I couldn't tell you why—maybe it's just a consequence of Konami hyping up the 30th anniversary of the original game on Twitter recently—but I decided to finally take another dive back into Tokimemo 4 for the first time since my essay-within-an-essay on it a couple years ago. I'd always meant to eventually; Tokimemo games are just the kind that I can only really play in brief, concentrated bursts for two, maybe three routes tops, before I set them back down for another indefinite period of time. And I'm someonly who obviously likes most of the mainline ones quite a bit! I just don't know how the hardcore otaku ever had it in them to grind 10-plus routes in each of these games in quick succession back in the day.
Anyway, 4's still as solid and refined an entry as ever! I go back and forth a lot on where it ultimately ranks within the series in my mind. It's in many ways the most polished installment, yet also very conservative with the scope of its changes and additions to the underlying formula. It's also easily the most tonally subdued game of the bunch by a pretty wide mild. You get what's probably hands down the best actual plotting and character dialogue in the entire series, but it's certainly not as vivacious as the series in its golden years. Like I wrote in the essay, a lot of that comes down to the period in which it was developed, when the last major traditional Japanese dating sims of note were being produced in the genre's twilight years, and it leads to a lot of thoughtful, even genuinely moving ruminating on the series and its legacy. But Tokimemo 2 in all of its wild, expansive ambition, it ain't, either, and it's hard not to miss that game's infectious gung-ho enthusiasm. "We made a kick ass game out of love and romance and we're gonna keep on making them!" it was practically screaming back then.
We'll see how I feel about it after it's all said and done and I've cleared the routes I intend to nab this time around (Elisa in all of her Sendai-ben-speaking glory and aloof punk Kai), but my overall opinion ultimately still stands: if you're new to the entire series and want a relatively gentle introduction to its structure and mechanics, 4 is a great introduction that smartly tutorializes things without interrupting the flow with scripted walkthroughs. It's really best played by those who are familiar with the original game, especially those who have romanced Shiori, but that experience is entirely optional. It's the rare canonical dating sim sequel and some of its best moments land best with that insight, but most routes that I've played don't expect it as a prerequisite. It lacks some of the bite and pizazz that I personally like most about the series in its prime, but it's very honest about what it's going for upfront and it's hard to fault it for that. If Konami continues to leave well enough alone and not make a 5 while they continue to focus on reviving the Girl's Side games, that's honestly just as well with me. 