Eroge
Encyclopedia
An or Ero-ga is a Japan
ese video or computer game that features erotic content, usually in the form of anime
-style artwork. Eroge originated from galge
, but unlike galge, they feature erotic/pornographic content.
games, have their origins in the early 1980s, when Japanese companies introduced their own brands of microcomputer
to compete with those of the United States. Competing systems included the Sharp X1
, Fujitsu FM-7, MSX
, and NEC PC-8801
. NEC was behind its competitors in terms of hardware (with only 16 colors and no sound support) and needed a way to regain control of the market. Thus came the erotic game. The first commercial erotic computer game, Night Life, was released by Koei in 1982. It was an early graphic adventure
, with sexually explicit images. That same year, Koei released another erotic title, Danchi Tsuma no Yuwaku (Seduction of the Condominium Wife), which was an early role-playing
adventure game
with colour graphics, owing to the eight-color palette of the NEC PC-8001 computer. It became a hit, helping Koei become a major software company.
Other now-famous Japanese companies such as Enix
, Square
and Nihon Falcom also released erotic adult games for the PC-8801 computer in the early 1980s before they became mainstream. Early eroge usually had simple stories, some even involving rape
, which often led to widespread condemnation from the Japanese media. In some of the early erotic games, the erotic content is meaningfully integrated into a thoughtful and mature storyline, though others often used it as a flimsy excuse for pornography. Erotic games made the PC-8801 popular, but customers quickly tired of paying 8800 yen ($85) for such simple games. Soon, new genres were invented: ASCII's Chaos Angels, a role-playing
-based eroge, inspired Dragon Knight
by Elf and Rance by AliceSoft
.
In 1992, Elf released Dōkyūsei
. In it, before any eroticism, the user has to first win the affection of one of a number of female characters, making the story into an interactive romance novel
. Thus, the love simulation genre was invented. Soon afterwards, the video game Otogirisou on the Super Famicom
attracted the attention of many Japanese gamers. Otogirisou was a standard adventure game but had multiple endings. This concept was called a "sound novel".
In 1996, the new software publisher Leaf
expanded on this idea, calling it a visual novel
and releasing their first successful game, Shizuku
, a horror story starring a rapist high school student, with very highly reviewed writing and music. Their next game, Kizuato
, was almost as dark. However, in 1997, they released To Heart, a sweetly sentimental story of high school love that became one of the most famous and trendsetting eroge ever. To Hearts music was so popular it was added to karaoke
machines throughout Japan—a first for eroge.
After a similar game by Tactics
, One: Kagayaku Kisetsu e
, became a hit in 1998, Visual Art's
scouted main creative staff of One to form a new brand under them, which became Key
. In 1999, Key released Kanon
. It contains only about seven brief erotic scenes in a sentimental story the size of a long novel (an all-ages version was also released afterward), but the enthusiasm of the response was unprecedented, and Kanon sold over 300,000 copies. In 2002 a 13-episode anime series was produced, as well as another 24-episode anime series in 2006. According to Satoshi TODOME's A History of Eroge, Kanon is still the standard for modern eroge and is referred to as a "baptism" for young otaku
in Japan. Although many eroge still market themselves primarily on sex, eroge that focus on story are now a major established part of Japanese otaku culture.
, with the exception that the character has sexual intercourse
with the girls in the story. The gameplay is often in the style of a visual novel
, with choices or "flags" that the player can make along the way in order to, in some cases, get closer to a certain girl. There might be a special girl which the character may have sexual intercourse with at the end of the story if the player has chosen the right flags, which is in some form of a reward for completing the game.
There are also numerous other games that have included other genres and extra storyline to spice up the gameplay and to make it harder for the player to get the ending he intends to. An example of such an eroge, is the popular Little Busters Ecstasy!, related to the visual novel Little Busters!
. In this game, the player is able to play numerous mini games such as baseball and fighting championships, and by incorporating the genre of baseball into the game, the player also has to come up with a winning baseball strategy against another team for the story to progress onwards, increasing the difficulty of the game.
Dragon Knight
Fate/stay night
H2O: Footprints in the Sand
Kana: Little Sister
Kanon
Kimi ga Nozomu Eien
Kizuato
Little Busters! Ecstacy
Night Life
One: Kagayaku Kisetsu e
Rance
School Days
Shizuku
Snow
Tears to Tiara
To Heart
Tomoyo After: It's a Wonderful Life
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese video or computer game that features erotic content, usually in the form of anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
-style artwork. Eroge originated from galge
Bishojo game
A , or , is "a type of Japanese video game centered on interactions with attractive anime-style girls". These games are a sub-genre of dating sims targeted towards a male audience....
