Just in case you were worried I'd never play anything but the first Danganronpa on my Vita ...

The truth is, I've spent a lot more time talking about the Vita and its catalog of games than I have playing the system and carts currently in my possession.

There are reasons for that, of course. One of which is that it's just easier for me to play my 3DS at the moment. Admittedly, that's because I'm terrified of taking my Vita to work (for fear that its screen will be scratched to hell and back as it bounces around in my field bag), but I'd still say it's a valid excuse.

All that said, I'm going to do my best to turn things around in the coming months. The question is: which Vita game will I play once I finally make my way to Danganronpa's credit roll?

I certainly have a number of titles from which to choose. Along with Dokuro, a handful of digital offerings and a couple of Japanese Vita carts (which I'll chat about in an upcoming post), I've also got the following:

Showcased in the photo above are four North American Vita games I recently picked up: Danganronpa 2, Persona 4 Golden, Steins;Gate and Virtue's Last Reward.

Actually, I bought all four of them around the holidays. And not only that, but if memory serves, each one was on sale when I placed my order.

At this point, I think there's little doubt I'll want to take a vacation from Hope's Peak Academy once I've wrapped up Danganronpa, but other than that I'm not sure which of the titles mentioned earlier to stick into my pink-and-white Vita when a vacancy opens up in its cartridge slot.

What do all of you think? Part of me thinks I either should go with Virtue's Last Reward (because I so loved 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors) or Persona 4 Golden, but I'm open to any suggestions you're willing to leave in the comments section below.

See also: 'Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears ... as well as your Vita game recommendations'

All I want for Christmas is ...

Well, it's that time of year again--if you celebrate Christmas or any of the other "winter holidays" in some form or fashion, of course.

I do, although not in a religious sense, which means I've been forced--yes, forced, I tell you!--to come up with a list of potential presents for a select few people in my life.

Here are the gaming-related gifts that made it onto my list this year, in case any of you are curious:

16GB memory card for Vita--When I bought my pink-and-white Vita early this year, I was so excited about it that I completely ignored the fact that the system comes with just one GB of internal storage memory. In other words, I've barely bought any digital titles since March. Or, rather, I've bought some, but I can't play them because I don't have enough room on my Vita to download them. So, this may be the present--game-related or not--that I want the most this holiday season.

Kiki Kaikai (PC Engine)--I have kind of a weird history with this Taito-made, Japanese-folklore-themed run-and-gun game. When I first played it a few years back, it made me turn up my nose in disgust. To say the game looks a bit bland is an understatement of nearly criminal proportions. Plus, it's tough as nails--and in this case, I don't mean that in a good way. Over time, though, Kiki Kaikai's grown on me--to the point that I'm now chomping at the bit to own a complete-in-box copy of it.

One of these Japanese 3DS cover plates--Full disclosure: I already own three cover plates for the New 3DS I imported a couple of months ago. I tend to think of these cover plates like I think of my precious baseball caps, though--in other words, I want one for every outfit and every occasion. Which should go a long way toward explaining why I long to own both this pink-and-white striped one and this watermelon-inspired one.

Pink Yarn Yoshi amiibo--Would you believe I don't own a single amiibo figure? Hell, I wouldn't believe it if I weren't me. (Does that even make sense?) After all, I just admitted that I'm gaga over Nintendo's New 3DS cover plates, and I admitted last week that I can't be trusted when it comes to that same company's Nintendo Badge Arcade app. For whatever reason, though, I've yet to be bitten by the amiibo bug. That said, I find the pink Yarn Yoshi ones to be the definition of adorable.

Steins;Gate (Vita)--It is with great shame that I reveal I never pre-ordered this game as I promised in the lead up to its release. Actually, that's not true. I did order it, but I later canceled it when I discovered I'd overextended my gaming budget a bit and had to scale things back a bit. I still very much want to experience this highly acclaimed visual novel, though, so even if my parents or husband fail to put a copy under the tree for me, I'll buy one for myself in the days or weeks that follow.

So, those are the gaming-related items I've included in my holiday wish list. What are all of you asking your loved ones for this season?

So, who else has pre-ordered the North American PS3 or Vita version of Steins;Gate?

Before we tackle the question posed in this post's headline, let's chat a bit about what Steins;Gate actually is (besides a game with a really strange title, I mean).

For starters, it's the second entry in 5pb's and Nitroplus' long-running series of "visual novel" games.

