Early this month, DMM Games revealed it was working on a rhythm game for the Nintendo Switch.
Although its name, Gal Metal!, intrigued me, that's about where my curiosity in the upcoming title began and ended.
That's mainly because the initial Gal Metal! teaser trailer made it out to be a drum-centric rhythm game, which generally isn't my cup of tea.
My interest did a 180 this morning, though, after watching the game's latest trailer, released to coincide with Tokyo Game Show 2017.
Admittedly, I'm still not all that keen on a rhythm game that makes you pretend-play the drums. But I'm willing to overlook that little "issue" because the drum-heavy game plops you into the patent-leather shoes of one member of a five-girl metal band.
The band in question apparently has to use their musical skills to save the world from invading aliens, by the way--which only enhances the game's appeal in my eyes. Other aspects of Gal Metal! I find appealing: its art style and the music showcased in the video above.
Is it possible the game's motion-focused gameplay will be a Wii Music-style dud in the end? Of course. I certainly hope that's not the case, though.
We'll find out one way or the other when Gal Metal! hits the streets--and Switch eShop--of Japan this coming February.
DMM is said to be prepping a boxed version of Gal Metal!, by the way, so look for me to buy that iteration should early previews not label the Tak Fujii-backed title a total stinker. (Fujii is an eccentric ex-Konami producer.)
Has this in-the-works Switch game pinged your radar? If so, let me know, and let me know why it's got you excited, in the comments section below.
Thursday, September 21, 2017
Tuesday, September 19, 2017
Nice Package! (Dōbutsu no Mori+, GameCube)
My last blog post celebrated the 15th anniversary of the first Animal Crossing game's North American release.
Of course, as any Animal Crossing fan worth their salt will tell you, although that 2002 release was the first of the series' many entries to see the light of day in the Western world, it was the second to hit store shelves in Japan.
This game's predecessor in that region was 2001's Dōbutsu no Mori (Animal Forest, basically) for the Nintendo 64. The game showcased here, Dōbutsu no Mori+, followed just eight months later.
Surprisingly, Dōbutsu no Mori+ is more than just a simple, straightforward port of the Nintendo 64 original. For starters, it bumps up the earlier title's resolution from 320-by-240 pixels to 640-by-480 pixels. It also introduces a number of new characters--including the Able Sisters, Kapp'n and Tortimer--as well as adds new locations (like the island and the museum), Famicom games, fish and bugs. And it lets players to expand their homes beyond the limits of what was allowed in the Nintendo 64 cartridge.
Further changes and enhancements were made to the game when it was localized for Western markets, and even more were made for the 2003 Japanese release known as Dōbutsu no Mori e+. (Look for a "Nice Package!" post about that GameCube import shortly.)
Anyway, as nice as the North American Animal Crossing's packaging was and is, I far prefer the Japanese counterparts--outer sleeve, disc, memory card and instruction manual--shown here to it.
I'm especially fond of the Dōbutsu no Mori+ instruction manual, I've got to say--especially its cover. The interior pages are pretty nice, too, although I wouldn't have minded if Nintendo's artists and designers had made them a tad more whimsical.
I also really like the art that's splashed across the adorably tiny Dōbutsu no Mori+ disc. The haniwa (gyroid elsewhere) that graces the label of the packed-in memory card is a nice touch, too.
Another nice touch of the Dōbutsu no Mori+ packaging: the image of Booker that sits along the bottom edge of the game's outer sleeve.
For those of you who've never seen a Japanese GameCube game in person, this cardboard sleeve slips over a small plastic case that houses the game in question's disc and manual. Also, the case is clear, so if you situate the manual properly, it almost gives the game an alternate cover.
With all of that out of the way, which part of this Japanese game's packaging appeals the most to you?
See also: photos of the Dōbutsu no Mori Nintendo 64 packaging
Of course, as any Animal Crossing fan worth their salt will tell you, although that 2002 release was the first of the series' many entries to see the light of day in the Western world, it was the second to hit store shelves in Japan.
This game's predecessor in that region was 2001's Dōbutsu no Mori (Animal Forest, basically) for the Nintendo 64. The game showcased here, Dōbutsu no Mori+, followed just eight months later.
Surprisingly, Dōbutsu no Mori+ is more than just a simple, straightforward port of the Nintendo 64 original. For starters, it bumps up the earlier title's resolution from 320-by-240 pixels to 640-by-480 pixels. It also introduces a number of new characters--including the Able Sisters, Kapp'n and Tortimer--as well as adds new locations (like the island and the museum), Famicom games, fish and bugs. And it lets players to expand their homes beyond the limits of what was allowed in the Nintendo 64 cartridge.
Further changes and enhancements were made to the game when it was localized for Western markets, and even more were made for the 2003 Japanese release known as Dōbutsu no Mori e+. (Look for a "Nice Package!" post about that GameCube import shortly.)
Anyway, as nice as the North American Animal Crossing's packaging was and is, I far prefer the Japanese counterparts--outer sleeve, disc, memory card and instruction manual--shown here to it.
I'm especially fond of the Dōbutsu no Mori+ instruction manual, I've got to say--especially its cover. The interior pages are pretty nice, too, although I wouldn't have minded if Nintendo's artists and designers had made them a tad more whimsical.
I also really like the art that's splashed across the adorably tiny Dōbutsu no Mori+ disc. The haniwa (gyroid elsewhere) that graces the label of the packed-in memory card is a nice touch, too.
Another nice touch of the Dōbutsu no Mori+ packaging: the image of Booker that sits along the bottom edge of the game's outer sleeve.
For those of you who've never seen a Japanese GameCube game in person, this cardboard sleeve slips over a small plastic case that houses the game in question's disc and manual. Also, the case is clear, so if you situate the manual properly, it almost gives the game an alternate cover.
With all of that out of the way, which part of this Japanese game's packaging appeals the most to you?
See also: photos of the Dōbutsu no Mori Nintendo 64 packaging
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