The best box art of 2016

This past year was a great one for games. It also was great for game cover art--as the following examples hopefully prove.

Culdcept Revolt (3DS)--To be totally honest, I originally chose to include this piece of box art in this post because it's awash in red. I've since come around to appreciating that the game's cast of characters aren't huddled around the middle point of the illustration, which seems to the case for most Japanese cover images these days. Add in Culdcept Revolt's slick logo, and you've got yourself an obvious winner.

Dragon Quest Builders (PS4/Vita)--What's not to love about Dragon Quest Builders' Japanese cover art? After all, it sports a top-notch logo, a charmingly stylized main image and is so sweetly colorful it could give you a toothache. Sadly, Square Enix's designers gave it an extreme makeover when prepping the game for release outside its home country.

Final Fantasy XV Deluxe Edition (PS4)--I've drooled over Yoshitaka Amano's work since I learned he was responsible for the key art for one of my all-time favorite games, Final Fantasy VI. What he conjured up for Final Fantasy XV's Deluxe Edition may not be quite as mind-blowing as those aforementioned creations, but it's still completely gorgeous and very much worthy of being mentioned in a write-up such as this.

Ikenie to Yuki no Setsuna (PS4/Vita)--This may be my favorite of all the box arts mentioned in this post. I love that it's subtle. I love that its designers weren't afraid of white space. I love the pop of color provided by the lone tree in the upper-right corner. I love the logo, which straddles the line of looking handwritten and looking like a computer-enabled font. And, oddly enough, I love the feeling of loneliness it evokes.



The Last Guardian (PS4)--Please note that I'm talking about the Japanese "First-Press Limited Edition" here. As in, the chartreuse-tinged label affixed to the cardboard outer box shown in the photo above. That's the only cover image associated with this long-awaited release I find at all appealing, by the way.

6 Vita games I'm looking forward to playing in 2016

Along with the handful of Vita games mentioned in my recent pair of "5 games I bought in 2015 that I've regrettably (and embarrassingly) failed to play" posts, I'm also looking forward to spending time with the following titles between now and the end of this year:

Airship Q--A Terraria clone made by a Japanese indie developer and filled with feline characters? Put me down for at least one copy, and maybe two. Seriously, though, what's not to like about such a scenario? OK, so the language barrier could prove to be a problem if I go with the physical Japanese release (which is the current plan). I'm willing to risk it, though, for the fabulous box art and actual, I-can-sell-it-down-the-road-if-I-want-to-do-so cartridge.

Alone With You--This upcoming digital offering captured my attention for two reasons when its release was announced a few months back. One is that it brings to mind some of the great PC games I enjoyed whenI was younger. Another is that it includes a romance element--which I pretty much always consider to be a welcome addition to any title that's caught my eye.

Crypt of the NecroDancer--I've wanted to play this wonderfully weird digital title, which dares to combine elements of the rhythm and rogulike genres, since the PC version was unveiled a couple of years ago. Because I hate playing games on my Mac (or any computer, for that matter), though, I dragged my feet on buying it. Which is great, as developer Brace Yourself Games revealed this past fall that a Vita version is in the works. Here's hoping it comes out sooner rather than later, as I really want to see if this is the video game equivalent of a Reese's peanut butter cup--an example of a wonderful combo, in my opinion--or if it's more like a Necco Wafer wrapped in a Tootsie Roll.

Ikenie to Yuki no Setsuna--The timing of this Square Enix-made game's release (next month--in Japan, at least) is just about perfect, if you ask me. I'm currently working my way through the DS version of the title (Chrono Trigger) that inspired it, and I should wrap up its adventure just before my boxed copy of Ikenie to Yuki no Setsuna makes its way across the pond to my welcome mat. Will it live up to its pedigree? I have no idea, but I certainly hope that'll be the case--and then some.

