Author: Anne

Japan Envy: Animal Crossing: New Leaf Merchandise

 

With the Japanese release of Animal Crossing: New Leaf rapidly approaching, I’m finding my head full of cute, colorful animals and visions of collecting everything from fish to furniture. In honor of its impending release, I decided to round up some of my favorite Animal Crossing: New Leaf merchandise… plus a bonus Style Savvy: Trendsetters crossover! Keep in mind this isn’t an exhaustive list, as there are a ton of newly-added Animal Crossing: New Leaf items on Amazon Japan, so click that link and browse yourself if you can’t get enough from my picks below.

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These 3DS LL covers are drop dead adorable, if you ask me! Unfortunately they won’t go on sale until December 31st, but they may be worth holding out for if you’ve recently picked up (or are planning on getting) a new 3DS XL/LL! There are a couple of other designs available, but the above two are definitely my favorites.

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And of course, you’ll also need a pouch to carry that 3DS LL in, right? Once again, Nintendo’s got you covered! I’m not sure I’m completely sold on the bright yellow, as it doesn’t quite go with the more muted colors of the other accessories, but I do like the pattern on this one.

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Might as well get the whole set, right? You’ll be needing a card case to keep those games in! This one holds 12 3DS cartridges. I really like the rainbow and balloon backdrop!

Finally, Animal Crossing: New Leaf styluses! I wish I had a source for this image, but I believe it’s a scan from an issue of Famitsu? Someone more knowledgeable please correct me if I’m wrong. Anyway, I’m a huge fan of the new alpaca duo, so I’d probably pick that one, or perhaps the stylus with one of the Able Sisters on it. They’re too adorable, but perhaps they’d be a bit clunky to use?

Well, that may be it for physical merchandise, but there’s one more Animal Crossing: New Leaf-related thing I’d like to mention… The Style Savvy: Trendsetters crossover clothing! That’s right, owners of the Japanese version of Style Savvy: Trendsetters will be privy to a KK Slider-themed t-shirt (for free), along with a whole outfit coordinate designed after Gracie from Animal Crossing:

I’m such a sucker for these kinds of things! I love the Gracie outfit, in particular. Would you think I was crazy if I told you I was considering buying a Japanese copy of Style Savvy: Trendsetters just for these exclusives? Okay, you’re right, that is totally crazy. Don’t worry –– I have a feeling I’ll be getting a copy of the English version in the near future, and I’m not so bad as to buy a second copy just for two in-game outfits. Promise!

Only two more days! 

Extra Life Marathon Round-Up: One mayonnaise machine, two tsunamis, and many stray sheep

Two weekends ago, I participated in the Extra Life 24-hour gaming marathon to raise money for children’s hospitals for the first time ever, and I must say it was quite the experience! First, I want to give a huge thank you to everyone who donated –– I exceeded my goal of $300 by a whole $72! That means I raised a whopping $372! That is no small feat, and I couldn’t have done it without all of your help.

I also want to give a big shout-out to all the folks who stopped by to watch as I streamed myself playing games for the full 24 hours (That’s right, I made it! That, too, is no small feat). I’m confident that I wouldn’t have been nearly so driven to stay awake the whole time if it weren’t for the viewer count hovering between 6-12 for the majority of the 24 hours, and the folks who dropped in to chat made the marathon that much more fun to do. Lastly, a couple of local friends of mine stopped by for the final 6 hour stretch, and that was a major boost to my energy! I probably said more than a few weird things as a result of too much coffee and miscellaneous energy drinks, but I hope they enjoyed themselves.

Since the theme of the marathon was to go through games in our backlogs, I made it my personal goal to beat at least one full title, as well as play a few others that I’d been meaning to check out. So, what did I think of the games I ended up playing? Were you able to guess what I tried based on the hints in the title of this post? Read on to find out!

