Falcom Community Game-Along Weekly Roundup #2

Falcom Month is in full swing now with people all over the web playing Falcom games and writing about them! In hopes of keeping this post a little more concise than the last one, I’m just going to link to last week’s roundup and the initial Falcom Community Game-Along post, so do go check out those if you want to read up on the event!

Just finished Ys1 Chronicles. I still prefer the PCE version but it’s an amazing game nevertheless #Falcomonth pic.twitter.com/55y2Iuvpwt
— Wassim Christin (@Soulhouf) January 13, 2014

First, @BadoorSNK linked to a great guide to the Ys series that briefly describes each of the games and recommends which ones to play first. Unfortunately, the original link appears to be dead, but here’s the image:

Just like last week, some folks took the opportunity to celebrate OSThursday with groovy Falcom tunes, but week two is decidedly Ys-centric! @TepidSnake goes for classic PC-88 Ys, while @pablo_0151 chooses a bright theme from Ys III, and @Soulhouf highlights a more intense number from Ys: Oath in Felghana.

This week also saw two reviews for Ys: Memories of Celceta go up! Elliot Gay of Japanator has some high praise: “If you have a Vita, I guarantee you that you won’t find a better action RPG experience on the console.” Phil Kollar has a similarly positive impression of the title, stating in his Polygon review that Memories of Celceta is the “most approachable and smartly designed Ys game ever.” If you have a Vita and don’t have Memories of Celceta on your “to play” list for Falcom Month, you may want to consider it!

“Attack food” in #TrailsSC seems really op so far. Deal 3k damage to a boss without any charge time? Sure, why not. #Falcomonth
— Hasemo (@Hasemo) January 12, 2014

@jdklove has also been streaming a playthrough of Brandish 2 throughout the week, so be sure to follow him and keep an eye on his Livestream channel if you’re interested.

Finally, @BadoorSNK wrote a great piece on his blog about the quirky PSP title Gurumin, which he just completed as part of Falcom Month. He describes it as a “pleasantly breezy, super-charming, and whole-out joyful experience” that takes about 10 hours to complete. The game is available on PSN for the Vita as well as UMD, making it another easy title to pick up this month! I know it’s next on my list to play after I finish Memories of Celceta.

Continuing on with #Falcomonth, still on Sora no Kiseki FC. Determined to finish everything at Ruan tonight!
— Peter Grant (@ragathy) January 9, 2014

Hopefully we’ll see more writeups and impressions as people start to finish their games in week 3! Expect something from me, at the very least… I’ll see you in the next roundup, and until then, happy gaming!

Plush Felyne Slipper Review

Today I’m going to try something a little different… A slipper review! But these aren’t just any slippers, of course, as they feature the very adorable kitty mascot of the Monster Hunter series, Felyne!
I guarantee by the end of this post those soulless eyes will start freaking
you out (if they don’t already)

I received these as a Christmas present from my mom, and I have to say, even though it’s the middle of the summer here in Australia, I can’t help but want to wear them around the apartment. They’re just so cute!

But cuteness if only half of a premium slipper package. And, in the case of character merchandise like this, there’s always the possibility of bootleg items. Let’s take a closer look: 
First, can I say that the little tail on the back is the most adorable detail? Anyway, the label looks legit, even though it’s sewn on rather crookedly. 
The tag, however, makes it clear that this is definitely official Capcom merchandise with that fancy gold Capcom seal. You know you’ve got something special when you can’t even throw the tag away! That, or you’re me.
Aside from being made from a very soft, fluffy fabric, the slippers come with an anti-slip bottom. My house is fully carpeted so I don’t really have to worry about this, but it’s nice to have if you live in a place with lots of wood floors or other slippery surfaces!  
Here’s what they look like on. I don’t think I’ll be able to stop looking at my feet! The felyne heads are extremely well sewn, and it really feels like I’m stomping around on a pair of plush toys with how cushy they are. Of course, they are built with Japanese feet in mind, so if you have larger feet they unfortunately probably won’t fit. I generally run about a size 8 (25 centimeters), and my heel is just at the very back of the slipper. 
One last thing: check out how big the front of these are! They’re not called plush slippers for nothing. Using the universal measurement of the PSP case, they are a little more than half a PSP case tall. 
The only aspect I wasn’t able to “test” was their durability – I haven’t worn them all that much, so I can’t speak to how well they hold up over time. But they’ll only set you back $10 at Jlist.com, and for that price, they’re definitely a steal for Monster Hunter fans! They even have Felyne’s black kitty buddy, Melynx, for those who prefer the pink x black color scheme. 
How can you say no to that face
Finally, for those of you who are bummed that you won’t be able to fit into these tiny Japanese slippers, they also have Felyne and Melynx earmuffs! If it actually got cold enough where I live to necessitate owning earmuffs, I would’ve definitely picked up a pair by now.