SaGa Scarlet Grace--I've made no secret over the years of the fact that I'm a huge fan of Square's SaGa series. The second GameBoy title is one of my favorite games for that handheld, while SaGa Frontier is among my all-time favorite games for any system. As a result, I'm chomping at the bit to get my hands on this latest entry in the series. Fingers crossed Scarlet Grace stays far away from the hideous art style of the PS2 Romancing SaGa remake or the hair-pullingly obtuse gameplay of Unlimited SaGa for the same console.

Zero Time Dilemma--Why am I buying the Vita version of this third entry in the thrilling Zero Escape series instesd of the 3DS iteration? Because I'm going to start playing the second game, Virtue's Last Reward, on Sony's handheld shortly, and I figure I'll want to follow it up by playing its sequel on the same mschine. Also, I have so many 3DS titles at this point that I figure I should show my Vita a bit more love.

Are there any in-the-works Vita games that are causing you to salivate in anticipation of their impending (in 2016) release? If so, let me know about them in the comments section that follows.

Let's take a minute to chat about (and ogle) Ikenie to Yuki no Setsuna's gorgeous character designs

I'm looking forward to putting loads of games--new and old--through their paces in 2016, but one of the former that I'm especially keen on playing is Square Enix's throwback RPG known as Ikenie to Yuki no Setsuna.

There are a ton of reasons for my interest in this upcoming PS4 and Vita adventure, of course. One is that it features a Chrono Trigger-esque battle system. Another is that it takes place (at least partially) in a breathtakingly wintry setting.

I also love that the in-game versions of Ikenie to Yuki no Setsuna's many party members all boast what can only be described as "stubby feet" à la Bravely Default and Bravely Second. (And, no, I'm not kidding.)

Speaking of the game's color cast of characters, they're also among the reasons I can't wait for my retail copy to arrive on our doorstep shortly after Feb. 18.

Seriously, take a gander at the illustrations found throughout this post and then try to tell me you wouldn't kill to play through a title that stars such beauties.

Setsuna, the ponytailed "hero" and Kuon, above, are my favorites, I've got to say, but I'm also quite fond of Julion, Yomi and Keele (or Kiel).

If I were forced to choose a favorite of all Ikenie to Yuki no Setsuna's currently known party members, I'd probably go with Kuon.

How about you? Which one is your favorite?

Also, are any of you also chomping at the bit to play some iteration of this retro-tinged RPG in the coming year?

See also: 'Square Enix's beautiful throwback of an RPG, Ikenie to Yuki no Setsuna, will be mine sometime on or around Feb. 18'

Square Enix's beautiful throwback of an RPG, Ikenie to Yuki no Setsuna, will be mine (and yours, too?) sometime on or around Feb. 18

If you're anything like me, you slobbered all over Project Setsuna's first trailer, which made its debut during a Sony Japan event held in September.

What's happened in the two months since? Not a whole lot--again, if you're like me. Although maker Square Enix promised this breathtaking PS4 and Vita RPG would hit the streets of Japan "early next year," that was too far away for my puny little brain so I pushed its released onto the proverbial back burner until the date was a bit closer.

Admittedly, it's still three months away as I type this post, but at least now those of us who are interested in the game have a solid release date--Feb. 18--to focus on moving forward.

We also have a final name--Ikenie to Yuki no Setsuna, which I've been told translates to something like The Sorrow of Sacrifice and Snow--a retail price (4,800 yen, or about $39) and a cover illustration.

The only thing we're missing at the moment: a handy pre-order link. OK, so Play-Asia has a pair up on its site--here's the one for the PS4 version and here's the one for the Vita version--but I prefer to buy upcoming and current Japanese games via AmiAmi, so I'm waiting for it to allow pre-orders before finally biting the bullet (on the Vita iteration, naturally).

Are any of you planning to buy one or more copies of Ikenie to Yuki no Setsuna? Or are any of you hoping it'll cross the pond and find its way onto the store shelves in your neck of the woods?

If so, please let me and others who visit this blog know all about it in the comments section below when you have a free second or two.