We're nearly legal (aka The Nichiest Podcast Ever #17 is now available for your aural pleasure)

Are you the sort who likes to listen to silly people chat about video games during your free time? If so, you'll probably get a kick out of the latest installment of The Nichiest Podcast Ever.

What do Anne, Mollie and I blather on about this time around? A bunch of recently released and soon-to-be-released North American games, for starters, Also, a small handful of just-announced Japanese games.

Oh, and all of the above are niche-y as hell, of course.



We also spend a couple of minutes discussing our ever-embarrassing backlogs, with SaGa Frontier 2, We Love Katamari and The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D being a few of the games I singled out.

Finally, we pull out our favorite pom-poms and cheer on a trio of titles we think deserve a bit more attention. (Actually, my pick--the fabulously EarthBound-esque Undertale--has gotten a whole lot of love on line as of late, but I bring it up here anyway because I'm enjoying it so much.)

Sound scintillating? Point your Internet browser of choice to radio.morningproject.com--or search for "The Nichiest Podcast Ever" on iTunes, I guess--and have a blast.

The Nichiest Podcast Ever: Take 16

If you need a little Monday pick-me-up (and, really, who doesn't?), you could do worse than listen to at least a few minutes of the latest edition of The Nichiest Podcast Ever.

That's especially true when you consider that this "take" is: a) a bit shorter than usual--just an hour and 21 minutes--and b) perhaps a bit more fun than usual, too.

The latter's purely my opinion on the matter, of course. Regardless, though, Anne, Mollie and I had a blast recording this installment, and I think that comes through in the finished product.



Which games and systems brought out the best in the three of us? Here are a few examples: the North American launch of the smaller New 3DS, the release of Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai DX in the Western world, the revelation that New Style Boutique 2 (aka Girls Mode 3 or Style Savvy 3) will hit Europe this November, a whole slew of recent Vita game announcements and releases and more.

Sound appealing? Head over to radio.morningproject.com to check it out. (Don't worry if you'd prefer to listen to it via your smartphone or even tablet, as relevant links can be found there as well.)

Also, keep an eye (ear?) out for the 17th iteration of The Nichiest Podcast Ever, as it will include banter about the saddest (because we've yet to play them) as well as most embarrassing games in our enormous backlogs.

It's hard to imagine a game called Fantastic Boyfriends being anything less than brilliant

I haven't played too many mobile games since I bought my first real smartphone a few months ago, but I'm planning to buy this one.

Of course, how could I not when it's called Fantastic Boyfriends: Legends of Midearth?

Also, it features all kinds of hot, burly men (of the manga variety, admittedly, but I'll take what I can get) and its translation is being worked on by a very good friend of mine, Chic Pixel's Anne Lee.



As for what Fantastic Boyfriends is beyond being a mobile game stuffed with hunks, well, the gist is that it combines elements of the RPG and dating-sim genres.

Sadly, the latter aspect appears to be more PG-rated than X-rated, but that's how it goes when you want your game to make it onto the Apple and Android app stores.

If that's acceptable to you, and you'd like to know more about Fantastic Boyfriends and maybe even throw a bit of monetary support behind it, head over to its Indiegogo page.



The game's developers, Lifewonders, are looking to garner $20,000 by the time the above-mentioned fundraising campaign ends in 30 days.

A note for those of you who may be riding the fence (as to whether or not to hand over a few bucks Fantastic Boyfriends' makers): this particular Indiegogo effort is of the "fixed funding" sort, which means that if it fails to reach its goal, all money will be returned to contributors.

What do you say? Are any of you planning to back this sucker? Or maybe you've already done so?

The Nichiest Podcast Ever gets even nichier in its 14th episode

Those of you who enjoy spending a couple of hours listening to three people blather on about all sorts of niche-y gaming experiences should get a kick out of the latest episode (or "take," if your name is shidoshi) of The Nichiest Podcast Ever.

This is the 14th time we've recorded together, by the way, which I think is pretty cool. Oh, and it's the first time my portion of the discussion was captured using a real microphone, pop filter, sound board and the like, which I also find kind of cool.

Another "cool" element of this particular Nichiest Podcast Ever take, in the opinion of yours truly: we cover even more ground than usual, or at least that's how it felt while we were chatting. For example, some of the games we discussed this time around were A-Train: City Simulator (3DS), Amnesia: Memories (Vita), Class of Heroes 3 (PSP), Fatal Frame V (Wii U) and Starlight Vega (PC).

