Pullin' An All-Nighter

Finally managed to download the patched English version of "LovePlus" for Nintendo DS. This translation was developed by a group of fans, and is now a fully-functioning translation of the game. I won't publish a link to it on this blog, but doing a Google search is a good place to start for anyone who may be interested. Not sure how well it will work, but I'm sure it will be a great way to become familiar with the gameplay before tackling the 3DS version.

It looks like I might not get any sleep tonight, though. I'm currently trying to run the program that installs the patch and get it working, but it might take a while because it doesn't seem to be co-operating...

My Box Set Shipped Today!

Yay, I'm so excited! My Rinko limited edition box set of "New LovePlus" was shipped from Japan today. I'm trying to read up on the game and how to play it, and I've found some very helpful boards and websites, which you'll find included in my "links" page if you wanna check them out.

I really wish someone would release the game in English, because I'm sure there are a lot of otaku outside Japan (like myself!) who would love to play - but we're put off by our poor knowledge of Japanese. And I've had no luck downloading versions of "LovePlus" for iPhone and iPad, because they are also unique to Japan, and the cracked versions just won't install.

Have to be patient, I guess.

Limited Edition Box Set

Being a lover of manga, anime and Japanese pop culture in general for about seven years now, I've been wanting to play Konami's "LovePlus" series of games since the release of the original version in 2009. The prospect seemed impossible, though. "LovePlus" was only available in Japan, with no English translation forthcoming. So I kind of gave up.

However, when I saw the VERY limited edition box sets that were being released to celebrate the launch of "New LovePlus" on Valentine's Day 2012, I knew I had to get one. Out of the three sets - Manaka, Rinko and Nene - I chose Rinko, and placed an order today through eBay Japan for a VERY large amount of money. The picture below (not mine) shows the three limited edition 3DS sets.

As well as what you see here, my limited edition set will include a poster, badges, a soundtrack CD, and four art books!

What's the attraction to this game? I guess I've always found manga and anime to be pretty passive, and the idea of actually being part of the story, making decisions that affect the outcome, is a big part of it. Also the character design and graphics of the "LovePlus" series have always been awesome. Who wouldn't want to date such cute Japanese girls? It's also the sheer unavailability of dating games in the west, even though they've had a long tradition in Japan. Most western people misunderstand or just don't get it. And finally, I like the idea of a dating game that doesn't involve sex. This is pretty rare, too, and I admire Konami for designing a game that puts feelings and a long-term relationship first.

Now I just have to wait until my box set arrives!