Tokimeki Memorial 4

[olf_le_fol]

@Nargrakhan

TM4 is expected to reach 100K units sold around March 2010. This is actually a good number, considering it’s on the PSP and a weak Xmas economy, but below the hoped for number (200K according to a source I have). For the record, Tokimeki Memorial Forever with You is the best selling TM title, with over 1 million units: though it released on PS1 and Saturn.

And PC-Engine and Super-Famicom.

[Nargrakhan]

Fuck it. Gonna try. Got word that someone with some pull actually mentioned TM4 in English at a meeting for the lulz. Spread the word if you can.

Below is a letter that can be sent to Konami, if you’re too busy to make your own. Edit as needed or seen fit. Please consider using a legit return address to add a sense of sincerity and authenticity to the letter. Please mail the request via post mail ¬ñ email is nice, but sending it the old fashion way has a more powerful symbolic side to it. Some might see this as a waste of time, but think if it this way: for 44 cents and five minutes at the printer, we might actually succeed. If we don’t? It was only 44 cents and 5 minutes at the printer… but we knew we tried. At worst, Konami sends you a thank you message and a junk flier for the next Castlevania. At best we get ourselves a Tokimeki Memorial 4 in English. Mail the letter to the following address:

Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
2381 Rosecrans Ave, Suite 200
El Segundo, CA 90245

Cut and paste into your text message program of choice, and select Arial or Times New Roman as the font at a size of 12. If you really want to look professional, print each page on its own sheet of paper. Be sure to sign the letter.

Its best if you only send one letter per person, but please spread the word to those who might be interested: a thousand letters from a thousand different people, is obviously better than a thousand letters from one individual. Most important of all, if Konami does release Tokimeki Memorial 4 via UMD and/or PSN in English: please stay true to your word if they stay true to theirs. One never knows when a Tokimeki Memorial 4 expansion might show up.

Full Name
Your Address Line 1
Your Address Line 2

January 11, 2010

Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
2381 Rosecrans Ave, Suite 200
El Segundo, CA 90245

Dear Konami:

In December of 2009, the long awaited fourth entry to the critically acclaimed Tokimeki Memorial series was released for Sony PSP in Japan. The standard upon which other simulations of its kind are judged against, the Tokimeki Memorial name enjoys an august status in the gaming community, identifiable by casual and hardcore gamers alike. Yet for fifteen years the celebrated Tokimeki Memorial lineage has been systematically passed for localization and marketing onto Western shores. I ask for an end to this grievous mistake: please localize Tokimeki Memorial 4 into English.

It has been argued that media such as Tokimeki Memorial 4 are fated for inevitable failure in the Western market. Indeed Konami once tried exploring these very same waters with Brooktown High in 2007, which suffered hardships during development and dismal commercial reception. Let me refute these claims with a single statement of fact: Brooktown High is as far from Tokimeki Memorial 4, as Snake’s Revenge is to Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Unlike the disappointing and ill-fated Brooktown High, Tokimeki Memorial 4 embodies everything that brought success to the genre it helped establish (and everything the former regrettably lacked): enriching storylines, captivating characters, traditional anime artwork, commanding voice acting, strategic game play, hidden secrets, worthwhile replay value, and the even legendary Konami Code.

Despite the unfortunate situation of being devoid an English release, the entirety of Tokimeki Memorial enjoys a devout following in the West. Prior to its release, Tokimeki Memorial 4 enjoyed prominent advertising on import sites such as Play-Asia and National Console Support, with individuals going so far as requesting preorder availability of the $300 collector’s edition. Limited translations and extensive walkthroughs for various generations of the series can be found throughout the Internet, from Wikipedia to GameFAQs, requested and compiled by passionate supporters. Thus it comes as no surprise that repeated inquiries for localization are periodically posted on forums that specialize in such activity, the popular Atlus and NIS America among them.

