On the one hand, this "Fat Chocobo" plush is completely adorable

On the other, uh, $86.90?

Sure, this "Fat Chocobo" plush is rather large as these things go--it's 11 by 12 by 17 inches, basically--and its design was inspired by a 3DS game I'm very much looking forward to sinking my teeth into soon (that would be Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call), but even then I can't say I think it's worth nearly $90.



Should any of you feel differently on this subject, you may want to go ahead and order one of these (admittedly adorable) toys via shopncsx.com.

Another option: buy one through amiami.com, which is selling the very same product for approximately $37 less. (AmiAmi's price is 5,480 yen, or just over $50.)

I'd rather have a Dragon Quest Slime stress ball, but these Cactuar, Chocobo and Moogle ones will do in a pinch

I can't say I've ever had much interest in owning or even using a stress ball, but I'm giving the idea serious consideration after setting eyes on the Final Fantasy-themed ones that can be seen throughout this post.

If these were plushes or something of the sort, I'd point to the Chocobo and Moogle varieties as potential purchases, but what kind of monster would I have to be to enjoy pulverizing the faces of those adorable mascots?

I probably wouldn't have the same problem squishing Cactuar's noggin between my fingers, though, so let's say that's the one I'd go with if I were to go ahead and buy a Final Fantasy stress ball.

Shopncsx.com is selling these beauties for $15.90 apiece, by the way, with orders expected to begin shipping sometime next month.

I know next to nothing about Freedom Wars or its mascot, Propa-kun, but I kind of want this adorable sofubi figure anyway

Freedom Wars, for those of you who've never heard of it, is a Vita game that was developed by SCE Japan Studio and released in that part of the world in June. (It'll hit store shelves of one sort or another throughout Europe and North America this October.)

Here's a brief summary of the game pulled from its Wikipedia page: "Set in the distant future at a time when the majority of humankind are imprisoned in penal city-states known as Panopticons that wage war against one another, Freedom Wars involves players cooperating together to fight against enemies and contribute toward their Panopticon."

OK, so that isn't really the most illuminating of synopses. Still, word of mouth related to the game is pretty positive, so it's still occupying a space on my surprisingly lengthy Vita wish list.

Another reason I may pick up a copy of Freedom Wars after I acquire a Vita: its mascot, "Propa-kun," is all kinds of adorable, as evidenced by the sofubi figures based on the character that are now being sold--for just under $37--by folks at shopncsx.com (and elsewhere, I'm sure).

Each figure is nearly six inches tall and made out of soft vinyl, in case you're curious. Also, the folks at NCS expect pre-orders to ship sometime in November.

All I want for or Christmas are these awesome Monster Hunter 4G 'Stained Design' straps

Granted, I have no idea what I'd do with them once I got them, but that's beside the point.

I especially want the last four on the bottom row of the following image, by the way. I've yet to see their in-game inspirations, but I want them all the same.

Each of these Monster Hunter-inspired accessories measure five centimeters by four centimeters (or 1.96 inches by 1.57 inches, I believe) and all are made of zinc alloy, epoxy resin, iron and nylon.

The whole she-bang (all 10 "straps") can be pre-ordered at shopncsx.com for $50.90, with shipment expected to occur sometime in late November.

Should someone decide to make a Dragon Quest Slime version of these headphones, I'll probably buy a couple of pairs

Don't get me wrong, I like Dragon Quest's Watabou character well enough, but not so much that I'd buy a $22 pair of fluffy headphones bearing its likeness.

Granted, even if someone made a Slime variation of this product, I'd probably only wear them around the house.

Whatever. I'd consider them a worthy purchase even if all I did was use them to decorate my desk.

Should you be interested in a pair (or two) of Watabou headphones, though, you'll want to head over to shopncsx.com at your earliest convenience so you can plop down a pre-order well in advance of their November release.

I'd be a lot more interested in these if they were Dragon Quest-branded coffee mugs rather than 'melamine cups'

To be completely honest, I'm not entirely sure what a "melamine cup" is. Are we just talking about a plastic cup that a person might use to drink milk or water?

Regardless, I can't help but wish the Dragon Quest-themed vessels (above and below--oh, and there's a blue one, too!) that will soon be sold by the folks at shopncsx.com were porcelain mugs rather than melamine cups.

Of course, I need a game-related mug like I need a social disease (some would say "another social disease"), so maybe I should forget about this particular wish while I'm ahead.

