Author: Anne Lee

Introducing the 2013 Beat the Backlog Club

Confession: I buy a lot of games. Okay, you all probably knew that already, but it’s time for me to own up to my massive, unwieldily backlog. Well, that day – I mean, year – has finally come, and I’m going to invite all of you to join in my pain plan! The task, should you choose to accept it? Play (and beat, if possible) one game from your backlog every month for the entirety of 2013.

Year of the snake, year of the backlog! (source)
I figure the only way I’ll ever really make a dent in my overflowing collection of games is to buckle down and force myself to play things, so that’s going to be the ongoing theme of 2013. “2013: Year of the Backlog” has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? Of course, you don’t have to literally join me, you could do so in spirit or just follow along as I chronicle my journey and laugh as I try to cram a 20+ hour game into the last weekend of every month (I’m going to pray, for my sanity, that it doesn’t come to this). But, if you’re a fellow game hoarder and have a looming backlog you’d like to conquer, by all means, make it your goal to play at least one of them! The more the merrier! It is a club, after all. (Speaking of which, my friend and fellow blogger The Gay Gamer unwittingly pledged his membership with his recent “Bye-bye backlog” post, so we’re already at a whopping two members) 
There will be just a few (loose) rules: 
1) Each month you must start a new game
2) The game must be one you already own
3) Play as much of the game as you want during the month, but try to push yourself to beat it! 
4) Share your attempts to clear your backlog with others! This can be on social media outlets (Twitter, Facebook), your own personal blog, or in the comments here! 
That’s it! Easy, eh? I really want this challenge to be a fun way for everyone to knock a few games off our backlogs without feeling pressured to reach any certain goals. I plan on writing weekly update posts to keep myself honest about my progress, so I encourage anyone who’s interested in giving the Beat the Backlog Club (or BBC, for short!) a go to comment with your own progress when those posts go live. 
And if you think 12 months sounds a little too overwhelming, why not just start with one and see how it goes? The most important thing is to have fun – I know I won’t be losing (too much) sleep over it if don’t make my monthly goal.

Just a small sample of games I own but haven’t played.
Most of the Wii games were acquired during my trip to the US. 
But a backlog-beating plan isn’t anything without a list of potential game candidates, right? Luckily, I’ve come prepared! Here’s just a sample of some of the games I’m thinking of tackling over the course of the year: Harvest Moon: A New Beginning 3D, Sin & Punishment: Star Successor, Rune Factory Frontier, Ghost Trick, Nier, The Last Story, Muramasa: Demon Blade, Gravity Rush, Fossil Fighters, Atelier Annie, Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love, and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. 
You know what? That looks downright daunting. Some of these games may just be too long to even attempt to complete in a month, so this list is definitely not set in stone. If anyone has any suggestions as to which of these might be most doable in month (I’m thinking ~20 hours long), please let me know in the comments! 
But since it’s already mid-January, I’ve already gotten started on this month’s backlog pick: The Legendary Starfy! Okay, I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking you heard me talk about attempting to beat Starfy before, right? Well I did, and just recently, at that! Unfortunately I found myself overwhelmed by other things over the holiday break and didn’t even really attempt to play it or Ghost Trick and Atelier Annie as was originally planned, hence why they’re now on this list. I hope I have enough motivation to make it through them during this challenge! 
So, who’s with me? I know it’s a little late in January already to start playing a game, so if you’re interested in joining in, how about choosing a game you played for a while but never got around to beating? Look forward to an update from me next Monday, and happy gaming!
“Play those games! That’s an order!” 

2012 Year in Review: My 5 Favorite Games

I’ve never been that fond of Game of the Year lists; I find that the vast majority of gamers and gaming outlets tend to focus on the same popular titles that, in all honesty, I have absolutely no interest in. On the other hand, some people out there do have good taste, as is evident by Journey receiving a slew of GotY praise, so not all hope is lost… and I can definitely understand the appeal of rounding up one’s favorite games from any given year for the sake of comparison, so to that end I’ll be joining the bandwagon (albiet rather late) by naming my five favorite games of 2012. But don’t expect any Walking Dead or Mass Effect 3… This is Chic Pixel, after all!

A quick caveat before I continue: This list, of course, only contains games I’ve actually played. There are probably many more titles I’d probably consider including if I’d had the opportunity to play them over the course of the year! 