That's far from the extent of what's included in this latest, greatest installment of The Nichiest Podcast Ever, mind you. We also talk about a few other 3DS, Vita and even PC games during its just-over-two-hour running time.

If you're curious to find out which PC, Vita and 3DS titles I'm talking about here, or if you're really itching to hear what Anne, shidoshi and I have to say about any or all of the aforementioned releases, head on over to radio.morningproject.com at your earliest convenience.

The Nichiest Podcast Ever turns 13

Not 13 years old, mind you. Thirteen episodes--or "takes," in shidoshi speak--old.

Anyway, another iteration of The Nichiest Podcast Ever is available for your listening pleasure, should you be a person who enjoys hearing a trio of fellow humans blather on about niche video games and systems.

As always, we cram a lot of niche-y game-y chatter into the latest episode, take, whatever you want to call it of the podcast. Among the topics covered this time around:

• the impending release of the New 3DS in North America
• the episodic visual novel, Harvest December, that's being localized by the folks at Circle Entertainment
• the many Japanese 3DS, Vita and even PC titles that supposedly are being worked on (for Western audiences) by the folks at Xseed
• the plethora of Vita game announcements that followed the holidays (one of which was tied to an English release of Steins;Gate)

Oh, and during our "Cheerleading" section, Anne declares her love for Pikmin 3 (Wii U), while I do the same--to various degrees--for Coming Out on Top (Mac), Woah Dave! (3DS) and Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley (also 3DS).

Speaking of which, look for me to expound on my feelings--both positive and negative--regarding The Lost Valley in a post that will be published tomorrow.

In the meantime, check out The Nichiest Podcast Ever 13 at radio.morningproject.com, if you dare.

Five games I'd recommend playing as part of #RhythmMonth

January is half over, and I've yet to do more than ogle (and only briefly, at that) the game I'm planning to play as part of Anne Lee's #RhythmMonth extravaganza.

(The game I'm eyeing up, both figuratively and literally, by the way, is Osawari Detective Ozawa Rina Nameko Rhythm, a wacky 3DS spinoff of the Touch Detective series.)

I'm going to do my best to devote some time to the above-mentioned title this weekend (and then share my impressions here next week, of course), but in the meantime I thought I'd write up a few blurbs about some of my favorite rhythm games--games I'd highly recommend to anyone who is keen on participating in Anne's game-along but hasn't a clue as to what to play.

HarmoKnight (3DS eShop)--This choice could be called controversial, considering I wasn't entirely enamored with the game after my first encounter with it, but I still think it's worth checking out if you're looking for a vibrant-looking game that combines elements of the platformer and rhythm genres. I probably wouldn't make it my first #RhythmMonth pick, though, unless I'd already played the other titles discussed in this post.

Patapon (PSP)--Whereas the Game Freak-made HarmoKnight mashes together the platformer and rhythm genres, this Pyramid-developed title does the same with the rhythm and strategy genres. It, too, has an altogether appealing art style, plus it's far less aggravating than the aforementioned 3DS game, so you'd do well to consider it if you own a PSP or Vita.

Rhythm Tengoku (GBA)--Of the three Rhythm Tengoku (Rhythm Heaven and Rhythm Paradise in other regions) that have been released so far, this is my favorite. Its purposely rough graphics are sure to put a grin on your face, as are its maddeningly catchy tunes. The highlight, though, is the one-button gameplay, which keeps frustration to a minimum. That said, the DS and Wii sequels are well worth experiencing, too, so if they're cheaper and easier for you to obtain, don't feel bad about going with one or both of them instead.

Space Channel 5 (Dreamcast, PS2)--I've had a ridiculously good time playing the original (Dreamcast) version of this game over the years. The soundtrack is stuffed full of songs you'll be humming long after you power down your system, and the aesthetics are as pleasing as any Sega has produced in its long and tumultuous history. Should you not have a Dreamcast or PS2 handy, or should you simply not want to invest in those iterations of this title, though, you can't go wrong by picking up the sequel (shown in the screenshot above), which has been available via PSN, Steam and XBLA for ages now.

