A few (more) thoughts on Yomawari: Night Alone in honor of #HorrorGameOct

Nippon Ichi's Yomawari: Night Alone and I have a complicated--and convoluted--history.

First, I bought a boxed copy of this Vita game's Japanese release. (See some photos of its case, cartridge, and instruction pamphlet here.) Although I'd been keenly interested in it since it was announced, it took me a good number of months to even put the Yomawari cartridge into my Vita. And after all that, I only played it for a short while before walking away because I just wasn't in the mood for a scary game at the time.

Then, earlier this year, I felt like giving it another try. Rather than boot up my Japanese cart, though, I purchased the North American version from the PlayStation Store. I actually put about two hours into Night Alone that time around, but this playthrough--which I discussed in this post from mid-March--was cut short, too, thanks to a little game called Dragon Quest Builders.

And why didn't I return to Yomawari after Dragon Quest Builders lost its hold on me? I'm not sure, to tell you the truth. I guess I turned my attention to something else--perhaps a 3DS title (or two)?

Regardless, between then and now, I've completely ignored Night Alone. I picked it up for a third time a couple of weeks ago, though, because my friend Anne kicked off a horror-focused community game-along--called #HorrorGameOct--that got me thinking about it again.

So, here we are. Attempt number three. The first thing you need to know about my latest Yomawari: Night Alone playthrough is I once again started from scratch. It's been so long since I last tackled the game that I thought returning to my old save file would be a mistake, so I erased it and threw myself into a new one.

Something else you need to know: I'm referring to a walkthrough this time around in the hopes it'll help me finish the game. As much as I hate to admit it, I find it easy to get lost while playing Night Alone thanks to its confusing map (or maybe it would be more accurate to blame its distressingly similar-looking alleyways and streets) and dimly lit locales.



Actually, due in large part to the above-mentioned niggles, I can honestly say I'd probably rather experience Yomawari: Night Alone on a TV than on a Vita. Which is saying a lot, as I almost always prefer playing games on a handheld device to playing them on a traditional console.

Another thing I hate to admit about my current Yomawari playthrough: I'm pretty sure its hiding mechanism failed to ping my radar during previous attempts. Now that I'm aware of and making use of it, though, I'm slapping myself. For starters, it makes it a lot easier to avoid the game's ghoulish baddies. Plus, it's fun to duck behind a sign or jump into some bushes and then "watch" as a nightmarish creature or two passes by via the protagonist's heartbeat and what I can only describe as a sort of heat map. (Less fun: leaving your hiding spot and immediately being killed. Oh, well, you have to get used to dying if you're going to play this title.)

Other than all that, I don't have much new to say about this Vita game. I'm still a fan of its looks, which are one part cute and one part horrific. (You'll know what I mean regarding the latter the second you lay your eyes on one of Night Alone's more hideous enemies.) I can't say the same about its soundtrack, but that's only because the bulk of Yomawari is experienced in near-silence. That's fine by me, though, as it enhances the atmosphere and tension.

As for the gameplay, it impresses, too. I guess some might disagree, as Night Alone's basically a visual novel that allows you to run around a small town and avoid monsters--rather than stare at static screens--while progressing its story, but I'm enjoying it overall despite its issues.

I've heard the game can be finished in just a handful of hours, so I doubt it'll be long before I encounter its end credits--assuming I continue to plug away at it (and keep my eye on the aforementioned walkthrough) this coming week. That's the current plan, so look for me to write and publish a Yomawari: Night Alone review soon.

In the meantime, have any of you played this Vita thriller? If so, please share your impressions of it in the comments section of this post.

Shall We Do It? (Balloon Kid, Dragon Quest Builders, Yomawari: Night Alone and more)

After beating Dragon Quest VII, Kirby: Planet Robobot and Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World in recent weeks, I decided to ignore my ever-growing pile of 3DS games and focus on some other handheld titles in my backlog for a bit.

If you'd like to read my thoughts on my Dragon Quest VII playthrough, by the way, you can do so here. This post, on the other hand, focuses on my experiences with Kirby: Planet Robobot and Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World.

As for the games that are currently monopolizing my time, here are a handful of impressions that'll hopefully give you an idea as to what they're like and whether or not I'm enjoying them so far.

Balloon Kid (GameBoy)--Although I play the first few stages of the GameBoy Color version of this title fairly regularly (on my Japanese 3DS), I haven't played the black-and-green original for quite a while. In the wake of my "most influential games" write-up about it, though, I thought I should boot up the latter again. So I did. Two hours (spread over about four days) later, I beat its final boss and grinned from ear to ear as its end credits scrolled by.

