12 import games I bought in 2012 but didn't tell you about until now: Door Door (Famicom)

If ever you've wondered why I started "collecting" Famicom games a few years ago, here's my answer:



The Famicom game shown in the photo above is Enix's Door Door, by the way--an adorable little puzzler-platformer that was released only in Japan all the way back in 1985.



In my humble opinion, Door Door may have the best packaging of any Famicom release. Not only is the cover art top notch, but each of the box's side flaps feature illustrations of the game's alien "baddies."



Oh, and the back of Door Door's box is pretty delicious, too, as you can see in the photo below. I'm not sure what the little aliens are saying in their speech bubbles, but I'm guess it's something precious.



Ah, you didn't think I'd fail to show you Door Door's cartridge, did you? Yes, it's cute, too. Are you surprised?

I don't know about you, but I really like its 1970s vibe, what with those bands of yellow and orange. Also, the game's protagonist, Chun (who later inspired the name of designer Koichi Nakamura's company, Chunsoft), makes a rather welcome appearance.



Now that I've seemingly got your attention about all things Door Door, keep your eyes on this space (or, rather, this blog) for a "Great Gaymathon" review of it in the coming weeks.

See also: Previous '12 games I bought in 2012 but didn't tell you about until now' posts

12 import games I bought in 2012 but didn't tell you about until now: Mr. Driller Drill Spirits (DS)

Remember this post from earlier this year? If not, no biggie. The reason I'm mentioning it now is that in that post I asked folks for their opinions as to which version of Mr. Driller Drill Spirits I should buy--the European, the Japanese or the North American one.

As you can see in the photos below, I ended up going with the European one. Not because I prefer its box art to the box art that was used for the Japanese or North American releases, mind you. Rather, I bought the Euro version because I came across a dirt-cheap copy on eBay and just couldn't pass it up.

Anyway, this iteration's box art is pretty nice, don't you think? I, of course, like the soft color scheme, although I have to admit I'm not at all sure why Susumu Hori (the protagonist) and Puchi (the pup) are framed by pink and purple puffs.

The photo above is of the back of Mr. Driller Drill Spirits' box, as I'm sure you can tell. I'm including it here just so I can cover all the bases. Plus, it features a rainbow.

Have you ever wondered what the cartridge that contains the European version of Mr. Driller Drill Spirits looks like? Well, wonder no more! I know, it could be a smidge more exciting, but it is a DS cart label we're talking about, after all.

See also: Previous '12 import games I bought in 2012 but didn't tell you about until now' posts

12 import games I bought in 2012 but didn't tell you about until now: Loopop Cube: Lup ★ Salad (PlayStation)

Before I go on, I have to mention that not everyone agrees that this PlayStation puzzler, developed by Fupac and published by Datam Polystar in 1996, should be called Loopop Cube: Lup ★ Salad. Some believe it should be called Loopop Cube: Loop ★ Salad, for instance, while others support Rupupu Cube: Lup ★ Salad.

I won't chime in with my opinion on the matter because: 1) as I've said a million times before, I don't know a lick of Japanese, and 2) I don't much care what this game is called as long as I can play it. Which, of course, I can now that I own a copy of it.



Why am I so hot to trot to play Loopop Cube: Lup ★ Salad? For starters, it's an adorable puzzler with a unique gameplay twist. The titular Salad is tasked with clearing each single-screen stage of its brightly colored blocks. To do so, she (with the assistance of the player, naturally) pushes them around until she can match three or more of the same color.

As a result, I guess you could call it a platformer-puzzler hybrid, although it doesn't feel like any other such game I've ever played.



I should note, by the way, that I was completely ignorant of Loopop Cube: Lup ★ Salad (or whatever you choose to call it) until I came across this now-defunct NeoGAF thread. I also should note that the game was ported to the DS in 2008 and the PSP in 2010.

Both versions feature modes that aren't found in the PlayStation original and also seem to be more widely available than the first release.



Since so little information is available on line about this precious puzzler, I'll do my best to get a review of it published soon. In the meantime, check out some of the links I included in the text above and enjoy the photos I've shared, too.