Were Tokimeki Memorial 4 to see Western shores, there is compelling reason to believe the slumbering market Konami unsuccessfully extended a hand to find with Brooktown High would awaken and reciprocate with eagerness. Furthermore the depth and diversity of game mechanics in Tokimeki Memorial 4 would open doors to those unfamiliar with the series, owing from groundbreaking qualities that continue to earn praise and commanding reviews in Japan. With adequate advertising and enthusiastic community driven word of mouth, even exclusive distribution through the PlayStation Store would see positive turnout. Retaining the Japanese voice acting to expedite delivery and lower production costs could serve as a selling point towards those supportive of localizations maintaining an untainted presentation.

Konami is admired and respected for its bravery and innovation in digital entertainment. I encourage Konami to honor an iconic franchise to pioneer a market that remains untapped in North America, Europe, and Australia, thereby proving what many already know to be true: that the Western market is ready for a Tokimeki Memorial.

Sincerely,

Full Name,
Guaranteed Purchaser of Tokimeki Memorial 4 in English

[Lancer-X]

Sure, I’ll go along with this, if letters from overseas will help. It’s nothing for me to promise to buy Tokimemo 4 in English because I highly doubt it will work, but if it does, I’m sure I’d find it reasonably entertaining.

[Nargrakhan]

Someone said my sample letter is too pessimistic, since it brings up the Brooktown debacle. I’ll see if he’s up to writing a sunnier one that I can provide as an alternative in less than a day or two. If you’re not in North America, you might wanna try sending a letter to a closer Konami HQ… although I only have rumor mongering from the Cali office.

There are offices in UK and Australia, if either is closer to you:

Konami Digital Entertainment B.V.
389 Chiswick High Road
London, W4 4AL, UK

Konami Australia Pty Ltd
28 Lord Street, Botany, NSW, Australia
2019

I mostly bring up the UK and Aus office, because they also use English. Sad to say, but releasing a title in English benefits more, because it can be released across more continents. However I’m told the various offices don’t have much contact with each other. Cali doesn’t talk to London, and vice versa. They only share notes and work together, if Tokyo tells them too – which it doesn’t.

[Kimuzukashii_MEIJI]

Wish I could help out, but given that the most up to date console I own is an SNES (unless you count the DS I got strictly for educational purposes) and I have no plans of getting a more current one, I am pretty much useless in this endeavor. I could send in a letter of support, but without being able to show support by buying and playing it (provided they can be convinced of course), I would only be sabotaging the effort.

[Lancer-X]

So? I don’t have any consoles besides an import x360 for S;G and I still sent the letter

The point is:

1. It probably won’t work
2. If it does work, it’s a damn PSP. You can probably get one for under two hundred bucks. Just buy one when you buy the game.

[Nargrakhan]

I’m beginning to wonder if the West deserves a TM4: some locations I’ve been posting on, actually argue against a letter campaign. Still… I’ve won some successes here and there, so one battlefield at a time. If I have to me martyr, I’ll do it.

A rather long reply I made on one site - although the guy is certainly not against it… he just offered an alternate opinion. I’ll put it here, since others might think the same. My only answer: Just send a letter. For bgamers, the gains outweigh the losses. Let Konami worry about production; we worry about getting it here.

I appreciate you playing the role of Devil’s Advocate. It’s not a nice role to be, but offers valid counterpoint and facts. To answer your question, yes I completed BH with all the characters: it was my first PSP game, and the reason why I got one. So while I didn’t enjoy it 100%, for quite awhile it was the only thing I played on it. Now I don’t hate BH ¬ñ there are far worst games. However I don’t consider BH a favorite on my lists.

BH is not Tokimeki Memorial. I think we can agree on that. They share similarities, but calling BH a TM is like calling Final Fantasy a Dragon Quest. They each have inherent mechanics that make them different. The experience of playing BH is not the same as the experience of playing TM.

You argue that people will find fault in TM4. You’re right. They will. And yet people find fault with any game. Take a look at the Armored Core series. Some call it the greatest mecha simulation on a console. Others call it a nightmare of nerdish mechanical stats for parts that only a mathematician mechanic could interpret. A lot call it somewhere in between. Armored Core is not a multi million unit seller, but thrives and earns a profit from the loyal fan base alone. Every title in the series ¬ñ expect for the mobile phone versions ¬ñ have seen Western release. Furthermore Armored Core is a series where the die hard fans buy the Japanese version quite frequently, due to the massive time delay a Western version is released, and how almost no understanding of Japanese is needed for anyone familiar with an Armored Core game. Yet the majority of these fans still buy the English release to support their game.

