Chic Pixel’s Favorite Anime Openings of 2015

1 / 5 / 16

Many times, my first impression of an anime comes from its opening. They’ve had such an impact on me that at least half of my music library consists of anime opening themes! An opening isn’t just about the music, though: for it to really succeed, it must pair the song with evocative animated sequences that get you excited to watch the upcoming episode. A really good opening has you glued to the screen for the whole duration, and that’s exactly how I felt about the following five anime openings from 2015:

Sunday Spotlight: natsukigirl

1 / 3 / 161 / 3 / 16

Happy new year and welcome to the first Sunday Spotlight of 2016! This week I wanted to highlight an internet friend who is very inspirational to me (and I am secretly hoping to channel more in 2016). Natsukigirl always posts colorful photos of their Japanese games, toys, manga collection, and all-around cute stuff, and I seriously can’t get enough of it! They can be found in a variety of places on the internet (that I’ll link to at the end of this post), but for their photography, I highly recommend their Instagram for tons of cute stuff like this:

In addition, if you’re a fan of Yokai Watch, they make all kinds of content for Watch of Yokai, a Yokai Watch fan site. I admit I haven’t been bitten by the yokai bug yet, but natsukigirl’s merchandise photos are always super cute!

You can also find natsukigirl on Twitter, Tumblr, and their personal site, in addition to Instagram. Just don’t blame me if you suddenly develop an interest in cute Japanese dolls and Yokai Watch medals!

January 2016 Community Game-Along: Dating Sims

1 / 2 / 161 / 4 / 16

The first Community Game-Along theme of 2016 is the return of an old personal favorite, dating sims! For this month’s theme, any games where pursuing romance is an integral part of the experience are eligible. That means whether you want to play Dragon Age or Amnesia: Memories, it counts for the Game-Along!

If you’re new to Community Game-Alongs, simply play any game that fits the theme and share your experiences on your own blog, YouTube channel, social media, or wherever else you’d like to talk about it. Just be sure to tag it with #DatingSimonth so everyone else can see it! If you don’t know what to play, check out the suggestions I gave the first time I ran the dating sim Community Game-Along, or try one of these:

The Complete 2016 Community Game-Along Schedule

12 / 31 / 1510 / 23 / 16

Can you believe it’s been two years since I started doing Community Game-Alongs here at Chic Pixel? I certainly can’t! What began as a month dedicated to celebrating Nihon Falcom games has evolved into a fun event where every month of the year is designated a new video game-related theme, and I’m so excited to continue it into 2016.

If you’re new to the Community Game-Along, fundamentally it’s very simple: all you have to do is play at least one game that fits the theme of the month. Try a title you’ve never played before, revisit an old favorite, or share your experiences with others… As long as it fits the theme, how you choose to join in is up to you! For those that like to plan ahead, I’ve compiled a full list of the themes for 2016:

January – Dating Sims
February – Fishing games (suggested by @_Kimimi!)
March – Monster Hunter-likes
April – Yuzo Koshiro (composer)
May – Metroidvania
June – Media tie-in games (suggested by @BadoorSNK!)
July – JRPGs
August – PlatinumGames
September – Strategy games
October – Horror games
November – Erotic (R18+/adult content) games
December – Hudson Soft games

I hope to see lots of you participating over the course of the year!

Chic Pixel’s Favorite Games of 2015

12 / 28 / 15

Things have been a little quiet here at Chic Pixel during the holiday, but now that I’m feeling refreshed and recharged, it’s time to get back in the posting groove! And what better way than with some best of 2015 lists? First, I’d like to share my five favorite video games that came out this year. There are many (so, so many) games that came out in 2015 I still need to play, so please keep in mind that the titles that appear here are simply those I put enough time into to consider. But enough with the caveats… on with the list!

Break Chance Memento Holiday Giveaway!

12 / 21 / 1512 / 21 / 15

I am super excited to announce that my second giveaway this month is in partnership with indie game developer Cyanide Tea to give one lucky winner a digital copy of their latest game, Break Chance Memento! This thrilling visual novel features time travel, explorations of family bonds, a brutal serial killer, and even the potential for gay romance to blossom. If that sounds intriguing, you can download the demo for PC, Mac, and Linux over at their itch.io page, and read on for more information on how to score a copy!

To enter, simply complete one or more actions in the Gleam widget below by December 28th at 11:59 pm Pacific Time. The more actions you complete, the more chances you have to win! One random winner will receive download copies of the game for PC, Mac, and Linux redeemable through itch.io. Good luck and happy holidays from Chic Pixel!

Break Chance Memento Giveaway

Sunday Spotlight: Pokéscans

12 / 20 / 15

It’s no secret that I love all things Pokémon, so for this week’s Sunday Spotlight, I have to highlight one of my favorite stops on the internet for Pokémon-related goodness: PokéScans! PokéScans features scans from all different kinds of Pokémon merchandise from Tumblr user PacificPikachu, with occasional submissions from other users. From popular items such as the yearly holiday collections to old Japanese guidebooks, there is always something fun to see at PokéScans if you’re a Pokémon fan!

Pokemon Decochara Seal Holder Christmas — Cover of a Christmas-themed sticker binder from the Diamond and Pearl days! (source)

Be sure to follow PokéScans on Tumblr if you want a daily dose of cute Pokémon scans on your dashboard!