Disaster: Day of Crisis
I decided to start with one title that I’d been eying for a while but finally managed to snag for an extremely reasonable price, just in time for Extra Life! Disaster: Day of Crisis is a Japanese game by Monolith Soft (the folks behind the recent Xenoblade Chronicles) that has you controlling Raymond Bryce, who may be one of the coolest protagonists I’ve seen in a while. He’s having a pretty awful day full of everything from tsunamis (not one, but two) to volcanic eruptions, and he’s stuck both rescuing civilians and fighting terrorists. Ray sure gets around!

Going into Disaster, I really only expected it to be about rescuing people, with helping civilians being the main point of the game. Boy, was I wrong. Disaster is like the whackiest Hollywood action flick imaginable –- it has a goofy plot with nonsensical dialogue and everything from first person on-rails shooting (and since it’s on the Wii, it’s all motion-controlled) to driving sequences (again, motion-controlled) and even a one-on-one fight with a bear. Yep, a bear.

One of the best scenes in the game. Looming tsunami wave!

I actually managed to beat the game in about 11 hours, and it was probably my favorite experience from the 24-hour marathon. It’s not the most polished game ever, and it certainly takes a person with an appreciation for camp to enjoy it, but I stand by it being one of my favorite titles on the Wii to date. I’m even considering playing it again with the newly-unlocked New Game+! That’s a big deal for me, considering I hardly ever replay games.

Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility
This isn’t the first time I’ve mentioned Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility, and admittedly I didn’t start this one from the beginning, but it was the perfect peaceful game to take a break with after the action-packed Disaster, so I popped it in for a few hours to continue my quest to woo bachelor Owen and expand my growing barn of animals.

Last time I played Tree of Tranquility I bought my first chicken, and I was pleasantly surprised to realize that Chika (yes, Chika the chicken) laid one “good” egg a day for me. Selling good eggs was profitable enough, but with 3,000 G I could buy a mayonnaise machine to make mayonnaise out of the eggs. For the machine to cost that much, I assumed that meant selling mayonnaise would be much more profitable than just shipping off the eggs to the market by themselves… or so I thought.

Thanks for the advice…

Let it be known that I went into Tree of Tranquility with the intention to not look at any guides or walkthroughs, so all of my decision-making thus far has been purely “instinct.” Well, my mayonnaise machine intuition was totally wrong – after saving up for days in the game to purchase said machine, I placed an egg in, got my mayonnaise bottle, and promptly sold it… for the same price of an egg (or thereabouts). Yup, 3,000 G down the drain, moneymaking scheme unceremoniously shot down. What a disappointment! At least putting an egg into the machine and watching a mayonnaise bottle (Japanese-style, of course) pop out is relatively amusing. How on earth do you even make money in Harvest Moon? That’s a question that’ll have to wait for another day…

Catherine
The last title I played (aside from a few minutes spent playing Saints Row: The Third that are best forgotten) was one I have long been interested in checking out: Catherine. Catherine probably needs little introduction, considering it’s become rather infamous since its release last year, but the general premise is that the main character, Vincent, has a bit of a lady problem. He’s afraid of committing to a permanent relationship with his long-time girlfriend Katherine, and it just so happens that a mysteriously alluring girl named Catherine has her eye on him… Throughout the game, you’re required to juggle your relationships with the two girls, choosing “good” or “bad” responses to various questions and prompts, making it a little like a dating sim game (I’m told these choices influence the game’s ending), but the majority of the gameplay comes from the puzzle segments that occur at the end of chapter.

I believe I’ve done about four chapters of Catherine so far, and I have to say I quite enjoyed what I played during the marathon. I’d heard the puzzle levels were particularly brutal, so I went in on easy, and didn’t have too tough of a time, especially since I had three people telling me what to do (which was probably a good idea, considering how tired I was by that point). Many have applauded the game for tackling some difficult, more “mature” topics such as issues surrounding commitment and other grownup relationship struggles, but I have to admit that none of the characters came across as likable in the slightest, so it made it difficult for me to feel at all invested in the narrative or Vincent’s “plight.” That said, it was a strange, intriguing experience that is unlike any other game I’ve played, and I look forward to seeing it to its conclusion.

