(Just over) 10 years of PSP memories

On Dec. 12, 2004, Sony made its first portable game system available to the Japanese masses.

For whatever reason, I don't remember much about that date, although I have a feeling that may be because I wasn't all that interested in handheld games and systems at that point in my life.

What I do recall is turning attentively toward the PSP whenever intriguing games were announced for it; games like Loco Roco (2006), Patapon (2007), Gurumin (2008), Half-Minute Hero (2009) and What Did I Do To Deserve This, My Lord? (2010).

It wasn't until the release of Patchwork Heroes (aka Hyakumanton no Bara Bara), though, that I finally was pushed to pick up a PSP of my own. (It can be seen in the photo on the right.)

After that, I quickly added a number of quality PSP titles to my collection--with the two ClaDun games, Corpse Party, Hakuoki, Onore no Shinzuru Michi wo Yuke and Sweet Fuse among them.

If I were forced to name a favorite from among this cadre of quirky games, by the way, my response would include a whole lot of sputtering, as I like so many of them that placing one or two above the rest would be an impossible feat.

What I could say is that the games currently on my PSP short list are the aforementioned ClaDun titles, Hakuoki, Hot Shots Tennis, Patchwork Heroes and Sweet Fuse.

Of course, I've yet to play a bunch of other, similarly compelling PSP (or at least seemingly so) games like Jeanne D'Arc, any of The Legend of Heroes entries, either of the MonHun Nikki: Poka Poka Airu Mura releases or Valkyria Chronicles 3, so it's possible that list will change in the coming months and years.

In the meantime, do any of you have any fond PSP memories, or even just the names of some of your favorite PSP games, you'd like to share?

Who's up for some more Hakuoki?

Don't worry if you're not quite sure how to answer that question, as I'm not sure how to answer it myself.

Still, I'm intrigued. I mean, yet another Hakuoki game is coming to North America--who could've guessed that a few years ago?

The latest Hakuoki game that's being brought stateside, by the way, is the PS3-based Hakuoki: Stories of the Shinsengumi.

As always, Aksys Games is handling the localization. The Torrance, California-based company has yet to announce a release date for Stories of the Shinsengumi, although an Aksys representative recently revealed on neogaf.com that it will be given both a digital and retail release.

My only problem with this announcement: it seems that Stories of the Shinsengumi includes yet another retelling of the story that serves as the focus of the 3DS and PSP Hakuoki titles.

Will any of you be picking up one or both versions of Stories of the Shinsengumi, or have you had enough Hakuoki for the time being?

See also: 'A somewhat gay review of Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom (PSP)'

You tell me--is the limited edition of Hakuoki: Memories of the Shinsengumi worth $59.99?

I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that the overwhelming majority--if not every last one--of you will answer the question above with a resounding "no!" And, really, I can't fault you for that line of thinking. After all, I agree with it--for the most part.

That said, a small part of me is wondering if maybe, just maybe, the limited edition release of this upcoming 3DS otome game is worth nearly 60 bones. After all, who doesn't need a folding fan branded with Hakuoki artwork, a Japanese-style towel featuring more of the same and a "Men of Hakuoki Art Book"?

Seriously, though, I'm looking forward to Hakuoki: Memories of the Shinsengumi's release, which is scheduled for Aug. 3 here in North America. On that date, Hakuoki fans will be able to pick up a regular edition of the game for $29.99 or the aforementioned limited edition for twice the price.

Will any of you be adding either version of this hunk-filled adventure title to your burgeoning collection of 3DS carts?

(Via siliconera.com)

I'm always up for some more Hakuoki

As if sensing that I don't have enough 3DS games on my lengthy "play sometime during 2013" list, the folks at Aksys Games announced yesterday that they're busy prepping Hakuoki: Memories of the Shinsengumi for a North American release.

Unfortunately, they've yet to say when this 3DS otome game (aka visual novel primarily aimed at a femal audience) will hit our shores. They've also yet to say if it'll receive a retail release, a digital one or both.

Should it wind up earning a boxed release, I'll likely buy a copy on or around its street date, as I really enjoyed Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom on my PSP.

