13 games I hope are announced and/or released in 2023

I need more games like I need a hole in the head, yet I can't help but hoping new ones will be announced all the same.

Speaking of which, here are 13 games (presented in alphabetical order) I hope are either announced or released at some point in 2023.

The Alliance Alive 2

Considering FuRyu went from The Legend of Legacy to The Alliance Alive, I doubt they're going to follow up the latter with a direct sequel. I'd take one, though, and in a heartbeat. I'd also take a direct sequel to The Legend of Legacy, actually, especially if it fixed some of the original game's flaws. Should the loopy bastards at FuRyu find a way to come up with something similar that also features an alliterated title, well, I suppose I'd take that, too.

The Alliance Alive

Bravely Default Collection

I'm sure most Bravely fans would prefer a brand new offering over a collection of the series' first two entries. I'd also welcome a Bravely Third or even a Bravely Second II (erm, or a Bravely Default III?), to be sure, but before any of those games are released, I'd prefer to get my greedy hands on a Switch compilation of Bravely Default and Bravely Second. I wouldn't even need anything fancy here; a "simple" remaster would more than suffice.

Deltarune Chapters 3, 4, and 5

I was a bit wary of Deltarune after finally playing and thoroughly loving Toby Fox's previous offering, the transcendent Undertale. I needn't have worried, if Deltarune's first two chapters are anything to go by. I've especially enjoyed Deltarune's brainy and exhilarating battles so far, though its characters and soundtrack have impressed, too. At any rate, I want more, and I want it as soon as possible.

Disaster Report 4

Disaster Report 5

The Switch port of Disaster Report 4 was a complete mess in many regards, but I loved the hell out of it anyway. I've heard even the best versions of the game paled in comparison to previous installments of the series, but since I haven't played any of them, all I can go on is my experience with this fourth iteration. It was tense, touching, and took me places I never saw coming. As such, I'd love to take another run at this long-running series sooner rather than later.

Dungeon Encounters II

This ask should come as little surprise considering the original Dungeon Encounters was one of my favorite games of 2021. How the development team of that game could enhance or expand upon their first effort is beyond me, but I'd sure like to see them take a stab at it. At the very least, I'm confident they could come up with a new cast of creative and colorful party members. That said, the existing Dungeon Encounters includes a caped pumaman, a sword-wielding dog, and a giant roly-poly cat, which could be tough to top.

Dungeon Encounters

Etrian Odyssey VI

I know the Switch, the most likely home for a new Etrian Odyssey game, poses some unique challenges for the makers of this previously dual-screened series, but even so I'm surprised it's taken this long for a sixth entry to see the light of day. Hell, we're not entirely sure a sixth Etrian Odyssey is being worked on, are we? A teaser of sorts hit the internet ages ago, but did it specifically name the Etrian Odyssey series? Regardless, I'll buy and play an Etrian Odyssey VI should it ever make it out of Atlus' secret underground laboratory.

Ghost Trick 2

Does anyone really think Capcom is going to make and publish a Ghost Trick sequel anytime soon, if ever? I doubt it. I have all the power here, though, so I'm going to hope for it anyway. As long as it's released for consoles and not just mobile, I should add. On a related and likely more realistic note, I'd totally buy a remastered release of Ghost Trick if it hit the Switch. The damn thing would probably only be sold through the eShop, but I'd grit my teeth and pick it up all the same. That's just the kind of Ghost Trick fan I am after adoring my virgin playthrough of it in 2019.

SaGa Scarlet Grace: AMBITIONS

A new mainline SaGa game

The last mainline SaGa game, SaGa Scarlet Grace, came out (in Japan, for the Vita) just over six years ago. An enhanced version released worldwide and for more modern systems three years ago. I'd say the time is right for a follow-up to appear, wouldn't you? Please agree with me, as SaGa Scarlet Grace: AMBITIONS is one of my all-time favorite games and I'd desperately like to play another game that's in the same vein. Of course, every SaGa game since Romancing SaGa 3 has been radically different from the one that came before it, which suggests the next release won't be anything like Scarlet Grace. I'll be OK if that comes to pass, too.

Onion Games' new RPG

I'll play anything Onion Games releases at this point, as long as it releases for a system I own (though I'd prefer for such a game to not be mobile-only). After all, I've already had a blast with Black Bird, Dandy Dungeon, Mon Amour, and of course Moon. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't especially thrilled that Onion Games' next offering will be another RPG. In particular, I love that I have no idea what to expect from this mostly unknown game -- though of course we all know it will be weird and dark and beautiful and probably will include kissing in some form or fashion.

Mon Amour

Opoona Remastered

Do I really want to return to Opoona's world? Yes, yes I do. I'm not entirely sure I want to return to it in its original form, though. After all, I got horribly lost, or at least turned around, pretty much every time I played Opoona on my Wii a few years back. To be honest, I don't have the highest of hopes that a remaster would fix this or any of Opoona's other issues, but I'd probably buy it anyway if it were made available for the Switch (and so could be played portably).

Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On! console port

When I started writing this post a couple of weeks ago, I asked for a Pocket Card Jockey remaster or sequel here. Then developer Game Freak announced this reimagined version for the Apple Arcade service. As I don't currently own an iOS device, and I don't expect to own one anytime soon, I sincerely hope Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On! gallops away from its iOS exclusivity and onto consoles (like the Switch, cough cough) as soon as is contractually possible.

Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On!

Tobu Tobu Girl 2

Here's another unlikely announcement or release. I'm going to put it out into the universe anyway, as the original Tobu Tobu Girl thrilled me to pieces in 2018. If you've never heard of it, Tobu Tobu Girl is a fast-paced, high-score-chasing platformer that has you climb the screen rather than race to the left or right. The original was made to the GameBoy's specifications; honestly, I'd take more of the same here, but I'm guessing developers Lukas Erritsø Hansen and Simon Larsen would prefer to change things up the second time around. Sadly, I'm pretty sure they're not up for giving the world a Tobu Tobu Girl 2, but I guess it's possible they've changed their minds since I last chatted with them about the topic?