Also, I have to give props to Tiny Cartridge for inspiring me to add silly gifs (when available) for my picks. I take no credit for the idea! 

Pandora’s Tower
I really hesitated putting this on my list since it only came out in Japan and PAL territories, but it was by far one of my favorite games of the year, so I’ll make an exception. The story, which really only focuses on three characters and centers around the relationship between the protagonist Aeron and his cursed love interest Elena, is a breath of fresh air from epic RPGs spanning continents and have dozens of people to keep track of. Gameplay, while occasionally hair-pullingly frustrating (particularly the boss battles), makes great use of the Wii’s motion controls for Aeron’s chain-whip weapon, which is both used to fight enemies and traverse through the environments. Add in the fact that there are even some mild dating sim elements that had me raising Aeron and Elena’s affection levels in order to unlock a variety of endings, and I can confidently say that Pandora’s Tower will go down as one of my favorite action-RPGs of this generation.

This gif never gets old (source)

Style Savvy: Trendsetters
Oh, Style Savvy: Trendsetters. I may have only started playing this game mid-December, but it quickly rose to the top of the 2012 release pile. Who ever thought a fashion game could be so fun? Style Savvy: Trendsetters is a beautifully polished game with a wide range of customization options that will delight any aspiring fashionista or fashion-conscious nerd (that would be me), but it also injects a healthy amount of shop management into the mix to keep prolonged gameplay compelling. Not only that, but the localization is surprisingly good, and I found myself laughing out loud on more than one occasion! Style Savvy: Trendsetters may not be an epic RPG or artsy social commentary, but it’s chock full of content and by far one of the most fun games I played all year. Really, what’s more satisfying than convincing a customer to buy a horribly ugly outfit that just about breaks their budget? (What? That’s how it’s meant to be played, right?)

Journey
When I first played Journey for review earlier this year, I started out very skeptical. Early reviews applauded it as this mind-blowing experience, but when I got to the part about it being only two hours long, I just couldn’t believe it. How could a two-hour game change anyone’s life? Well, after giving the game a go, I can definitively say it has not changed my life in any way, but it has definitely opened my eyes to the impact a succinct, purpose-driven experience can be. Countless articles have been written about Journey already, so I don’t feel the need to ramble on about this particular pick, but suffice it to say I’ve played through the game three times, got my white cloak and first platinum trophy (okay, it’s not that hard), and cried every single time I’ve reached the summit of the mountain with a companion. Sure, I may be an over-emotional sap at heart, but I think the fact that Journey remains such a compelling, thought-provoking experience even after multiple playthroughs truly speaks to the beauty of the game.

No spoilers here, I just couldn’t resist using this gif

Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward
I was late to the game when it came to 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors, but when I finally played it, it immediately became one of my favorite DS titles. The gripping storyline and intriguing characters kept me right on the edge of my seat all the way to the end, so when I heard there was going to be a sequel, I couldn’t be more excited. Though sequels don’t always improve on the established formula, Virtue’s Last Reward fixes all of the issues I had with the first game while maintaining the same suspenseful story and interesting dialogue that made 999 such a joy to play –– in fact, I may even like Virtue’s Last Reward‘s story more than 999‘s! I certainly wouldn’t complain if we saw more entries in the series (I believe they’re already working on a 3rd game), as I’m confident Chunsoft will be able to up the ante even further in future installments.

Tokyo Jungle 
Tokyo Jungle is, by far, the strangest game I played all year. If you’d told me two years ago that I’d be playing a game in 2012 that involved all manner of animal from Pomeranian to dinosaur running around the streets of a post-apocalyptic Tokyo killing and being killed, I would’ve called you crazy, but I’m happy to say that’s exactly what Tokyo Jungle delivers. It’s certainly not the most polished game on this list, but it wins major points for originality and downright awesomeness of concept, as well as being the most engaging multiplayer game I played in 2012. There’re few things more fun than taking down horses with cats and trying to outrun lions with a troop of beagles, and while the survival mode and its roguelike elements may have gotten slightly repetitive had I played it alone, being able to team up with my husband was an absolute blast. The fact that games like this are still being made gives me hope that there will always be a place for weird and whacky titles alongside the Call of Dutys and Halos of the world.

