Steins;Gate Birthday Giveaway! (EU PSN Code)

12 / 10 / 1512 / 10 / 15

My birthday is coming up, and you know what that means… It’s the perfect time to host a giveaway! Why should I be the only one getting presents?

I have one code for a digital copy of Steins;Gate for PS Vita up for grabs! It is only valid on the European PSN store, but it is very easy to make a European PSN account if you don’t have one and would still like to enter; just remember that it will take a little finagling to switch regions on your PS Vita (Kotaku has a good guide if you’ve never tried it before). The giveaway is open worldwide until December 17th at 11:59 pm Pacific Time.

Just use the nifty widget below to enter, and stay tuned for my holiday giveaway coming up next week!

Steins; Gate Birthday Giveaway!

Unboxing Sailor Moon Café Sweets and Rilakkuma Totte Oki Gift Re-Ments

12 / 8 / 15

It’s been a little over a month since I last posted a video, but I’m back with a vengeance! Today I’m unboxing two random blind Re-Ment boxes I purchased a few weeks ago: one from the Sailor Moon Café Sweets Collection and another from the Rilakkuma Totte Oki Gift series. I just love the anticipation that comes with not knowing what will be inside! I won’t spoil it, so watch the unboxing to see what I got:

To be honest, now I’m not sure what to do with them! If you like miniatures, how do you use them? Right now I’ve just got mine displaying on a shelf. They could also be good for props in figure photos… Well, for the time being, I’m happy just to look at them!

Sunday Spotlight: JRPG.moe

12 / 6 / 1512 / 6 / 15

Yet another Sunday has rolled around, and you know what that means: Time for a Sunday Spotlight! Can you tell I’m running out of witty things to say in these intros? Moving on…

Here at Chic Pixel, we love a good JRPG. That’s why this week’s Spotlight is highlighting an awesome website that is all about just that! JRPG.moe bills itself as a site for those who get “fired up” about Japanese role playing games, so don’t let the .moe scare you – it’s definitely not only about cute anime girls! I love that JRPG.moe covers both Japanese and English game releases, and is written by someone proficient in Japanese, so you can count on it for accurate import impressions and news translations! Start off with JRPG.moe’s December release calendar to see what you need to put on your shopping list this month before moving on to some in-depth editorials and JRPG news.

Be sure to like JRPG.moe on Facebook and follow it and its editor on Twitter to stay up to date on all things JRPG!

December Community Game-Along: Yoko Shimomura

12 / 4 / 15

All of a sudden, here we are at the last Community Game-Along of 2015! For this occasion, I wanted to do something a little special… So, for the first time ever, this month’s theme is a video game composer! I’d like to highlight Yoko Shimomura, a Japanese composer who is most famous for her work on the Kingdom Hearts series, but you’ve probably heard her melodies in one of the many games on her resume. If you’d like to learn more about her amazing career, check out the Shimomura episode of the M-Disk Playlist podcast I guested on a few months ago!

If you’d like to participate in the December Game-Along, just play a game featuring music composed by Yoko Shimomura (it can even be just one track, we’re flexible here at Chic Pixel). It wouldn’t be a Game-Along without social media integration, so use #ShimomuraMonth to share your experiences with others! Some folks have already been posting their favorite tracks and game recommendations, so be sure to join in – photos of games featuring Shimomura’s music, let’s plays of your chosen title… there are countless ways to participate! If you can’t decide what to play, here are a few titles worth checking out that aren’t Kingdom Hearts:

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam (Nintendo 3DS) – Let’s start with something topical! Yoko Shimomura has done the music in all of the Mario & Luigi games, with Paper Jam being the latest entry in the series. Well, it just so happens to be releasing in December in Japan in Europe! Sorry, North America, but you’ll have to wait until January for this one. If you’re itchin’ to play a Mario & Luigi game in the meantime, you can get some of them on the Wii U’s virtual console, or try the previous entry on the 3DS, Dream Team Bros.

Radiant Historia (Nintendo DS) – For a recent but more traditional JRPG, try Radiant Historia. Though it went largely under the radar when it was originally released, it’s extremely well regarded and will definitely scratch any RPG itches you might have. I still haven’t had a chance to boot up my copy, so I can’t say much more than that, but I don’t think it’d disappoint!