Tomodachi Collection 3

I had a wonderful time playing Tomodachi Life (the North American title for Japan's Tomodachi Collection 2) back in 2014. So much so I put nearly 130 hours into it that year. I've been daydreaming of a sequel, which I guess would be called Tomodachi Life 2 here and Tomodachi Collection 3 in Japan, ever since. Surely the devs at Nintendo of Japan are hard at work on this game, right? And for the Switch, not its eventual successor? Assuming that's the case, it'd better allow same-sex couplings this time around.

See also: 10 games I want to play in 2023

A few thoughts on the Project Octopath Traveler Switch demo now that I've finally played through it

There's something hilarious--to me, at least--about the fact that I went against my original plan of waiting until 2018 to buy a Switch and instead picked up one in late September mainly so I could check out the just-released Project Octopath Traveler demo.

What's so funny about that, you ask? Well, although the first thing I did after turning on and updating my Switch was download the aforementioned demo, all it's done since then is sit on my home screen and look pretty.

I finally booted it up a couple of days ago, and now I can't put it down. Honestly, I'm completely mesmerized by this bite-sized preview of Square Enix's upcoming "HD-2D" role-playing game for Switch at the moment. Here's why:



I really appreciate how its story at least attempts to be more "adult"--Most of the RPGs Square Enix has made for Nintendo systems (handhelds, in particular) in recent years have featured stories that are more childish than mature. Based on this demo, it seems Project Octopath Traveler may buck that trend. To be sure, I don't know that I'd even describe the text encountered here as being R-rated, but it's certainly closer to that than the PG-leaning narratives usually found in the company's Nintendo releases, and for that I'm grateful.



Its visuals are the perfect blend of old and new--On the one hand, Project Octopath Traveler doesn't look too different from the kinds of games Square put out during the 16-bit era (see: Final Fantasy VI, Romancing SaGa 3, and Seiken Densetsu 3). On the other, it also looks surprisingly modern, thanks to its three-dimensional--yet still pixelated--backdrops and heavy use of bloom and other special effects. Put those two together and you've got a game that makes me want to cry due to its gorgeousness. Yes, the vignetting can be a bit much at times, but even then I love Octopath's aesthetic and hope producer Tomoya Asano and his team don't touch it between now and whenever the full game is released.



Yasunori Nishiki's soundtrack is a revelation--OK, so obviously I'm only talking about the music that's featured in the demo or that's been teased on line. Still, that small handful of tunes is more than enough for me to feel confident the full Project Octopath Traveler soundtrack will be a stunner. Which is a bit of a surprise, as composer Yasunori Nishiki is far from a household name at this point. I'm not at all sure he's going to give Project Octopath Traveler players something that approaches the ear-popping brilliance of Bravely Default's "Baby Bird" with the work he does here, but maybe that's for the best.



No joke, I think I prefer Project Octopath Traveler's battle system to Bravely Default's--And this is coming from someone who loved Bravely Default's battle system to death. Why? Project Octopath Traveler's is a lot snappier, for starters. Also, it's also more visceral, if that makes any sense. I feel a real jolt whenever one of my party members unleashes four strikes in a row against a foe while playing this demo. The battles in Project Octopath Traveler seem to be more dynamic than those in Bravely Default, too, due to subtle camera movements and some of the aforementioned graphical effects. Again, fingers and toes crossed that Asano and his crew don't mess with this aspect of the game before the final product sees the light of day.



I'm kind of surprised enemies remain static while fighting, but I also can't say it bothers me--I've seen a number of people complain about this on line, and although I can't fault their critiques, I also can't agree with it. Or at least I can't say the lack of enemy animations is keeping me from enjoying Project Octopath Traveler's battle scenes. Who knows, though, maybe the full game will surprise in this regard by adding a hint of movement to boss encounters or something like that.

So, that's how I feel about the Project Octopath Traveler demo after putting more than three hours into it. If you've played through it, too, share your thoughts, opinions, and impressions in the comments section of this post.

Square Enix's Project Octopath Traveler looks like a love child of Bravely Default and Romancing SaGa, and that thrills me

Although it had its flaws and was far from perfect, I really enjoyed playing through Bravely Default a few years back.

Combine that with my nearly life-long interest in Square Enix's old (and on-going) SaGa series and, well, it should be easy enough to understand why I'm thoroughly intrigued by the company's upcoming Switch RPG, Project Octopath Traveler.

After all, Project Octopath Traveler looks like a thrilling mashup of the above-mentioned titles in its latest trailer (below), wouldn't you agree?



Sadly, I can't say for myself whether or not this 2018 release lives up to that pedigree, as I don't yet own a Switch and so can't play the Project Octopath Traveler demo that was made available via that system's eShop following yesterday's Nintendo Direct broadcasts.

I can guarantee you, though, that I'll play that demo for all it's worth once I finally get my hands on a Switch--assuming that happens before the retail version of Project Octopath Traveler hits the streets, of course.

In the meantime, what do all of you think of this "HD 2D" RPG? Does it thrill you, too, or does it make you shrug your shoulders in disinterest?

Raise your hand if you're planning to pick up a copy of the Bravely Second Collector's Edition

I don't know how many of you have been following the drama related to the stealth (for lack of a better word) North American release of the Bravely Second Collector's Edition, but here's the gist for those who feel out of the loop.

Basically, early last week, Nintendo unveiled a Bravely Second Collector's Edition for the North American market.

Included in this premium release, which will hit store shelves alongside the 3DS RPG's standard edition on April 15: a copy of the game (duh), a 10-song soundtrack and a 25-page "deluxe art book." I'm not entirely sure what "deluxe" means when it comes to game art books, but I have a feeling it means the book has a hard cover.

Oh, and all of the above comes packed inside a rather lovely outer box.

Unsurprisingly, copies of the Bravely Second Collector's Edition aren't going to be cheap. In fact, one of them will run you a not-unsubstantial $69.99.



You might think the steep asking price would make them readily available, especially given the rather negative reaction to this game's 2014 predecessor, but that's not the case.

As anyone who has attempted to pre-order this version of Bravely Default from Amazon will tell you, copies seem to be severely limited at the moment.

If you're interested, you may be able to grab one via gamestop.com, so be sure to check it out if you've got designs on owning this particular Collector's Edition. And what if you just want the regular edition? Amazon has you covered.

So, how many of you already have nabbed a North American copy of the Bravely Second Collector's Edition, or how many of you want to nab one in the coming weeks or months?

Let me know in the comments section below. And let me know, too, if you're simply interested in this title's more straightforward (and decidedly more affordable) standard version.

