5 more games I bought in 2015 that I've regrettably (and embarrassingly) failed to play

Just before 2015 turned into 2016, I published a post with a headline very similar to the one you see above.

As was the case with that write-up, this one shines a spotlight on a handful--five, to be exact--games that I purchased last year but failed to play for even a second. (Hell, a couple of these suckers have yet to be unwrapped.)

Hatoful Boyfriend (Vita)--OK, so I don't feel too bad about "ignoring" this intriguing visual novel. For starters, I only bought it a few weeks ago. Also, I couldn't have played it even if I'd wanted to, as my Vita didn't have enough space to accommodate it. Now that I own not one, but two 16 GB Vita memory cards, though, I should be more than set to start wooing some avian hotties (or something along those lines).

MonHun Nikki: Poka Poka Airu Mura DX (3DS)--Out of all the titles singled out in these two posts, this one pains me the most. That's because I've wanted to play some version of this adorable Monster Hunter spin-off since the first PSP game hit Japanese store shelves in 2010. Now I own both that release and this 3DS port (of sorts) and I've yet to boot up either of them. Mark my words, I'll put some time into MonHun Nikki: Poka Poka Airu Mura DX before 2016 comes to a close.

Ni No Kuni (DS)--I know this portable take on Level-5's Studio Ghibli-backed, Dragon Quest-esque RPG supposedly pales in comparison to its PS3 counterpart, but I'm still itching to play it. Will I get hopelessly lost at some point because I can't properly traverse its inch-thick (at least) "Magic Master" book? (See a few photos of it and the rest of Ni No Kuni's beautiful packaging, in this post.) Quite possibly. Still, I'm willing to give it a go. Fingers crossed the game's more forgiving that some Japanese RPGs due to the fact that it was aimed at children.

Sega 3D Fukkoku Archives (3DS)--You know how I said earlier that at least a couple of the titles discussed in this pair of posts have yet to be opened? Well, this is one of them. And, yes, I'm ashamed to admit that. I'll do my best to put that shame to good use in 2016, though--meaning it should spur me to give this first Sega 3D Fukkoku Archives effort (as well as its just-released follow-up, which includes even more 3D-enhanced Sega classics) the attention it so clearly deserves sometime in the next 12 months.

Virtue's Last Reward (Vita)--Here's another Vita game I've only owned for a short while. In fact, my copy only arrived on my doorstep a day or so before I headed to Wisconsin for the holidays. So, I have a bit of an excuse for neglecting it. I wouldn't expect it to be neglected for much longer, though, as I absolutely loved the nearly 22 hours I spent with its DS-based predecessor (read some of my thoughts on 999: 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors in this post), and I've wanted to return to its oh-so-tense world ever since I finished it.

How about you? Did you buy any games in 2015 that, for one reason or another, you failed to play by the end of the year? Let me know which ones in the comments section below.

My 3DS (and DS) Play Time stats for 2015

If you read through (or at least glanced at) the "favorite games of 2015" post I published a few days ago, you may have walked away from it with the idea that I didn't play a whole lot of games last year.

Although it's true that I spent less time on video games in 2015 than I did in the couple of years before, that's mostly because I got a "real" job (as in, one that requires me to go into an office every day) in January and that put a damper on my ability to play the many 3DS, DS, PSP, Vita and other titles in my possession.

The "misty pink" Japanese 3DS I no longer own

Still, looking at the list below--which I cobbled together after reviewing the "play time" stats gathered by my three 3DS systems--I'm pretty impressed I was able to devote as much time as I did to the following 3DS and DS titles.

(Note: if I could figure out how long I played Dokuro and Danganronpa on my Vita, or Undertale on my Mac, I'd include them here and broaden this post's focus a bit. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be possible.)