I feel Tokimeki Memorial 4 is the same.

BH had its ups, but the downs were undeniable. Does TM4 have its downs? Of course. But I feel these downs will not be fatally detrimental. A large reason why BH failed is because it DIDN’T appeal to the Western TM fan base. I remember on release day, the massive outcry on various sites and forums that bgamers visit: from 4chan to Atlus to Megatokyo. The most common response: Why didn’t Konami just release a real Tokimeki Memorial. So word of mouth of how BH was not a TM, had many individuals refuse to get BH as a sign of protest and indignation. They wanted a TM ¬ñ not BH.

Also many reviews about BH, had frequently referred to TM, several calling BH an inferior American version. Were these claims true? Maybe. Maybe not. But the point is that people had disassociated BH from TM, from the beginning. I seriously believe you are underestimating the number of people who are interested in bgaming. Though certainly disorganized (in that they don’t have a centralized location on the web), simple arithmetic will show if you visit Atlus, Megatokyo, Wakachan, 4chan, ML, etc… there’s a LOT of them. Is it enough to earn Konami profit? We don’t know. Konami didn’t release something they approved of. BH was something they did not. BH had the mechanics of a bgame, but it was not a bgame. It even the failed the “b” requirement to be a bgame. Whether or not this malice was justified, is not at trial: the matter is that TM was never released in the West, and BH was not TM.

Could TM4 fail? Sure. Could TM4 succeed? Sure. Do we really know? No. This is the entire point. I believe Konami should release TM4, and find out. We can dress it up any way we want, but ultimately BH was a failed test. That does not mean the endeavor itself is set to fail. BH failed on its own merits. TM4 could do the same… or it could succeed.

The argument that TM4 might not succeed in the West is valid. I see that. I don’t deny that. But we don’t know if it’s true, unless it’s tried. Again: BH was not TM4, nor did it appeal to those who could make a difference.

It’s easy to say, “this letter campaign won’t work.” Of course it won’t work if EVERYONE says that and does nothing. Please send a letter. I doesn’t have to be the one I exampled: make your own personal request. I promise you, this isn’t the only place I’m raising support from. I’m going around and making rounds with others.

What if it does work? We don’t know that it won’t: don’t know that it will. But at least try it. If Konami got a thousand letters, it seriously would get attention. I’m confident to say, Konami has never gotten a request like that for anything they’ve released (I asked). And as politics shows, the number of people who actually take the time to write and send something, is a small percentage of the number of people who actually have a desire in the matter (between 30% to 50% of America votes in any given election; yet everyone complains about drastic politics). This isn’t a meaningless effort. It can send a message, if a message is sent.

Just do it as a fellow fan of Tokimemki Memorial 4. As I keep stressing: you’ve got absolutely nothing to lose.

If Konami releases TM4 and it’s a total commercial failure ¬ñ then we all know without a doubt, it was a total failure: that even a AAA title like TM cannot succeed in the West. But at least we got TM4 and knew we tried our best, with Konami giving its 100% best, using its 100% best.

Send a letter. Get try to get Tokimeki Memorial 4 here first, then see the final results. Let’s not claim we’re going to lose, without even giving a full effort. BH was an admirable effort, but it was clearly not enough. So let’s do it with the 800 pound gorilla that defined bgaming in Japan. If that doesn’t work, then obviously nothing will.

We can sit here and argue why BH is better or worst than TM4, or we can work to see if we can get TM4 here. I say we do the later. We’ve posted a lot of text here that could have instead been devoted to writing more letters. ^_-

All I ask is that you give it a shot. Just write a letter. I have confidence that this campaign could succeed, if people took it seriously and spread the word. Again: we do have sympathizers inside Konami. I’ve spoken to them at conventions. Konami is not ignorant of TM, but like you said, does have misgivings. We can seriously brush away a lot of that, by showing our support like this. If gamers are willing to put forth effort in getting a game in English so they can buy it, Konami will port forth serious consideration in doing that.

