Author: Anne

Apricotsushi Reviews: OyatsuBox

I’m a huge fan of Japanese snacks, but the sad fact is that it’s extremely difficult to find anything outside of the occasional box of Pocky here in Australia. Luckily, the internet has made it easier than ever to get my hands on all of my favorite Japanese treats, and a number of subscription services have even sprung up for Japanese snack enthusiasts around the globe. OyatsuBox is the first of such that I’ve tried, and I have to say, I might be hooked!

The folks at Oyatsu Cafe, a great website that sells all sorts of Japanese food, recently launched the OyatsuBox service, sends out a package of random Japanese snacks to subscribers on the first of every month. They were kind enough to send me March’s box, which arrived on March 14th, exactly 2 weeks after it was shipped. I decided to use this opportunity to film my first unboxing video – give it a watch to see my first impressions as I open the box!

A subscription costs $25 a month, which includes shipping anywhere in the world, and their official site guarantees 7 to 15 different snacks each month. If March’s box is any indication, they provide quite a varied and interesting selection. Though the shipping may be a little on the slow side, by not using the fastest option around they are able to pack even more snacks into the box while keeping it affordable, so I’m definitely not complaining!

The information sheet included with each box is also a very nice touch so that you know exactly what you’re getting, even if you don’t speak Japanese. It also includes transcriptions of each snack’s name so you can search for them on Oyatsu Cafe’s website if you find yourself craving more!

I won’t be discussing the actual taste of the individual snacks in this review, but look forward to an upcoming episode of Apricotsushi Samples where I try everything in the March OyatsuBox! For now, let’s take a closer look at all the goodies in this month’s box:

Now this container isn’t shy about advertising what flavor snack it contains: it says “kimchi” in huge red letters right on the front! If you’re not familiar, kimchi is spicy pickled cabbage originating in Korea, but it is also very popular in Japan. It has even made its way into Japanese ramen – hence these kimchi ramen bits, which are meant to be eaten raw. I’ve recently become quite a fan of kimchi, so I’m very excited to try these!

Next up are two different types of ramune (Japanese soda)-flavored candies. On the left are Coris whistle candies, which are a very classic Japanese candy that I’ve had the pleasure of trying before when I was in Japan. If you put your lips around the outside of the Lifesaver-shaped candy and blow through the hole, they whistle! The little box contains a random toy, too.

On the right are Morinaga pineapple ramune candies. I love how the package is shaped like a traditional ramune bottle! I don’t think I’ve ever had pineapple ramune before, so I’m very interested to see what these taste like.

Now this interesting, tongue-like snack had me a little perplexed at first until I realized it was meant to look like grilled eel! According to the OyatsuBox pamphlet, it’s made out of dried code and and has a grilled eel flavor. It’s also a common snack found all over Japan, so I’m rather surprised I’ve never tried it! I’m not a huge grilled eel fan, so that might be why…

This candy, on the other hand, is one I immediately wanted to try! I’m a huge mochi (sweet rice cake) fan, so it’s been really tough keeping myself from eating this Yaokin chocolate-covered mochi pie all up before filming the Apricotsushi Samples video! I just love the cute illustration of a pink rabbit pounding mochi on the wrapper. The rabbit pounding mochi is an iconic symbol in Japan (and Korea, I’ve recently learned), as instead of seeing a man in the moon like us westerners, the Japanese see a rabbit pounding mochi!

These Umaibo snacks are a colorful, iconic Japanese treat that I’m embarassed to say I’ve never tried, so I’m definitely happy to finally have to chance! OyatsuBox introduced subscribers to Umaibo last month, and is including two new flavors this month – tonkatsu (blue) and takoyaki (red). I love how they keep track of what they’ve sent and send thoughtful “follow-ups” in subsequent months.

