Monster Hunter: World Review

4 / 19 / 184 / 20 / 18

Monster Hunter: World is a game I was not at all interested in when I first saw it. The initial reveal left me more than skeptical – I honestly wrote it off as an attempt to get a broader audience into the series that was going to be too much of a departure from what I loved about Monster Hunter to enjoy.

But after actually spending time with the game during the beta last December, I had a complete change of heart! Monster Hunter: World played exactly like the Monster Hunter I knew and loved, just with some tweaks that actually made it easier and more fun to play. That’s why, when the game finally came out for PS4 and Xbox One at the end of January, I was beyond excited to jump back into the world of Monster Hunter.

Aitai Kuji Review

4 / 12 / 18

Last time I wrote about Aitai Kuji, it was to talk about their amazing kuji (lottery) purchasing system. I’m amazed that they offer this service to people outside of Japan! Now that the Animal Crossing Ichiban Kuji items I wrote about in that post have arrived, it’s time to review their service as a whole! But first, if you haven’t seen my unboxing of the Animal Crossing Ichiban Kuji items, you really ought to check it out:

April 2018 Community Game-Along: Musou Games

4 / 2 / 18

Happy April! I hope you had a lovely Easter weekend if you celebrate, and don’t forget to grab some of that sweet discounted Easter candy this week even if you didn’t! Now that the annual Monster Hunter Community Game-Along is behind us, it’s time for a brand-new Community Game-Along theme… Musou Games! Musou, or Warriors, games are hack and slash action titles developed by Omega Force and Koei/Koei Tecmo, starting with Dynasty Warriors back in 1997. Now, there are more Musou spinoffs than you can shake a stick at!

Get More Out of Chic Pixel on Patreon!

3 / 28 / 18

At the beginning of March, I took the plunge and started a Patreon for Chic Pixel and my other creative endeavors, and I’ve already passed two of my goals! I can’t believe it – I wouldn’t have been able to do it without your help! Since it’s nearing the end of the month, the first pledges will be going through soon, so I wanted to share a breakdown of exactly what you’ll get if you’d like to support Chic Pixel with a monthly pledge. If you’ve been on the fence, now’s the time!

Bokksu Japanese Snack Subscription Review

3 / 26 / 18

Do you hear the crinkling of candy wrappers? That means it’s time for another Japanese snack subscription box review! This time, I’m checking Bokksu, a spiffy subscription service that specalizes in curated snacks from Japan. I was immediately intrigued by their service because they seem to offer a lot of locally-sourced snacks that you don’t see in a lot of the other subscription boxes. Check out my unboxing video to see what was included in their March Glamorous Tokyo box!

Interview with Director of Fantastic Boyfriends: Legends of Midearth

3 / 22 / 18

This interview originally appeared on GayGamer.net in June 2015. Interview questions and introductory text are by Rowan (@link6616), and I assisted with liaising with the Fantastic Boyfriends director in Japanese, which included translating Rowan’s questions into Japanese, and translating the director’s answers into English. (Full disclosure: I also translated prologue chapter of the game and Indiegogo promotional materials). I’m republishing this interview here with Rowan’s permission so it can remain available as an important discussion with an indie Japanese game developer on LGBTQ topics. Please note that I have an ongoing relationship with the developer, but I’m not able to answer any questions on their behalf. Enjoy!

Hakuoki: Edo Blossoms Giveaway

3 / 16 / 183 / 16 / 18

To celebrate the release of Hakuoki: Edo Blossoms, Idea Factory International has kindly offered me one PS Vita game code to give away to Chic Pixel readers!

If you would like to win a copy of Edo Blossoms, just follow the instructions in the widget below. The giveaway is open internationally, but please note that you will need a North American PSN account to redeem the code. The giveaway closes on March 23rd, 2018 at 11:59 pm PT. Hakuoki: Edo Blossoms is part two of the otome game Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds, so be sure to grab the first part for the full experience!

Hakuoki: Edo Blossoms (PS Vita) Giveaway
You can also purchase the physical PS Vita version from Amazon, or the PC version digitally on Steam. Good luck!