Friday, March 11, 2011

Random Screenshot 14: Tokimeki Memorial


Tokimeki Memorial (Super Famicom) Konami 1996

Tokimeki Memorial is one of the most beloved dating sims of all time. You may ask, "what the hell is a dating sim?" The dating sim is a very Japanese genre of gaming, where the protagonist is usually on some type of quest for love or sex. Not too many dating sims are officially released in English with the exception of Sakura Wars 5, and various PC hentai "interactive novels." Tokimeki Memorial is about a young man trying to find his dream girl in high school. Along the way he will improve his stats like intelligence and appearance, all in order to woe the ladies around the school. Unlike real life, you can play fun mini-games that boost your chances with each girl. These mini games are displayed in hilarious SD sprite form and make for a nice break between kissing each chick's ass for a date. None of the Tokimeki Memorial games have ever been translated to English. However, the Super Famicom version is very playable. Just pick the first speech option any time a girl speaks to you and it will not be wrong. It is silly, but this strategy really works. For an easier Tokimeki experience, check out the puzzle games on Sega Saturn. They are both quality games, and can be had for super cheap. An interesting side note: Koji Igarashi, the game's designer, so vehemently rejected working on a sequel, that he was transferred to the Castlevania development team.  His next game was the brilliant and critically acclaimed, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. 


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