Seven 3DS, Switch, and Vita games I'm determined to at least start before the end of 2017

It's that time of year again, folks! And, no, I'm not talking about the winter holidays. I'm talking about the time of year where I wring my hands over all the games I failed to play this year.

Sadly, the games discussed below are just the tip of this particular iceberg. They're the ones I most want to experience before 2017 comes to an end, though, so that's why I decided to single them out here.

I guess I'll have to publish a follow-up post early in 2018 that reveals whether or not I actually spent time with these titles and, if so, what I think of them, eh?

In the meantime, here's a bit of commentary on why I so desperately want to put at least a couple of hours into each of these 3DS, Switch, and Vita games in the next month and a half.



Dragon Quest XI (3DS)--I was so excited about this game's Japanese release, and yet I forgot about it shortly after it arrived on my doorstep in August. OK, so it's possible my memory issues were aided  a bit by my wariness of the endless lines of barely decipherable Japanese text it'll surely throw at me. Also helping matters, or maybe I should say making them worse: the potential for this version of Dragon Quest XI, or even the supposed Switch port, to be released in North America sometime in 2018. Still, I spent good money on this Japanese 3DS copy, so I should at least attempt to play it before the year is out, right?



Hey! Pikmin (3DS)--This side-scrolling, platforming offshoot of Nintendo's popular Pikmin series hasn't exactly garnered rave reviews since it first hit digital and retail store shelves earlier this year. I had a lot of fun ambling through its demo, though, so I ignored the negative word of mouth and picked up a copy a month or so ago. Anyway, I have a feeling Hey! Pikmin will prove to be a good game to play in small spurts, so I'll do my best to at least boot it up over the upcoming holiday weekend.



The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch)--Here's the first game of this post I don't yet own. I have a feeling that won't be true for much longer, though, as it's basically the only thing I asked my parents to buy me for my rapidly approaching birthday. Assuming a copy of Breath of the Wild does find its way into my hands soon, it'll be interesting to discover if the game's my cup of tea or not. I haven't often loved Link's three-demensional adventures, after all, with the Nintendo 64 version of Ocarina of Time being the lone exception. I'm completely enamored with this one's aesthetic, though, so hopefully that'll help it worm its way into my heart.



Skyrim (Switch)--At the moment, I feel like one of the few people in the world, or at least one of the few people in North America, who has yet to play some version of Skyrim. That's mainly because I've only owned one console capable of playing it--the Xbox 360--and the only boxed game I bought for it was Deadly Premonition. Even if I'd been more willing to build up a catalog for that system, though, I doubt I would've added this title to it. It just doesn't look like my kind of game, if you get my drift. That said, I'm currently finding it intriguing enough that I'll probably ask for it as a Christmas gift. Surely I'll have (mostly) burned myself out on Breath of the Wild by then?



Stardew Valley (Switch)--My original plan was to purchase this Switch port of Eric Barone's Harvest Moon clone as soon as I wrapped up my Golf Story playthrough. (Speaking of which, here's my Golf Story review.) Right after that happened, though, Super Mario Odyssey was plopped onto my doormat. And now I'm done with Odyssey, but Breath of the Wild and Skyrim are right around the corner. Maybe I should just bite the bullet and buy it this weekend, even if doing so wouldn't be the wisest way to spend my hard-earned cash. Worst-case scenario: I barely devote any time to it this year, but then thoroughly dig my teeth into it early next.



Undertale (Vita)--Do you ever buy a game and then forget you bought it? That's basically what happened with me and this recently published port of Toby Fox's genre-busting role-playing game. Actually, I've now forgotten I own this portable version of Undertale a few times. Which is pretty darn sad, as I've wanted to play it on my Vita ever since I worked my way through its first handful of hours on my laptop a couple of years back. Given my rejuvenated interest in the Vita--thanks in large part to the game that follows--I think it's a pretty safe bet I'll make it much farther than that this time around.



VA-11 HALL-A (Vita)--OK, so I'm already playing this one. In my defense, I started this post before I began the game. Regardless, I've been itching to play VA-11 HALL-A, which is best described as one part bartender simulator and one part visual novel, since I first became aware of it last summer. As I generally despise playing games on my laptop, I held out for this just-released Vita port. All I'll say here is it's been more than worth the wait. (Don't worry, I'll share some initial VA-11 HALL-A impressions in an upcoming post.)

