Koei’s Neoromance line is quite popular in Japan. Rather than referring to one series, it refers to multiple series, Harukanaru Toki no Naka de, La Corda d’Oro and Angelique which are designed to appeal to female gamers. All Neoromance games have some sort of RPG, simulation or strategy element to them, combined with dating simulation and relationship building elements. Harukanaru Toki no Naka de is designed to appeal to female gamers with an interest in Japanese history. Harukanaru Toki no Naka de is the second entry in the series, and has appeared on Windows PCs, the PlayStation 2 and finally the PSP.

Harukanaru Toki no Naka de 2 starts in a manner similar to the original Harukanaru Toki no Naka de. Like Akane, Karin is from modern Japan. (You can change her name.) She is summoned to the past, specifically a region called Kyo in the Heian period. There is a split in government over who should be the emperor, the current emperor or the last emperor. There are also all kinds of demons and monsters appearing around Kyo.

Karin is chosen as the Ryujin no Miko…

Title: La Corda d’Oro aka Kin’iro no Corda (Koei the Best version)Price: $34.90System(s): PSPRelease Date: November 9, 2006Publisher (Developer): Koei (Koei)ESRB Rating: N/A, Cero A (Everyone)Pros: A novel way to approach the simulation, cute character are, pretty background music, interesting premise and extra content that wasn’t in the previous releases.Cons: If you don’t read Japanese, you may have problems winning competitions or earning the favor of guys. Also, it can get a bit repetitive.Overall Score: 9/10

La Corda d’Oro for the PSP is a wonderful and entertaining game, provided you’re willing to really invest the time into it. Some aspects can get repetative, since one of the main points of the title is to practice for music competitions and this is done by just choosing a practice option in an area. Also, people who aren’t familiar with the manga/anime or don’t read Japanese may get lost in the language. If you persevere, you’ll discover why Koei is so well known in Japan for otome games and why the La Corda d’Oro game led to a sequel, manga and anime…