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy (3DS, iOS)--Based on everything I've heard and read so far, you'd be wise to purchase and play this game's Curtain Call follow-up rather than the original. I've yet to play the just-released sequel, though, so I can't say anything about it here. If it's anything like the first Theatrhythm, though, it's a thrilling addition to the genre that deserves the attention even of folks who aren't Final Fantasy fans.

A handful of rhythm games I've heard are good but have yet to play myself: Gitaroo Man (PS2/PSP), any/all of the Hatsune Miku titles, Maestro! Jump in Music (DS), Magical Beat (Vita), most of the Taiko no Tatsujin titles and Vib Ribbon (PS1/PS4/Vita).

What I'm playing for #NISNovember: Marl Jong!! for PlayStation

Those of you who follow me or the Chic Pixel blog (or both) on Twitter probably have already heard that Chic Pixel's proprietress, Anne Lee, has proclaimed this month to be #NISNovember.

For the uninitiated, all that means is that Lee would like whoever is interested to play one or more games that have been developed or published by Japan's Nippon Ichi Software or NIS America at some point during the month of November and then use #NISNovember to tag any social-media posts that are related to your playthrough.



Anyway, thanks to the header above, I guess the cat's out of the bag in regard to which Nippon Ichi game I'm currently playing as part of #NISNovember.

Should Marl Jong!! not ring a bell for you, here's the gist: it's a Japan-only PlayStation game that combines NIS' "Marl Kingdom" characters--featured in games like Rhapsody, Little Princess and Tenshi no Present--with what seems to be a rather basic version of mahjong.



I say "seems" in the sentence above because I'm far from an expert when it comes to mahjong. I know enough to have beaten a few of my opponents in this particular game, though--which is more than I can say about my experience so far with, say, Nintendo's Yakuman for GameBoy.

Although I only recently acquired the copy of Marl Jong!! that can be seen throughout this post, I first became aware of the game some years ago, shortly after I discovered the wonderful world of emulation.
 


Don't worry, I attempted to track down an actual copy of the game as soon as I fell in love with its adorable graphics and accessible gameplay, but accomplishing that feat proved to be rather difficult--until, like I suggested a few sentences ago, I came across one on eBay.

Thankfully, the wait was worth it, as not only is the cover art that was made for Marl Jong!! all kinds of cute, but so is its disc and manual.



Along with Marl Jong!!, I'm also hoping to play one or more of the following DS titles as part of #NISNovember: Atelier Annie, Disgaea DS and Rhapsody. Have any of you played any of these games? If so, I'd greatly appreciate hearing your thoughts (good or bad) about them in the comments section of this post.

See also: 'On the one hand, I'm glad I finally own a copy of one of Nippon Ichi's first PlayStation games, Cooking Fighter Hao'

Hold on to your hats, ladies and gents--a new episode of The Nichiest Podcast Ever is here

Can you believe it? The Nichiest Podcast Ever is back, and only four months have passed since its last episode appeared, fully formed, as from the head of Zeus (or something like that), on the World Wide Web.

OK, so four months actually is kind of a long time. Still, there have been far bigger gaps between Nichiest Podcast Ever recordings than that in the past, so I guess we (Anne, shidoshi and myself) shouldn't be too hard on ourselves.

Anyway, as is typically the case, the three of us cover the niche-gaming gamut in this particular 'cast. Among the topics of discussion: shidoshi's experience at this year's Tokyo Game Show, all of our impressions and opinions of the just-released (in some parts of the world) PlayStation TV and new 3DS systems and the miraculous appearance of Vib Ribbon on the North American PlayStation Store.

We also chat about Solitiba (aka Soliti Horse), Mini Metro, Fantasy Life, Bayonetta 2 and Banshee’s Last Cry, a Chunsoft-made "sound novel" that began life (in the mid-1990s) as a Japan-only title--for the Super Famicom, PlayStation and GameBoy Advance--but earned a worldwide iOS release earlier this year via Aksys Games. Can you guess which ones I personally talked up?

Should any of you want to give it a listen, you can do so via iTunes or radio.morningproject.com.

Also, some of you may be interested to hear that, moving forward, the three of us are looking to record a new episode on the first Tuesday of every month. Here's hoping we're actually able to stick with that plan.