Hopefully my Felnye slippers will keep me happy and my feet warm for years to come! 

Falcom Community Game-Along Weekly Roundup #1

When Kimimi first give me the idea of dedicating a month to playing Falcom games, I never imagined it would catch the interest of more than a few of our mutual friends. Imagine my surprise when people I didn’t personally know started using #Falcomonth and commenting about what a great idea it was! So before I get into a roundup of what those participating in the Falcom Community Game-Along (Falcom Month, for short!) have been up to over the past week, let me first take a second to thank everyone who has spread the word of this majorly last-minute event! I sincerely mean it when I say this wouldn’t have taken off without your support.  
source
In fact, while the first week of January was a short one, but that doesn’t mean Falcom Month was off to a slow start! People have been tearing up #Falcomonth on Twitter (you’re welcome to use it on Tumblr, as well!), and there have already been a few blog posts and articles to come out of the event. Here are just a few*: 
So it’s now #falcomonth Are you going to be playing any Falcom games this January? *Cough* Trails in the Sky *Cough*
— Ross Brierley (@Ghostlight_Ross) January 1, 2014
Of course, my partner-in-crime for Falcom Month Kimimi, made sure to announce the event on her own blog. Be sure to follow her Tumblr and Twitter for updates on her Falcom Month progress, along with some of the best screenshots around!

Kirsten at Endless History, a Falcom news/fan site, wrote a great news post about Falcom Month for her readers. Thanks so much! If you want to keep up to date on all the goings-on of Falcom and their game releases, make sure to subscribe to Endless History.

Falcom telling me that I’ve been playing for 1 hour and that I should rest 15 minutes #Falcomonth pic.twitter.com/unOhmqIcvR
— Laura (@Tokiremu) January 2, 2014

— Netto-kun (@hansuramu) January 3, 2014
@brawndwarf highlighted a post he wrote in 2011 for Falcom’s 30th anniversary compiling all the Falcom games ever released on Sega systems, many of which were never released officially in English.

Davzz wins the prize for producing the first article dedicated to his Falcom Month experience so far! His piece on the Megadrive version of Sorcerian is a great read if you’ve never played the game before and want to get an idea of what it’s like – he also provides lots of screenshots and tips for new players.

My games are ready for #Falcomonth. pic.twitter.com/ZzYJ2Dh3fL
— Josep (@jdkluv) January 2, 2014
A lot of folks also celebrated #OSThursday with their favorite Falcom tracks. @pablo_0151 highlights the amazing field music from the first Ys, while Kimimi picks a mysterious track from Brandish, and @Soulhouf goes for a heart-pumping piece from the soon-to-be-localized The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC.

I just cleared Ys1, my 1st experience with the series, yet everything was very familiar, like faint memories of ’90s anime/manga #Falcomonth
— Christian Z. (@Crackalacking_Z) January 5, 2014
Finally, we’re trying to get an official thread for the event on NeoGAF! If anyone reading this is a member and would like to assist, please let me know. And be sure to keep playing Falcom games and tweeting/writing up your impressions so I can include them in the week two roundup post! 

*Unfortunately I can’t include every tweet in this post, but I’ll strive to highlight every article. Please contact me if you’ve written at length on a Falcom game this week (or the event in general) and I haven’t included it! 