Here's an official summary of Steins;Gate's story, in case any of you are curious: a group of teenage scientists discover the ability to alter the past by sending text messages through a modified microwave. Their experiments inevitably spiral out of control as they become entangled in a conspiracy surrounding SERN, the organization behind supposed failed time travel events, and John Titor, a mysterious Internet forum poster claiming to come from a dystopian future.



All of the games that are part of this "Space Adventure" franchise have titles with inappropriate punctuation, by the way, with the first entry being Chaos;Head, the third being Robotics;Notes and the fourth being Chaos;Child.

Each of these releases have received a multitude of ports (to everything from the Xbox 360 and the PSP to PC and mobile) as well as spin-offs and manga and anime adaptations.

Anyway, I've been aware of them for some time now, although I've got to admit that until recently I wasn't entirely sure how they were connected or even if all of them were games.

Despite that, I've had the Vita version of Steins;Gate on my lengthy "to buy" list since it was first announced due to the positive comments I've heard about the English PC port that hit North American store shelves last year.



Thankfully, it seems I won't have to wait much longer to experience this intriguing sounding and looking title (I especially love its art style, I've got to say), as copies of its North American PS3 and Vita ports can now be pre-ordered via Amazon--with Aug. 31 being their supposed shipping date.

If you'd like to pre-order the North American Vita version of Steins;Gate, you can do so here, while the PS3 version can be picked up here.

So, who's with me in buying some version of this visual adventure?

Five additional games I'm looking forward to playing between now and the end of 2015

Last Friday, I published a post that featured blurbs about five soon-to-be-released 3DS, Vita and Wii U games that I'm looking forward to playing between now and the end of the year.

In that write-up, I mentioned that a second such post would be published sometime this week. Well, today is that day, and here are five more upcoming titles that currently take up space on my ever-growing "play as soon as humanly possible" list.

Dragon Quest VIII (3DS)--I know a lot of folks in Japan and elsewhere were unimpressed (at best) when this PS2-to-3DS port was announced a short while ago. I am not one of them--although, to be honest, that's probably due in large part to the fact that I've never played this particular entry in Square Enix's triumphant series of RPGs. (I own a copy of it, but it's yet to leave its packaging, I'm embarrassed to admit.) Regardless, I'm pretty stoked that an upgraded--in the areas that matter most to me, at least--version of Dragon Quest VIII will soon be playable on the system I favor most at the moment. That said, I'm dragging my feet in terms of pre-ordering it, as I want to wait a little while longer to see if the powers that be at SE decide to bring the game to North America. (Yeah, right.)

Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai DX (3DS)--This super-cute music-rhythm game was supposed to be released stateside in May. Just before its "arrival date," though, publisher Sega revealed that it wouldn't hit store shelves in the region until early September. Although I know some folks were upset by the delay, I actually applauded it, as I barely had time to play games--even those of one of my favored genres--at the time. Now, though, my schedule is much less hectic (or at least a bit less hectic). Hopefully the same will be true in a couple of months. Even if it isn't, though, I'm maintaining my pre-order--no ifs, ands or buts.

Persona 4: Dancing All Night (Vita)--Oh, hey, another rhythm-music game. What a surprise, right? Especially since I just told you it was one of my "genres of choice." Anyway, this Persona spin-off only recently leaped onto my "to buy" list, and mainly because it looks to be the definition of cool. One of the reasons I passed on Dancing All Night earlier, by the way, was that I pre-ordered Taiko no Tatsujin: V Version ages ago and I was all that sure that I needed to own two rhythm games for my criminally neglected (so far) pink-and-white Vita. After seeing more footage of it around this year's E3 event, though, I changed my mind. Plus, the new Taiko will be out in a matter of days, so surely I'll be all set for a similar-ish title by the time September rolls around?

Splatoon (Wii U)--OK, so this game doesn't belong in the "soon-to-be-released" category that pretty much all of the other ones that have been mentioned here and in my last post on the subject fit within, but I'm including it here anyway simply because I'm beyond interested in it. Is most of that interest tied to this Wii U shooter's completely fabulous art style? Yes, it is, but I'm OK with that. Also, I've read and heard enough positive impressions of this Nintendo-published effort that I'm willing to take a chance on it despite my general lack of love for the first- and third-person shooter genres--or I guess I should say that I'll be willing to take a chance on it after I finally obtain a Wii U console.

