At long last, my review of THE 'DENPA' MEN 3

Unfortunately, you can't read it here. Instead, you have to head over to gamecritics.com.

Don't worry, this doesn't mean all of my reviews are going to appear on GameCritics rather than here from now on. I wrote this particular review for a site that isn't my own because Senior Editor Brad Gallaway, who has been a Twitter friend of mine for ages now, asked me to write it.

OK, so he also asked me to write a review of Fantasy Life, so at least one more of my reviews will be published there rather than here, but that's likely to be the extent of it. I think.

Anyway, if you're at all curious as to how I felt about THE "DENPA" MEN 3 after spending more than 40 hours with it, check out gamecritics.com at your convenience.

Oh, and please share your feelings on this 3DS RPG in the comments section below--should you be one of the five or six people outside of Japan who've actually played it, I mean.

See also: my 'somewhat gay' review of the first 'DENPA' MEN game

One last batch of QR codes for the two of you who are still playing THE 'DENPA' MEN 3

I'm not entirely sure why I wasted my time writing and publishing this post, to be honest. As far as I can tell, very few North Americans picked up this 3DS RPG, and it's likely only a small handful of those folks are still playing it today, three months after first hit the eShop.

I guess I did it because I figure a couple of those THE "DENPA" MEN 3 players might appreciate a little help--in the form of the following QR codes--as they continue to make their way through this oddly endearing (and often frustrating, it has to be said) little game.

All of these "Denpa" men (and women, I think) were caught while driving around Seattle in the last week or so (don't worry, my husband was driving--I was just a passenger), by the way. Not that you really needed to know that, I guess, but I'm letting you know anyway.

Jasiah + "Diamond Dust"

Serena + "Big Bang"

Nikolai + "Great Haste"

Ariella + "Rising Flames"

Jonas + "Laser Beam"

Sullivan + "Rare Treasure x2"

Delaney + "Hurricane"

Travis + "Abyss"

In case any of you are wondering which ones are my favorites: those would be Ariella and her "rising flames" attack, Jasiah and his "diamond dust" spell and the bandage-nosed Jonas and his "laser beam," although I also really like Delaney and Sullivan and Travis. (OK, so I like all of them.)

See also: previous posts about THE 'DENPA' MEN 3

Shall We Do It? (THE 'DENPA' MEN 3, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate and Tomodachi Life)

I don't know which fact is weirder: that it's been more than a month since I published one of these "Shall We Do It?" write-ups or that the last one also included impressions of two of the same 3DS games I'll be chatting about in today's post.

I guess the two facts kind of go hand in hand, though, don't they? After all, THE "DENPA" MEN 3 and, especially, Tomodachi Life have conspired to take up most of my gaming bandwidth, so to speak, over the last few weeks--the exception being the handful of PC Engine platformers I've played in honor of apricotsushi's #PlatforMonth extravaganza--and that, in turn, has prompted me to drag my feet a bit when it comes to prepping these posts.

So, why did I decide to publish one today? Basically, I finally feel as though I've made enough progress in both of the aforementioned games to talk about them again. I'm not sure the same can be said of my experience with Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, sadly, but let's hold off on talking about that until after I've said what I have to say about Tomodachi Life and THE "DENPA" MEN 3.

THE "DENPA" MEN 3--Truth be told, I thought I was through with this digital RPG around the seven-hour mark. That's not to suggest I was anywhere near its end credits at that point, mind you; rather, I'd gotten stuck in a particular spot and no matter how hard I tried I couldn't find my way out of it. Until, of course, I did--which isn't easy when it comes to a game that's as overlooked as this one seems to be outside of Japan. (As in, it can be really difficult to get yourself out of a bind due to the dearth of English information about it on the Internet.)

Anyway, ever since I blew through that hour-seven bottleneck, THE "DENPA" MEN 3 and I have been on a roll. I just crossed the 24-hour mark last night, and I believe I've at least passed the halfway point of my playthrough by now. I still have some issues with this quirky RPG--the main ones being its boring NPCs and its sometimes-nightmarish difficulty spikes--but they're far enough in the background at this point that they're only rarely (OK, occasionally) interfering with my enjoyment of this not-so-pint-sized adventure.