Next is another item I was excited to try from the moment I saw it. For those of you familiar with the fruit, it’s clear from the packaging that this candy is lychee flavored, but more specifically, it’s salted lychee-flavored gum! How intriguing! I imagine the idea of pairing salt and fruit might scare away some, but I’m already a fan of salted watermelon, so I’m definitely excited at the prospect of salted lychee. Unfortunately I don’t really eat a lot of gum, but I’m still interested to try this one out.

Here’s another popular Japanese candy – the good old Crunky bar. It’s basically just a chocolate bar with malt crunch bits inside, much like a Crunch bar. In this case, however, this Crunky bar is matcha, or green tea, flavored, which should make it a refreshing treat!

Now this traditional snack is called Dondon-yaki, named after the regional cuisine that is popular in the Tohoku region. Regular dondon-yaki is okonomiyaki that is wrapped around a stick, and this snack supposedly replicates the experience. I believe the images on the package are referencing the New Year’s fire festival of a similar sounding-name to the snack, Dondo Yaki, but if anyone else has a better idea, please let me know! It could very well just be a generic festival scene since dondon-yaki is a popular festival food, but I like the fact that it may be a play on the festival’s name, as well. I’ve never had real dondon-yaki, so I won’t be able to speak to how authentic this snack is, but I’ll give it a shot none the less.

Here’s yet another snack based on a traditional Japanese food! This one’s called Guruguru Monja, which is a snack version of monja-yaki, or simply monja. Monja is another food I’ve not had the pleasure to try, but Google tells me it is very similar to okonomiyaki, but with a runnier batter and finer-chopped ingredients. This snack appears to be instant monja, as you add water much like you would to instant ramen noodles. I love the little kid on the package!

This Wata Pachi melon soda candy had the craziest packaging out of the whole bunch, so I just had to save it for last! I just love the crazy frog thing and all the little guys running around on the package. For those familiar with Pop Rocks, this Wata Pachi is very similar, except it mixes the popping rock candy with cotton candy for what I can only imagine is a very interesting combination.

I just couldn’t resist the opportunity to add a close-up of the funny characters on the package. Are they supposed to be anthropomorphic glasses of melon soda? Whatever they are, they’re adorable!

If this isn’t an impressive array of snacks and candy, I don’t know what is! The OyatsuBox subscription service is a great deal for so many goodies at only $25, and they even offer the ability to cancel your subscription at any time. I had a peek at Yummy Unchi’s review of February’s OyatsuBox, and I do have to note that it’s a shame they didn’t include any character snacks or “limited edition” goodies like they did last month. I know Family Mart is currently doing a Hatsune Miku campaign that includes some specially-packaged items such as Look chocolate, so it would be nice to see them include at least one item like that every month. This is a small quibble, however, as overall I am absolutely thrilled with the selection of snacks I received! If you’re a Japanese snack fan, I definitely suggest giving OyatsuBox a try!

Note: OyatsuBox sent me a sample box for the purpose of this review. I am also an Oyatsu Cafe affiliate, but that did not influence my impression of their service or this review in any way. If you’d like to support more articles like this on Chic Pixel, please consider purchasing your Japanese snacks using my affiliate links! 

Japan Envy: Avalanche of Pokémon Battle Trozei Merchandise

Whether you call it Pokémon Battle Trozei or Pokémon Link: Battle!, there’s no denying that the eShop-exclusive match three game’s announcement back in February came as a bit of a surprise. The game’s sudden announcement and its subsequent release in all territories just a month later left this Pokémon-obsessed gal assuming that Pokémon Battle Trozei would be left to die much like poor Pokémon Rumble U. But low and behold, the Japanese release of the game has brought an onslaught of exclusive merchandise, including not one, but two 3DS XLs!

The first item revealed was this lovely white limited edition 3DS XL. It won’t be available at retail, though – it’s a prize for a contest only available to memebers of the Pokémon Daisuki club. If you happen to be a member, you need to watch three videos between March 28th and April 18th and send in your guess of how many different Pokémon icons appear at the end of the videos to be entered in the drawing. There will only be two winners, but 30 runners up will get a cute set of two sticker sheets, which will also be going on sale at the end of April.

