Neon Genesis Evangelion: Girlfriend of Steel - PlayStation

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Girlfriend of Steel for the PlayStation is an official visual novel adventure developed and published by Gainax — the studio behind the anime itself — set during a quiet period in the series timeline, somewhere around episode 13, before the battle with Angel Ireul. A new student named Mana Kirishima transfers into Shinji Ikari's school and immediately makes clear she finds him cute. As Shinji spends time with her, a relationship gradually unfolds — complicated by the unmistakable jealousy of Asuka Langley Sohryu, who refuses to let it go unnoticed. Beneath Mana's cheerful surface, however, a secret tied to NERV and the military machine surrounding the Evangelion program slowly comes to light.

The game is a two-disc interactive experience — closer to a playable anime episode than a traditional video game. Players guide Shinji through locations like the Geofront and his school, triggering scripted story scenes by moving between areas and selecting from simple "Look," "Talk," and "Move" options. The full original voice cast reprises their roles with complete voice acting throughout, and the Shiro Sagisu soundtrack from the anime is used in full. The only meaningful player choice arrives near the end of the second disc — a decision that determines which of three endings plays out, focusing on Mana, Asuka, or Kaji respectively.

Originally released for Windows PC by Gainax in 1997 under the alternate title Iron Maiden, the PlayStation version followed in Japan in April 1998. The game was never officially released or localized outside Japan in any form. A PSP special edition released in 2009 received a full fan translation in 2023, but the PS1 version has no English patch. This is a Japan-import disc requiring a Japanese PlayStation or a region-free modded unit. All text and dialogue are in Japanese.

Full Title: 新世紀エヴァンゲリオン 鋼鉄のガールフレンド (Shin Seiki Evangelion: Koutetsu no Girlfriend / Neon Genesis Evangelion: Girlfriend of Steel)
Language: Japanese only — not localized
Rating: N/A (Japan-only release)
Platform: PlayStation 1
Genre: Visual Novel / Adventure
Players: 1 player
Developer: Gainax
Publisher: Gainax
Release Year: 1998 (Japan only — April 16, 1998)

Important: The PlayStation 1 is region-locked. This Japanese import disc will only play on a Japanese PlayStation or a region-free modded unit.