Here's how I spent my 2014 (3DS edition)

In case any of you are wondering: no, I won't be publishing other editions of this "series," as none of the other systems I used in 2014 were capable of recording how many hours I spent playing games on them.

At any rate, here's how much time I spent playing various 3DS games in 2014 (as per the "Activity Log" files on my Japanese and North American systems):

• Tomodachi Life ... 127:43
• Bravely Default ... 99:45
• Fantasy Life ... 88:08
• Etrian Odyssey IV ... 59:20
• Solitiba ... 57:30
• THE "DENPA" MEN 3 ... 42:19
• The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds ... 20:30
• Yoshi's New Island ... 12:31
• Super Mario 3D Land ... 12:10
• Rusty's Real Deal Baseball ... 6:30

The only "results" that surprised me were Etrian Odyssey IV and Rusty's Real Deal Baseball, as I had no idea I spent so much time with either title. Also, I'm kind of shocked I've yet to put more than six hours and 30 minutes into Slime MoriMori Dragon Quest 3. I guess that means I have to devote a bit more time to it in the coming days and weeks.

One last tidbit some of you may find interesting: apparently I spent just over 580 hours playing 62 "titles" (which includes the eShop, Activity Log and other apps, by the way) on my pair of 3DS systems in 2014.

Now that I've shared how I spent my 2014 (in regard to 3DS gaming, at least), please feel free to share how you spent yours in the comments section of this post.

My favorite games of 2014 (that actually were released in 2014)

If we're going to be honest here (and why wouldn't we be?), I'm far from the ideal person to write a post such as this.

Unlike a lot of folks, I'm not all that interested in the "next gen" consoles (as opposed to handhelds) that tend to dominate online gaming discussions these days, plus I spend at least half of my annual games budget on retro titles and systems.

Still, I've played through good number of games this year, so I'm publishing a pair of posts that focus on the handful I've enjoyed the most. Today's post covers titles that actually were released in 2014, while tomorrow's will cover those that were released earlier.

One thing to keep in mind as you review this particular write-up: I played zero Vita games this year--because I still don't own a Vita system, although I can guarantee that will change shortly--and I failed to play a number of highly acclaimed 3DS games that hit the streets in in the last 12 months, including Kirby: Triple Deluxe, Persona Q, Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney and Shovel Knight (although all of these take up space on my lengthy "wish list").

With that out of the way, let's get to some blurbs about my favorite games of 2014 (that actually were released in 2014):

Bravely Default--This Square Enix-made stunner, released early in the year in my neck of the woods, ably straddles the line between being an old-school RPG and a next-gen one. On the old-school side of things, there are the random, turn-based battles and the chibi character designs that harken back to the 8-bit and 16-bit Final Fantasy titles (as well as The 4 Heroes of Light spin-off, of course), while on the next-gen side there are the bevy of combat options (one of which allows players to avoid enemy encounters or otherwise alter how often they pop up), the online and multiplayer components and the surprisingly well implemented use of augmented reality. If you've read anything about Bravely Default, you're likely already aware of the fact that the second half of the game's story is a bit controversial (to put it mildly), and while it unquestionably deserves the criticism, I have to say that, for me, most of the related annoyance was forgotten following the final battle, the credit roll and what came after that--to the point that I'm pretty sure I'll willingly put myself through it all again (maybe more than once) in the not-so-distant future.

Fantasy Life--I don't know about you, but I've long been one of those gamers who want to wander off the beaten path in an RPG while in the shoes of something other than a sword-wielding warrior. Specifically, I've wanted to boot up a role-playing game that let me spend time as a shop owner or a weapon maker or even an inn keeper. Fantasy Life promises some of that and more--to an extent. On offer in this 3DS title are 12 different "lives" (jobs, basically) that allow players to act as miners, woodcutters, blacksmiths and cooks. As I'm sure you can imagine, some of these professions are more engaging than others. For me, angler, miner and woodcutter have proven to be the most fun so far, although I've also enjoyed the time I've spent as a blacksmith and carpenter--despite the fact that the latter pair's focus on repetitive and too-similar mini-games is sure to get on the nerves of some gamers. That's one area I hope is improved upon should a sequel ever see the light of day. Other than that, there isn't much wrong with the current iteration, as its art style is the stuff of childhood dreams, its gameplay is more entertaining than it has any right to be and its soundtrack ties all of the above together before topping it with a pretty bow.

Tomodachi Life--Following its Japanese release in 2013, the word on the Internet was that Tomodachi Life was a shockingly alluring mixture of Animal Crossing and The Sims. Although those folks were right on the money in attaching Electronic Arts' life-sim series to this similarly themed 3DS release, they were pretty far off the mark in adding Nintendo's animal-packed fave. That's because Tomodachi Life is all about populating an island-locked apartment building with family members, friends, celebrities and more and then watching them get into all sorts of wacky situations. The experience is more interactive than that description makes it sound, thankfully, but it has to be said that interactivity isn't the name of the game (pun intended) here. No, the point of Tomodachi Life is to revel in the hilarity of it all--and mark my words, it's often pretty darn hilarious (or at least that was my impression during the 100-plus hours I spent with it this past year).

Woah Dave!--It's pretty telling that this 3DS eShop game (iOS, Mac and PC versions also are available, and PS4 and Vita versions are on the way) has been available for just a couple of months and yet it still managed to make this list. Given my nearly lifelong love of simple, pick-up-and-play titles like Bubble Bobble, Donkey Kong and Ms. Pac-Man, though, I guess its inclusion here shouldn't be too shocking. Speaking of the afore-menitoned games, the developers responsible for Woah Dave! looked past them and toward Nintendo's original Mario Bros. for inspiration instead, which was a pretty genius move, in my humble opinion. After all, that sewer-centric platformer has been begging for some sort of modernist update for ages now. My only issue with this otherwise-enthralling affair: the titular Dave and his abstract adversaries are nowhere near as appealing as Mario, Luigi and their quarter-munching co-stars. Thankfully, you probably won't even notice, as if you're anything like me you'll be too busy scurrying about in an attempt to stay alive and nab as many coins as you can while you're at it to notice the humdrum character designs.

