Higurashi no Naku Koro ni: Visual Novel 1-4

So yeah, I finally get around to play/read it.
Picked up the Questions Arcs 1-4, but damn, the Art isn't what I would enjoy. Unlike Umineko, it just won't grow on me.

So my course of action has been downloading patches to replace the VN-Art, means character sprites and backgrounds, with the newer ones of the PS2-Port.
Works pretty well, and, on top of that, I also patched that official english version's sound and bgm.

Apparently they couldn't keep the original sounds due to license-stuff which led to a mass of sound effect duplicates, annoying cicadas instead of the creepy-yet-calming sounds and some failures more.

So, it's back in.
the Art-archive got pumped from less than 250mb to a mass of 800(!)mb, which should clearly tell you how massive that upgrade was.

In fact, instead of this:



you get this:




Alright, let's move on to the useful part of this post.

I prepared some download for you, took me a while (in fact, it's still Uploading while I'm writing), but I think it may help a lot of people out there who just are either too lazy or too unversed to patch the game or just don't bother the childish art.

It's a massive upload, in fact almost 1.1 GB.
I left BOTH Art-packs in, the PS2-upgrade is standard.

The Game is a portable version!
Just start it using the "higurashi.exe", "BGI.exe" would ask you for the serial, higurashi.exe bypasses that.
Means, you could easily put it onto some USB stick and play it anywhere you want, be it your home pc or just some netcafe.
Translation's the official english one by MangaGamer.

Download:

Rapidshare.com:
Part01 | Part02 | Part03 | Part04 | Part05 | Part06

Uploaded.to (RS compatible):
Part01 | Part02 | Part03 | Part04 | Part05 | Part06

Megaupload:
Part01 | Part02 | Part03

Password: anotherstory

I maxed out the filesize for Uploaded.to, parts are compatible with Megaupload.
Rapidshare, though, still has that annoying 200mb-per-file-limit (guess it will be increased in the near future, but that's another story ;)
Edit: Remote-Uploaded the RS-Files to Uploaded.to, so RS+UL.to are compatible.

Technical Stuff:

If you want to change the artpack (which you can do anytime outside the game; you could even save the game, quit, change the package and load just to see how it is with the other art) you need to do these steps:

1. Go to the Higurashi-Folder


2. Search for the "data02000.arc"-file and change it's name to something else, e.g. "data02000.arc.bak" for backup or rather "data02000.arc.ps2"


3. Search the other "data02000.arc"-file which I renamed to "data02000.arc.old" and remove the ".old" so it is a clean "data02000.arc" file


4. That's it, start the game

Remember, the one around 800mb is the PS2 one.
Also, you could just delete the one you really don't need, but I thought it may be nice for comparison, screens or just out of curiosity.

The music and soundfiles could also be removed if you really want to;
all "msys"-files are the music-files. Delete or move them to get rid of them.
But remember, these are the updated, original ones which provide more varied music without duplicates.
All the files starting with "wa_" are sound effects.
You really SHOULDN'T remove them, trust me, the official english ones are so damn annoying and repetitve...


Guess that's all to tell you.
Have fun reading this awesome Visual Novel!

PS: Higurashi Kai should follow once I bother getting and patching it.