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Sweet Fuse, a dating game starring Keiji Inafune's niece, out August 27
Sweet Fuse, the Japanese dating sim starring the fictional niece of game designer Keiji Inafune, will hit PlayStation Network and retail shelves for PSP on August 27. In the game, Saki Inafune visits her famous uncle's new amusement park on opening day – the same day that the villain Count Hogstein blows up the Ferris Wheel and forces park employees to participate in a series of deadly games. Saki volunteers (as brave young women do) to play his games and save Uncle Keiji, and somehow this all culminates in a romance story. Pre-order Sweet Fuse via Amazon and get Count Hogstein's skull necklace. Otherwise, be on the lookout for the downloadable game on PSN in North America and Europe on August 27.
Hakuoki: Memories of the Shinsengumi coming to the 3DS in America
Aksys Games has announced a North American release of Hakuoki: Memories of the Shinsengumi on the Nintendo 3DS. The game is based on Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom, which made it to the PSP last February.The female-focused "otome" romance game comes to Nintendo's handheld with new story content and some 3DS-specific features, like 3D graphics and the ability to take your potentially creepster picture with the story's main characters.No release date has been announced yet, but those interested can stay tuned to the official site for more.
Live and love as Keiji Inafune's niece in Sweet Fuse: By Your Side
You are the fictional niece of game designer Keiji Inafune, visiting his new theme park for the first time. However, the terrorist Count Hogstein has invaded the park and kidnapped the staff on that very day. There's nothing for you to do but take part in Hogstein's twisted games, in an attempt to save Inafune and, perhaps, find love among the other participants.This is possibly one of the best premises for a game ever, and definitely the best premise for an otome game, interesting enough for us to be curious despite the Idea Factory developer credit.Aksys Games is bringing this unique romantic adventure, Sweet Fuse: At Your Side, to PSP in North America this summer.%Gallery-179112%
Hakuoki: Warriors of the Shinsengumi drops Feb. 19
Hakuoki: Warriors of the Shinsengumi, the hack-and-slash PSP action game based on Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom (itself a PSP otome visual novel about getting hunky samurai to fall in love with you), will be available on February 19 in North America, Aksys has announced. Folks that pre-order the game through Amazon will receive a bandanna featuring the game's eight playable samurai.Not so concerned with the heart's capacity to love as much as with its ability to be stabbed by swords, Warriors of the Shinsengumi follows young maiden Chizuru and her accompanying Shinsengumi on their quest to find her father. Players will be able to play through two versions of the game, one that follows Demon of the Fleeting Blossom's storyline and a second, alternate version.%Gallery-169695%
Aksys bringing 'otome' genre stateside with Hakuoki: Demon Of The Fleeting Blossom
Since this is the internet, most of you are probably aware that Japan produces a lot of games for genres that don't necessarily exist in other parts of the world. These games can get a little ridiculous at times, sure, but Aksys believes that the "otome" sub-genre of JRPGs is worth bringing to the western hemisphere. Idea Factory's historical RPG Hakuoki: Demon Of The Fleeting Blossom will be North America's first widely available "otome." The game follows the story of Chizuru Yukimura, who encounters the Shinsengumi samurai clan while traveling through Edo-period Japan on a quest to find her missing father. As luck would have it, the Shinsengumi are also searching for her father, and together they to travel to the city of Hakuoki, which contains "supernatural secrets." (Read: ghosts or something.) So, sounds like a JRPG, right? Why does this game land in the otome sub-genre, while others don't? Put simply, the "otome" (or "maiden") game is a romance novel for you PSP. In order to be considered an otome, a game must A) have a female protagonist, and B) also make obtaining the affections of a love interest as important as other main story goals. Unlike male-targeted dating sims, otome games contain little to no sexuality, as they are generally intended for female gamers in the pre-teen/tween/teenage demographic. Aksys plans on bringing big-haired samurai lovin' to any PSP owner interested in that sort of thing sometime during the first quarter of 2012. Who knows, maybe this will finally pave the way for that When Harry Met Sally game we've always wanted from Telltale.
Fighting monsters and dating boys in Hiiro no Kakera
Once again, blogger Jenni Lada proves to be our ultimate source for Japanese otome games (i.e., dating games for girls). The latest otome on her DS pallet was Hiiro no Kakera, which debuted in Japan a little less than two weeks ago.What makes this title stand out from some of the others in its genre is its fantastical plot. The heroine is a girl named Tamaki, who starts seeing monsters in her small, mountain town. With her sacred sword and the help of six studly (and eligible) bachelors, Tamaki must defeat the monsters and save her village from destruction. A little dating on the side couldn't hurt, though, could it? In fact, that sounds like a good gig to us.Hiiro no Kakara was actually a PS2 title first, but voice-acting and other content were added for the DS version. The game also boasts some nice artwork and imagery, making it a visual novel of sorts. Unfortunately, there's also a lot of kanji in this otome, so unless you can read kanji well, you'll probably be in for a struggle. Should you be determined to give it a try anyway, Siliconera has a handy guide for starting up your game. If you're looking for an easier otome to get through, though, Lada recommends trying Tokimeki Memorial: Girl's Side 2nd Season.
DS supplemented with Vitamin X
Vitamin X Evolution: Super Supplement Boys Goes On. That's a game's title. If anything, this is a testament to the importance of compositional meaning in language. After all, all of those are English words, but hell if we know what that title means. We know what the game is on a practical level, at least, and that's another remade PlayStation 2 adventure game -- this time, an otome game about a female teacher assigned to tutor a group of problematic high school boys. By choosing when to correct the students' mistakes and when to let them pass, the students' "Love" and "Study" stats vary depending on these decisions, as well as their (your) performance in monthly exams. Is it a dating game? We can't really tell! We don't want it to be. But otome games seem to be relationship-focused, so ... it probably is a vaguely creepy dating game.
