My favorite games of 2013

I haven't played as many games in 2013 as I imagined I would before the year began, but I've still played enough to be able to write a post about the ones that have pleased me the most.

Strangely--or perhaps not, considering my current obsession with the dual-screened handheld--all of the games discussed herein were released for Nintendo's 3DS. (That's not to suggest I've only played 3DS titles this year; pretty much all of the other games I played in the last 12 months, though, were for "older gen" systems like the DS, GameBoy, PC Engine, PlayStation and PSP.)

Animal Crossing: New Leaf--If I were to hold up one of these games as my absolute favorite of 2013, it would be this one. Not only have I played it more than any other title this year, but I've spent more time with it than I've spent with any game in the last few years (if not ever). I'm still not sure which Animal Crossing game I like best, the original or New Leaf, but it doesn't really matter--they're both among the most entrancing games I've ever come across.

Attack of the Friday Monsters! A Tokyo Tale--Thank goodness for the 3DS eShop. Without it, gamers outside of Japan probably never would have gained access to this nostalgia-tinted title, which I can only describe as three parts open-ended adventure and one part card battles. Don't worry if that sounds less than thrilling--I can't imagine anyone but the most crotchety of gamers disliking this digital release.

THE "DENPA" MEN 2: Beyond the Waves--Although I haven't enjoyed Beyond the Waves as much as I enjoyed its more simplistic and straightforward predecessor, I've still had a good time with it. Sure, I find some of the newly introduced elements to be overwhelming, but I like a number of them, too--such as the new body colors and the additional clothing and equipment that can be used to alter the looks and even abilities of your adorable "Denpa" crew.

Nintendo's four "new" StreetPass Mii Plaza games--I held off on buying Flower Town, Mii Force, Monster Manor and Warrior's Way for quite a while (I only did so about two weeks ago) because I was unsure as to whether they'd be worth $15. Now that I've spent some quality time with each of them, I can safely say they're well worth the asking price--assuming you regularly StreetPass other 3DS owners--with Mii Force (the shmup shown above) and Monster Manor being my current faves.

Pokémon X--Back when it was first revealed, I wasn't all that sure what to think of the latest pair of Pokémon games. As soon as I started playing one of them, though, I was sold on its brilliance. That I've yet to get even close to finishing it says more about how hectic my life has become in the last few months than it does about the quality of this portable RPG, so rest assured I'm going to do my best to beat it in 2014.

Witch and Hero--It may surprise some of you to hear this, but I think this eShop title may be my second favorite game of 2013. There's just something about its mix of simplicity and depth (in terms of its gameplay--as in, there's more to Witch and Hero than simply bumping into baddies as quickly as possible), I guess. It's not for everyone, as the saying goes, but for me it's been the perfect title to turn to whenever I've got five or 10 minutes to blow.

A few games that I likely would've included here if I'd played more than an hour or so of them so far: Darumeshi Sports Store, Fire Emblem: Awakening and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

I'll show you mine if you show me yours

I sadly can't remember exactly who it was, but someone on Twitter last week prompted me to take a look at the amount of time I've spent with my most-played 3DS titles.

I was a bit surprised by what I found. So surprised, in fact, that I decided to snap and share a photo (or two) of it. Here are the first three results:

And here are the next three:

In case you can't make out the game titles and play times showcased in the admittedly crappy photos above, here they are: Animal Crossing: New Leaf (488.26 hours--uh, yikes!), THE "DENPA" MEN (42:51), Theatrhythm Final Fantasy (33:38), Mario Kart 7 (32:32), Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime (22:22) and THE "DENPA" MEN 2 (17:30).

What are all of your most-played 3DS titles at the moment, if you're willing to share?

Five games I'm going to start playing (or get back to playing) as soon as my obsession with Animal Crossing: New Leaf fades a bit

It's no secret (or it shouldn't be, at least) that I've been a bit obsessed with Animal Crossing: New Leaf since it hit North American store shelves just over two months ago. In fact, I've played little else these last few weeks.

Although I have no idea when that obsession will fade, I'm fully prepared for when it does thanks to the following list, which details the five games I'm going start playing or, in some cases, get back to playing as soon as my heart yearns for something other than a little New Leaf action.

1. Attack of the Friday Monsters! A Tokyo Tale--I've been hot to play this 3DS eShop title (see screenshot below) ever since the Japanese version was announced many moons ago. Those feelings only intensified when it was miraculously brought to North America. I hear it's a pretty brief experience, but that's OK with me--as long as it's as enjoyable as everyone (the guys over at tinycartridge.com, especially) says it is.