Tomodachi Life--To those of you who are impressed that I've spent over 24 hours with THE "DENPA" MEN 3 thus far: just wait until you hear how much time I've put into Tomodachi Life. Would you believe my total playtime's now over 100 hours? I sure can't. Well, that's not entirely true, as I've found this weird life sim to be pretty darn fun since my first few minutes with it.

I wish I could update you as to how many Miis now populate my Rainbow Island, but I lost count some time ago. I think there are about 60 or 70 now? I can tell you how many married couples I have, though: 16. Three of them are gay, by the way. (Me and Ganondorf, Shigeru Miyamoto and David Bowie, Madonna and Daisy.) Oh, and I think all of them have had kids so far--or at least the huge majority of them have. Most of them have had more than one kid. Case in point: Ganondorf and I are on our third, with no end in sight to our child-rearing shenanigans.

How many more hours will I put into this title? I have no idea. I definitely can feel my interest waning a bit, though, so if I were forced to guess I'd say it's got about 20 hours of life left in it.

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate--So, here we are: my first real impressions on Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, a game that I've owned for ages now but have only just gotten around to sticking into my 3DS. The quick-and-dirty version of my thoughts so far would be that I absolutely love it, although I've barely scratched its beautiful surface.

There's no real reason I've only put a few, measly hours into MH3U while I've put loads and loads into Tomodachi Life and THE "DENPA" MEN 3--other than the latter two have just secured a bit more of my attention as of late, I mean. That said, I'll certainly be returning to it with a passion as soon as I've stopped playing either or both of the aforementioned titles, as I found its first couple of hours to be surprisingly engaging given the assumptions I formed about it before I ever booted it up.

One of those assumptions, it should be stated, was that there would be little to Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate other than its famed and ferocious battles, while another was that said fights would be awkward to control (a la the old Resident Evil games). Neither of them have proven to be true, thankfully, so I'll consider this a lesson learned as far as forming assumptions about games I've yet to play are concerned.

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

A bevy of QR codes for folks who need to buff up their 'DENPA' MEN 3 parties

Like I mentioned in the "Shall We Do It?" post I published yesterday, I've only played THE "DENPA" MEN 3 for about five hours so far, but already I'm enjoying it more than I enjoyed its predecessor.

Also like I said in the aforementioned post, I'm not exactly sure why that's the case, although I think some of it may have to do with this "DENPA" MEN game being a smidge easier than the last, surprisingly enough. (I say surprisingly enough because I've always preferred my RPGs to be on the tough side.) Or it may have something to do with the fact that in THE "DENPA" MEN 3 you're able to scan QR codes--and, thus, bolster your parties--right from the word go.

Speaking of which, should any of you be looking for some worthwhile "Denpa" men to add to your teams, here are a handful of particularly interesting ones that I've nabbed while out and about the last few days.

I especially like Morgan (above) and his poop-shaped noggin, of course. If only he had an antenna. Oh, well, as my mom's always told me, nobody's perfect.

By the way, if the "Denpa" men above aren't enough for you, you may want to peruse the QR code posts I published for the first two "DENPA" MEN games. All of them should "play nice" with this third game in the series, too--or so I've read. (I've only tried a couple of them myself so far.)

Anyway, said QR code posts can be found here, here, here, here and here. 

Shall We Do It? (THE 'DENPA' MEN 3 and Etrian Odyssey IV)

Well, folks, I have good news and bad news for you regarding my on-going playthrough of Etrian Odyssey IV. The good news is that I've now put about 60 hours into this 3DS-based dungeon-crawler and, as a result, I believe I'm now in the "home stretch" of the game, so to speak. The bad news? I haven't played it since I downloaded THE "DENPA" MEN 3 about five days ago.