See also: 'Five reasons it's a shame Game Freak hasn't yet released its quirky 3DS eShop title, Solitiba (aka Soliti Horse), outside of Japan' and 'I've spent two weeks with Fantasy Life (3DS) and here's what I think of it so far'

Three scary games I'm playing as part of #HorrorMonth

Although I had a lot of fun playing the shoot 'em ups that I chatted about in these recent posts and that were inspired by my blogging and podcasting pal Anne Lee's #Shmuptember game-along extravaganza, I'm about ready to move on to another genre now.

Thankfully, Lee is one step ahead of me and already has announced another such event for October, with the theme this time around being scary games.

The thing is, I've never been one to play overly scary games--games like Fatal Frame and Silent Hill and Siren and Resident Evil. Oh, I love reading about them and watching videos of them and stuff like that, but playing them? Not really--which is kind of funny when you consider how much I love scary movies.

Still, I really want to participate in #HorrorMonth (that's the official name of Lee's latest game-along, by the way), so I'm doing my best to put my fears behind me and play through the following trio of terror-ific titles between now and Halloween.

Sweet Home (Famicom)--Those of you who have visited this blog for a few years now may remember me mentioning Sweet Home in previous posts that were published around this time of year. That's because this isn't the first time I've attempted to play through this spooky, Resident Evil-esque (due to its setting more than anything) RPG. I've never made it more than a couple of hours into it, though, so this year my goal is do do a bit better than that (if not make it all the way to the cart's credit roll).

Splatterhouse (PC Engine)--Here's a game I've been curious about since it first caught my attention back when the PC Engine was still in its infancy and its North American counterpart, the TurboGrafx-16, had yet to be released. I've barely played it in the ensuing years, although I couldn't tell you why that is--other than this genre generally isn't my cup of tea. Thankfully, the few minutes I spent with Splatterhouse the other day were a blast, so I have a feeling it won't be all that difficult for me to complete at least a handful of its stages before I call it a night, so to speak.

Clock Tower (Super Famicom)--Unlike the pair of titles discussed above, I've purposefully avoided this Super Famicom spooker over the years because I knew its scissor-wielding antagonist would be too much for my rather delicate constitution. Although that mostly was proven true when I played a fan-translated version of this unique point-and-click title over the weekend, I'm not going to give up on it--mainly because I want to learn more about the aforementioned villain, the titular mansion and protagonist Jennifer Simpson.

Are any of you participating--or planning to participate--in #HorrorMonth? If so, which titles have you short-listed for this particular game-along?

PC Engine game recommendations for #PlatforMonth

Before we get to the PC Engine game recommendations that are promised in the header above, how about we deal the question that's sure to be on some of your minds: what in the heck is #PlatforMonth?

The answer, my dear readers, is that #PlatforMonth is yet another of Anne "apricotsushi" Lee's monthly game-alongs, with this one focusing on--you guessed it--platformers.

So why'd I decide to focus on must-play (in my opinion, naturally) PC Engine platformers in this post? Well, my original plan was to cover a whole slew of systems, but when I got to the PC Engine portion of said post I couldn't stop coming up with titles to recommend. So, I decided to devote an entire post to NEC's "little white wonder," as I like to call it.

Don't worry, I'm going to publish a second post that offers up platformer recommendations for other consoles and handhelds in a couple of days. For the time being, through, let's keep our minds trained on PC Engine run-and-jumpers.

Speaking of which, I know I could wrap up this post right here and now by suggesting you play all three of Red Company's PC Genjin--or Bonk, if you're a TurboGrafx-16 kind of guy or gal--titles, but I'd rather introduce folks to some new experiences this time around, such as:

Hany on the Road--Admittedly, this probably isn't the best place to begin a post like this one. After all, Hany on the Road isn't exactly a textbook example of the genre. Still, there's a lot of running and jumping to be done if you want to beat it, so why not include it here? As for how it plays: if you've played Capcom's ancient arcade game, Son Son, you've basically played this one, too--although I think Hany looks better and is more challenging than its archaic predecessor.

Jigoku Meguri--One lesson I learned some time ago is that the people who used to develop games for Taito know how to produce a top-tier platformer. This game--an arcade conversion, actually--is a prime example. At first, it appears to be your average side-scrolling, run-and-jump title--except for the fact that the shiny-headed protagonist is able to launch human-sized beads of various colors at his demonic foes. That simple action single-handed makes Jigoku Meguri a joy to play, by the way. There's just something fun about running around and tossing as many beads or marbles or whatever they're supposed to be at anything and everything in your way.

