Pixel x Pixel Episode 67

Howdy, it’s Pixel x Pixel comin’ at you hot with a hefty podcast chock full of news and things we’ve been doing! Marcus has new articles up in his Collector’s Cabinet and Checking the Score series, while Anne wrote a review of the hot new catboy game, NEKOPARA – Catboys Paradise. We have a lot to say about the Steam Deck, a little to say about the OLED Nintendo Switch, and a whole lot of fun in store for you in this episode!

19:00 – Media Minutes: Logan’s Run, Bustafellows, Fear Street 1994 & 1978, Loki, Genshin Impact
31:00 – Notable News: Cruel King and the Great Hero coming west in early 2022, Cupid Parasite rated in Australia, All Aksys showcase August 6, OLED Switch announced, Steam Deck announced

♫ “Willie Lomans,” “5 minutes pleasure,” and “6 pence and moon” from Alphabet Planet by Hiroki Kikuta

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NEKOPARA – Catboys Paradise Review

Neko Works, creators of the popular NEKOPARA series of visual novels about cute catgirls in cafes, made more than a few catboy fans very excited and then extremely disappointed back in 2019 when they revealed NEKOPARA – Catboys Paradise as an April Fool’s joke. But two years later, in a surprising turn of events, Neko Works announced that they were making the game “for real” due to fan interest! The free game was released today and I’ve had the pleasure to play through all the routes. I’m happy to report that it is indeed very cute and earnest, showing that Neko Works can cater to catboy as well as catgirl lovers.

In NEKOPARA – Catboys Paradise, you’re a young adult woman who has taken over running her late grandfather’s cafe (sound familiar?). To help you run the cafe are four live-in catboy employees who apparently go to school to learn how to be good catboys and prepare for a life of being owned by a human. In terms of story, it’s pretty rudimentary and really just a setting for you to watch cute interactions with the characters, as the game can be completed in 2 or so hours, depending on your reading speed. But despite this, I found myself surprisingly charmed by the four different characters and was really happy to find Catboys Paradise to be an earnest, polished experience despite its origins as an April Fool’s joke.

Of the four characters, I most enjoyed the route for “rare” male calico Dill, who loves fashion and makeup and is the “younger brother” type of the group. Fennel, the glasses-wearing butler-like cat who enjoys things like reading and Japanese history, was also a highlight. Each character has two CGs, and the routes involve getting to know them better as you and your employees learn the ins and outs of running a business on the fly. None of the routes have any real closure to them, but instead act as introductions to the world and characters, making the game feel almost like the prologue chapter of an otome game. Even so, the writing (with a solid English translation!), art, and voice acting were all so charming that I didn’t mind playing through the equivalent of a video game candy bar (short and sweet!).

Catboys Paradise doesn’t have any player choices outside of which character’s route to read through, but it includes a fun variety of reactions from the player’s perspective such as nodding in response to things the characters say. But since the experience is free and so short, I’ll refrain from saying much more and encourage you to go check it out for yourself on PC, iOS or Android. Keep in mind that unlike the NEKOPARA games, which have adult content, this game is a completely PG experience.

I hope that NEKOPARA – Catboys Paradise does well for Neko Works and encourages them to do more content with male characters in the future! If they keep up this level of polish, they have the potential to make some really enjoyable titles.

Pixel x Pixel Episode 66

What other podcast gives you commentary on raunchy puppet films, a backwards chronological journey through John Waters’ filmography, all the latest gaming AND anime news? None other than Pixel x Pixel! We’re back for episode 66 and while Marcus is returning to the office part time in our new “COVID normal,” Anne is chilling in yet another city-wide lockdown. Get comfy and have a listen!

9:30 – Media Minutes: Let My Puppets Come, Polyester, Raging Loop
40:00 – Notable News: Fxxx Me Royally physical edition, AI Sominium Files: nirvanA Initiative, GAMERella Global, Evangelion movies coming to Amazon Prime, Falcom 40th anniversary announcements

♫ “Willie Lomans,” “5 minutes pleasure,” and “6 pence and moon” from Alphabet Planet by Hiroki Kikuta

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International Game Jam: GAMERella Global 2021

If you’ve frequented Chic Pixel before, you know I’m all about more inclusive video games – whether it’s the games themselves or the community surrounding them. That’s why I was super excited when friend of the site Gina Hara, coordinator and creative director at TAG, reached out to me to help get the word out about GAMERella Global, which is going online for the first time in 2021!

GAMERella is a free, learner-friendly and supportive game-making marathon, dedicated to finding ways to better serve people who are often excluded from traditional game-making spaces. That means anyone and everyone is welcome!

Founded in 2013, GAMERella has helped hundreds of people start making games through mentorship, industry connections, and career advice. It was conceived by folks including co-founder Gina Hara at Concordia University with the goal of making getting into game jams and game-making less intimidating. This year, the event will take place globally through Discord from July 9-11, so that means anyone can participate regardless of location. If joining a game jam sounds a little too daunting for you, there will also be workshops on topics such as scoring for games, character design, and how to break into the game industry. But if you’re ready to take the plunge and participate in the jam itself, get a leg up with this Intro to Game-Jaming video from the 2018 event.