Remember that Konami does set aside a budget for “experimenting” with titles and licenses. This is why Konami releases one-shot duds (because the one-shot successes become new franchises). BH most likely was one such project. Let’s get TM4 into that pool. Translating a title Konami already owns and possesses the source code and development tools for, already cuts a significant amount from production, making it attractive from that stand point. Konami regularly hires translators and programmers, both full time and as interns, on a regular basis. They have the resources. They have the money. They only need the incentive. Give them that: write a letter.

That’s all I ask. At least give it a shot… and in about a year’s time, we’ll know if it was all in vain or not, one way or another.

[Nargrakhan]

A suggestion was made that “Unlike the disappointing and ill-fated Brooktown High,” be removed from the sample letter, to make it less negative. I disagree, since I feel acknowledging BH as a failure is important (shows that we know what Konami knows), but there are people who did like BH and it might upset them. Makes sense. Modified version is below, if you’re too lazy to remove it manually. Going to be moving around the Internets more aggressively to push the campaign, so you might see me suddenly join and/or post on your favorite bgame site with this. Trying not to be a SPAM monkey though, so attempting to balance between the line of not posting about it enough and posting about it too much.

Full Name
Your Address Line 1
Your Address Line 2

January 11, 2010

Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
2381 Rosecrans Ave, Suite 200
El Segundo, CA 90245

Dear Konami:

In December of 2009, the long awaited fourth entry to the critically acclaimed Tokimeki Memorial series was released for Sony PSP in Japan. The standard upon which other simulations of its kind are judged against, the Tokimeki Memorial name enjoys an august status in the gaming community, identifiable by casual and hardcore gamers alike. Yet for fifteen years the celebrated Tokimeki Memorial lineage has been systematically passed for localization and marketing onto Western shores. I ask for an end to this grievous mistake: please localize Tokimeki Memorial 4 into English.

It has been argued that media such as Tokimeki Memorial 4 are fated for inevitable failure in the Western market. Indeed Konami once tried exploring these very same waters with Brooktown High in 2007, which suffered hardships during development and dismal commercial reception. Let me refute these claims with a single statement of fact: Brooktown High is as far from Tokimeki Memorial 4, as Snake’s Revenge is to Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Tokimeki Memorial 4 embodies everything that brought success to the genre it helped establish (and everything the former regrettably lacked): enriching storylines, captivating characters, traditional anime artwork, commanding voice acting, strategic game play, hidden secrets, worthwhile replay value, and the even legendary Konami Code.

Despite the unfortunate situation of being devoid an English release, the entirety of Tokimeki Memorial enjoys a devout following in the West. Prior to its release, Tokimeki Memorial 4 enjoyed prominent advertising on import sites such as Play-Asia and National Console Support, with individuals going so far as requesting preorder availability of the $300 collector’s edition. Limited translations and extensive walkthroughs for various generations of the series can be found throughout the Internet, from Wikipedia to GameFAQs, requested and compiled by passionate supporters. Thus it comes as no surprise that repeated inquiries for localization are periodically posted on forums that specialize in such activity, the popular Atlus and NIS America among them.

Were Tokimeki Memorial 4 to see Western shores, there is compelling reason to believe the slumbering market Konami unsuccessfully extended a hand to find with Brooktown High would awaken and reciprocate with eagerness. Furthermore the depth and diversity of game mechanics in Tokimeki Memorial 4 would open doors to those unfamiliar with the series, owing from groundbreaking qualities that continue to earn praise and commanding reviews in Japan. With adequate advertising and enthusiastic community driven word of mouth, even exclusive distribution through the PlayStation Store would see positive turnout. Retaining the Japanese voice acting to expedite delivery and lower production costs could serve as a selling point towards those supportive of localizations maintaining an untainted presentation.