Mizubaku Daibouken--If you took Jigoku Meguri and exchanged its underworld setting for a bright and cheery one that wouldn't seem out of place in Rainbow Islands or Parasol Stars (two more Taito joints, coincidentally enough) and switched out its monk-like protagonist for the most adorable pixelated platypus you're ever likely to see, you'd have Mizubaku Daibouken (aka Liquid Kids outside of Japan). The only real difference: in the latter, the character you control tosses water bubbles at baddies rather than multi-hued prayer beads. If you've only got the budget or attention span for one of these two games, I say go for this one, although both are well worth your time if you've got money and mindshare to spare.

The New Zealand Story--One slight problem with the bulk of the titles discussed here so far is that a good number of them are ports of arcade games. That's rarely, if ever, a bad thing when it comes to Taito, though, so I say go with it. Of course, I'd say "go with it" in the case of this game even if it were a bit subpar, as it stars a cute-as-buttons kiwi bird who utilizes an array of weapons (including arrows, bombs and laser guns) and vehicles (balloons, blimps and even UFOs among them) to battle and/or avoid a menagerie of surprisingly relentless foes. Another of The New Zealand Story's positive attributes, in my opinion: its sometimes-perplexing, maze-like stages. Just do your best to ignore this iteration's ear-splitting soundtrack.

Obocchama-kun--Finally, an original effort! And I mean "original" in every possible way in the case of this odd-as-a-duck platformer, which focuses on the bratty star of Yoshinori Kobayashi's satirical manga from the 1980s. Like The New Zealand Story, Obocchama-kun takes platformer fans to some strange and unique places--chief among them being the kooky cast of allies (my favorite being the crying teen who seemingly flings what appears to be hairbrushes at enemies) players can summon into action, although its eccentric bosses are pretty great, too. (For more on this HuCard, check out my "Great Gaymathon" review of it.)

You may have noticed that I've left a bunch of this system's single-screen platformers (aka Bubble Bobble clones) off this list. I made a concerted effort to do that, actually, as I could have filled this post with such games.

Should you prefer to play a single-screen platformer rather than a garden-variety one during #PlatforMonth, however, here are the PC Engine releases I'd most recommend: Don Doko Don, Parasol Stars, Pop'n Magic and Rainbow Islands.

All you need is Nichiest

Can you believe that shidoshi, Anne and I have gotten together and recorded two episodes of The Nichiest Podcast Ever in the last month? I sure can't.

The latest one is our 10th, by the way--which is pretty impressive ... until you're made aware of the fact that the first Nichiest Podcast Ever was published 24 months ago.

Anyway, we're doing our best to get things back on track. Just don't go expecting to hear our 11th one in the next three or four weeks, as Anne's traveling to Japan shortly (jealous!) and I believe she won't be back until mid-August.



In the meantime, I hope those of you who enjoy listening to gaming podcasts get a kick out of this one. We certainly had a blast recording it.

As for what's covered in this "take": we chatted about the many niche games that were announced at or around E3 2014, we talked about Tomodachi Life and the likelihood of its sequels allowing (or not) same-sex relationships, we discussed Anne's JRPG Community Game-Along (aka #JRPGJuly) and a whole lot more.

Should the above have piqued your interest, you can download or listen to the latest Nichiest Podcast Ever at radio.morningproject.com.

See also: previous posts about The Nichiest Podcast Ever

The reports of The Nichiest Podcast Ever's death have been greatly exaggerated, take two

The last time I published a post about The Nichiest Podcast Ever, it was late January. So, if you thought I might never write about it again, I can't really blame you.

Anyway, what do shidoshi, Anne and I cover in this particular episode of the podcast, our ninth? Well, we chat about what we’ve been doing in the months since we last recorded, we reminisce about tennis RPGs (yes, you read that correctly), we look into the big Harvest Moon shake-up, we discuss some of the niche games that were on tap for E3, we talk about the titles we’d most like to see announced at the show (one of which came true!), we go rogue in our re-titled segment "Harassment Squad & The Lone Cheerleader" (Hyperdimension Neptunia Producing Perfection, Tomodachi Life and Yoshi’s New Island) and we square off once again in "The Nichiest of Them All." Oh, and we read a letter sent in by a listener!