A second Pokémon Battle Trozei 3DS XL was revealed in the Japanese children’s magazine Coro Coro, but this one will also be extremely limited – only five readers who send in entries will be selected to win the lottery. In the bottom right corner of the above image it says there are only 5 of these 3DS’s in the world, so it’s probably safe to say we won’t be seeing them elsewhere.

In slightly more accessible Pokémon Battle Trozei merchandise news, Pokémon Centers across Japan are holding a lottery for a slew of adorable limited edition merchandise until April 6th. Anyone who buy the game on their 3DS while in the store will get a voucher for one prize, and after that subsequent entries can be acquired for every 3,000 yen, or $30, spent in the store. Just like the Hatsune Miku lottery event I covered a few days ago, everyone is guaranteed a prize with every entry. Let’s take a look at what’s available to win:

The “lowest” tier of items are Pokémon Battle Trozei postcards, of which there are five designs. Those who draw number 4 will be able to pick one of the five. 

The number 3 prize consists of three different sticker sheets, of which the winner can choose one.

The number 2 prize will win participants one of three different pencil cases. I wouldn’t be able to decide between the first two!

The number 4 prize is this adorable mug – winners can choose either the white or the yellow design. I don’t normally like yellow very much, but I think I prefer that one, personally.

Finally, the “special” prize, which I’m assuming is the most rare, is this very cool 65 cm by 45 cm pillow.

Unlike the Hatsune Miku lottery, the price of entry to this lottery is pretty high, but it’s great that they give people who download the game a free go. While once probably isn’t enough to win the pillow or mug, I wouldn’t mind a free postcard or sticker sheet, personally!

Unfortunately, the chances of any of us outside of Japan getting our hands on any Pokémon Battle Trozei merchandise is quite slim. Here’s hoping Nintendo decides to do at least a little something for the North American release on the 20th!

Dating Sim Community Game-Along Roundup #2

We’re well into the Monster Hunter 10th Anniversary Community Game-Along, but there’s still some content from last month’s dating sim event to catch up on! Interest did seem to drop off towards the second half of the month, both in the NeoGAF thread and content produced, but there are still plenty of articles worth sharing. I contributed a dating sim-themed podcast featuring Amanda Cosmos earlier in the month, so be sure to give that a listen if you haven’t already!

No context necessary #DatingSiMonth pic.twitter.com/X4xDReDcuF
— Badr Alomair (@BadoorSNK) February 19, 2014

First, Pete Davison continued his dating sim game picks for his weekly column JPgamer at USGamer with Kira Kira and Go! Go! Nippon. Kira Kira is a character-driven visual novel that Pete describes as a “good, accessible example of how games like this can tackle some significant narrative challenges and tell a compelling, convincing and believable story about some very normal characters” that also happens to have some romance themes. Go! Go! Nippon, on the other hand, is both a dating sim and an interactive guide to Japan, and even offers text in both English in Japanese for language learners. The game was recently made available on Steam, making it one of the more accessible titles covered for Dating Sim Month, and sounds like a great choice for a heterosexual otaku (or, at least, someone who doesn’t mind playing a game clearly aimed at the heterosexual otaku demographic) looking to brush up on their knowledge of Japan.

Tried DreamClub thanks to PS+ & I liked it. Maybe I should’ve played that for #DatingSiMonth instead of Sweet Fuse 😛 pic.twitter.com/i6EeoLJhSw
— Wassim Forrester (@Soulhouf) February 26, 2014

Meanwhile, Bryan over at The Gay Gamer has been chronicling his journey through Sweet Fuse: At Your Side, culminating with his Great Gaymathon review of the 2013 PSP otome game. Sweet Fuse is usually the first otome game I recommend to folks interested in trying out the genre, so I was very interested to hear how it stacked up for him. Overall, his impressions are very positive, but he does lament that the romance visual novel staple of choosing the correct options in order to get the romance desired is more obtuse than it should be. If you’re at all interested in giving the game a try, his review is definitely worth checking out!