This latest Balloon Kid playthrough made me ponder the game in a way I hadn't previously. For instance, it didn't hit me until this most recent jaunt through Pax Softonica's title that the difficulty of its stages leaps rather than progresses. I guess that shouldn't have come as a surprise to me, as I played the game a ton when it first came out in 1990. The thing is, I was in my early teens then, and at that point in my life it took a lot for a side-scroller of any sort to shake me. My reflexes have slowed a tad in the ensuing years, so the transition from Balloon Kid's fifth to sixth stage this time around was tough.

Something else that struck me over the last couple of days was that, in many ways, Balloon Kid is half-baked--and this obviously is coming from someone who loves and respects the game in its current "unfinished" state. I say that for a few reasons. One, it features just eight levels. (The whole she-bang can be wrapped up in less than two hours if you've got the skills.) Two, its level design is all over the place. On the positive side, you've got the first stage and its pencil-shaped buildings as well as the fourth stage, which takes place in the bowels of a whale. On the negative side, the rest of its stages are disappointingly clichéd in terms of their themes.

Still, the overall journey through Balloon Kid is so charming and so different from pretty much every other side-scrolling game in existence that it's easy enough to overlook those niggles and focus on the fun at hand. Which is just what I did earlier this week--even when I found myself dying over and over and over again in the game's final three stages.

Dragon Quest Builders (Vita)--Of all the games discussed here, this is the one I've put the most time into over the last couple of weeks. In fact, I've already devoted around 12 hours to this portable Minecraft clone. That number would be a good bit higher if I hadn't dedicated myself to finishing Balloon Kid or starting (at long last) Link's Awakening, but don't expect me to complain about that.

Anyway, back to Dragon Quest Builders. Before we move on, you should know I've never played any version of Minecraft. I put many more hours than I should've into the Minecraft-esque Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley, but that's hardly the same thing. I guess what I'm trying to say here is that I can't comment on how good or bad Dragon Quest Builders is as a Minecraft clone. Which may be just as well.

At any rate, I love Builders so far. I love its rather languid pace and "do whatever you want" attitude. I love its aesthetic. Surprisingly, I love its town-building component. (I'm usually not a huge fan of such things.)

More than anything, though, I'm loving just running around its world, battling iconic Dragon Quest baddies and gathering materials from the earth around me. I probably should have accomplished more by this point in my playthrough (I'm still in the first chapter, though I've leveled up my town a number of times and it currently has four inhabitants besides myself), but I'm in no particular hurry to finish this game, so I'm fine with slowly savoring the experience for now.

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (GameBoy)--I have a feeling a lot of people will be shocked to hear I've never played this portable Zelda adventure before now. Hell, it even surprises me. As for why I've ignored it for so long, I wish I could tell you. My assumption is that I'd recently played A Link to the Past and assumed Link's Awakening would be too similar to it to be worthwhile. Or maybe I'd moved on from the GameBoy by the time of this cart's release? That was 1993, after all. Whatever the case, I passed on buying it then, and I continued to do so until I purchased a digital copy from the 3DS eShop earlier this year.

As of now, I'm about three hours into its adventure. My verdict thus far: I think it's great. It looks and feels to me like a portable cousin to A Link to the Past at the moment, although that's not to suggest Link's Awakening is a carbon copy of its 16-bit counterpart. It actually offers up a number of unique quirks that help it stand out not only from A Link to the Past but other top-down Zelda games as well. Some of my favorites: the Super Mario Bros.-inspired enemies, the side-scrolling segues and the intriguing abilities (Link can jump!) and accoutrements (the BowWow that accompanies Link for a time early on) players acquire.

Obviously I'm still at the beginning of this Zelda title, so it's hard to say if I'll still adore it after I finish it (or even if I'll finish it), but right now I'm finding it thoroughly engrossing, and I look forward to seeing what's in store for me and Link as I continue to explore its dungeons and overworld.



Yomawari: Night Alone (Vita)--No one ever said I was the brightest bulb on the tree when it comes to how I spend my hard-earned cash. Case in point: although I've had a boxed Japanese copy of this Nippon Ichi Software-made game (see photos of its case and cartridge here) since it first hit the streets in late 2015, I just bought a digital copy of its North American release--despite the fact that I've yet to even boot up the aforementioned import cart.

Hey, whatever gets me to finally play the game, right? And play it I have--for about two hours, I'd say. That may not sound like a lot, but it's definitely been enough for me to get a good feel for what it has to offer.

Speaking of which, Yomawari is a conundrum--or at least a curiosity--so far. On the one hand, it's surprisingly cute. Some may say it looks kind of cheap and "mobile-like," too. I wouldn't argue with those folks, but I also wouldn't agree with them. For me, Yomawari looks great, especially since the adorable aspects of its aesthetic help make its more hideous aspects as shocking as possible.

