Announcing the Nippon Ichi Software Community Game-Along

Goodness me, look at the time! We’re nearly a week into November already, which makes this month’s Community Game-Along theme announcement horribly overdue (though if you follow me on Twitter, you’ve probably heard all about it by now). For those of you who haven’t, never fear – there’s still plenty of time to get in on this month’s theme, Nippon Ichi Software games!

For the purposes of appealing to as many people as possible, I’ll be including combining both Nippon Ichi Software and NIS America this month, so games that are developed as well as published by the two companies are eligible for the theme. If you’re unfamiliar with Nippon Ichi Software, I’d highly recommend checking out the Hardcore Gaming 101 series that focuses on the Japanese developer’s strategy RPGs.

All you need to do to participate in the NIS Community Game-Along is pick a game (or games) that fit the theme to play and share your experiences! On social media, please use #NISNovember to tag your posts so everyone join in the fun.

I’ve had a few folks mention to me that NIS games aren’t really their thing, which is why I’d like to use November to highlight the wide and varied library both NIS and NIS America have! While Disgaea is undoubtedly their flagship title, there are many more games under the NIS umbrella to discover. Why not try out one of these fine games?

Danganronpa (PS Vita) – Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havocand Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair are by far the main reason why I decided to include NIS America-published titles in this month’s theme. Developed by Spike Chunsoft of Zero Escape series fame, Danganronpa features some of the best writing and catchiest music I’ve heard in a game in a very long time. If you plan to jump into the series, you absolutely must start with the first game, as the sequel expands on the plot of the first in a number of very important ways. Check out my review of the first game to find out if it’ll be your cup of tea.

Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure (PSone, DS) – Unlike NIS’s comparatively dense strategy RPGs such as Disgaea, Rhapsody stands out as being more about the presentation than the difficulty of the gameplay. Touted as a “musical RPG,” Rhapsody features an array of cute and quirky characters that will often break out into song during dialogue sequences. It’s worth noting that the DS version features a gameplay overhaul, making it into more of a traditional turn-based battle system than a strategy RPG. If you want an RPG loaded with female characters that won’t suck away all your free time (it can be completed in about 10 hours), then Rhapsody may be worth seeking out.

ClaDun series (PSP, PSN, Steam) – I hardly ever hear love for the ClaDun series, but it’s actually one of my favorite series developed by NIS! The quirky art style and top-down dungeon crawling gameplay make this series lots of fun for those looking to try something less tactical than NIS’s usual fare. Your characters and party are fully customizeable, down to the sprites themselves, and the music is surprisingly memorable for a niche game release. ClaDun X2, being the sequel, is the more polished of the two, and can be purchased on Steam as well as PSN for PSP or Vita. If you’re looking for something that can be played on the big screen and has a little more story, Legasista (PS3) is very similar.

GrimGimoire (PS2, PSN) – Another NISA-published title, GrimGrimoire is perhaps the least well-known of acclaimed developer Vanillaware’s titles. If the game’s gorgeous art style isn’t enough to interest you, the real-time strategy gameplay might! At only $10 on PSN, this is the cheapest game recommendation on my list, but don’t assume you’re trading quality for cost. You can read my full review here.


Before you start digging into your NIS games, please consider completing my 2015 Community Game-Along survey! The survey will be available until mid-December and will help me gauge if there is interest in continuing these theme gaming months into next year. It’ll only take a couple of minutes to complete, so please let me know your thoughts!

Sailor Moon anime finally gets the HD treatment on November 11th!

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m absolutely loving the recent Sailor Moon revival spurred by the series’ 20th anniversary a few years ago and recent anime remake. One thing that I and many Sailor Moon fans have regularly lamented, however, is the lack of affordable anime DVDs after the Pioneer version went out of print. Luckily, VIZ Media has answered the pleas of fans and will not only be re-releasing the whole series remastered in HD on DVD, but Blu-ray, as well! 
The first part of season 1 goes on sale on November 11th, and will contain episodes 1 – 23 of the original series, completely uncut and featuring an all new dub that retains Japanese names and is closer to the original overall. Considering how much was removed from and changed in the original English version of Sailor Moon, it’s extremely exciting to finally have the complete series coming out for old and new fans to enjoy in full. Here’s what you’ll get in the first DVD/Blu-ray set:

©N.T./PNP, T.A.