Honorable mentions: Coming Out on Top (PC/Mac), THE "DENPA" MEN 3 (3DS), Tappingo 2 (3DS) and Yoshi's New Island (3DS)

Shall We Do It? (Etrian Odyssey IV)

I know I exclaimed a couple of days ago that I'd come up with a new name for this particular column, but I've since had a change of heart. "Let's Do It" is a nice enough alternative, but it's too straightforward--and kind of boring, too.

As a result, I'm sticking with the original "Shall We Do It?"--although I am going to tweak how I use it from here on out. Basically, I'm going to simplify the headers I write for these posts. The new ones will be a bit less fun than the old ones, I guess, but they'll also be a lot less wordy and awkward.

Anyway, enough about that. You clicked on this post so you could read all about my on-going shenanigans with Etrian Odyssey IV, right?



I'd originally planned to talk about two other 3DS games--THE "DENPA" MEN 3 demo and Rusty's Real Deal Baseball--in this post, by the way. Unfortunately, the "DENPA" MEN 3 demo that was supposed to hit the North American eShop late last week was postponed until May 8 due to "technical difficulties" and it's been so long (about two weeks, I think) since I last booted up Rusty's Real Deal Baseball that I can't think of anything to say about it.

So, we'll stick to Etrian Odyssey IV and Etrian Odyssey IV only in this installment of "Shall We Do It?" Which is just as well, because I've spent more than 40 hours with this 3DS dungeon-crawler so far and, as such, I have quite a lot to say about it.

For starters, I probably should share that I've just gained access to the title's fourth "land," known as the "Cloudy Stronghold." It's taken me about 12 to 15 hours to conquer each land so far, which most Etrian Odyssey lifers probably would consider a laughably slow pace, but I like to piddle around while playing games like this.

Anyway, here a few thoughts on the journey so far:

The soundtrack is sublime--All hail Yuzo Koshiro, the man responsible for this game's delightfully varied set of tunes. Honestly, I've yet to come across a track I don't like, although the standouts for me at the moment are the jaunty, flute-filled Tharsis theme and the shimmering, guitar-laden song that serves as the backdrop of most, if not all, of the fourth land's dungeons.

It surprises me how much I'm liking the animated enemies--Back when this game was announced, I was unimpressed that it would be the first entry in the Etrian Odyssey series to feature animated enemies. The static ones found in the first game were more than enough for me. Or so I thought. Now that I've seen a good portion of this game's polygonal baddies in motion, I have to admit I find them mightily impressive--and I far prefer them to their immobile predecessors.

The airship-traversed overworld is a remarkably nice addition--This is another element that I originally eyed with a healthy dose of suspicion. How much could an overworld really add to the Etrian Odyssey experience? Turns out, it adds quite a bit. I'm especially fond of the hunting-and-gathering aspect that's tied to the animals, birds, fish, fruit and veggies that can be harvested while flying around each land and then either sold for cash or traded for swag.



One final, positive comment about my experience with Etrian Odyssey IV so far: I love how, pretty much without fail, a new "land" opens up just as I'm about to become burned out on the current one. If only the folks responsible for Bravely Default had been so keen on or aware of the importance of pacing in such games...

(Speaking of Bravely Default, I'd like to add here that I'm very much enjoying the fact that Etrian Odyssey IV has an almost nonexistent story. Sometimes you just want to battle your way through a game like this, you know?)

Have any of you spent any time with Etrian Odyssey IV? If so, please feel free to share your own thoughts on this 3DS dungeon-crawler in the comments section below.

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

Shall We Do It? (saying sayonara to Bravely Default and Yoshi's New Island and konnichiwa to Rusty’s Real Deal Baseball and Etrian Odyssey IV)

After spending just over 100 hours playing it, I finally put a fork in (i.e., finished) Bravely Default on Wednesday.

In a way, I'm relieved, as a good handful--at least 10 or so, I'd say--of the final hours I spent with this 3DS RPG were not altogether enjoyable. I'm also kind of sad, though, as not only did I thoroughly enjoy the rest of the time I spent with the game, but I also got a real kick out of its final salvo.

So, where does that leave me in terms of how I feel about this title? Well, I no longer wish I'd never picked up a copy of it, I can tell you that much. In fact, after watching the captivating "special video" that's unlocked following the credit roll, I'm once again genuinely curious about the upcoming sequel.

I still believe the majority of the last third, if not the entire last half, of Bravely Default is flawed to the point that I have to imagine a lot of players will give up on it before ever encountering the end credits, mind you, but I also appreciate what its developers and writers were going for with that much-maligned section of the game--even if their execution of that vision left a lot to be desired.

Also, like I implied a few paragraphs ago, the last two battles really helped wash from my mouth the bad taste that had developed while I played through the bulk of the optional boss fights that preceded them.

Speaking of which, here's a little piece of late-game advice for anyone who may need it: if you find your interest in the game waning during any of its last three chapters (six, seven and eight), I'd highly recommend skipping the aforementioned boss battles--the optional ones, I mean--and instead focusing simply on what's required of you to complete them.

(To read some of my earlier impressions of Bravely Default, by the way, check out a few of my most recent "Shall We Do It?" posts. Also, keep an eye out for a "Great Gaymathon" review of the game that will be published in the next week or so.)

In other news, I also beat Yoshi's New Island last week after putting about 13 hours into it.

I'd like to save most of my comments about this just-released 3DS platformer for the review I'll be publishing early next week, but one basic thing I'd like to get off my chest here is that, in the end, I personally found Yoshi's New Island to be a worthy-enough successor to the original Yoshi's Island.

The key for me was that Yoshi's New Island was, for the most part, a lot of fun to play. Plus, I found its graphical stylings to be more than pleasant (and really, really well done in certain areas) and I even liked its laid-back soundtrack.

So, my recommendation to folks who are on the fence when it comes to this game: if you liked the SNES original, I'd at least consider picking up New Island if you're in the market for a 3DS platformer. And if you've never played Yoshi's Island? Again, I'd say that if you're in the mood for a platformer and you own a 3DS, you should at least consider giving it a try.

Just don't go into Yoshi's New Island thinking it's a cakewalk, because it isn't. Yes, it's easy to breeze through a good number of stages, but if you're playing the game as it's meant to be played--which means you're aiming to find and collect all of the flowers, red coins and stars hidden away in each level--you'll likely find it sufficiently challenging.

