December Community Game-Along: Yoko Shimomura

12 / 4 / 15

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?

Sunday Spotlight: My Fair Hunter

11 / 22 / 15

The Japanese release date for Monster Hunter X is fast approaching, which means I am all about Monster Hunter right now! Over the next week or so I’m going to be celebrating all things Monster Hunter on my Twitter, Instagram, and this site, starting with my review of an amazing Yian Kut-Ku 3DS case I posted on Friday.

As such, this week’s spotlight highlights two of my favorite Monster Hunter players: Sarah and Roy of the My Fair Hunter podcast! Of course you probably already know how cool Sarah is as a co-host of Chic Pixel Plus, but if you’re a fellow Monster Hunter fan, I highly recommend checking out their fun show. Right now they’re playing through Monster Hunter 4U, and they always make sure to explain strategy and give tips for new players, making it a fun and informative for players of all skill levels.

You can watch My Fair Hunter video podcasts on YouTube, as well as follow them on Tumblr and Twitter. They also have a Patreon, which offers access to early access to videos, as well as a bunch of other goodies!

Flea Circus Designs Handmade 3DS Case Review

11 / 20 / 154 / 20 / 18

Anyone with a Nintendo 3DS, or any handheld gaming console, knows that to keep your expensive purchase looking good as new, protection is a must. But who wants to look at at a boring, plain, store bought case? Flea Circus Designs offers a wide range of handmade handheld cases based on adorable video game characters from Pokémon to Animal Crossing, as well as custom designs, proving that handheld cases can be both adorable and functional. Be sure to read to the end for details on how you can receive $5 off your purchase!

Chic Pixel’s Ultimate 2015 Holiday Gift Guide

11 / 18 / 1511 / 26 / 15

The gift-giving season is nearly upon us, which means it’s time to start deciding what you’re going to give your loved ones this holiday! Just like last year, I’ve whipped up a handy guide to cute and nerdy items that make perfect presents… for others, or maybe even for yourself! We all need to treat ourselves every once in a while, right? I’m going to try not to overlap too much with last year’s holiday gift guide, so be sure to check that out too if you’d like even more awesome gift ideas! Read More

Japanese Horror-inspired Visual Novel The Letter Needs Funding!

11 / 16 / 1511 / 16 / 15

The other day, I was contacted by Filipino developer Yangyang Mobile to spread the word of their Kickstarter campaign, The Letter. When I heard it was a horror visual novel inspired by Japanese horror media such as Ju-On, I was immediately intrigued! As a big fan of visual novels, and an increasingly interested but easily spooked horror game newbie, The Letter has the workings of being a very promising first game for Yangyang.

The Letter is an interactive visual novel with horror themes told from the point of view of six different characters. The gruesome tale starts when a letter with the words “HELP ME” scrawled over it repeatedly is found in an abandoned mansion scheduled to go up for sale. You can download the demo from the Kickstarter page for Windows, Mac, and Linux to get a feel for the gameplay, which takes visual novel text-based choices a step further by introducing quick-time events to high-tension moments in the story. While I’m not generally a fan of quick-time events, they really do make the scary bits all the more nerve-wracking!

I’m getting a major Corpse Party vibe from The Letter, which is definitely a good thing in my book. At the time of this post, Yangyang Mobile still has a ways to go to reach their funding goal, so head over to their Kickstarter and have a look at the reward tiers if The Letter looks up your alley. Best of luck to them!

Sunday Spotlight: Fiction-Food Café

11 / 15 / 15

Who doesn’t love food? Eating is one of the pleasures of living, and there’s nothing I love more than food inspired by my nerdy interests. After all, the abundance of themed cafés in Japan was the major reason why I started my Japan Envy column!

Splatoon cheesecake — Splatoon-themed ink splatter cheesecake! Wouldn’t this be great for a Splatfest party?

The Fiction-Food Café blog takes this one step further by offering a variety of recipes for nerds such as myself to recreate food inspired by my favorite media at home. I love that the Fiction-Food Café doesn’t stick to one type of nerdy media, either! In fact, the latest post is a recipe for mushroom scones for the 150th anniversary of Alice in Wonderland, which certainly has influenced more than a few anime, manga, and video games.

I have yet to actually try recreating one of the recipes myself, but it’s definitely high on my list! If you’re a hungry nerd like me, I can guarantee you’ll have a blast reading through all the awesome recipes at Fiction-Food Café.

New Kyoukai no Shirayuki Character Profiles and Scenarios Translated

11 / 13 / 153 / 8 / 16

As promised back in September, the November issue of B’s Log brought some more information about the 2016 otome game Kyoukai no Shirayuki. Not only does it include character profiles for the last two bachelors, but it also showcases the mirror world outfits for each of the main characters, some short scenarios, and finally unveils the queen! Read on for scans and translations of the full article.