Chic Pixel’s Best of 2013

Now that 2013 has come and gone, I figured it’d be as good a time as any to reflect on the most memorable things that came out over the course of the year. Of course, it just wasn’t possible for me to play all the games and watch all the anime that came out in 2013, and I’m not really fond of definitively putting labels on things such as “game of the year,” so I’ll just stick with shining the spotlight on what stood out for me personally. To hear me talk more in-depth about some of these titles, be sure to check out my end-of-the-year podcast with Brad Gallaway, as well!

☆Games☆

2013 was a great year for games, especially on handhelds. I think I played my 3DS’s more than any year previous, and my Vita got a fair share of love, too! Though the new consoles that came out at the end of the year mean a new generation of flashier games to play on the TV, I imagine I’ll be satisfied with my handhelds and retro hardware for a while yet. Here are a few of my favorite games I played last year:

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn (PC, PS3) – I’ve written so much about this one already that I’m almost embarrassed to bring it up again! But considering how much time I’ve spent playing and thinking about FFXIV, it’d be criminal not to include it on this list. In fact, it blows all other games from 2013 out of the water for me. Not only was it my first MMO, but it’s the first mainline Final Fantasy I can genuinely say I loved since Final Fantasy X.

SteamWorld Dig: A Fistful of Dirt (3DS) – This little eShop game was, hands down, the biggest surprise of the year. When the developer contacted me to review the title for them, I initially scoffed at the name and thought, “Great, another silly western indie title.” Boy, was I wrong! I’ve never played Minecraft, Terraria, or even Metroid (hate mail commencing in 3, 2…), which SteamWorld Dig is often compared to, but I can say that it is a polished, addictive digging title that gave me major Mr. Driller vibes while still having its own cohesive style. And I’m pretty sure it’s the first eShop game I’ve played to completion!

Sweet Fuse: At Your Side (PSP/PSN) – I can’t commend Aksys Games enough for continuing to bring over otome games in English. While their first pick, Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom was a solid game, it wasn’t really the kind of thing that jives with me (brooding swordsmen, blech), so Sweet Fuse was a very welcome addition to their otome game library. Suffice it to say, if you’re only going to play one otome game in your life, make it this one – it’s campy, humorous, and is chock full of fun video game-related nods and references on top of the organically written romances.


Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (3DS, Wii U) – Not only was 2013 the year of my first MMO, it was the year of my first Monster Hunter game, as well! Rather than lamenting how I’ll never have time for any new games now, I’d like to highlight how great an experience Monster Hunter 3U has been so far, even though I haven’t played all that much of it in comparison to folks who literally sink hundreds of hours into each new installment. Everything from the monster designs to the little animation that plays when your character cooks meat on a spit is endearing beyond belief, and though I still really don’t have any idea what I’m doing, I’m looking forward to blundering my way through the series for years to come.

☆Other great games: Corpse Party: Book of Shadows, Bravely Default, Rune Factory 4, Attack of the Friday Monsters! A Tokyo Tale (And probably more I’m forgetting! New Year’s resolution: keep a list of all the games I play)

☆Anime☆

2012 was the year I really started following current anime again, and I’m happy to report that my interest in keeping up with new series bubbled over into 2013, as well. While previously I mostly watched older things (and not very often, I might add), it’s great to be involved in the conversations that arise when everyone is watching a particular series together. That said, I didn’t actually watch all that many shows, so there are only two that stand out that I want to mention today:


Free! – Also known as the best thing that happened for female anime fans all year, Free! initially made waves (pun intended) as a short 30 second commercial by Kyoto Animation early in the year. The anime itself featured a group of cute guys doing cute things in bathing suits, so of course it was a hit, but it had all of the usual Kyoto Animation quality and charm. While the anime as a whole didn’t grab me as much as I would’ve liked, the interactions between the characters always put a smile on my face. Also, that ending sequence!

Gatchaman Crowds – After hearing a number of friends recommend this one, I finally decided to give it a watch in December, and I’m so glad I did! Gatchaman Crowds requires absolutely no knowledge of Gatchaman to enjoy, and it’s a beautiful, colorful series with a lot of interesting characters and surprisingly poignant themes. It’s also the first series where I’ve actually liked the ultra-hyper cute female lead (you know the kind), so it gets major points for that.