GAMERella participants jamming from home during the pandemic in 2020
(photo by Danielle Olson)

They’re also looking for volunteer mentors, so if you happen to have a couple hours free this weekend and want to support the participants and provide some wisdom, check out the mentor call out.

I might not be making a game, but I’m very excited to see the workshops planned! You can sign up for GAMERella Global for free to get access to the Discord via Eventbrite. Who knows, maybe you’ll get some ideas for your first (or next!) game!

Pixel x Pixel Episode 65

E3/Summer of Games/Wholesome Games and the whole flurry of mid-year gaming events have come and gone, and we have lots of news to talk about! But before that, Marcus has put together another model kit and reviewed Musicus, which turns out not to be a rhythm game. We’ve also got the big scoop on the hottest news outside of E3 – Marcus’ newest podcast! Plus, Anne reviews a visual novel and talks a lot about Resident Evil media. Please note there are some audio issues in the first part of the podcast, but it was remedied from Media Minutes onward.

18:00 – Media Minutes: Passions, Are You in the House Alone?, Resident Evil Village, Resident Evil Vendetta, Collar X Malice
37:00 – Notable News: Nextlander, Hideshi Hino’s City of Pigs, Tokyo Onmyoji: The Tale of Rei Tengenjibashi and My Dear Frankenstein localization announcements, Lamento localization indefinite hold, Tokimeki Memorial Girl’s Side 4th Heart release date, Fuga: Melodies of Steel, Plumbers Don’t Wear Ties re-release, Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water ports, Doki Doki Literature Club Plus, Advance Wars 1+2 Re-boot Camp, Warioware Get It Together, Danganrona Decadence, Breath of the Wild 2

♫ “Willie Lomans,” “5 minutes pleasure,” and “6 pence and moon” from Alphabet Planet by Hiroki Kikuta

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Japan Envy: Super Mario x Parco Collaboration Item Fair

The Japanese shopping center chain Parco is teaming up with Nintendo for a massive Super Mario collaboration! First, around 60 stores are participating in the Item Collaboration Fair, which starts on July 1st, offering a range of exclusive Super Mario crossover merch (over 300 items total!). Then, Nintendo will be expanding it’s official Nintendo Store locations from its flagship Shibuya Parco location to other Parco centers in cities across Japan in a limited series of pop up shops over the next few months, allowing people who haven’t been able to go to the Shibuya location a chance to shop a range of great Nintendo products.

Finally, there’s Parco Grand Bazaar, which as far as I can tell is a regular Parco summer sale running from June 25 to July 11 with some Super Mario branding (the poster on the left in the image above).

I love when nerdy things cross over into fashion, so it’s really fun to see how all of the different bands are using the Super Mario brand for the giant Collaboration Item Fair starting on July 1. I was tipped off to this fun event by Thymine on Twitter, who posted about this amazing Angelic Pretty Princess Peach dress, complete with crown!

As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to check out what other collaboration items were available! I personally love how this lolita dress blurs the line between fashion and cosplay.

While Angelic Pretty doesn’t have any other clothing in the Super Mario collab, it is releasing a number of accessories: star and Boo-themed necklaces, rings, and earings. You know, I would proudly rock a sparkly Boo necklace.

I’m also a fan of the brand Samantha Thavasa, which often does collaborations with different pop culture media such as Sailor Moon. Both Samantha Thavasa and the spinoff brand Samantha Thavasa Petit Choice have Super Mario handbag and wallet designs, but the short and long wallets below are my favorites.

Finally, the kimono brand Kimono by Nadeshiko has a range of summer yukata with Super Mario designs! Check these out:

How cool are they?! The line comes with Super Mario obi (the sash you tie around kimono/yukata) as well as the yukata themselves, so you could style the Mario obi with a plain kimono for lots of fun looks such as the light blue yukata example above. I really like the black yukata, which looks like it’s depicting Mario in a castle or underground area (sorry I’m not a Mario expert). It’s not quite as flashy as the first bright blue example, and the M logos on the chest are reminiscent of the hakama Mario design!

There are tons more items in the Super Mario x Parco Item Collaboration Fair such as business ties, purses, and underwear, but these are some of the main standouts for me. You can view the whole list of participating stores and items on the official website. If you want to try to score any of these items outside of Japan, try to hit up the online stores on July 1. Make sure you have a proxy service set up!

MARS RED: Edge of the Nightmare Review

MARS RED is a multimedia vampire narrative set in Taisho Era Japan originally conceived as a stage play by Bun-O Fujisawa performed in 2015. The story focuses on a secret vampire military unit of vampire hunters known as Code Zero and is currently in a rather delayed renaissance with the release of a manga in 2020, followed by an anime and a video game adaptation released in English for mobile phones on May 20, 2021. The game, titled MARS RED: Edge of the Nightmare, features an all-new storyline written by Bun-O Fujisawa and stars a character absent from the anime named Yatsufusa Yuki.

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