Tag Archives: video games

February 2015 is From Software Month!

Happy February! Due to some release date announcements I’ve decided to shuffle around the Community Game-Along schedule slightly, making this the month to celebrate all games developed by From Software. I dub thee… Frombruary! 

From Software is best well known for their recent success with the Souls series, comprising of Demon’s Souls, Dark Souls, and Dark Souls II. With their upcoming game, Bloodborne, releasing worldwide late March, now is a great time to replay some old favorites or check out a new game or two from this iconic Japanese developer! 
This month, we’ll be using #Frombruary to chronicle our various journeys on social media, but, as always, you are more than welcome (and heartily encouraged!) to write long form blog posts, post gameplay videos, or even just show of your From Software game collection using the hashtag. The only rule of the Community Game-Along is to pick a game that fits the theme, play it, and share your experiences, so feel free to do so in whatever way you wish! 
As always, here are a few game suggestions to get you started: 
Armored Core series (various systems) – If you’re a fan of From Software, there are probably three names you’re very familiar with: Demon’s Souls, King’s Field, and Armored Core. While I’d highly suggest tracking down a King’s Field game if you’re a fan of Souls and want to continue the “hardcore RPG” theme, they’re rather difficult to get hold of, so instead I’ll suggest their other major series, Armored Core. For fans of mecha, Armored Core is a must try, though it has a very heavy tactical bent and is notoriously tough to get into (much like FromSoft’s other titles…). The most recent title in the series is Armored Core: Verdict Day and is available on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, but it’s worth noting that the more recent games have a very strong multiplayer focus. 
Enchanted Arms (PS3, Xbox 360) – From Software has also released a few non-King’s Field RPGs such as Evergrace, Eternal Ring, and Enchanted Arms. Aside from all starting with the letter “e,” these games came out early in their console’s life cycle and can generally be found relatively easily and cheaply. Enchanted Arms may be the easiest to play nowadays, considering it was released on last-gen systems, which is why I’m including it on the list. 
The sci-fi/fantasy RPG received lukewarm reviews but certainly has its fans, and while the art style may turn some off, it has a character with a pizza for a head in it, so it can’t be all that bad. 
The Adventures of Cookie & Cream (PS2, DS) – Cookie & Cream might be the oddest game in From Software’s library, simply because it’s so different from their other titles. The multiplayer action/adventure titles features two adorable rabbits that can be controlled separately by two players using the same controller if so desired. Not only that, but the Japanese box art is brilliant! Don’t you agree? 
If you don’t have a PS2 on hand, there is a port available on the DS, as well as a downloadable version on PSN for PS3. Even if you don’t have a friend to rope into playing with you, you can still play both Cookie and Cream in the single player story mode, so there’s no reason not to try this one out! 
Echo Night (PSone, PS2) – If you’re looking for a bit of a spook, the Echo Night series might be more up your alley. While unfortunately none of the games in the series are available digitally, their unique take on first person survival horror where the player has absolutely no weapons makes it an absolute must for fans of the genre. I wish I had more to say about this series, but unfortunately I don’t know all that much about it, so suffice it to say you should pick one up and let everyone know how it is! 
Normally I have a game in mind for each month well before they’ve started, but I must admit that I’m not much of a FromSoft connoisseur. Imagine my surprise when I found out they also developed Monster Hunter Nikki: Poka Poka Airou Mura! I’ve been meaning to give my copy a go, and what better excuse than to play it for this month’s theme? 
Let us know what you’ll be playing for Frombruary in the comments!  

Hatsune Miku Graphics: Vocaloid Comics & Art Vol. 2 Review

One of my favorite aspects of the Vocaloid phenomenon is how it’s powered by the fan community, with people all over the globe coming together to celebrate the digital idols through music, art, and more. Hatsune Miku Graphics: Vocaloid Comics & Art Volume 2 showcases a wide variety of Vocaloid illustrations from both professional and up-and-coming artists, making it the perfect way to see first-hand just how much talent Hatsune Miku and her friends attract.

The last Vocaloid art book from Udon Entertainment I reviewed focused on official Vocaloid artist Kei’s soft watercolor-like illustrations such as the one on the cover above, but the Hatsune Miku Graphics series is great for those who like Vocaloids but would prefer to see art from a variety of artists. While the quality of illustrations varies from artist to artist, with 128 pages total, there is bound to be an art style that appeals to nearly everyone.