☆Bonus best anime-related trend of the year: Attack on Titan opening parody videos. I don’t normally get into memes, but these were amazing.

If you’re a fan of this blog and haven’t played or seen everything I’ve mentioned, hopefully you’ll have some new ideas for things to check out! And please do leave your own personal favorites of 2013 in the comments so I can fill my “to do” list with more great games and anime.

Final Fantasy XIV Heavensturn New Year’s Event Tutorial + Impressions

Happy New Year! By now I think it’s safe to say that I’ll be doing tutorial/impression posts for all of the special events in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, and what better way to ring in the new year than with a special in-game event? Since this was my first time taking part in the Heavensturn festivities, I was excited to see what was in store for the quest line.

Just looking at the Lodestone promotional art for the event, it seems that chocobos are involved in some way. This year is themed around the horse (uma), 2014’s animal according to the Chinsese zodiac. Of course, that goofy horse helmet, or kabuto, is the main attainable item.

Here is the complete list of rewards from the official Lodestone page that will be attainable until the event ends on January 14th. Square Enix is kindly offering past years’ zodiac-themed kabuto, as well! Great for those like me who only started playing FFXIV with the release of A Realm Reborn and enjoy collecting the seasonal items.

Unlike the Christmas event that had FATEs near each of the three main cities, Heavensturn is a specific quest line that can only be activated by speaking to Damaris in Old Gridania. Also, the quests are all level 15, which is great for folks with lower level characters, and you don’t have to worry about reaching a higher level to complete it before the deadline like I did with the Lightning event.

After speaking to Damaris, you’ll simply need to walk a few more paces to Uma Bugyo to embrace your inner horse and complete the first quest in the event, “A Horse for Heavensturn.” This nets you the extremely posh Uma Kabuto, which you’ll want to keep equipped for a while – you’ll need it for the duration of the next quest.

Completing the first quest should immediately unlock the second quest in the event, “Thank Heavensturn for You.” Speak to Uma Bugyo again to undertake her mission of spreading the glory of the horse throughout Eorzea. Get ready to do a lot of traveling, as this quest requires you to go to all over the map!

To get the first of the three colored Uma Kabuto, speak to Golden Uma Yoriki standing next to Uma Bugyo. After accepting the quest, you’ll be directed to Bentbranch Meadows to demonstrate the beauty of the majestic horse. You’ll find Golden Uma Doshin there at X:21, Y:21 who will ask you to pose for and rally some nearby chocobos.

Complete the required tasks and Golden Uma Doshin will reward you with a Majestic Carrot, which you then need to bring back to Golden Uma Yoriki in Old Gridania for the Golden Uma Kabuto. Put it on and speak to Uma Bugyo to activate the next part of the quest!

Hop on an airship to Limsa Limonsa (or teleport, if you’ve got gil to spare) and head to X:11, Y:13 to speak with Red Uma Yoriki while wearing your Uma Kabuto (the original one, not the yellow one) to be sent you off on a wild carrot collecting chase to prove the might of the horse or somesuch in the “Heavenly Power” quest. I think I sense a pattern…

But don’t run off too fast! Located just opposite Red Uma Yoriki is is Red Uma Shonin, who just so happens to be selling the kabuto from past Heavensturn events, along with seasonal Zoni soup, so stock up if you’d like any of those items! You will receive one Zoni for completing the “Thank Heavensent for You” quest, though, so you can skip purchasing that if you feel you don’t need more than one.

Next it’s off to speak with Red Uma Doshin in Lower La Noscea (X:30, Y:18), who gives you the arduous task of collecting some carrots for a local botanist. Your reward will be a… Lusty Carrot… which you can then bring back to Red Uma Yoriki for your Red Uma Kabuto reward. Then it’s back to Old Gridania donning your new Red Uma Kabuto to once again to speak with Uma Bugyo.

Finally, put that Uma Kabuto back on and hoof it to Ul’dah to see Black Uma Yoriki (X:10, Y:9), who wishes for you to demonstrate the blinding speed of the horse. Head to the Eighty Sins of Sasamo (X:28, Y:24) and you’ll find the first of four sets of markers you’ll need to run through to complete the quest.