Now that I'm done with Bravely Default and Yoshi's New Island, which games am I calling on to fill whatever free time I have at the moment? One of them is Rusty's Real Deal Baseball, that Nintendo-made eShop-only title that was announced a few months back.

In case this is the first you've heard of it, Rusty's Real Deal Baseball is a free-to-play (initially, at least) compilation of baseball-themed mini-games. Basically. That's selling the title short, though, as along with all of the (very fun, in that "just one more try" kind of way that's surprisingly similar to Nintendo's Rhythm Heaven/Tengoku titles) mini-games that are packed into Real Deal Baseball there's an oddly and sometimes uncomfortably dark story that holds everything together as well as a similarly strange haggling aspect that comes into play whenever you decide to buy any of the 10 in-game "4DS" cartridges (each of which contain an assortment of unique mini-games).

Don't worry if some or all of the above doesn't make sense. The point I'm trying to make is that there's more to Rusty's than a couple of baseball-themed mini-games.

Anyway, I've handed over about $4 of real money in order to buy two of Rusty's in-game 4DS carts, "Bat & Switch--Hitting" and "Cage Match--Hitting," and I've devoted quite a bit of time to both of them thus far. Each in-game cartridge features a bevy of "challenges," by the way--as in, about 50. All of the challenges included in a particular cart (such as "Bat & Switch--Hitting") are similar to each other, but they also differ enough that it never feels like you're just doing the same thing over and over again.

One thing I think I should mention here: I'm not a baseball fan. At all. In fact, although I'm an athletic person, the only sport I care about in real life is tennis. Given that, I think it's kind of cool that I'm enjoying Rusty's as much as I currently am. In fact, I'm enjoying it so much that I'll very likely buy all of its in-game carts in the coming weeks. (Which should wind up costing me about $16, if what I've read on the Internet is true.)

Does that mean I think you, too, should spend $4, $8 or even $16 on this title? I'm not sure, to be completely honest. Thankfully, anyone can go and download the base game for free, so I'd highly recommend doing just that, if you're curious, and then playing through the six or so challenges that are unlocked from the outset. If you enjoy them, haggle with Rusty and buy the full version of "Bat & Switch--Hitting" from him after you've gotten him down to $2. From there, you should be able to decide for yourself if the rest of the content is worth your hard-earned money or not.

Even if you end up feeling like the game just isn't for you, though, the most you'll be out is a couple of bucks. So, what have you got to lose?

Last, but not least, I also started playing Etrian Odyssey IV on Wednesday--in large part so I could support my friend Anne's "Atlus Community Game-Along" event. So far, though, all I've done is create a "guild" and name a handful of party members (all after classic Final Fantasy characters, of course), so I can't say much about the experience right now. I promise to spend some more time with it this coming weekend, though, and report on any and all progress I've made next week.

In the meantime, which games are all of you playing right now, and are you enjoying them?

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

Shall We Do It? (leaving Bravely Default behind for a bit and playing Yoshi's New Island, Pokémon Battle Trozei and 3D Fantasy Zone instead)

I think I've reached my breaking point when it comes to playing Bravely Default.

It pains me to admit that, but it's true.

Of course, I've been hurtling toward this realization for some time now (since the middle of chapter six, if memory serves), so I'm not sure why I'm finding it so disappointing.

Maybe it's because I've come to really like the vast majority of this turn-based RPG--its characters, its setting, its soundtrack, its battle system--in the 75 or so hours I've spent with it thus far, and so it saddens me that one or two other aspects of the game are keeping me from wanting to finish it.

As for which aspects are bugging me: surprisingly, the wordiness I've complained about in past "Shall We Do It?" posts isn't one of them. Instead, one is related to where Bravely Default's story takes players during its second half (I'll stop there so as to avoid spoilers), while the other is related to some of the (overly cheap, in my opinion) optional boss fights that pop up near the end of the game.

So, I've decided to take a bit of a break from it. I fully plan to pick it up again soon, if only to finish the damn thing as quickly as possible (on easy, if need be), but I can't currently say when that's going to happen.

In the meantime, I'm going to spend my free time with a few other 3DS games--Yoshi's New Island, Pokémon Battle Trozei and 3D Fantasy Zone: Opa-Opa Bros., in particular.

Here are a few early-ish impressions of each of those recently released 3DS titles, in case any of you are interested:

3D Fantasy Zone: Opa-Opa Bros.--After years of turning my nose up at it, Sega's peculiar, pastel-filled shmup, Fantasy Zone, has really wormed its way into my heart in recent months. Because of that, I snatched up this 3D-enhanced version, which just hit the Japanese eShop last week, as soon as I was able.

So far, I've only spent about 30 minutes with it, but already I can tell I'm going to like it. A lot. In particular, I'm in love with the bevy of options that are available to players in this release. For instance, you can display the game using the original aspect ratio, you can make it fill the entirety of the 3DS' top screen or you can morph things a bit so it looks like you're playing it on an old, curved CRT monitor.

That said, pretty much all of the changes that are present here are superficial. The backbone is still a 28-year-old arcade game, so if that sounds at all unappealing to you, it may not be your thing. For me, though, I'm completely stoked that I can now play a slightly enhanced version of this wonderfully quirky little game on my 3DS whenever I feel like it.

Pokémon Battle Trozei--Although I've never been the biggest Pokémon fan, I've always been a fan of the series' colorful cast of creatures. I've also long been a fan of portable puzzle games, as anyone who has visited this blog for any amount of time can attest. So, I decided the second it was announced to pick up Pokémon Battle Trozei the day it hit the North American 3DS eShop--an event that took place just about a week ago.

Anyway, if you haven't yet educated yourself about this game (and there's certainly nothing wrong with that), here's the gist: it's a match-three puzzler than seemingly takes some cues from the über-popular Puzzle & Dragons.

There's a bit more to it than that, of course. For example: while matching panels on the bottom screen, you're also battling a handful (I've encountered between three and five per stage so far) "wild Pokémon" on the top screen. Reduce a creature's hit points to zero and you add it to your collection.

All of that's well and good, but so far the stages have gone by so quickly I've barely had time to acknowledge the presence of the Pokémon I'm facing at the moment let alone devise a proper strategy to use against it.

Thankfully, that hasn't mattered much up to this point. Should it become an issue on later stages, I could see it negatively impacting my enjoyment of the game, but for now I'm glad I decided to pick it up.

