highly recommend this title and if you enjoy the challenge play the DS version as well as its sequel that is on the 3DS which Im hoping they release a visual novel of. I was disappointed to find out that the third chapter of this series was placed on hold. Please support this series. Even though the puzzles are challenging there are a few that are a significant part of the story which will draw you in as you learn about the characters and decide on the outcome of the story. You wont be disappointed.

Great visual novel with the great storyline of the original DS version. No puzzles but great enjoyment from the story. Thank you to Aksys for porting these niche games over here! And thanks for Spike Chunsoft for making this great game.

You really cant go wrong here with the plot, great characters, and great narrative. This should be a featured app for sure.

Simply astounding. Rarely do I rate apps or games; this was such an exception. Albeit the lack of puzzles, just as good as the DS version.

Love this story and its sequel, hopefully they adapt VLR as well. Definitely needs more attention so the third part of the story can be told.

Best $5 I have ever spent in the apps store. Amazing story, characters, music, and atmosphere!! Get this visual novel now!! Spent two days completely engrossed in the story. Now Im telling all my friends about this visual novel and planning to get the sequel, Virtues Last Reward on the Vita.

In 2010, the 999 came out for DS. I consider myself to be a fairly experienced gamer, so you can trust me when I say that when I first played that game, I was utterly and completely blown away. 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors combined masterful puzzles and fantastically inventive storytelling to produce what is, my opinion, the best video game narrative of all time. -STORY- The plot at first seems like what wouldve resulted had Michael Crichten written Saw, but starts to become one of the most complex and intriguing stories I have ever seen, heard, or read in any medium. The story is written in such a way that draws you in and never lets you out. You will quickly become attatched to the characters and you will want to know their motivations. Who is Zero? Why are you trapped on this ship? Why is Lotus wearing so little clothing, and why dont I mind? The mystery is so compelling that you will keep telling yourself that you will stop after after a few more minutes, only to realize that it is suddenly 2 A.M. and you should really finish that important research essay. -GAMEPLAY- Similar to most visual novels, the gamelpay of 999 consists mainly of making decisions. Nearly every decision you make (whether it is choosing which door to go through, what to say to a specific character, etc.) will impact the ending of your current playthrough. However, just because it is called an "ending," it does not by any means give you an excuse to stop playing. In fact, this games story revolves around the fact that you must learn from your mistakes to choose the right path. Only when you have learned exactly what is required of you (which includes playing through at least once), you can finally get the "true" ending, in which you will be bombarded with constant mindf*ckery, but in a good way. Once you do get to that final revelation, trust me - your jaw will hit the floor. And it will be worth the multiple playthroughs. -VISUALS- As this is a visual novel, there are quite a lot of them. Visuals, I mean. Every character has a set of pictures dedicated to them, and whenever they speak, a speech bubble will show next to their face. Each character looks great, and the fact that this is now in HD is really appreciated, as someone who played the somewhat pixelated DS version. There are also backgrounds and visual and audio cues for the lines of text you read, which really add to the immersion. It should also be mentioned that the games soundtrack is quite decent. Each track adds something to the overall experience. Some are quite good, too. I listen to a couple of tracks quite frequently on my iPod. Good homework music. -PORT- This is an iOS port of the original DS game. Some things have been improved, such as the aforementioned HD textures, while some things have been taken away completely. I will now address the elephant in the room; yes, the puzzles are compeltely missing. However, this game is only $5, and the DS game is around $20. So, anyone complaining about the lack of puzzles really shouldnt be, though I can see where they are coming from. Also, every important bit of dialogue that takes place during the puzzles in the DS version are still present in this port. However, some less important but character-building moments are missing. This is a shame, but once again, acceptable, as this port is very cheap and still retains pretty much the entire story. Oddly enough, this version of the game has quite a few typos. Upon starting the game, you are greeted with "crusie ship" and "LolInside," as well as some missing puncuation. They are distracting, but occur rarely and dont hinder the story in any way. On the bright side, there is an added flowchart system. This allows players to easily hop back to important decisions and moments in the game. This is a very welcome addition, as the DS version had players starting the story from the beginning every single time they wanted to get a different ending. If you are a fan of science-fiction, horror, or good storytelling in general, you owe it to yourself to buy this game. The story is fantastic, the gameplay works great (thanks to the added flowchart), and while the puzzles are missing from this port, I wouldnt worry too much about it. I have given this game five stars, because I have faith that Aksys will update the game and fix the typos. Thanks for reading my really long review and I hope I have helped you to make your decision. Also, I you should know that there is a sequel to 999 called Virtues Last Reward. It is available for the Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita systems, and is equally mind blowing and compelling. I highly recommend it. Also, you should like Operation Bluebird on Facebook so that Zero Escape 3 can be made!

I have just finished replaying the game, originally on Ds and now here. If you want a fantastic read, youve come to the right app. This app is brimming with some of the best themes, twists, characters and stories you will ever find. It is a port of the DS original 999: 9 hours 9 persons 9 doors and if you ever get a chance, I recommend you play it, as it is far superior in all ways but 1. That one improvement here is the flow chart. It lets you easily skip to the choices you need to make without going through the whole game. Downside, is that it still takes a while for the game to reach the actual choice moment. This is hampered by the (originally optional) extraneous conversations. As much as I love the elevator scene, Ive gone through it 3 times today and am tired of it. Another interesting but (in my opinion) controversial addition is the help system. After a play through, the game will tell you the doors you should take next. If you didnt get the Coffin ending, you have to deal with going back through several segments and wait for the slightly to slow auto text feature to work its magic. For the impatient who just want the core of the experience, it is awesome, moreso that it only tells you after your first ending so you can at least get one of your own design. Finally, the biggest change: the lack of puzzles. All the major dialogue is there from the puzzles and even a bit of side dialogue, but in reality this isnt what those who have played 999 DS wanna know, they want to know about the final puzzle. Without spoiling anything, the game skips the final puzzle, not allowing you the chance to solve it and kill the tremendously built up tension and emotion. Literally, if it werent for having played it before, it would feel like a bad copout. This all said, best 5$ spent on iPhone, well worth playing through and enjoy having your mind blown. Definitely recommended regardless of shortcomings. ☺☺☺

One of the best stories, and its told in an extremely creative way

I just had to write a review. I played about half of 999 on DS, and loved it, but found starting from the beginning after each ending a bit too tedious since I had just come from the sequel, Virtues Last Reward, which features a convenient flow chart. Luckily, such a thing has been added to 999 on iOS! This is a truly remarkable visual story with the plot development, music, and art of something far more expensive to make (read: feature films). 999 will grip you and never let go until its final ending. The character,s and scenario design in this are brilliantly conceived. I cant recommend 999 enough, and theres even more praise to be found in other reviews here on the app store. For something truly enthralling that you can carry in your pocket, look no further than this near-genius game.

Support operation bluebird on Facebook buy 999 on ds for full experience and buy the sequel virtues last reward on 3ds or vita for fuller experience zero escape 3 needs to happen for fullest experience support the series and aksys