As if these quests weren’t weird enough

By the time you reach Black Uma Doshin (X:15, Y:29), you should have completed the requirements to receive the Sleek Carrot. Bring that back to Black Uma Yoriki to collect your Black Uma Kabuto prize! Once again, it’s back to Old Gridania to show off that shiny new kabuto to Uma Bugyo.

If you were hoping that was all… well, it’s not! Now you need to convince more people in Gridania of the greatness of the horse (while wearing the Uma Kabuto, of course) along with the Chief Chocowacker, who thinks you’re off your rocker. When all that’s said and done and you’ve reported to Uma Bugyo, it’s off to the North Shroud (X:28, Y:28) to convince the Chief Chocowacker that horses are superior than chocobos.

After watching the silly cutscene, return to Uma Bugyo’s usual spot in Old Gridania to complete the quest! You’ll even get a nice achievement, “Horsing About,” for your efforts, along with a bowl of Zoni.

And there you have it! At the beginning of the event I was very happy to have something different from the usual FATEs, but by the end of it I have to say I was a little sick of all the running around. That said, I rushed things so that I could do this post, and I can see completing it a little bit at a time as you happen to find yourself in those areas for other things a more fun way to go about it. However, the dialogue throughout the event was so cheeky and full of puns that I couldn’t help but have a smile on my face throughout! At the risk of repeating myself, I have to say Square Enix has got an ace localization team working on this one.

Finally, it wouldn’t be a FFXIV seasonal event post without a few photos! Here a a few of my favorites:

I hope this guide was of some help for those of you who are playing the game, and for those of you who aren’t, hopefully you at least enjoyed the pictures! I can’t wait to see what 2014 has in store for Final Fantasy XIV!

Announcing the January Nihon Falcom Community Game-along!

Nihon Falcom, or Falcom for short, is one of those exceedingly influential game companies that has had the bad fortune in recent years of being overlooked in favor of blockbuster titles such as the latest Final Fantasy production. But nearly everyone is familiar with Falcom’s legacy – series such as Dragon Slayer, Ys, and The Legend of Heroes served as the foundation of the RPG genre. Meanwhile, Falcom continues to release quality titles that struggle to reach a wide audience.

But that’s all about to change (I hope)! In order to kick off 2014 with a bang and get folks caught up on the amazing Falcom library of titles, Kimimi of Shinju Forest and I will be playing Falcom games from our backlogs all throughout the month of January, and we’d love for you to join us! It’s easy to participate: just pick up an old Falcom game, play it during the month of January, and write about your experience! You can then join the conversation on Twitter using #Falcomonth or write something for your own blog/website. If you’d like to be included in weekly roundup posts I’ll be doing to promote the event here at Chic Pixel, all you have to do is send me an email (apricotsushi at gmail dot com) linking to your piece or leave the link of the comments of this post!

Want to participate but don’t know where to start? Here are some awesome Falcom games that should be easy to find:

Ys I & II Chronicles+ (Steam, currently 50% off!) – Why not start with the games that kicked off the iconic Ys action RPG series? These titles may seem a little rough around the edges for some, but if you really want to check out Falcom’s roots, this is the place to do it!

Ys Origin and Ys: The Oath in Felghana (Steam, both currently 50% off!) – Two more quality Ys titles that can be found for a steal on Steam! Ys: The Oath in Felghana is a beloved title in the series that is often recommended to newcomers. If you want to get the feel of the games, Ys Origin even has a demo!

Ys: Memories of Celceta (PS Vita) – As the latest Falcom game to release in English, Ys: Memories of Celceta would be a great pick for anyone looking to fill out their PS Vita library.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky (PSP, available for PS Vita on PSN) – Also known as TitS, to the countless amusement of many, this is one of the Falcom games I’ve been recommended to play most.

Now, there are tons more where this came from, and I can’t hope to list them all, but here are a few more titles you may want to check out/see if you have in your collection: Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure, Sorcerian (if you want to pay a premium to play a retro Falcom game in Japanese on your iOS device…), and Ys Seven.