And with that, I can say I’ve officially brought 2012 to an end! Though I can’t speak for the more “mainstream” crowd, fans of the niche and odd really had a great selection of titles over the course of the year. Of course, if my “12 Games I Still Need to Play from 2012” list is any indication, there’s still a lot left for me to play! Thanks for sticking with me and putting up with my weirdness over the course of the year, and here’s to a grand new year filled with blogging, video games, and manga! (hopefully a little more manga)

Feel free to weigh in on what you think of my picks from 2012, but keep in mind that I am Very Serious about this topic and will not accept any opinions that are different from my own! Just kidding.

A glimpse into my (random) Pokémon collection

Though I have a few other posts currently in the works (including my much-overdue best of 2012 list), yesterday’s Pokémon X/Y announcement seemed like the perfect opportunity to whip up another Pokémon goods-related post. This time, however, I won’t be gushing over items I don’t have, but things from my collection found during my recent trip to my parents’ house in the US! 

First up is an adorable mini playing card set that came free with a Japanese monthly manga magazine aimed at young girls called Ciao. As you can see, it’s actually for a series called Pi Pi Pi Adventure, better known as Magical Pokémon Journey in the west. I know next to nothing about the series, but I was lucky enough to receive these cards from a friend of my host mom who knew I liked Pokémon. Even though the stamps on the box “ruin” it from a collector’s point of view, I love the fact that it was an unwanted item that found a new home with me.

The box is very cute, but the images on the cards themselves just might be cuter:

backs of the cards

I think all of the characters shown on the cards are not random, but actual characters from the manga… Too bad I don’t know more about it!

Next up is perhaps one of the coolest random gifts my mom has ever gotten me:

That’s right, a remote-controlled Pikachu car! I’m happy to report that it still works after many years of sitting in a box!

I’ll tell you, I’m not one for remote-controlled gadgets, but it’s a surprising amount of fun to watch a teeny-tiny Pikachu car zoom around the kitchen table. Now, if they made a real car that just looked like it… 
It’s always quite the adventure to go through my things, and such a pleasant surprise to come up with a few old gems! Now I’m definitely in the mood for Pokémon X/Y‘s upcoming release this October… 

Announcing the winners of the 2nd Annual Holiday Giveaway!

I hope you all can forgive the horrible delay in my posting the winners of Chic Pixel’s 2nd Annual Holiday Giveaway, but better late than never, right? Let me tell you, jet lag is a killer!

Well, without further ado, here are the winners as determined by the powers of Random.org:

Puyo Puyo!! 20th Anniversary:
#9 – The Gay Gamer!

Manga: An Anthology of Global and Cultural Perspectives:
#2 – JRPG Club!

Thanks so much to everyone who entered, and congratulations to the winners! There were 14 entries for Puyo Puyo!! versus a mere 6 for Manga. I wish I could afford to give everyone a prize, but alas, that’s all I have for this particular giveaway. As a shameless plug, I will actually be giving out a few more odds and ends on my Twitter account over the next couple of days, so if you’re not following me already (@apricotsushi), please consider doing so!

12 Games I Still Need to Play from 2012

As we near the end of the year (some of you will already be in it by the time this post goes live), many gamers use their precious holiday vacation to reflect on the best titles they’ve played over the past 12 months and rush to complete a few last games before the clock strikes 12 on New Year’s Eve. I, of course, have been doing that as well, but I’ve also become acutely aware of just how many games from 2012 I’ve yet to play. It’s downright overwhelming! As such, I decided to whittle them down to an apt 12 personal must-play games from 2012, along with whether or not I own my picks and how likely I am to play them in 2013. So, without further ado, here are 12 games from 2012 that I have yet to play:

Gravity Rush
In possession: Yes
Likelihood I’ll play it in 2013: High

Considering virtually everyone I know who’s played Gravity Rush has raved about it to the point of dubbing it a “must-play” for all PS Vita owners, it’s downright silly that I never got around to it in 2012. In fact, I didn’t even get around to purchasing it, but my PS+ account netted me a free copy just the other month that I’m not only extremely grateful for, but I’ve already gone so far as to download it and play the opening sequence. I fully intended to play it this past month, but unfortunately I just didn’t get around to it, so it’s definitely high on my list for next year!

I love the Kiki’s Delivery Service vibe of this image!

Sine Mora
In possession: Yes
Likelihood I’ll play it in 2013: Medium

I don’t talk about them very often, but I’m actually pretty fond of shmups, with Einhander being among my favorite PSone games. Sine Mora wasn’t very high up on my “to-buy” list, but a recent Steam sale made me cave (darn those good deals!). I doubt I’ll ever beat it since I’m notoriously bad at shmups, but I’ll definitely give the first few levels a go sooner rather than later.