, but unlike galge, they feature erotic/pornographic content.
History
Japanese eroge, also known as H-games or hentaiHentai
is a Japanese word that, in the West, is used when referring to sexually explicit or pornographic comics and animation, particularly those of Japanese origin such as anime, manga, and computer games. The word hentai is a kanji compound of 変 and 態...
games, have their origins in the early 1980s, when Japanese companies introduced their own brands of microcomputer
Microcomputer
A microcomputer is a computer with a microprocessor as its central processing unit. They are physically small compared to mainframe and minicomputers...
to compete with those of the United States. Competing systems included the Sharp X1
Sharp X1
The X1 is a series of home computer released by Sharp Corporation from 1982 to 1988. It was based on a Z80 CPU.Despite the fact that the Computer Division of Sharp Corporation had released the MZ series, suddenly the Television Division released a new computer series called the X1...
, Fujitsu FM-7, MSX
MSX
MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s conceived by Kazuhiko Nishi, then Vice-president at Microsoft Japan and Director at ASCII Corporation...
, and NEC PC-8801
NEC PC-8801
The NEC PC-8801 was an early Zilog Z80-based computer exclusively released in Japan, where it became very popular, by NEC Corporation in 1981. It was informally called the "PC-88"....
. NEC was behind its competitors in terms of hardware (with only 16 colors and no sound support) and needed a way to regain control of the market. Thus came the erotic game. The first commercial erotic computer game, Night Life, was released by Koei in 1982. It was an early graphic adventure
Graphic adventure game
A graphic adventure game is a form of adventure game. They are distinct from text adventures. Whereas a player must actively observe using commands such as "look" in a text-based adventure, graphic adventures revolutionized gameplay by making use of natural human perception...
, with sexually explicit images. That same year, Koei released another erotic title, Danchi Tsuma no Yuwaku (Seduction of the Condominium Wife), which was an early role-playing
Role-playing video game
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
adventure game
Adventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
with colour graphics, owing to the eight-color palette of the NEC PC-8001 computer. It became a hit, helping Koei become a major software company.
Other now-famous Japanese companies such as Enix
Enix
The was a Japanese company that produced video games, anime and manga. The company was founded by Yasuhiro Fukushima on September 22, 1975 as and renamed Enix in 1982...
, Square
Square (company)
was a Japanese video game company founded in September 1983 by Masafumi Miyamoto. It merged with Enix in 2003 and became part of Square Enix...
and Nihon Falcom also released erotic adult games for the PC-8801 computer in the early 1980s before they became mainstream. Early eroge usually had simple stories, some even involving rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
, which often led to widespread condemnation from the Japanese media. In some of the early erotic games, the erotic content is meaningfully integrated into a thoughtful and mature storyline, though others often used it as a flimsy excuse for pornography. Erotic games made the PC-8801 popular, but customers quickly tired of paying 8800 yen ($85) for such simple games. Soon, new genres were invented: ASCII's Chaos Angels, a role-playing
Role-playing video game
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
-based eroge, inspired Dragon Knight
Dragon Knight (hentai)
Dragon Knight is a sword and sorcery eroge/role-playing video game series by the game company ELF. It has also a hentai OVA and a four-episode series based on it....
by Elf and Rance by AliceSoft
AliceSoft
was established in 1989, as an eroge publisher for the computer market, first for the PC-88 and PC-98, and later for PCs running Microsoft Windows platforms. Its first titles were Rance and Intruder, released simultaneously in July 1989. It has continued to release several titles each year,...
.
In 1992, Elf released Dōkyūsei
Dokyusei
is the first game in the popular Dōkyūsei series of eroge dating sims by ELF. The original Dōkyūsei , released in 1992.-OVA:...
. In it, before any eroticism, the user has to first win the affection of one of a number of female characters, making the story into an interactive romance novel
Interactive fiction
Interactive fiction, often abbreviated IF, describes software simulating environments in which players use text commands to control characters and influence the environment. Works in this form can be understood as literary narratives and as video games. In common usage, the term refers to text...
