is a series of

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

ese romance

visual novel A visual novel (VN) is a form of digital interactive fiction. Visual novels are often associated with the medium of video games, but are not always labeled as such themselves. They combine a textual narrative with static or animated illustratio ...

video games released by KID. The first game in the series, simply called ''Memories Off'', was released in 1999 for the

PlayStation is a video gaming brand owned and produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), a division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. Its flagship products consists of a series of home video game consoles produced under the brand; it also consists ...

. ''Memories Off'' titles have been released on the PC as well as video and handheld gaming consoles such as the

PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October, in Europe on 24 Novembe ...

Dreamcast The is the final home video game console manufactured by Sega. It was released in Japan on November 27, 1998, in North America on September 9, 1999 and in Europe on October 14, 1999. It was the first sixth-generation video game console, prec ...

, WonderSwan Color, and the

PlayStation Portable The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PA ...

. Several of the series' games' story have been adapted into

original video animation , abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and special episodes of a series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the ...

s, novels, or

manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...

. With the bankruptcy of KID in 2006, the development of ''Memories Off #5: Encore'' was cancelled. It also marked a temporary halt to any development of the game series. However, after Cyberfront took over the brand, development resumed and ''Memories Off #5: Encore'' was released on July 12, 2007. However, , 5pb. Games has acquired exclusive rights of the series from Cyberfront and all future development of the series will be handled by 5pb. Games.

Gameplay

The gameplay of Memories Off follows the style of most visual novels; the majority of time spent playing the game is spent on reading through the

dialogue Dialogue (sometimes spelled dialog in American and British English spelling differences, American English) is a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people, and a literature, literary and theatrical form that depicts suc ...

or story that appears on screen. Every so often, the game will pause and the player is given a chance to choose from two to five options regarding how he or she wishes to advance the game. The plot will then branch into paths focusing on a single

heroine A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or Physical strength, strength. The original hero type of classical epics did such thin ...

depending on the choices that were made by the player; a conclusive character ending will be presented at the end of any given path. Starting from ''Memories Off 2nd'', all main series games offer the possibility of multiple endings for each of the heroines. Hence, in order to experience the game and all of the main plotlines in their entirety, the player will have to replay the game multiple times and make difference choices to further the plot in alternative directions. Some of the Memories Off games may also contain a hidden "True" plotline that is only made available to the player after all of the other main plotlines are completed. Voice acting is usually present during all key points of the games, and all main series games from ''Memories Off 2nd'' onward have had full voice acting. Environments and objects in game are also generally non-interactive and non-free-roaming, but some background animations have been added to the series, starting with ''You That Become A Memory ~Memories Off~'', in order to enhance the visual experience.

Games

The first installment of the series was released in Japan on September 30, 1999. Subsequent titles were tied together based on the ending of a specific route from the previous installment. Since the game's original release, many ''Memories Off'' games have been localized for the Chinese and Korean-speaking markets as well as being ported on multiple

video game console A video game console is an electronic device that Input/output, outputs a video signal or image to display a video game that can typically be played with a game controller. These may be home video game console, home consoles, which are generally ...

handhelds A mobile device or handheld device is a computer small enough to hold and operate in hand. Mobile devices are typically battery-powered and possess a flat-panel display and one or more built-in input devices, such as a touchscreen or keypad. Mo ...

, and the PC. , there are 17 games in the series. This number includes the main series as well as direct prequels and sequels and

spin-offs Spin-off, Spin Off, Spin-Off, or Spinoff may refer to: Entertainment and media *Spinoff (media), a media work derived from an existing work *''The Spinoff'', a New Zealand current affairs magazine * ''Spin Off'' (Canadian game show), a 2013 Canad ...

. The first seven games in the main series are planned for release across two collections titled ''Memories Off Historia Vol. 1'' and ''Vol. 2'', with four and three games included respectively, on March 25, 2021, for the

Nintendo Switch The is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the Eighth generation of video game consoles, eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the ...

and

PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013, in ...

consoles. All 7 titles were for released on

Steam Steam is water vapor, often mixed with air or an aerosol of liquid water droplets. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization. Saturated or superheated steam is inv ...

in 2024 as standalone titles, as well as a Memories Off Historia bundle containing all 7 titles.

Main series

*'' Memories Off'' ( PS: 1999, PC: 2000, DC: 2000,

PS2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October, in Europe on 24 November, in Australia on 30 November, ...

: 2002, PSP: 2008,

iPhone The iPhone is a line of smartphones developed and marketed by Apple that run iOS, the company's own mobile operating system. The first-generation iPhone was announced by then–Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs on January 9, 2007, at ...

: 2009) *'' Memories Off 2nd'' ( PS: 2000, DC: 2001, PC: 2002, PSP: 2008,

: 2010) *'' Omoide ni Kawaru Kimi: Memories Off'' (

: 2002, DC: 2002, PC: 2004, PSP: 2008,

: 2010) * (

: 2004, PC: 2004, PSP: 2008) * (

: 2005, PC: 2007, PSP: 2009) *'' Memories Off 6: T-wave'' (

: 2008, PSP,

360 360 may refer to: * 360 (number) * 360 AD, a year * 360 BC, a year * 360 degrees, a turn Businesses and organizations * 360 Architecture, an American architectural design firm * Ngong Ping 360, a tourism project in Lantau Island, Hong Kong ...

: 2009,

: 2010,

PS3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). It is the successor to the PlayStation 2, and both are part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. The PS3 was first released on ...

, PSV: 2013) *'' Memories Off: Yubikiri no Kioku'' (

: 2010, PSP: 2011,

, PSV: 2013) *''Memories Off: Innocent Fille'' ( PS4, PSV, PC,

Switch In electrical engineering, a switch is an electrical component that can disconnect or connect the conducting path in an electrical circuit, interrupting the electric current or diverting it from one conductor to another. The most common type o ...

: 2018) *''Memories Off Sousou: Not always true'' ( PS4, PS5, PC,

: 2025)

Direct prequels, sequels, and spin-offs

*'' Memories Off Pure'' ( NGP: 2000) – Prequel to Memories Off *''Memories Off Festa'' ( WSC: 2001) *''Memories Off Duet'' (

: 2003, PC: 2008) – A compilation of Memories Off and Memories Off 2nd, includes additional prequel story *''Memories Off Mix'' (

: 2003) *'' Memories Off After Rain Vol. 1~3'' (

: 2005, PC: 2008, PSP: 2009) – After stories to Memories Off and Memories Off 2nd. * (

: 2006) *''Memories Off History'' ( PC: 2007) *'' Memories Off #5 encore'' (

: 2007, PSP: 2008) *''Your·Memories Off ~Girl's Style'' (

: 2008, PSP: 2009) – The only ''otome'' game in the series (targeted at female players) *''Memories Off 6: Next Relation'' (

: 2009,

: 2009, PSP: 2010,

, PSV: 2013) – Sequel to Memories Off 6: T-Wave. *''SINce Memories: Off the Starry Sky'' ( PS4, PC,

: 2021) – Spin-off set ten years after the main series.

OVA adaptations

*'' Memories Off'' *'' Memories Off 2nd'' * * *

Notes

References

External links

''Memories Off'' series' official website
{{Memories Off Bishōjo games IOS games Otome games KID games Dreamcast games PlayStation (console) games PlayStation 2 games PlayStation 3 games PlayStation 4 games PlayStation Portable games PlayStation Vita games Video game franchises introduced in 1999 Visual novels Windows games