"Shocking" is a key word here, because you will be shocked while playing Yomawari. In general, Yomawari is about exploration. Your dog runs away, your older sister goes missing (while trying to find the previously discussed pup) and you head out after both of them in the dark of night. Unfortunately, you're not alone as you stalk the town that serves as this game's setting. Filling the streets and alleys and parks and other locales alongside you are ghosts and ghoulies that are more nightmarishly designed that you'd probably assume based on the rest of Yomawari's visuals.

These spooks and specters aren't just apparitions, though. Once they see you, they give chase. Fail to avoid or get away from them (they can't be fought) and they'll kill you--represented by blood that splashes across the screen. Such deaths are pretty common, if my experience is anything to go by. I'd say I died about five times within the first hour of my Yomawari playthrough. Granted, some of that was due to me not fully understanding the game's rules. (Very little is explained at this title's outset, so you have to figure out almost everything on your own.) Some of it, though, was due to the game not being a pushover.

As much as I'm enjoying Yomawari right now, I can't help but feel it may eventually wear out its welcome and grow tiring. Regardless, I'll keep plugging away at it and let you know as soon as possible whether that's the case or not.

In the meantime, have you played any of the games mentioned in this post? If so, what are your thoughts on them? Also, what are you playing now? Let me (and others) know in the comments section below.

Nippon Ichi Software just announced what appears to be a Half-Minute Hero rip-off for Vita, and I'm more than OK with it

After all, it's not like Marvelous, the maker of the Half-Minute Hero games, seems all that interested in continuing the series. So why not let the folks at Nippon Ichi Software, who have shown a similarly deft touch when dealing with quirky, sprite-centric titles, have a go at it?

This is assuming the just-announced Vita game, whose title apparently translates to something like World’s Longest 5 Minutes, actually is some sort of Half-Minute Hero rip-off or clone. At the moment, all we have to go by is its name and the image of what appears to be its pixelated protagonist that's placed front and center on its teaser site.



It's quite possible, of course, that the final product won't be a clone of the series that's called Yūsha Sanjū in Japan. Even if that's the case, though, I have a feeling I'll be interested enough in World’s Longest 5 Minutes to want to pick up a copy of it at some point down the line.

Actually, I might want to pick up a copy of it at launch. I'll probably hold off on that a bit, though, as you never know--some brave company may decide to bring it to North America. All bets are off in that regard, though, if World’s Longest 5 Minutes winds up with great cover art.

How about all of you? Are any of you intrigued by this game, which will be released in Japan on July 28, despite the fact that you don't know a whole lot about it? Or do you need to see it in action--or at least see a screenshot or two--before you can make that kind of decision? Share your thoughts one way or another in the comments section below.

Nippon Ichi Software's teasing a new game, and I think it may be related to the Cladun series

Raise your hand if you had a blast playing Nippon Ichi's Cladun: This is an RPG at some point after the quirky dungeon-crawler earned a worldwide release (for the PSP) back in 2010.

Now raise your other hand if you also enjoyed that game's sequel, Cladun x2, which first saw the light of day in 2011.

To those of you who now have both arms raised: I'm not quite sure how you're going to read the rest of this post (or start the video below), but I'm sure you'll concoct some sort of solution.



To the rest of you: watch and listen to the snippet above--yes, even those of you who have yet to even think of raising a hand--which the folks at NIS helpfully and straightforwardly named, "Title Teaser BGM."

In other words, the musical numbers featured in this teaser probably are from an upcoming Nippon Ichi game.

Given the chiptune-y sound of the tracks and the character sprite revealed at the video's tail end, I have a feeling the title's related to the company's Cladun series in some way. What do you think?

Feast your eyes on the first gameplay footage of htoL#NiQ's soon-to-be-released spiritual sequel, Rose and the Old Castle of Twilight

Is it weird to be excited about the sequel to a game you've never played?

If it is, I'm not embarrassed. The sequel in question--Roze to Tasogare no Kojou, which translates to something like Rose and the Old Castle of Twilight--looks amazing, and that's enough for me at the moment.

Plus, it's quite possible this soon-to-be-released Vita game will be less aggravating than its predecessor, htoL#NiQ: The Firefly Diary, seems to be.

Speaking of which, I finally bought a copy of the Asian version of htoL#NiQ a couple of weeks ago, and it should be in my grubby little hands by the end of this weekend.



While we wait for that to happen, and while we wait for me to play it and then pass along my (hopefully not completely exasperated) impressions, let's check out the first footage of Rose and the Old Castle of Twilight. It certainly reminds of htol#NiQ, doesn't it?