. Thus, the love simulation genre was invented. Soon afterwards, the video game Otogirisou on the Super Famicom
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
attracted the attention of many Japanese gamers. Otogirisou was a standard adventure game but had multiple endings. This concept was called a "sound novel".
In 1996, the new software publisher Leaf
Leaf (company)
Leaf is a Japanese visual novel studio under the publisher Aquaplus, and has offices in Yodogawa-ku, Osaka, and Tokyo. It and its competitor Key are the most popular and successful dedicated visual novel studios operating today. It was launched out of obscurity by its early release ToHeart...
expanded on this idea, calling it a visual novel
Visual novel
A is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...
and releasing their first successful game, Shizuku
Shizuku
is an eroge visual novel by Leaf originally released for DOS on January 26, 1996. It has since received releases for Windows. The sequel is ToHeart, because in To Heart ~remember my memories~, Yuusuke and a deceased Mizuho appears.-Characters:-External links:...
, a horror story starring a rapist high school student, with very highly reviewed writing and music. Their next game, Kizuato
Kizuato
is a Japanese visual novel released on July 26, 1996 by Japan's Leaf studio.-Story:Koichi Kashiwagi , a college student, goes to his cousins' for his father's funeral. After the ceremony, as he is on summer vacation, he stays with them...
, was almost as dark. However, in 1997, they released To Heart, a sweetly sentimental story of high school love that became one of the most famous and trendsetting eroge ever. To Hearts music was so popular it was added to karaoke
Karaoke
is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
machines throughout Japan—a first for eroge.
After a similar game by Tactics
Tactics (company)
Tactics is a Japanese visual novel studio which specializes in the development of dating sim and eroge style games. Tactics is actually a branch of the joint company Nexton. Their debut release was a game entitled Dōsei in mid-1997, followed by Moon. in the same year, and One: Kagayaku Kisetsu e in...
, One: Kagayaku Kisetsu e
One: Kagayaku Kisetsu e
is a Japanese adult visual novel, developed by Tactics, a brand of the joint company Nexton, and released on May 26, 1998 playable on the PC for Windows 95. Much of the staff that created the game later became the founding members of the visual novel company Key. The game was later ported to the...
, became a hit in 1998, Visual Art's
Visual Art's
, formally , is a Japanese publishing company specializing in the publishing and distribution of visual novels for a large list of game developers. Visual Art's has developed the game engines their brands currently use, including the current engine, called Siglus, and older engines RealLive and...
scouted main creative staff of One to form a new brand under them, which became Key
Key (company)
Key is a Japanese visual novel studio which formed on July 21, 1998 as a brand under the publisher Visual Art's and is located in Kita, Osaka, Japan. Key released their debut visual novel Kanon in June 1999, which combined an elaborate storyline, an up-to-date anime-style drawing style, and a...
. In 1999, Key released Kanon
Kanon
is a Japanese visual novel developed by Key and originally released as an adult game on June 4, 1999, playable on a Microsoft Windows PC. An all ages version for the PC was released in January 2000, and was later ported to the Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable...
. It contains only about seven brief erotic scenes in a sentimental story the size of a long novel (an all-ages version was also released afterward), but the enthusiasm of the response was unprecedented, and Kanon sold over 300,000 copies. In 2002 a 13-episode anime series was produced, as well as another 24-episode anime series in 2006. According to Satoshi TODOME's A History of Eroge, Kanon is still the standard for modern eroge and is referred to as a "baptism" for young otaku
Otaku
is a Japanese term used to refer to people with obsessive interests, particularly anime, manga or video games.- Etymology :Otaku is derived from a Japanese term for another's house or family , which is also used as an honorific second-person pronoun...
in Japan. Although many eroge still market themselves primarily on sex, eroge that focus on story are now a major established part of Japanese otaku culture.
Gameplay
An eroge's gameplay is basically a bishōjo gameBishojo game
A , or , is "a type of Japanese video game centered on interactions with attractive anime-style girls". These games are a sub-genre of dating sims targeted towards a male audience....
, with the exception that the character has sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
with the girls in the story. The gameplay is often in the style of a visual novel
Visual novel
A is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...
, with choices or "flags" that the player can make along the way in order to, in some cases, get closer to a certain girl. There might be a special girl which the character may have sexual intercourse with at the end of the story if the player has chosen the right flags, which is in some form of a reward for completing the game.
