Category Archives: Game-along

Falcom Community Game-Along Wrap-Up (Weeks 3 + 4)

I still can’t believe what a success the Falcom Community Game-Along has been! What started as a offhand comment on Twitter turned into a fun month-long event that got all sorts of people playing games and talking about them, and I couldn’t have asked for more. Though things quieted down around week three, which prompted me to postpone that week’s roundup until the end, content really began to pick up again as the month came to an end.

This roundup post will focus more on the great selection of blog posts that went up, but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t also lots of tweeting going on! Be sure to check out #Falcomonth on Twitter to see how the month panned out.

And that’s Ys V finished. It was lots of fun. Special thanks to @GideonZhi‘s team for translating it #Falcomonth pic.twitter.com/PSTVYAyeo8
— Badr Alomair (@BadoorSNK) January 17, 2014

Today’s Series Dedication Sunday (No. 3!) is more of a Company Dedication for #falcomonth : Falcom Games! pic.twitter.com/TsOqeP3hpz
— CephiYumi 愚かな醜い (@CephiYumi) January 19, 2014

@Soulhouf pointed out a brilliant article on Hardcore Gaming 101 that covers the entire Ys series. It’s a definite must-read for both fans and those interested in checking out the series. I’m seriously impressed by all the details they’ve packed in.

Next, @DavZZGndm contributed a piece on Vantage Master Online – a game from a lesser-known Falcom series that is actually available for free in English translation from Falcom themselves! Davzz’s in-depth look at the 1v1 strategy’s systems, complete with plenty of screenshots, should be enough to make anyone interested in Falcom games want to check it out. And for the price of free, how can you pass that up?

meanwhile, in #falcomonth: ADOL, MASTER SWORDSMAN (but seriously how cute is this) http://t.co/kHWu1MkLHQ
— Ant Cooke (@TepidSnake) January 21, 2014

Over at One Million Power, Brian Clark whipped up a great piece about his experience playing the Famicom port of the original Ys. Unfortunately, the Famicom port featured some changes that were not for the better, such as the strengthening of all of the bosses except for the final one, who was made weaker (I might not mind that!), and reducing Adol’s movement speed. Even so, Brian notes that he enjoyed the experience overall and now has the perspective to see how modern action RPGs have evolved.

Badr Alomair managed to check out the fan-translated Ys V and reported back on his blog, Video Games! and other stuff. Often cited as the black sheep of the series, Ys V never got an official English release, but Badr asserts that he enjoyed his time with the game and considers it to be a decent introduction to the series, even with its flaws.

@apricotsushi The pressures of social media forced me to finally try out the classic Ys. #Falcomonth success!
— aka_Chewie (@ciscoidiot) January 30, 2014

Yay peer pressure! Ahem.

Cody Winn earns double, nay, triple points for not only covering Ys: Memories of Celceta (which we only saw covered in a couple of unrelated but well-timed reviews) but also having the most punny title of the month: “Ease into Ys.” I do love a good pun!

Anyway, Cody remarks that though he’d never played a Ys game for more than 10 minutes, he found Memories of Celceta to be fun and fast-paced. He does, however, mention that the music is one of his least favorite aspects, which is a bit of a kick in the gut for any Ys fan! However, it’s an unfortunate truth that Memories of Celceta was a little lacking for tracks.

Finally, Alois Wittwer wraps up Falcom Month with another great post about the very first Ys game. Unlike other write-ups, he chose to focus specifically on the game’s combat, and it’s a piece as snappy as the good ‘ol bump system. It’s a great way to finish up the month, as he manages to capture the beauty of Ys‘s battle system in a way few have done. Even if you think you’ve read enough about Ys, I highly suggest you go give it a read!

@_Kimimi Well happy! Now I can continue my own personal #Falcomonth (or months!)
— Paul Darbyshire (@pablo_0151) February 2, 2014

That’s right, Paul! Falcom Month is never truly over. As if we could ever stop playing Falcom games!

Once again, I want to give a huge thanks to everyone who helped make this Community Game-Along a success! It was a ton of fun, and I really hope everyone enjoyed sharing the Falcom love. If you’re interested, be sure to check out February’s Community Game-Along. The theme? Romance, of course!