See also: Previous '12 import games I bought in 2012 but didn't tell you about until now' posts

12 import games I bought in 2012 but didn't tell you about until now: Gokuraku! Chuka Taisen (PC Engine)

Oh, hey, another game has graduated from being featured in a recent "Second Chances" post to, well, being featured in my games collection.

And "featured" it shall be, due to its stellar cover art.

Thanks to my strange obsession with taking skewed (as opposed to straight-on) photos of games, though, you probably can't quite tell how stellar Gokuraku! Chuka Taisen's cover art is.

I'll do my best to snap a few additional shots of it and post them on my Flickr photostream in the next few days, OK? In the meantime, you can take closer look at the box art in question here.



I've spent quite a bit of time playing Gokuraku! Chuka Taisen since I acquired it, by the way. And although I still wish it looked a little less muddy, I'm enjoying pretty much every other aspect of it at the moment.

Did you know this Taito-made quarter-muncher was ported to the Famicom, too? That version's a more accurate conversion than this one is, actually, as its art style is more in line with the original.

See also: Previous '12 import games I bought in 2012 but didn't tell you about until now' posts

12 import games I bought in 2012 but didn't tell you about until now: Rainbow Islands Putty's Party (WonderSwan)

You didn't think I'd get through this series without including a WonderSwan game, did you? Well, even if you did, I'm proving you wrong with this gloriously WonderSwan-centric post.

Now, I know the word on the street about this game is that it isn't all that good, but I bought it earlier this year because, well, it's mother-trucking Rainbow Islands.

As I don't yet own a WonderSwan system, though, I can't tell you if the word on the street about Rainbow Islands Putty's Party is accurate or not. Actually, I gave the game a go via emulation prior to picking it up, but I only spent enough time with it to know it wasn't a complete turd.

I do remember thinking the pink-haired protagonist was a bit slow, though, so it'll be interesting to find out if my opinion of Putty's Party ends up mirroring that of its naysayers or if I have an altogether more positive experience with it.

Sigh. I really need to set aside a few bucks for a WonderSwan system (or better yet, a SwanCrystal system) in 2013, don't I?

See also: Previous '12 import games I bought in 2012 but didn't tell you about until now' posts

12 import games I bought in 2012 but didn't tell you about until now: Tetris (GameBoy)

Of all the games that will be featured in this series of posts, this is likely to be the most boring--or maybe I should say least interesting?



So, why did I decide to include it? Because I rather like its bold, red-and-blue box art, that's why.



Speaking of which, the box art you see in the photos above is chiefly responsible for me picking up the Japanese, rather than the North American, version of "GameBoy Tetris" earlier this year.



Another reason, of course, is that I couldn't find the copy that came with the original GameBoy I dug out of my childhood closet shortly after I rang in 2012--and, really, you can't have an OG GameBoy without also having a copy of Tetris, can you?

See also: Previous '12 import games I bought in 2012 but didn't tell you about until now' posts

12 import games I bought in 2012 but didn't tell you about until now: Yuke Yuke!! Trouble Makers (Nintendo 64)

I picked up this copy of the game known to most North American's as Mischief Makers shortly after I brought my old Nintendo 64 system from my childhood home to my adult one earlier this year.

Why did I opt for the Japanese version of this Treasure-developed platformer rather than the US release? For me, it all boiled down to box art--as in, I much prefer the art that graces covers of import copies of the game, so that's what I bought.

You should expect to see some similarly strange pick-ups appear on this blog next year, by the way, as I've had my eye on import copies of Mario Story (aka the original Paper Mario) and Yoshi's Story for some time now, and I'm not sure how long I can hold out on buying them.

Anyway, back to the Japanese Nintendo 64 game at hand. Its box art is awesome, don't you think? Its instruction manual (a glimpse of which can be seen in the second photo, above) is pretty nice, too--which means, well, you know what it means.

By the way, a few more photos of Yuke Yuke!! Trouble Makers (including one of its cartridge) can be found on my Flickr photostream.