Speaking of which, it seems Memories of the Shinsengumi will be an enhanced port of that 2012 title--with the 3DS iteration including 3D functionality, an image and movie gallery, some sort of "photo booth" and six additional stories.

For more information on this pending 3DS release, check out this piece of PR and the game's official website.

See also: 'A somewhat gay review of Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom (PSP)' and 'My five favorite non-3DS games of 2012'

My five favorite non-3DS games of 2012

I may have singled out THE "DENPA" MEN as my favorite 3DS game of 2012 yesterday (with Theatrhythm Final Fantasy coming in a close second), but that doesn't mean it was the only game I had a blast playing this past year.

In fact, I had a blast playing a number of games that were released for the other current-ish systems I own. Here are the ones I considered the cream of the crop, as they say:

* Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom (PSP)--If you read my "somewhat gay" review of this game, you're likely a bit shocked that I decided to include this release, which was published in North America by Aksys Games, here. So am I, to tell you the truth. While thinking back on all the titles I played this year, though, I kept coming back to this one. Although I still think it's more of a novel than a video game, it did a surprisingly great job of keeping me interested in its goings-on from start to finish--which is something that can't be said of every game these days.

* Kirby Mass Attack (DS)--Of all the titles included in this post, this is the one I've spent the least time with thus far. Still, I've experienced enough of it to know it's an enjoyably unique game--and one that I'll surely return to next year when I inevitably find myself without anything new to play.

* Rhythm Heaven Fever (Wii)--It's amazing how many hours you can spend playing a single game when you set your mind to it. I say that because I'm pretty sure I clocked well over 20 hours with Rhythm Heaven Fever during its first week in my possession. Was it because of the adorably wacky graphics? The toe-tapping soundtrack? The "just one more time, I swear" gameplay? I have a feeling it was all three--and then some.

* Spelunky (XBLA)--You know how sometimes you look forward to something (like a game) for so long that when you get your hands on it at long last you experience a letdown? Well, I was more than a bit worried that would happen to me once I finally acquired Spelunky, as I'd been waiting for the XBLA version for what seemed like ages. Thankfully, it didn't. On the contrary, I've enjoyed this tough-as-nails (and surprisingly precious) platformer more than I even imagined I would--although it would be nice to actually "beat" it at some point.

* Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii)--That I haven't yet completed this open-world RPG is criminal, if you ask me. I can't even tell you why I left it at an unfinished state early this summer (although I have a feeling a quick trip "home" may have had something to do with it). What I can tell you is that I pretty much loved every minute I played of it until that point. (I say "pretty much loved" because I found a few aspects--like the camera in general and one boss battle in particular--to be irksome.) Here's hoping I'm able to work my way back into--and through--this sentimental journey in 2013.

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

You don't say: Another PSP-based Hakuoki game is coming to North America

Unfortunately, it sounds like this Hakuoki title, unlike the one released earlier this year, isn't very good. (That's what a good percentage of the folks posting comments here are saying, at least.)

Still, I'm curious about it. Despite the fact that its gameplay sounds Dynasty Warriors-esque. (I'm not a big fan of hack-and-slash games. Shocking, I know.) Oh, and despite the fact that it doesn't seem to include any scenes in which Isami Kondou makes out with Shinpachi Nagakura.



I've yet to add it to my lengthy "to buy" list, though, because the folks at Aksys Games have done little more than announce their intent to bring it to North America and share its localized name (Hakuoki: Warriors of the Shinsengumi) so far.

More information on this PSP release is sure to appear on its official website sooner rather than later, though, so if you're like me and you're at all interested in it, you'd do well to pay it a visit every now and then.

See also: 'A somewhat gay review of Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom (PSP)'

A somewhat gay review of Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom (PSP)

Game: Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom

Genre: Otome/Visual Novel

Developer: Idea Factory

Publisher: Aksys Games

System: PSP

Release date: 2012

Please forgive me for being a bit crass, but I consider Aksys' Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom to be the gaming equivalent of "a grower, not a shower." What I mean is that, for me at least, it wasn't all that appealing at first. I think that's because I expected ... well, something other than what greeted me during the first hour or two of my playthrough of this PSP title.

