This classic dating simulation was first released in the late nineties. It was popular enough to spawn various sequels, an anime series, and even a radio drama! The story revolves around a protagonist who was constantly moving about during his childhood, so he never had time to form deeper relationships with those around him. He receives a much unexpected letter from a mysterious paramour which simply states, "I want to see you." He’s got it narrowed down to one of the 12 special women he met in his younger days, and it’s up to the player to decide how this tale ends...

Players control our hero by making use of his incredibly tight schedule. You've only got so much time to spend with these ladies, so you have to make it count! Carefully plan out each day by studying your calendar and preparing potentially romantic encounters with the 12 candidates. If you get it right, you might just figure out where that mysterious letter came from...

The game is very text heavy, but there's a lot of great art and charming event scenes to enjoy. If you are a fan of visual novels, this is one you won’t want to pass up.

First Queen is a classic RTS/RPG franchise that first introduced the "Gocha-kyara" (tons of characters) battle system. Players control several units by issuing turn based orders then watching the attacks unfold in real time. While the game starts with just a handful of units, your army will grow as your foes bend the knee or you seek out additional recruits via side missions. The ultimate goal is of course to unite (conquer) the entire area and ultimately bring peace to the land. Remember, when you play the game First Queen IV, you win or you die.

While the story contains a lot of Japanese text, the battle controls are pretty straightforward, and you should have little trouble conquering the world with your merry band!

Japanese RPGs are common enough, and the dating simulation/virtual novel genre is no stranger to the west. It is, however, quite rare to see the two genres so delightfully melded into a beautiful, character-driven gaming experience. For the first time (officially), the Favorite Dear series hits the US with its third installment – don’t worry, the stories aren’t exactly sequential, so you won't have missed anything important.

Players must control their team of warriors in battle against various monsters as they bring peace to the land, but off the battlefield, the main objective is to promote and maintain harmony in the group by visiting with allies. Once you select your date and location, you are treated to an event scene where you need to make the right choices to keep everyone happy. People who like you tend to fight harder, right?! Before you head back to the battlefield, make sure you outfit your soldiers with the best equipment possible so you can smash your foes to bits!

Favorite Dear ~Enkan no Monogatari~ has a combination of anime event graphics and isometric, sprite-based battle sequences. Like any RPG, it's very text heavy, so make sure to bring your Berlitz Japanese/English dictionary with you when you want to take Tia out for a walk about town!