Category Archives: thoughts

5 Awesome LINE Sticker Sets for Otome Game Fans

5 Awesome Line Sticker Sets for Otome Game Fans

LINE may still be relatively unknown in the west, but the messaging app’s vast array of adorable stickers and themes has taken already Japan and much of Asia by storm. From Rilakkuma to Hatsune Miku to nearly every Disney character you can think of, these illustrated reaction images make chatting constantly adorable and fun. If you aren’t using LINE already, you can download it for free for iOS or Android and start using the free sticker packs right away. Once you’ve made an account, you can even install and sign in to the app from your PC or Mac!

With the recent addition of the Creator’s Store, now anyone can create and market their own sticker sets. The unfortunate side effect of this is that there is no real way to easily find what’s available looking for, and most Japanese creators do not share their sticker release announcements in English. While you can do a simple keyword search, they often gives hundreds of results to wade through!

The good news is, if you’re into otome games like me, there are actually a plethora of official stickers available. Since they’re so hard to keep track of, I thought I’d highlight five of my favorite sets so you can make sure to add them to your LINE library. If you want to see more, let me know in the comments and I’ll whip up a part 2!

Read More

E3 2015: Chic Pixel’s Best of Japanese Gaming

E3 2015 Best of Japanese Gaming at Chic Pixel

Things have been relatively quiet over here at Chic Pixel for the past few days, but who wants to read my latest three month late review or post gushing over Japanese merchandise when the biggest gaming event of the year, E3, is underway? While the expo will continue to offer new gameplay videos and hands-on features for those at the event throughout the week, now that we’re past the majority of the big presentations, I thought I’d take the opportunity to round up my favorite moments related to Japanese gaming.

You’ll probably see a lot of similarities to other lists floating around (how can I not mention the Final Fantasy VII remake bombshell?), but you won’t get to hear my personal take on all the exciting news anywhere else!

Read More

10 Japanese 3DS Games Worth Importing

Now that the RegionThree exploit makes region-free 3DS gaming a reality*, you may be wondering how you should utilize this newfound power. Well, what better way than to import some cool Japan-exclusive 3DS games? Keeping import friendliness in mind for those who know little to no Japanese, I’ve compiled a list of 10 great Japanese 3DS games worth checking out!

*Before reading on, head over to the full news post to learn how to use the RegionThree exploit on your 3DS and whether your system is compatible. While this isn’t a complete region-free gaming solution, it’s a great way to try out a few Japanese games before you decide to commit to importing a whole system! Note: RegionThree no longer works, but there are other exploits available for playing region free games on 3DS.

Read More

4 visual novels I have to play before 2015

I have been monumentally busy lately. Terribly, soul-crushingly busy to the point that I have absolutely no idea how I’m going to fit in everything I want/need to do. On top of that, my monthly Community Game-Alongs keep me acutely aware of exactly how much time I have left in the year… And it’s not a lot.

So, how can one ever hope to manage one’s time?! With a handy list, of course!

There are tons of games I want to play over the next few months, but I had to narrow things down for the sake of this post, and my sanity. Since I’m on a major otome game/visual novel kick lately, I figured that was as good a place to start as any, and I also wanted to use it as an excuse to cover some games that may not be talked about very often. And thus, I present to you: four visual novels I have to play before 2015!

Clover Toshokan no Juunin-tachi (release date: September 26)

This is one otome game that I absolutely did not have on my radar until I happened to see it pop up for preorder on Ami Ami (that site is going to be the death of me). My interest was piqued for purely superficial reasons – the game has the word “library” in the title, and the art was appealing, albeit a little generic. But this game isn’t just an otome game that features a library! The male suitors are literally books. That’s right, the books in the library have come to life, from the cutesy picture book to the wild-looking travel book. Even though this game is for PC and I generally prefer to play games on consoles, I will readily admit that the prospect of dating books completely sold me on the title.

Nekketsu Inou Bukatsu: Trigger Kiss (release date: October 2)