The majority of the book focuses on a number of Vocaloid artists, with a sampling of illustrations from each. I love the inclusion of the artist’s website when available – in the case of Ryouno, I was so enamoured with his work that I immediately went to browse his site. His masking tape collages are so unique, and not at all what I expected from Vocaloid art!
Wasabi’s work is sugary-sweet, and was definitely one of the standout artists for me. I love the mint illustration of Miku with macaron hair ties! For every illustration, there are artist comments detailing where the image first appeared, which can help you track down your favorite piece.

The book also includes three short manga, one drawn by Wasabi featuring Luka. I really enjoyed seeing other Vocaloids represented besides the ever-popular Hatsune Miku.

In addition to the creator galleries, there are also a number of Vocaloid tribute illustrations by famous Japanese artists. Unlike the creator galleries, these illustrations each get a single page, and while I personally found more art I liked in the galleries, fans of artists such as Nanzaki Iku (Queen’s Blade) and Homare (Phantasy Star Portable 2) will undoubtedly be pleased.

Finally, there is a section dedicated to Vocaloid collaborations and other products that, while very interesting for a Vocaloid fan, felt a little out of place in an art book. There are a number of pages on the clothing modules in the Project DIVA series of rhythm games, a small section on a Lucky Star collaboration, as well as a blurb on the Racing Miku collaboration with Good Smile Company.

As a fan of the, well, fan community that has made Vocaloids the huge phenomenon that they are, both in Japan and abroad, Hatsune Miku Graphics: Vocaloid Comics & Art Volume 2 was a complete pleasure to flip through. Though it may not feature everyone’s favorite artist, it’s a great way to find a great new illustrator or introduce a friend to the colorful and varied world of Vocaloids. Even with a couple small sections that might have been better used to spotlight even more artists, Hatsune Miku Graphics: Vocaloid Comics & Art Volume 2 would make a great addition to any Vocaloid fan’s library.

Note: A digital copy of the book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review. 

Hatsune Miku Graphics: Vocaloid Comic & Art Volume 2

Hatsune Miku fans, REJOICE! UDON’s sixth translated artbook featuring Superstar Japanese idol Hatsune Miku is now available! UDON Entertainment is proud to present Hatsune Miku Graphics: Vocaloid Comic & Art Volume 2, a new collection of illustrations, behind the scenes material, and comics(!) featuring Miku, Rin & Len, Luka, and friends!

In this latest collection, explore the world and phenomenon of Miku and the Vocaloids through illustration, short articles, and comics. Containing official Miku artwork from Kei, tribute artwork from well-known artists and illustrators, as well as album covers, short comic strips, and three exciting manga short stores featuring Miku and friends!

Release date: September 24th, 2014
Price (U.S.): $39.99
ISBN: 1-926778-83-9
ISBN-13: 978-1-926778-83-9
Format: Softcover
Page Count: 128, Partial Color (96 pages)
Size: 8.25″ x 11.75″

Buy it at a Comic Book Store Near You | Buy at Barnes & Noble | Buy at Amazon.com

Game Art: Creative Inspiration, from Indie Games to Blockbusters Now Available for Preorder

Last year, Matt Sainsbury of Digitally Downloaded launched a Kickstarter for a book on game art that, while ultimately unsuccessful, proved that there are a variety of methods to getting a book published. No Starch Press took notice of the project and, as a result, are now publishing the book under the title Game Art: Creative Inspiration, from Indie Games to Blockbusters.

Available to preorder now from No Starch’s site, Game Art is a collection of interviews and concept art from a wide variety of video game developers, from big names in the western gaming scene such as BioWare and Ubisoft to indie studios and Japanese developers. The book even contains an interview with Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn producer Naoki Yoshida, which will undoubtedly be a highlight, but interviews with notable individuals from the Dynasty Warriors franchise and Hyperdimension Neptunia series are also included in the comprehensive book for fans of Japanese games. The book features artwork from over 40 console, mobile, and PC games, so there will definitely be something for everyone!

Game Art is priced at $39.99 for a physical book and free digital copy, while just the digital version is $31.95. If you preorder, however, you’ll be able to get the book for 30% off the cover price, which sounds like a great deal for over 300 pages of full color art!