The question is: will the gameplay be more enjoyable than that of The Firefly Diary? I have a feeling it will be, but there's no way to know for sure until April 28, which is when Rose and the Old Castle of Twilight hits store shelves in Japan.

Do any of you have designs on picking up this Vita title? Let me know why that is in the comments section that follows.

Pre-order: the regular (Japanese) edition of Roze to Tasogare no Kojou or the premium box edition

Has any game ever looked as frightening *and* adorable as Nippon Ichi's Yomawari?

Seriously. Just look at this new trailer (below) for Nippon Ichi's Yomawari.

At first glance, it appears to be a cute, but dark, adventure game for the Vita. Then the enemies start popping around (around the 1:25 mark) and everything literally goes to hell.

As much as those hungry, toothy eyeballs scare the bejesus out of me, though, I'm going to do my best to play Yomawari as soon as my pre-ordered copy arrives on my doorstep.



That won't happen until sometime in early November, sadly, as the game doesn't hit Japanese store shelves until Oct. 29 and it'll take my purchase at least a week (if not two) to make its way to me.

I don't mind as much as I may be letting on, though, as the delay will give me plenty of time to figure out how I'm going to keep a grip on my precious pink-and-white Vita whenever one of Yomawari's adorable-yet-frightening baddies surprises me with its presence.

Are any of you similarly curious--if also a smidge apprehensive--about this upcoming spookfest? If so, please tell me why in the comments section below.

See also: previous posts about Yomawari

Speaking of Nippon Ichi's Yomawari (Vita), it's going to feature some really awesome enemies

I know I'm going a bit overboard with the posts about Yomawari at the moment. (Hell, I just published one yesterday.) Sorry about that.

If any upcoming Vita game--Japanese, North American or otherwise--could be said to be "right in my wheelhouse," though, it's this one. After all, not only is it cute as all get-out (look at its adorable protagonist for proof), but it's got a decidedly spooky edge to it, too.

Don't believe me? Check out some of the baddies that you're sure to find hiding in Yomawari's darkened corners and stalking its empty roadways:

That last one is my favorite, I have to say, although I like the idea of that disembodied cat head, too--especially since I can see it sending a chill or two down my spine if it caught me off guard.

By the way, if you'd like to take in images of a few more of the nightmare-inducing enemies that have been conjured up for this sure-to-be-unique Vita cart, which is set to be released in Japan on Oct. 29, head on over to game.watch.impress.co.jp as soon as you're able.

See also: 'I'm not entirely sure what we're going to get gameplay-wise from Nippon Ichi's Yomawari (Vita), but I think I want it anyway'

I'm not entirely sure what we're going to get gameplay-wise from Nippon Ichi's Yomawari (Vita), but I think I want it anyway

A few days ago, the powers that be Nippon Ichi finally loosened their lips regarding a horror-themed game the company first teased in late June.

The name of that game: Yomawari, which translates to ... actually, I have no idea what "Yomawari" means in English or any other language, I'm sad to say. Regardless, this in-the-works Vita game both sounds and looks pretty darn intriguing.

In terms of the former, the earliest reports about this autumnal release (Oct. 29--in Japan) have summarized its story as such: "lost in darkness, a girl attempts to find her sister and their dog."

In terms of the latter, feast your eyes on the following Yomawari screenshots:

Admittedly, what is shown here is a far cry from what was suggested by the first teaser video Nippon Ichi put out, but I personally prefer this htoL#NiQ-esque aesthetic to something more realistic, so you won't hear me complaining anytime soon.

So, what do all of you think? Does Yomawari sound and look interesting to you? Also, are any of you considering pre-ordering it? (You can do so now at amiami.com and play-asia.com, if so.)

Whatever the case may be, please feel free to share your opinions on the matter in the comments section below.

Nice Package! (The Adventures of Puppet Princess, PlayStation)

One of the byproducts of my most recent attempt to learn the Japanese language (don't worry, I'm still working on it, albeit slowly) has been a reignited interest in a certain world-conquering system made by a little company called Sony.

The system in question is the original PlayStation, naturally (OK, so I could've said it was the PS2, but to be honest I've always preferred Sony's first effort in this space to its second), and the focus of my renewed interest in this console has been on its amazingly diverse catalog of Japanese releases.

The game seen below, known outside of Japan as Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure, is a good example. I mean, it's an RPG that stars a female protagonist and features all kinds of sing-songy cutscenes.



My original plan was to buy the North American version of this Nippon Ichi-made game, by the way, but I quickly changed course after I came across (while perusing eBay) the copy shown throughout this post.