Have you bought any games this year that you desperately want to at least start before 2017 ends? If so, let me (and others) know about them in the comments section below.

See also: 'Five long-awaited 3DS, Switch and Vita games I wish would be released already'

Five long-awaited 3DS, Switch and Vita games I wish would be released already

Although this year's Tokyo Game Show was a bit of a snoozefest, at least one good thing came out of it as far as I'm concerned: it prompted me to remember a few long-awaited games that had fallen off my radar.

Unfortunately, it also prompted me to wonder if some of those games, discussed below, will ever see the light of day. Here's hoping they do--and sooner rather than later.



2064: Read Only Memories (Vita)--The Vita port of MidBoss' LGBTQ-friendly cyberpunk adventure game has been a long time coming. After all, the original PC versions came out two years ago, while the PS4 port came out over eight months ago. Sadly, the developer ran into some problems with 2064: Read Only Memories' Vita version late last year and has barely said a word about it since. Considering it's now working on bringing the game to the Switch, I can't say I'm all that confident I'll ever be able to play it on my pink-and-white Vita. At least I now own a Switch. I'd rather add 2064: Read Only Memories to my Vita's home screen, but I'll add it to my Switch's instead if that's my only option.



Coven and Labyrinth of Refrain (Vita)--Admittedly, Nippon Ichi, which developed this dungeon-crawler and published it in Japan last summer, has never suggested a North American localization of Coven and Labyrinth of Refrain might be in the cards. A Western release has long been rumored, though, so I'm including it here anyway. It's possible the powers that be at NIS are waiting for the PS4 port of the game to hit Japanese store shelves in just a few days to reveal their overseas plans for Coven and Labyrinth of Refrain. Even if that's true, though, it's possible they'll give us just the PS4 version. I'll choose to stay positive and hope both it and the original Vita cartridge earn a trip to our shores.



Picontier (3DS and Switch)--Of all the games mentioned here, Picontier is the one I've been waiting for the longest. I'd also say it's the one I'm most keen on playing. Why? Because it's a portable life sim that sports some wonderful sprite-based graphics. Also, I've thoroughly enjoyed a number of the digital titles publisher Circle Entertainment has brought to the 3DS eShop so far--Witch & Hero and Witch & Hero II, in particular--and this one looks similarly worthwhile. The question is: when will it finally find its way onto my 3DS (or my newly acquired Switch, I guess)? A demo popped up at Tokyo Game Show 2017, which could mean the full game is just weeks away. Or it could mean fans like me have to wait a good while longer. Fingers crossed it's the former.



Stardew Valley (Switch)--Although I've never put more than a few minutes into a "real" Harvest Moon game (The Lost Valley doesn't count), I've long been intrigued by Yasuhiro Wada's decades-old series. By most accounts, this copycat is nearly as good as, and possibly better than, anything Wada and company have put out over the years. Whether or not that's the case, I'd really like to give Stardew Valley a try. It seems to be a perfect fit for the portable Switch, so that's the version I'll pick up whenever it ventures onto that console's eShop.



VA-11 HALL-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action (Vita)--Like 2064: Read Only Memories, I've been waiting for VA-11 HALL-A's Vita port to drop for ages. Unlike 2064: Read Only Memories, I know this Vita port is either finished or nearly finished, as its physical Japanese release is set for mid-November. That suggests VA-11 HALL-A for Vita's North American release is imminent. The only problem with that: I'm not interested in buying a digital copy of this game. Instead, I want a boxed copy, which means I have to wait for Limited Run Games to do its thing. Oh, well, I've waited this long, what's another month or two, right?



BONUS ROUND: Tasukete Tako-san (Switch)--I've been slobbering over this GameBoy-inspired "platform RPG" since it was announced way back when as a Wii U title. Well, I'm even more interested in it now that developer Christophe Galati has moved the game, which Nicalis is publishing here as Save Me, Mr. Tako, to the Switch. Thankfully, Tako-san's supposedly still on track for a late-2017 release. In the meantime, I'll re-watch its most recent trailer whenever I feel antsy.

Are there any long-awaited games you wish would be released already? If so, let's chat about them in the comments section of this post.

See also: 'the best 3DS eShop games you've never played'