March 2017 Community Game-Along: Monster Hunter-likes

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It’s March, and that can only mean one thing… It’s #MonMonth! Every year, there are two Community Game-Alongs that are so popular I keep bringing them back, MonMonth and JRPGJuly. While JRPGJuly is pretty self-explanatory, MonMonth requires a slightly longer introduction.

The theme of MonMonth is to play Monster Hunter-like titles, since the series and games it has inspired are practically their own subgenre at this point. The key defining aspects of Monster Hunter-like games are action RPG gameplay with tons of gear and boss battles where learning the enemy’s patterns are essential to victory.

If you’re keen on importing and want to stick to Monster Hunter games, Monster Hunter XX comes out in Japan on the 18th. Otherwise, Monster Hunter Generations for the Nintendo 3DS is the latest and greatest title in the series available in English. If you’re looking for a Monster Hunter-like game for PS4, God Eater 2: Rage Burst is a great option. There are a surprising number of titles that fit this month’s theme, so have a look at my previous MonMonth posts if you need some more ideas! There’s even a Final Fantasy game that qualifies!

To participate, just choose a game that fits the theme and play it sometime in March. Share your experience with your game selection through blog posts, let’s plays, or just tweeting your impressions with #MonMonth! Happy hunting!

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The 2016 Monster Hunter Community Game-Along

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It’s finally time for the 3rd annual Monster Hunter Community Game-Along! I originally dedicated a month to Monster Hunter and the various hunting games the series has inspired back in 2014 for its 10th anniversary, but now it’s become a mainstay of my Community Game-Alongs together with JRPG July. If you’re not a fan of Monster Hunter, never fear, as any hunting-like game is eligible for this month’s theme. So grab your title of choice, and let’s get hunting!

If you’re on social media, you can share your experiences with your chosen title or recommend games to other participants using #MonMonth. I’m always following along, so you just might get featured!

Aside from the obvious Monster Hunter games, there are a handful of other titles from Freedom Wars to Bloodborne that would count for this month’s theme. You can head over to my original MonMonth post for some suggestions, but here are a couple more recent picks that you might like to try!

Final Fantasy Explorers (3DS) – This is the Monster Hunter game for Final Fantasy fans! While it takes a lot of inspiration from Monster Hunter, it doesn’t have nearly as steep a learning curve, making it a great first foray into this style of game. Plus, you can dress your character up like iconic Final Fantasy characters! Since this was recently released, it should still be getting a lot of action online.

Toukiden Kiwami (PS4, Vita) – The sequel to Toukiden: The Age of Demons, Kiwami is a great pick if Japanese folklore-inspired monsters are more up your alley. It’s about as close as we’ll get to playing a current-gen Monster Hunter game on a home console for the time being, too. Luckily, it’s a very solid hunting game from the Dynasty Warriors crew.

As for me, I’m going to finally attempt to play MonHan Nikki: Poka Poka Airou Mura DX, a cute Monster Hunter spinoff game for the 3DS featuring the adorable cat critters known as felynes. Let’s see if I actually find time to dedicate to it!

Bario X Monster Hunter Nendoroid Unboxing Video

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A photo posted by Anne Lee (@apricotsushi) on Jan 18, 2016 at 2:49pm PST

If you’re a Monster Hunter fan, you’re going to want to check out my latest video where I unbox this awesome female hunter Nendoroid! She’s wearing the Bario X armor set and comes with a sword and shield and one alternate face. It’s one of the oldest Nendoroids I own, and you’ll see in the video that the parts aren’t the easiest to work with…

I even took her out to the park this week for some photos! I’m really happy with how the photo at the beginning of this turned out. It reminds me that I should branch out of my comfort zone more often and take photos with all the figures I buy! If you own any figures, do you enjoy photographing them? I’m always looking for more tips!

Chic Pixel Plus Episode 36 – Somewhat Festive

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This week we’re joined by special guests cicadas (sorry about that, Anne left her window open) to talk about the latest anime we’ve been watching, the new Final Fantasy VII Remake trailer, and more Monster Hunter X now that Sarah finally has her copy! We get a little festive, too, so if you’ve wanted to learn more about how Christmas is celebrated in Japan, Sarah’s got the full lowdown. Happy holidays!

00:02:05 – Final Fantasy VII Remake news
00:06:04 – Hatoful Boyfriend Holiday Star release
00:12:35 – Ni no Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom announcement
00:16:56 – The Secret Loves of Geek Girls picked up by Dark Horse Comics
00:20:15 – Sarah’s Monster Hunter X impressions
00:30:15 – Right Stuf holiday sale [Anne’s guide]
00:30:51 – Manga Book Club
00:35:23 – A Perfect Insider episodes 8-9
00:50:28 – Concrete Revolutio episodes 9-10
00:59:02 – One Punch Man episodes 9-10
01:07:07 – Nippon Neighborhood Watch

Opening ♫ – “Jingle Bells” by Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
Closing ♫ – “Chocobo’s Happy Christmas” by Masashi Hamauzu

[DOWNLOAD] [ITUNES] [RSS]

First Impressions: Monster Hunter X

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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!

Japan Envy: Nerdy Christmas Cakes

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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.

Chic Pixel Plus Episode 35 – Everything is Grey

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Who’s excited about Monster Hunter X? We certainly are! We’re also excited about this episode’s Manga Book Club pick Moriawase Girls, which turns out to be just the right combination of creepy and cute. Meanwhile, Concrete Revolutio and The Perfect Insider make us scratch our heads, and things even get a little more philosophical as we recount the latest episodes of One Punch Man. And have you ever wondered what Japanese cop shows are like? Sarah’s got you covered there, too!

00:01:11 – Monster Hunter X
00:10:56 – Free manga by Inio Asano promotion at Ebook Japan
00:13:14 – Yoko Shimomura Game-Along
00:15:28 – Right Stuf holiday sale [Anne’s guide]
00:16:11 – Honoring Shigeru Mizuki
00:19:16 – Manga Book Club
00:44:52 – A Perfect Insider episodes 6-7
00:56:23 – Concrete Revolutio episodes 7-8
01:04:24 – One Punch Man episodes 7-8
01:12:06 – Nippon Neighborhood Watch

Opening ♫ – “Match Uri Shoujo” by Suiyoubi no Campanella
Closing ♫ – “Jeuno – Starlight Celebration” by Naoshi Mizuta