Japan Envy: Pokémon Trainer Red Nendoroid

There’s nothing like an out-of-blue announcement to really get the blood pumping, eh? I’d say that’s exactly what happened when Nintendo put up the shocking reveal trailer for the Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire remakes, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire for the 3DS just the other day. Following that Pokémon announcement, a Japanese Twitter user tweeted a photo of a Pokémon Center poster that is sure to delight all the Nendoroid fans out there: 

That’s right, the original Pokémon trainer Red has been Nendoroid-ified! His design is based on the Pokemon Origins TV special that aired last year, and will be limited to Pokémon Centers and Amazon.jp’s Pokémon Center store, meaning it will sadly be rather tough for anyone outside of Japan to purchase him. 
While these are the only pictures of Red released so far, we do know from the poster that he will come with the three facial expressions shown, four different arm parts, five hand parts, and three leg parts. Three is a rather odd number of legs, but I assume that means one might be bent? 
Even more exciting, however, is the fact that he comes with all three original starter Pokémon, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander, along with a Pokéball, Master Ball, Pokédex, and his backpack. Think of all the posing possibilities! 
Preorders open on May 24th and will be available until June 29th, and he will retail for ¥4,500. He releases on September 27th, but only those with preorders will be able to get their hands on one at retail price, and you can bet resellers will attempt to gouge unlucky potential buyers soon after. Overseas fans looking to order him will have to rely on a friend to go to a physical Pokémon Center or using a proxy service to order him from Amazon.jp, as they unfortunately will not ship figures outside of Japan. If you’re at a loss of where to look for a proxy service, White Rabbit Japan is a great option. 
So, how about it? Are you a big enough Pokémon fan to pick this one up, or would you prefer a different trainer? I’m not particularly interested in Red himself, but those starter Pokémon are very tempting…

UPDATE: Good Smile Company has put up a listing for the Red Nendoroid on their website, which includes images of his accessories and the three starters:

Chic Pixel YouTube Channel Update

Most of you are probably aware by now, but in case you’re not… I have a YouTube channel! I’ve always found it much easier to express myself in text versus standing up in front of people or, in this case, on camera, making starting a YouTube channel perhaps the scariest online endeavor I’ve undertaken yet. But as they say, practice makes perfect, the show must go on, and video is a whole new world just waiting to be explored!

This is the face of someone who loves what she does

In the future, I’d like to do a post here every time I upload a new YouTube video, but I’ve been rather slack about it lately, so I thought now would be a good opportunity to remind everyone that I’d like to think of the channel as an extension of the Chic Pixel site, but by no means a replacement. If you like the kind of things I post here, I’m sure you’d enjoy the videos I have to offer! But if video isn’t your thing, don’t worry, I’ll still be writing regularly, and the vast majority of my content will continue to be written. I’m not going to beat around the bush, though – the views on my videos are painfully low at the moment, so do please consider checking them out!

The main series I’m focusing on at the moment is “Apricotsushi Samples,” where I try all manner of exotic Japanese treats and film my (sometimes) hilarious reactions on camera. And since I love Japanese packaging, you can be sure there are lots of gratuitous “packshots,” too! My latest episode is a weird one indeed:

I just love that someone thought to themselves one day, “You know what would be cool? A toy toilet bowl that kids can drink out of!” I actually still have my pink toilet sitting on my shelf, currently occupied by a little plastic Sylveon. I might actually do what the package suggests and plant something in it at some point!

Now, back in March I received an OyatsuBox Japanese snack subscription which was packed full of Japanese snacks and candy. After reviewing it, I did what any sane person would do – sample every single thing in the box! If you’re curious to see what was good and not so good, this episode of Apricotsushi Samples is for you:

Finally, you may remember how I was swooning over the Japan-only Hatsune Miku lottery that Family Mart did during the month of March. My host mother was kind enough to enter the lottery a few times for me, and I recently received the fruits of her labor. If you’re curious to see what the Hatsune Miku lottery items look like up close or what a typical package from my host mom looks like, it’s all here:

With that, I think we’re just about up to date! My goal is to get into a regular routine where I upload a new episode of Apricotsushi Samples a week, and any other videos as the opportunities arise. I’m having a lot of fun filming and editing them, but it’s a lot of work I’m not accustomed to, so if you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear them!

Finally, there’s the little issue of nomenclature. I can’t decide if I should brand the channel with the Chic Pixel name, or use some variation of “apricotsushi” (the user name I go by on social media) in the title. What do you think? Do you have any fun channel name ideas I might have overlooked? Let me know!