I have a feeling this list is going to quickly make me sound very shallow, but there was only one thing I knew about Trigger Kiss before I started writing this post, and that was that there is a mechanic in the game that actually has players kiss their Vitas. I literally needed no other information before placing my preorder. I figure if games like Monster Monpiece with its erotic Vita-rubbing gameplay mechanism can be popular enough to have an English release, then I’m going to do my very best to make sure everyone knows about what else is out there! Apparently the mechanic is rationalized by the fact that all of the characters have special powers… and the heroine’s is that she can increase the powers of others by – you guessed it – kissing them. All right, sign me up!
DRAMAtical Murder re:code (release date: October 30)
DRAMAtical Murder is one of those games that I really should play, but have never gotten very far in, largely due to the fact that it’s PC-only (that doesn’t bode well for Clover Toshokan no Juunin-tachi…). Now that the ages18+ BL visual novel is getting an all-ages Vita release, I have a feeling I’ll finally be compelled to go through and finish the whole thing. I just love the game’s cyberpunk-like aesthetic and focus on things like games and technology (so meta!), and I can only imagine how great it’s going to look on the Vita’s OLED screen! Just a warning, though: if you find yourself interested in learning more about DRAMAtical Murder, I would suggest staying away from the currently-airing anime. It’s a good laugh if you don’t take it seriously, but the low production values really aren’t doing the series any favors.
Code: Realize – Sousei no Himegimi (release date: November 27)
It’s high time an otome game tackled a steampunk setting, so I am 100% on board with whatever Code: Realize plans to throw at me. Taking place in London and featuring bishonen versions of famous literary characters such as Van Helsing and Frankenstein, everything about this game says that I’ll love it… aside from the premise. Apparently it features an amnesiac heroine who has some kind of disease that causes everything she comes in contact with to rot. After my experience with Amnesia, I think it’s safe to say I’m extremely wary of an otome game that uses amnesia as a plot point, but I can’t help but be drawn in by the gorgeous art, characters, and setting. I hope it doesn’t disappoint!
There are so many other games I could have included, but alas, any more than four and I doubt I’ll be able to make good on my word to play them before 2015. As it is, I still have piles of visual novels I’ve purchased and still haven’t touched!
Visual novel or not, what are you looking forward to playing for the rest of the year?

Monster Monpiece added to growing list of niche Japanese games coming out in English this year

If I were to preemptively name 2014’s theme, I might be inclined to call it the “year of niche Japanese game releases.” Not only are we getting Danganronpa, Yumi’s Odd Odyssey, Conception II, and Steins;Gate, but now Idea Factory International has announced that they will be bringing their card battling RPG PS Vita title, Monster Monpiece, out in Europe and North America this spring.

I have to say, the idea of a card battling RPG is totally my jam. Unfortunately, Monster Monpiece comes with a little extra, er, baggage. See, the game became notorious last year for its raunchy mini-game called First Crush ❤ Rub that requires players to find monster girls’ “weak points”… and I’m sure you can guess where these weak points might be. If a monster girl becomes sufficiently excited during First Crush ❤ Rub mode, an additional minigame called Extreme Love will be activated. This is probably the most infamous element of Monster Monpiece, as it requires players to grip their Vitas vertically and vigorously rub the front and back touch pads simultaneously. And if you’re still left wondering what these mini-games are all about, here’s a direct quote from Idea Factory International’s Press release to drive it all home: “… we kindly note that we highly recommend you play this portion of the game in private, due to the explicit voices and hand-action during First Crush ❤Rub and Extreme Love.”

Okay, it’s pretty clear that Monster Monpiece is not aimed at me. But from what I understand, beneath its obnoxious exterior is actually a very competent RPG, and I’ve always wanted to see a card battling game come out in English. Unfortunately, though, not only does Idea Factory International feel it needs to highlight the more unsavory aspects of the game (if their first English trailer is any indication), but the company is also in hot water with fans over the removal of a number of the higher level (and thus, less clothed) monster cards from the English release of the game.

I’m really not interested in turning this post into an argument of whether censorship is okay or not, or whether Monster Monpiece is objectifying/sexist/etc. or not (though if you’re wondering, the answers are no and yes, but the discussion is definitely more complicated than single-word responses). Rather, I think it’s important to highlight that despite all this, I’m not only happy that Monster Monpiece is coming out, but I’m actually interested in checking the game out myself. However, the fetishistic gameplay elements and the preoccupation game developers have with pandering towards a male audience is beyond tiresome, and I sincerely hope that if nothing else, Idea Factory International brings one of their parent company’s otome games over next.

The idea that there isn’t a market for games aimed at a predominately female audience is simply absurd, and we need to see more diversity in the games that are localized into English. You know where to find me if you want my list of otome games I want to see come over, Idea Factory!

Battle Princess of Arcadia looks like a super cute, HD Odin Sphere

I’ve always been a fan of NIS America for consistently bringing super niche Japanese titles to western audiences, but I’ll admit many of their recent titles, such as Mugen Souls and the Neptunia series, haven’t really appealed to me. For one reason or another, however, I’ve never quite kept up to date with what their Japanese parent company, Nippon Ichi Software, has been working working on. Well, perhaps I should be, as I just read up on their upcoming September release, Battle Princess of Arcadia (Arukadiasu no ikusahime), and I must say, it looks right up my alley!

Edit: Whoops, it turns out that NIS is just the publisher. Apollosoft, the folks who did Ragnarok Tactics, are the developers!

The first thing about Battle Princess of Arcadia that caught my eye, aside from the fact that the characters seem to be plagued with the same disease that caused the Fire Emblem: Awakening characters to not have feet, is the game’s bright, watercolor-esque art style. As the title of the post suggests, it very much strikes me as a cute version of Odin Sphere, which can only be a good thing in my book!

