Quartet! The Stage of Love

The Magnolia Music Institute is a prestigious school which attracts the brightest musicians from across the country. To ensure that the students are able to concentrate on their music, the school offers amenities such as dormitories and personal guidance for exceptionally gifted students. As the game begins, a gifted violinist named Phill Junhers is recruited into a string quartet at the school. Phill’s team consists of three attractive girls:

» Charlotte Francia plays first string and is reticent about romance
» Juni Argiano plays the viola and has bubbly personality
» Li Shuhua is a cellist who is quiet and reserved

The game follows the events in the 84 days leading up to an important music competition where 24 quartets play and only one wins. The quartet that wins top prize is essentially guaranteed a ticket to fame and success as musicians. The limited edition of Quartett! includes a bonus art booklet which features artwork of the main characters, Phill’s sister Lina, and the players on the main rival quartet: Mai Argiano, Gizelle Stolzenberg, Signina Vinothek, and Hans Crowbar.

Originally released on the PC as an eroge game for mature audiences, Quartett has sold over 40,000 copies since 2004 and groomed itself as a contender for eventual PS2 conversion. That happens today with an updated Quartett game which adds voice actor and actress vocals to the interaction where there was once none. Players adopt the role of a high school student named Phill Junhers who is a naturally gifted violinist. Despite his lack of formal training, Phill plays like a virtuoso and is recruited by a professor at the Magnolia Music Institute into a string quartet. The game follows the drama and events in the 84 days leading up to a classical string competition where 24 quartets play and one team wins. From there, the members of the winning quartet may go on to enjoy fulfilling lives as musicians in traveling troupes, backyard barbecues, or grand orchestras.

Phill’s collaborators in the quartet are Charlotte Francia – first string, Juni Argiano on the viola, and cellist Li Shuhua. As the story develops, Phill may find love as well as adversity among members of his group. Quartett! is a beautifully rendered visual novel which uses a stunning art style powered by Floating Frame Director. The game is viewed like a manga where speech bubbles appear as the characters speak and spot animations add bits of motion to the presentation.