Monster Hunter 10th Anniversary Community Game-Along Roundup

If you’ve been following my monthly Community Game-Alongs, you may remember that way back in March we celebrated Monster Hunter‘s 10th anniversary by playing all kinds of hunting games. There was a ton of multiplayer fun to be had, which was a first for the monthly game-alongs, and we saw lots of fun tweets from people enjoying their games and writeups from both new and old hunters. Though it’s long overdue, here’s a roundup of some of the contributions from the month!

Gorgeous anniversary art by Sarah O’Donnell! (source)

First, of course Japan has to show up the rest of the world with a slew of awesome Monster Hunter-related events and goods throughout the year. I compiled a few of my favorites in a Japan Envy post, but the most envious of them all is the “Monster Hunter the REAL” exhibit at Universal Studios Japan!

I was happy to see Monster Hunter fan and delightfully grouchy game critic Brad Gallaway briefly chat about Monster Hunter Freedom Unite on PSP for #MonMonth in an update over at his blog. He wrote about a phenomenon that goes unnamed, but any hunter knows all too well: the dreaded desire sensor. “Desire sensor” is a term players use to refer to the fact that the game seems to inexplicably know when you’re after a specific item and proceed to give you everything but said item. Hope you eventually got those fangs, Brad!

JESUS CHRIST MY SOUL RT @OnTheLam: I’M THE MONSTER. #MonMonth pic.twitter.com/QebpyjlunM
— Ben Bateman (@benspants) March 7, 2014

Over at USGamer, Peter Davison expands on an interview with Monster Hunter creator and producer Ryozo Tsujimoto that is a must-read for fans of the series. While the game has a massive following in Japan, in its 10 year history popularity has eluded it in the west. Definitely read the interview if you’d like to hear how the series came to be and how the creator feels about its reception outside of Japan.

It really does feel weird to “beat” a monster hunter game. #monmonth #mh4 pic.twitter.com/ngkICumqdd
— Hasemo (@Hasemo) March 23, 2014

Of course, there are more hunting games besides the series that started it all. Brian Clark over at One Million Power starts the month off with a great in-depth look at the original Soul Sacrifice, and follows up with a similarly thorough piece on Soul Sacrifice Delta, the not-quite-sequel that is currently only available in Japan. His piece on Soul Sacrifice does a great job at highlighting why the game should not be considered a clone, but rather a unique title that has some similarities to Monster Hunter but sets itself apart in a number of ways. I love that he urges hunting fans to not choose one over the other, but to play and appreciate both series for their different qualities.

It goes without saying that Brian’s piece on Soul Sacrifice Delta is a great way for English-speaking fans to gain more information on the currently Japan-only title. While the game is more of an expansion than a full sequel, Brian asserts that it has plenty of new content to make it worth the asking price, or a great entry point for those who never played the original.

My favourite tee. #MonMonth @apricotsushi pic.twitter.com/byit7GV1kx
— Adam Lee (@Shiroth) March 28, 2014

Finally, @Chozobill imported Monster Hunter 4 and wrote up his impressions after playing 11 hours of the game. He discusses the new weapon, the insect glaive, Felyne companions, the farm trader, and a number of other new features. If you can’t get enough Monster Hunter 4 info before 4U is released in English early next year, be sure to check out what he thought! 

Oh, and a huge thanks to Elliot Gay for making a thread for this game-along over on NeoGAF! We got a ton of participants and there were some great discussions that wouldn’t have been able to happen on Twitter. Speaking of which, there’s always #MonMonth if you want to read more about what people were up to during the month. It sounds like everyone had fun! I know I did.

If you’d like to participate in this month’s Community Game-Along, we’re celebrating all things Metroidvania. Head over to the main post for some great game ideas!

Cardcaptor Sakura is Back with Anime Collection and Nendoroid Releases

2014 is turning out to be an amazing year for fans of 90’s magical girl anime! While the new Sailor Moon anime debuting worldwide July 5th is already more than we asked for, NIS America had a surprise announcement that they will be releasing none other than a complete collection of the Cardcaptor Sakura anime on August 5th. The anime has been out of print in North America since 2006, making it especially great news for fans who haven’t been able to get hold of the DVDs.