Konami is admired and respected for its bravery and innovation in digital entertainment. I encourage Konami to honor an iconic franchise to pioneer a market that remains untapped in North America, Europe, and Australia, thereby proving what many already know to be true: that the Western market is ready for a Tokimeki Memorial.

Sincerely,

Full Name,
Guaranteed Purchaser of Tokimeki Memorial 4 in English

[Nargrakhan]

For those who are still interested in the success of TM4 in Japan, here’s where it’s placed on the Top 50 Charts on the Media Create site:

Nov 30-Dec 06 - 11th Place
Dec 07-Dec 13 - 30th Place
Dec 14-Dec 20 - 48th Place
Dec 21-Dec 27 - NOT IN TOP 50
Dec 28-Jan 03 - NOT IN TOP 50
Jan 04-Jan 10 - 50th Place

So it’s like TM4 made a post X-mas comeback. Nice to see piracy isn’t hurting this game that badly. :o

[Nargrakhan]

For anyone who’s rich and missed out on the preorder limited edition, NCSX has one copy left. I didn’t get one. But then, I’m not rich either.

Tokimeki Memorial 4 Complete Edition for $360.00

NCSX has it on Ebay too, but they’re charging $40 more for it there. Can’t figure out why they’d do that… so get it off the site instead, if you’re really gonna fork over that much $$$ for it.

You have to be an ultra hardcore fan to get that. I feel it’s too expensive. Just get the game, soundtrack, and guide book individually for $300 less.

http://www.konamistyle.jp/ecitem/item60850.html

http://www.konamistyle.jp/ecitem/item60912.html

OVA is nice… but there’s bound to be a TV anime down the road… so it can be passed. I also confirmed that the yandere, doesn’t go yandere in the OVA, so it’s boring.

[Lancer-X]

@Nargrakhan

For anyone who’s rich and missed out on the preorder limited edition, NCSX has one copy left. I didn’t get one. But then, I’m not rich either.

Tokimeki Memorial 4 Complete Edition for $360.00

Unlike Sayonara wo Oshiete and Moshimo Ashita ga Hare Naraba I don’t really Tokimeki Memorial 4 being worth the ‘premium’ price in this medium, sorry =P

[Nargrakhan]

Here’s a link to a translation of all the girl’s endings by the awesome kingsfall: obviously it’s spoilerific.

I’ve only seen the endings for Miyako (yandere), Rizumi (kuudere), Fumiko (oppai), and Rui (twincest denied).

Random gameplay hints from a poster named ijuinkun… errr… has spoilers too.

On blood types, you get a slight bonus on the tokimeki stat if your blood type is the most compatible type with the girl’s. Type A is most compatible with B, and AB with O (I think).

On birthdays, I believe that you also get a slight bonus to a girl’s tokimeki stat if your astrological sign is compatible with hers. Don’t ask me to look up the full table though–it’s 12x12 combinations.

For the uninitiated, each girl has three stats that represent her relationship with you, as follows:

Tokimeki: This represents her infatuation with her, and when it is high you will see her blushing. On Miyako’s visual display of the girls’ affection, it is represented by the size and color of the heart mark–it goes from gray to blue to pink, and then starts beating when you’ve got enough affection to get her confession. If it is high, she will also give you “true love” chocolates on Valentine’s Day, and will be willing to hold hands after dates.

Friendship: This represents how friendly she is to you. The higher it is, the more often she will show up at school to walk home or will ask you on a date. If Friendship is higher than Tokimeki, then she will give you “Giri” (obligation) chocolates. Higher Friendship also makes her more willing to go on dates with you. Rui and Miyako start out with Friendship already medium-high. On Miyako’s visual display of the girls’ affection, Friendship is represented by the horizontal distance away from your character–the closer to you she stands, the closer you are as friends. Both Friendship and Tokimeki must be above a certain level to get a girl’s confession. If Tokimeki is low but Friendship is high, you will get the “Let’s be friends” ending if you choose to confess to her. If both Tokimeki and Friendship are low, you get the “mean b****” ending. (e.g. Yuu tells you that she was HAPPY to get AWAY from you when she graduated.)