[Update]
Tokyo Jungle
How could I forget that I played Tokyo Jungle during some of my downtime, as well?! Clearly I was more tired than I thought… Well my pal Christine reminded me that I did indeed play Tokyo Jungle. In fact, we played together! It was her first time playing so I tried to do my best to show her the ropes. We both played carnivores and got pretty far, actually, but you eventually always hit that wall where things just get stupidly tough. I believe we met our demise to a group of ravenous lions.

This wasn’t my first time play Tokyo Jungle, to be sure, but it’s such a great game that’s easy to pick up for short bursts of play that I had to include it in my marathon. I still have a few more animals to unlock, so I imagine I’ll keep chipping away at it well into next year. I don’t want to jump the gun, but Tokyo Jungle is definitely in the running for my game of the year! It’s definitely going to make the top 5.

Well, believe it or not, that’s all I played during the 24 hours! I’d say it ended up breaking down to about 11 hours of Disaster: Day of Crisis, 2 hours of Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility, 6 hours of Catherine, 2 hours of Tokyo Jungle and 1 hour of Saints Row: The Third. That doesn’t quite add up to 24, but counting breaks you’ve got a full day’s worth of gaming! Would I do it again? Absolutely! … In a year from now.

The Monster Hunter Beginner’s Guide is a must-have for aspiring hunters

As someone who takes pride in her love for (virtually) all things Japanese, including video games, it’s hard to ignore the influence the Monster Hunter series has in Japan. But anyone with even a passing knowledge of MonHun (as it’s affectionately called by fans) probably knows about its notoriously overwhelming systems that make it rather difficult for a newcomer to jump in.

To date, I own both Monster Hunter Tri for the Wii and Monster Hunter Freedom Unite on PSP, but I haven’t gotten any further than completing a handful of the tutorial quests in Freedom Unite. And even then, I already feel like I’m over my head! Luckily, the newly-released Monster Hunter Beginner’s Guide was released just in the nick of time.

The lovely duo behind the newly-launched Culty and the My Fair Hunter Podcast launched the Monster Hunter Beginner’s Guide earlier this week, and as a hopeful future MonHun player, I rushed to pick it up straight away. The near-60 page guide is packed full of information and explanations for beginners, all neatly presented in an easy-to-navigate format. Did I mention that it contains some downright adorable illustrations?

I forked out $9 for the digital version so I can always have it by my side, and I must say it definitely feels like a $9 well spent. I was pleasantly surprised by the community tips sprinkled throughout, which feature some words of wisdom from other MonHun players. The guide is also great in that it isn’t specific to any one MonHun game, but rather the information can be applied to every entry in the series! Differences between the games are clearly detailed when necessary, making it a great universal guide. There’s also an item combination guide, which I have a feeling will be very useful.

To celebrate the launch of Culty, they’re also having a special where you can buy the print version of the guide and get a bonus art print for only $35, which I definitely recommend checking out. Alternatively, you can buy one of the Fleyne art prints (they’re really adorable!) for $25 and get the digital version of the guide for free! Isn’t that swell? There’s also a four-page preview available on the product listing page for those interested.

Though it probably is too rudimentary for anyone who’s played a significant amount of MonHun, I definitely recommend it for anyone just starting out or interested in getting into the games in the future. It’s packed full of content and presented in a way that definitely beats looking at an online FAQ or walkthrough.

Well, I have to say reading through the guide has gotten me all geared up to do some hunting! I’ve been told that Monster Hunter Tri is actually a better place to start for beginners, so I think I’m going to put my Freedom Unite game on hold and start fresh there. So, who’s going to play with me?

Gabrielle’s Ghostly Groove 3D Impressions

After spending a week writing about vampire manga for the vampire Manga Movable Feast, I think it’s high time I went back to video games! In honor of Halloween I thought it’d be appropriate to post some long overdue impressions of an overlooked 3DS title, Gabrielle’s Ghostly Groove 3D.

