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Category Archives: impressions

First Impressions: Eternal Hope – Prologue

7 / 14 / 207 / 14 / 20
Chic Pixel First Impressions

When I heard the upcoming platformer Eternal Hope by Brazilian developer Doublehit Games was inspired in part by the works of Studio Ghibli, it immediately caught my interest. The game is scheduled to launch on PC on August 6 and Xbox One later this year, and was voted “Best Brazilian Game” by IGN at Brazil Game Show 2019, and it’s not hard to see why – the visuals are striking, and it looks like it will be perfect for those who like puzzle platfomers.

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Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony First Impressions

9 / 26 / 179 / 26 / 17

Chic Pixel First Impressions

The rest of 2017 is a whirlwind of game releases and I’m already behind on reviews, so it’s time to bring back first impressions! If you haven’t seen a first impressions post on Chic Pixel before, they’re basically a way for me to share my initial thoughts with a game before (or sometimes in lieu of) a full review. In the case of Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony, one of my most anticipated games of the year, I just have to let you know what I think so far! If you’re a fan of Danganronpa and on the fence about whether you can jump into the series here, here are my spoiler-free first impressions!

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Kyoukai no Shirayuki: Yori Zenno Route Impressions

10 / 14 / 1610 / 14 / 16

I’ve finally completed my second route in Kyoukai no Shirayuki! After posting my general impressions along with my thoughts of the first route I completed (Saji Kakeya), I decided the best way to share my thoughts going forward would be to do a writeup of each route as I complete them. It may be a while before I finish all of them, but this way I can be as thorough as possible!

I was really glad @Westraid suggested the hot policeman, Yori Zenno, for my second character, because he turned out to be just as great as he looks. I had to make sure to get my impressions of his route up for his birthday today, too!

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First Impressions: Monster Hunter X

12 / 17 / 15

Chic Pixel First Impressions

Things have been very busy over the past few weeks here at Manor de Chic Pixel, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t found time to sink some time into the Japanese version of Monster Hunter X! 24, to be exact. While that might be more than enough time to do a full review for any other game, I still have a long ways to go before I see all the content Monster Hunter X has to offer. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have some first impressions to share with you today!

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Tenso Forwarding Service: Yay or Nay?

8 / 2 / 158 / 19 / 16

Tenso Forwarding Service Yay or Nay

Too often I’ve gone on a search for a rare piece of anime merchandise or a niche Japanese video game only to find that it’s not available anywhere that ships outside of Japan. Most fans of Japanese products that live anywhere but Japan itself eventually run into this problem – there are so many items that simply can’t be procured without a Japanese postal address. That’s where forwarding services like Tenso come in; for a fee, they provide eager shoppers with the Japanese address they crave and then forward any purchases to their final destinations overseas.

I’ve heard great things about Tenso from friends who’ve used the service for years, but despite the amount of Japanese products I import, I’ve never actually used a forwarding service myself. I’ve been blessed with having more than a few friends who’ve been willing to be middle men and women for my packages, but to be honest, I feel bad asking for so many favors! So, after many years of relying on friends in Japan to ship my purchases out for me, I’ve finally decided to give Tenso a go. Since I’ve received more than a few inquiries wondering if it’s worth the effort, I’ve decided to write up my complete experience purchasing a PlayStation Vita 2000 from Amazon Japan and forwarding it with Tenso vs. purchasing it outright from various importers.

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Nier Diary no. 2: Desert Doldrums

7 / 29 / 15

Nier Diary no. 2 Desert Doldrums

Were you starting to get worried that I’d never continue my Nier Diary journey? Never fear, I’ve been busy playing the game, and I’m happy to report that I have indeed made it past the “point of no return”! In Diary no. 1 I played about 7 hours, and since then I’ve managed to double that time, clocking in at just around 14 hours. Read all my updated impressions after the jump, but be warned – while I’ll be very careful not to reveal any of Nier‘s major twists or story points, if you plan on playing the game and wish to know absolutely nothing past the first few hours, please proceed with caution!

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Nier Diary no. 1: Grouchy Papa Nier

7 / 20 / 157 / 20 / 15

Nier Diary 1

Nier is one of those titles that nearly everyone I know has recommended to me, yet somehow I’ve never managed to ever play it for more than a few minutes since it came out five years ago. With the double-whammy of Nier 2 getting announced at E3 and this month being JRPGJuly, it turns out now couldn’t be a better time for me to finally pick it up!

Papa Nier and Yonah fanart
Papa Nier and Yonah fanart (source)

I joking mentioned on Twitter before I started playing that I preferred the young bishōnen protagonist Japan received in the Nier Replicant version, which unsurprisingly received more than a couple responses saying I would change my mind when I started the game. While I still think Replicant Nier has a more appealing character design, I have been finding the more haggard version of Nier in Nier Gestalt (which was the only version localized) equally appealing.

Both games are virtually the same except for the protagonists and their relationship to the sickly girl Yonah they are trying to save, but this relationship is quite central to the game, so I imagine it changes the tone somewhat. Replicant Nier is often just referred to as “Brother Nier” due to the fact that he’s Yonah’s brother, while “Papa Nier” is, as the nickname would suggest, Yonah’s father. Grouchy Papa Nier and his relationships with the various characters in the game have really stood out to me so far, and I’m really impressed with the snappy, sassy dialogue.