Should you want to check it out, you can do so by directing your favorite Internet browser to radio.morningproject.com.

And if you'd like to check out previous posts I've published about The Nichiest Podcast Ever, click here.

Shall We Do It? (THE 'DENPA' MEN 3, Etrian Odyssey IV, Final Fantasy Adventure and Nontan to Issho: Kuru Kuru Puzzle)

I've got to be honest here: I haven't had a ton of time to play games since I published the last installment of "Shall We Do It?" a week ago. I believe I spent just enough time with the games mentioned above and below, though, to share at least a few thoughts on them here. So, let's get to it, shall we?

THE "DENPA" MEN 3 (3DS)--Speaking of the above, I only played this 3DS eShop RPG for an hour or so this past week. I would've spent more time with it, but ... I'm kind of lost. I'm guessing it's nothing a quick trip to GameFAQs couldn't help me through, but the fact is I'm not sure I'm interested enough in what's going on right now to bother perusing that site.

As for why that is, well, a big part of it is that THE "DENPA" MEN 3 is starting to feel an awful lot like THE "DENPA" MEN 2-- and I don't necessarily mean that in a good way. Way too many battles pop up while traversing part three's overworld, for starters--and this is coming from someone who usually likes grinding while playing RPGs. (I voiced a similar complaint while attempting to work my way through part two last year.) Combine that with the fact that it can be difficult to know where you're supposed to go to advance the story--even with the game literally pointing you in the general direction--and you've got a not-always-pleasant experience that sometimes veers directly into annoying territory.

Does that mean I'm through with THE "DENPA" MEN 3? Not at all. In fact, I'm going to do my best to put a good dent in it during the next week and a half. Should I get stuck again, though, or should that "good dent" not be enough to fully engage me in this game, I wouldn't be surprised if I gave up on it well in advance of the ending credits (just as I did with its predecessor).

Etrian Odyssey IV (3DS)--Although I think there's also a chance that I'll give up on Etrian Odyssey IV before I encounter its end credits, I have a feeling I'll find a way to finish it--and hopefully in the next week or two.

I'm still meandering my way through what I believe is its final dungeon, by the way--or maybe it's the dungeon that leads to the final dungeon? Regardless, I'm seemingly about halfway through it now. (I'm just about to start the third section--I think.) Like I said in my last "Shall We Do It?" post, I'm not at all sure why this game's designers or developers decided to make players go through portions of previously visited (and beaten) dungeons at the end of the adventure. For me, that's about the worst kind of buzzkill you can throw at me as a title nears its climax. In fact, I usually want and expect the opposite out of an RPG's closing salvo--as in, new enemies, new environments and new experiences. Otherwise, it can feel like a slog--as it is in Etrian Odyssey IV right now.

Final Fantasy Adventure (GameBoy)--It may sound strange, but I'm currently enjoying this "old" RPG--which is the first Mana, or Seiken Densetsu, game, in case you haven't heard already--far more than I'm enjoying either of the other, more modern examples of the genre that I just mentioned.

That said, I do have a few critiques to level against it. One such critique: it's far too easy to get lost within its dungeons and even while exploring its overworld. In fact, I found myself lost on three occasions the last time I played it (last weekend), and only one instance could've been blamed on my own ignorance. (As in, I forgot that I could use my battle axe to chop down trees to access otherwise off-limits areas.)

Speaking of getting lost on this game's overworld, the map that's made available by pressing the GameBoy's "Select" button is some kind of cruel joke, right? I mean, what's the point of it otherwise? Sure, it displays towns and a few other points of interest while also showing the player's proximity to them, but that's about it. It's so bare bones that I'm honestly confused as to why it was included.

Other than the above, though, I'm really, really digging this portable adventure--which is one part Final Fantasy and one part Zelda, if you've yet to play it yourself--and I fully expect to "beat" it before long (and most likely before I beat either of the aforementioned titles).

Nontan to Issho: Kuru Kuru Puzzle (GameBoy)--Those of you who've actually heard of this adorable import-only puzzler deserve some sort of prize. Sadly, I'm all out of prizes at the moment, so, uh, give yourself a pat on the back?

Anyway, I started playing this one after my blogging friend and podcast cohort Anne Lee announced her #PuzzleMonth game-along event a couple of days ago. (Go here to learn more about it.)