Don't get me wrong, I was enjoying Etrian Odyssey IV a great deal while I was still playing it (and I'll get back to playing it soon enough, I assure you), but I have to admit I was starting to enter another one of those "interest lulls" I mentioned in my last "Shall We Do It?" post when THE "DENPA" MEN 3 took over. Of course, I guess that's to be expected when you keep ducking in and out--and in and out, and in and out--of what very well could be the gaming world's longest series of interconnected dungeons.

And then there's the related fact that the final section of Etrian Odyssey IV was beginning to give me some serious Bravely Default vibes thanks to the semi-recycled locales and color-swapped baddies. Now, it's not anywhere near as bad in Etrian Odyssey IV as it was in Bravely Default, mind you, but it is a bit ... deflating to make your way to the end of a game only to find you have to go through a bunch of old dungeons again before you can face the final boss.

So, enough about that one for the time being. Instead, let's talk about THE "DENPA" MEN 3 for a bit.

I've put about five hours into this eShop RPG so far, and for whatever reason I seem to be enjoying it more than I enjoyed its predecessor. Unfortunately, I'm not sure I can say why that is. It very well may be that, despite the fact that I nearly had my ass handed to me during my very first battle, this third entry in Genius Sonority's series feels a smidge easier than the second (although I have to say that the difficulty level of the first one, which I consider to be the "worst" of them all, didn't bother me at all). Or, it may be that this game's overworld is less annoying than the one featured in the last.

One thing I'm not completely stoked about when it comes to THE "DENPA" MEN 3 is that it includes a bunch of enemies that also appeared in the last two titles. Plus, the new ones that have shown their faces so far aren't what I would call the most appealing or creative in terms of their designs.

I'm finding this game's soundtrack kind of disappointing, too. Thankfully, the surprisingly tender tune that plays while exploring "Cannon Village" pretty much makes up for all of the lackluster ones that accompany it.

Despite those two rather minor complaints, though, I'm really liking THE "DENPA" MEN 3 thus far--although I've yet to even think about pimping out the homes of my "Denpa" men, à la Animal Crossing. I guess that means I have something to look forward to if (or when) my interest in the main adventure wanes a bit?

Are any of you also making your way through THE "DENPA" MEN 3 at the moment? If so, what do you think of it?

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

A challenger to the 'Year of the GameBoy' appears

Why? Because, as you've hopefully already heard, the folks at Genius Sonority announced yesterday that THE "DENPA" MEN 3: The Rise of Digitoll will float onto the European and North American 3DS eShops sometime this summer.

Combine that exciting nugget of news with my recent A Link Between Worlds, Bravely Default and even Attack of the Friday Monsters obsessions and it's pretty clear the 3DS is going to give the GameBoy a run for its money when it comes to earning the top spot in my heart and mind this year.

After all, the first "DENPA" MEN adventure was my favorite game of 2012, and even though I wasn't quite as enamored with its follow-up I still plan to put a good few hours into part three, which appears to feature an Animal Crossing-esque house-decorating element as well as a number of interesting online modes.

The former can be seen in THE "DENPA" MEN 3's first official (in English, at least) trailer, by the way. Check it out here if you're curious.

Are any of you excited about this impending release (a demo of which is supposed to hit the eShop in May)? If so, did you also play--and enjoy--any of the previous titles in the series, or will this be your first time at the "DENPA" MEN rodeo?

So, will this one be called THE "DENPA" MEN 3: They Came by Waves from the Beyond?

You know, because the first one was called THE "DENPA" MEN: They Came by Wave and the second was called THE "DENPA" MEN 2: Beyond the Waves.

Seriously, though, it appears that the third "DENPA" MEN title, released in Japan last September, will land on Western shores sometime in the coming months, as it recently received a rating from Australia's Classification Board. (Thanks to Twitterer Lance McGill, aka @infernal_monkey, for pointing out this fact, by the way)

Anyway, here's hoping the game is rated and released in other markets--like, um, North America--sooner rather than later, too.

In the meantime, check out the trailer above to see some of what's new in this iteration. (My favorite addition: the ability to decorate your house à la Animal Crossing: New Leaf.)

