Otome games, dating sims for girls, are so hot right now. Sony announced a new, pink Vita design to celebrate Koei Tecmo and Idea Factory bringing more lovey-dovey games to the system. Hatoful Boyfriend is again on everybirdie's brain due to Devolver Digital's rerelease. Two different farming sims are going to let us fall in love again in Fall 2014. It may not be Valentine's Day or White Day, but love is in the air.
Which is why more of these games should really start leaving Japan. You know, like these five titles.
Amnesia – Vita
A great candidate for localization and translation would have to be Amnesia. Especially since it, and another game on this list, were ported to the Vita. Typically, otome games follow a defined character as she interacts with bachelors both familiar and new. Amnesia twists that by adopting a typical JRPG element. The heroine has amnesia. She's completely lost her memories, but is now accompanied by some kind of spirit named Orion. In a normal situation, someone with this issue would just, you know, go to a hospital. Lin, our heroine, doesn't, and instead goes through a route with one of five different men as her "boyfriend," trying to find out the truth along the way.
Arabian's Lost – PSP
Arabians Lost: The Engagement on Desert is a game I went to the trouble of getting from Japan, so it's certified awesome. It's PSP era, but given that another PSP game from this company – Quinrose – was just ported to Android and iOS devices and translated, I figure Arabian's Lost has just as good a shot. This game is fantastic. If you ever found yourself wanting to play a dating sim, but hating the cookie-cutter, Mary Sue avatar, this is the answer.
Aileen is the princess of Gilkhatar, a desert nation filled with thiefs, liars, scam artists, killers, and lots of other despicable people. Her parents want to arrange a marriage for her, but she says, "Nope!" A deal is struck – if she can raise 10 million dollars in under a month, she's free to do whatever she likes. There are six bachelors who she can have accompany her as she gets down to business. She's the one doing all the work, especially during the RPG segments, but lovey-dovey events can trigger by being together.
Diabolik Lovers – Vita
Listen. There's something we all have to accept. This vampire craze isn't going away. We're stuck with it. The downside is, it's too late in the craze for some company to go to the trouble of localizing that awesome Vampire Knight DS otome game where players could peep on prospective bachelors or stake rogue vampires. Which is why Diabolik Lovers could work. It stars a heroine who has always seen the supernatural, but has been okay because her father, who's a priest, was nearby. He's called away on business, so she goes to live with six vampire brothers. Love (and biting) ensues.
FabStyle – 3DS
This is another game I actually went to the trouble of importing since some publishers weren't keeping up with our innermost desires. It's basically Style Savvy: Trendsetters with dating. The shop simulation segment is a little light, as catering to shoppers' needs only requires the most basic knowledge of Japanese. The fact that there are a number of elligible bachelors the player character can encounter and fall in love with, either at her store, in her free time, or at college, more than makes up for that. I must admit that many of the clothes appearing in FabStyle are ones people would be more likely to wear in real life, making this title even more appealing.
Nekketsu Inou Bukatsu: Trigger Kiss – Vita
Nekketsu Inou Bukatsu: Trigger Kiss is a title that recently came to my attention thanks to Anne Lee over at Chic-Pixel. See, she mentioned it was an otome game that was basically the otome version of Monster Monpiece and, well, everybody loves a game with a ridiculous gimmick. Especially since this one's is the rather unorthodox measure of actually kissing the Vita's screen to power up the bachelor's abilities. That's pure gold right there. Unsanitary, sure, but it calls out to anyone who thought Monster Monpiece was hilarious or imported Duel Love so they could play mini-games with the most uncomfortable voices ever and wipe sweat off of nipple-less men.
Jenni absolutely imported Duel Love so she could peep at virtual guys while they took showers and scream at them, making them run while she chased them on a bike. You can follow her on Twitter @JMariye.