The DVD/Blu-ray combo comes with 3 DVDs and 3 Blu-rays with both the new dub and original Japanese audio, along with an 88-page booklet featuring everything from character art to episode guides. For those who just want the episodes without all the thrills, there will also be a 3 DVD set that comes without the limited edition art book.

MSRP for the limited edition DVD/Blu-ray set is $79.95, but you can get it for significantly cheaper ($52.95 as of this post) on Amazon. Similarly, the DVD set has an MSRP of $44.82, but is currently up for preorder for $34.99 on Amazon. If you can’t wait to get your hands on the physical version, you can watch the subtitled episodes on VIZ’s streaming service Neon Alley and Hulu.

I’m so excited to finally be able to watch the original Sailor Moon anime in HD, completely uncut! While the original dub, no matter how bad it may be, will always hold a weirdly special place in my heart for being my first introduction to the series (and subsequently anime), it’s great to see VIZ putting the time and effort to doing a more accurate the dub for a new generation of young fans. The 88 page art book is a great addition, as well.  I can’t wait to see what’s inside! 

Scary Pokémon Halloween website features Gengar, Banette, and… Junji Ito?

The world of Pokémon has always been a slightly sinister place, from the designs of some of the Pokémon themselves (Mr. Mime for all you clown lovers out there), to Pokédex entries that reveal a darker side to the otherwise adorable little creatures. In fact, the Lavender Town tower cemetary in Pokémon Red/Blue is so infamous that it was the first example on the subject of death in Japanese popular media that Harvard professor Alexander Zahlten mentioned it at the beginning of a talk of his I went to earlier this year!

The creepier aspects of Pokémon have never really been directly discussed, and certainly not promoted, by the creators of the games themselves, but this year the Pokémon Company is fully embracing Pokémon scare potential with the Hontou wa kowai? (Actually scary?) Pokémon website. Just in time for Halloween, the Hontou wa kowai? website celebrates all ghost and dark Pokémon that have the potential to send a chill down your spine. A variety of scary Pokémon, or KowaPoké (an amalgamation of kowai, or scary, and Pokémon) grace the site, and there are a number of informational pages, activities, and more. 
The website plays the eery Lavender Town theme, of course… 
The frustrating thing about many Japanese holiday tie-in events is that they only occur in Japan, but in the case of this website, anyone in the world can join in the fun! Even if you don’t understand Japanese, there are plenty of things to see, such as the scary Pokémon minigame, festive wallpapers for smartphones and computers, coloring pages, and even some short manga.
“You’re so wonderful…” 
The site is being regularly updated throughout the month with tons of information on scary Pokémon in the various Pokémon games themselves, as well. One such update, however, revealed a very surprising collaboration… 
full image
Master of Japanese horror Junji Ito himself is doing a series of collaborative illustrations for the website! The above image depicting the evil plush Pokémon Banette is the first of two illustrations that will be released on the Hontou wa kowai? website. There will even be a special t-shirt giveaway featuring Junji Ito’s Banette illustration for 100 lucky fans, but it’s unfortunately limited to residents of Japan only.

Junji Ito is famous for his twisted horror manga, including Gyo, Uzumaki, and Tomie. Regarding the Banette illustration, he says he drew a Banette that was searching for the child that threw it out. Since Banettes are born from the grudge they hold against their previous owners for abandoning them, you can only imagine how it must feel to see a child doting on a brand new toy…

I’m not sure how I was ever able to sleep at night after playing Pokémon! Junji Ito’s second illustration has yet to be revealed, but I can’t wait to see what scary Pokémon he draws next… 

Swooning Over: Gina Gallaway’s Videogame Customs

It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of game critic and author Brad Gallaway, who is by far one of the most passionate and opinionated game writers I know. While Mr. Gallaway is loud and proud about his likes and dislikes on numerous corners of the internet, his wife, Gina, is slightly more subdued but none the less an avid video game aficionado. She’s taken her passion for all things gaming one step further, however, and combined it with her crafty talents to whip up an array of classic game inspired trinkets, primarily shirts and coffee sleeves!