Game Art: Creative Inspiration, from Indie Games to Blockbusters will launch in July 2015. In the meantime, you can read Matt’s work over at Digitally Downloaded.

10 Japanese 3DS Games Worth Importing

Now that the RegionThree exploit makes region-free 3DS gaming a reality*, you may be wondering how you should utilize this newfound power. Well, what better way than to import some cool Japan-exclusive 3DS games? Keeping import friendliness in mind for those who know little to no Japanese, I’ve compiled a list of 10 great Japanese 3DS games worth checking out!

*Before reading on, head over to the full news post to learn how to use the RegionThree exploit on your 3DS and whether your system is compatible. While this isn’t a complete region-free gaming solution, it’s a great way to try out a few Japanese games before you decide to commit to importing a whole system! Note: RegionThree no longer works, but there are other exploits available for playing region free games on 3DS.

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Japan Prepaid Review

If you enjoy Japanese media like I do, it’s likely that you’ve delved into the world of importing. Whether it be games, CDs, or anime, sometimes there are things that can only be bought in Japan. Luckily, we live in a digital age where most of these items can be purchased through online services without having to pay exorbitant shipping costs. Still, not all digital Japanese platforms allow purchases from outside Japan, which is where Japan Prepaid comes in!

Japan Prepaid offers easy purchases of prepaid cards to a number of Japanese platforms such as PlayStation Network, Nintendo eShop, iTunes, DMM, and Web Money. All codes are provided by email within 24 hours after purchase (however they are experiencing delays over the holidays), and redeeming them in your platform of choice is extremely easy, even if you don’t know Japanese.

For the purpose of this review, Japan Prepaid provided a 3,000 yen Japanese PSN card (priced at $38.50), which I redeemed on my Vita. The code was delivered quickly and worked flawlessly, and the company’s owner, Josh, was friendly and enthusiastic in our correspondence.
To redeem the code on a Vita connected to a Japanese PSN account, click on the “…” button on the bottom right corner and choose the option at the top of the list.
Since I had some extra money on my account already, I decided to spring for Binary Star, an otome game for the Vita that I’ve heard very good things about! There are more and more otome games and visual novels on the Vita, making it a great system for fans of such genres. You can even swap between different region accounts relatively easily by having more than one memory card and wiping the system before making the switch.
Japan Prepaid also offers Japanese iTunes cards in denominations of 3,000 and 5,000 yen, which is great for those who want to download iOS games, music, or even anime and films. If you don’t yet have a Japanese iTunes account, I have a guide on how to make one without a credit card to get you started! It’s easy to add credit once you have an account, and you don’t need a Japanese credit card.
While Japan Prepaid’s prices may seem slightly expensive when compared to Play Asia or Jlist, Japan Prepaid has a comprehensive range of prepaid cards available, and it was nice to interact with an individual and support a startup company. Josh is also looking for writers to contribute to Japan Prepaid’s blog, so if you like Japanese pop culture and would like to get discounts to the site, that is definitely worth checking out.
Finally, Chic Pixel readers can use the code “chicpixel” for 5% off all purchases from now until January 10th! Be sure to like Japan Prepaid’s Facebook page for other discounts and news. It’s great to see so many options now available for buying digital media from Japan!

Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA F 2nd Review

Hatsune Miku Project Diva f 2nd review

Back when SEGA released Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA F last August, I was amazed to hear that a Vocaloid game would finally be coming out in English. SEGA only brought over the PlayStation 3 version initially, but six months later the PS Vita version followed due to the popularity of the PS3 release. Now, however, the digital idol Hatsune Miku is literally everywhere, from opening for Lady Gaga to performing on Letterman, so it makes much more sense to see Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA F 2nd in English only eight months after the Japanese release. And this time, buyers have the option to choose between the PS3 and PS Vita versions at launch!

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Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair Review

Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair review

Earlier this year, adventure game/visual novel Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc quickly wormed its way into my heart for being one of the most fun and interesting titles I’ve played in recent memory, let alone this year. While NIS America announced from the get-go that they would release the sequel before the year was out, I had my doubts that it could be anywhere near as good as the original, let alone better, as many assured me. How exactly do you follow up a game that throws fifteen elite high school students into a situation where the only way they can escape is by killing one of their classmates and not getting caught?

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