All CGs! Loved Sweet Fuse. All the characters were diverse but still likeable. My fav otome game! #DatingSiMonth pic.twitter.com/llofI9kx5Y
— Ru Yi (@Westraid) February 27, 2014

Patrick over at Nintendo Everything wrote a brilliant, insightful piece about LovePlus, that notorious “hella heteronormative ‘girlfriend simulator'” for the Nintendo DS (note to self: make opportunities to use the phrase “hella heteronormative” more often). Not only does he describe the game’s systems in great depth, but he talks at length at exactly how the game goes about creating an interactive romance simulation, concluding, “if the game has the potential to make players approach actual relationships with more care and respect, I think that’s a really positive thing.” Even if you’re not interested in playing LovePlus, Patrick’s article is a must read, as it touches on themes that are applicable to all games in the genre.

Finally, Brian Clark tries his hand at his very first dating sim: Sakura Taisen! While the first few chapters dragged on for him, he claims that the game’s overall polished presentation and combination of simulation and SRPG elements were what managed to hook him in the end. Unfortunately the game is only available in Japanese, but Brian’s article does a great job of providing a nice overview of the game for those who want to know more but aren’t planning on springing for a copy.

Spent my last night of #DatingSiMonth with Kent and his buckles #Amnesia pic.twitter.com/H6SJJpCev1
— Anne Fujosushi Lee (@apricotsushi) February 28, 2014

I’d like to give a huge thanks to everyone who participated in the Dating Sim Community Game-Along during the month of February! The month may be over, but that doesn’t mean you should stop seeking out and playing these awesome dating sims! Hopefully this and the first roundup post will provide some good suggestions for future games to add to your library. And if you’re looking to continue with the Game-Along fun, be sure to join in on this month’s Monster Hunter Game-Along!

Japan Envy: 2014 Spring Good Smile Kuji Merchandise

I don’t know about you, but my jealousy towards Japan comes in waves. During certain months it seems as though there’s practically nothing swoon-worthy in the way of limited or exclusive merchandise that makes me curse the day I chose to move to Australia over Japan, while other seasons make it impossible to ignore all of the awesome-looking collaborations and campaigns. This is probably related more to how often I seek out such things than the actual frequency of which they occur, but this year there seems to be something special about spring…

Now that I’ve finally had my “Miku fan” switch turned on, I have the potential to be exposed to approximately 150% more adorable campaigns and tie-in merchandise than ever before, which, as you can probably imagine, is great for me, but horrible for my wallet. Today I’d like to talk about one such recurring event that I only became aware of recently: the Good Smile Kuji. 
You may recall that Good Smile Company does a lot of figures and are well-known for their Nendoroid and figma lines. In addition, they make countless character goods, and twice a year they hold a “kuji,” or lottery, for Vocaloid fans to try their hand at winning a number of adorable items, including some exclusive figures. This spring’s lottery starts on Saturday, March 8th at 6 pm at Family Mart and Tsutaya stores around Japan, and is chock full with awesome looking prizes: 
Graphic ABS figures – 6 designs
Vinyl bag and charm set – 4 types 
Rice bowl set – 4 types 
The first and greatest thing about the Good Smile Kuji that you need to know is that you’ll win a prize for every ticket you buy. For a mere 762 yen plus tax (approximately $8), participants are guaranteed one of these items! Purchasing a ticket gives you the chance to stick your hand in a box and pull out a slip of paper that will have the a letter from A to H written on it. These letters correspond with which prize you’ll get! For letters like the ones pictured above, you’ll only be able to choose one design out of all of the available options per ticket. 
Design tote bags – 2 types
Family Mart designs pictures on left, Tsutaya on right
Tulip piggy bank – Rin-chan version and Ren-kun version
(2 types)
Nap set (neck pillow and eye mask)
Here are the next three prizes, thus concluding the “less exciting” tier of items. I would say “less rare” because I assume they will be much more common than the limited edition figures coming up, but I have absolutely no idea what the win ratio for any of these might be. I’m going to assume the graphic ABS figures (H) will be the most common since there are so many of them – that way people will at least be able to pick different designs when they get duplicates. 
It’s interesting to note that the design tote bags (E) are the only ones that will be different depending on whether you go to Family Mart (a convenience store) or Tsutaya (a film/music/game rental store). Based on the designs shown, which store would you head to? 
Hatsune Miku school uniform version figma
Hatsune Miku school uniform version Nendoroid