Introducing the Dating Sim Community Game-Along!

January’s Falcom Community Game-Along was so successful that I thought it would be a shame to have the festivities end after only 31 days! As a result, you can look forward to having monthly game-along themes for the duration of 2014, or at the very least until interest and participation starts to wane.

Since February is the somewhat official month of romance, what better way to celebrate than with some dating sim games? The dating sim genre hasn’t ever had its time in the limelight outside of Japan, where it’s actually quite popular with both men and women. In fact, the term “dating sim” isn’t even really correct, as it only encompasses romance games that have simulation elements (usually meters for stats that you have to raise to get the girl/guy you’re pursuing). The Japanese term ren’ai, meaning romance, is generally used to refer to any games that focus on the romantic pursuit of one of usually a number of selectable men or women, but since “dating sim” is more the well-known term in English, I’ll be using it for the purposes of this event to refer to any game with romance elements, be it simulation, visual novel, or otherwise.

The “otherwise” is important here, too, since there many games such as the Harvest Moon and Rune Factory series that incorporate romance. It should also go without saying that romance games aimed at anyone are fair game, be they catering to a predominately male audience (bishōjo) or female (otome). Here’s a quick sampling of titles available in English that fall into the dating sim genre:

Arino plays Angelique Trois

Katawa Shoujo (PC, Mac, Linux) – If you’ve never played a dating sim game before and want an affordable first experience, you can’t really go wrong with Katawa Shoujo. Not only is it free, but it tells a surprisingly heartfelt journey of a young man who suddenly finds himself with a life-threatening disability. There are five female romance options, all with different disabilities, and the game treats its delicate subject matter more seriously than most games in the genre. Be aware, however, that this is an 18+ game, which means it features sex scenes, but they can be skipped by selecting an option in the menu.

Hatoful Boyfriend (PC, Mac) – For those who are ready to go all in, you can’t go wrong with Hatoful Boyfriend. While it’s a dating sim aimed at women, you’re not dating men… not human men, anyway. All of the suitors are male pigeons! The free version allows you to date seven different pigeons, but the full version with a mysterious eighth pigeon only costs $4, so it won’t break the bank.

Hakuoki series (PSP, 3DS) – One of the few major official otome game releases in English, Hakuoki is a must for all serious fans of the genre. Fully voiced in Japanese and taking place during the Edo period in Japan, the game is a great example of the kind of otome visual novels that are currently all the rage in the land of the rising sun. If samurai warriors aren’t your cup of tea, you may want to try Aksys Games’s other otome release, Sweet Fuse: At Your Side (PSP/PSN), instead.

Of course, there are many, many more games than the couple I’ve listed here, but it would simply be impossible for me to include them all! Here are a couple more titles you may want to check out: Dandelion (PC, Mac), Aselia the Eternal (PC), Absolute Obedience, Persona 3 and 4, and any entry in the aforementioned Harvest Moon and Rune Factory series. There’s also tons of free content available from last year’s Pulse Pounding Heart Stopping Dating Sim Jam! Finally, for folks who want to brush up on the classics, both the Angelique and Tokimeki Memorial series are great places to start. If you’re still having trouble finding something you’d like to play, let me know in the comments so I or someone else can help you out!

It’s easy to participate in the February Dating Sim Game-Along – all you have to do is play and write about dating sims in some form, be it on your blog, Twitter, or elsewhere! If you’re using Twitter, Tumblr, or Instagram (or some other newfangled social media that also uses hashtags), please use #DatingSiMonth so that I can keep track of your submissions and include them in my weekly compilation posts. Of course, you’re also welcome to submit podcasts or any other critical work to the Game-Along – as long as you’re talking about dating sims, virtually anything goes!

I hope you’re all ready to date some cuties and share your experiences come February! I’ve got a pile of Japanese otome games and Katawa Shoujo calling my name, so I, for one, am all set!