Steins;Gate (Vita)--Why is this oddly named visual novel taking up valuable acreage in this post instead of other portable games that don't include random pieces of punctuation in their titles? Because it's been hyped to the heavens in various online spaces, that's why. Oh, and then there's the fact that I find the VN genre to be pretty darn fascinating at the moment. Unfortunately, no one seems to know when Steins;Gate will finally show up in North America. (Both physical and digital versions have been available in Australia and Europe since the beginning of June.) Thankfully, I'm in no particular hurry to play it, so I'll happily pick up a copy of it--preferably a boxed one--whenever it eventually sees the light of day in my neck of the woods. (Update: apparently it was announced earlier this morning that it'll be released here on Aug. 26.)

Are any of you also planning to buy one or more of the 3DS, Vita or Wii U games mentioned above? If so, which ones? Or maybe there are other titles--even for systems like the PS4 or Xbox One--that have you eagerly anticipating their arrival on your doorstep? Regardless, please let me and others know about them in the comments section below.

See also: 'Five games I'm really looking forward to playing between now and the end of 2015'

The Nichiest Podcast Ever turns 13

Not 13 years old, mind you. Thirteen episodes--or "takes," in shidoshi speak--old.

Anyway, another iteration of The Nichiest Podcast Ever is available for your listening pleasure, should you be a person who enjoys hearing a trio of fellow humans blather on about niche video games and systems.

As always, we cram a lot of niche-y game-y chatter into the latest episode, take, whatever you want to call it of the podcast. Among the topics covered this time around:

• the impending release of the New 3DS in North America
• the episodic visual novel, Harvest December, that's being localized by the folks at Circle Entertainment
• the many Japanese 3DS, Vita and even PC titles that supposedly are being worked on (for Western audiences) by the folks at Xseed
• the plethora of Vita game announcements that followed the holidays (one of which was tied to an English release of Steins;Gate)

Oh, and during our "Cheerleading" section, Anne declares her love for Pikmin 3 (Wii U), while I do the same--to various degrees--for Coming Out on Top (Mac), Woah Dave! (3DS) and Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley (also 3DS).

Speaking of which, look for me to expound on my feelings--both positive and negative--regarding The Lost Valley in a post that will be published tomorrow.

In the meantime, check out The Nichiest Podcast Ever 13 at radio.morningproject.com, if you dare.

A few thoughts on a handful of recently released Japanese box arts

What do you write about when you're hopped up on cold meds and, as such, can't think straight? (As if I was ever able to do that anyway.) If you're me, you write about something tried and true--you know, like Japanese box art.

Thankfully, there are quite a few stellar--or at least interesting--pieces of Japanese cover art to chat about at the moment. For example:

The art above will grace the packaging of Daigasso! Band Brothers P when it releases on Nov. 14. (I'm planning to pick up a copy of this game myself, by the way, although possibly not until after the holidays.)

The box art produced for the Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster TWIN PACK (boy, is that a mouthful) is pretty snazzy, too, don't you think? Would you believe it if I told you I've never played either of the games included in this collection? Well, it's true. I've always wanted to give X-2, especially, a go, though. Maybe I'll buy the localized version of this release at some point after I acquire a Vita (or a Vita TV)?

Full disclosure: I know next to nothing about Liberation Maiden SIN. I mean, other than the fact that it's being released for the PS3, and that it likely has something to do with the similarly titled game that originally was included in Level-5's Guild01 for 3DS. Regardless, I quite like the looks of its box art.

The cover art above was produced for another game I know little about--that being Steins;Gate: Senkei Kousoku no Phenogram. I do know it's going to be released on Nov. 28, though, so hopefully I'll learn more about it between now and then. (At least enough for me to come to a conclusion as to whether or not I should long for its localization.)

Finally, there's Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai 2's plucky, pastel-infused box art, above. I had this game pre-ordered via amiami.com for a hot second, by the way, but decided to cancel it after I pre-ordered the gold Pokémon Center 3DS LL that should arrive on my doorstep ... sometime between now and the end of the year. (I'm kidding, kind of.)

That's not to say I've given up on owning a copy of this adorable looking rhythm title; on the contrary, I'm still hoping to add it to my collection, although that may not happen for a few months now.

Anyway, with all that out of the way, what do you lads and lasses think of the above examples of Japanese box art? Do you love some of them? Hate some of them? Feel absolutely nothing about any of them? Let me know in the comments section below.