Yoshi's New Island--I've experienced a roller coaster of emotions since this game was revealed last April. Initially, I was beside myself with excitement, as the original Yoshi's Island is one of my all-time favorite games. After glimpsing a few rough-looking screenshots and videos of New Island at last year's E3, though, my excitement quickly turned to befuddlement.

I've since waffled back and forth between those extremes depending on the time of day (or so it has sometimes seemed) and the quality of the media I've most recently come across.

Now that I've played a good chunk of it (I've just started the sixth world), which of the previously expressed emotions--excitement or befuddlement--am I currently feeling in regard to Yoshi's New Island? Neither, to tell you the truth. I'm still enjoying the game quite a bit, though, despite the fact that it pales in comparison to its predecessor in nearly every single aspect.

The thing is, this New Island may not look as good as the old one, or sound as good, or feature controls that are as finely tuned, but even then I think it's a lot of fun to look at and listen to and play. It does seem to be slightly less engaging than the original so far, and it also feels a bit "cheaper" (as in, more difficult--in an unfair sort of way), but neither of those things are impeding my enjoyment of the game at the moment.

Are any of you also playing Yoshi's New Island--or Pokemon Battle Trozei or Bravely Default or even 3D Fantasy Zone? If so, what do you think of them so far?

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

Shall We Do It? (I'm back in Seattle, and back to sashaying my way through Bravely Default)

Some of you may have noticed that I've published fewer posts than usual over the last two weeks. Don't worry, this recent dip in output has had nothing to do with a corresponding dip in my blogging interest or anything like that. Rather, it had to do with my husband and I traveling to Palm Springs, California, to take in a little sun and a lot of professional tennis. (A few photos of both experiences can be seen here, if you're interested.)

Sadly, we're back in Seattle now, which means I'm not only back to publishing blog posts five or six times a week but I'm also back to playing as many video games as I'm able. (Although I took my North American 3DS XL with me, I barely touched it during our week-plus vacation.)

It also means, of course, that I'm back to playing Bravely Default--a game that had nabbed more than 40 hours of my life before Palm Springs et al stole my attention.

Anyway, last time I checked in, I was just about to complete this 3DS RPG's fourth chapter, right? Well, I finally did just that in the days before my recent travels began. Currently, I'm meandering my way through the game's controversial fifth chapter.

I don't want to spoil for any latecomers what happens at this juncture in the game, so all I'll say here is that initially it had me rolling my eyes. I've since moved past my annoyance, thankfully, and I'm now back to mostly enjoying the experience.

I say mostly, of course, because I'm still a bit irked by this game's obsession with conversation. Every time someone starts speaking, my eyes glaze over. I feel kind of bad admitting that, as clearly a number of people spent a lot of time localizing Bravely Default's text, but I can't help but wish they'd simply removed, rather than translated, a good portion of it.

Other than that, though, I'm liking it well enough and I'm curious as to where this journey is going to take me in subsequent chapters.

Oh, one thing I should have mentioned earlier: in the days leading up to my vacation, I gained access to the game's "vampire" job--which, of course, caused me to obsessively scour the globe in search of "genome abilities." (The vampire job in Bravely Default is a lot like the "blue mage" one in Final Fantasy V, for those of you who've played the latter. And for those of you who haven't played it, the vampire occupation enables party members in Bravely Default to learn certain moves and spells from enemies.)

With that done, I completed the chapter and ... continued obsessively scouring the globe in search of genome abilities. (This will make a lot more sense once you've gotten to this part of the game, believe me.)

I've also been completing the other tasks that are required of players in chapter five, mind you, so it isn't like my last five to 10 hours with the game have been a total waste of time.

Aside from that, I'm not sure what else to say about Bravely Default at the moment--other than I'm kind of looking forward to finishing it so I can start playing Yoshi's New Island and a bunch of other games that have fallen into my lap in the last couple of weeks. (More on those in an upcoming post or two, of course).

In the meantime, are any of you still plugging away at Bravely Default? If so, what is your current opinion of it? And if not, what games are you playing instead?

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

Edea's sax-filled special-move theme ('Baby Bird') in Bravely Default is my everything

Seriously, take a listen to it in all its '80s-sitcom-inspired, porn-tastic glory and then try to tell me it isn't the most fabulous tune in all of gaming:



That's not to suggest the other special-move themes that appear in Bravely Default stink, of course. On the contrary, I think all of them are pretty rad. (You can listen to them here, if you'd like.)

Edea's really takes the cake, though, in my opinion. (Even this vocalized version.) Or maybe I should say it takes the cheesecake?

Shall We Do It? (more Bravely Default with a smidge of Weapon Shop de Omasse thrown in for good measure)

You know that old saying, "slow and steady wins the race"? Well, I'm beginning to think it applies to Bravely Default.

After all, I've now spent about 40 hours with this Final Fantasy-esque 3DS RPG and I've yet to complete its fourth chapter. I feel like I'm making good progress toward its conclusion, though, so don't take that last comment to be a complaint.

That's not to suggest this portable journey has been without its grievances, mind you. In fact, a number of little niggles have popped onto my radar in the last week or so, with the following being the most noteworthy:

* You know, I'm really glad Edea is in this game, because if she weren't, it wouldn't be half as good as it is. I mean, Agnès? What a dud--or worse. Tiz is kind of boring, too, but at least he's not a total stick in the mud like the aforementioned "wind vestal." As for Ringabel, although he's growing on me, I still find his schtick to be more than a little grating. We get it, you like the ladies! Sigh.

* Someone over at developer Silicon Studio really likes backtracking, don't they? There's no other explanation for all of the running around players are required to do in this game. That's far less of a problem after you reliably gain access to an airship (SPOILER: you gain access to an airship in this game), but when you don't have access to one it's really, really annoying--even if you go ahead and turn off random battles.

* Another semi-spoiler: at one point in Bravely Default, you're able to track down and defeat a certain number of dragons in order to advance a certain side quest. Sounds cool, right? Well, the damn things are nearly impossible to beat at that particular point in time--or at least they have been for me and my otherwise-overlevelled party so far. Not a good thing if you tend to be an obsessive gamer like I am.

