<s>
It	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
September	O
17	O
,	O
2009	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Device
DS	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
a	O
spin-off	O
of	O
The	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
series	O
and	O
its	O
timeline	O
coincides	O
before	O
the	O
events	O
in	O
The	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reviewers	O
have	O
praised	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
and	O
it	O
has	O
been	O
described	O
as	O
suitable	O
for	O
beginners	O
to	O
The	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
played	O
on	O
a	O
Nintendo	B-Device
DS	I-Device
with	O
a	O
camera	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
a	O
Nintendo	B-Device
DSi	I-Device
or	O
a	O
later	O
model	O
,	O
the	O
camera	O
may	O
be	O
used	O
to	O
scan	O
QR	O
codes	O
found	O
online	O
or	O
in	O
magazines	O
to	O
obtain	O
in-game	O
items	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dearly	O
Stars	O
occurs	O
prior	O
to	O
the	O
events	O
in	O
The	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
and	O
revolves	O
around	O
characters	O
related	O
to	O
the	O
talent	O
agency	O
876	O
Production	O
(	O
876	O
Pro	O
)	O
,	O
a	O
rising	O
studio	O
located	O
in	O
a	O
small	O
office	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2008	O
,	O
while	O
Bandai	O
Namco	O
Games	O
was	O
in	O
the	O
process	O
of	O
developing	O
The	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
SP	I-Application
and	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
for	O
The	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
Live	O
For	O
You	O
!,	O
Kujioka	O
and	O
Bandai	O
Namco	O
Games	O
producer	O
Bunkei	O
Tanaka	O
submitted	O
the	O
proposal	O
for	O
Dearly	O
Stars	O
to	O
Yōzō	O
Sakagami	O
,	O
the	O
main	O
producer	O
for	O
The	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
announced	O
in	O
May	O
2009	O
as	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
franchise	O
's	O
next	O
stage	O
called	O
"	O
2nd	O
Vision	O
"	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
described	O
as	O
The	B-Application
Idolmasters	I-Application
next	O
project	O
that	O
would	O
further	O
expand	O
the	O
series	O
 '	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
design	O
of	O
the	O
characters	O
was	O
split	O
between	O
two	O
artists	O
:	O
Toshiyuki	O
Kubooka	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
been	O
the	O
character	O
designer	O
since	O
the	O
original	O
arcade	O
version	O
of	O
The	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Kiyotaka	O
Tamiya	O
,	O
who	O
designed	O
the	O
characters	O
introduced	O
in	O
Dearly	O
Stars	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
writing	O
the	O
story	O
,	O
the	O
staff	O
wanted	O
to	O
incorporate	O
Hibiki	O
Ganaha	O
and	O
Takane	O
Shijō	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
already	O
been	O
introduced	O
in	O
The	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
SP	I-Application
,	O
but	O
because	O
the	O
two	O
games	O
were	O
being	O
developed	O
simultaneously	O
,	O
Hibiki	O
's	O
and	O
Takane	O
's	O
role	O
in	O
the	O
main	O
story	O
of	O
Dearly	O
Stars	O
was	O
kept	O
to	O
a	O
minimum	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
the	O
dance	O
sequences	O
during	O
performances	O
,	O
Kujioka	O
chose	O
to	O
employ	O
talent	O
star	O
Fumi	O
Sakura	O
,	O
as	O
opposed	O
to	O
professional	O
dancers	O
who	O
had	O
been	O
used	O
in	O
The	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
games	O
up	O
to	O
that	O
point	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Despite	O
The	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
originally	O
being	O
targeted	O
at	O
a	O
male	O
audience	O
,	O
there	O
were	O
also	O
advertisements	O
and	O
promotions	O
for	O
Dearly	O
Stars	O
geared	O
towards	O
young	O
girls	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
four	O
songs	O
introduced	O
in	O
Dearly	O
Stars	O
were	O
released	O
by	O
Nippon	O
Columbia	O
on	O
a	O
four-part	O
CD	O
series	O
titled	O
The	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
Dream	I-Application
Symphony	I-Application
in	O
2009	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
176-page	O
guidebook	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
titled	O
The	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
Dearly	I-Application
Stars	I-Application
Delicious	O
Album	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
November	O
6	O
,	O
2009	O
by	O
Enterbrain	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
included	O
:	O
The	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
Splash	O
Red	O
for	O
Dearly	O
Stars	O
illustrated	O
by	O
Anri	O
Sakano	O
which	O
deals	O
with	O
Ai	O
's	O
story	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
Innocent	O
Blue	O
for	O
Dearly	O
Stars	O
illustrated	O
by	O
Reiichi	O
which	O
covers	O
Eri	O
's	O
story	O
,	O
and	O
The	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
Neue	O
Green	O
for	O
Dearly	O
Stars	O
illustrated	O
by	O
Kōsuke	O
Kurose	O
which	O
has	O
to	O
do	O
with	O
Ryō	O
's	O
story	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Critics	O
have	O
described	O
Dearly	O
Stars	O
as	O
suitable	O
for	O
beginners	O
to	O
the	B-Application
Idolmaster	I-Application
series	O
for	O
drawing	O
out	O
the	O
series	O
 '	O
essence	O
and	O
reorganizing	O
it	O
into	O
a	O
simpler	O
and	O
easier-to-understand	O
form	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Despite	O
the	O
technical	O
limitations	O
of	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Device
DS	I-Device
compared	O
to	O
other	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
that	O
have	O
been	O
developed	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
and	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
Portable	I-Operating_System
,	O
Miyokawa	O
described	O
the	O
movement	O
of	O
the	O
idols	O
during	O
performances	O
as	O
"	O
better	O
than	O
expected	O
,	O
"	O
and	O
welcomed	O
shots	O
of	O
the	O
audience	O
waving	O
glow	O
sticks	O
.	O
</s>
