Decided to Buy, Now It’s a Matter of How Many: Fans Erupt as Legendary Beauty Game ‘Dōkyūsei 2’ Gets Remake

There is a genre called “’90s bishojo games.

Although not as frequently discussed as role-playing games such as “Dragon Quest” or fighting games such as the “Street Fighter” series, it was one of the genres that dominated the culture of the time. The “bishojo game culture of the ’90s” is said to be more active today than ever before. We interviewed RF Maruyama, producer of BEEP Akihabara, a store at the forefront of retro game culture.

–What was going on in the world of ’90s bishojo games?

The rights were complicated, but it seems that they have been sorted out here. The terrestrial anime “16-bit Sensation ANOTHER LAYER,” set in a bishojo game development company in the ’90s and ’00s, was broadcast from the end of last year until the beginning of this year, and a remake based on “Classmate 2” (ELF), “Classmate 2 Remake” (FG REMAKE) The combination of these major developments, with pre-orders starting in February and the release in June, has generated a lot of enthusiasm. Around me, people are asking “Which of the different purchase benefits will I get depending on the store or site I go to? The question is how many to buy.

–(Laughs.) – What is the attraction?

Laughs] — What is the appeal of these games? Works that could be called a legacy of bishojo games were lovingly introduced and recognized by young people. Among the many masterpieces, “Doukyuu 2 is one of the most iconic games of its time.”

–What was so great about “Classmates 2”?

The first game, “Doukyousei,” was released by ELF in 1992 as an 18-rated PC game. It was a big hit thanks to its beautiful graphics and screen structure, the gameplay in which the main character walks around town and school during long vacations, meets classmates and teachers in town, and develops a romantic interest, and the tension of the final confession. The tension of the final confession was a big hit. I was also of the direct hit generation, and although I don’t remember the amount of money I spent just for this game, it was a lot of money for me at the time, probably over 100,000 yen, and I bought a 200 megabyte hard drive (laughs).

After the first game was a hit, it took three years for the second game to be released to the world. More beautiful girl characters appeared in the game, including younger sister characters and motherly women, expanding the range of targets, and the many PC game magazines of the time were filled with articles on “Doukyuu 2. At the time, most game characters wore sailor uniforms or blazers, but the uniforms in “Doukyousei 2” were a cute, original design based on a tartan check. This became so popular that many of the subsequent games featured original uniforms with elaborate designs. I think this was the pioneering moment when this “culture” was introduced.

The series has also been sold in home video game versions, which are not 18-rated. The first game has already been remade and sold well. Since the home version of the first game was released this past April, it was inevitable that the second game would be released, and I feel that the “long-awaited” feeling is so strong among users.

–Is the game still capturing the hearts and minds of younger users?

There are still many people who play games “for those who know the old days and want to relive them” or “if only the games of those days could be played on PCs and tablets today. However, there is a steady increase in the number of younger people who are interested. There are quite a few ports of games from the bishojo game boom that can be played on today’s PCs, and there are also some remakes. The “Fate” series, the “Muv-Luv” series, and the “Daimon Ninja” series, which have become popular social games, were originally bishojo games, and many young users have learned about the bishojo game culture from them. There are many young users who got introduced to the bishojo game culture through these games. There are quite a few people who play these games not as ports or remakes, but on the PCs of the time.