Don't get me wrong, overall Bravely Default's still a great game and I can't see myself pushing it to the back burner anytime soon. Would I be enjoying it more than I am now, though, if it didn't feature some of the annoying quirks I just mentioned? Yes, of course. And I sincerely hope the folks working on the sequel address and fix all, or at least some, of them before Bravely Second "goes gold," as they say.

In the meantime, though, I'll continue chipping away at this fledgling series' first effort. Maybe by the time I write next week's "Shall We Do It?" post I'll have experienced the infamous fifth chapter that everyone's groused about here and elsewhere?

As for Weapon Shop de Omasse, well, I downloaded it a couple of weeks ago and I finally put two or three hours into it over the weekend.

If you've yet to hear about it, it's a 3DS eShop game that was developed, in part, by a Japanese comedian named Yoshiyuki Hirai and published by Level-5. In it, players are put into the shoes of someone who runs a weapons shop within an RPG.

So, would-be warriors waltz into the shop, ask for a weapon, you make (or polish an existing) one and then rent it out to them so they can go slay a beast, get back at a group of thieves, stuff like that. While they're on their adventures, all of their actions are relayed to you via a hilarious, Twitter-like stream of messages known as the "Grindcast."

Anyway, I'm getting a kick out of it so far. I love the game's low-poly, PSone-esque graphics; the computer-controlled warriors are, almost without exception, adorably realized; and the "Grindcast" has prompted more than one genuine guffaw, which means it's a certified success in my mind.

All that said, I'm not entirely sure it's worth $8--or at least I have a feeling a good number of folks aren't going to think it's worth that much after they buy and play it. It's fun, but I can see it being a pretty short and superficial affair when all is said and done. As such, I might recommend waiting until Level-5 puts it on sale, as they are wont to do. Even at $5, Weapon Shop de Omasse would be quite a bit more appealing than it is now, I think.

Have any of you picked up this unique eShop title? If so, what do you think so far? Or maybe you're still spending the bulk of your gaming time on Bravely Default? In that case, how are things faring for you at the moment?

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

Shall We Do It? (Bravely Default ... and that's pretty much all, folks!)

After a month or more of juggling two, three and even four games at a time, I pared back this week and played just one.

Of course, I spent just under 20 hours with that particular title--the just-released Bravely Default for the 3DS--so you could hardly say I shirked my duties as a gaming blogger since I last published one of these "Shall We Do It?" posts.

Anyway, as I'm sure you've already surmised based on my comment about spending 20 or so hours with Bravely Default, I'm enjoying the hell out of it.

I know I said in my last "Shall We Do It?" post that my favorite aspect of the game is the "party chat" feature, but that's not true any longer. Oh, I still like it quite a bit--and I'm still amazed the folks at Nintendo or Square Enix (whichever handled the localization) kept it intact--but in the last few days that aspect of the game has taken a back seat to a couple of others, like the dramatic boss battles and the bevy of different jobs.

The boss battles--some of which result in your party gaining access to new jobs, actually--I've encountered so far have especially wowed me so far, I have to say. Not only are they appealingly theatrical, but many of them also are tough as nails. I can't tell you how many times I've escaped from one of these encounters by the skin of my teeth.

That's a positive in my eyes, by the way. I get so sick of playing RPGs--or any other genre of games, really--that feature baddies that can be tossed aside like week-old leftovers.

I don't only like that the bosses in this game mean business, by the way; I also like that the bulk of them showcase some pretty impressive designs. Case in point: the airborne "Nemesis," Mammon, who looks like your typical blond baroness (well, the typical blond baroness that can be found in a Japanese RPG, anyway) with four drumsticks strapped to her back.

As for Bravely Default's jobs, well, they're pretty impressive, too; and not just in design, but also in utility. The one that's surprised me the most so far is the spell fencer. Here's a job, class, whatever you want to call it, that I've always wanted to like (when it appeared in games like Final Fantasy V) but have never been able to do so. In this game, though, it's not only pretty darn useful, but it's visually stunning, too.

I'm also quite smitten with the monk, performer and summoner jobs, but that's not much of a surprise where I'm concerned, as I've always loved this trio of RPG career paths.

Oh, and the ranger! How could I forget the ranger? OK, so the design is a bit ... interesting, but I'm willing to put up with it if it means I can master the use of the bow (my favorite weapon in Bravely Default right now, in case you're curious).

Is there any part of this portable adventure that isn't quite clicking with me at the moment? Not really, although I will admit that the game's characters can be a bit verbose at times. Thankfully, it's easy enough to skip over whenever I'm not in the mood, so don't take my mention of it here to be akin to a formal complaint.

Another of my not-quite-complaints: the game's really dense. As in, there's a lot of stuff a player has to learn about if they hope to have the "full Bravely Default experience"--stuff like abilities and special moves and parts and compounds. To be completely (and embarrassingly) honest, I'm still not completely sure what I need to do to trigger some special moves, nor do I fully understand how I'm supposed to make use of the aforementioned "parts" (which augment special moves, if I'm not mistaken).

Again, though, I wouldn't really say this is a complaint. I personally like that Bravely Default is packed with features and options. I imagine, though, some gamers will encounter some or all of the above and wonder, "What am I supposed to do this?"

Are any of you also playing Bravely Default at the moment? If so, what do you think of it--and are there any aspects of it that you particularly love or hate?

By the way, although I focused all of my gaming attention on Bravely Default this week, I picked up Weapon Shop de Omasse a few days ago and will set aside at least a couple of hours for it in the coming days. So, expect to hear at least a smidge about that 3DS eShop release in my next "Shall We Do It?" post.

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

Shall We Do It? (bidding a fond farewell to Sweet Fuse and finally digging into Bravely Default)

"Oh, hell no."

Those three words were the first ones that came to mind when I wrapped up Sweet Fuse: At Your Side for the first time over the weekend.

That's because, after spending about a week and a whole lot of hours on this PSP-based visual novel, the first ending I encountered was a bad one. (As in, the guy I had the hots for didn't admit to feeling the same about me, er, my 18-year-old female avatar.)

I considered that to be completely unacceptable, so I promptly decided to go through the whole affair again--which is easier than it may sound in Sweet Fuse (and many other such games), as it offers players the ability to fast-forward through text that's already been read.

The problem is, I made a wrong choice at the very beginning of that follow-up attempt (these games are all about making the right choices--to the extent that most fans refer to a guide while working through them) and as a result I wound up not being able to re-woo the character in question.