Crimson Shroud
In possession: Yes
Likelihood I’ll play it in 2013: High

I’ve never been one for table-top RPGs, which is what Crimson Shroud is said to pay homage to, but I really like the look of this third game from Level-5’s Guild01 package. Of course, I’m not one to pass up anything by Yasumi Matsuno (though I still haven’t played Tactics Ogre…) and I’ve also heard that this RPG can take less than 10 hours to complete if you don’t get screwed over like one Brad Gallaway when it comes to obtaining certain essential random drops, making it a more doable RPG excursion than, say, another Final Fantasy installment. I’m prepared to give this one a go soon, as I’ve already downloaded it onto my 3DS XL!

The Denpa Men: They Came by Wave
In possession: No
Likelihood I’ll play it in 2013: High

Given that one of my very favorite bloggers, The Gay Gamer, has praised this game inside and out and even named it as his favorite 3DS game of the year, there’s no way I can’t check it out! Luckily The Depna Men looks like it’ll be right up my alley, as it’s an RPG and a cute one, to boot!

Harvest Moon: A New Beginning
In possession: Yes
Likelihood I’ll play it in 2013: Sky high

I kid, but honestly, this is one of the games I was looking forward to the most in 2012, and it’s a near miracle that I haven’t gotten around to it! My mom was sweet enough to preorder me a copy for my birthday, so I even got the adorable plush yak, but I’ve yet to actually crack it open. I’ll chock that up to being a little too preoccupied with Style Savvy Trendsetters this month, but I can guarentee that as soon as I’ve exhausted that, Harvest Moon: A New Beginning will be next!

Persona 4 Golden
In possession: Yes
Likelihood I’ll play it in 2013: High
Can you believe I’ve never played Persona 4? Well, it’s time to remedy that and see what all the talk’s about. Part of me thinks it can’t be as good as everyone says, but how can I pass up a JRPG with dating sim elements? My lovely husband got me a copy of Persona 4 Golden, so there’s no way I can’t play it this year.

Xenoblade Chronicles
In possession: No
Likelihood I’ll play it in 2013: Low

I hate to say I probably won’t get to Xenoblade Chronicles in 2013, but I have to be honest! There’s just no way I’ll be able to get to everything on this list over the course of the year in addition to all of the new things coming out and trying to tick a few offenders off my ever-present backlog. But since it’s considered by many to be one of the best JRPGs of 2012, I have to keep it in mind for an eventual purchase and play.

Kid Icarus: Uprising
In possession: No
Likelihood I’ll play it 2013: Low

Now this is a funny one. I’ve never really been that interested in checking out Kid Icarus: Uprising, and the initial reviews weren’t exceptionally positive, but I’ve heard a lot from people who enjoyed it despite its flaws. Something about its sense of humor looks really fun, too! But again, I’ll be honest… Unless I receive this as a present somewhere down the line, I probably won’t ever get around to buying or playing it.

Binary Domain
In possession: Yes
Likelihood I’ll play it this year: Low/Medium

I did something sneaky when it comes to this one: I tried to convince Shaun he’d like to play it and added it to his Amazon wishlist (with his permission, of course) so that he’d get it for Christmas! Now, before you go and say I’m a horrible person, I must remind you that I do suggest many games to Shaun, and he does usually end up liking them (Theatrhythm comes to mind as one I was particularly successful with). While I do personally want to play this, I may just end up watching him play through it and leave it at that.

Persona 4 Arena
In possession: No
Likelihood I’ll play it in 2013: Low

I certainly don’t feel very happy about the whole region-locking debacle that surrounds Persona 4 Arena, but there’s no denying that it’s a fighting game developed by the same people who made my favorite series of fighters, BlazBlue. If I did ever get Persona 4 Arena, it’d probably be after I got through Persona 4 Golden and Persona 3 Portable anyway, which very likely won’t be until at least the end of 2013. I guess I can scratch this one of my list! It does look gorgeous, though.

Elminage Original
In possession: Yes
Likelihood I’ll play it in 2013: High

Can you belive I won a copy of this harcore dungeon-crawler from The Gay Gamer? I certainly can’t, but I’m overjoyed that I did! As such, I’ll definitely need to play it and post my impressions, though I’m a tad wary considering it is a little notorious for a steep difficulty level and poor English translation. Regardless, I think it will be a really interesting experience.

