Season of Sakura Guide v1.8
===========================
By Incinerator ([email protected])
COPYRIGHT 1999,2000,2001
PERMISSION NOT GRANTED FOR REPRINT EXCEPT FOR PERSONAL USE
http://www.angelfire.com/nt/incinerator

Last revised:  March 16, 2001 (ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US!!! ^_^''')
Previous revision:  January 16, 2001
Previous revision:  August 26, 2000 (damn, angelfire probably had a server
prob, 'cause this one was supposed to be there)
Previous revision:  August 8, 1999 (man, it's been a long time) 

This IS NOT a walkthrough.  It is designed to give pointers for the game
and present the main areas where you can score 'points' with the girls.
I looked at the 'hint' file packaged with the game and started laughing,
since it basically told me nothing more than I already knew to start with.
Think of this as a 'recipe' for getting the girl you're interest in =).

Troubleshooting
===============
- check if you're missing a file named SK_01.M.  If so, then make a copy
  of SK_20.M and rename it to SK_01.M.

- this game should be run under MS-DOS (mode).  If you use it inside
  Windows, the game might seem to freeze... press ENTER or click on the
  left button of your mouse to get somewhere, quit, then try again.  You
  can tell the game is running properly if the sakura float freely (this
  doesn't mean it can't crash later, though).  How do I change it to MS-DOS
  mode?  Right-click the SAKU-FM.BAT file, bring up Properties, click on the
  Program tab, click on the Advanced button, click the MS-DOS mode box.  To
  finish, keep pressing OK.  If you have a new sound card, you might have
  to tinker with the rest of the configuration to get sound, else it won't
  work with sound :(

- if you get it running inside Windows, there is a chance it could crash
  when the screen wipes between scenes (or other screen effects).

Notes
=====
- Shoko choice is the first earliest opportunity to end the game.
- Meimi and Seia choice are the second earliest opportunity to end the game.
  Impossible to choose one and try for the other, since they're parallel
  plots.
- Ruri choice is the second-latest opportunity to end the game, but the
  hardest to get, since everything has to be done JUST right.  Next to
  impossible to get Ruri if you pursued anyone else.
- Reiko, Kiyomi, Mio, and Aki choice made at the end of the game.  The
  girl you danced with and gave the gift to is the correct choice (otherwise
  you get the bad ending).
- When on the beach during the summer sea trip at night, the last person you
  THINK about (except MYSELF, DEAN, MAKOTO, AKI, RURI, and SHOKO) when you
  LOOK on the BEACH will show up (you could even change your mind, just as
  long as you don't TALK to that person before THINKing again).
- The name of the girl you put first for the camping trip will be the one
  you bump into and run into a cave with.  HOWEVER, the only girls you could
  get into the cave during the camping trip are REIKO, KIYOMI, SHOKO, and
  RURI.  If you chose SEIA or MEIMI, REIKO will show up.
* Ruri's probably the hidden gem in the game, since she's so damned
  difficult to get. =)
* Points for Aki and Ruri may be opposites (ie: it might be impossible to
  get Aki at the end if you went for and didn't get Ruri).
* Hey, what's Rin Watanabe from Runaway City doing there? (the girl playing
  Virtual Ninja at Babel)  Making a cameo?  They're both JAST products, I
  guess...
* What's this?  Most of these characters are based on anime characters?

Main Points
===========

Kyoko-sensei
- There's no way to avoid the SPECIAL LESSON Kyoko-sensei gives you after
  the parties after the Sports Festival (unless you chose Shoko, which is
  probably just as bad.  So much for pure {G}).
! Can anyone say EVANGELLION?!  Katsuragi Misato!

Reiko, Kiyomi, Mio
- Choose her for the dance
- Give her Christmas gift
- Choose her in the end
* Kiyomi's ending is funny... sorta
* Game ends on White Day (March 14)
* Possible to lose game at end if you don't choose the girl you gave the
  gift to.
! Lookie!  It's the Magic Knights from Magic Knights Rayearth!  Ryuzaki Umi,
  Houoji Fuu, and Shido Hikaru!

