NEKOPARA Vol. 0

Developer: NEKO WORKs | Publisher: Sekai Project | Release Date: 2015 | Genre: Casual / Visual Novel / Indie | Website: n/a | Purchase: Steam

Nekopara Vol. 1 introduced us to Kashou Minaduki and the events around the opening of his patisserie, La Soleil. It also starred the two adorable cat girls, Chocola and Vanilla. While the adventures of Kashou and the cat girls will continue with Nekopara Vol. 2, Sekai Project has released Nekopara Vol. 0 to tide fans over until then. It is a special fandisc that takes place before the events of the first game and stars the entire cast of catgirls.

Nekopara Vol. 0 doesn’t really have an overarching storyline or much in the way of a plot. Instead, it simply chronicles a single day in the lives of Kashou’s sister, Shigure, and the six catgirls of the Minaduki household. Kashou doesn’t really appear in the story at all apart from references from the rest of the cast about how busy he is with baking. With Kashou out of the picture, players can witness what the six catgirls get up to during events such as making breakfast, cleaning the house, going in to down, making dinner and taking a bath. However, unlike Vol. 1, there is no adult version of this game, so even the bath scene is censored by some strategically placed steam. It is still not a game for kids though, as the “chest bounciness” slider returns along with all the sexual innuendo during conversations.

The first game thoroughly impressed us with its stylish visuals and brilliant “E-mote” animation system, so we are happy to report that Vol. 0 offers more of the same. While Vol. 1 focused mostly on Chocola and Vanilla, the other four catgirls also get their chance to shine in this installment. The animations remain excellent throughout and definitely sets a standard that few other visual novels can match. The way that the characters move around the screen and change expressions is a huge step up from the mostly static sprites typically found in the genre. In addition to the normal scenes there are also a couple of nice CGs including some very cute chibi artwork.

Since it is only a fandisc, Nekopara Vol. 0 is quite short and completely linear. The entire story can be completed in less than an hour and there are no choices or multiple endings to encourage more than one playthrough. The price of the game is much lower than Vol. 1 to reflect this, so it doesn’t feel like a rip-off. While interaction is pretty much limited to clicking a button to advance through the text Vol. 0 does add one new feature. Eagle eyed players will immediately spot the small “hand” icon that is located in the top-right corner of the screen. Clicking this icon turns the cursor into a hand, which can then be used to pet the catgirls and see their reactions. It is a silly, but entertaining addition to the game and you can even earn some Steam achievements for doing so. Pressing the “P” button to make the girls jump also makes a return.

Although the story and events of Nekopara Vol. 0 is pure fluff there are some humorous situations. The game does a good job showcasing the different personalities of the catgirls, but nothing of any real substance is revealed. It’s all pure, lighthearted fun with scenarios like the catgirls encountering an automatic air-freshener, hanging washing and drinking lattes. Some of the scenes are funnier than others and unfortunately there are a couple of typos, but overall the story is entertaining enough. Players who didn’t like Nekopara Vol. 1 can safely skip this one though as there is nothing here that will sway their opinion. In fact, playing Nekopara Vol. 1 is recommended before trying out Vol. 0.

As it is a fandisc, the soundtrack of the game features mostly the same music as Vol. 1. The Japanese voice acting is still of a very high caliber though and players can choose between Japanese, English and Chinese subtitles.

Nekopara Vol. 0 is aimed squarely at fans of the original game and characters, so don’t expect anything new or earth shattering. However, anyone who enjoyed Vol. 1 and want another dose of catgirl cuteness will love the extra screen time for the rest of the cast. The game also features Steam trading cards which, considering the low price, almost makes it worth the price of admission alone. Fans eager to know more about the events at La Soleil will have to wait until Nekopara Vol. 2 is released, but this fan disc makes for a nice diversion until then.