Falcom Community Game-Along Weekly Roundup #2

Falcom Month is in full swing now with people all over the web playing Falcom games and writing about them! In hopes of keeping this post a little more concise than the last one, I’m just going to link to last week’s roundup and the initial Falcom Community Game-Along post, so do go check out those if you want to read up on the event!

Just finished Ys1 Chronicles. I still prefer the PCE version but it’s an amazing game nevertheless #Falcomonth pic.twitter.com/55y2Iuvpwt
— Wassim Christin (@Soulhouf) January 13, 2014

First, @BadoorSNK linked to a great guide to the Ys series that briefly describes each of the games and recommends which ones to play first. Unfortunately, the original link appears to be dead, but here’s the image:

Just like last week, some folks took the opportunity to celebrate OSThursday with groovy Falcom tunes, but week two is decidedly Ys-centric! @TepidSnake goes for classic PC-88 Ys, while @pablo_0151 chooses a bright theme from Ys III, and @Soulhouf highlights a more intense number from Ys: Oath in Felghana.

This week also saw two reviews for Ys: Memories of Celceta go up! Elliot Gay of Japanator has some high praise: “If you have a Vita, I guarantee you that you won’t find a better action RPG experience on the console.” Phil Kollar has a similarly positive impression of the title, stating in his Polygon review that Memories of Celceta is the “most approachable and smartly designed Ys game ever.” If you have a Vita and don’t have Memories of Celceta on your “to play” list for Falcom Month, you may want to consider it!

“Attack food” in #TrailsSC seems really op so far. Deal 3k damage to a boss without any charge time? Sure, why not. #Falcomonth
— Hasemo (@Hasemo) January 12, 2014

@jdklove has also been streaming a playthrough of Brandish 2 throughout the week, so be sure to follow him and keep an eye on his Livestream channel if you’re interested.

Finally, @BadoorSNK wrote a great piece on his blog about the quirky PSP title Gurumin, which he just completed as part of Falcom Month. He describes it as a “pleasantly breezy, super-charming, and whole-out joyful experience” that takes about 10 hours to complete. The game is available on PSN for the Vita as well as UMD, making it another easy title to pick up this month! I know it’s next on my list to play after I finish Memories of Celceta.

Continuing on with #Falcomonth, still on Sora no Kiseki FC. Determined to finish everything at Ruan tonight!
— Peter Grant (@ragathy) January 9, 2014

Hopefully we’ll see more writeups and impressions as people start to finish their games in week 3! Expect something from me, at the very least… I’ll see you in the next roundup, and until then, happy gaming!

Falcom Community Game-Along Weekly Roundup #1

When Kimimi first give me the idea of dedicating a month to playing Falcom games, I never imagined it would catch the interest of more than a few of our mutual friends. Imagine my surprise when people I didn’t personally know started using #Falcomonth and commenting about what a great idea it was! So before I get into a roundup of what those participating in the Falcom Community Game-Along (Falcom Month, for short!) have been up to over the past week, let me first take a second to thank everyone who has spread the word of this majorly last-minute event! I sincerely mean it when I say this wouldn’t have taken off without your support.  
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In fact, while the first week of January was a short one, but that doesn’t mean Falcom Month was off to a slow start! People have been tearing up #Falcomonth on Twitter (you’re welcome to use it on Tumblr, as well!), and there have already been a few blog posts and articles to come out of the event. Here are just a few*: 
So it’s now #falcomonth Are you going to be playing any Falcom games this January? *Cough* Trails in the Sky *Cough*
— Ross Brierley (@Ghostlight_Ross) January 1, 2014
Of course, my partner-in-crime for Falcom Month Kimimi, made sure to announce the event on her own blog. Be sure to follow her Tumblr and Twitter for updates on her Falcom Month progress, along with some of the best screenshots around!

Kirsten at Endless History, a Falcom news/fan site, wrote a great news post about Falcom Month for her readers. Thanks so much! If you want to keep up to date on all the goings-on of Falcom and their game releases, make sure to subscribe to Endless History.

Falcom telling me that I’ve been playing for 1 hour and that I should rest 15 minutes #Falcomonth pic.twitter.com/unOhmqIcvR
— Laura (@Tokiremu) January 2, 2014

— Netto-kun (@hansuramu) January 3, 2014
@brawndwarf highlighted a post he wrote in 2011 for Falcom’s 30th anniversary compiling all the Falcom games ever released on Sega systems, many of which were never released officially in English.

