Neoromance series

The Neoromance series (ネオロマンスシリーズ), alternatively called Neo Romance and officially abbreviated as Neoroma, is a franchise name for the romantic simulations created by Ruby Party. It began with the first Angelique title in 1994. These titles are romantic simulations for women. Their first title is generally recognized to have started the otome game market. The creative team for the games are all women, although male developers help with programming, music composition, and planning.

Ruby Party's goal for stepping into the video game market was to create a "ladies' Nobunaga's Ambition". In other words, they wanted to create a groundbreaking, easy to play title that catered specifically to the female audience. They wanted to fill a niche for the largely male dominant video game market, something which gains Keiko Erikawa's wholehearted approval. Their efforts were published into the first Angelique game for the Super Famicon system.

Originally, Angelique was advertised for young girls in their early teens, but it has since appealed to women in their twenties or thirties. The games also have a surprising amount of male fans, either by genuine curiosity or due to female acquaintances. Upon learning of their fanbase, Ruby Party respectfully changed their tone to be inviting to people of all ages. Their renewed mindset eventually led to the namesake of the branding name.

Neoromance titles will not feature pornographic imagery or writing. Ruby Party members stress they are aiming to appeal to "the girl in every women's heart", no matter what the age. They want to focus on the romantic aspects found between characters, aiming to stress each character's personality, their habits, and their flaws. Situations that are too mature might alienate their audience from experiencing what Ruby Party had intended.

Most games are partly voiced; voices are reserved for important story or character events while the rest of the game is mute. This contrasts the trends found with other Otome game video game companies, which often provide a fully voiced narrative for their games.

Although Japanese fans are eagerly awaiting a Warriors adaptation of the Neoromance franchises, the likelihood of Omega Force tackling the project is mixed. Tomohiko Sho said he would like to try it, but Akihiro Suzuki says he would not be willing to create it.

Entries
Angelique opened the doors for more projects to be made. Each series features its own setting and distinct themes to separate themselves from one another. While media based on these games have been localized, the games themselves have not been formally localized beyond Asia.


 * Angelique series
 * Harukanaru Toki no Naka de series
 * Kiniro no Corda series
 * Neo Angelique
 * LoveφSummit
 * Miss Princess: Miss Puri!
 * Geten no Hana

Related Media
Since Harukanaru Toki no Naka de began, the Neoromance franchises crossover during live stage events planned throughout Japan. These stage events include unique audio scenarios performed by voice actors live on stage, live performance for character image songs, voice actor talk sessions, and information for another Koei game title that might interest their female fans. Gitaroo-Man, for instance, was introduced by two voice actors who additionally appear in Neoromance titles. These stage events are often called Neoromance ♥ Festa, the latest one being Neoromance ♥ Festa 13. Events that are dedicated to the voice actors performing character image songs on stage are called various names based on the year or season.

Lately, these events have started to include exclusive merchandise for fans to purchase. Vocal CDs are becoming popular items since they feature new character image songs, dramas, or monologues for fans to enjoy. Characters from different franchises may also interact with one another.

Koei also published a fanbook/magazine publication dedicated to these franchises called Neoromance Tsushin Cure!. These books include developer commentary, sneak peeks with anime and drama CDs, and information for the games that were being released. Original short stories, trading cards, or exerts written by voice actors were also included. Fans could express their appreciation for characters through fanart or letters, some of which were published in each issue.

Four different radio shows were made to combine two Neoromance series together.