Heartbreak: This represents how upset she is with you. This stat rises when you stand her up for a date (including going to the wrong place to wait for her if you have multiple dates scheduled), if you forget her birthday, if she gives you “true love” chocolate and you do not do the same for her on White Day, if she has high Tokimeki for you and you neglect dating her or you date a girl that she dislikes, or if another girl bombs you. When Heartbreak rises too much, she develops a bomb that will explode when Heartbreak reaches its maximum. Note that Rui and Haruna are immune to the effects of other girls’ bombs due to being in different gossip circles from the other girls (different school for Rui, evening session of Kirameki High for Haruna), and Miyako is immune due to trusting her own knowledge of you over the rumors since she’s known you since birth.

[Nargrakhan]

It’s time to take this whole thing up a gear. I’ve heard that letters have arrived at Konami’s doorstep and raised a little attention on the matter. To facilitate in spreading the word more efficiently, I’ve gone ahead and setup a website for the campaign:

http://tokimekimemorial4.com

Yes. It uses my Eroge Review site layout. I decided to not waste time putting together something entire different, as that might take weeks or months.

That aside: I’ll be taking time away from my other commitments to add more resources and information to the site, since it’s time critical to get the ball rolling. Ideally want to get Konami seriously interested before Sakura Wars 5 is released. If Sakura Wars 5 proves successful, then Konami’s hesitance could be significantly lessened (i.e. the medium isn’t a total waste).

Speaking of Miyako… check out this reversible pillow. Not hentai at all, but still so huggable. The Dark Side of the Force is strong in this one. :twisted:

[Nargrakhan]

You Maniacs! You blew it up! Ah, damn you! God damn you all to hell!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE60vb6dj4Q

An M-TV article dated 2006-07-07:

Forget Beating The Bad Guy - This Game’s Goal Is A Date To Prom

Michael McCormick obsesses over high school cliques, clothes, homerooms and homework, but that’s because it’s his job - he’s making a video game about it.

McCormick is the lead designer of “Brooktown High: Senior Year,” a PlayStation Portable game from developer Backbone Entertainment and publisher Konami. It will focus on a year of life that was the best ever for some - and the worst for others. And yet high school is not a setting that’s been used in many video games.

“You’ve been in a flaming lava cliff or in an ice cave but never in the school gym,” said McCormick, 39, who recalls his high school years at New York’s Calhoun School as “a lot of fun.” "People ask, ‘Who’s the target audience for this?’ I say, ‘PSP owners looking for a change from driving and shooting.’ " The game is set for release in the first half of 2007.

Since October, McCormick and a team of about two dozen developers at Backbone have been crafting the interactive escapades of a male or female - your choice - high school senior from the Midwest who has transferred into the California school Brooktown High and has 32 weeks to find a date for prom. It’s a fictional school, one where, according to McCormick, "A fashion-conscious character might say, ‘Oh, those clothes are so last week. I have to break up with you.’ " That is fictional, right?

There will be 20 students that the male or female player-character can possibly date - 12 guys and eight girls. The romance will primarily be male-female, though McCormick said there is “some talk about a character or two who may have some leanings.”

The team members have drawn inspiration from movies like “Napoleon Dynamite” and “The Breakfast Club” but have naturally been drawn to their own experiences as well.

“We keep coming up with examples [from our past],” McCormick said, " ‘I hated this guy in high school! I’ve got to get him in there.’ "

In press releases, Konami has classified the characters as jocks, nerds, preps and the like, but internally, the development team is using a more nuanced system. One character is considered a jock-jock, another a jock-nerd. There’s a rebel-prep and a nerd-honey. The first term is their primary leaning; the second is added flavor. It can be hard to define, McCormick acknowledged, even when team members try to classify themselves for kicks. The game’s lead programmer claims to be a rebel-nerd, according to McCormick. “We all think he’s a nerd-rebel.”

In terms of real-world research, McCormick’s 18-year-old stepdaughter just went to her prom, and he asked her if he could come along and take some notes.