Granted, it helped that this particular copy carried a surprisingly cheap price tag. (It was less than $5, to be exact.)



It also helped that I found The Adventures of Puppet Princess' cover art to be rather appealing in its Disney-esque simplicity.

The art produced for the front of this title's instruction manual (see above) is even nicer, if you ask me.



The inside of The Adventures of Puppet Princess' manual is stuffed with similarly adorable illustrations, with the ones shown above and below being but a fraction of what's made available to those who pick up copies of this PlayStation game.



Have any of you played some iteration or other of this lovely little RPG? If so, which version have you experienced, and what did you think of it?

See also: other recent 'Nice Package!' write-ups about Hyakumanton no Bara Bara (for the PSP), PoPoLoCrois Monogatari (for the PSone) and my new 'noble pink' Nintendo DS Lite

Shall We Do It? (BOXBOY! plus more Danganronpa and My World, My Way)

I may have only added one new game to my "now playing" roster in the last couple of weeks, but that title--Nintendo's BOXBOY!--has proven to be quite a thrill, so at least my precious time hasn't been at all wasted.

Along with the above-mentioned 3DS effort, I've also put some additional time into two games I slobbered over in my last installment of "Shall We Do It?"--the cult-ish, Vita-based visual novel, Danganronpa, and the oddly endearing DS RPG known in this neck of the woods as My World, My Way. (Elsewhere, which in this case means Japan, it's known as Sekai wa Atashi de Mawatteru, a phrase that apparently translates to something like The World Revolves Around Me.)

Here are a smattering of my thoughts on each of these captivating titles:

BOXBOY! (3DS)--In the hours and days since I bought and downloaded HAL Laboratory's BOXBOY!, a just-released 3DS eShop title, I've spent a good bit of time with it. 

Actually, I've only sunk about two-and-a-half hours into this intriguing puzzler-platformer thus far, but that's been enough for me to get to its eighth world (each world is stuffed with five or more stages), so I'm not about to punish myself for not giving it an acceptable amount of attention.



In conquering those 35 or 40 bite-sized stages, by the way, I've experienced a surprisingly broad array of gameplay elements, although all of them are showcased within similar set pieces--monochromatic, minimalistic affairs that wouldn't have looked out of place during the GameBoy "era."

Anyway, the aforementioned variety definitely is the main thing that's keeping me glued to my digital copy of BOXBOY! at the moment. There's simply a depth to what you can do with this game's protagonist, or to what you can make the protagonist do, that makes the overall experience a grin-inducing blast.

All the said, one slight piece of criticism I'd lay at the otherwise gorgeous feet of BOXBOY! is that I'm not sure I'll ever return to it after I complete it. Of course, the same could be said of the majority of the games I've played over the years, and this one cost me just a couple of bucks (as opposed to many times that), so maybe that won't seem like such a big deal when all is said and done.

Danganronpa (Vita)--Considering how much I loved my first hour or two with this dark Vita adventure, I assumed it would basically take over my life for the next couple of weeks. That didn't happen, surprisingly enough, although I think the addition of BOXBOY! to my ever-growing list of "now playing" titles had a little something to do with it.

Still, I've continued to kind of methodically plug away at it, and over the last few nights I've devoted two or three more hours to its nail-biting story.



I have a feeling I'll devote even more time to it in the coming week, as Danganronpa really turned up the drama dial during my last 60-minute-or-so stint with it, and now I'm chomping at the bit, so to speak, to get back to it and see how things pan out for the colorful cast that sits at the center of this title.

I've still yet to experience any of Danganronpa's trial segments, by the way--though I know one is going to be forced on me shortly--so it'll be interesting to discover how they manage to change things up.

Hopefully I'll be able to chat about that in my next installment of this series.

My World, My Way (DS)--Despite the love I expressed for this quirky, Atlus-published RPG in my last few posts about it, I basically gave it the cold shoulder after I started BOXBOY! and Danganronpa.

Thankfully, that only lasted for about a week, and a few days ago I started playing it again in earnest. Well, maybe I shouldn't say "in earnest," as I've only put about two more hours into it in the last couple of days, but considering this time last week I was worried I'd never play it again, I'd say a two additional hours is worth at least a mini-celebration.



As for how far I was able to progress during those two hours, the CliffsNotes version is that I made it through two more of the game's rather miniscule maps--which, as I believe I've mentioned in earlier posts about My World, My Way, usually contain a town, an exit gate (which allows you to access the next map location) and somewhere between 20 and 30 or so "overworld tiles" that can be traversed, step by step (almost like you would in a board game), and which offer up enemy encounters, items and the like.

