X-Change (video game)

X-Change is a Japanese [...] game produced by Crowd and distributed in English by Peach Princess. So far, there have been three versions released in Japan, and all three of those have been made fully available to the English-speaking market, though X-Change Three, which is available in English, has had content deleted and changed from the original version. In addition, re-releases of the first two games with additional characters and improved graphics are available in Japan, titled XchangeR and Xchange2R. Peach Princess has stated they do not intend to market these remakes for the English market. In October 2005 Xchange3 Reprinted as reprinted versions of the originals and do not have additional scenarios or characters.

X-Change

Plot

The main character is Takuya Aihara, an average junior college student with one character flaw: he is a bit of a mental weakling. No matter how hard he tries, it seems that all the girls around him are constantly pushing him around: his teasing stepsister Natsumi, the genius president of his chemistry club Asami, and especially Asuka, his beautiful childhood friend.

One day, while cleaning some shelves in the chemistry room, he spills a mysterious chemical on himself. The next thing he knows, he is transformed into a girl. The game has six different endings; in some Takuya remains a woman, in others he returns to being a man.

Gameplay

As the game unfolds, you make various decisions/actions at set various points in the game. These choices lead to different interactions with the multiple characters throughout the game.

Characters

• Takuya Aihara (相原拓也/たくや): The Main Character. He turns into a female by spilling a mysterious chemical on himself.

• Asuka Katakiri (片桐明日香): A close friend of Takuya. Takuya has secretly been in love with her since childhood.

• Asami Satoh(佐藤麻美): The president of the science club, of which she and Takuya are the only members. Though very smart, she is also somewhat unscrupulous in experimenting on Takuya.

• Professor Miyagi: The art teacher at Takuya's school. He is extremely kind and he gets along well with the students. Miyagi doesn't treat Takuya any differently after Takuya becomes a female by the accident.

• Nurse Keiko Matsunaga (松永啓子): The school nurse. Most of the male students are smitten with her, enough though there have been rumors about her private practices in the nurse's office.

• Mr. Terada: The gym teacher, who was hard on the weak Takuya and is even worse when Takuya becomes a girl.

• Natsumi (相原夏美): Takuya's older stepsister. She is controlling and always demands for things to go her way. She often abuses Takuya, the degree of which increases in the third game.

• Seiji (清次): Natsumi's boyfriend, who shows an interest in the female Takuya.

• Koji Kudo(工藤弘二): Being very shy, he doesn't have many friends. Strangely, he has fallen for the new Takuya.

X-Change 2

In the second game, you play as Takuya again, who now has gained Asuka as a girlfriend since the first game. Chisato Kawahara, an inquisitive scientist and your junior in the chemistry club designs a machine which is supposed to increase your strength and intelligence. When she uses it on you, however, it turns you into a girl. As usual, you must try to make the right choices to end up normal.

Throughout the game your character gets raped several times. Some examples of the frequent [...] include: Koji raping you, you getting raped on a bus, your substitute teacher raping you, and you getting raped during your tutoring session by your student and his dad.

New Characters

• Koji Kudo (工藤弘二) - Your chemistry club partner. He is in love with your female half, and seeks to continue the relationship you had with him in the first game.

• Chisato Kawahara (河原千里) - Your chemistry club leader and partner. She enjoys performing experiments on people.

• Kyoko Fukagawa (深川恭子) - A college student who appears younger then her age. She has problems regarding family relationships.

• Maiko Nagata (永田舞子) - A girl who is the target of unwanted affection by many perverted guys. She has turned to lesbianism for love and support.

• Shizuka Ootori (大鳥静香) - A top pianist who studies in an all girls' school. She is unable to leave the grounds on her own, and is a bit reserved as a result.

• Megumi Fujieda (藤枝めぐみ) - A quiet girl who secretly loves the male Takuya.

• Miyuki Watanabe (渡辺美由紀) - President of the school's Drama Club.

Songs

Soyokaze no yukue (そよ風の行方) the opening sung by Aki; Lyrics and Composition: Kazuya Takase Ima, kono toki ga 　（今、この時が） ending song (now, this time...); by I've

X-Change 3

In the third game, Kōji, a male student you had an encounter with in the first game, is still trying to get Takuya's female side in love with him . He secretly gets Asami Satoh to make more of the [...]-change potion and proceeds to trick Takuya into drinking it. This game is the first in the series to be released on DVD-ROM, and the first to have the English release censored.

On July 22, 2006, Peter Payne admitted that Peach Princess had censored the English release of X-Change 3. A total of seven graphics had been removed from the game due to them being of a lolicon nature. Two other graphics were edited to remove tears and other details from a [...] scene. An unknown number of speech and sound effects were removed, and the amount of dialog changed during the translation/conversion is unknown. After backlash from fans of the series, the company has claimed that they had no possible option to release the full game claiming legal reasons, despite having sold games of a similar nature, and continuing to do so.

A petition has been created by fans in hopes of an anti-censorship patch being released by the company.1

Subsequentially the BBS user that first revealed the censoring was banned from the BBS and at a later date the person that started the petition for an anti-censorship patch was also banned.

To date there is no mention of the changes made to the game on the product page and this has caused some people to express concerns that the company is deliberately misleading people who are interested in the game. While the administrators have said that they are willing to give a refund to those that feel they were misled it should be noted that this is only a partial refund and there is no descript process of requesting it.

External links

• Peach Princess
• X-Change 3 censorship thread on Peach Princess message boards.
• Crowd Website (Japanese)

ja:Xchange