"She said, ‘No way!’ " he recalled. “She thought it was a terrible idea to make a game about high school anyway. It hit too close to home.” These are sensitive years being re-created for a video game. It won’t be for everyone.

So how does one succeed in Brooktown High?

“You start off in September,” he said. “You’re new. Your popularity is zero. Your confidence is minimal.” Does this sound like a recent nightmare to anyone else?

An opening personality quiz will help establish things like parental behavior and a starting wardrobe. The game begins in the lead character’s bedroom, where he or she can change clothes or get online and apply to college - hopefully a college that they’ll get into and brag about to the right people. The development team also hopes to allow players to stream their own music into the in-game bedroom stereo. Then it’s off to the first day of school.

The “Brooktown” concept emerged when people at Konami decided they wanted to translate the success of a Japanese Konami series of dating games called “Tokimeki” into something that an American audience would enjoy. Dating video games have long been popular in Japan but have barely registered in the U.S.

So one of the first things the Backbone team did was play some “Tokimeki.” Most of the games’ dating involved choosing the right dialogue. That would work. What didn’t fit so well was the tone, which was a bit more serious and conservative.

“It’s a little more formalized,” McCormick said of the Japanese game. “It’s almost like the 1950s. Walking the girl home from school is a big deal.”

The Backbone developers felt their American audience would demand more action, in the various senses of that word. So players will roam the halls, using a gesture system to decide, for example, whether to glare back at a menacing jock or cower in fear. All the while, players make friends while looking for the special someone - or someones, really.

“You can’t just see the girl the first day and just exclusively talk to her and date her and bring her to the prom,” McCormick said. “We’re kind of requiring you to date around a bit and keep things more interesting.”

Building a circle of friends, managing the game’s popularity and confidence statistics, shopping for essential accessories, consulting a fashion oracle and strategically using the game’s “ultra-coolness” (codenamed “Fonzie”) button will lead to dating success. Actual dates involve not just strategic dialogue choices but proficiency with shorter games like a “tongue-wrestling” mode that involves a spin-the-bottle party or a strip blackjack party that goes down to underwear.

There will be dances throughout the year where the player can prove their heart’s in the right place or get caught gawking at someone other than their date. Take a date to the beach and see if they’ll go over to the secluded cave, or go to an in-game PSP meet-up and maybe head to the roof to “look at the stars.”

The developers are going for a Teen rating, which tames things a bit. “It’s an interesting thing to navigate for a high school game,” McCormick said. During a passionate kiss the game might cut away to file footage of a rocket launch. A flubbed kiss might elicit a scene of a bridge collapsing or two trains colliding.

Some high school topics will be taboo. First of all, McCormick is not looking to make an after-school special. “One of the designers kept bringing up, ‘Can we have teen pregnancy and drug use?’ I said, ‘No and no.’ They didn’t fit the light-hearted design.”

And there’s one other staple of high school existence that the team tried to minimize: schoolwork. "We tried to focus as little as possible on the tedious academic parts of school. For a while we were talking about having tests and making them funny, but then we were like, ‘How fun can a physics test be?’ "

These aren’t recommended real-life priorities for high school, but McCormick said concessions have to be made for fun. And ambition needs to be tempered to get this unusual game finished. One member of the development team had objected that the goal of the game was getting a date for the prom.

" ‘Dude, only losers go to prom,’ " McCormick remembered the team member saying. " ‘We need the alternate prom.’ " But that would have required the creation of an entirely new alternate-prom level. It wasn’t worth the effort.

And so the moral of the game is that, at Brooktown High, the prom matters.

EDIT

What they first said we were getting… (yes those are actual development artwork)

What they first showed we were getting…

What we hoped we were getting…

What they thought they gave us…

What we actually got…

What happened to our hopes and dreams…

What Konami should have waited on…

I think that sums it up, right?

EDIT 2
The more I uncover about the development history of this game, the more it shocks me how much Konami of Japan was involved.

