July marked the return of the JRPG Community Game-Along, aka JRPGJuly, and I dare say it was the biggest one yet! It’s taken me quite a while to sort through all the contributions. Phew! Unfortunately, I’m not able to include everyone, so I highly suggest scrolling through #JRPGJuly on Twitter to see the massive range of games played throughout the month. Read on for some highlights!
Sadly, JRPG July must come to an end, but luckily I’ve got another great Community Game-Along theme lined up for August! While many months are themed around game genres, I also like to mix in specific game developers from time to time, as well. This time around, August is all about PlatinumGames!
Fishing games often get a bad rap, or at the very least largely ignored, which makes them a great candidate for the Chic Pixel Community Game-Along! I love themes that highlight under-appreciated genres and titles, which is why this February is all about celebrating how fun video game fishing can be.
Any and all games that have fishing as a significant gameplay element qualify for this month’s theme, so grab a title that appeals to you and start casting some lines! Share your favorite fishing game picks, experience playing your chosen title, or even some choice fishing gameplay videos using #FishingFebruary on your social media of platform of choice so other participants can see! Whether you stick to classics such as Sega Bass Fishing and Fishing Resort or broaden your horizons to fishing in MMOs, I hope you enjoy this laid-back Game-Along theme!
If you’re stumped for a fishing game to play, here are some options:
Family Fishing (3DS) – If you’re looking for a cute, easy to pick up fishing game for your 3DS, look no further than Family Fishing! I’ve also teamed up with Aksys Games to give away 3 copies for #FishingFebruary, so be sure to enter!
Fishing Planet (PC, Mac) – Fishing Planet is an online first-person fishing simulator that is currently available for early access on Steam, and while I normally wouldn’t suggest an early access game, there’s no denying the rave reviews this game has received so far. If you’re looking for a low barrier of entry into this month’s Game-Along theme, Fishing Planet is certainly it, as it’s 100% free to play!
Fantasy Life (3DS) – This is a great example of a game that isn’t a traditional fishing game, but features fishing as a strong component if that’s how you want to play the game. Play as the Angler life class for an adorable fish-filled RPG experience!
Let’s Fish! Hooked On (Vita) – Want your fish with a dash of moe? Look no further than Let’s Fish! Hooked On, my personal candidate for best video game title localization ever. If I’m being honest, this title isn’t the best fishing game on the block, but if cute anime characters and a hilarious title are enough to sell you on it, then I certainly won’t stop you!
Fishing Resort (Wii) – I will never stop hollering about Fishing Resort. One of the most overlooked games on the Wii, Fishing Resort is not only an amazingly adorable (and fun!) fishing game, but the resort setting has you dressing up your Mii-like avatar and exploring various islands in a manner not often found in straight-up fishing games. I’m so in love with this title that I even recorded a short gameplay video to illustrate how neat it is.
This month I’m finally going to fire up my copy of Fantasy Life, as I’m in the middle of moving and don’t have access to most of my games. But honestly, I’m overdue to start Fantasy Life anyway, and I’m really excited to see how the Angler class plays! What will you be playing for #FishingFebruary? Share your picks in the comments!
At the end of every month, I suddenly realize a whole month has already gone by and it’s time to announce the next Community Game-Along theme. I then proceed to scramble to the complete 2015 theme list I wrote many moons ago to refresh my memory and write up a post like this one. This month, however, when I turned to my handy list, I was shocked and awed to discover that I had some kind of telepathic foresight to deem September Spike Chunsoft month! Why, the heavily anticipated Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls comes out in September! Talk about awesome timing. Let that be a lesson to you all that sometimes things just happen out of sheer dumb luck, but there’s nothing stopping you from basking in the glory of a job well done anyway.
A new month, a new theme! Point and click adventure games weren’t a particularly requested genre, but I thought they’ve been overlooked enough in recent years that they’d make a great theme for a slow release month. Bonus: it’s a genre I’m not really familiar with at all, so it’s all new territory for me!
If you’ve been following Chic Pixel for a while, you might remember that I did a JRPG-themed Community Game-Along last July. It turns out that was by far my most successful Game-Along of the year! Tons of people used the hashtag on Twitter to talk about the games they were playing, and there were even a few long form submissions, too. Since it was such a big hit, it only makes sense to do it again this year!
As always, all you need to do to participate is play a JRPG during the month of July. If you’re so inclined, use #JRPGJuly to talk about your experiences or share game recommendations with others on your social media platform of choice. Livestreams, blog posts, podcasts, or any other form of media where you play/discuss JRPGs is highly encouraged, as well! And if you’re looking for a way to stand out, it’s always great to see some lesser-known titles get some love.
I’m sure you’re all wondering what I’m going to be playing… Well, I’m excited to announce that Nier was the winner of my recent Twitter poll to decide the JRPG I’ll tackle this month! Earthbound was a close second, with poor Fire Emblem Awakening taking up the rear. To keep myself accountable, I will be posting weekly updates on my progress every Sunday for the month of July, so keep an eye out for that!
Though I usually end with a list of game suggestions that fit the month’s theme, I’m sure there will be no shortages of JRPGs at your disposal. However, I’ll leave you with a question: If there is one overlooked/under-appreciated JRPG you would like to see someone play this month, what would it be? Maybe someone will take on your request!
The Full 2015 Community Game-Along Theme List
For the Chic Pixel Community Game-Alongs, I always try to pick a theme that highlights games that are somewhat overlooked or under-appreciated. Fighting games, however, are extremely well known (virtually everyone has played Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat at some point), and not exactly lacking in the appreciation department. There is, however, a certain barrier of entry for those looking to delve a little deeper into the genre, and the community has been called out for being relatively unwelcoming on numerous occasions. As such, I thought this month would be a great chance to promote a friendly community with which to play and discuss fighting games, whether it be Street Fighter II or something more obscure like Chaos Code.
To participate in this month’s Community Game-Along, just play a fighting game and share your experiences with others! That’s all there is to it. It’s always great to see long-form written pieces, podcast, or other venues of discussion, but you can also use #JuneofFighters to chat about your progress and thoughts on social media. Thanks to @daswhalebeard for the hashtag suggestion!