The Last Story
In possession: Yes
Likelihood I’ll play it in 2013: Medium

Now here’s a game I totally didn’t expect to purchase anytime soon, even though I’ve heard many good things about it. Funnily enough, though, I caught it while it was going for only $8 on Amazon… and how could I pass that up?! Still, I’m on the fence about whether or not I shoud prioritize this one this year. I’m open to suggestions, so if you’ve played it, do try to convice me that it’s worth a shot!

I have no idea who this character is, but now I’m 90% more
interested in The Last Story than I was before (yes, I’m very
shallow)

So, are there any games you missed from 2012 that you want to play? Do you see yourself playing them anytime soon? Looking at this list, I certainly have my work cut out for me!

Three’s no crowd when it comes to a 3DS collection

There’s excessive, and then there’s “I can’t believe you went there” excessive, and I dare say I’ve crossed some boundary of game collection shame with my latest acquisition: yet another 3DS.

Yes, they all travel with me… 

I could give excuses all day as to why I opted to get another 3DS over, say, a certain new Nintendo console, but in the interest of returning to my new copy of Style Savvy: Trendsetters as soon as possible, I’ll keep it short: 1) the Japanese 3DS LL is so nice, it’s hard to go back to an old model North American 3DS when I go to play my other games and 2) the pink x white version is supposedly going to be a limited release in North America, so I wanted to grab the color while it was still available.

So, suffice it to say, I now have three 3DS’s! Will there be a forth in my future? … I certainly hope not, because that would be really excessive, and I probably wouldn’t blog about it even if I did just to maintain a shred of dignity. I will say that though the handheld had a relatively slow start, I’m thoroughly enjoying what the 3DS has to offer now. Between switching back and forth from my copy of Animal Crossing: New Leaf to Style Savvy: Trendsetters, I’ve been keeping myself quite busy over the first week of vacation!

Forgive the cheesy filter, but it’s surprisingly fitting here, don’t you think?

Unfortunately the holiday season has kept me very busy, so I’ll have to cut this post short (don’t worry, Memos from Mamemura will return in January, as I don’t have a way to upload pictures from my SD card here at my parent’s house). I do, however, have one quick question for you all: Do you like “acquisition” posts like these? I recently noticed a comment elsewhere that suggested I was gloating in my Animal Crossing LL post. If anyone ever gets that feeling from anything I write, please inform me, because I really don’t want to come across that way. Perhaps sharing pictures and writing about items you’ve purchased/received can’t help but seem a little like gloating, but I’d like to keep as much of that out of my posts as possible! If it means cutting down on gratuitous photoshoots, I can certainly do that (though I doubt I’ll ever buy another limited edition item like that again, anyway). Please do let me know what you think, and if you don’t like these kind of posts, don’t be shy about speaking up. Thank you!

Oh, one last thing: Don’t forget to enter my holiday giveaway!

Chic Pixel’s 2nd Annual Holiday Giveaway

In honor of the holiday season, I have some exciting news! I have not one, but two awesome prizes to give away to my readers! All you have to do is comment on this post and let me know which prize you’d like to go in the drawing for:

1) A copy of Puyo Puyo!! 20th Anniversary 
This is a Japanese game, so all text is in Japanese, but it should be relatively straightforward if you’re familiar with Puyo Puyo or don’t mind fumbling around until you get the hang of things. Remember, it’s playable on all DS and 3DS models regardless of region (3DS is only region-locked for 3DS games). I absolutely love the Puyo Puyo games and this one is chock-full of content! (not to mention it’s drop-dead adorable)

2) A copy of Manga: An Anthology of Global and Cultural Perspectives
This is a great book for anyone interested in manga from a more academic perspective. Essays cover a wide range of subjects from Osamu Tezuka to Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, but my personal favorite is a piece titled “The ‘Beautiful Boy’ in Japanese Girl’s Manga” by the wonderful Mark McLelland. Please be considerate of others who may wish to use this resource for academic purposes when choosing this option!

The giveaway will be open until January 4th at 9 pm EST, which may sound like a long time, but I’ll be away on vacation until then and won’t be able to send out the prizes any sooner. Sorry!

For an additional entry, tweet about the contest and leave a comment here with a link to your tweet so I know you’ve done so! Participation is open to anyone in the world.

Best of luck to everyone who enters!