Shoko
* Easiest to get (she's a slut and throws herself at you!)
* Game ends before last day of practice for Sports Festival
! Umm... no idea who this is... maybe someone from Pia Carrot?  Never seen
  Pia Carrot except for a few pics, but who has pink hair and talks like a
  baby anyway? ^_^'

Ruri
* Have to do everything perfectly, most difficult to get.  She doesn't seem
  to have very many points to gain points for.
- Write Ruri's name first on the camping trip list (to get her in the cave).
- ASK her about her FAMILY repeatedly, and about GOD repeatedly at the cliff.
- Save Ruri during the camping trip right away.
* If Ruri shows up with your boat during summer sea trip, you're on the
  right track.
- When she asks you if you care about what people about you, say YES.
- Choose her for the dance (if she says no, you have to start over again).
- Give her Christmas gift.
* After the incident at the Hot Springs, Ruri'll be taking care of you.
- Decide to CHASE HER after the incident at the Hot Springs.
* Game ends near the end of the Hot Springs trip.
* Possible to continue game if you choose not to go after her, but impossible
  to get Seia or Meimi (past the timeframe).
! Can anyone say EVANGELLION?!  Ayanami Rei! (take it away, Rei fanatics :)

Seia
- Talk to Seia on the beach during the summer sea trip, TELL TRUTH.
- After first day of sports practice when Seia and Meiko talk to you,
  CONSIDER taking Seia home and TAKE HOME, SEIA (game will default to Meiko
  if you didn't walk with Seia on the beach).
- Choose her for the dance.
- Give her Christmas gift.
* Game ends on Christmas.
* Possible to continue game if you don't/can't get her, but impossible to
  get Meimi or Ruri.
! Mimori Seira from Saint Tail!

Aki
* Probably second-easiest.
* If Aki shows up with your boat during summer sea trip, you're on the right
  track.
? During sports day, CONTINUE the pace instead of GOING FASTER (and take
  blame)
- Before the school dance when talking to the girls, follow Aki outside when
  she gestures you to.
? Gift not necessary, nor is dance.
- Choose her in the end.
* Game ends on White Day (March 14).
* Possible to lose game at end (Aki and Makoto get paired up).  How?  I
  don't know... maybe if you paid more attention to Ruri?
! Can anyone say EVANGELLION?!  Asuka Langley Soryu!

Meimi
- Talk to her at the river.
- Talk to Meiko at the beach in the summer sea trip.
- Choose her for the dance.
- Give her Christmas gift.
* Game ends on Christmas.
* Possible to continue game if you don't/can't get her, but impossible to
  get Seia or Ruri.
! Haneoka Meimi from Saint Tail!

Tidbits
=======
[email protected] wrote such a concise description of the anime characters
in an email to me, I'll just drop the email here it here and give credit:

Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2001 16:42:44 PST
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]  
Subject: Season of Sakura Guide 

I really like your SoS guide, it's the only way I'd ever get Ruri. :)  By the 
way, you probably knew this but most of the characters in this game are 
rip-offs of real anime characters: 

Magic Knight Rayearth: 
Reiko, Kiyomi, and Mio are almost direct rip-offs of shojo heroines Umi, Fuu 
and Hikaru, except for minor hair color changes.  Umi is the mature, serious 
one, Fuu is the smart, studious one, and Hikaru is the hyperactive 
one...sound familiar? 

Neon Genesis Evangelion: 
Ruri, Aki, Makoto, and Kyoko-sensei are based off this super-popular mecha 
series' important characters.  Ruri (a.k.a. Rei Ayanami) is an extremely 
introverted girl with blue hair, red eyes, and a Heero Yuy disposition. Aki 
(a.k.a. Asuka Sohryu Langly) is an outgoing, egotistical girl from Germany 
who tries to pull out the wild side of Rei andseries hero Shinji.  Makoto 
(a.k.a. Kensuke Aida) is the one of the hero's best friends, a real military 
nut.  Last, but not least is Kyoko-sensei, a.k.a. Misato Katsuragi, is the 
commander of the giant robot's operations who enjoys drinking, sharing her 
apartment with her warm-water penguin Pen-Pen, and sex (according to her 
ex-boyfriend). 