1. The Legend of Legacy--39:00
2. Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley--24:13
3. 999--21:41
4. Hotel Dusk--17:18
5. Fantasy Life--13:41
6. Contact--13:15
7. Rhythm Tengoku: The Best Plus--12:45
8. My World, My Way--10:09
9. Okamiden--8:37
10. Pokémon Picross--5:17

Bonus round: I also spent nine hours and 15 minutes with the Nintendo Badge Arcade and nearly five hours with the DS version of Chrono Trigger by the time last year came to a close. And since the calendar flipped over to 2016, I've put another hour-plus into the latter release.

Five additional games I'm looking forward to playing between now and the end of 2015

Last Friday, I published a post that featured blurbs about five soon-to-be-released 3DS, Vita and Wii U games that I'm looking forward to playing between now and the end of the year.

In that write-up, I mentioned that a second such post would be published sometime this week. Well, today is that day, and here are five more upcoming titles that currently take up space on my ever-growing "play as soon as humanly possible" list.

Dragon Quest VIII (3DS)--I know a lot of folks in Japan and elsewhere were unimpressed (at best) when this PS2-to-3DS port was announced a short while ago. I am not one of them--although, to be honest, that's probably due in large part to the fact that I've never played this particular entry in Square Enix's triumphant series of RPGs. (I own a copy of it, but it's yet to leave its packaging, I'm embarrassed to admit.) Regardless, I'm pretty stoked that an upgraded--in the areas that matter most to me, at least--version of Dragon Quest VIII will soon be playable on the system I favor most at the moment. That said, I'm dragging my feet in terms of pre-ordering it, as I want to wait a little while longer to see if the powers that be at SE decide to bring the game to North America. (Yeah, right.)

Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai DX (3DS)--This super-cute music-rhythm game was supposed to be released stateside in May. Just before its "arrival date," though, publisher Sega revealed that it wouldn't hit store shelves in the region until early September. Although I know some folks were upset by the delay, I actually applauded it, as I barely had time to play games--even those of one of my favored genres--at the time. Now, though, my schedule is much less hectic (or at least a bit less hectic). Hopefully the same will be true in a couple of months. Even if it isn't, though, I'm maintaining my pre-order--no ifs, ands or buts.

Persona 4: Dancing All Night (Vita)--Oh, hey, another rhythm-music game. What a surprise, right? Especially since I just told you it was one of my "genres of choice." Anyway, this Persona spin-off only recently leaped onto my "to buy" list, and mainly because it looks to be the definition of cool. One of the reasons I passed on Dancing All Night earlier, by the way, was that I pre-ordered Taiko no Tatsujin: V Version ages ago and I was all that sure that I needed to own two rhythm games for my criminally neglected (so far) pink-and-white Vita. After seeing more footage of it around this year's E3 event, though, I changed my mind. Plus, the new Taiko will be out in a matter of days, so surely I'll be all set for a similar-ish title by the time September rolls around?

Splatoon (Wii U)--OK, so this game doesn't belong in the "soon-to-be-released" category that pretty much all of the other ones that have been mentioned here and in my last post on the subject fit within, but I'm including it here anyway simply because I'm beyond interested in it. Is most of that interest tied to this Wii U shooter's completely fabulous art style? Yes, it is, but I'm OK with that. Also, I've read and heard enough positive impressions of this Nintendo-published effort that I'm willing to take a chance on it despite my general lack of love for the first- and third-person shooter genres--or I guess I should say that I'll be willing to take a chance on it after I finally obtain a Wii U console.

Steins;Gate (Vita)--Why is this oddly named visual novel taking up valuable acreage in this post instead of other portable games that don't include random pieces of punctuation in their titles? Because it's been hyped to the heavens in various online spaces, that's why. Oh, and then there's the fact that I find the VN genre to be pretty darn fascinating at the moment. Unfortunately, no one seems to know when Steins;Gate will finally show up in North America. (Both physical and digital versions have been available in Australia and Europe since the beginning of June.) Thankfully, I'm in no particular hurry to play it, so I'll happily pick up a copy of it--preferably a boxed one--whenever it eventually sees the light of day in my neck of the woods. (Update: apparently it was announced earlier this morning that it'll be released here on Aug. 26.)

