I have never played Tokimeki Memorial 2, though I REALLY REALLY want to. I've only experienced the first game through the SNES ROM, and I don't really like ROMs so I have only played through one girl and then got rid of it. Plus I'd much rather wait until I can play a superior version.
I try to buy Tokimemo 2 on PS1 now and then but I always get outbid on ebay :( I really just don't have the money for it. I didn't really get into Tokimeki Memorial until Girl's Side -- I had known about it but hadn't learned Japanese yet so I just couldn't be interested. I bought Girl's Side after I had been studying Japanese for a few years and LOVED the game, so I got Tokimemo 3 and I think it's amazingly fun. I know a lot about the first two games despite that I haven't played them, and I think TM3 is really a great game, even compared to the first two. I think the characters are a bit more real and sometimes a little deeper. But then again I have not fully experienced the first two games so I can't really say.
I think the biggest thing missing from 3 that made it do so poorly -- in addition to love simulation genre getting less popular for boys -- is that there is complete lack of CG stills or any kind of collection! When you clear the game you are awarded nothing but a little chart that shows how well you did -- which takes up a seperate save slot -- and then you are able to view the endings and free talk with the voice actors (which is cool, because they're videos of the girls actually talking, unlike Girl's Side's freetalks which just show a picture of the character while the actor talks).
But seriously, there is no still album. And like, collecting all the images in the album is a big deal. People like to look at their album and see all the stills of their fav girls, and people like to complete all the album. TM3 has no such thing. There is a like... diary? or something that like... describes some important events, but again it takes its own save slot along with your little chart, and it's not very interesting or nostalgic like cg scene stills.
And I guess the cel-shaded 3D girls are not popular. They are kinda bland and the graphics look crappy at first glance, but after playing for a few minutes I am used to it and think they look okay, and I really like the things that the 3D girls bring to the game. I mean, they move around and make motions while talking now! I think it really brings them alive.
The main reason I like Girl's Side is because of Amanohashi. Seriously XD; If it wasn't for him I would like the game a LOT less. The gameplay and character development is SO bland compared to TM3. Love simulation is not always about the characters -- I don't really like any of NeoAngelique's characters but that game is just really fun to play and the overall story is fun. Angelique Etoile, however, has a character I really love and an okay story but the game sucks to play and I hate it and have never cleared it because it's so insanely tedious and boring to play.
Buuutttt yeah, I'll have to wait til I've played TM1 and 2 more before I really judge them. They look great, and I like the stuff I've heard about TM2 tying in with your childhood memories or something (I try to avoid spoilers as I do plan to play the game eventually).
I only wish the series offered more glasses characters XD I have a thing for glasses types. TM3's Kawai is REALLY cute and looks great in glasses but she's SO annoying sometimes. Her voice is screechy and she is an anime/game 'otaku' type character... it's cute sometimes, and her story is actually one of my favorites, but sometimes she's just really annoying :\ I'd rather have a girl who is like Morimura from Girl's Side. He's shy but can be bold sometimes, and overall very cute personality. I think the girl from TM1 is like that (Mio?? Something... I can't remember her name) but I don't know for sure :\
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2008-07-20 05:53 am (UTC)I try to buy Tokimemo 2 on PS1 now and then but I always get outbid on ebay :( I really just don't have the money for it. I didn't really get into Tokimeki Memorial until Girl's Side -- I had known about it but hadn't learned Japanese yet so I just couldn't be interested. I bought Girl's Side after I had been studying Japanese for a few years and LOVED the game, so I got Tokimemo 3 and I think it's amazingly fun. I know a lot about the first two games despite that I haven't played them, and I think TM3 is really a great game, even compared to the first two. I think the characters are a bit more real and sometimes a little deeper. But then again I have not fully experienced the first two games so I can't really say.
I think the biggest thing missing from 3 that made it do so poorly -- in addition to love simulation genre getting less popular for boys -- is that there is complete lack of CG stills or any kind of collection! When you clear the game you are awarded nothing but a little chart that shows how well you did -- which takes up a seperate save slot -- and then you are able to view the endings and free talk with the voice actors (which is cool, because they're videos of the girls actually talking, unlike Girl's Side's freetalks which just show a picture of the character while the actor talks).
But seriously, there is no still album. And like, collecting all the images in the album is a big deal. People like to look at their album and see all the stills of their fav girls, and people like to complete all the album. TM3 has no such thing. There is a like... diary? or something that like... describes some important events, but again it takes its own save slot along with your little chart, and it's not very interesting or nostalgic like cg scene stills.
And I guess the cel-shaded 3D girls are not popular. They are kinda bland and the graphics look crappy at first glance, but after playing for a few minutes I am used to it and think they look okay, and I really like the things that the 3D girls bring to the game. I mean, they move around and make motions while talking now! I think it really brings them alive.
The main reason I like Girl's Side is because of Amanohashi. Seriously XD; If it wasn't for him I would like the game a LOT less. The gameplay and character development is SO bland compared to TM3. Love simulation is not always about the characters -- I don't really like any of NeoAngelique's characters but that game is just really fun to play and the overall story is fun. Angelique Etoile, however, has a character I really love and an okay story but the game sucks to play and I hate it and have never cleared it because it's so insanely tedious and boring to play.
Buuutttt yeah, I'll have to wait til I've played TM1 and 2 more before I really judge them. They look great, and I like the stuff I've heard about TM2 tying in with your childhood memories or something (I try to avoid spoilers as I do plan to play the game eventually).
I only wish the series offered more glasses characters XD I have a thing for glasses types. TM3's Kawai is REALLY cute and looks great in glasses but she's SO annoying sometimes. Her voice is screechy and she is an anime/game 'otaku' type character... it's cute sometimes, and her story is actually one of my favorites, but sometimes she's just really annoying :\ I'd rather have a girl who is like Morimura from Girl's Side. He's shy but can be bold sometimes, and overall very cute personality. I think the girl from TM1 is like that (Mio?? Something... I can't remember her name) but I don't know for sure :\