Gabrielle’s Ghostly Groove 3D is part of a series that began on WiiWare with Gabrielle’s Ghostly Groove: Monster Mix. Since then, the series has also seen an iOS release with Gabrielle’s Monster Match, which is a puzzle game, but, as the “groove” in the other titles suggests, both Gabrielle’s Ghostly Groove: Monster Mix and Gabrielle’s Ghostly Groove 3D are rhythm games.

I’ll readily admit that the only reason I bought Gabrielle’s Ghostly Groove 3D was because of its downright adorable art style. I love the Halloween-y theme, and everything about the game just screams “cute Japanese things that Anne loves,” so it basically had my name written all over it. That said, I did go into it knowing that Gabrielle’s Ghostly Groove: Monster Mix did not receive extremely favorable reviews, so I was prepared to have the aesthetics be the only positive aspect of the game.

Unfortunately, my expectations weren’t very far from the reality. Gabrielle’s Ghostly Groove 3D features gameplay similar to Elite Beat Agents and Theatrhythm, but it is clearly intended for a younger audience, as it’s not only extremely easy, but not very varied. Suffice it to say, this won’t be a rhythm game enthusiasts will be clamoring to play. On top of that, the developers apparently couldn’t afford to put licensed tracks in the game, so all of the songs are sad renditions of classical tunes or made-up tracks specifically for the game. Since rhythm games are essentially all about the music, the lack of good songs is really detrimental to the whole experience.

But while Gabrielle’s Ghostly Groove 3D pretty much fails in the gameplay department, it has some compelling aspects that I can’t ignore. For one, the game actually has a story: Gabrielle unwittingly sneezes out her spirit one day, causing her to have an “out of body” experience while her actual body is in what appears to be a coma in the real world. She then sets out with her talking cat to find a way to return to her body, and runs into all manner of traditional monster characters, such as Vlad the vampire and a friendly yet dim-witted Frankie. Though the story is basically fluff, the characters and their interactions are quite fun to watch.

There’s also a significant wardrobe and makeup customization system for Gabrielle. Getting good grades on songs will unlock new items, and since you can watch Gabrielle dance different routines to each song as you play them (as I said, it’s very easy, so it’s not hard to watch the top screen and tap along on the bottom) and it will show the costume changes you’ve made, making it a lot of fun to play with different coordinates and hairstyles. In a game this cute, that’s definitely a bonus!

All in all, Gabrielle’s Ghostly Groove 3D won’t win any awards for outstanding gameplay, but if you’re at all like me, you’ll be willing to look past some forgetful rhythm sequences and see it for the adorable experience it is. It would also be a good pick for people who have difficulty with rhythm games, or are looking for a light entry into the genre.

Then again, instead of spending $20 on a mediocre game, you could always download these free Gabrielle’s Ghostly Groove papercrafts to make yourself this Halloween and get almost the same expereience! If only I had a color printer… (Bonus trivia: Did you know Gabrielle’s Ghostly Groove is called Monstro in Japan? It’s a mashup of monster and maestro… I love it!)

Vampire MMF Roundup: Part Four

Surprise! Well, either I’m a little messed up with the time zone differences, I missed a lot of submissions, or people got theirs in just after the deadline, but the moral of the story is there are quite a few submissions to the vampire MMF that didn’t get covered in the last roundup – enough that I felt they merited their own roundup! So, without further ado, here is (I promise) the last vampire MMF roundup post:

Lori posted a review for Vampire Knight volumes 12 and 14 over at Manga Village much earlier in the week, and I’m embarrassed to say that I missed it in my previous roundup posts (sorry, Lori!). I love how she is candid about not really liking the series, though I’m sure that statement might offend not a few fans. Personally, I never really could get into the series aside from its gorgeous art and a few drool-worthy male characters… Well, do volumes 12 and 14 renew her interest in the series? Head over to her review to find out!