Illustration of the game’s worlds

The gameplay itself looks to be quite similar to Odin Sphere, as well… At least in terms of the fact that both are 2D side-scrollers. Battle Princess of Arcadia has been described as a beat’em up title, suggesting a lack of tactical/RPG elements, but players will be able to have three characters in their party to swap in and out during a level at any given time, which should provide an added layer of strategy not seen in usual beat’em up games. In addition, you apparently even have an army to control: 

Though the environments aren’t nearly as detailed as those found in Odin Sphere, I’m really digging the overall look, and if the combat does tend toward the simpler side (I’ll admit Odin Sphere was a bit tough for me), then I think Battle Princess Arcadia could be a real winner. Oh, and there’s a goose king. for good measure: 

Adorable! Hopefully NISA will pick this one up, since it’s being published by their parent company. The game releases in Japan on September 26th, and I look forward to seeing how it’s received!

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn just launched and I’m already addicted

First, I should qualify that statement with the fact that not only did I participate in the phase four beta weekend, but I also put in some time during the early access period before today’s official launch, so it’s not like I just started yesterday! Of course, that probably makes me sound even crazier, especially since when I mentioned Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn on the other day’s podcast, it had only just piqued my interest. Well, all I can say is that a lot has happened since then!

This isn’t my first time playing an online game – long-time readers will recall that I had a brief stint with Phantasy Star Online 2 last year, but Final Fantasy XIV is much more of a traditional MMO in that you’re with hundreds, if not thousands, of players at the same time. I won’t delve far into the gameplay and systems because frankly, I don’t really know much beyond what I’ve played so far (approximately 10 hours), but I’ve heard it’s similar structurally to World of Warcraft. 

The first thing that drew me to FFXIV was its amazing art direction. In fact, I love the art so much that I immediately went and downloaded the PS3 theme as soon as I knew it was available. I hate to be superficial, but when a game’s art captures my heart, that can often be enough to make me want to give it a go. Since FFXIV had a free open beta weekend before the full launch, that’s exactly what I did!

Especially fun for the open beta weekend was the fact that people could choose to try the game out on both the PC and PS3, as normally players have to purchase both versions separately. I gave both a go, and while the PS3 version was competent (and ultimately the one I went with for logistical reasons), I can see why most MMO gaming is done on the PC. Unfortunately my PC isn’t much of a powerhouse, so I couldn’t get any real high quality screenshots, but even on a low-quality system the game looks very nice, which can again be chalked up to the great art direction. All of the pictures in this post, by the way, were taking on said PC during the open beta weekend.

Can’t have a Final Fantasy game without Moogles!

Of course, one of the most fun aspects of an MMO is creating your own character. As soon as I heard about the different races available in FFXIV, I knew I wanted to be a male Miqo’te. As you can see, the Miqo’te are blessed with some very neat cat-like characteristics, making them a popular choice for the catgirl-loving crowd in particular. My suave catboy is named Chive Thistlewood, continuing my trend of naming my characters after food. Here’s my full character card courtesy of Firestream.net:

For a starting class, I chose pugilist, which means Chive specializes in hand-to-hand combat. For a quick comparison, think Yuffie from Final Fantasy VII. From a gameplay perspective, I’m much more interested in getting in close and hacking away at enemies than I am at hanging back and dealing ranged damage or shooting fireballs, so it seemed like a good place to start. The great thing about Final Fantasy XIV, though, is that you can change your class at a drop of a hat by equipping a different weapon, so if I ever get tired of being a pugilist, a new class is just a click away! There are also a variety of non-combat classes such as fishing or mining, but I’ve decided that appearance is everything, so I’m working on leveling up my weaver class so I can outfit Chive in the best threads in town!

Race ya!

Suffice it to say, after playing just a few hours over the open beta weekend, I was hooked. I immediately went out and preordered the PS3 version in order to get an early access code (which meant I could start playing a few days before the official launch). Unfortunately, by the time I had committed myself to purchasing the game, the North American version of the amazing collector’s edition was all sold out, so I settled for the regular version… and then proceeded to scour the internet for stores selling the collector’s edition like the hopelessly obsessed woman I’ve become. Lo and behold, I managed to nab a European PAL copy, and should be coming in the mail in a few days! I’ll definitely do a post sharing that when it arrives.

What’s a Final Fantasy game without Chocobos?

Unfortunately, the game’s early access and official launch yesterday have been marred with issues that plague all MMO releases: login errors and overcrowded servers. I personally haven’t had many issues logging in until today, but I’ve been amazed to hear that some folks weren’t able to sign in at all during the early access, or that people literally can’t create characters on the servers they want because they’re full. Since none of this as been a major issue for me, it hasn’t significantly impacted my impressions of the game, but it’s worth noting for those reading this who are thinking of jumping on board.

If you asked me a month ago, I would’ve never thought Final Fantasy XIV would be my cup of tea. Now, I practically eat, drink, and sleep FFXIV! Okay, that might be a bit of a stretch, but it’s safe to say that this is the first Final Fantasy that has grabbed me in a number of years. I hope Chive and I have many more months, and maybe even years, of adventuring ahead of us!