Aaaand... 
Tenchi Muyo!: 
Father Nobiyuki and dean Katsuhito are based on luckless Tenchi Masaki's 
father and grandfather.  Nobiyuki is a total perv, and Katsuhito (sometimes 
called Yosho) is mysterious but somewhat goofy. 

Hope this was informative.

---
Just to add to that:

St. Tail:
Meimi and Seia are from St. Tail.  Meimi is energetic and and athletic 
(same in St. Tail, since she's St. Tail!), Seira (Seia) is a nun in training,
is manipulative at times (she makes Meimi feel guilty or riles her up on
some cases, Seia does that when she gets drunk) and the two stick together.

Knitpick
========
* Lots of spelling mistakes.  Then again, the thing is about as long as a
  novel, so proofreading must be hellish!
* Hey!  How come Mio's swimsuit says 3A instead of 1E?
[email protected] provides an answer:

Pretty good guide, much better than some others I've seen on the net.  Main
reason I'm writing this is just to answer one of ur nitpix at the end of the
guide ^_^. The reason Mio's swimsuit says 3-A, not 1-E, is due to the fact
that in the original game, the real ages and grade levels of the characters
are different.  JAST USA had to do a few rewrites so the characters are all
above eighteen years of age since US law prohibits any depiction of sexual
acts between minors.  However, Japan doesn't have such laws (or maybe
they're just looser than those here).  In any case, in the original
Japanese game, Shuji winds up as a 16-year-old senior high school freshman,
and Mio (and Aki) are both 15-year-olds graduating from junior high. (This
also means that Meimi, Seia, Ruri, & Kiyomi are 16-year-olds like Shuji, and
actually only Shoko and Reiko are 18.) In Japan, they have three years of
junior high and three years of senior high.  Since Mio's supposedly a
third-year junior high student in the original...JAST USA probably
overlooked this small detail in their translation efforts.Sorry for this
long mail, but I like to ramble.  I have to admit: JAST USA knows its
stuff, trying to remain faithful to the original story without getting
into legal trouble here in the US.  'Cept for the little quirks I mentioned
above, they translated the rest of the game pretty faithfully.

Advanced Tips
=============
- Data files are always saved in the directory that is specified in the
  TEMP environment string (ie: type SET in DOS and look for TEMP.
- CDATA.000 in your TEMP directory can be altered to 'mark' a girl
  in the Character Intro:
        Put a '3' at 0x33 to mark Reiko
        Put a '3' at 0x34 to mark Kiyomi
        Put a '3' at 0x35 to mark Mio
        Put a '3' at 0x36 to mark Shoko
        Put a '3' at 0x37 to mark Ruri
        Put a '3' at 0x38 to mark Seia
        Put a '3' at 0x39 to mark Aki
        Put a '3' at 0x40 to mark Meimi

Simple man's way in Win'95/98:
- load up EDIT,
- open the CDATA.000 file in your TEMP directory as a BINARY file (there's
  a box for it),
- go to column 51 on the first line,
- turn on insert so that you have a BLOCK cursor (for overwrite),
- punch in 8 '3's,
- save the file,
- TADA!  A very simple patch!

n.b. it is possible to follow this pattern and keep adding '3' and stamp
     other people in the Character Intro (brrr!) but since there's no
     graphics or text file associated with it, the game drops to DOS
     if you try to load them.
n.b. I find using this patch is kinda boring.  If you want H-pics, it'd be
     easier to get them off the 'net!  It's a good, fun story.  Don't let
     it go to waste!

Rant
====
Feel free to distribute this file, just don't rip off my name from it or
start altering it adversely.  Thanks.

* Kudos to JAST USA for releasing such a great game!
* Kudos to jeffrey3106 for providing info about the character ages.
* Kudos to FireZs for pointing out Ruri (I'll be damned, I actually missed
  that).
* Kudos to Tetsuei for pointing out Aki (I'll be damned, I actually missed
  that too).
* Kudos to Ser-X for pointing out Kyoko-sensei (I'll be damned, I actually
  missed that too, OKAY SO I'M NOT AN EVA FREAK ^_^''').
* Kudos to Evangel15 for the blurb on the other characters, thanks again!
* Kudos to SuperS for reminding me to submit this thing to GameFAQs ;p
  (it kinda slipped my mind... honest! ^_^''')