Now for the big ticket items! (I’m not going to apologize for that expertly-played pun) Considering the A prize is the Nendoroid and not the figma, I’m going to guess that that’s the rarest item. They’re both pretty adorable, don’t you think? Though Hatsune Miku has been made into numerous figmas and Nendoroids, the various details such as her glasses and headphones make these two pretty unique. But that’s not all… 
Hatsune Miku school uniform special color version Nendoroid

One lucky person at each store will win this alternate Hatsune Miku school uniform version Nendoroid! To get your hands on one, you have to be the very last person to purchase a lottery ticket at a participating Family Marts or Tsutaya. Which do you prefer, this or the regular color? 
Finally, those who purchase 5 tickets will be entered into what I suppose is considered the real “lottery.” The prize is a special tapestry illustrated by KEI, which will be given to only 390 people in the whole country. I suppose it’s safe to guess that it will feature school uniform Miku in some form, too? The below image by KEI is the inspiration behind the school uniform Miku line and is also being used to promote the kuji event as well as the Miku Loves Family Mart 3rd Campaign: Fun Spring Music Festival (wow that’s a mouthful), so I bet we’ll be seeing a variation of the same illustration on the tapestry, too.  
I have to say, if I were to enter this lottery, I’d actually be pretty happy with any of the items! My least favorites are the graphic ABS figure and the nap set, but they’re not exactly bad, and I’d be pretty stoked to win any of the other prizes. If I had to pick a “must-have,” it would definitely be the rice bowls, tote bags, and, of course, the Nendoroid. She even comes with a little piano! 
Sadly, the likelihood that I’ll ever get my hands on most of these items is probably pretty slim. Luckily for folks like me, though, many resellers will be pawning off the Good Smile Kuji merchandise in the upcoming weeks, months, and even years! But be careful – the figures, in particular, will go for insane prices at first, but they should settle down to something more reasonable in the upcoming months. I wonder if I’ll still be pining away over the school uniform Miku by then! 
Bonus: It’s only vaguely related, but this illustration and logo for the Family Mart x Hatsune Miku Menu Development Project kills me: 

Japan Envy: Monster Hunter 10th Anniversary Goods

Considering Monster Hunter is one of the biggest game franchises in Japan, it should come as no surprise that Capcom would want to celebrate the series’ 10th anniversary this month with some special collaborations! It just so happens that I also picked the month of March to do a Monster Hunter Community Game-Along, so what better time to drool over some exclusive Japan-only Monster Hunter goodies? 

 

Of course, the biggest 10th anniversary event is, without a doubt, the Monster Hunter the REAL installation at Universal Studios Japan, which features “life”-size versions of the iconic monsters from the series. If you’re lucky enough to be in Osaka from February 1st to May 11th, then you may privy to some of these cool/adorable sights: 
A dapper, life-size Felyne! 
Such a detailed costume! 
Tigrex covered in snow! 
Of course, they’ve also got a tasty-looking Felyne treat: 
Felyne nikuman (steamed meat bun)!
There will also be a variety of limited edition goods that only those who attend the event at USJ will be able to purchase, such as a backpack designed to look like Monster Hunter 4‘s new insect rod, Felyne chocolates, and an adorable Felyne statue. You can view all the items in the collection at the official website! 
Perhaps even more interesting than the limited Universal Studios Japan items, though, are the Monster Hunter-themed food products that will be gracing the shelves of regular convenience stores. Check these out: 

First are these Monster Hunter-themed Bikkuriman Chocolates! Not only do the packages have a great design, but they come with one of 24 different Monster Hunter stickers for devout fans to collect. The chocolates go on sale on March 25th, and I know I’d love to get my hands on a couple!