See also: Previous '12 games I bought in 2012 but didn't tell you about until now' posts

12 import games I bought in 2012 but didn't tell you about until now: Inazuma Eleven (DS)

OK, so the title I'm focusing on in today's "12 import games I bought in 2012 but didn't tell you about until now" post isn't as thrilling as the one I wrote about yesterday--or at least I don't think it's as thrilling.

Still, it's an import, and a fairly odd one at that (thanks to it being a soccer-based RPG), so at least it's not a total loss.

Would you believe that I've yet to spend much quality time with this pick-up? Yeah, I thought you would--especially given the track record suggested by the majority of my "Acquisition #123" posts.



Actually, I'm kind of amazed it's even been unwrapped, as I honestly don't remember playing it at all since it arrived on my doorstep a number of months ago.

I guess I should have included Inazuma Eleven in one of those silly posts--like "Five games I have to get back to (and hopefully finish) in 2013" or "Five games I have to rip from their shrink-wrap and actually play in 2013"--I published last week, eh?

See also: Previous '12 import games I bought in 2012 but didn't tell you about until now' posts

12 import games I bought in 2012 but didn't tell you about until now

How's this for thinking ahead: I've been working on this series of posts pretty much since the first day of 2012.

Note: The five Namco(t) Famicom games
in the photograph above were bought
prior to the beginning of 2012.

Of course, you're looking at someone who, as a kid, would sit--pad in one hand, pencil in the other--by the tree on Christmas day and work up his "wish list" for the next year's festivities.

As for this list (or, rather, series of posts), well, I'm pretty sure you can tell by its title what it will include.

If not, here's the gist: Between today and the last day of the month, I'm going to publish a post a day that focuses on a single import game that I bought during 2012 but didn't tell anyone about until now.

The first will appear tomorrow morning, by the way, while the last--the 12th--will appear on the morning of Jan. 31.

Anyway, I know it's all a bit silly, but I also think it could be kind of fun. And, really, shouldn't every year end with a little levity?

See also: 'The 12 Games of Christmas (2011)'

My five favorite non-3DS games of 2012

I may have singled out THE "DENPA" MEN as my favorite 3DS game of 2012 yesterday (with Theatrhythm Final Fantasy coming in a close second), but that doesn't mean it was the only game I had a blast playing this past year.

In fact, I had a blast playing a number of games that were released for the other current-ish systems I own. Here are the ones I considered the cream of the crop, as they say:

* Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom (PSP)--If you read my "somewhat gay" review of this game, you're likely a bit shocked that I decided to include this release, which was published in North America by Aksys Games, here. So am I, to tell you the truth. While thinking back on all the titles I played this year, though, I kept coming back to this one. Although I still think it's more of a novel than a video game, it did a surprisingly great job of keeping me interested in its goings-on from start to finish--which is something that can't be said of every game these days.

* Kirby Mass Attack (DS)--Of all the titles included in this post, this is the one I've spent the least time with thus far. Still, I've experienced enough of it to know it's an enjoyably unique game--and one that I'll surely return to next year when I inevitably find myself without anything new to play.

* Rhythm Heaven Fever (Wii)--It's amazing how many hours you can spend playing a single game when you set your mind to it. I say that because I'm pretty sure I clocked well over 20 hours with Rhythm Heaven Fever during its first week in my possession. Was it because of the adorably wacky graphics? The toe-tapping soundtrack? The "just one more time, I swear" gameplay? I have a feeling it was all three--and then some.

* Spelunky (XBLA)--You know how sometimes you look forward to something (like a game) for so long that when you get your hands on it at long last you experience a letdown? Well, I was more than a bit worried that would happen to me once I finally acquired Spelunky, as I'd been waiting for the XBLA version for what seemed like ages. Thankfully, it didn't. On the contrary, I've enjoyed this tough-as-nails (and surprisingly precious) platformer more than I even imagined I would--although it would be nice to actually "beat" it at some point.

* Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii)--That I haven't yet completed this open-world RPG is criminal, if you ask me. I can't even tell you why I left it at an unfinished state early this summer (although I have a feeling a quick trip "home" may have had something to do with it). What I can tell you is that I pretty much loved every minute I played of it until that point. (I say "pretty much loved" because I found a few aspects--like the camera in general and one boss battle in particular--to be irksome.) Here's hoping I'm able to work my way back into--and through--this sentimental journey in 2013.

