Nakayama Miho no Tokimeki High School (1987). Play online

Summary

Nakayama Miho no Tokimeki High School stands out as a pioneering Japanese dating‑simulation that landed on the Family Computer Disk System in late 1987. Designed by Hironobu Sakaguchi—who later created Final Fantasy—and Yoshio Sakamoto of Metroid fame, the game blended the emerging romance‑genre with a full‑blown idol tie‑in; pop star Miho Nakayama supplied her likeness, voice clips and even a toll‑free hint line. Its UI forced players to match one of four facial expressions (straight, laugh, sad, angry) with their dialogue, meaning a mis‑match instantly ends play, a mechanic that felt eerily close to real‑life courtship.
The title also leveraged Nintendo’s Disk Fax service, using a rare blue floppy disk to submit completion reports for real‑world prizes: an autographed phone card for the standard ending and a limited‑edition VHS for the best ending. The same network, normally reserved for scores, turned the game into a contest and helped it top Famitsu’s December 1987 chart. Its soundtrack bears the early marks of Nobuo Uematsu, later famed for his Final Fantasy scores, and remains a quirky footnote in gaming history.

Storyline

In Nakayama Miho no Tokimeki High School, the player takes on the role of a new student arriving at Tokimeki High School. Shortly after stepping onto campus, the protagonist encounters a girl wearing glasses who is a dead‑riddle look‑alike of pop idol Miho Nakayama. This mysterious doppelgänger becomes the focal point of the early narrative, hinting at the romantic and comedic twists that await.

The encounter sets the tone for the game’s blend of school life and idol‑themed storytelling, as players navigate daily classes while uncovering the secret behind the glass‑sighted look‑alike. Each interaction builds toward multiple possible endings tied to the protagonist’s choices.