Tokimeki Memorial

1994 · Simulation · TurboGrafx-16

Overview

Tokimeki Memorial (1994) is Konami's high-school dating sim, which sold over a million copies and popularised the genre in Japan; Koji Igarashi wrote its scenario.

Deep Dive

The player is a freshman at Kirameki High School, dividing time between study, exercise, clubs, appearance and dates. Girls who feel neglected turn into "bombs" and gossip, lowering every love meter, so players learn to date in rotation. The game avoids the sexual content common in the genre.

Developer Story

Yoshiaki Nagata directed it and Igarashi wrote the scenario. It launched on the PC Engine Super CD-ROM² in May 1994 and was ported to PlayStation, Super Famicom, Saturn, Windows and Game Boy Color, all in Japan. It had sold 1.1 million copies by 1996.

Did You Know?

Igarashi had help with the writing from his then-girlfriend, later his wife, while he was playing Castlevania: Rondo of Blood.
The series grew to more than fifty games, counting remakes and spin-offs.