As of this post, I’m about 7 hours in and have just received my first party member, though as far as I can tell they can’t be customized in any way and are fully managed by the game’s AI and thus don’t really count as a “party” in the traditional sense. I’ve also been getting a lot of tutorial texts and am experiencing an overwhelming feeling of “maybe I should open the menu and read those,” but there’s nothing I enjoy less than reading through tutorials! I suppose I might take a look at them if I start experiencing difficulties with the combat…

Speaking of which, I haven’t actually read any of the negative reviews of the game (I’ve heard it received many when it first came out), but my overwhelming impression before I started Nier was that the gameplay was supposed to be pretty rough. It’s certainly nothing to write home about, I’ve found it to be pretty fun so far, and am particularly enjoying the different magical powers Nier learns with the help of Grimoire Weiss. That whole first fishing quest can bite me, though.

Nier fishing fanart
source

I don’t believe it’s too much of a spoiler for anyone who hasn’t played to mention that the game is notable for requiring players to go through the game multiple times. From what I understand, I’m nearing the “point of no return” where the game is later replayed from after it’s been completed once… But in the interest of experiencing the game as it happens, I haven’t really read into it beyond that. What I can say is, I’m really digging the game so far, and I fully intend to actually complete a JRPG for once!

Be sure to check back next Monday for Nier Diary no. 2 and see if I’ve made it past the halfway point!

Friendly reminder that if you enjoy this post and other content on Chic Pixel, please use my affiliate links in the sidebar to do your video game shopping! I’d really appreciate it!

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Welcome!


Name: Anne Lee
Birthday: December 13
Fav food: Mochi

Chic Pixel is where I write about my favorite aspects of Japanese pop culture, with a focus on the cute and nerdy! Read More >

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Anne Lee
apricotsushiAnne Lee@apricotsushi·
37m

Finished House in Fata Morgana! What a superb game that only gets better as you go. I really hope anyone interested in storytelling in video games gives it a shot, regardless of whether visual novels are your “thing” or not 🦋

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MangaGamerMangaGamer@MangaGamer·
21 May

And now for the new license announcements...
Announcement #1: From the mind that brought you Hadaka Shitsuji - Naked Butlers, it's MADA Labo's The Patient S Remedy!
https://mangagamer.org/patients

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paularcurtisDr. Paula R. Curtis@paularcurtis·
20 May

I'm excited to finally share "A Guide to Twitter and Social Media Safety for Academics (and Everyone Else)"! 📱 How do you spot a bot? When do you block? This guide is adapted (& expanded!) from my Academics Online workshop on digital harassment in March. http://prcurtis.com/docs/twitterguide2/

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apricotsushiAnne Lee@apricotsushi·
20 May

Sailor Chibi Chibi Moon! 💖 from Animage Oct 1996

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J_KMORjunkuma@J_KMOR·
15 Apr

犬抱っこ

4
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apricotsushi

Lil budew inspired by @michelle_coffee’s amazing Lil budew inspired by @michelle_coffee’s amazing work! He’s dreaming of when he’ll bloom someday 😌🌹 be sure to check out @michelle_coffee’s art - so many stunning pieces, and her store is updating this week! My piece was made with watercolor gouache, posca and a little bit of gold gel pen. def need to stick to the 300gsm paper because this 200 warped too much with the amount of water I was using 😅
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#pokemonart #budew #pokemonfan #pokemoncards #nerdyflatlay #pokemonpinball #gameboyadvance #pokemongames #pokemongame #midliners #stationeryaddict #pokemontcg #japanesestationery #traditionalart #geekart #geekartist #kawaiiart #kawaiioftheday
Finally jumped back into Animal Crossing: New Hori Finally jumped back into Animal Crossing: New Horizons to check out the new update! It’s been 10 months since I last played… 💀 the new camera app features are the best!! 🔥 I also got a couple amiibo card packs and can’t wait to meet this starry squirrel cutie on my island! Are you back to Animal Crossing after the update, or did you never leave?
Finally got my hands on one of the Pokémon Happy Finally got my hands on one of the Pokémon Happy Meal toys at @mcdonaldsau! (Not counting the ones @iubnasus grabbed for me hehe) I love the big stickers! It reminded me that I need to get back to New Pokémon Snap… I haven’t played since the update!
How could I not try drawing this adorable shiba ic How could I not try drawing this adorable shiba ice cream sundae for @cremechii’s DTIYS? This is the first time I’m posting just straight-up art on this account… a lil nervous 😅
#dtiyscremechii
It’s time to get in the Halloween mood! 👻👻 It’s time to get in the Halloween mood! 👻👻 I played my first spooky game for the month, the point and click adventure My Dear Frankenstein (pictured at the top). If you like dark gothic vibes, I def recommend this game. Full review on Chic-Pixel.com! I’m thinking of playing Yomawari next… are you playing any spooky games this month?
Long time no selfie! Luckily this hat covers up my Long time no selfie! Luckily this hat covers up my months of lockdown hair growth 😆 I think I’m ready to move to a cottage in the mountains and start a coven, don’t you? Swipe to see what book I’m holding 📚 It’s a very special copy given to my by my mom, and is over 100 years old! 😮
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