Lagombi and Kushala Daora coffee sleeves

Here are two Monster Hunter-inspired coffee sleeves Gina made for me and Mr. Sushi in a recent gift exchange. All of her items are cross-stitched, which is the perfect way to translate the Monster Hunter monster icons into wearable art. It totally brightens my day to see an adorable little Lagombi peering up at me as I sip away at my morning drink of choice (usually coffee, if you’re curious).

But more along the lines of actual wearable art, Gina can also translate said cross stitch into t-shirts! Here are just a few of her recent designs:

Edgar from Final Fantasy VI
Iconic Mario jump tee 
Tigrex from Monster Hunter

While Gina has previously showered her amazing video game designs on family and lucky friends, she’s finally opened a site to take custom orders from anyone who would like a special piece of game-inspired handiwork. Her shirts start at $25 and coffee sleeves at $15, but since she does everything by order on request, she’ll make any custom pixel designs your heart desires!

Head over to her site to see more of her past designs and get information on how to place a custom order of your own. I know it may be a little early to start thinking about holiday shopping, but wouldn’t these would make great personalized gifts?

Betoyo Bento Subscription Box Review

When it comes to Japan-related subscription services, there is no shortage of options in the candy/snack department, but if you want to venture into the realm of collectables and other knickknacks, there are considerably fewer services available. Luckily, the folks at Betoyo Bento seek to fill that void by offering monthly boxes of toys, candies, and any other “Japanese pop culture items” they come across!

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Announcing the Horror Community Game-Along

When deciding October’s Community Game-Along, I’ll admit I was a little selfish. Halloween is up there with my very favorite holidays, and I love nothing more than an excuse to cover my apartment in creepy cute bats, pumpkins, and ghosts. How, then, could I turn up the chance to tie the October Game-Along in with the holiday festivities?

Corpse Party

As such, October is going to be all about horror games! Japanese games, western games, console games, freeware PC games – everything’s included, as long as it falls under the horror umbrella. Now, I understand that not everyone can handle a good scare (including yours truly on most occasions), so in the interest of getting anyone and everyone to participate, games with Halloween-related themes and aesthetics are also acceptable!

The “rules” of the Horror Community Game-Along are the same as always: pick a game (or games) that fit the theme to play, and share your experiences however you see fit. On social media, please use #horrorgemonth to tag your posts so everyone can see! For the curious, “horrogemonth” is what you get when you take “horror geemu” (Japanese pronunciation of “game”) and smash “month” on the end. Do you know how difficult it is to create a unique horror-themed hashtag to use during the month of October?

Here are a few titles to get you started if you’re stumped with what to play:

Corpse Party

Corpse Party series (PSP, iOS) – I had to include Corpse Party on the list, as it’s the series that really got me into horror games after I told myself I couldn’t handle playing them for many years. The visual novel style of much of the game, combined with some pretty brutal puzzles that almost necessitate using a guide, may mean that the original Corpse Party might not be for everyone. I’ll be the first to tell you, though, that the game’s story and sound design is more than worth the game’s lack of polish in other areas. I suggest playing the original on the Vita, but if you don’t own a Vita or a PSP, there is also an iOS port of the game (that unfortunately had its fair share of technical issues which may or may not be resolved at the time of posting). XSEED Games announced earlier this year that they would be bringing over the original PC version, so hopefully that comes out in time for the October Game-Along for those who want it!

Ib

Japanese freeware indie games (PC) – Okay, this isn’t one suggestion, but I really wanted to highlight a category of horror games many people overlook. Not only are they free (legally) and available in English thanks to fan translators, but I have it on good authority that many of them are actually quite good! Definitely check out Memories of Fear and the horror section of Games vgperson Translated for a whopping 24 games to play for the wonderful price of nothing. My sources tell me Ib and The Witch’s House are two standout picks, but if you want to check out some Corpse Party spinoffs or the infamous Ao Oni, Memories of Fear has you covered. Be warned – while many of these games have a “cute” graphical style, that doesn’t mean they don’t tackle some pretty brutal themes!

