Nier Diary no. 1: Grouchy Papa Nier

7 / 20 / 157 / 20 / 15

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!

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.

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!

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Splatoon Global Testfire Impressions

5 / 12 / 15

In a surprising turn of events, Splatoon, Nintendo’s brand new IP for the Wii U, is one of my most anticipated games of 2015. Why? I’d be lying if it wasn’t largely in part of the game’s amazing aesthetic, but the idea of a shooter based around paint guns instead of real guns is really appealing to this cute, peace-loving blogger. Though I was pretty much committed to picking up Splatoon day one, when Nintendo announced they’d be hosting a Global Testfire, I was more than happy to jump in on so I could give Splatoon‘s online multiplayer a spin.

The Testfire was available for three one hour periods this past weekend, allowing players from around the world to play in online matches with a selection of four different weapons and two different maps. While Nintendo gave very little notice before the Testfire commenced, I was able to play during the first session, which started at 1 pm Saturday Australia time. I’m pretty helpless when it comes to shooting games, both first and third person… but even though I only won the very last game I played, I still managed to have a blast!

Demo Impressions: No, Thank You!!! (MangaGamer)

11 / 12 / 149 / 29 / 15

Back in July, MangaGamer announced that they would be releasing two very exciting titles in English – the boys’ love game No, Thank You!!! and otome game OZMAFIA!!. While neither has a firm release date yet (though it looks like they’re aiming for sometime in 2015), No, Thank You!!! now has a rather beefy (pun intended) demo to help gather buzz and allow fans to try before they buy.

The trial edition can be downloaded from the MangaGamer website (the product listing page is very NSFW, so beware before you click) or this blog post if you have trouble creating an account on their site. While the game is for PCs, the game’s translator Haro has posted a tutorial on how to run the game on a Mac (which I myself have done). The demo covers the game’s opening scenario as well as one sex scene for each of the main characters, and will probably take about an hour or so to complete depending on how fast you click through it.

In No, Thank You!!!, you play as the amnesiac protagonist Haru, who takes up a job at an upper-class bar after saving the bar’s owner from being hit by a car (which, subsequently, is how he lost his memories). During his first night on the job, you’re introduced to the five main characters and get a glimpse of the game’s overarching narrative before the game offers you the choice to of whose butt you wish to grab, which then leads into a sex scene with that character taken from later in the game.

The main reason I wanted to check out this demo was to see how the localization fared, and I’m happy to report that I wasn’t disappointed! Haru’s internal monologues are often quite humorous and all of the text flowed really well.

Another pleasant surprise was the fact that text you’ve already read appears in blue – a simple addition, but one that’s really helpful in visual novels when completing multiple character paths. I’m surprised not all companies do this!

Of course, one of No, Thank You!!!‘s big claims to fame is the option to toggle the men’s hair on and off at any time in the game. I’ve never seen a BL game do this before, but it’s great that they’re able to cater to different tastes! I hope more games follow suit in the future.

This doesn’t really sound like sexy fun times to me…

In the interest of being honest, I think it’s important that I also mention a few issues I have with the game so far. Haru is an extremely outgoing protagonist that takes control in all of the sexual encounters in the demo, making him a traditional seme, and nearly all of the sex scenes have some element that makes them not completely consensual. This continues the trend seen in the bar scenes where Haru constantly invades the other characters’ personal space. He often proclaims that he’s engaging in “sexual harassment,” which is a term often used jokingly in Japanese media (and is similarly used for humorous effect here), but personally, I don’t really find a character that is constantly “harassing” everyone to be all that appealing.

Similarly, I would much prefer to see sex scenes where both parties are really enjoying the encounter, rather than the one-sided slant all but Hiroyuki’s takes in the demo. I’m sure the full game sees Haru’s relationship with each character develop to the point where everyone is clearly having fun when they do have sex, but I didn’t really like the way pleasure was depicted as repressed/resentful in the scenes in the demo.

Regardless, I very much want to support the release of more BL games in English, so I will happily pay $39.95 for the game when it does come out. If my impressions have you on the fence, I highly recommend you check out the demo yourself! I would love to hear everyone else’s thoughts.

Keita Takahashi’s Alphabet Impressions and Playthrough

10 / 22 / 134 / 18 / 15

I hardly ever donate to Kickstarter or other similar crowd-sourcing campaigns, but when I do, it’s nearly always because I will be getting something from donating that I would not be able to obtain by any other means. As such, when I learned Keita Takahashi, creator of Katamari Damacy* and Noby Noby Boy, would have an all-new title in the Experimental Game Pack offered as one of the rewards for the LA Game Space Kickstarter, I knew I’d have to chip in. Of course, even better that the LA Game Space was an idea I could totally get behind, even though there’s little chance I’ll ever be able to visit it in person.

The Experimental Game Pack has a whopping 23 completed games available to download as of this post, with 10 more on the way. Unfortunately, while it was available for a limited time for those who did not back the initial Kickstarter, that ship has now sailed, meaning you’ll have to get in touch with a generous friend who has the games if you want to play them yourself.