You see, rather than being the kind of action-packed game most of us in the western world are used to playing, Hakuoki is a visual novel. As such, you can expect to spend a lot of time reading text and hitting your PSP's "X" button over and over again in order to advance the game's story--which follows a young woman, Chizuru Yukimura, as she and the Shinsengumi, a group of samurai who protect the citizens of Kyoto, search for Chizuru's missing father during Japan's Bakumatsu period (1853-1867).

Although you spend a lot of time reading while playing Hakuoki, that's not all you do. Sometimes, for instance, you're able to influence the story's direction a la the Choose Your Own Adventure books that many Americans devoured as kids. At the same time, you're able to influence Chizuru's future, as each decision brings her another step closer to (or takes her a step further away from) one of the game's eligible bachelors, romantically speaking.

Sadly, these moments of interactivity are all too rare. Not only that, but they're more than a bit confusing--especially if you're like me and you've never before played a visual novel or otome game--since it's often difficult to decipher how a particular decision is going to alter Chizuru's path. That said, the interactivity, even if it's a bit ham-fisted, is more than welcome amid Hakuoki's endlessly streaming lines of text.

The good news here is that those endlessly streaming lines of text are both well-written and, for the most part, quite engaging and compelling. Similarly compelling are the game's characters, each of whom are imbued with personality, and its graphics, despite the fact that they're static and more than a little repetitive. Although the word repetitive also could be used to describe Hakuoki's soundtrack, it never really becomes grating thanks to its relaxed nature.

Given all of the above, would I recommend Hakuoki to your average PSP owner? Yes, although with a few reservations. In my opinion, this title is most likely to appeal to those who are OK with playing as a girl, who don't mind games that include a dating component, who enjoy a good page-turner and who have at least a smidge of patience.

See also: Previous 'somewhat gay' reviews

Five PSP games you should have played, but probably didn't

Of all of these "five games you should have played, but probably didn't" posts I've written and published over the last few months (here's one about DS games and here's one about Wii games), this one is the least ... informed, for lack of a better word.

After all, although my PSP game collection has grown by leaps and bounds since Christmas (more on that in an upcoming post or two), it's still a bit meager. As such, I've yet to play a number of titles that are included on lists similar to this one--titles like Half-Minute Hero, Jeanne D'Arc and Valkyria Chronicles II.

Still, I've played--and thoroughly enjoyed--enough of the system's retail and digital releases, especially niche-y ones, that I think the list below should be helpful to those of you who, like me, are looking to bolster your game collection in the PSP's waning years.

1. Cladun/Cladun x2--I'm including both Cladun games here because I'm the kind of guy who thinks it's always best to start a series with the title that got the ball rolling, so to speak. (What a concept, right?) That said, most folks--especially those who have been visiting this blog for a while--likely have heard that the second Cladun bests its dungeon-crawling predecessor in pretty much every area and, as such, many probably will want to begin with Cladun x2. If that describes you, and if you're a roguelike novice, I say "go ahead." If you're a roguelike nut, though, and a bit more ... adventurous, I'd suggest giving the original Cladun a go first and then moving on to its follow-up if you enjoy the experience.

2. Corpse Party--I've only just started playing through this PSN-based horror adventure title, but I've already experienced enough of it to know it was well worth the $19.99 I spent on it. Of course, I'm both a horror buff and an aficionado of pixel-based graphics that look like they were pulled from an unreleased SNES or Super Famicom game (always a good thing in my book). If you're not exactly a fan of either of those things you may not like Corpse Party as much as I (and others) have, but I have a feeling some of you still may enjoy it quite a bit anyway.

I'm going to get with Isami Kondou if it's the last thing I do (or, I'm currently making my way through Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom)

Those of you who have been paying attention to the little "Now Playing" list that resides on the right-side on this blog should be aware that I recently acquired a review copy of Aksys Games' PSP-based otome title, Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom. (And those of you who tend to ignore said list? Well, I guess you're in the loop now.)

I believe I've played it for about four or five hours, give or take an hour, which according to the proprietress of the Chic Pixel blog (aka apricotsushi, who you've likely come across if you've ever posted a comment here) means I should encounter one of the game's many endings sooner rather than later.