QR codes for a few more of my favorite characters from THE 'DENPA' MEN 2

It's extremely possible--as well as kind of depressing--that very few people who visit this blog will be interested in this post, but I'm publishing it anyway so that something will pop up should some poor schmuck Google "THE 'DENPA' MEN 2 QR codes" in the near or even distant future.

With that out of the way, here are six more of my favorite THE "DENPA" MEN 2 characters--all of whom I personally "caught" while in the bathrooms of nearby restaurants and coffee shops, er, I mean, while strolling around my very own neighborhood.

Raelynn (Big Bang)

Sophie (Deep Shadow)

Glen (Ice Missile)

Farrah (Cyclone)

Lawrence (Comet Crash)

Dorian (Bolt from the Blue)

I know everyone who owns a 3DS (including myself, of course) is busy being obsessed with Animal Crossing: New Leaf, but I hope that when that obsession wanes at least a few of those folks will give THE "DENPA" MEN 2 a try, because it and its predecessor are two of the most charming--and challenging, it has to be said--games I've played in the last few years.

See also: 'QR codes for a few of my (current) favorite characters from THE 'DENPA' MEN 2'

The question is: will Denpa Ningen no RPG 3 (aka THE 'DENPA' MEN 3) ever see the light of day outside of Japan?

Sadly, I'd say the most likely answer to the question above is something along the lines of "I doubt it."

That's mainly because although the first two Denpa Ningen no RPG (aka THE "DENPA" MEN) titles have sold surprisingly well since they were first released in Japan, all signs--such as Genius Sonority CEO Manabu Yamana's comments at the beginning of this recent Q&A--point to them not selling as well elsewhere.

Given my undying love for both previous entries in this colorfully charming series of digital RPGs, I obviously hope the just-announced third one, which will hit the Japanese 3DS eShop on Aug. 7, makes its way across the pond at some point--even if the earlier ones were out-and-out bombs in my neck of the woods.



Actually, I'd feel that way even if I wasn't a "DENPA" MEN fan, thanks to all of the additions that seemingly will be included in part three. I could use a bunch of bullet points and text to explain them here, but I think a much more appealing tactic would be to ask those of you who are interested to watch the video above, which was excised from this recent Chotto Nintendo Direct broadcast.

Sadly, the most enticing aspect of Denpa Ningen no RPG 3 for yours truly is the new head shape that looks startlingly like those cartoonish piles of poo you see all the time in Japanese anime, manga and video games.

QR codes for a few of my (current) favorite characters from THE 'DENPA' MEN 2

The good news about my experience with THE "DENPA" MEN 2: Beyond the Waves thus far: I've put just under 17 hours into it.

The bad news: less than an hour was added to that tally in the last week (thanks to the arrival of--and my subsequent obsession with--Animal Crossing: New Leaf, of course).

Don't worry, "DENPA" MEN fans, I'm not giving up on this digital 3DS title--I've enjoyed it far too much to do that. That said, it may be a while before I can devote more than a couple hours to it per week.

In the meantime, here are QR codes for seven "Denpa" men that I captured by flailing about somewhat madly while my husband attempted to navigate the hilly streets of Seattle while constantly rolling his eyes.

Kevin (Weaken All)

Adam (Dark Messenger)

Genius (Revive)

Kamari (Full Heal)

If I weren't already married, I'd want to marry the person who created this 'DENPA' MEN 3DS XL skin

Ot at least I think it's just a skin--as opposed to a 3DS XL (or 3DS LL, if that's how you roll) system that's literally been covered in THE "DENPA" MEN graffiti.

Regardless, it's a beauty, isn't it?

As far as I can tell, it was created by someone who goes by the handle "detteiu9" on Twitter.

He or she also has a pixiv account and is known as Teu (てう) on that site.

A handful of completely adorable "DENPA" MEN-inspired pieces of fan art can be found on Teu's pixiv page, by the way, so I'd highly recommend checking it out if you're even half as interested in this series as I am.