My World, My Way's still pretty darn repetitive, by the way, but I can't say I'm all that bothered by it. In large part, I think that's because the game does an excellent job of throwing new environments, baddies and abilities at you right around the time you begin to feel bored with the existing ones.

A case in point: shortly after I gained access to My World, My Way's desolate desert zone, I was introduced to a new pout ability that allowed me to produce unique areas called "southern islands." These map-altering creations feature sandy beaches, crystal-blue waters and even breaching whales--as well as a couple of curious-looking enemy types that only can be encountered while within their borders.

For whatever reason, all of the above have re-ignited my interest in this weird role-playing game--which is a very good thing indeed, as I have a feeling I'm still a considerable distance from its credit roll.

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

What I'm playing for #NISNovember: Marl Jong!! for PlayStation

Those of you who follow me or the Chic Pixel blog (or both) on Twitter probably have already heard that Chic Pixel's proprietress, Anne Lee, has proclaimed this month to be #NISNovember.

For the uninitiated, all that means is that Lee would like whoever is interested to play one or more games that have been developed or published by Japan's Nippon Ichi Software or NIS America at some point during the month of November and then use #NISNovember to tag any social-media posts that are related to your playthrough.



Anyway, thanks to the header above, I guess the cat's out of the bag in regard to which Nippon Ichi game I'm currently playing as part of #NISNovember.

Should Marl Jong!! not ring a bell for you, here's the gist: it's a Japan-only PlayStation game that combines NIS' "Marl Kingdom" characters--featured in games like Rhapsody, Little Princess and Tenshi no Present--with what seems to be a rather basic version of mahjong.



I say "seems" in the sentence above because I'm far from an expert when it comes to mahjong. I know enough to have beaten a few of my opponents in this particular game, though--which is more than I can say about my experience so far with, say, Nintendo's Yakuman for GameBoy.

Although I only recently acquired the copy of Marl Jong!! that can be seen throughout this post, I first became aware of the game some years ago, shortly after I discovered the wonderful world of emulation.
 


Don't worry, I attempted to track down an actual copy of the game as soon as I fell in love with its adorable graphics and accessible gameplay, but accomplishing that feat proved to be rather difficult--until, like I suggested a few sentences ago, I came across one on eBay.

Thankfully, the wait was worth it, as not only is the cover art that was made for Marl Jong!! all kinds of cute, but so is its disc and manual.



Along with Marl Jong!!, I'm also hoping to play one or more of the following DS titles as part of #NISNovember: Atelier Annie, Disgaea DS and Rhapsody. Have any of you played any of these games? If so, I'd greatly appreciate hearing your thoughts (good or bad) about them in the comments section of this post.

See also: 'On the one hand, I'm glad I finally own a copy of one of Nippon Ichi's first PlayStation games, Cooking Fighter Hao'

On the one hand, I'm glad I finally own a copy of one of Nippon Ichi's first PlayStation games, Cooking Fighter Hao

On the other, I wish I actually enjoyed playing this cooking-themed import.

Sadly, I doubt the latter is going to change anytime soon, as Cooking Fighter Hao has proven to be a monumentally tedious experience for me so far. It was fairly evident from the word go that would be the case, actually, as the game opens with may well be the world's most boring--and wordy--introductory cutscene.

After that, players are transported to a drab, gray arena and then tasked with battling a bunch of SNK rejects in an what can only be described as an Iron Chef-esque competition. Here, though, participants produce dishes by bashing the adorable (well, kind of) animals that scurry about each stage and then pressing the PlayStation controller's buttons or control pad in various ways once the cattle, chickens, crabs and such have been stunned into submission.

Although that may sound acceptable enough on paper (or, er, on blog), in reality it's anything but.

Add to this the fact that the aesthetics of Cooking Fighter Hao would have been considered middle of the road even if they'd appeared in an early Super Famicom release--although I personally quite like the sprites found in the battle scenes--and you've got yourself a rather disappointing PlayStation pick-up.

So why did I buy a copy of it? And why am I happy about it? My knee-jerk reaction is to say that the game was made by the folks at Nippon Ichi and, as such, it would be worth hunting down even if it literally were a piece of crap. After a bit of reflection, I'd add that, despite all of the criticism I've leveled at it so far, I still like Cooking Fighter Hao enough to own a copy of it--especially given the price I paid for this particular copy.

Plus, the game's packaging is pretty nice, as a quick glance at any of the photos strewn about this post should prove. I especially like its cover and disc art, by the way, although the manual sports some nice illustrations, too.

Have any of you experienced Cooking Fighter Hao in some form or fashion? If so, do you agree with my rather negative assessment of it, or have you enjoyed what you've played of it thus far?

Speaking of Japanese games with great box art ...

