Is that a copy of Airu de Puzzle (PSP) in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?

OK, so the header above is kind of lame. I couldn't think of anything better, though, so I'm sticking with it.

I do have a copy of Airu de Puzzle, the Monster Hunter-themed match-three puzzler that Capcom released for the PSP some time ago.

I actually bought the copy seen in the photos above and below shortly after it was released (some while ago), but I haven't mentioned it here until now because, well, it took me a long time to snap some photos of it.

Would you believe that I've yet to play the damn thing? Yeah, I'll bet those of you who've been coming here for a while now would believe it.

Anyway, its cover illustration is pretty nice, don't you think? I also like the art that appears on the back of its instruction manual.



The illustrations that appear inside the manual are pretty cute, too. I wish there were more of them, especially since the manual as a whole isn't all that exciting.

I have a feeling the game itself is more exciting--or at least more interesting. I'll let you know one way or another after I've finally played it, which hopefully will happen shortly.

Random blatherings about a bevy of recently revealed box art

The last two weeks have been great ones for fans of well-made box art. Case in point: The just-revealed illustration (below) that will grace the covers of Capcom's Monster Hunter-themed puzzler, Airu de Puzuruu.

Of course, I'm a complete sucker for the company's Felyne characters--especially when they're depicted in chibi form, as they are on this PSP game's cover art.

Another piece of box art that caught my attention in the last few days: The one that's been produced for the Wii version of Dragon Quest X.

I know some folks--die-hard Dragon Quest fans, especially--are upset about a number of things related to this particular entry in Square Enix's long-running RPG series, but surely its beautiful cover art isn't one of them.

Nintendo's New Super Mario Bros. 2 has been similarly divisive since it was revealed a short while ago, with some gamers calling it a cheap cash-in and others comparing it to the Second Coming. (OK, so I haven't heard such comments. Yet.)

I'm not entirely sure what I think of this 3DS release myself, but I am sure that I like its golden cover art.

Speaking of golden cover art: Check out the one below. It's for a PSP game called Super Dangan Ronpa 2, which will hit store shelves across Japan next month.

About the only thing I know about this adventure title--well, other than its name, general release date and the fact that it's a follow-up to another PSP game called Dangan Ronpa: Academy of Hope and High School Students of Despair--is that, thanks in large part to its box art, I wish it were being prepped for North American release.

Sadly, it's not. Which means I'll just have to make repeated return trips to this post so I can ogle its oddly captivating cover imagery.

Seems I'll be importing another PSP game soon

The name of the PSP game that I'll likely be importing: Airu de Puzuruu.

Those of you who are Monster Hunter fans may know that in Japan the series' adorably devious-looking cat characters are known as "airu." (In other regions, they're called "felynes.")

Unlike the last airu/felyne spin-off title, the Animal Crossing-esque Monster Hunter Diary, Airu de Puzuruu will be--surprise!--a puzzler.

It won't be just any old puzzler, though. According to various sources (namely andriasang.com), Airu de Puzuruu will be based on Capcom's vaunted Puzzle Fighter series.



Given my dual love of the airu/felyne characters and of puzzle games, you can rest assured that yours truly will be picking up a copy of this title shortly after it hits the streets of Japan on July 19.

(We all know there's not a snowball's chance in hell of Airu de Puzuruu making it to the States, so why bother waiting?)

(Via andriasang.com)