Memories Off (video game)

Did You Know?

• According to scenario writer Kotaro Uchikoshi, he received criticism from players who felt he did not understand bishōjo games, which influenced his later work on Ever 17: The Out of Infinity.
• The Dreamcast version, Memories Off Complete, received an 83% score from RPGFan, which praised its soundtrack and Pure scenario but called the visuals and voice acting decent but unremarkable.

Gameplay

The gameplay in Memories Off involves minimal player interaction, as most time is spent reading text displayed on the lower portion of the screen, which represents either character dialogue or the protagonist's inner thoughts. Periodically, the player reaches a decision point where multiple options are presented; the intervals between these points vary from a minute to much longer. The player's choices determine the direction of the plot, leading to one of six main plot lines, each centered on a different heroine. To experience all five plot lines, the player must replay the game and make different decisions. In versions released after the original PlayStation and PC editions, completing the heroines' scenarios (1st Story) unlocks a second scenario called Pure, which takes place three years before the main story and focuses on Tomoya, Ayaka, and Yue during middle school. The PSP version includes an After Story scenario available from the start, which continues the first portion of the game but lacks voice acting, character sprites, and choices.

Plot and characters

The story follows Tomoya Mikami, a cynical seventeen-year-old student, during his second year at Sumisora Academy. He reconnects with Yue Imasaka, a lively but clumsy childhood friend who has a crush on him but chose not to pursue him. Tomoya also meets Kaoru Otowa, a cheerful and articulate transfer student who excels in languages; Shion Futami, a calm and isolated girl who transferred in the previous semester and works as a librarian; Koyomi Kirishima, a kind but clumsy university student temporarily substituting as the school cashier; and Minamo Ibuki, a lively underclassman with an interest in art who suffers from weak health. Throughout his interactions, Tomoya is haunted by memories of Ayaka Hizuki, his previous romantic interest and the cousin of Minamo. Ayaka, a kind and timid girl, died in a traffic accident at the end of the Pure story segment, leaving Tomoya struggling to cope with her death and often acting callously toward others.

Development and release

Memories Off was developed as an all-ages title by KID, with art direction by Yukihiro Matsuo and character designs by Mutsumi Sasaki. The scenario was divided among six writers: Kotaro Uchikoshi worked on Ayaka's and Yue's stories; Chabō Higurashi on Shion's; Riichirō Abe on Miyako's; Nobuhito Takabayashi on Kaoru's; Tomohiro Sasaki on Minamo's; and TAS contributed to Ayaka's story. The music was composed entirely by Takeshi Abo. The original PlayStation and PC versions feature one ending theme, "This May Be the Last Time we can Meet," performed by Maria Yamamoto. The Dreamcast version and later releases added an opening theme, "Wings of Bravery," and a final ending theme, "Gentle Constellation," both first introduced in the OVA series. The PSP version introduced a new opening theme, "Eternal Memories," shared with Memories Off 2nd. The game was first released on September 30, 1999, for the PlayStation, followed by a PC version on March 16, 2000, and a prequel for the Neo Geo Pocket Color on April 27, 2000. An enhanced Dreamcast re-release titled Memories Off Complete came out on June 20, 2000, incorporating the Pure scenario.

Related media

The original soundtrack was released on December 18, 1999, by Scitron, containing six background music tracks, three sound dramas, and two vocal tracks. A piano arrangement album followed on November 20, 2002, with twelve tracks from the series, and a second piano album on October 22, 2003, with thirteen tracks. An arrange album titled Memories Off Orgel Collection was released on December 22, 2004, featuring nine tracks from the visual novel and OVA. An 8-bit arrange album, Memories Off 8bit Arrange, was released on September 25, 2006, containing two discs with thirty-five tracks. Six image song singles for the heroines were released by Scitron between September 2000 and May 2001, each featuring the character's voice actress. A manga anthology, Memories Off Visual Comic Anthology, was published by Enterbrain in August 2000. Three novels by Chabō Higurashi were published under Enterbrain's Famitsu Bunko label: Drop of Memories (June 2000), Anniversary (March 2001), and Concerto (November 2002). A novel based on Shion's point of view, written by Tomoco Kanemaki, was released by Jive in March 2005.