SCROLL 05: Love Is All Around

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The Japanese “dating sim” is one of the most characteristic and most ridiculed of the country’s gaming world. The introduction of Konami’s Tokimeki Memorial is what set it all off, but was soon thought of as a fad, a stigma that continued for nearly 20 years. But Konami returned to give the category new life with the debut of Love Plus; a game with communication features that brought as much controversy as they did innovation. But what was the dating sim like before that, and just what was Love Plus’ impact? We explore that in three features that observe the Love Plus imprint on game culture, and give a guide to the latest installment, New Love Plus on 3DS. Elsewhere, contributor Alex Fraioli takes a look inside “Genesis,” a retro game bar in central Japan.

March 12, 2012