2. Black Rock Shooter--This curious-looking PSP game (below) landed in my lap shortly after its release, but I've yet to even boot it up. That's kind of the story of my gaming life these days, isn't it? Anyway, my neighbor (of sorts--we both live in the same Seattle 'hood), Brad Gallaway of the Drinking CoffeeCola blog, swears it's a worthwhile endeavor, so I'm determined to give it a go before this year is out.



3. EarthBound--Sometimes I think it's just not meant to be with me and this SNES classic. I mean, I've started it on at least three separate occasions, but I've yet to see its credit roll. That has nothing to do with me disliking the game, by the way; on the contrary, I love every aspect of it. For whatever reason, though, I've always been pulled away from it partway through the adventure. Don't worry, I'm going to do whatever I can to buck that trend when I return to last playthrough in the next couple of weeks.

4. Shin Megami Tensei IV--This poor 3DS game has been staring at me since it arrived on my doorstep a few weeks ago. That's because I have it sitting on my desk--in part to serve as a reminder that I have to get off my ass and play it. Sadly, all it's done so far is make me feel guilty that I've ignored it for so long. If what I've read about it so far (about its difficulty) is any indication, though, I have a feeling it'll savor the sweet taste of revenge in the end.



5. Xenoblade Chronicles--I was a little apprehensive about adding this much-ballyhooed Wii RPG (above) to this list, I have to admit. Although I enjoyed what I played of it late last year, there was something about the gameplay that just didn't sit well with me. Will those feelings fade away and allow me to make some real headway when and if I return to it sometime soon? I certainly hope so.

I have to note that I'm also planning to get back to playing THE "DENPA" MEN 2 once I've put Animal Crossing: New Leaf to bed (or at least convinced it to take a bit of a nap). I've put a good 17 hours into it so far, but I have a feeling I've got many hours to go if I want to see its ending.

With all that said, are any of you in the same boat as I am, spending all your gaming time with New Leaf and basically leaving everything else to rot on the vine? Even if you aren't feel free to share which games you are playing at the moment in the comments section below.

QR codes for a few more of my favorite characters from THE 'DENPA' MEN 2

It's extremely possible--as well as kind of depressing--that very few people who visit this blog will be interested in this post, but I'm publishing it anyway so that something will pop up should some poor schmuck Google "THE 'DENPA' MEN 2 QR codes" in the near or even distant future.

With that out of the way, here are six more of my favorite THE "DENPA" MEN 2 characters--all of whom I personally "caught" while in the bathrooms of nearby restaurants and coffee shops, er, I mean, while strolling around my very own neighborhood.

Raelynn (Big Bang)

Sophie (Deep Shadow)

Glen (Ice Missile)

Farrah (Cyclone)

Lawrence (Comet Crash)

Dorian (Bolt from the Blue)

I know everyone who owns a 3DS (including myself, of course) is busy being obsessed with Animal Crossing: New Leaf, but I hope that when that obsession wanes at least a few of those folks will give THE "DENPA" MEN 2 a try, because it and its predecessor are two of the most charming--and challenging, it has to be said--games I've played in the last few years.

See also: 'QR codes for a few of my (current) favorite characters from THE 'DENPA' MEN 2'

The question is: will Denpa Ningen no RPG 3 (aka THE 'DENPA' MEN 3) ever see the light of day outside of Japan?

Sadly, I'd say the most likely answer to the question above is something along the lines of "I doubt it."

That's mainly because although the first two Denpa Ningen no RPG (aka THE "DENPA" MEN) titles have sold surprisingly well since they were first released in Japan, all signs--such as Genius Sonority CEO Manabu Yamana's comments at the beginning of this recent Q&A--point to them not selling as well elsewhere.

Given my undying love for both previous entries in this colorfully charming series of digital RPGs, I obviously hope the just-announced third one, which will hit the Japanese 3DS eShop on Aug. 7, makes its way across the pond at some point--even if the earlier ones were out-and-out bombs in my neck of the woods.



Actually, I'd feel that way even if I wasn't a "DENPA" MEN fan, thanks to all of the additions that seemingly will be included in part three. I could use a bunch of bullet points and text to explain them here, but I think a much more appealing tactic would be to ask those of you who are interested to watch the video above, which was excised from this recent Chotto Nintendo Direct broadcast.

