 |
||||||||||
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
 freetype.top features
|
|
Before we were all hit by the Tamagotchi fad, and before the sharp-tongued sorry-excuse for a merman of sorts came swimming onto the screens of Dreamcast owners, there was Datam Polystar's Roommate Inoue Ryoko (Roommate). Taking advantage of the Saturn's internal clock, the game simulated a 'real-time' roommate whom Sega Saturn owners could fall head-over-heels with. Turn the console on in the morning, and you see Ryoko going off to school; return from work (or school) and you could find her doing dinner; neglect your Saturn for a week and she would move out of your apartment to find someone more caring. Nevermind that the gameplay was nothing more than listening to Ryoko talk about everything from your blood group to her family to boy-girl relationships, or that it had an embarrassingly linear storyline for a game of this genre. Its premise was exciting--and ahead of its time, one might say--and two sequels subsequently followed. Expect Ryoko to make her return in 2001 on the Dreamcast, albeit in the form of a graphic novel this time. |
Roommate © 1996 Datam Polystar
Ever wondered how it would be like calling someone over the phone in the near future? In 1996, before voice and video mail came along, Pioneer LDC tried giving us a glimpse of that in their love-simulation, Noël. The protagonist have just met three girls on the beach a month ago, and after one of them contacts him via her video phone, he begins to get in touch with the girls. The objective of the game is simple--get into their good books, and he could be spending Christmas with one of them. The entire game revolves around listening to the girls' talk over the video phone, and then replying by picking up key points during the conversation. Like Roommate Inoue Ryoko, Noël was unique in its own way when it first came out, and its success led to sequels which include Noël Le neige ('Snow' in French) as well as Noël3 for the Sega Saturn in 1998. The company also released a similar game in 1998 which was based on the anime series Serial Experiments Lain. |
Noël © 1996 Pioneer LDC
Why should the guys be having all the fun, right? Koei and its all-female team of software developers certainly thought so, and they released Angelique - Special in 1996. In the game, the player tries to establish a relationship with nine young men while at the same time, fight off a rival to become queen. Eventually, she will have to choose between both. "There is a parallel between her situation and that of the players, who are usually women trying to decide which to focus on--a career or marriage," a Koei spokesman said. Originally designed for middle and high school students, most of its fans turned out to be working women and housewives in their late 20s. With no less than seven releases (sequels, special editions, side-stories etc included), the latest being Angelique Trois for the PlayStation2, not to mention an animation and comics to its name, Angelique is probably one of the most successful love-simulation series besides TokiMemo. |
Angelique-Special © 1996 Koei
Between TokiMemo and TokiMemo2, fans had to endure a dearth of good love-simulation games. NEC InterChannel's Sentimental Graffiti in 1998 wasn't exactly what one would call a great love-sim (in fact, its gameplay was kind of drab), but this game about a high school boy trekking across Japan in search of his true love did feature 12 lovable heroines. Sentimental Graffiti became an instant hit. The game was later ported over to the Windows platform, and was even translated into Chinese a year later. When news broke that a sequel was heading for the Sega Dreamcast, it became one of the most anticipated titles in Japan. Sentimental Graffiti 2 finally came out in July 2000, after several delays. By then, the game's producer had shaved his head in apology, the sequel had turned into an adventure game, and in one moment of unsentimental inspiration, the protagonist of the original game was then killed off right at the start. Sentimental Graffiti 2 wasn't an abject disaster, but neither did it perform as well as expected. NEC InterChannel is currently working on Sentimental Prelude for the Dreamcast, though this is will feature an entirely new cast. |
Sentimental Graffitti © 1998 NEC InterChannel
Given the popularity of love-simulations, it's not surprising that some of the elements from these games find their way into other genres as well-particularly role-playing games. Human's 1996 Blue Breaker (for the PC-FX; Playstation and Saturn versions were released in 1997) wasn't just about a hero out to rid the world of evil--it was also about him finding a partner; in Atlus' Thousand Arms, you get to take time off during your quest to date girls while in town; and in T&E Soft's Sonata you can even feel your controller pulsating (if you're using a Dualshock, that is) whenever the heroines talk to you. Even Capcom got into the act when they threw in a love-simulation for their odd action-fighting game Shiritsu Justice Gakuen (Rival Schools). |
Sonata © 1999 T&E Soft
Rival Schools © 1998 Capcom
One of the earlier titles to hit the Sega Dreamcast was Hudson's 1999 Kita e- White Illumination. The game is about a high school kid who spent his summer break in Hokkaido (which, incidentally, is where Hudson's headquarters is located), and is returning there to share the coming of the new year with a local girl he met on vacation. Though considered a love-simulation, the game basically feels like a travel guide, with the heroines taking the protagonist on guided tours around famous sites throughout Hokkaido, and serving out dish after dish of the local cuisine. Not entirely that inspiring but not that awful either. And it did enjoy limited success. The first MIL-format disc released for the Dreamcast was based on this title. |
Kita e © 1999 Hudson Soft
Given the poularity of NTT DoCoMo's i-mode in Japan, it's hardly surprising that a love-simulation for the handphone service would eventually appear. Venus Paradise is one such love-simulation service from SEGA/Hitmaker. The game is set in Tokyo, and for 300yen a month, users get to compete with each other for the affections of several virtual beauties. Besides love-simulations like Venus Paradise, game companies have also been busy bringing their own console love-sim to i-mode users--with titles like Kitae: White Illumination and Tokimeki Memorial having their own little spin-offs. |
 previous page | Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | next page |
 |
|
|
| Copyright © 2006 Freetype / Sorame Creations / YUKINO Yoshi. Images are copyrighted by their respective owners. |
| About Freetype | Conditions of Use | Privacy Policy | Sign Guestbook |