05: Love is All Around

The Japanese "dating sim" is one of the most characteristic and most ridiculed of the country's gaming world. The category eventually flatlined on the path of mediocrity for nearly 20 years until Konami gave it new life with the debut of Love Plus on DS, a game with communication features that brought as much controversy as they did innovation. But what was the dating sim like before that, and just what was Love Plus' impact? In this issue, we explore exactly that in three features that observe the Love Plus imprint on game culture, and give a guide to the latest installment, New Love Plus on 3DS. Elsewhere, we take a look inside "Genesis," a recent retro game bar in central Japan, with a four-page photo feature.