Are any of you also planning to buy one or more of the 3DS, Vita or Wii U games mentioned above? If so, which ones? Or maybe there are other titles--even for systems like the PS4 or Xbox One--that have you eagerly anticipating their arrival on your doorstep? Regardless, please let me and others know about them in the comments section below.

See also: 'Five games I'm really looking forward to playing between now and the end of 2015'

Five games I'm really looking forward to playing between now and the end of 2015

True story: I've been on a bit of a "pre-order tear" for the last couple of weeks due to all of the just-announced games that have been offered up for sale at sites like amiami.com and play-asia.com.

I only mention this because the afore-mentioned pre-order-athon is fully responsible for the creation of this post.

So, which games am I really looking forward to playing between now and the end of 2015, and which ones have I already pre-ordered? Keep reading to find out.

Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer (3DS)--I don't know about you, but I've had quite a change of heart regarding this soon-to-be-released (in Japan, at least) 3DS title. When it was first unveiled, I looked at it in horror due to the fact that it sounded like little more than an embarrassingly limited cash-in. After its brilliant E3 2015 showing, though, I "did a 180," as the saying goes. Now, I'm not only interested in this game, but I've got a copy of the Japanese version, Doubutsu no Mori: Happy Home Designer, pre-ordered along with a couple of packs of the Animal Crossing-branded amiibo cards that will join it on store shelves in late July.

Code: Realize (Vita)--I've considered myself a fan of the otome genre ever since I played through the first Hakuoki game that made its way to the West. (I shared my impressions of that PSP title in this "somewhat gay" review.) Does that mean I'll get a kick out of Code: Realize, which will earn both a digital and physical release sometime this fall courtesy of Aksys Games? Not necessarily, but I certainly hope I'll end up feeling as positive about it as I did about Demon of the Fleeting Blossom. The story "hook" of this Otomate-made game should help matters quite a bit, given that it features a number of famous literary characters as romance options.

Super Mario Maker (Wii U)--Does this mean I'm actually going to get off of my cheap, lazy butt and buy a Wii U before 2015 comes to a close? That's the plan, but your guess is as good as mine as to whether or not that's what will happen. If it does, though, you can thank Super Mario Maker, which I think looks absolutely stunning at this point--and I'm not sure we even know all there is to know about it yet. Speaking of which, if someone at Nintendo were to reveal that Super Mario Bros. 2 (Super Mario Bros. USA in Japan) characters, enemies, items and moves will be appearing in this game, too, I'd go out and buy a Wii U console the very next second.

Taiko no Tatsujin: V Version (Vita)--My decision to include this upcoming Vita release on this list shouldn't surprise those of you who previously read this post or this post. Still, I'm mentioning it here because it's easily near the top of the heap in terms of games I desperately want to play in the next six months. Thankfully, I know for certain that I'll be playing it either in late July or in early August, as I pre-ordered it as soon as I was able via the previously discussed amiami.com.

Yo-kai Watch (3DS)--I've wanted to play this Pokemon-esque Level-5 RPG since it first graced Japan with its presence two years ago. Thankfully, Nintendo revealed it will be releasing a localized version of it in North America this holiday season. Will it also bring the series' second and third entries to our shores, potentially in 2016 and 2017? I sure hope so, although I can't say I'm all that confident that's what will come to pass. Oh, well, at least we'll always have this first ghostly adventure.

This isn't the extent of the games I'm looking forward to playing between now and the end of the year, by the way. In fact, I've already started writing a follow-up post in which I declare my love for five more such titles, so look for it to be published sometime next week.

In the meantime, let me know which games, if any, you're chomping at the bit to sink your teeth into at some point during the remainder of 2015.