Next are a whole slew of special Dodekamin Great energy drinks! The contents aren’t any different than usual, but there are certainly tons of designs to collect! I’m definitely partial to the Felyne designs, of which they are four – one side features a cartoon-y illustration, while the other a more “realistic” Felyne. The 10 game designs below, however, feature a different monster to celebrate each different game released over the series’ 10 year history! Pretty cool, but that’s a lot of Dodekamin Great to drink if you want to collect one of each design! These drinks will be debuting on March 18th. 
There are many more collaborative items I haven’t even begun to cover, like these Monster Hunter gummies, so if you like to torture yourself by looking at things that will never be available outside of Japan like me, head on over to the official Monster Hunter 10th anniversary website! 
I should probably start planning my trips to Japan around these sorts of events… 

Introducing the Monster Hunter 10th Anniversary Community Game-Along!

As another month comes to a close, it’s time to start thinking about next month’s Community Game-Along! March is a bit of a toughie, considering some big releases are coming such as Dark Souls II, Final Fantasy X|X-2 HD, and Deception IV: Blood Ties (okay, that last one’s for me). As such, it was rather difficult to come up with a good theme that people could participate in while still having time to play all the exciting new releases.

After much deliberation and considering your suggestions, I’ve decided to dub March… MonMonth! As you’ve probably already guessed from the title, March will be dedicated to all things Monster Hunter and its clones. Let’s face it, Monster Hunter has proved to be so popular, particularly in Japan, that it has pretty much become its own genre of games. Rather than limit the month to specifically Monster Hunter games, especially considering how notoriously difficult the series is for newcomers, I’ve decided the best way to celebrate would be with any Monster Hunter-like titles. And did you know March 11th also happens to be the 10th anniversary of the original Monster Hunter for the PlayStation 2? Good timing, eh? (I swear it was all according to plan)

If you’re scratching your head for ideas of what to play, here are a few places to get started:

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (3DS, Wii U) – The most obvious pick, Monster Hunter 3U is the latest Monster Hunter game to come out in English, and the Wii U version even supports online play for hunting with friends all over the world. Whether you’re new to the series or looking to raise your hunter rank a few levels, this is a great place to start. Those who speak Japanese and/or want to be on the cutting edge should definitely check out Monster Hunter 4, as it’s the first portable Monster Hunter game to have solid online connectivity. If you’ve always wanted to try a Monster Hunter game but have always been too intimidated to dive in, I highly suggest picking up Culty’s Monster Hunter Beginner’s Guide!

Don’t forget to check out MyFairHunter.com for some great gameplay videos and tips!
(source)

Toukiden: The Age of Demons (PS Vita) – If you want to be on the cutting edge of the English release side of the gaming spectrum, look no further than Toukiden. This feudal Japanese monster hunting game only just came out on February 11th and has been met with a very positive reception so far. If Monster Hunter is too intimidating, this would be a great place to start, especially considering the online multiplayer should still be bustling throughout March. It’s also worth noting that the game has a robust demo available, and save data transfers over to the full version, so it’s a great way to check the game out before committing to a purchase.

Soul Sacrifice (PS Vita) – Soul Sacrifice is Keiji Inafune’s attempt to get a piece of the Monster Hunter pie, but it manages to set itself apart in a number of ways. The game’s aesthetic is much darker than its hunting brethren, and it has both a unique magic system and a save vs. sacrifice mechanic that effects your character’s growth as well as appearance. Like Toukiden, Soul Sacrifice has a free demo available that provides a good 5+ hours of gameplay, and save data is compatible with the full version of the game. If you’re lucky and have a PS+ account, you may even already have a copy of this one! In addition, the game’s sequel, Soul Sacrifice Delta, will be launching in Japan during MonMonth, making a it a timely release to pick up if you want the latest and greatest.