Japanese Famitsu article about the game

Here we can see the Japanese reaction.

http://news4vip.livedoor.biz/archives/50921849.html

http://blog.goo.ne.jp/sigetch_2005/e/ca … 00aa4b5556

[Ignosco]

Hmm, I have to disagree with most people. As bad as Brooktown High: Senior Year’s character look, from the sample images I’ve seen, it’s not like Tokimeki Memorial 4’s that much better. The lineart and the character designs are only average, and the colouring in places is shabby (see for example the legs on the two images attached in the previous post) - the backgrounds are much better though. Even the average eroge artist is far superior, and Konami, having far more money than 99% of eroge companies should be able to do a better job in that department.

If Tokimeki 4 does get licensed though, hopefully it’ll drag more people into the (vastly superior :P) world of eroges.

[Lancer-X]

I’d agree with Ignosco. The character designs look to be from an eroge from 1997 or so. But I don’t think anyone planned to get Tokimemo 4 for the ART.

[Nargrakhan]

@Ignosco

Hmm, I have to disagree with most people. As bad as Brooktown High: Senior Year’s character look, from the sample images I’ve seen, it’s not like Tokimeki Memorial 4’s that much better. The lineart and the character designs are only average, and the colouring in places is shabby (see for example the legs on the two images attached in the previous post) - the backgrounds are much better though. Even the average eroge artist is far superior, and Konami, having far more money than 99% of eroge companies should be able to do a better job in that department.

The simplistic art of TM4 is easy to explain: the character models in the game are not static. The paper dolls blink and sway as if they’re alive. You can even see them “breathing” (chest slightly rising like they have lungs). See how Miyako looks here (it looks better on the PSP). Konami stuck with something basic, so it make that process easier.

In Brooktown’s defense, the characters also look better in motion than they do as static pictures. I think the complaint isn’t the art per se, but how “squat” they look. It’s like a world of dwarves. The other problem is that the in-game graphics look nothing like the concept art or the high-res wallpaper. If you look at those two girls - Elektra is the goth; Meena is the glasses - you can see how they shift from the original intention into something different. It’s like there was a massive change in art direction at some point, and they never reached the final goal (going by what the high res wallpaper looks like). Even what both girls are wearing, changed from each shift to another.

The Brooktown High character designer was Sach Steffel. [url=http://sachsteffel.wordpress.com]Here’s his website[/url]. His brother Brian Steffel did the 3D rendering (I think… haven’t been able to send an email to them yet).

[Nargrakhan]

Here’s what I’m talking about on the Brooktown High art flux:

Elektra Concept Art
http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/160/79608132.jpg

Elektra First Stage Dev
http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/450/elektra02.jpg

Elektra Second Stage Dev
http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/1475/elektra03.jpg

Elektra Third Stage Dev
http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/3480/elektra04.jpg

Elektra In-game
http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/3959/elektra05.jpg

Elektra In-game
http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/4102/elektra07.jpg

Elektra Unreached Goal?
http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/7811/bthwp21280.jpg

Elektra as Japanese Community Proposed
http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/9076/elektra08.jpg

In terms of art direction change, here’s the character Rage:

Rage in a Beta stage
http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/2623/rage01.jpg

Rage in post production stage (far right)
http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/9985/rage02.jpg

Rage in-game (far left, playing guitar next to car)
http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/3765/rage04.jpg

Rage unreached goal? (far left)
http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/7571/rage03.jpg

I’m really curious how he looked in the concept design artwork.

[Lancer-X]

@Nargrakhan

The simplistic art of TM4 is easy to explain: the character models in the game are not static. The paper dolls blink and sway as if they’re alive. You can even see them “breathing” (chest slightly rising like they have lungs). See how Miyako looks here (it looks better on the PSP). Konami stuck with something basic, so it make that process easier.

I completely retract my previous statement. That’s a great effect, and much better than most/all of the 3D eroge work I’ve seen that attempts a similar thing. It actually looks fairly natural in this case. Worth the simplified detail.

[Ignosco]

Ah, sorry I didn’t realise that there was that level of animation to the art. Although I don’t think that would work all that well in an eroge, it seems like an ideal choice for the market they’re aiming at.