Are any of you chomping at the bit to own one of these cups (which can be bought for just $8.90 each), or are you perfectly fine with whatever other cups you already own?

I'd prefer a new Chocobo game, but I'll take a mug

Before I get to the focus of this post, which is the adorable Chocobo mug seen below, I have a question to ask the folks at Square Enix: when are you finally going to produce another console or, preferably, handheld game starring Chocobo?

Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon was one of my favorite Wii games, and Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales was pretty darn awesome, too. As such, I'd love to see another game that showcases the fluffy little fellow, especially if the game in question were to be made and released for the 3DS.

In the meantime, I guess I'll have to pacify myself by picking up one of the adorable Chocobo mugs being sold by Internet retailer NCS.

(You've got to love the shop's hilarious description of this item: "Whereas the front of the mug features Chocobo's face, the back sports a trail of Chocobo's claw prints on what we assume to be yellow snow.")

Just in case any of you are considering buying one and you'd like to know a bit more about the product before moving ahead with your purchase, each mug is 7.5 centimeters tall, holds 8 ounces of liquid and costs $16.90. Oh, and they'll ship in early February.

See also: 'Who wouldn't want to wake up to one of these slimy suckers?'

Surely there's space on my puny little desk for at least one of these Pikmin plushes, right?

Don't worry, I'm not actually planning to buy any of the adorable plushes seen below--in part because the bulk of my gaming allowance for the rest of the year was accounted for long ago.

That won't stop me from pining for one or more of them, though--especially the trio found along the bottom of the following photo.



Although I think the Blue Pikmin clinging to the coffee mug is my favorite, the other two also are pretty cute.

Speaking of which, here's a closer, if slightly mangier, look at the "Red Pikmin with flower pot":



All were produced by Japanese toy manufacturer Sanei, by the way, and can be bought via importer NCSX (here) for between $13.90 and $23.90.

See also: 'A few thoughts on (and a photo of) the new Club Nintendo Pikmin tote bag'

This set of Final Fantasy keychains is awesome, but I'm not sure it's $117 awesome

And, really, what would one do with 29 Final Fantasy-branded keychains even if one had $117 ($116.90, if you're a stickler for details) to blow on them?

I guess you could use one per day--switching them out at the end of each night--and waltz around town telling all the gawkers, "Oh, this? This is the Final Fantasy keychain I use on the sixth of every month. Wait until you see tomorrow's!"

Or you could do what most people who wind up buying a set will do in the end--which is keep them boxed up in the back of your closet. (No hate--I'd do the same!)

All kidding aside, I think these keychains--each of which is 28 millimeters wide and 34 millimeters tall, with a 63-millimeter chain--are pretty cool. They'd be cooler if they featured sprites pulled from the original version of Final Fantasy V rather than Final Fantasy: All the Bravest, of course, but that goes without saying.

Should you want to buy them anyway, head on over to shopncsx.com sometime between now and late September and plop down a pre-order.

Who wouldn't want to wake up to one of these slimy suckers?

I don't know about you, but I start every day by downing a couple of steaming mugfuls of coffee. Unfortunately, the mugs in question are about as boring as you can get--completely unadorned and white.

That may help explain why I'm more interested in acquiring the following Dragon Quest-themed mug than I probably should be.

Of course, I'm a Dragon Quest fan from way back, so that may be partially to blame for my curiosity, too.

Regardless, I'm intrigued--and I'm seriously considering buying one (for $22.90) once they become available at ncsx.com.

The question is: should I buy the one above, branded with the long-running RPG series' smiling mascot, or should I go with the one that features a similarly grinning metal slime?

Precious game-related thing I desperately want but do not need: Space Invaders x Hello Kitty pouch

No joke: if the "square pouch" below--which features a Space Invaders x Hello Kitty mash-up that could only come from Japan--were large enough to fit a Nintendo DS or 3DS, I'd hand over my hard-earned money to the folks at NCSX right now.

The problem is, I have no idea of knowing how large or small these Gotochi-made pouches are at the moment--which means for the time being, at least, my cash is staying put in the confines of my wallet.



Should I hear from someone at NCSX that they're large enough to accommodate, say, my "misty pink" Japanese 3DS--well, I may have to reconsider.

Thankfully, the pouches--which currently carry a price tag of $25.90--aren't expected to ship until October, so all of us Space Invaders and/or Hello Kitty fans have plenty of time to suss out what's what when it comes to their length and girth.

Pre-order: Space Invaders x Hello Kitty square pouch