Ragnarok Odyssey (PS Vita) – Without a doubt, Ragnarok Odyssey is the anime-ified cousin of the Monster Hunter series. While Toukiden is steeped in Japanese lore and Soul Sacrifice goes for a dark, almost gruesome look, Ragnarok Odyssey is all about bright, colorful, fantasy anime worlds. It also happens to be on sale on the North American PSN store until Monday, March 3rd, so for $20 or less you too could jump in on the MonMonth festivities. The only thing to keep in mind with this one is that an updated version, Ragnarok Odyssey ACE, will be coming out on April 1st, but luckily save data from Ragnarok Odyssey does transfer over to ACE. Fans of colorful games and juggling enemies may want to check this one out.

The great thing about Monster Hunter games and their brethren is that you really don’t have to “complete” them to get the full experience, which is why I think they’ll be great for such a busy gaming month. This will also be the first month where participants can actually play the Game-Along titles with one another, which should make it even more fun than previous Community Game-Alongs!

UPDATE: I’ve made a Google Doc for folks to add their Friend Codes and IDs to to facilitate multiplayer sessions, so be sure to add yours to that if you’d like to participate!

As always, the aim of the Game-Along is to play games within the theme and talk/write about them, so be sure to utilize #MonMonth on whatever social media (Twitter, Instagram) you like to use! We’ll also be using #MonMonth to organize multiplayer gaming sessions, and I hope to see a lot of folks trying out some games for the first time and writing about their experiences! I’ll be doing two roundup posts of articles and content created over the month, so be sure to put your contributions where I can see it if you want it included. If anyone is interested in helping me with a NeoGAF thread for the month, please get in touch with me in the comments.

So what are you waiting for? Pick out a title or two and get ready – the hunt commences March 1st!

Dating Sim Community Game-Along Roundup #1

When I decided February’s Community Game-Along should be all about romance and dating sims, I had absolutely no idea whether it would be as big a hit as January’s Falcom theme. Imagine my surprise when it quickly turned out to be vastly more popular than its predecessor! The combination of some friends in high places helping me get the word out more and what I assume to be the gaming community’s skeptical fascination with dating sims in general has really helped lots of folks jump into the genre over the past couple weeks. And honestly, that’s all I ever wanted to achieve with these Community Game-Alongs, so I’m really glad to see people enjoying them!

“I funded this theme park with all that Mighty No 9 Kickstarter money. Ha suckers” #DatingSiMonth http://t.co/BZHjReCKEV
— Badr Alomair (@BadoorSNK) February 4, 2014

First of all, I need to give a massive shout out to my buddy Elliot Gay, who was kind enough to start a Dating Sim Month thread on NeoGAF! Since I’m still only a junior member (what can I say, I never post!), I’m not able to make threads of my own, so I would’ve never been able to have one without his help! It’s a great place to interact with other participants if you prefer doing so in a forum setting. While folks seemed really excited to join in when it was first announced, things have slowed down significantly in the past week or so, so I hope that doesn’t mean interest is waning…

The Dating Sim Community Game-Along was also picked up by Chic Pixel friend and prolific writer Pete Davison. He’s been dedicating his weekly JPGamer column over at USGamer.net to dating sims, which has done wonders for getting the word out about some niche titles available in English, as well as this event in general! His first installment focuses on Aselia: The Eternal and comes with a great introduction to the term “dating sim” and all the nuances that surround it. Aselia: The Eternal is unique in that it combines RPG battles and traditional romance visual novel gameplay, making it a more interactive experience than many other dating sims currently available in English. The second game he covers, Magical Diary, however, is an otome game by a western developer, which is something we haven’t seen many participants tackle so far.