See also: Past 'favorite games of the year' posts

Five Japanese 3DS games I'm hoping to pick up (and play, too, of course) in 2013

Would you believe it if I told you I recently bought a Japanese 3DS system? I hope you replied in the positive, because that's just what I did shortly after my recent birthday.

I'll share the curious story behind its purchase and also share a few photos of it in all its gloriousness shortly, but today I'm going to focus on something else entirely--with that something being the following five Japan-only (for now, he says with fingers crossed) 3DS games that I'm both keeping an eye on and hoping to buy sometime in 2013.

1. Daigasso! Band Brothers 3DS--How can I say it's likely I'll buy this game when it hasn't yet been given an official name or release date? Because I completely loved playing both of its DS-based predecessors, that's why. Unless the folks who are busily piecing together this iteration muck up the formula that worked so well for past Daigasso! Band Brothers titles, you can count on the 3DS version being added to my collection shortly after it's released in its country of origin.

2. Dragon Quest VII--To be honest, I only plan to pick up this much-anticipated remake if it fails to come to North America like Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry's Wonderland 3D and Slime MoriMori Dragon Quest 3 did. Considering there's about an 80 percent chance of that happening, though, I probably shouldn't be too cavalier. Anyone know a quick and easy way to learn the Japanese language?

3. Labyrinth no Kanata--This is another import-only game, known to most westerners as Beyond the Labyrinth, that I desperately want to play, but I'm just not sure it would be a good idea to buy considering I don't know a lick of Japanese. Should I ever come across a reasonably priced copy of it, though, I'm pretty sure I won't be able to resist its beautiful cover art (or its dungeon-exploring gameplay).

4. Taiko no Tatsujin: Chibi Dragon to Fushigi na Orb--Despite the fact that I love rhythm games and that I find this series' mascot to be one of the cutest I've ever seen, I've yet to experience a single Taiko no Tatsujin title. Granted, only one has been released in my neck of the woods. Anyway, this one looks pretty darn good to my eyes--thanks in no small part to the "chibi dragon" mentioned in its subtitle--so why not start with it?

5. Zoo Keeper 3D--Go ahead. Look down your nose at me for including this game. I'm not ashamed of the way I feel about Zoo Keeper, no sir. That said, I'll admit to straddling the fence when it comes to this particular version of Success' animal-themed puzzler, as I haven't seen enough of it to know whether it would be a good or bad title to buy. For now, though, I'll just pretend that it would be worth every precious penny I'd spend on it.

Should you realistically expect me to pick up all five of these games? Probably not. I think there's a better-than-good chance, though, that the first and fourth ones will be purchased at some point in 2013.

Happy New Year!

Happy new year, everyone! Are you ready for 2012 to rock your world? I hope so, because it's here whether you're ready for it or not.

In terms of games and systems, are you looking forward to anything in particular this year? For instance, are you looking forward to the release of the Vita or the Wii U? Or maybe you're looking forward to the release of a certain title (or two or three)?

Personally, along with the games I wrote about in this post and in this post, I'm very much looking forward to learning more about the Wii U. I'm also looking forward to learning more about Microsoft's and Sony's next-generation consoles.

The image above was created by bartotainment, by the way. It's actually an animated GIF, but apparently Blogger doesn't like such things. (Either that or I just don't know how to imbed them properly, which wouldn't surprise me at all.)

Anyway, if you'd like to see how the Galaga-esque (or maybe I should say Aleste-ish, thanks to the ship?) creation is supposed to look--you know, moving and all that--check out this post on the artist's blog, PIXELkitsch.

Five additional games I'm looking forward to playing in 2012

If you failed to see yesterday's post--which covered the first five (of 10) games that I'm looking forward to playing in 2012--check it out here.

For those of you who read (if not thoroughly enjoyed) that post, here are the final five games I'm hoping to get my grubby little hands on at some point in the next 12 months:

Mario Tennis (3DS)--I've mentioned before that I'm a tennis nut, right? If not, now you know. I'm also a huge fan of Nintendo's Mario Tennis games--especially its portable ones. The 3DS iteration looks to be the best of both worlds: It's got the great graphics of the console versions and the take-it-anywhere fun of the handheld versions. Will it have an RPG mode, too? My fingers and toes are crossed in the hopes that it will.