... here are a few recentlyish (don't worry, I know that's not a real word) revealed pieces of cover art that I can't help but find appealing.

1. Phantasy Star Online 2 (Vita)--As far as I can tell, the illustration you see above will only appear on some sort of special edition of Sega's upcoming (it's due out sometime in 2013) online RPG. I say "as far as I can tell," of course, because I know next to nothing about Phantasy Star Online 2. Based on how I feel about this particular piece of box art, though, I think I'm going to have to educate myself about it soon. (Note: I do wish this example featured about three or four fewer logos, as the bottom edge, in particular, is more than a bit cluttered at the moment.)

2. Fate/Extra CCC (PSP)--Oh, hey, another soon-to-be-released game that's as foreign to me as, well, soy sauce Kit Kats. Like Phantasy Star Online 2's cover art (above), though, this PSP RPG's packaging makes me want to know more about both it and its predecessor, Fate/Extra. (Speaking of which, have any of you played Fate/Extra? If so, would you recommend it to someone who generally enjoys dungeon-crawling RPGs?)

3. Fantasy Life (3DS)--Don't worry, I'm not going to say for a third time that I'm clueless when it comes to one of the games I'm highlighting here. In fact, I know quite a bit about Level-5's Harvest Moon clone, as I've been paying attention to it since it was first announced as a sprite-based DS title. Anyway, it's still unknown as to whether or not this one will make its way across the pond, but I'm hoping beyond hope that it is--especially if the folks at Level-5's North American arm decide to use this piece of cover art, too.

Oh, hey, yet another PS3 game I'd probably buy if I, you know, had a PS3

One thing that I forgot to mention in yesterday's post about the recording of the third episode of The Nichiest Podcast Ever: We also discussed my admittedly surprising lack of a PS3.

Full disclosure: It's always been my intention to own all three of the "current gen" consoles at some point in time. Thanks to my current obsession with the 3DS, and to Nintendo's idiotic decision to region-lock that particular portable, though, I've yet to a PS3 to my collection.



Although I recently commented (in this post) that I was considering forgoing the PS3 and its games altogether, I have a feeling the more likely scenario is that I'll wait until the PS4 (or whatever Sony winds up calling it) is released and then I'll pick up a PS3 "on the cheap," so to speak.

The question is: Which games will I purchase alongside it? A few of the obvious ones I've mentioned here before include Journey, Ni No Kuni, Tokyo Jungle and Valkyria Chronicles. Well, an additional possibility was added to that ever-expanding list yesterday, with that "possibility" being NIS' Kami-sama to Unmei Kakumei Paradox.



All you really need to know about this "spiritual successor to Zettai Hero Project" is that it's being made by the company's Disgaea team. Should you need to know more about it, though, hopefully the following comments, shared by NIS America's Jack Niida during a recent interview with RPGamer, will suffice:

"In this title, a young man wins a department store lottery game, only to discover that what he's won is a divine power to change people's destiny. In order to save people, he has to take on various roles and somehow find a way to change whatever fate may await them.

"The actual gameplay in Kami-Para is the sort of thing that NIS is best known for: Hardcore tactical combat. Any quirks or environmental factors in combat have yet to be revealed."

Crazy-early impressions of Cladun X2

I've only played Cladun X2 for about an hour and a half thus far, but those 90 or so minutes were more than enough for me to form a few just-barely-educated opinions of this pixelated, PSP-based roguelike.

Here they are, in no particular order:

* This game's soundtrack is as sexy and jazzy as ever. Which is great, because there's nothing quite like racing through a dungeon full of foes while such tunes accompany every hack, slash and step.

* Although Cladun X2 features a number of new character and weapon sprites, the rest of its graphics are either identical to the ones seen in its predecessor or so similar that they may as well be identical. I don't have a problem with that, but I'm guessing some folks will be upset that this sequel isn't a bit more visually unique.

* I'm already in love with--and putting to good use--this game's expanded class and weapon options. Case in point: The very first character I created--something that is forced on the player this time around, by the way, and right off the bat too--was a pink-haired "saint" (whose special skill slays the undead) and one of the first weapons I found for her was a bow.

* I hate to admit this, but I'm finding myself a bit confused and even overwhelmed by all of the numbers that now crowd the game's heads-up display. The original game's HUD was clean and simple--the polar opposite of what I stare at (and attempt to decipher) while playing Cladun X2.

I'll share some slightly more informed opinions (as well as an actual review) of the game after I've spent more time with it, but in the meantime the ones above should give all of you Cladun-curious folks at least a bit of an idea as to what you can expect to encounter if you buy and play this System Prisma-developed title.

