I'm seriously considering picking up one of these Monster Hunter 4 'face covers' for my 3DS XL

The question is: which one should I buy? (Assuming I wind up buying either of them, of course.)

I'm currently leaning toward the one on the right, by the way--which, according to the folks at play-asia.com, is the "Postman Version."



Should any of you want to purchase one or both of these adorable 3DS LL/XL "face covers," the "Postman Version" can be pre-ordered here, while the "Otomoairu Version" (the green one) can be pre-ordered here.

Oh, and both will set you back just $19.90 (apiece) when they're released on Sept. 14.

I find this quartet of recent-ish Japanese 3DS box arts to be really appealing, too

While hunting down examples of beautiful PS3 box art for this blog post late last week, I came across the following handful of similarly appealing Japanese 3DS covers and decided to conjure up a post about them as well.

The first, below, is of Spike Cunsoft's oddly named (and just as oddly themed--as it has players explore demon-infested dungeons with their illegitimate spawn, er, "Star Children" in tow) Conception II: Guidance of Seven Stars and Muzzle’s Nightmare.

Odd as it may be, Conception II's cover art looks pretty great--thanks in large part to its use of bright blues, purples and magentas.

The design created for New Etrian Odyssey: Millennium Girl's packaging, below, is on the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of both color and drama, but that doesn't mean I find it boring.

On the contrary, I find it to be completely compelling. Strange as it probably seems, I'm particularly taken with the font that makes up its logo--a perfect complement, in my opinion, to the ethereal illustration that supports it.

Mario and Luigi RPG 4's box art, below, also keeps things simple, and benefits greatly from it.

The only thing I'd change: that bat-thing that's hovering just above Mario's head. It really isn't needed. Thankfully, it hardly destroys the rest of the design, so I won't be too disappointed if it appears on the game's North American cover, too.

I have a feeling I'm going to be in the minority when it comes to liking Monster Hunter 4's box art, below, but I don't care.

Of course, I've long had a soft spot for the kind of illustrations that graced covers of North American Genesis games--which Monster Hunter 4's art harkens back to, even if unintentionally--so you might want to take my opinion with a large grain of salt.

What do all of you think about the box arts above? Do you love them? Hate them? Don't worry, a shrug of the shoulders is an acceptable response, too.

See also: 'I find this trio of recent-ish Japanese PS3 box arts to be really appealing'

This morning's Japanese Nintendo Direct sold me on Gyakuten Saiban 5 and Monster Hunter 4

And possibly Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate as well.

Honestly, I've been thinking of hopping onto the Monster Hunter train for a while now, so the admission that I'm strongly considering picking up 3U and 4 probably isn't much of a surprise.

My sudden interest in Gyakuten Saiban 5 (aka Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney--Dual Destinies) is a bit of a shock, though, as this long-running series barely registered on my radar in the past (despite its rather glowing reputation, I should add).

Here's the trailer that sold me on the game during this morning's Japanese Nintendo Direct (which can be viewed in its entirety here, by the way):



And here's the trailer that seemingly pushed me over the edge in regard to Monster Hunter 4:



Monster Hunter 4 will hit Japanese store shelves--as well as the virtual ones of that region's 3DS eShop--on Sept. 14, while Gyakuten Saiban 5 will be released there on July 25.

Are any of you planning to buy either or both of these 3DS titles if and when they leave Japan?

Sorry, but I don't have a one-word reaction to share RE: yesterday's Nintendo Direct

I do have a few words to say about it, though--if anyone's interested in hearing them.

This latest Nintendo Direct broadcast, which focused on third-party 3DS games, began with Satoru Iwata showing some new footage of Tomodachi Collection: New Life, the sequel to a Japan-only DS life sim that's sold more than three million copies to date.

I don't know about you, but Iwata had me hooked at the get-go thanks to his Famicom-themed room.



The question is: will the game, which will be released in Japan on April 18, do what its predecessor did not and make its way westward? I hope so, although I have my doubts.

Iwata then went on to discuss a number of upcoming third-party games, some of which I'm interested in and some of which I'm not, including Level-5's Professor Layton and the Legacy of Super Civilization A (aka Professor Layton and the Azran Legacies) and Youkai Watch, Success' Touch Detective: Funghi's Big Breed (a match-three spin-off of the company's Touch Detective series) and Namco Bandai's Dragon Ball Heroes: Ultimate Mission and Super Robot Wars UX.

Far more intriguing to me was the news that Level-5's Guild 02 compilation will now be released digitally rather than via retail. That said, only one of the Guild 02 titles really intrigued me, with that title being Spaceship Damray, a "suspense adventure" that's being developed by game designer Asano Kazuya and novelist Takemaru Abiko.

Atlus' Shin Megami Tensei IV and Capcom's Monster Hunter 4 wrapped up this installment of Nintendo Direct, and both looked pretty great to these presser-weary (after Sony's PS4 event of a few days ago) eyes.



I've been on the Shin Megami Tensei IV hype train since it was first announced, of course, but I haven't always had such a favorable impression of Monster Hunter 4 (or any Monster Hunter game, for that matter), so it'll be interesting to see if I follow through and buy the series' latest entry should it be released here in North America.

I have to admit that I was hoping a few new 3DS games--like a Final Fantasy V remake using Bravely Default's engine--would be announced during this broadcast, but I guess it wasn't meant to be.

Maybe next time, Nintendo?

10 North American 3DS games I'm looking forward to playing in 2013

As great as 2012 was for me and my 3DS (the same can't be said for my wallet), 2013 looks to be even better in terms of high-quality releases.

Which games am I most looking forward to shoving into my 3DS' cartridge slot over the next 12 months? Here's 10 of them:

1. Animal Crossing: New Leaf--Of all the games included in this post, this is the most shocking, right? Seriously, though, I'm looking forward to playing New Leaf more than any other title that's set to be released--for any system, not just the 3DS--in 2013. My husband, on the other hand, likely is dreading its release, as he knows it's going to take over my life for at least a few months.

2. Bravely Default: Flying Fairy--I know this beautiful, 4 Heroes of Light-esque RPG hasn't been announced for North American release yet, but I'm including it here anyway in the hopes that Square Enix will do so soon.

3. Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers--See the Bravely Default blurb above, but replace Square Enix with Atlus USA. Seriously, though, I think the chances of this one ending up in my grubby little hands are pretty good given Atlus USA's track record when it comes to the MegaTen series.

4. Etrian Odyssey IV--Full disclosure: Although I've been a fan of this dungeon-crawling series since the first title was released for the DS back in 2007, I've yet to play the second and third entries. Regardless, I'm going to pick up the fourth the day it's made available in my neck of the woods.

5. Fire Emblem: Awakening--Ever since the Japanese version of this tactical RPG was first shown off, I've wanted to play it. Given Nintendo of America's track record of bringing niche-y games to this region, though, I was a bit worried I'd never be able to do so. Thankfully, they recently proved me wrong and revealed that it'll be out in early February.

Six mouth-watering 3DS game trailers for your viewing pleasure

Although the Tokyo Game Show 2012 has been a bit of a dud (in my opinion, of course) as far as new game announcements are concerned, the event has been good for at least one thing: The release of a slew of awesome-looking 3DS game trailers, six of which can be viewed below.

Ace Attorney 5 (Capcom):



Bravely Default: Flying Fairy (Square Enix):



Fantasy Life (Level 5):