So, after that campaign ended an hour or so later--also badly, I might add--I gave it another go. This time lasted just 45 minutes or so, and guess what? I finally ended up with the man of my dreams. Er, sort of. I think.

Was it all worth it? Surprisingly, I think it was. Although Sweet Fuse started slowly for me, its story--a murder mystery set at a video game-themed theme park, basically--eventually sank its claws into me, as did its colorful cast of characters.

I have to admit that I only found two of its woo-able men to be at all attractive--the "mature" (he's all of 32) journalist, Ayumu Shirabe, seen in the screenshot above, and the wild-haired "escort," Ryusei Mitarashi--but the rest of the bunch were interesting enough that it didn't bother me much, if at all.

As much as I enjoyed this experience, I can't help but think only a small fraction of today's gamers would find it similarly enthralling. That's largely because of the Choose Your Own Adventure-esque gameplay, by the way, and not because it's aimed at women and girls.

Still, that hasn't hurt this game's main competition in the Western world, Hakuoki, from finding a surprising amount of success, so maybe I'm selling non-Japanese gamers a bit short?

Regardless, just know that the main thing you do when you "play" Sweet Fuse is read. Once in a while you're asked to select between two or three options that will advance the plot in various ways, but other than that you'll be advancing lines of text with your PSP's X button.

If that doesn't bother you, I'd highly recommend giving the game a go should you own the requisite hardware.

A game I wouldn't give such a hearty recommendation to at this point, although I'm admittedly still at the very beginning of its adventure, is Golden Sun for the GameBoy Advance.

I've had this one for ages now, but for all sorts of reasons failed to boot it up until this past weekend.

Now, before I get too negative, let me just say that already I like a number of things about this portable RPG: I like its graphics (yes, even though they exist in that rather unattractive and awkward space also filled by games like Donkey Kong Country), I like its basic gameplay (which is like if Shining Force were turned into a traditional, turn-based RPG) and I like its soundtrack, too.

What don't I like? For starters, I hope that whomever designed the stairs found throughout the initial town was fired shortly after Golden Sun's release. On more than one occasion I've become stuck because I couldn't see the steps that supposedly had been carved out of the stony backdrop.

Actually, I hope the person in charge of this town's layout was fired, too, as it's a far too circuitous for its own good, if you ask me.

Oh, and then there's the fact that after an hour or two of gameplay I've still yet to find my way out of said town. Admittedly, it's possible I just haven't been paying close enough attention to what the game's NPCs are saying, but I doubt it.

Don't worry, I'm not planning to give up on Golden Sun anytime soon as a result of the above-mentioned shenanigans, although I wouldn't expect me to beat it anytime soon. After all, I just began Bravely Default, and anyone who has been coming here for even just the last few months should know that game is likely to take the bulk of my gaming attention for the foreseeable future. (Hell, I spent eight to 10 hours on the Bravely Default demo alone.)

Speaking of Bravely Default, I've played about three hours of it the other day and, boy, were those three hours a blast. I'm happy to report the full game eases folks into the experience a lot better than the demo did.

My favorite part of Bravely Default so far: the "party chat" feature. I can only imagine how much time this added to the game's localization effort, so I'm glad the people responsible for it decided to keep it intact.

This feature allows gamers to gain a bit of insight into the feelings and motives of each party member, by the way. As far as I can tell it can be completely ignored, so those of you who'd rather just get on with things are free to do so.

Other than that, I'm also loving the game's battle system, of course, as well as its graphics (or maybe I should say "art style") and soundtrack--although none of that should come as a surprise, as I loved all of those things in the Bravely Default demo, too.

Are any of you also working your way through this beautiful RPG at the moment? If so, what do you think of it so far?

One last thing: should you want to read a few impressions of another game I've spent some quality time in recent days, click here to check out my initial thoughts on the Japan-only puzzler, Zoo Keeper 3D.

Also, click here to scroll through previous "Shall We Do It?" posts.

Shall We Do It? (finishing EarthBound and sleepwalking through Sweet Fuse)

Let's get the big news out of the way this week: I FINALLY FINISHED EARTHBOUND.

Sorry for the shouting but, really, if beating EarthBound (for the first time in my life) doesn't warrant a bit of excitement, what does?

Perhaps unsurprisingly (especially to those of you who've also completed this SNES classic), I'm having a hard time coming up with words to describe how I feel about the game's final salvo.

Other than "it blew my mind," I mean.

Seriously, the last few areas of EarthBound--the Lost Underworld, Magikant, whatever the final location is supposed to be called--were pretty awesome. And the final boss? Uh, wow.

Speaking of Giygas, I have to admit that I had to take two runs at him. I wasn't entirely sure what I was supposed to do during the first attempt and as a result I wound up getting my butt handed to me. My second try was much more successful, thankfully, and ended with me turning the tables on ol' Gassy (as I like to call him) and his long-winded sidekick, Pokey.

As happy as I am to finally finish this sucker, I'm also kind of sad about it. The last few weeks I spent with EarthBound were equal parts enchanting, invigorating and emotionally draining, so having all of that end in one fell swoop has been a shock to the system.

That said, I so loved the experience that my first thought was to trudge through it again immediately. I've since talked myself down from that ledge--mostly because I've got other games I want to wrap up before my copy of Bravely Default arrives on my doorstep sometime next week.

Specifically, I want to reach the end credits of--or at least get as close as possible to the end credits of--Sweet Fuse: At Your Side.

If you'd asked me last week if I thought I was going to succeed with that goal, I would've answered in the positive. No question. Today, though, I'm not so sure.

Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying Sweet Fuse's story and characters well enough--especially the game's main baddie, Count Hogstein. I guess I'm just not in the mood for this kind of game right now. I don't know if that's because I'm experiencing a bit of a let down in the wake of A Link Between Worlds and EarthBound, or if it's because I just just finished a rather riveting novel (Wool, by Hugh Howey), but I'm having a hard time convincing myself to boot up this visual novel whenever I find myself with some free time--something that never seemed to be a problem with the aforementioned duo.

Oh, well, I'll do my best to continue to plug away at it--as well as Zoo Keeper 3D, which I'll chat about further in a few days--even after Bravely Default is in my hands and begging to be played.

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