I don't want to give away too much in this post, as I'd rather save the important details for the "somewhat gay" review that will be published shortly, but I will say this: Hakuoki, while not exactly everything I had hoped for, is interesting and engaging enough that I'd recommend it to those who don't mind controlling a female protagonist and those who enjoy a good page-turner.

The second point above is especially important, as reading is pretty much all you do while "playing" Hakuoki. Every once in a while you're allowed to steer the story in one direction or another, a la those Choose Your Own Adventure books you plowed through as a kid (if you were anything like me), but other than that the main thing you'll be doing during this "visual novel" is hitting the X button on your PSP to advance the story.

As for the content of said story: It's a bit too detailed to go into here, but the long and short of it is that you have to search for the missing father of the aforementioned protagonist, Chizuru Yukimura, alongside the Shinsengumi, a tight-knit group of samurai who protect the citizens of Kyoto.

Although the bulk of your time is spent digging up clues as to the whereabouts of Chizuru's dad, a small bit of it (too small, in my opinion) is spent getting to know the studly members of the Shinsengumi better, if you catch my drift.

Personally, I only consider three of the many men in this game to be anything close to studly--which would be all well and good if it were possible to hook up with all of them. Instead, only one of them--the least appealing of the bunch, of course--is at all open to Chizuru's rather stilted advances. (Just in case anyone is curious as to which characters I'm talking about: Isami Kondou and Shinpachi Nagakura are my top two picks, while Saito Hajime comes in a somewhat-distant third.)

If any of what I've said here has piqued your interest in Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom, I'd highly recommend heading over to the game's official site, hakuoki.com, as well as this NeoGAF thread. (If you're really curious about it, you may want to check out this recent interview with Ben Batemen, a senior editor at Aksys Games, too.)

Buy: Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom (Standard Edition) or Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom (Limited Edition)

Additional proof that Kimimi (of Kimimi's Blog) is an awesome chick

Everybody who has been to Kimimi's Blog--and that's all of you, right?--knows that said blog's proprietress is an awesome chick.

(I apologize if the word "chick" offends any of you, by the way. I'm only using it here because I called Darwin Yamamoto a "dude" in this similarly-themed post. As such, I thought it would be only fitting to describe Kimimi as a "chick" in this one.)

Well, I recently discovered that Kimimi is even more awesome than I originally imagined. You see, after chatting with her--in the comments section of this blog post--about Sega's Sakura Taisen (aka Sakura Wars) series, Kimimi offered to send me her spare copy of the Saturn version of the series' first title.

Sakura Taisen's beautiful box art.

After hemming and hawing for a bit, I took her up on her generous offer--despite the fact that I don't currently own a Saturn. (Full disclosure: I've owned two in my lifetime, the first of which was bought and sold while I was a teen and the second of which was bought and sold about five years ago.)

I know I could play the game using an emulator like SSF, but I'd prefer to play it on the real thing. So, I'm going to do my best to keep from playing it until I pick up another Saturn (and a copy of the awesome-tacular Saturn Bomberman).

In the meantime, I'd also like to extend a hearty "thank you" to the folks at Aksys Games and Dudedle Studio, who recently sent me review copies of Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom and Sugar Shooter 2, respectively. Expect to see "somewhat gay" reviews of both titles shortly.

So, I just pre-ordered Grand Knights History

I was on the fence about this Vanillaware-developed, Xseed Games-published, PSP-based RPG (yes, even after begging North American publishers to bring it to our shores) ... until I watched the following gameplay video the other day:



As soon as I saw the curved, globe-like backdrop and the beautiful, Princess Crown-ish (or maybe I should say Muramasa-esque?) characters in motion, I knew I had to pre-order this game--which is set to hit North American store shelves on Feb. 21--and pronto. (If you'd also like to pre-order a copy of Grand Knights History, you can do so here.)

I'm also on the verge of pre-ordering another PSP game, Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom, by the way. And Growlanser: Wayfarer of Time. And Gungnir.

Anyone who can talk me out of picking up any or all of the above-mentioned releases will earn my (and my bank account's) undying love and appreciation.