Sadly, the most enticing aspect of Denpa Ningen no RPG 3 for yours truly is the new head shape that looks startlingly like those cartoonish piles of poo you see all the time in Japanese anime, manga and video games.

QR codes for a few of my (current) favorite characters from THE 'DENPA' MEN 2

The good news about my experience with THE "DENPA" MEN 2: Beyond the Waves thus far: I've put just under 17 hours into it.

The bad news: less than an hour was added to that tally in the last week (thanks to the arrival of--and my subsequent obsession with--Animal Crossing: New Leaf, of course).

Don't worry, "DENPA" MEN fans, I'm not giving up on this digital 3DS title--I've enjoyed it far too much to do that. That said, it may be a while before I can devote more than a couple hours to it per week.

In the meantime, here are QR codes for seven "Denpa" men that I captured by flailing about somewhat madly while my husband attempted to navigate the hilly streets of Seattle while constantly rolling his eyes.

Kevin (Weaken All)

Adam (Dark Messenger)

Genius (Revive)

Kamari (Full Heal)

If I weren't already married, I'd want to marry the person who created this 'DENPA' MEN 3DS XL skin

Ot at least I think it's just a skin--as opposed to a 3DS XL (or 3DS LL, if that's how you roll) system that's literally been covered in THE "DENPA" MEN graffiti.

Regardless, it's a beauty, isn't it?

As far as I can tell, it was created by someone who goes by the handle "detteiu9" on Twitter.

He or she also has a pixiv account and is known as Teu (てう) on that site.

A handful of completely adorable "DENPA" MEN-inspired pieces of fan art can be found on Teu's pixiv page, by the way, so I'd highly recommend checking it out if you're even half as interested in this series as I am.

(Via photozou.jp by way of gonintendo.com)

THE 'DENPA' MEN 2 don't need no stinkin' overworld (and a few other thoughts on this tough-as-nails 3DS eShop RPG)

Don't get me wrong, I like that the designers at Genius Sonority decided to beef up THE "DENPA" MEN 2: Beyond the Waves by giving it an overworld for gamers to explore.

That said, the more I time I spend exploring that overworld, the more I realize that--for me, at least--it wasn't really needed.

Although I've only spent about five hours with the game so far, that's been enough for me to realize that I rather liked--and possibly preferred--the streamlined nature of the first game, subtitled They Came By Wave.

In part, that's because the Beyond the Waves' overworld, at least at this early juncture, can be a bit baffling for players in terms of figuring out where to go next. (Some of the blame here has to be laid at the feet of the game's writers, it has to be said, as they tend to imbue non-player characters with the vaguest of clues.)

Another reason this title's overworld isn't all it's initially cracked up to be: unlike some other RPGs, it isn't all that fun to explore. That isn't because it's boring or nondescript, mind you; instead, it's because your party of merry "Denpa" men (and women) are brutally attacked every few steps--or so it seems.

As such, if you're anything like me, you'll usually find yourself rushing as quickly as possible from one point on the map to another.

Given all of the above, I guess it shouldn't be too surprising to hear me say I wouldn't have minded at all if the folks at Genius Sonority nixed the overworld idea in favor of simply expanding on the "hub world plus multiple islands" concept of the original.

Does this mean I'm currently feeling a little disappointed with THE "DENPA" MEN 2? Not really. In fact, I'm pretty darn happy with the majority of it at the moment.

The aspects that are making me the happiest at the moment: the new body colors (yellow, purple and pink, as well as gold and silver) and the additional clothing and equipment that can be used to alter the looks and even abilities of your "Denpa" crew.

Oh, and the option that allows players to jump, basically at will (although there are exceptions), between any previously visited locale--mighty handy for avoiding at least some of those pesky random battles, of course.

What do I think of the fishing and gardening elements that were added to this sequel? Nothing so far--mainly because I've barely made use of them. Already, though, I can sense that neither aspect will be as captivating as, say, their counterparts that appear in the Animal Crossing series.

So, that's what I think of THE "DENPA" MEN 2: Beyond the Waves thus far. Are any of you also playing it? If so, what do you think of it?

See also: 'Ten questions with the makers of THE 'DENPA' MEN 2: Beyond the Waves'

You're buying THE 'DENPA' MEN 2: Beyond the Waves from the 3DS eShop today, right?

