Romance mechanics

Promotional image for a limited set of acrylic stands, depicting the ending images for all romantic routes possible to achieve in Medarot 8.

Romance mechanics, also known as Date mechanics or Affection mechanics, are a gameplay element in most Medarot main games, centering on the sole playable male character's ability to choose one of the girls, which affects the game's ending. Initially, the choice was between two girls—a tomboy and a girly girl—but the number of options expanded as the series progressed. Each girl has hidden values indicating their affinity with the main character, which can increase or decrease based on the player's actions throughout the game.

This mechanic is typically linked to side-quests that reward the player with a medal, with each girl giving a different medal. Consequently, it is impossible to earn all the medals in a single playthrough, requiring players to trade betwen saves with different endings. Since the games do not alert players to this side-quest, it is commonly missed by new players, especially as some games are less flexible regarding mistakes in certain choices.

Although this mechanic has been part of the franchise since its roots, player decisions do not affect the story's timeline. Developers select only one of the options as "canon" in sequels, usually favoring the childhood friend or main heroine while ignoring the other choices. This is most evident with Kirara Akita and Nae Akihabara, who are options in the first game. By Medarot 2, Kirara is depicted as having a relationship with Hikaru Agata, while Nae no longer interacts with the former protagonist.

The romance mechanic is exclusive to games with RPG elements. Among the core and side games, only Medarot R, 3, 4, Navi, and 9 do not include this feature.

Medarot 1 / Medarot Perfect Edition

As Hikaru Agata, the player can earn the affection of either Kirara Akita or Nae Akihabara. Completing Kirara's storyline rewards the player with the Devil (Kabuto) or Dragon (Kuwagata) medal, while Nae's storyline provides the Angel (Kabuto) or Ninja (Kuwagata) medal.

The romance mechanic in Medarot 1 works on an invisible point systems, where certain actions (usually dialogue choices) give the player romance points, while other decrease them. The player starts with five such points and their total level at the end of the main storyline determinate the options available to them. As such, it is possible to maintain a good relationship with both girls.

• If the player has 0 to 5 points: Kirara does not make an advance to Hikaru at the beach. The Chick Seller then runs up to Hikaru and gifts him the item "Blue Chick", which allows Hikaru to fight the Chick Seller in the post-game.
• If the player has 6 to 20 points: Kirara will make an advance to Hikaru in the ending. If Hikaru accepts, he gets the benefits from the Kirara ending. If not, the Chick Seller will quip that "there's always a bigger catch" and Hikaru gets no reward
• If the player has more than 20 points: Hikaru can still acceptf Kirara's offer but if he refuses it, he can then go to the Observatory and meet Nae on the second floor.

In Medarot Perfect Edition, there is a third (pseudo) option involving Iseki Hatano. Depending on the player's decisions, Iseki can develop feelings for Hikaru, but he will always ultimately choose between Kirara or Nae. Consequently, there is no true ending for Iseki. This inclusion is a nod to Iseki's popularity in Japan due to her "cute" battle portrait in the original game.

Regardless of how many players opt for Nae's ending, Kirara is always established as Hikaru's love interest starting with Medarot 2.

Romance actions

The following actions raise Hikaru's romance level:

• Accepting Nae's offer to test parts and then speaking to her again (+2 both times)
• Talking to Nae when she is front of the Observatory (+6)
• During the Ten Days of Darkness, giving the parts to the Science Teacher and Nurse at school (+4 for the Science Teacher and +5 for the Nurse, note that if the part is given to the Nurse first, the option to give one to the Science Teacher will not appear)
• Talking to Nae at the Medarot Laboratory during the Ten Days of Darkness (+4, only if player has 20 or more points already. Doing so will give an unique line and confirm that the player meets the requirements for Nae's ending)

The following actions lower the romance level:

• Entering the girl's bathroom at school (0 penalty first time, -1 each subsequent time)
• Stealing King Pharaoh parts from the restricted area at the Medarot Laboratory (-10 for each parts)
• Refusing to fight Yanma at the beginning of the game (-2)
• Refusing Nae's offer to test parts at the Medarot Laboratory (-4 each times)
• Answering "No" to Nae's question in the observatory (-4 each time)

Medarot 2 / Medarot 2 Core

As Ikki Tenryou, the player can gain the affection of Arika Amazake, who gives the Cat Medal, or Karin Junmai, who provides the ? Medal. These are the only options available in both the original game and Medarot 2 Core. Like in Medarot 1, the player must make specific decisions during the game to win their affection. However, unlike its predecessor, Medarot 2 is less forgiving of mistakes.

In Medarot 2, it is not possible to pursue both girls simultaneously. Although there are hidden numerical values for each girl's affection, what truly matters is following the correct sequence of decisions perfectly. These decisions are often contradictory, so even a single mistake can jeopardize the player's ability to complete one of the endings. However, some exclusive mid-game scenes (Like the ship scene) can still be activated despite the error.

A common example is the player's first choice at the beginning of the game, where they must say "Yes" or "No" to the Screws. Although this decision seems harmless and leads to the same event, saying "Yes" gives points to Arika and makes Karin's ending impossible. Conversely, answering "No" gives points to Karin, making Arika's ending unattainable.

It's important to note that Ikki's decision will be disregarded in Medarot 3, where he will not be in a romantic relationship with either girl. It can be assumed that the neutral ending of Medarot 2 is the canon one.

Medarot 5

The Romance Mechanics return in Medarot 5. Some events related to the mechanic are only accessible when playing the game on a Game Boy Advance.

Medarot 8

Medarot 8 has the largest selection of romantic interests and is the only installment to allow the protagonist to romance a villainess, albeit in her civilian identity. Salt can establish a relationship with Anise, Chicory, Parsley, Erica, and Mint. Relationship values are determined by wheter the player selects the option to Robattle alone or Robattle in Team when prompted, dialogue choices throughout the story and triggering certain conversations or events.

Note

• With the exception of Azuma Amakura in Medarot DS and Medarot 7, no protagonist experiences the romance mechanics more than once. While most protagonists play a central role in just one game, Ikki Tenryou is featured as the protagonist in multiple games. However, he can only pursue Arika or Karin in Medarot 2 and its remake, with Medarot R, Medarot 3, and Medarot 4 abandoning this mechanic. Azuma is an exception, likely because Medarot 7 is a kind of revised version of Medarot DS.