See also: Previous Cladun X2 posts

A double dose of Cladun craziness

The focus of this two-part post: The fabulous, System Prisma-developed, NIS America-published Cladun: This is an RPG.

I've spent more than 10 hours playing this pixelated gem since I bought it last week and I have to say, if you like dungeon crawlers, roguelikes and RPGs (this game includes elements of all three genres), own a PSP and can afford to blow $19.99, you're sure to enjoy this game as much as I have so far.

Anyway, the point of this post isn't to talk about how much I'm loving Cladun; the point is to talk about how much I'm loving its soundtrack.

You see, when I first started playing Cladun, I opted to listen to its 8-bit-esque tunes rather than its standard ("real," according to the folks at NIS America) tunes. The former are appreciably chunky, but I'd be hard pressed to say they blew me away. Hoping to change things up a bit, I switched over to the game's standard tunes yesterday--and was astounded.

I'm especially fond of the following track, titled "Slicing the Wind":



For the sake of comparison, here's the 8-bit version of the song.

So, the focus of the first part of this post is Cladun's awesome soundtrack; what's the focus of the second part? NIS America's recently released trailer for the game's sequel, Cladun x2, which will hit the North American PlayStation Store sometime in August.




Sounds pretty fantastic, doesn't it? I mean, according to the trailer, Cladun x2, staying true to its title, will offer players more characters, more classes, more dungeons, more monsters and more weapons than its predecessors. It'll also give them more customization options by allowing them to alter their character's weapons and armor as well as their character's appearance.

The only thing that could make me look forward to this game more than I am already would be for the folks at NIS American to announce a physical, retail release that includes both Cladun and Cladun x2.

See also: 'File this under 'how in the hell did I miss this announcement?': Cladun x2 is coming to the States in August' and 'I spent my holiday weekend playing Cladun: This is an RPG, how'd you spend yours?'

File this under 'how in the hell did I miss this announcement?': Cladun x2 is coming to the States in August

While looking for information on Cladun: This is an RPG, which was mentioned a few times in my last post, I came across a recent post (it was published in mid-May) on siliconera.com that suggests that game's sequel will be released stateside in August.

Sadly, it seems the creatively titled (or not) Cladun x2 will, like its predecessor, be a download-only release. Why is that sad? Well, for starters, it means North Americans won't get to own and ogle a case featuring the following, fabulous piece of cover art:

Although l'd rather see the folks at NIS America pull a What Did I Do to Deserve This, My Lord!? 2 and release both Cladun titles on a single UMD, I understand why they decided not to go that route.

Regardless, I plan on rewarding the company for its continued support of the all-but-dead PSP with my hard-earned cash as soon as Cladun x2 arrives on the PlayStation Store in August.

Let's Play: 'Which Box Art is Better?' (Disgaea 4 edition)

One of the first games I'll buy after I (finally) obtain a PS3 will be Disgaea 4. No ifs, ands or buts about it. Until then, I'll stare longingly at the game's beautiful box art.

But which piece of art will I stare at--the one that graced the cover of the Japanese version of this Nippon Ichi-developed game (released in late February), or the one that will welcome Disgaea fans when the series' latest sequel appears on store shelves in the States sometime in the next few months?

Here's Disgaea 4's Japanese box art, by the way:

And here's the game's US box art:

Hold on to your hats, because I'm actually going with the US box art for once. The Japanese art is nice enough, but it's a bit too busy, don't you think?

See also: Every previous 'Let's Play: Which Box Art is Better?' post

Don't you hate it when a sequel is announced before you've had a chance to buy the original?

I sure do.

As such, I was a bit bummed when I read (here) that the dedicated staff at Nippon Ichi Software are busy prepping a sequel to Classic Dungeon: Fuyoku no Masoujin (ClaDun: This is an RPG in the States).



Apparently, Classic Dungeon 2 will feature more job classes, more magic and, most importantly, more loot. (I love loot, don't you?)

I guess this means I should buy the original sooner rather than later--especially if I want the sequel to show up on our shores.

Finally, another reason to pull out my PSP

I hate to admit it, but my PSP hasn't received much love since I picked it up earlier this year. In fact, I've bought just one game in the past five months: Patchwork Heroes.

That PSN-only title is about to have some company thanks to the impending release of Cladun: This is an RPG.



Don't worry if the name Cladun doesn't ring any bells; in Japan, the game was called Classic Dungeon.

Why am I going to buy this game, which will hit the PS Store on Sept. 7? Well, one gamer who played through the Japanese version described it as a mash-up of Disgaea, Shiren the Wanderer and Ys, three of my all-time-favorite titles.

(Via gamepro.com and rpgfan.com)