As for me, I’m planning on finishing up Ys: Memories of Celceta and cracking into my personal Falcom backlog, which consists of Ys: The Oath in Felghana, Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure, and The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky, along with a couple of recently-acquired Japanese Legend of Heroes titles. I dare say I’ll have plenty to play!

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Starlight Celebration Tutorial and Impressions

I hope you’ll forgive two Final Fantasy XIV posts in a row, but Square Enix just dropped the winter seasonal event, “The Starlight Celebration,” today and I couldn’t pass up the chance to write something about it! I don’t know about you, but I’m all about seasonal events! 
First, I implore you to take a moment to gaze upon the gorgeous promotional illustration that went up on the Lodestone to promote the event. Just like the Lodestone artwork in the collector’s edition artbook, it doesn’t disappoint! 
Here’s a quick look at all the obtainable items during the Starlight Celebration event, courtesy of the official Lodestone page. Interestingly, the Roast Dodo food item has been readily available in FFXIV before this event, but I suppose they included it to go along with the theme. 
The first thing you’ll notice when entering any one of the three cities is that they’re all decked out in festive Christmas decorations. It’s even snowing! All of the screenshots I’ll be posting were taken in Ul’dah – I would’ve gone to Limsa Limonsa and Gridania, but then this post would be twice as long! 
I just love all the little details in the decorations! Look closely and you’ll see that there are many types of snowmen. 
Anyway, enough gawking at the scenery! For this event, you actually don’t need to accept a quest from an NPC. Instead, you’ll need to head outside the cities to find a FATE called “Stay Frosty.” There is an NPC that will tell you about the event, though, as well as another NPC that has all the items we want. Their locations are: Ul’dah, Steps of Nald: X:10, Y:9, Old Gridania: X:10, Y:9, and Limsa Lominsa Upper Decks: X:11, Y:13.
The FATE itself spawns every 30 minutes at a number of locations and varying levels: Central Thanalan (X:25, Y:30, level 5), Central Shroud (X:25, Y:29, level 11), Lower La Noscea (X:19, Y:35, level 13), and Coerthas Central Highlands (X:10, Y:28, level 47). There may be other spawn points, but these are the ones I’m aware of at the time of this post. 
In order to do damage to the Igniter Imps, you’ll need to let yourself get with the festive Treant’s AoE attack. His is the only AoE attack in the FATE, so when you see the red circle appear (as shown above), book it to that spot and wait for him to do his attack. If you’ve been hit by the attack, you’ll get pushed back and damaged slightly, but the result will be the handy “snowman” buff! It lasts 30 seconds, so you may need to get hit more than once before clearing the FATE. 
Completing the FATE with a gold medal will net you 30 Eternal Ice (20 for silver and a lowly 2 for bronze), which can then be traded in at the city of your choice for the items shown at the beginning of the post. You’ll need 76 Eternal Ice to get all of the costume items, plus additional ice if you want any of the food, so I’d recommend completing the FATE three times. 
Now it’s time to head back to those coordinates I mentioned earlier and talk with the Starlight Supplier! Be sure to grab at least one item from the Snowman clothing set to unlock the “Cold as Ice” achievement. I imagine if you’re anything like me, though, you’re going to want everything! 
I can’t get over this reindeer suit
Dual tails!
And there you have it! Unlike previous seasonal events, there’s no actual quest to complete. So once you get all your items, have fun taking screenshots, and don’t forget to do the quest to unlock the new snowball throwing emoticon. The event runs until December 31st, so be sure to collect all the items and get your fill of the festive decorations by then! 
Now please bear with me as I proceed to share a few favorites from my excessive photo shoot: 
Yoo hoo! Over here!
Looking fabulous
Santa Chive nodding off at his post!
I have to say, the Chocobo barding (basically Chocobo armor, for those who aren’t playing the game), is probably my favorite thing about this event! I’m really happy Square Enix shook up the formula for the FATE a bit and provided so many fun goodies to collect, as well. It’s definitely been my favorite event so far! 
Now, this won’t be my last post before Christmas, but I just wanted to say…