(Via photozou.jp by way of gonintendo.com)

THE 'DENPA' MEN 2 don't need no stinkin' overworld (and a few other thoughts on this tough-as-nails 3DS eShop RPG)

Don't get me wrong, I like that the designers at Genius Sonority decided to beef up THE "DENPA" MEN 2: Beyond the Waves by giving it an overworld for gamers to explore.

That said, the more I time I spend exploring that overworld, the more I realize that--for me, at least--it wasn't really needed.

Although I've only spent about five hours with the game so far, that's been enough for me to realize that I rather liked--and possibly preferred--the streamlined nature of the first game, subtitled They Came By Wave.

In part, that's because the Beyond the Waves' overworld, at least at this early juncture, can be a bit baffling for players in terms of figuring out where to go next. (Some of the blame here has to be laid at the feet of the game's writers, it has to be said, as they tend to imbue non-player characters with the vaguest of clues.)

Another reason this title's overworld isn't all it's initially cracked up to be: unlike some other RPGs, it isn't all that fun to explore. That isn't because it's boring or nondescript, mind you; instead, it's because your party of merry "Denpa" men (and women) are brutally attacked every few steps--or so it seems.

As such, if you're anything like me, you'll usually find yourself rushing as quickly as possible from one point on the map to another.

Given all of the above, I guess it shouldn't be too surprising to hear me say I wouldn't have minded at all if the folks at Genius Sonority nixed the overworld idea in favor of simply expanding on the "hub world plus multiple islands" concept of the original.

Does this mean I'm currently feeling a little disappointed with THE "DENPA" MEN 2? Not really. In fact, I'm pretty darn happy with the majority of it at the moment.

The aspects that are making me the happiest at the moment: the new body colors (yellow, purple and pink, as well as gold and silver) and the additional clothing and equipment that can be used to alter the looks and even abilities of your "Denpa" crew.

Oh, and the option that allows players to jump, basically at will (although there are exceptions), between any previously visited locale--mighty handy for avoiding at least some of those pesky random battles, of course.

What do I think of the fishing and gardening elements that were added to this sequel? Nothing so far--mainly because I've barely made use of them. Already, though, I can sense that neither aspect will be as captivating as, say, their counterparts that appear in the Animal Crossing series.

So, that's what I think of THE "DENPA" MEN 2: Beyond the Waves thus far. Are any of you also playing it? If so, what do you think of it?

See also: 'Ten questions with the makers of THE 'DENPA' MEN 2: Beyond the Waves'

You're buying THE 'DENPA' MEN 2: Beyond the Waves from the 3DS eShop today, right?

FYI: the sequel to my favorite game of last year--Genius Sonority's THE "DENPA" MEN 2: Beyond the Waves--will hit the European and North American 3DS eShops sometime this morning.

I'll be adding this unique RPG's sure-to-be-colorful icon to my cluttered 3DS menu as soon as I'm able, of course. Are any of you planning to do the same at some point?

If you'd like to learn a bit more about THE "DENPA" MEN 2: Beyond the Waves before handing over your hard-earned bucks--it'll cost $11.99 in North America and €9.99 or ￡8.99 in Europe--you might want to check out my recent interview with Genius Sonority's CEO Manabu Yamana.

You might also want to read the "somewhat gay" review of THE "DENPA" MEN: They Came By Wave that I published last October.

Ten questions with the makers of THE 'DENPA' MEN 2: Beyond the Waves

You may have heard the news, revealed yesterday, that THE "DENPA" MEN 2: Beyond the Waves will hit the North American (and European) 3DS eShops on May 30.

If not, well, you've heard it now.

Anticipating that announcement, I recently reached out to the company behind this series of portable RPGs, Genius Sonority, and asked if someone there would be willing to answer a few questions about it. Surprisingly, someone agreed--with that someone being CEO Manabu Yamana.

Before I get to the meat of our little tête-à-tête, I have to point out what Yamana said when I asked if he and his colleagues at Genius Sonority were happy with the first game's North American sales. "We’ve had a lot of positive feedback from users and the media," he shared, "but unfortunately, we had some trouble with PR and getting the word out, so we were not able to tie the positive feedback into sufficient sales."

