[Review] The Quintessential Quintuplets Double Pack – Nintendo Switch

Developed By: MAGES. Inc.
Published By: Spike Chunsoft
Category: Visual Novel
Release Date: 05.23.24
Price: $59.99

Less than a month ago, I said that The Quintessential Quintuplets is a franchise that refuses to end. This was in response to the news that there was going to be yet another anime adaptation despite the manga ending four years ago and the anime ending two years ago. I wasn’t complaining because I am a fan of the anime and welcomed more content, but I feel it’s ironic that only weeks after that announcement was the news that the video games were going to be released in the west.

The Quintuplets games have been out for a few years in Japan but are finally available with English subtitles as part of a cool double pack. The first one is called Memories of a Quintessential Summer and features an original story. The second game is called Five Memories Spent With You. This game also features an original story but takes place immediately after the festival near the end of the movie/manga. Both games are visual novels, and both are must-haves for fans of the franchise.

The main reason that people will love this is that it’s not canon. Let me explain. If you’re a fan, you 100% have a favorite sister from among the five. 80% of the fandom (if not more) was upset at the end when Futaro ended up with Yotsuba. This is why I loved Five Memories Spent With You so much. Right at the start of the game you choose who you want to confess to, and a large chunk of the experience is tailored to that choice. So if your favorite character is Miku, you can choose her and see how that storyline would play out.

That’s a big selling point for viewers who were big fans of a specific character as the story is not tied down to the canonical ending. What’s better is that each sister has two endings, the normal one and the good one. Plus, there’s a bonus ending for completing all of them so as long as you’re interested in each character you’ll play through the scenario multiple times and will most likely enjoy it.

Memories of a Quintessential Summer is different because it takes place much earlier in the story during summer break. In this game the gang goes for a vacation to a private island and there are even more endings than Five Memories Spent With You. Both games are great, but I would say that five Memories Spent With You is better for fans because of the whole confession scenario.

In both cases the story isn’t all that important because what really matters are the characters, their interactions, and the humor. Both games do a really good job at making sure that the charm of the series is present. There are so many moments in the anime that are wholesome, cute, or silly, and the writing and art style fits the games perfectly.

You aren’t just getting two solid visual novels but a whole slew of extra content as well. As you progress through each game you unlock an assortment of illustrations, movies, and songs that you can check out in the main menu. There’s so many for each character and the soundtrack is stacked. Having access to all these extras is always a huge victory for gaming.

Aside for the humor, the sound aspect of the game is one of the biggest because all the Japanese voice actors from the anime return for each game. So, for people who watched the anime in Japanese, each game is the equivalent of watching a few extra episodes that you have control over. I watched the anime with the English voices so I’m not attached to their Japanese voices, but I know people will love it.

But the voices aren’t the only good thing about the sound aspect either because the soundtrack is amazing. Each game has its own opening theme and a bunch of songs. You’re looking at more than 50 songs in total.

That’s a ton of content you’re getting for only $60 and the fact that it’s all original content and not recycled from the source material makes it even better. If you’re a fan of The Quintessential Quintuplets you’re going to want to play this. I’m a huge fan of the anime. Not only did I watch both seasons and then the movie in theaters, but I also collected a ton of figures and the Weiss Schwartz trading cards. So, I was incredibly happy to be able to get even more content in the form of the games.

Someone who doesn’t like the anime or manga will get no satisfaction out of the games, but it will be an easy pickup for fans. The games are also available individually if you only want to get one but if you’re a fan, you’ll want both.

Memories of a Quintessential Summer

4/5