Otome Game Inspired by Alice in Wonderland Needs Your Help!

12 / 14 / 162 / 10 / 17

If there’s one thing I’ll never get enough of, it’s Alice in Wonderland, so when I heard there was a new otome game on Kickstarter inspired by Lewis Carroll’s classic book, I just had to check it out! On top of that, A Very Important Date is a romance visual novel that takes place in a café, which is another tick on the “things Anne absolutely loves” list!

I had a look at the demo, which contains the prologue and three chapters each for two different character routes. The premise immediately struck me as something of a mix between OZMAFIA!! and Alice in the Country of Heart, so if you’re a fan of either of those games, definitely check it out! While the characters generally fall into certain common archetypes (the strict stoic guy, cool suave guy, pervy guy, etc.), the designs are fun and evoke Alice in Wonderland in subtle ways. Stretch goals for the campaign include additional girl x girl and boy x boy romance options, which would be great to see!

A Very Important Date demo screenshot — #relatable

I recommend trying the demo for PC, Mac, and Linux first, and then heading over to the Kickstarter page for details on all the reward tiers. The game is also currently on Steam Greenlight and could use some upvotes! The Kickstarter is looking to raise $11,000 by January 5th, so be sure to get your pledge in before then if you’re interested.

December 2016 Community Game-Along: Hudson

11 / 30 / 16

We’ve finally reached the last Community Game-Along theme of 2016! This time of year, I like to choose a theme that is completely different from the AAA blockbusters that are coming out in spades for the holiday season. What better way to differentiate the monthly theme than focusing on a developer that for all intents and purposes no longer exists?

Hudson Soft, best known simply as Hudson, was a Japanese company famous for titles such as Bomberman, Adventure Island, and Bonk. Sadly, it shut down in 2012 and was merged with Konami Digital Entertainment. Today, many older Hudson titles are difficult to obtain for modern consoles or remain unreleased outside Japan. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t a lot of interesting games that can be played this month! Just pick a title released by Hudson and play it during December to participate in the Game-Along. Be sure to share your experiences using #HudsonMonth to spread the love for this classic developer!

Hudson is a company I’m woefully uninformed about, so I asked folks on Twitter what games they’d recommend to play this month. Here are some of their suggestions!

Pokémon Trading Card Game (Game Boy Color, 3DS Virtual Console) – I was extremely surprised to find Hudson developed Pokémon Trading Card Game for the Game Boy Color, and with Pokémon fever at a high right now, I just had to include it on this list! You can even boot it right up on the 3DS Virtual Console for easy access when you’re sick of getting zubats from the Pokémon Sun and Moon Wonder Trade.

Kororinpa (Wii) – Kororinpa is an adorably-titled early Wii game that has players tilting the Wiimote to navigate a sphere through a variety of mazes. Sweets maze? Sign me up! That, and the fact that Kororinpa and its sequel, Marble Saga: Kororinpa, can be found pretty cheaply these days, make this a great quick pickup if you’re looking for some lighthearted fun.

Bomberman ’94 (PC Engine, Genesis, Wii Virtual Console, PSN) – Bomberman is very likely Hudson’s biggest claim to fame, so it wouldn’t be Hudson Month without at least one Bomberman game suggestion! But since I have no idea which Bomberman game to suggest, I’m going to go with @Link6616’s recommendation of Bomberman ’94, which can be purchased on the Wii Virtual Console or digitally on PSN for the PS3 or PSP (I believe the PSP version should be compatible with Vitas, as well!). If you’re looking for some multiplayer bombing fun, this would be it!

Star Parodier (PC Engine, Wii Virtual Console) – Star Parodier is, as the title suggests, a fun parody of Hudson’s more serious scifi vertical shooter series Star Soldier. One of the playable ships is a giant flying Bomberman! Interestingly, the original Star Parodier was not released outside Japan, but you can now purchase it in Europe and North America on the Wii Virtual Console.

Since I’m really not an expert on Hudson games, I would love to hear more about your favorite Hudson titles or game recommendations for December! Be sure to share what you’ll be playing this month, too!

Otome Game Nightshade English Localization Announced for Steam!

11 / 24 / 1611 / 24 / 16

I fully accept responsibility for being a little late on this one, but better late than never when it comes to exciting new otome game localization announcements! To my complete and utter surprise, Hyakka Hyakurou: Sengoku Ninpouchou, an otome game released for the PS Vita in Japan this past February, will be getting an English release! It will be published by D3 Publisher and Red Entertainment as Nightshade for Steam, so that unfortunately means no PS Vita version, but it’s awesome none the less!

Swooning Over the 2017 EarthBound Hobonichi Techo

11 / 23 / 164 / 27 / 17

It’s time to show off my very first Hobonichi Techo planner! Of course I had to get the Earthbound one… Gotta rep my nerd cred, right? Check out the video below to see the cover up close from all angles, as well as what the pages inside look like!

After holding off on getting a Hobonichi Techo for so long due to the cost, I’m really happy I decided to spring for one for 2017. I asked folks on Instagram and YouTube if they’d like to see monthly planner videos from me next year, and the answer was a resounding yes, so expect one in January! It’s good incentive for me to make sure my pages are extra cute, too… If you want to join the EarthBound Hobonichi Techo club, you can get one from their website! If you don’t want to deal with international shipping, Amazon also has just the books available.

Gahkthun of the Golden Lightning Giveaway for #EroGameMonth!

11 / 14 / 1611 / 14 / 16

To continue the Erotic Game Community Game-Along festivities, I’ve teamed up with MangaGamer to offer one lucky winner a digital copy* of Gahkthun of the Golden Lightning! If you like your steamy games to have an ample dose of steampunk plot, you’ll be sure to enjoy this visual novel from Liar-soft. Just enter using the widget below! Giveaway ends November 20th, 11:59 pm PT. Remember to check back to complete daily entries for more chances to win!

Gahkthun of the Golden Lightning Giveaway

*Please note that the giveaway is for a digital copy redeemable through MangaGamer’s website, not Steam.