Thankfully, the company decided to localize THE "DENPA" MEN 2: Beyond the Waves despite the original's seemingly disappointing sales.

Speaking of Beyond the Waves, read on to hear what Yamana has to say about this soon-to-be-released (with an $11.99 price tag attached to it) digital title--including whether or not this iteration will feature a few more female characters than the first and whether or not it will allow gamers to scan QR codes created in other regions.



The Gay Gamer: I've read that you made quite a few changes while creating THE "DENPA" MEN 2. For instance, there's an overworld this time around and also at least one town for players to explore. Why did you decide to make these changes? Also, are there any others that you hope people will find interesting?

Yamana: We were already thinking of including an overworld in the sequel when we were making the first game. We created the first game with the aim of getting people acquainted with the series, so we didn’t include too many complex elements and we used a simple and fun system that consisted of battling monsters.

This time, a lot of the players will be familiar with the first game, so we included an overworld map to walk around on, in order to create the sense of a bigger world.

We’ve also visualized equipment this time, so you can have fun dressing up your Denpa Men any way you like, and you can even take pictures of them. You can also enjoy fishing in the sea and in rivers, and cultivate plants this time.

We’ve also added dungeons that use the StreetPass function, and you can fight other players on line as well, so there are a lot of new things for everyone to enjoy.

It appears my Game of the Year for 2013 will be released sometime next month

With that game being the follow-up to my favorite game of last year, THE "DENPA" MEN: They Came By Wave.

What will that game's much-anticipated (by me, at least) sequel be called, you ask? The Denpa Men 2: Beyond the Waves, according to this IGN.com article.

Does this mean that developer and publisher Genius Sonority has decided to shy away from using all-caps and quotation marks? I'm not sure yet, but I kind of hope that isn't the case as I enjoyed typographically shouting THE "DENPA" MEN at the top of my lungs every once in a while.

Regardless, I'll be picking up Beyond the Waves the second it appears on the 3DS eShop--which, according to the aforementioned IGN article, should happen on or around May 2.

Of course, someone who claims to have worked on the localization popped up on GameFAQs (I know, I know) on Friday and suggested the date above is incorrect, so I guess we'll find out soon enough of that's the case or not.

Regardless, are any of you also planning to pick up The Denpa Men 2 (or THE "DENPA" MEN 2, as I prefer to call it)?

See also: 'A somewhat gay review of THE 'DENPA' MEN: They Came By Wave (3DS)'

THE 'DENPA' MEN: My favorite 3DS game of 2012

Considering I have four current-ish systems (the 3DS, PSP, Xbox 360 and Wii), you could be forgiven for assuming I'd conjure up four "Favorite Games of 2012" posts and not just two.

The sad fact is, though, that I bought so few games for the PSP, Xbox 360 and Wii this past year that I feel it would be inappropriate for me to devote entire posts to those systems.

So, I'm devoting one to my favorite 3DS game of 2012 and one to my five favorite non-3DS games of the year.

As for the 3DS game I decided to honor in this particular post: What more can I say about it, really? I've written so many posts about it in the last few months that anything I say here is bound to be a rehash of something I mentioned at last once before.

Given that, may I direct you to my "somewhat gay" review of this innovative, Genius Sonority-made RPG?

Something that I don't believe I said outright in that review that I'd like to share now, though, is that I had more fun with this game than any other I've played this year--and that includes a lot of games (some of which were released for the 3DS, and some of which were not).

It's important to note that, I think, because it's still the most important aspect or attribute of any game I decide to play these days. Basically. Yes, sometimes I want to be intrigued or moved or scared, but most of the time I want to be entertained.

"Fun" and "entertaining" also are words I'd use to describe the game I consider to be my second-favorite 3DS release, by the way--with that game being Square Enix's superb Theatrhythm Final Fantasy.

Had THE "DENPA" MEN not made it to our shores this year, I surely would have shined the spotlight on this adroitly crafted rhythm title, which I found to be far more interesting and enjoyable (and difficult!) than I imagined it would be when it was first announced.