If this is the first you've heard of Kuru Kuru Puzzle, for the most part it's your typical match-three--or in the case of this game, match-two--puzzle game. It does offer up a slight twist on the tried-and-true formula, though; that being that the tiles can't be rotated as they can in other such games. Rather, they can be flipped--with the image on the flipped side generally being an alternate take of the previous side's imagery. (Examples: a whole apple and a half of an apple, a fish and fish bones, etc.)

It's not what I would call a mind-blowing change to the genre, mind you, but it definitely helps make this particular game just interesting enough to be worthwhile for folks who like puzzlers that require them to match tiles.

Finally, a couple of fun facts about Kuru Kuru Puzzle: the cat with the fly-catcher mouth that serves as this game's protagonist also served as the protagonist of a series of children's picture books first published in Japan in 1976, according to this HardcoreGaming101 article. Also, the folks behind the Pokémon series, Game Freak, developed a Super Famicom version of this game. (Some company called Access made the GameBoy iteration.)

See also: previous 'Shall We Do It?' posts

The reports of The Nichiest Podcast Ever's death have been greatly exaggerated

Considering Anne, shidoshi and I haven't gotten on the horn together since April, some of you may have started to believe the Nichiest Podcast Ever had been quietly put out to pasture, as the saying goes.

Well, I'm here to tell you that it's still alive and kicking--and not only that, but another episode (or "take") is ready for your listening pleasure.

We cover a lot of ground this time around, including the just-released Sweet Fuze: At Your Side for PSP, Sayonara Umihara Kawase for the 3DS and a ton of other niche-y Japanese games that have been announced for Western release in recent weeks. 

Oh, and of course we have another spirited discussion during the "Nichiest of Them All" segment, which finds Anne and shidoshi chatting about a pair of DS treasures (although some will obviously argue that designation) and me talking about a long-forgotten (for most) GameBoy title that features a beret-wearing penguin. 

Should you want to tune in after reading all of the above, please direct your favorite web browser to radio.morningproject.com at your earliest convenience. 

I just discovered Chunsoft's Homeland, and now I'm sad that it never left Japan

Actually, the header above isn't completely accurate, as I know I heard about Homeland in some form or fashion around the time of its 2005 release.

I'm pretty sure my interest in this import-only GameCube title quickly vanished after I heard it was an MMO, though, so let's just pretend that I wasn't introduced to it before this past weekend, when I heard British game developer Hayden Scott-Baron mention it while listening to a recent episode of the Chic Pixel Plus! podcast.



Unsurprisingly, Scott-Baron's chatter caused me to look up a gameplay video of the title (see above or here) and, man, does it look good. I'm especially fond of its art style, which recalls other quirky titles of the same era like Chulip and GiFTPiA.

So, I'm now on the lookout for a cheap-ish copy of this Chunsoft-crafted (another point in its favor, by the way) curiosity. Sure, I won't be able to understand much, if any, of it for some time to come, and I won't be able to check out its online multi-player mode (thankfully, it has an offline single-player mode, too), but it's hard to care too deeply about that when everything looks as charming as it does here.

For anyone who cares, a small sample of my favorite Animal Crossing: New Leaf QR codes

After spending just about a month and a half with Animal Crossing: New Leaf, I'm finally at a place where I'm pretty darn happy with the look of my town. As such, I thought I'd take a moment today to share some of the QR codes I've put to use while developing Animachi.

For instance, here's the path design that twists and turns its way around my humble borough:





(I found it while perusing the wonderful merongcrossing.tumblr.com, by the way.)

I considered using the following design instead, but in the end I preferred the more natural look of the one above.



That said, if I ever buy another copy of this game (a distinct possibility given the number of 3DSes in my possession at the moment), I may finally put it to use.



I also like the path design shown above, but I've been unable to find a QR code of it anywhere. (FYI: QR codes for the "little boats on water" pattern can be found here.)

Those of you who have visited Animachi in person or via its Dream Address (5600-2252-0337) likely have encountered the adorable Isabelle "photo face board" that sits just a hop, skip and a jump away from the town's Re-Tail shop.



It was nabbed from soeurs-doigts-de-fee.skyrock.com, in case any of you would like to know where I first came across it.

Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't point out the fabulously fungal pattern that covers the walls of my main character's (Mayor Aino) cozy study.



It was produced by Pixiv illustrator Meyu, by the way, and I was turned onto it by my pal Anne (of chic-pixel.com).

If any of you have favorite New Leaf QR codes you'd like to introduce me to, please feel free to do so in the comments section below.

See also: 'Aino's (and Bryan's) Adventures in Animachi'

Aino's (and Bryan's) Adventures in Animachi, Week Four

Last week was another noteworthy one for the residents of Animachi. Case in point: Mayor Aino found the village's first mushroom growing beside one of its many "special" tree stumps.

She also shot down its second golden slingshot. (Bryan nabbed the first a week earlier.)

As for Bryan, he was stoked to stumble upon the Able Sisters working away on the rainbow shirts that surely will be worn by Animachi's citizens during its upcoming gay pride festivities.

Speaking of gay stuff: Bryan paid a visit to Dunwich (of The Dunwich Hoarder fame) early in the week so he could spend some time ogling the muscle-boy signs that sit outside Mayor Terry's pad.

While there, he discovered that someone named Butch will soon move into town--and then made a mental note to return with "housewarming gifts" (let your imaginations run wild) as soon as that happens.

Bryan also make the trek to Mamemura, the village maintained by Anne of the Chic Pixel blog, last week.

My Chic Pixel Plus! debut

Sick to death of E3 2013 predictions? If not, you might want to check out episode three of Chic Pixel Plus! sometime this weekend, as hostess Anne Lee and I spend a good bit of time discussing the upcoming event during the just-uploaded podcast.

Don't worry, E3 2013 wasn't the only thing we chatted about while recording this episode of Chic Pixel Plus! We also spent some time talking about learning Japanese and about Anne's rapidly approaching trip to the erstwhile Land of the Rising Sun.

Would you believe the latter topic spurred us to talk about the games--both new and old--Anne's hoping to pick up while in Japan? I didn't think so.

Speaking of old games, the final segment of the podcast finds me attempting to sell Anne on a couple of retro Japanese consoles. Can you guess which ones?

Should all or even part of the above sound appealing, I'd highly recommend heading over to Anne's blog, Chic Pixel, and taking in episode three of the Chic Pixel Plus! podcast at your earliest convenience (preferably before E3 starts early next week).  

See also: posts about The Nichiest Podcast Ever, another podcast that features both Anne and myself

Coming soon: me on the Chic Pixel Plus! podcast

Those of you who follow me on Twitter likely already know this, but here's a little heads up for the rest of you: last night Anne Lee and I recorded the third episode of her podcast, Chic Pixel Plus!

We discussed all kinds of fun stuff during our hour-and-a-half chat, although the majority of it focused on Japan--as in, why Anne and I decided to learn Japanese (I just started; Anne's been at it for years) and how Anne's planning to spend her time in the erstwhile Land of the Rising Sun when she and her husband travel there in just over a week.

While discussing Anne's upcoming trip, by the way, we spent quite a bit of time talking about some of the games--GameBoy Advance ones, especially--she's considering buying while perusing Osaka's main shopping district, "Den-Den Town."

Anne even challenged me to try to sell her on one of the many retro consoles she's sure to encounter while in Japan. Which one did I go with? The PC Engine, of course, although I also suggested she couldn't go wrong with the Famicom.

Anyway, according to Anne, this episode should be available--on her blog, Chic Pixel--sometime early next week. In the meantime, feel free to check out the first two episodes of her podcast here.

See also: posts about The Nichiest Podcast Ever

Who wouldn't want to be seen wearing an 8-bit-ified 'Virgin de Guadalupe' t-shirt?

I, for one, would strut around town as proudly as a peacock if I owned the t-shirt bearing the design seen below (and here)--which was produced by one of my favorite gaming-inspired artists, Ashley Anderson.

Of course, I could acquire one of said shirts pretty easily if I made my way over to fallenarrows.com and handed over $28 of my hard-earned cash.

I may do just that in the next few days, to tell you the truth, as I really like how Anderson's sprite-based illustration looks against a sage-y green American Apparel tee.

Do you think it would clash too much if I paired the shirt above with this "Black Honey" pin that Anne Lee (of the Chic Pixel blog and The Nichiest Podcast Ever) recently turned me on to?