Davzz wins the prize for producing the first article dedicated to his Falcom Month experience so far! His piece on the Megadrive version of Sorcerian is a great read if you’ve never played the game before and want to get an idea of what it’s like – he also provides lots of screenshots and tips for new players.

My games are ready for #Falcomonth. pic.twitter.com/ZzYJ2Dh3fL
— Josep (@jdkluv) January 2, 2014
A lot of folks also celebrated #OSThursday with their favorite Falcom tracks. @pablo_0151 highlights the amazing field music from the first Ys, while Kimimi picks a mysterious track from Brandish, and @Soulhouf goes for a heart-pumping piece from the soon-to-be-localized The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC.

I just cleared Ys1, my 1st experience with the series, yet everything was very familiar, like faint memories of ’90s anime/manga #Falcomonth
— Christian Z. (@Crackalacking_Z) January 5, 2014
Finally, we’re trying to get an official thread for the event on NeoGAF! If anyone reading this is a member and would like to assist, please let me know. And be sure to keep playing Falcom games and tweeting/writing up your impressions so I can include them in the week two roundup post! 

*Unfortunately I can’t include every tweet in this post, but I’ll strive to highlight every article. Please contact me if you’ve written at length on a Falcom game this week (or the event in general) and I haven’t included it! 

Announcing the January Nihon Falcom Community Game-along!

Nihon Falcom, or Falcom for short, is one of those exceedingly influential game companies that has had the bad fortune in recent years of being overlooked in favor of blockbuster titles such as the latest Final Fantasy production. But nearly everyone is familiar with Falcom’s legacy – series such as Dragon Slayer, Ys, and The Legend of Heroes served as the foundation of the RPG genre. Meanwhile, Falcom continues to release quality titles that struggle to reach a wide audience.

But that’s all about to change (I hope)! In order to kick off 2014 with a bang and get folks caught up on the amazing Falcom library of titles, Kimimi of Shinju Forest and I will be playing Falcom games from our backlogs all throughout the month of January, and we’d love for you to join us! It’s easy to participate: just pick up an old Falcom game, play it during the month of January, and write about your experience! You can then join the conversation on Twitter using #Falcomonth or write something for your own blog/website. If you’d like to be included in weekly roundup posts I’ll be doing to promote the event here at Chic Pixel, all you have to do is send me an email (apricotsushi at gmail dot com) linking to your piece or leave the link of the comments of this post!

Want to participate but don’t know where to start? Here are some awesome Falcom games that should be easy to find:

Ys I & II Chronicles+ (Steam, currently 50% off!) – Why not start with the games that kicked off the iconic Ys action RPG series? These titles may seem a little rough around the edges for some, but if you really want to check out Falcom’s roots, this is the place to do it!

Ys Origin and Ys: The Oath in Felghana (Steam, both currently 50% off!) – Two more quality Ys titles that can be found for a steal on Steam! Ys: The Oath in Felghana is a beloved title in the series that is often recommended to newcomers. If you want to get the feel of the games, Ys Origin even has a demo!

Ys: Memories of Celceta (PS Vita) – As the latest Falcom game to release in English, Ys: Memories of Celceta would be a great pick for anyone looking to fill out their PS Vita library.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky (PSP, available for PS Vita on PSN) – Also known as TitS, to the countless amusement of many, this is one of the Falcom games I’ve been recommended to play most.

Now, there are tons more where this came from, and I can’t hope to list them all, but here are a few more titles you may want to check out/see if you have in your collection: Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure, Sorcerian (if you want to pay a premium to play a retro Falcom game in Japanese on your iOS device…), and Ys Seven.

As for me, I’m planning on finishing up Ys: Memories of Celceta and cracking into my personal Falcom backlog, which consists of Ys: The Oath in Felghana, Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure, and The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky, along with a couple of recently-acquired Japanese Legend of Heroes titles. I dare say I’ll have plenty to play!