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

A somewhat gay review of THE 'DENPA' MEN: They Came By Wave (3DS)

Game: THE '"DENPA" MEN: They Came By Wave

Genre: RPG/Dungeon-Crawler

Developer: Genius Sonority

Publisher: Genius Sonority

System: 3DS

Release date: 2012

THE "DENPA" MEN is often described as being "a lot like Dragon Quest." Although the comparison is apt, it's also a bit simplistic.

After all, although the two games sport similar battle engines, senses of humor and straightforward (some might say non-existant) stories, they're otherwise pretty unique.

THE "DENPA" MEN, for instance, lacks the kind of sprawling overworld often included in Dragon Quest games. Although I initially considered that to be a negative, over time I came to the realization that it sped things up considerably--which is a positive in this case because it allows you to zoom from the hub island to your next destination (always a dungeon)  and back again with a blink of an eye.

Also, although both THE "DENPA" MEN and Dragon Quest feature lightning-fast battle scenes, I've found those of the former to be a lot more fun than the latter thus far. (And this is coming from someone  who loves Dragon Quest's battle sequences.) In part, that's due to THE "DENPA" MEN's wacky character designs, I'm sure, but it's also due to what those wacky characters do during said scenes. Case in point: When a player prompts his "Denpa" men to "Fight" rather than use magic, said party members race toward selected baddies and attempt to headbutt them into oblivion--an action that's even more entertaining than it sounds.

Speaking of THE "DENPA" MEN's battles: Something that sets them apart from those found in many other RPGs (both old and new) is how malleable they are. For instance, you can hit your 3DS' X or Y buttons and let the game's AI choose your options for you (X orders the AI to not use any "skills" (magic, basically), while Y gives it the freedom to do as it wishes), you can assign specific tasks to each individual "Denpa" man or you can mix and match your commands.

Last, but surely not least, THE "DENPA" MEN differentiates itself from its dragon-centric counterpart by having players scan their real-life environment (using the 3DS' AR capabilities) to catch their multi-colored party members. It sounds kind of lame in theory, but in practice it's surprisingly enjoyable (and addictive). Not only that, but it basically gives you access to an unlimited array of playable characters, which isn't something that can be said of many RPGs.

One thing THE "DENPA" MEN doesn't offer that the Dragon Quest games do is a top-shelf soundtrack. That's not to suggest that the music in this Genius Sonority-made eShop title is terrible; rather, it's to suggest that, for the most part, it merely gets the job done. (It must be said, though, that the main battle theme is pretty darn good.)

With all of this chatter about how this 10-dollar digital release does and doesn't compare to one of the best RPGs ever made out of the way, you're probably wondering if I think it's worth picking up or not. The short answer to that question is: Yes. A slightly longer response, though, is: Yes, if you tend to enjoy the genre and if you don't mind a (sometimes rather stiff) challenge.

See also: Previous posts about THE 'DENPA' MEN and 'somewhat gay' reviews

A few QR codes for fans of 'Denpa' men with triangle-shaped noggins

How's this for a niche-y blog post?

After all, not only is its focus a rather niche-y game--Genius Sonority's eShop RPG, which I previously wrote about here, here, here and here--but it focuses on a niche-y aspect of said game (that being "Denpa" men with triangle-shaped heads).

Some of you may recall that in this recent-ish post about the game, I mentioned that I wasn't a fan of "Denpa" men with noggins shaped in such a fashion. Well, I've had a change of heart in that regard, and now I actually like the little buggers quite a bit.

As such, here are my current favorites. A few were collected via others' QR codes, I have to admit, but the majority were caught by myself.



This guy's name is Casen. His antenna allows him to call on the power of "Rising Flames." (Oh, and I originally added him to my collection using someone else's QR code.)



And this guy's name is Jeremiah. Isn't he cute? I love his spectacles. Anyway, his antenna eventually evolves to "Ice Missile."



I believe this fellow's name is Aditya, but it may be Aditva instead. Anyway, his antenna allows him to cast "Revive" on fallen "Denpa" men.



I don't often use "Great Wall," but I keep ol' Terrell here around because he's just too cute.