The collection will be available in three 4-disc DVD sets priced at $59.99 each, but the real highlight is the Premium Edition Blu-ray set pictured above. The set not only comes with the complete 70 episode anime, but a 76-page full color artbook, as well. The set will be available at most retailers, with the cheapest preorder option right now being Right Stuf at $178.99. NIS America is also offering the set on their online store for $199.99 and the standard bundle for $133.97. Both include this exclusive tear-resistant poster:

Both versions of the anime will also include Japanese and English audio, which is always good for those who like to have the option. I don’t buy much anime these days, but I’m a little surprised that the Blu-ray set isn’t available without the artbook, as $200+ is rather steep, even for hardcore fans. I also hate to admit it, but I’m really not a fan of the box art on this set – I much prefer the design on the Madman release here in Australia:

And yes, this means that Cardcaptor Sakura is already readily available on DVD here in Australia! The series was broken into two sets and released in 2012, but unfortunately there’s no sign of us getting the Blu-rays anytime soon. But though I definitely have an appreciation for Cardcaptor Sakura, I didn’t watch it religiously as a child like I did Sailor Moon, so I’m not chafing at the bit to own the complete series, especially not at $200. Rather, I look upon it fondly as yet another amazing magical girl series.

In related Cardcaptor Sakura anime news, Discotek Media will be re-releasing the first anime film on September 30th, followed by a Blu-ray release later in the year.

Of course, this wouldn’t be a topical Chic Pixel post without a reference to a figure of some kind, right? (It’s a coincidence, I swear!) While not quite as recent news, the Sakura Nendoroid was finally fully revealed a few days ago, and you bet I registered my preorder as soon as they were available! While I may not be a hardcore Cardcaptor Sakura fan, there’s no way I’d pass up something this adorable.

All of a sudden, 2014 is just a big a year for Cardcaptor Sakura as it is for Sailor Moon! I’m not complaining, but it’s very surprising to see the resurgence of my childhood shojo anime icons. I hope this means that the Sailor Moon anime and films see a Blu-ray release sometime in the near future, as well!

Announcing the Metroidvania Community Game-Along

April is finally coming to a close, signalling the end of the Atlus Community Game-Along. It was a tough month – participation saw a bit of a lull, perhaps due to the extremely long nature of Atlus games, or maybe Atlus not being as appealing a theme as I anticipated. But no matter! The monthly Community Game-Alongs appear to still be a hit, so onward and upward, I say!

When choosing a theme, I always try to gravitate toward more under-appreciated games and genres. Classic adventure games like Metroid and Castlevania are by no means niche, but the two series are closely connected, and have subsequently spawned a subgenre of non-linear 2D action-adventure games often referred to as “Metroidvania.” Since there are quite a lot of games in this subgenre that haven’t received a lot of publicity, I thought now would be as good a time as any to check them out! 

Metroidvania is actually a subset of games that I’m not very familiar with. The most I’ve ever played of anything that could really be called “Metroidvania” is a couple hours of Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow! As such, I’ve consulted a few very good websites for information on what constitutes a Metroidvania game, and what games fall under that umbrella. If you’re similarly not sure where to start, I highly suggest checking out VG Museum’s Metroidvania List. USGamer also has a great article on their top 10 Metroidvania games. While I’m sure we could sit and ponder what constitutes a Metroidvania game and what doesn’t all day, just as in months past, I’m going to leave it up to you to make the final call as to whether x game counts for this month’s game-along. The most important part is to have fun, after all! But if you’re really stumped as to what to play, here are a few suggestions: 

Tomba! (PSN) – Tomba! is rather notorious among collectors due to the original western PSone release having a very hefty price tag (think $100+ for a complete copy), which would normally mean there would be no way I’d recommend anyone try picking it up. The folks at MonkeyPaw Games, however, have brought over both the first game and its sequel to PSN, allowing anyone with a PSP, PS3, or Vita to pick up the games for less than $10 a pop. The only catch is that the second one is only available in the original Japanese, but many would argue it’s worth it!

Muramasa Rebirth (Vita) – Muramasa Rebirth is the recent Vita update of the Wii Vanillaware title, which of course is still a valid option for this month’s game-along, but the Vita version is universally considered to be the superior of the two. Those who like feudal Japanese settings and folklore would do well to check this one out, as it features Vanillaware’s trademark aesthetic polish and pizzaz. The game is still getting (paid) DLC updates with new content, and it also happens to be going on sale on North American PSN this week, as well!