There are also numerous other games that have included other genres and extra storyline to spice up the gameplay and to make it harder for the player to get the ending he intends to. An example of such an eroge, is the popular Little Busters Ecstasy!, related to the visual novel Little Busters!
Little Busters!
is a Japanese visual novel developed by Key which was originally released, rated for everyone as a limited edition version, on July 27, 2007 playable on a Windows PC; a regular edition, also rated for everyone, followed on September 28, 2007. Little Busters! is Key's sixth game, along with other...
. In this game, the player is able to play numerous mini games such as baseball and fighting championships, and by incorporating the genre of baseball into the game, the player also has to come up with a winning baseball strategy against another team for the story to progress onwards, increasing the difficulty of the game.
Popular eroges
Dokyusei series
The is a series of 13 popular eroge by ELF. The original Dōkyūsei , released in 1992 for the NEC PC-9801 microcomputer, is generally considered to be the first dating simulation...
Dragon Knight
Dragon Knight (video game)
Dragon Knight is a sword and sorcery eroge/role-playing video game series by the game company ELF. It has also a hentai OVA and a four-episode series based on it....
Fate/stay night
Fate/stay night
is a Japanese visual novel developed by Type-Moon, which was originally released as an adult game for the PC. An all-ages version of Fate/stay night, titled Fate/stay night Réalta Nua, was released for the PlayStation 2 on April 19, 2007, and features the Japanese voice actors from the anime series...
H2O: Footprints in the Sand
H2O: Footprints in the Sand
H2O: Footprints in the Sand is a Japanese adult visual novel by Makura that was released on June 23, 2006 for the PC as a DVD; a version playable on the PlayStation 2 under the title H2O + followed on April 24, 2008 with adult content removed, but in its place will be additional scenarios and...
Kanon
is a Japanese visual novel developed by Key and originally released as an adult game on June 4, 1999, playable on a Microsoft Windows PC. An all ages version for the PC was released in January 2000, and was later ported to the Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable...
Kimi ga Nozomu Eien
, abbreviated as Kimibou or Kiminozo, is a Japanese visual novel adventure game created by âge. It was first released in 2001 for the PC and was later ported to the Dreamcast and PlayStation 2 under the title Rumbling Hearts as all-age versions...
Kizuato
is a Japanese visual novel released on July 26, 1996 by Japan's Leaf studio.-Story:Koichi Kashiwagi , a college student, goes to his cousins' for his father's funeral. After the ceremony, as he is on summer vacation, he stays with them...
Little Busters!
is a Japanese visual novel developed by Key which was originally released, rated for everyone as a limited edition version, on July 27, 2007 playable on a Windows PC; a regular edition, also rated for everyone, followed on September 28, 2007. Little Busters! is Key's sixth game, along with other...
One: Kagayaku Kisetsu e
is a Japanese adult visual novel, developed by Tactics, a brand of the joint company Nexton, and released on May 26, 1998 playable on the PC for Windows 95. Much of the staff that created the game later became the founding members of the visual novel company Key. The game was later ported to the...
Rance
is a series of Japan-exclusive eroge computer role-playing games by Alice Soft featuring the title character, Rance. Starting in 1989, the series has lasted for 20 years, making it one of the longest running adult themed games ever.-Rance:...
School Days (visual novel)
is a Japanese adult visual novel developed by 0verflow and published by Stack, and was originally released for the PC on April 28, 2005. It was subsequently released as a DVD TV game by Stack, followed by an all-ages port titled School Days L×H published by Interchannel for the PlayStation 2, in...
Shizuku
is an eroge visual novel by Leaf originally released for DOS on January 26, 1996. It has since received releases for Windows. The sequel is ToHeart, because in To Heart ~remember my memories~, Yuusuke and a deceased Mizuho appears.-Characters:-External links:...
Tears to Tiara
Tears to Tiara is a Japanese eroge tactical role-playing game developed by Leaf. It was first released for PC on April 28, 2005 in Japan. Then it was followed by 12 years old and up version released for the PlayStation 3 platform on July 17, 2008 in Japan, Hong Kong, and Taiwan in which the...
See also
- Dating simDating simDating sims are a video game subgenre of simulation games, usually Japanese, with romantic elements. They are also sometimes put under the category of neoromance. The most common objective of dating sims is to date, usually choosing from among several characters, and to achieve a romantic...
- List of hentai computer games
- Glossary of anime and manga