Penumbra

Penumbra (PC, Mac, Linux) – Almost everyone who calls themselves a horror fan has played Amnesia, but what about Frictional Games’ episodic horror title Penumbra? All three episodes are available together for only $10 on Steam, and while it suffers from the kinds of control issues that tend to bring down a lot of horror games with combat, Penumbra stands out among fans for its tension, Lovecraftian premise, and focus on stealth to survive.

Cursed Mountain

Cursed Mountain (Wii, PC) – Cursed Mountain shares some similarities with Penumbra: both take place in snowy settings (cold locations are always good for a spook), and both feature a protagonist who is searching for a relative. Cursed Mountain sets itself apart from other horror games, however, by its focus on Buddhist Culture and desolate Himalayan setting. The game was panned by many for its waggle controls on the Wii, but considering it can almost always be found in bargain bins at game stores, it’s definitely worth checking out. The PC version is available for $10 on GamersGate and should satisfy those allergic to Wii motion controls.

Of course, there are many classics that I haven’t mentioned here, such as Silent Hill, Resident Evil, Fatal Frame, Siren… or even more recent offerings such as Dead Space and the Silent Hills teaser PT (I know, I have a bit of a Japanese horror bias). The possibilities are nearly endless, though the horror genre often gets a bad rap for having poor quality games, so be sure to choose wisely!

This new Nintendo 3DS x Kyary Pamyu Pamyu Kisekae collaboration is off the hook

“Off the hook” is what all the cool kids say these days, right? Regardless of whether or not I have ability to lure in the masses, it looks like Nintendo has found the key to widespread appeal: Kyary Pamyu Pamyu collaborations. The latest new (remember, this is the NEW new 3DS) 3DS commercial features the internationally-known pop sensation taking over iconic Nintendo characters’ wardrobes, and to very humorous effect:

The new 3DS comes out on October 11th in Japan, and the above commercial is intent on selling one feature and one feature only: the changeable faceplates, or “kisekae plates.” Kyary’s catchphrase throughout the commercial is “Kisekae chaou!” or “Let’s change!” which makes a fun kind of sense – the phrase is generally reserved for changing clothes, so of course that’s Kyary’s chance to go in and make over Mario and co. after some of the new 3DS changeable faceplate designs.

There’s a lot going on in the 31 second commercial, so let’s take a closer look at some of the adorable details:

King/superhero Pikachu and a dapper Toon Link?! Notice the detail on Link’s patch and trifoce on his top hat!
Kyary Kirby has even given Kyary Pamyu Pamyu herself a makeover! Her dress is also inspired by the interchangeable faceplates.
It’s also worth noting that the song for the commercial is titled KISEKAE by Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, a new track that is clearly going to be closely linked to Nintendo’s new 3DS kisekae plate campaign. They’ve even launched a website along with the commercial (more on that later).
Finally, towards the end of the commercial we get a look at the new 3DS itself, along with a mosiac of all the different faceplates available in Japan on launch. Remember, only the small new 3DS model will offer kisekae plates. What a shame!
If you can’t get enough of the cuteness, I highly recommend heading over to the official kisekae site. There’s even a “try” option so you can play around with mixing and matching top and bottom faceplates from different sets together. And one more thing…
Official Kyary Pamyu Pamyu faceplates! There is no other information besides “on sale soon,” but I’d guess they’ll be available around the Japanese launch date. Remember, you can import the faceplates to use with any new 3DS system, so if you’re a big Kyary Pamyu Pamyu fan, it may be worth keeping an eye out for when these go on sale!
Though I’ll be the first to admit that some of the outfits featured in the Kisekae commercial are rather… gaudy… I just love unique and colorful collaborations like these. A lot of work clearly went into the commercial, and I hope it pays off for Nintendo so we see more fun stuff like this in the future!