Aliens: Infestation (Nintendo DS) – I hesitate to highlight a game that isn’t on “current” consoles, but since the 3DS is backwards compatible and this game can still be found relatively cheaply, I’m going to go ahead and include it. For those lamenting the lack of good Aliens games, look no further than this hidden gem from WayForward that manages to capture the oppressive atmosphere of the original films through its Metroidvania-style gameplay and use of permadeath. It may be worth a look for those who still feel burned after Aliens: Colonel Marines and need something Aliens-related before Alien: Isolation comes out later this year.

La-Mulana (Wiiware, PC) – First, stew on the game’s official genre for a moment: “Archaeological Ruin Exploration Action Game.” Doesn’t that sound exciting? Now, if you consider yourself the hardest of the hardcore, La-Mulana should be at the top of your list. The game looks and sounds like a MSX game and stays true to its retro roots by being both nail-bitingly difficult and featuring some extremely convoluted puzzles. I’d go so far as to say this is considered one of the most shining examples of a Metroidvania game in recent years!

Honorable mentions: The low-hanging fruit that is any Metroid or Castlevania game pick, Shadow Complex (Xbox 360), the Shantae series, Wonder Boy in Monster World (WiiWare, PSN), and Aquaria (PC/Mac). As always, there are many more possibilities than the ones I’ve listed here!

To participate in the Metroidvania Community Game-Along, simply play a game that falls within the theme of the month and share your experiences on your favorite social platform using #MetroidvaniaMay. There’s also a NeoGAF thread to chat with other participants in, if that’s your thing. I highly encourage long form writing on blogs and websites, or even YouTube videos or podcasts on the subject! Anything is game! If you’d like to submit something for me to include in my roundup post (which will definitely come, I’ve been slack getting up past months’ posts, but they’re on their way), be sure to comment here with a link to your creation or use the hashtag so I can find it.

As for me, I’m in a pickle. I have a surprising number of games that fall into the Metroidvania genre, but I’ve never quite been able to get into them for some reason. My backlog consists of La-Mulana, Wonder Boy in Monster World, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, and Alice in Wonderland (DS 2010, and yes, apparently that counts). I’m also very interested in picking up Muramasa Rebirth while it’s on sale on PSN, and I’ve never actually managed to finish Tomba!. What do you think I should start with? Argue your case in the comments!

Swooning Over Video Game Nendoroids

Good Smile Company sure knows how to hook me. Since I’ve sworn not to buy figures for series I’m not a fan of, they just went ahead and announced a bunch of figures for series I’m really into! Not just any series, too – GSC is bringing out a surprising number of video game-related Nendoroids over the next few months, and I’m going to have to be extra careful with my wallet if I want to make it past August with any change left over…

If the general internet’s reaction is anything to go by, Nendoroid Link: Wind Waker version is probably the most wanted of all the recent announcements. I’m going to break a few hearts by admitting that though he’s adorable, I probably won’t be purchasing him since I’m not a huge Zelda fan, and none of his posing options really grab me (let’s face it, I’m just making excuses for the sake of my wallet). I love the heart piece accessory, though!

Link’s currently available to preorder on Good Smile Company’s website, Play Asia, Jlist, and Ami Ami and will be releasing this August. Nintendo fans might also want to check out the Luigi Nendoroid coming out in June, too!

Unfortunately, Rin Ozawa Nendoroid is going to be a little harder to resist! The Touch Detective star comes with her very own Funghi companion, of course, and her design translates really well into Nendoroid form! She looks like she came straight out of the game! Just look at all these posing options:

Rin will be getting an official preview on the Good Smile Company blog on April 30th, where we’ll hopefully be seeing more accessories aside from the Funghi. Preorders for the Nendoroid open on May 1st, coinciding with the release of Touch Detective 3 for the 3DS! In the meantime, there are many more photos of Rin, along with a fun promotional video, over at the official Japanese Funghi site.

Now here’s the figure that really has me swooning – Aoba from the 18+ BL visual novel Dramatical Murder! His sculpt was first shown at Wonder Festival earlier this year, but they’ve finally unveiled the color version, and I have to say, he looks amazing! Between him and Gilgamesh, it’s really great to see more varied male Nendoroids.

Is it hot in here or is it just me? I can’t believe they included a shirtless torso part! If you compare the two photos, you can see that he also has the option to have his headphones on his head or around his neck. What a nice touch! I love the blushing face, too – it’ll make him really fun to pose with other Dramatical Murder Nendoroids, if Good Smile Company ever does more. With an anime adaptation coming soon, it’s a distinct possibility that they will!