Ni no Kuni (PS3)--The Japanese version of this Level-5 RPG--made in partnership with the folks at Studio Ghibli--bombed and reviews of it weren't much better, but you know what? I'll probably buy the North American version regardless shortly after I finally obtain a PS3 (hopefully sometime in 2012). It simply looks too good to pass up, even if it ends up being a bit of a bore.

Rhythm Heaven Fever (Wii)--In all honesty, this may be the game I'm most looking forward to playing in 2012. Why? I enjoyed the hell out of its predecessors--the import-only original, made for the GameBoy Advance, and its DS-based sequel, released in 2009--and I'm fully expecting to love the hell out of this one, too, especially since it takes the series back to its roots and uses buttons only (as opposed to waggle).

Sugar Shooter 2 (Mac/PC)--I've never had as much fun shooting the clothes off of a muscle-bound baddies as I did while playing the original Sugar Shooter last year. As such, I'm chomping at the bit to do more of the same as soon as this sequel--which will be made available to Mac as well as PC owners this time around--hits the streets (or at least the Internet) sometime next year.

Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii)--Can you believe this open-world RPG will be coming to North America in 2012? I can't. I'm glad it is, though, as I desperately want to play it. Don't tell anyone, but this will be my first Monolith Soft-developed game. Yep, that means I've never played any of the Baten Kaitos (GameCube) or Xenosaga (PS2) titles. Just proves there's a first time for everything, eh?

Now that I've rambled on (and on and on) about the games I'm itching to play in 2012, which ones are all of you looking forward to experiencing in the coming year?

Five games I'm looking forward to playing in 2012

If you run a gaming blog, every year has to end with a post about your favorite games of the past year and another post about the games you're most looking forward to playing in the coming one, right? Well, I checked that first box yesterday with this post, so today I might as well check the second box with the post you're currently reading.

This post originally contained 10 games, by the way, but it seemed a bit long so I broke it in two. As such, expect to see a similarly titled post published tomorrow that will include five more games that I'm looking forward to playing in 2012.

Bravely Default (3DS)--This Square Enix RPG looks like it's going to be a spiritual successor to 2010's Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light. I consider that Final Fantasy side story to be one of my favorite DS games, so you can bet I'll be all over this one like white on rice--assuming it makes its way to North America.

Dragon Quest X (Wii)--I know a lot of long-time Dragon Quest fans were disappointed to hear that the series' latest installment would focus on an online-multiplayer experience, but I'm not one of them. In fact, I'm downright excited for this entry thanks in part because of its online focus and in part because it will feature more of the crazy customization that was present in its DS-based predecessor.

Final Fantasy Type-0 (PSP)--The word on the street is that this game--and, yes, it's another Final Fantasy offshoot--will be released in North America sometime this year. Here's hoping that's true and that the game will be released on PSP UMD (as opposed to PlayStation Vita card) and will feature the same fabulous cover art that appeared on Japanese copies of the title.

Inazuma Eleven (DS)--I have next to no interest in the game of soccer (or football, for those of you who live outside of North America), yet I want this game. Why? Because I've heard great things about it on the Internet--things like, "It's like a soccer-themed Pokemon game." I like the sound of that, so I'm planning to buy the first game in this series from the UK sometime next year. Who knows, I may buy the second one, too, which is scheduled to hit the streets throughout Europe in early 2012.

Luigi's Mansion 2 (3DS)--Is it weird that the game that spurred me to ask for a 3DS for Christmas was this one? Well, it's true regardless. Oh, sure, I was keen on Mario Kart 7 and Super Mario 3D Land, too, but not as keen as I am on Luigi's Mansion 2, which looks to take the basics presented in the GameCube-based original and run with them. The only downer at the moment? The folks at Nintendo of America have yet to give it a release date. (Please be sooner rather than later, please be sooner rather than later, please be sooner rather than later...)

What other games am I looking forward to playing in 2012? Come back tomorrow to find out!