Or, you could live vicariously though me! While Alphabet (officially written A͈L͈P͈H͈A͈B͈E͈T͈, available for Mac, PC, and Linux) is the only game in the pack I’ve tried so far, I’m very excited to dig into the vast selection of titles available, particularly Pendleton Ward (of Adventure Time fame)’s Cheque Please, Aussie-developed Sunshine, and ESNF Fortune Teller.

Alphabet has a very simple premise: players must guide letters of the alphabet from one end of the game’s 10 stages to the other. Pressing the corresponding key on your keyboard will make that letter move forward, while releasing it causes them to jump. And that’s it! Well, aside from the occasional poop…

The more letters there are, the harder things get to control, but I got sneaky/lazy after a while and switched to just pressing the key of the last letter in the congo line instead of trying to keep them all running at once (both work equally well). If you “consume” a piece of fruit, all the letters will turn into the letter that touched the fruit, making for extra speedy movement during more difficult segments of the stage, but within a short period of time. It probably helps to be very familiar with the locations of the keys without looking, but I can’t imagine it’d be very hard even if you didn’t.

As with all Keita Takahashi’s games, the real appeal of Alphabet is its whacky charm. Its aesthetic is crisp and colorful without resorting to usual default bright colors, and the soundtrack, though it only consists of one tune, is simply to die for. I’m not very familiar with co-creator Adam Saltsman, whose previous work is most often cited as rather popular Canabalt for iOS, but rest assured Alphabet is exactly what we’ve come to expect from Takahashi.

With only 10 stages, Alphabet is never difficult, nor is it very long, but I can honestly say that even if I never get around to any of the other Experimental Game Pack titles, I’d still be happy with my purchase. For those looking for a little replayability, however, each level is timed, so there is an incentive to go back and master the art of alphabet navigation.

If you’re lamenting not getting your hands on this adorable game, never fear: I’ve recorded a playthrough of the whole game for your viewing pleasure! Even if you don’t want to watch the whole thing, I definitely recommend checking it out, if just for the awesome music:

* One of my absolute favorite game series!

Demo Impressions: Pretty Rhythm: My*Deco Rainbow Wedding

5 / 6 / 134 / 18 / 15

Have you ever tried a game that you were sure you wouldn’t like, only to find out that, lo and behold, you actually enjoyed playing it? I certainly have, and more times than I can count, but today I’m going to discuss the surprisingly fun demo for Pretty Rhythm: My*Deco Rainbow Wedding, a Japanese-only 3DS game that I downloaded on a whim a while back.

Right from the get-go, I noticed two things: there’s a whole lot of katakana in the title, and this demo has gone to great lengths to put the “pretty” and “rainbow” in Pretty Rhythm: My*Deco Rainbow Wedding.

Now, Pretty Rhythm is actually a series of arcade games from Takara Tommy that has been adapted into both a manga and an anime series. In fact, the beginning of the demo actually transports you into a Pretty Rhythm arcade machine… Anyway, the basic premise of My*Deco Rainbow Wedding is that you’ve been transported into a world where Prism Shows, a unique performance that combines dancing, fashion, and ice skating, are the hight of entertainment (I couldn’t even write that with a straight face).

Of course, your goal is to become the ultimate Prism Star, but in order to do so you need to use something called a Rainbow Prism to collect seven different Prism Show styles (called “coordinates”). Once you’ve collected all seven, it’s said that you’ll be granted the ability to use the legendary “Rainbow Wedding coordinate,” which will bring the ultimate joy to viewers of the Prism Show. Who in their right mind would name something that doesn’t have anything to do with getting married a “Rainbow Wedding”? Imagine my disappointment when I realized there wouldn’t be any dating sim elements in this game!

You’re able to create a basic avatar by selecting from a a handful of hairstyles, eyes types, and outfits. My avatar, who I’ve predictably named Anne, can be seen above.

Every game for girls needs a cute mascot, right? Pretty Rhythm: My*Deco Rainbow Wedding‘s is Mr. Penguin, the toupee-wearing green penguin pictured above. I love how he needs to lift his hair out of the way with his flipper to actually see anything.

This is just an explanation of how to decorate your Prism Stone (there are a lot of things that start with the word “Prism” in this game, just roll with it) using all the various charms you acquire over the course of the game, which unlocks different outfits for your character. They sure know how to lay on the sparkles!

Here’s a shot of what applying charms to the Prism Stone actually looks like… It’s pretty straight-forward, you just place your charm wherever you like using the touch screen.