Kate wrote a lovely piece called “The Manga Critic’s Guide to Vampires” over at The Manga Critic. She’s compiled all the vampire-related manga she’s personally reviewed over the years, breaking them down by “the story,” “the low-down,” “demographic,” and “recommended for.” She covers everything from popular titles such as Blood+, Hellsing, Trinity Blood, and Vampire Knight to lesser-known series such as Lament of the Lamb and some single-volume titles like Cowa!, Crimson Cross, and How to Seduce a Vampire. It’s definitely a must-read for anyone looking for a quick vampire manga suggestions.

Anna at Manga Report took a look at Record of a Fallen Vampire volumes 1-3, and though she felt that it wasn’t quite as good as some of her other favorite vampire manga, she thinks “inexhaustible vampire manga fans” would probably enjoy the series. She does have a request to anyone who’s read past volume 3 to let her know if it “gets better,” so if you are familiar with the series, do head over to her review and share your thoughts!

Lori was quite busy this week – she also reviewed two Chibi Vampire spinoff volumes, Airmail and Bites, at Manga Xandu. As a big fan of the Chibi Vampire manga, she wanted to see if these side-stories were up to snuff. It sounds like Airmail is pretty close to being a must-read for fans, and while her reaction to Bites was a little less positive, she still would recommend it to those who’ve read the original series.

Michelle and Karen got together to chat about CMX’s 90’s shojo series Canon over at Soliloquy in Blue, and I’m oh so glad they did! Their lengthy chat does contain some spoilers for those who haven’t yet read the four-volume series, but even if you haven’t read the series yet, definitely go have have a look at the first couple of paragraphs – their enthusiasm will certainly make you want to put this on your to-read list! Michelle also announces their intention to start a monthly feature called “The CMX Project” in January 2013, where they’ll be covering some lesser-known gems from the CMX library.

Last but not least, Johanna reviewed Twilight: The Graphic Novel Collector’s Edition at Comics Worth Reading (can’t have a proper vampire discussion without Twilight in there somewhere!). The recently-released hardcover contains both previously-released volumes of the graphic novel, but we’re going to count in the vampire MMF since it was drawn by a Korean artist (meaning we can fudge and call it manhwa, right?). Johanna notes that though she doesn’t like Stephenie Meyer’s story, she felt that “[t]here’s something very seductive about the idea of a super-powerful, perfect lover whose only weakness is how much he adores an otherwise normal girl.” You have to admit, that does sound compelling!

Well, I dare say that’s the last of the submissions! I was really surprised to see so many come in towards the end, and I’m really happy we got so many varied posts! Thank you everyone for your submissions, and remember, if you have something I’ve missed, please do let me know via Twitter, email, or in the comments of this post and I’ll be sure to add it. Hope you enjoyed the feast!

Remember, be sure to check out the archive for some great older reviews and links to all previous roundup posts!

Vampire MMF Roundup: Part Three

The last couple of days of the vampire Manga Movable Feast saw some really interesting and varied submissions!

Tony from Manga Therapy took a look at a slightly different kind of vampire that first make their appearance in volume 14 of Gantz. These nanomachine-infused humans are Vampires in that they are both weak to UV radiation and need to drink blood to survive, but they also have emotional “vampiric” qualities. Manga Therapy writes, “When asked about the creation of the Vampires in an old interview, Hiroya Oku said he wanted human enemies and that the “vampire” character exists naturally.” What an interesting spin on traditional vampire lore!

Lori over at Manga Xandu has another review, this time for volume 2 of Dracula Everlasting, an OEL title published by Seven Seas. She writes: “I was under the impression that Nick was to be the protagonist, but this volume proves that isn’t the case. Cate and to some extent Jill are the ones to really move the story” and appreciates the strong female characters, but laments that she still expected the story to go in a slightly different direction. She does note that “it’s nice to have a ‘prince in distress’ for a change,” so perhaps new readers going into the three volume series with the knowledge that Nick is not the main character will have different initial impressions?