Parasite Eve (PSone) – Though still an RPG (Shimomura’s forte), Parasite Eve was unique for taking aspects of horror titles such as Resident Evil and transforming traditional role-playing game mechanics. The creepy cool soundtrack is also one of my personal favorites! If you’ve played the first game in the series and would like to check out the others, keep in mind that Shimomura did not compose II, but did return for the less stellar 3rd Birthday on PSP.

Legend of Mana (PSone) – Though Legend of Mana has not been received as favorably as previous titles in the series, many point to it as one of Yoko Shimomura’s strongest soundtracks. This also happens to be the game I’ll be trying out this month, since I’ve never played it! Wouldn’t it be fun to join in a playthrough with your pal Anne?

Of course there are many more possibilities, and there’s definitely nothing wrong with celebrating with a little Kingdom Hearts goodness! What will you be playing this month?

Sunday Spotlight: Momorave Geeky Cute Crochet

11 / 29 / 15

Who doesn’t love some geeky crafts? Since I wasn’t able to include any crafters in my nerdy gift guide this year, I thought it would be nice to highlight a handmade in case anyone wanted to pick up a something with a more individualized touch this holiday season. That’s why this week’s Sunday Spotlight features a geeky crafter named momorave who makes some darn cute amigurumi!

For the unfamiliar, amigurumi is the Japanese word for knitted or crocheted stuffed animals. The majority of momorave’s amigurumi consist of “derpy” versions of various Pokémon such as the Espeon pictured above that are sure to bring a smile to your face! She also has a number of bird amigurumi that aren’t especially nerdy, but are still tremendously cute.

If you’d to pick something up from momorave’s shop for Christmas, be sure to do so before December 1st. You can also follow her on Instagram to see all her latest craft projects!

Chic Pixel Holiday Fundraiser: Receive a Holiday Card from Me!

11 / 28 / 1511 / 28 / 15

It’s the time of year when everyone reflects on what they’re grateful for, and maybe gives a little something forward to a special friend or loved one. I am always so thankful for each and every one of you that reads Chic Pixel, whether you comment regularly, chat with me on Twitter, shoot me an email, or quietly enjoy my posts.

As you may know, a lot of time, effort, and money goes into keeping Chic Pixel running. Many of you help support the site by purchasing your video games or figures using my affiliate links, or sending me a few dollars via my Paypal donation link. Not only that, but every tweet, Facebook share, or word-of-mouth recommendation reminds me that the work I do is appreciated, and it means the world to me. So thank you all, from the bottom of my heart!

Now, I know it may be a lot to ask, but if you can spare a few extra dollars this holiday season it would go a long way to supporting the costs to maintain the site and purchase items from Japan to cover in reviews and news posts (such as the Kyoukai no Shirayuki magazine translations). But, I’d like to give you something back in return, so every person who donates $5 or more before December 8th will receive a personalized holiday card full of Japanese stationery from my collection!

Of course, you’re more than welcome to donate more or less if you wish, but that’s the minimum I need to be able to afford to send a letter overseas. You can donate using the button below:

The cards will be Christmas-themed, so if you would prefer a regular letter, please leave a note when you make your donation. Also, be sure to leave your address in the notes section if you pay by credit card or would like the card sent to a different address than the one linked to your account.

If you miss the deadline, don’t worry! I’ll always send a letter to anyone who donates $5 or more, but December 8th is the cutoff for those who would like a holiday card.

Once again, thank you so much for reading Chic Pixel. It means more to me than you’ll ever know!

The Best of Right Stuf’s Holiday 2015 Sale

11 / 25 / 1511 / 27 / 15

Every year, Right Stuf offers up to 95% off select anime, manga, and more in their annual holiday sale, so it’s an awesome time to pick up a series that you’ve missed or stock up on gifts for friends. With new deals happening every week and rotating MegaDeals, however, it can be rather difficult to keep up with all the best bargains. But never fear, because Chic Pixel is here to keep you in the know!