There’s only one thing better than playing games and that’s collecting every piece of merchandise tied to them. There was nothing like flipping through your favorite gaming magazine and seeing a profile of a limited edition collectible or discovering a piece of memorabilia from a beloved game in an overlooked corner of a shop and it’s a feeling we strive to replicate every month as we look through our own collector’s cabinet and dig out items new and old to show the world.

It’s always cause for celebration when an otome visual novel gets a lovely limited edition release in English. They’re a common occurrence in Japan, but usually what we get in America can’t hold a candle to those jam-packed editions. The Cupid Parasite Limited Edition from Idea Factory International is a great effort, especially considering we haven’t seen an otome release from this company in years now. Hopefully this release is a sign of things to come, because they’re off to a great start with this collection.

The Cupid Parasite Limited Edition includes the following items: a copy of the game for Switch, separate steel case, trading card, hardcover art book, six keychains and a two disc audio drama. The actual special edition box does not house all the contents within it. Shipped directly from Idea Factory International, the standard Switch game case, keychain set and collectible card were packed loose. Those who adore Idea Factory International’s output likely have cards from previous editions as well. Limited Run Games aren’t the only company including collectible cards with their releases!

The steel case doesn’t appear to be an officially branded SteelBook, but you’d never know as it looks great. It’s about the same size as a typical Switch case, albeit thicker. Both sides of the case feature the main men of Cupid Parasite and their parasite nicknames. The text is basically stamped in such a way that you see the bare steel book underneath, but it darn great. Open it up to reveal a plastic inset, additional artwork and a slot for a Switch cartridge.

The keychains are a set of six acrylic keychains with metal clasp. Each keychain features one guy from the game (but note that one of the characters is a bit of a spoiler). In any case, each features their parasite nickname, the actual character name and character’s portrait. The printing is done such that you can see it through both sides of the keychain, though of course on one side the text will appear backwards. Keychains are always as great pack-in due to their versatility.

Next up is the hardcover art book, which is sixty pages in total and fabulous quality overall. All the pages are in color and a nice, professional stock. Expect to see a character art gallery, character profiles for everyone (not just the main men), a Los York “travel show” section talking about the game world and concept art. Note that like most art books, it also includes spoilers. So the best advice is to avoid the urge to flip through the art book until completing the game first.

Finally there's the two disc audio drama CD set. This is titled the Radios Los York Presents: Pillow Talk. Both discs include opening and ending themes as well as four tracks of audio drama goodness. The amazing thing about this discs’ inclusion is that it's rare for audio dramas to be released in English officially. Why? Well, the audio is all in Japanese, so it can make for a bit of a niche product. Fortunately, Idea Factory put together a text translation which is accessible from a link on the back of the CD jewel case.

Overall, this is a great special edition from Idea Factory International. It includes a lovely mix of items sure to please fans of the game. The Cupid Parasite Limited Edition is a stellar example of how to get an otome limited edition right. While an audio drama might seem out of place in other genres, otome fans tend to adore them, so it’s a great inclusion. Currently Cupid Parasite Limited Edition is still available via Idea Factory International for $93. With that said, products like this tend to not be re-released once they sell out, so be sure to look into it if at all interested in owning a copy yourself.

Want to look through the rest of our Collector’s Cabinet? Head right here.