Laura from Heart of Manga also took a look at Dracula Everlasting, covering both volumes one and two in her review. She mentions that “the short length of the story keeps the characters from being well developed,” and feels that Dracula, the antagonist who seeks to gain full possession of Nick, is the most interesting. She notes what a long wait it will be until the final volume is published in September 2013, so even though the characters may feel a little sub-par, the whole package looks intriguing enough to stick with it until the conclusion.

Finally, Ash of Experiments in Manga reviewed Yashakiden: The Demon Princess volume 3, and though it’s not a manga, but a series of illustrated vampire novels, I think it’s close enough to include in the feast! Unfortunately, Ash finds the series frustrating, as he writes: “Although Kikuchi has a ton of great ideas, and I continue to love Demon City Shinjuku as a setting, he hasn’t been able to pull everything together into a cohesive whole quite yet.” The original series was intended to end at volume 4 (which is included in volume 3 of the English release, as it is an omnibus edition), Ash mentions that it actually extends to eight volumes, meaning he’s just reached the midway point. Though the narrative feels unfocused to him, he’s going to try to stick with it for at least a little while longer. I think, at the very least, it says something good about the premise if Ash has been willing to stick with a disappointing narrative for four whole volumes!

Well, this marks the end of the vampire Manga Movable Feast. I want to give a huge thanks to everyone who sent in submissions over the course of the week. I admit I was a little nervous, given this was my first time hosting, but everyone was very helpful. I hope I did an okay job – do drop a comment and let me know if you have any suggestions for how I could manage it better in the future! Finally, if anyone has any late submissions they’d like included, I’m happy to update this post to include them over the next few days, so keep sending them in!

[Update] There were so many extra submissions that I went ahead and made a forth roundup post! 
Remember, be sure to check out the archive for some great older reviews and links to all previous roundup posts!

Vampire MMF Roundup: Part Two

The reviews continue to come in for the vampire Manga Movable Feast! I’m happy to see all the shojo titles, but where’s some of the shonen love? I hope we see a Hellsing post or two before it’s all over, because I’ve never read it!

Ash over at Experiments in Manga returns to Vampire Hunter D, volume 1 especially for this month’s feast (thanks, Ash!). He writes, “While I wasn’t overly impressed by Vampire Hunter D, volume 1 when I read it for the first time, the manga has grown on me after subsequent readings.” It’s even inspired to possibly go back and read the novels, which I’d definitely say is a tick in the manga’s favor! 

Lori published a great review of Digital Manga Publishing’s Moon and Blood volumes 1-2 at The School Library Journal (Good Comics for Kids), summarizing her feelings as follows: “Moon and Blood is a supernatural romance that avoids a lot of the pitfalls commonly seen in this now popular genre.” Though she found the male character’s back story more interesting than the romance, which may be disappointing for some, it’s great to see a shojo manga that features such a compelling male lead.

Anna at The Manga Report also reviewed Jiu Jiu volume 2, which doesn’t actually center around vampires, but it features a vampire character as well as a whole host of other supernatural beings. She notes that the series “…flashes back and forth from scenes exploring emotional abandonment to more typical shojo manga staples like trips to the beach.” Sounds like it does a good job of not being too emotionally heavy, but not straying too far into the realm of pure fluff, either!

Finally, I posted a Call for Localization for two vampire shojo manga that are currently only available in Japanese, Poe no Ichizoku and Kuro Bara Alice. If I had to pick between the two, I’d definitely say publishers should go for Poe no Ichizoku first, as it’s a classic that everyone should have a chance to read, but Kuro Bara Alice is likely to be the more easily-accessible of the two. If either should get licensed, I expect full credit! 

I’d like to give a huge thanks to everyone whose contributed so far. I’ve really enjoyed reading everyone’s post, and I hope you have, too! There are only a couple of days left in the feast, but that’s still plenty of time to get your submissions in!