“Magical Diary really highlights one of the best things about dating sims and relationship-centric visual novels: the fact that the relative lack of other ‘gameplay,’ for want of a better term, allows developers and writers to focus on exploring characters in an extremely in-depth manner, both as individuals and as parts of a relationship.” – Pete Davison, JPGamer: Dating Sim Month: Magical Diary 

I believe this is the first time we’ve had video submissions, as well – Tobiichi Karlsson has done a series of Let’s Play videos of the Japanese PSone game Magical Date! She chronicles the entire playthough in four videos, which are definitely worth a watch just to see all the weird mini-games.

I was unaware that Snake was in Sakura Wars 3. What a pleasant surprise! #DatingSiMonth pic.twitter.com/8BZeh18i4D
— Elliot Gay (@RyougaSaotome) February 3, 2014

But that’s not the end of the dating sim video content – Pete dives head on into the Love Plus fan translation, and put his adventures up on YouTube for all to see.

Marcus over at Pixel Pacas also did a news piece about this little shindig. Thanks, Marcus!

Falcom Month contributor Davzz returns with a very interesting niche pick, Mujintō Monogatari R for the Sega Saturn! This bishojō game finds the male player character stranded on a tropical island with, you guessed it, a bunch of cute high school girls. The game is unique in that it actually has you managing your party members and scraping to survive by scrounging for food and attempting to be rescued while at the same time trying to woo the ladies. What is even more interesting, as Davzz notes, is that the game actually had male romance routes in the original PC version, but they were removed for the Saturn port. It’s very rare to find a bishojō game with male suitors!

Kamion over at Gaoism decided to join in the fun, and her first game for the month is an odd little otome title called Otometeki Koi Kakumei★Love Revo!. The whacky and rather offensive game’s premise revolves around, if you can believe it, losing weight to get the guy of your dreams. I actually have a copy of this on the PS2, and am considering popping it in for this month’s festivities… if I can stomach it!

So much fluffiness (´∀｀) Well, first route cleared, time to go after the tsundere brother #猛獣使いと王子様 #DatingSiMonth pic.twitter.com/BEOCrmWyZM
— エクセレン (@_Exelen) February 2, 2014

While I had a rather bad track record during Falcom Month (just organizing is a lot of work, you know!), I’ve already made my first submission to Dating Sim Month in the form of a podcast with the lovely Amanda Cosmos! Be sure to give it a listen if you are at all interested in dating sims aimed at a female audience. In a related piece, Amanda gives a great introduction to otome games, starting with the origins of the genre, on her own blog. It’s definitely worth checking out if you’re new to the genre!

Finally, Kerry Brunskill, aka Kimimi, wrote a very interesting piece for Push Square regarding her feelings playing Mōjūtsukai to Ōjisama and how nice it felt to be catered towards as a female gamer for once. I definitely would like to see more posts like this that explore how playing dating sims (and romance sims, visual novels, etc. etc.) make people feel!

“As someone’s who’s trained herself to sharp-elbow her way into a hobby that can be unwelcoming and in some cases downright threatening to anyone that’s not part of the perceived ‘norm’, it’s a strangely novel feeling to come across a series that’s actively pursuing me as a consumer.” – Kerry Brunskill, Soapbox: How a Niche PS Vita Exclusive Made Me Feel Wanted

Check out Voltage otome games. ♡♡ We have new episodes & discounts during #DatingSiMonth! ♡♡♡ https://t.co/flFzAitJ1q pic.twitter.com/G1AaAUGkQa
— Voltage Ent. (@VoltageRomance) February 4, 2014

As always, I’m sorry I can’t include every tweet or forum post! If I’ve missed your article, though, please let me know and I’ll be sure to include it in the next one. For future Community Game-Alongs, I may stick to a bi-monthly roundup schedule, as keeping to weekly roundups proved a little too tall of an order for me. But if you have a preference, please let me know so I can consider it for next month! Also, it may seem early, but I’m already starting to think about next month’s theme, so feel free to shoot me any theme ideas. But I’m getting ahead of myself – let’s be sure to end Dating Sim Month with a bang!