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!
Christmas is just around the corner, and in Japan that means reservations for Christmas cakes are everywhere you look. While most western cultures probably associate fruit cakes with Christmas, Japan has popularized a light, usually white cake with strawberries and cream as a common Christmas eve treat. Now, Christmas cakes are so popular that they come in nearly every flavor imaginable, and every decoration imaginable, too! From Monster Hunter to Yowamushi Pedal, all kinds of nerdy fandoms are represented in Christmas cake form… And I’ve rounded up some of the best to share with you today.
My birthday is coming up, and you know what that means… It’s the perfect time to host a giveaway! Why should I be the only one getting presents?
I have one code for a digital copy of Steins;Gate for PS Vita up for grabs! It is only valid on the European PSN store, but it is very easy to make a European PSN account if you don’t have one and would still like to enter; just remember that it will take a little finagling to switch regions on your PS Vita (Kotaku has a good guide if you’ve never tried it before). The giveaway is open worldwide until December 17th at 11:59 pm Pacific Time.
Just use the nifty widget below to enter, and stay tuned for my holiday giveaway coming up next week!
It’s been a little over a month since I last posted a video, but I’m back with a vengeance! Today I’m unboxing two random blind Re-Ment boxes I purchased a few weeks ago: one from the Sailor Moon Café Sweets Collection and another from the Rilakkuma Totte Oki Gift series. I just love the anticipation that comes with not knowing what will be inside! I won’t spoil it, so watch the unboxing to see what I got:
To be honest, now I’m not sure what to do with them! If you like miniatures, how do you use them? Right now I’ve just got mine displaying on a shelf. They could also be good for props in figure photos… Well, for the time being, I’m happy just to look at them!
Yet another Sunday has rolled around, and you know what that means: Time for a Sunday Spotlight! Can you tell I’m running out of witty things to say in these intros? Moving on…
Here at Chic Pixel, we love a good JRPG. That’s why this week’s Spotlight is highlighting an awesome website that is all about just that! JRPG.moe bills itself as a site for those who get “fired up” about Japanese role playing games, so don’t let the .moe scare you – it’s definitely not only about cute anime girls! I love that JRPG.moe covers both Japanese and English game releases, and is written by someone proficient in Japanese, so you can count on it for accurate import impressions and news translations! Start off with JRPG.moe’s December release calendar to see what you need to put on your shopping list this month before moving on to some in-depth editorials and JRPG news.
Be sure to like JRPG.moe on Facebook and follow it and its editor on Twitter to stay up to date on all things JRPG!
All of a sudden, here we are at the last Community Game-Along of 2015! For this occasion, I wanted to do something a little special… So, for the first time ever, this month’s theme is a video game composer! I’d like to highlight Yoko Shimomura, a Japanese composer who is most famous for her work on the Kingdom Hearts series, but you’ve probably heard her melodies in one of the many games on her resume. If you’d like to learn more about her amazing career, check out the Shimomura episode of the M-Disk Playlist podcast I guested on a few months ago!
If you’d like to participate in the December Game-Along, just play a game featuring music composed by Yoko Shimomura (it can even be just one track, we’re flexible here at Chic Pixel). It wouldn’t be a Game-Along without social media integration, so use #ShimomuraMonth to share your experiences with others! Some folks have already been posting their favorite tracks and game recommendations, so be sure to join in – photos of games featuring Shimomura’s music, let’s plays of your chosen title… there are countless ways to participate! If you can’t decide what to play, here are a few titles worth checking out that aren’t Kingdom Hearts:
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam (Nintendo 3DS) – Let’s start with something topical! Yoko Shimomura has done the music in all of the Mario & Luigi games, with Paper Jam being the latest entry in the series. Well, it just so happens to be releasing in December in Japan in Europe! Sorry, North America, but you’ll have to wait until January for this one. If you’re itchin’ to play a Mario & Luigi game in the meantime, you can get some of them on the Wii U’s virtual console, or try the previous entry on the 3DS, Dream Team Bros.
Radiant Historia (Nintendo DS) – For a recent but more traditional JRPG, try Radiant Historia. Though it went largely under the radar when it was originally released, it’s extremely well regarded and will definitely scratch any RPG itches you might have. I still haven’t had a chance to boot up my copy, so I can’t say much more than that, but I don’t think it’d disappoint!
Parasite Eve (PSone) – Though still an RPG (Shimomura’s forte), Parasite Eve was unique for taking aspects of horror titles such as Resident Evil and transforming traditional role-playing game mechanics. The creepy cool soundtrack is also one of my personal favorites! If you’ve played the first game in the series and would like to check out the others, keep in mind that Shimomura did not compose II, but did return for the less stellar 3rd Birthday on PSP.
Legend of Mana (PSone) – Though Legend of Mana has not been received as favorably as previous titles in the series, many point to it as one of Yoko Shimomura’s strongest soundtracks. This also happens to be the game I’ll be trying out this month, since I’ve never played it! Wouldn’t it be fun to join in a playthrough with your pal Anne?
Of course there are many more possibilities, and there’s definitely nothing wrong with celebrating with a little Kingdom Hearts goodness! What will you be playing this month?
Who doesn’t love some geeky crafts? Since I wasn’t able to include any crafters in my nerdy gift guide this year, I thought it would be nice to highlight a handmade in case anyone wanted to pick up a something with a more individualized touch this holiday season. That’s why this week’s Sunday Spotlight features a geeky crafter named momorave who makes some darn cute amigurumi!
For the unfamiliar, amigurumi is the Japanese word for knitted or crocheted stuffed animals. The majority of momorave’s amigurumi consist of “derpy” versions of various Pokémon such as the Espeon pictured above that are sure to bring a smile to your face! She also has a number of bird amigurumi that aren’t especially nerdy, but are still tremendously cute.
If you’d to pick something up from momorave’s shop for Christmas, be sure to do so before December 1st. You can also follow her on Instagram to see all her latest craft projects!