By the way, today is also Aoba’s birthday! What better way to celebrate than by preordering the Nendoroid from Ami Ami or Good Smile Company’s store? Unfortunately, you’ll have to wait until August/September for him to come out, though. I think the fact that most stores don’t require payment until the items are in stock is a cruel ploy to get us all to spend more money than we should be on adorable figures!

Interview: HamletMachine on the Starfighter Visual Novel Kickstarter

Time and time again it’s been said that women are not a viable market for comic books or video games. Of course, both you and I know that’s simply not true, dear reader, but if you’re at all like me, you still like to celebrate the times that statement is refuted. And, while the Starfighter: Eclipse Kickstarter isn’t explicitly aimed at a female audience, I’m going count it raising over $110,000 at the time of this post (with 11 days left to go!) as one big win for the ladies. 
The Starfighter: Eclipse Kickstarter is helmed by none other than HamletMachine, creator of the original gay erotic sci-fi webcomic Starfighter. If you’re not familiar with it, I highly suggest checking it out, but be warned, it’s most definitely of the over-18 variety. The comic began in 2008 and has gained a devoted following due to its wonderful fusion of sci-fi drama, sexual tension, and of course, beautiful art. 
As a long-time fan of the series, the announcement of a Starfighter Kickstarter had me at the letter “s,” but the niche video game fan in me rejoiced to hear that it would be a visual novel, to boot! While details are being purposefully kept vague, it’s clear that Starfighter: Eclipse will be a separate story from the comic, featuring new characters while maintaining the series’ original cast. There will alsobe romanceable characters and the same steamy action the comic is known for, making this perhaps the closest to a boys’ love visual novel we’ve ever seen officially in English. But enough about what I have to say on the subject – HamletMachine was kind enough to answer a few of my questions about the project, so let’s hear what she has to say! 

First, congratulations on the successful funding of the Starfighter: Eclipse Kickstarter! What made you decide to turn your popular webcomic into a visual novel?

Thank you! I think Starfighter‘s set-up really compliments the visual novel format as far as the comic’s focus on character interaction.. it’s something I had been thinking on for some time now as I have been making the comic.

You’ve recently announced that chapter 4 is the last chapter of Starfighter. Do you view the game as a way for fans to get to stay in that world a little longer?

Oh yes, this is a whole game full of new Starfighter content, so hopefully this will be a nice big EU fanfic for everyone to enjoy.

Why did you choose to create Starfighter: Eclipse using Date Nighto’s VNengine instead of a more traditional visual novel software such as Ren’Py?

It was really important to me that the game be easily accessible to players and Date Nighto’s htmlVN was the perfect solution to deployment details we were considering when we were conceiving our vision for the game!

(there’s a great article on Date Nighto and the Starfighter Kickstarter over at Polygon if you’re interested in learning more!)



It’s clear from your webcomic that homosexual romance is a big theme. Are you inspired by yaoi/BL? Is there a reason you chose not to call Starfighter: Eclipse a “yaoi” VN?

Yes, I am very influenced by these genres; I love the combination of drama, emotional focus, and sexual content. While the Starfighter comic is in many ways a nod to these genres, I hope it’s also a bit of a personal departure from it as well. Starfighter: Eclipse isn’t directly referred to as yaoi for a few reasons, but also to avoid confusion – “yaoi” is still very much a niche term and not everyone knows what it means, saying something like, “male romance” is more clear about what the game is about!

While you mention in the Kickstarter description that there will be an emphasis on character interaction, there isn’t any indication of how many characters will be “pursuable.” Are you envisioning multiple endings and romantic possibilities, or is there a specific story you would like to tell?

Oh yes, there is a specific story to tell in Eclipse! I am envisioning multiple endings for different characters but I’m afraid I don’t want to spoil too much of the story! You can expect to interact with some of the familiar faces of the Starfighter comic plus some new ones.

Thanks again to HamletMachine for taking the time to chat with me, and a huge congratulations to all involved in the Kickstarter project! I am absolutely thrilled that a project like this is seeing such overwhelming success, and hopefully as a result we’ll continue to see more varied game (and comic) endeavours with female interests in mind popping up in Kickstarter or elsewhere. 
But you certainly don’t have to be a lady to enjoy Starfighter: Eclipse! If the project sounds up your alley, be sure to read the comic and back the Kickstarter before it closes on the 25th!