And here’s a shot of one of the outfits that came out of one of my Prism Stone decorating sprees. I’m embarrassed to admit that the hot pink sparkle motif might be growing on me…

My score for the skating routine

Now, this leads me to what, believe it or not, is the goofiest part of the game: the rhythm skating portions. After your character is all glammed up, you’ll need to preform a skating routine that consists of some very Sailor Moon-like posing that is executed by repeating a series of button/touch commands a la Space Channel 5. Here it becomes abundantly clear (if it wasn’t already) that this game was made with a younger audience in mind, as the rhythm portions are both incredibly easy and, frankly, a little dull if you’re used to the likes of Theatrhythm Final Fantasy and Rhythm Heaven. But, if you’re like me and get a kick out of magical girl shows aimed at 10-year-olds like Pretty Cure (unrelated to Pretty Rhythm, believe it or not), then you’re likely to get a kick out of this, too.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get any shots while I was playing the skating portions, but NiNTENDMiNATi0N has a great video of the whole demo! Just skip to 10:50 if you want to get straight to the skating segment:

So, Pretty Rhythm: My*Deco Rainbow Wedding is my definition of a guilty pleasure, and I came out of the demo… kind of wanting to buy the full game? If the goal of a demo is to get the player wanting more, then they certainly were successful with this one! What began as a silly “I’ll try this for the hell of it” evening quickly turned into a “when and where can I get this?!” Google searching frenzy, and I only have myself to blame.

If you’re as curious to try the full game as I am, you can import Pretty Rhythm: My*Deco Rainbow Wedding here. Note: As with all 3DS games, the game will only play on Japanese 3DS’s. The game uses furigana, though, and the language is very simple, so it’s a great pick for those who are in the early stages of, or interested in learning, Japanese.

Initial Animal Crossing: New Leaf Impressions

11 / 16 / 124 / 18 / 15

I’ve certainly written enough about the limited edition Animal Crossing: New Leaf that came in the mail the other day, but what about the game itself? I’m happy to report that I’ve been playing it for the majority of the week, and it does not disappoint! It’s far too early to give my final verdict, and I have yet to unlock a lot of the game’s content (I still can’t go to the island, for example), hence why I’ve called this “early impressions.” Oh, be warned, there are going to be lots of screenshots of my game (Which you can conveniently take whenever you want by pressing L and R! Nifty!), so if you don’t want to see what townspeople are in the game or be otherwise spoiled, I suggest you avert your eyes!

You certainly don’t start with that cute little house at the top of the page! No, instead you’re stuck in a tent until you can pay off your first loan. You can’t start working as mayor until you get a house, as well, so it’s pretty imperative to pay off that loan straight away. Luckily it doesn’t take very long at all to do so. It’s pretty quaint under the stars, though, don’t you think?

Here’s my first act as mayor – planting a tree! I love how you can see all the townspeople gathered around. Funny that I started out with not one, but two, tigers, though!

A glimpse inside Shimoyake (Egbert in English)’s house. He’s certainly into all things astronautical!

Sumi (Nan)’s house, on the other hand, has a more classic feel, and she’s got quite the collection of musical instruments. The other day I suggested she buy a chest of drawers from the local recycle shop (just for kicks, since it’s a new feature in this game) and she replaced that fancy turntable with it! It looked so much better before…

Here’s Johnny (Gulliver)! He appeared on my beach the first night, but I’m not sure if that’s random or not. Admittedly, I like to play through the game and be surprised by things as they happen, so I haven’t really read any guides or anything like that. I couldn’t help but take a screenshot when he asked me to name the place he was thinking of that was home to koalas and kangaroos! Well, he’s talking about Australia, of course! What a funny coincidence. The next day I received a letter from him from Australia and a special Ayers Rock present for my house, which I then promptly gave to Shimoyake because he asked for it. Now I kind of regret giving it away!

The blue llama is perpetually sleeping until a certain point in the game (sorry, not sure what his name is). When he wakes up, he’ll modify your furniture for you!

New townspeople started moving in on the second day. Arthur here is pretty cute, don’t you think? I love his mustache! Apparently he’s one of the new additions to New Leaf.

Hey, it’s Rolan (Sahara)! I got her to make over my house for me, which gave me a new floor and wallpaper.

And to finish the tour, here’s a token fishing shot. I absolutely love the puns throughout the game, and if Wild World was any indication, I’m sure the English version will do a great job capturing the atmosphere and humor of the game.

Well, if you’ve got this far, congratulations! I think it’s very obvious that I’m throughly enjoying my time with Animal Crossing: New Leaf. Though it’s definitely bigger than any previous Animal Crossing game, the first few days are very similar to what I remember from Wild World, but the online features and island, in particular, are really great new additions (that I haven’t been able to spend much time with yet, unfortunately).

I’d like to take the opportunity to announce a new column I’m planning, as well! I’d like to do a weekly (or so) feature that chronicles my adventures in the world of Animal Crossing: New Leaf. I haven’t nailed down a name yet, but I’m tossing up some things like “My Week in Animal Crossing: New Leaf” or “Greetings from Animal Crossing: New Leaf.” If you have any suggestions for a name, I’d love if you left your ideas in the comments!

Oh, here’s a bonus image of me visiting Punipen of Dudelde Studio‘s town! Don’t miss his adorable flag design:

If you have any questions about the game, leave them in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer.

Gabrielle’s Ghostly Groove 3D Impressions

10 / 31 / 124 / 18 / 15

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!)