Opinion: Cult Classic ‘Tokimeki Memorial’ Hits Switch

True affection endures eternally – and so do certain games. Tokimeki Memorial: Forever with You, the iconic dating simulation from 1995, is set to connect with the Switch next month to mark its three-decade milestone.

Flawlessly crafted yet perplexingly intricate, TokiMemo stands as a pivotal element in the annals of video gaming, establishing an entire genre alongside the increasingly prevalent mechanics of virtual romance. However, for most players outside of Japan, it evokes nostalgia for someone else’s youth – and without an English translation, it remains frustratingly elusive.

Its release is part of a larger narrative. The Switch has emerged as Nintendo’s ultimate comeback, rising from the failures of the Wii U to become a leading contender for the best-selling console in mere eight years. This era has also coincided with a wave of gamers experiencing mid-life nostalgia, while the industry learns that investments in “novelty” are becoming riskier.

The outcome? More revitalizations. We’ve witnessed endless re-releases, remasters, and remakes: Metroid Prime, Live A Live, Dragon Quest, Broken Sword, Link’s Awakening, Atari 50, Famicom Detective Club…. The roster continues, spanning from niche titles to massive mainstream hits. And now, Tokimeki Memorial: Forever with You – Emotional is ready to transport players back to the CD-ROM era of ’90s Japan.

Tokimeki Memorial has long been a legendary prize, perfectly celebrated yet frustratingly inaccessible. Esteemed for its innovative social mechanics, moving narrative, intricate simulation, and (truth be told) its obsession with high school romance, this influential dating simulation is still obscured by a language barrier.

eBay had it lined up, and I had even picked up a little Japanese. Finally, it would be mine.

With contributions from none other than Koji Igarashi (whose subsequent project was Castlevania: Symphony of the Night – the groundbreaking entry he went on to produce), it’s likely that the game has been experienced more through rumors and hidden-gem lists than actual play. Now, with a 30th-anniversary, Japan-only Switch port, the legend receives a fresh chance for countless gamers who long to play it.

Even if you haven’t delved into Tokimemo, you’ve probably sensed its far-reaching impact. If you’ve ever organized a study session in Persona, fretted about gift-giving in Fire Emblem, or navigated a romance option in Cyberpunk 2077, you’ll hear commentators affirm that Tokimeki Memorial is the one to thank.

This is why its return on Switch is such a significant event: a venerable old mentor is back. But does it still have something to convey?

Down Memorial Lane

Like many fortunate individuals during the COVID-19 lockdown, I busied myself searching eBay for vintage games. Acquiring these relics was an attempt to grasp something out of reach – the futile pursuit of nostalgia mirrored the physical inaccessibility everyone faced, regardless of proximity. Perhaps video games particularly appealed because everything felt newly interactive due to technology, from work to social engagements.

No matter what fuelled it, my obsession stemmed from the original PlayStation. Specifically, I realized that nearly half of its 4,000-strong game library was exclusive to Japan.

I was eager to discover what lay beyond.

One of these exclusive titles was Tokimeki Memorial: Forever with You, the 1995 PlayStation variant of the previous year’s Tokimeki Memorial on PC Engine. I vaguely remembered it from magazines in my youth, import reviews, or forum conversations. This faint memory ignited my excitement with fleeting frustration, as I assumed Konami would never bring it to English-speaking audiences. But now, eBay had it available and, what’s more, I had learned a bit of Japanese. Finally, it would be mine.

However, as I navigated Tokimeki Memorial’s menus and meticulously sifted through its dialogue, mouthing words as I read, I quickly learned that while I was past the language hurdle, the gameplay itself was a maze of obscure rules and undisclosed tables that left me feeling amazed, overwhelmed, and rather foolish. With my clumsy date etiquette, neglecting homework, and panicking in one-off sports events, it was hard to dispute when the horrendous ‘loser’ conclusion rolled after my first three years at Kirameki High.

Even after I grasped the mechanics and a girl confessed her feelings for me beneath the school’s iconic tree, where true love is fated to endure eternally, the journey was far from over. Emerging through the haze of digital adolescence is Shiori Fujisaki, the elusive, red-haired cover girl turned ultimate challenge.

She’s unnaturally perfect, the robot of high school infatuations.

Shiori demands flawlessness. Balancing the intricate maths of intellect, fitness, and social status, wisely picking your character’s blood type, dodging gossip traps from other girls, and triumphing in the three-legged race — all in one go — feels akin to threading a needle on a wild bronco.

Shiori beams and blushes, then gazes at you with her astronomical expectations, resembling a carnival automaton awaiting you to insert a coin. She’s disturbingly perfect, almost like a robot of high school desires – always on the verge of being charmed, only to meet rejection’s scalding reality following the explosion of your teenage romance.

As luck would have it, just as my enthusiasm for the game soared, gaming personality Tim Rogers unveiled a six-hour Action Button video review of Tokimeki Memorial, which featured two complete, translated playthroughs. His verdict: “Tokimeki Memorial objectifies love.” He called it a genuine cyberpunk artifact and cleverly dismissed any debates regarding the ethics of high school dating simulation by likening it to Mortal Kombat fatalities. Rapidly accumulating a million views, excitement for the original dating simulator reached unprecedented heights.

The buzz undoubtedly propelled the completion of a fan translation of the (non-voice-acted) Super Famicom version. While brilliant, Rogers deemed it in an email to Kotaku as “similar to…

experiencing a film for the initial time with the sound off and two lines of subtitles portraying both the film’s dialogue and the director’s remarks […] while waiting for your laundry to complete.

Playing without voice performances might diminish the heart-stirring effect of a love declaration or the embarrassment of a post-date dismissal delivered with condescension. Nevertheless, one gets the impression that even a complete adaptation with English audio would still feel somehow insufficient for this ultimate aficionado, relegating the experience permanently to the “you had to witness it” category.

You had to witness it, and you were not present: this is an essential game that remains unplayable.

Contemporary Romance

What lies ahead now, with the Switch facilitating this revival? It is available on the Japanese eShop and can be imported, but will this truly make it more accessible to the everyday player?

One of Nintendo’s strengths is providing tangible items for you to grasp — from hanafuda playing cards to gadgets like Mario Kart Live and Labo — extending beyond mere platform-agnostic software available digitally. Their leadership in portable gaming contributes significantly to this, and having TokiMemo in your hands on a substantial screen should not be underestimated.

If there’s a glimmer of global accessibility, it’s the option to select updated text, providing clearer kanji instead of the occasionally indecipherable clusters of pixels found in earlier iterations. Thankfully, this can be implemented separately from the upgraded visuals, which initially make the game resemble one of its numerous modern counterparts. The characters will now speak your name as well, so that’s one term you can definitely comprehend.

Tokimeki Memorial: Forever With You – Emotional transcends a mere dating simulation — it serves as a time capsule from a period when gamified social interactions were groundbreaking. Nowadays, games are infused with socialization, and socializing is replete with games, from virtual hang-outs in New Horizons to social media engagement, to simply swiping right. The arrival of Forever With You on Switch feels like an undelivered love letter after three decades, symbolizing the enduring charm of elusive classics, and yet now, perhaps, a slight indication on the radar of a vast global player community.

Some experiences will always remain just beyond reach, but nostalgia is the true affection that perseveres eternally. If you’ve ever felt the pull of retro collecting or the desire to revisit your youth — perhaps even someone else’s — this release is an invitation to reflect, rediscover, and maybe even attempt to decode one of gaming’s most storied enigmas for yourself.