FYI: the sequel to my favorite game of last year--Genius Sonority's THE "DENPA" MEN 2: Beyond the Waves--will hit the European and North American 3DS eShops sometime this morning.

I'll be adding this unique RPG's sure-to-be-colorful icon to my cluttered 3DS menu as soon as I'm able, of course. Are any of you planning to do the same at some point?

If you'd like to learn a bit more about THE "DENPA" MEN 2: Beyond the Waves before handing over your hard-earned bucks--it'll cost $11.99 in North America and €9.99 or ￡8.99 in Europe--you might want to check out my recent interview with Genius Sonority's CEO Manabu Yamana.

You might also want to read the "somewhat gay" review of THE "DENPA" MEN: They Came By Wave that I published last October.

Ten questions with the makers of THE 'DENPA' MEN 2: Beyond the Waves

You may have heard the news, revealed yesterday, that THE "DENPA" MEN 2: Beyond the Waves will hit the North American (and European) 3DS eShops on May 30.

If not, well, you've heard it now.

Anticipating that announcement, I recently reached out to the company behind this series of portable RPGs, Genius Sonority, and asked if someone there would be willing to answer a few questions about it. Surprisingly, someone agreed--with that someone being CEO Manabu Yamana.

Before I get to the meat of our little tête-à-tête, I have to point out what Yamana said when I asked if he and his colleagues at Genius Sonority were happy with the first game's North American sales. "We’ve had a lot of positive feedback from users and the media," he shared, "but unfortunately, we had some trouble with PR and getting the word out, so we were not able to tie the positive feedback into sufficient sales."

Thankfully, the company decided to localize THE "DENPA" MEN 2: Beyond the Waves despite the original's seemingly disappointing sales.

Speaking of Beyond the Waves, read on to hear what Yamana has to say about this soon-to-be-released (with an $11.99 price tag attached to it) digital title--including whether or not this iteration will feature a few more female characters than the first and whether or not it will allow gamers to scan QR codes created in other regions.



The Gay Gamer: I've read that you made quite a few changes while creating THE "DENPA" MEN 2. For instance, there's an overworld this time around and also at least one town for players to explore. Why did you decide to make these changes? Also, are there any others that you hope people will find interesting?

Yamana: We were already thinking of including an overworld in the sequel when we were making the first game. We created the first game with the aim of getting people acquainted with the series, so we didn’t include too many complex elements and we used a simple and fun system that consisted of battling monsters.

This time, a lot of the players will be familiar with the first game, so we included an overworld map to walk around on, in order to create the sense of a bigger world.

We’ve also visualized equipment this time, so you can have fun dressing up your Denpa Men any way you like, and you can even take pictures of them. You can also enjoy fishing in the sea and in rivers, and cultivate plants this time.

We’ve also added dungeons that use the StreetPass function, and you can fight other players on line as well, so there are a lot of new things for everyone to enjoy.

It appears my Game of the Year for 2013 will be released sometime next month

With that game being the follow-up to my favorite game of last year, THE "DENPA" MEN: They Came By Wave.

What will that game's much-anticipated (by me, at least) sequel be called, you ask? The Denpa Men 2: Beyond the Waves, according to this IGN.com article.

Does this mean that developer and publisher Genius Sonority has decided to shy away from using all-caps and quotation marks? I'm not sure yet, but I kind of hope that isn't the case as I enjoyed typographically shouting THE "DENPA" MEN at the top of my lungs every once in a while.

Regardless, I'll be picking up Beyond the Waves the second it appears on the 3DS eShop--which, according to the aforementioned IGN article, should happen on or around May 2.

Of course, someone who claims to have worked on the localization popped up on GameFAQs (I know, I know) on Friday and suggested the date above is incorrect, so I guess we'll find out soon enough of that's the case or not.

Regardless, are any of you also planning to pick up The Denpa Men 2 (or THE "DENPA" MEN 2, as I prefer to call it)?

See also: 'A somewhat gay review of THE 'DENPA' MEN: They Came By Wave (3DS)'

Japanese 3DS owners get the best Swapnote stationary designs

I don't know about you, but I haven't opened up my 3DS' Swapnote app for some time now.

That's not a reflection on the quality of the product, mind you; rather it's a reflection on my inability to deal with the flood of a million (give or take a few thousand) Swapnotes that are sure to flood my in-box should I decide to check in on it.

I'm seriously considering testing my mettle, though, thanks to the following handful of stationary designs that have been sent to Japanese 3DS owners in recent weeks.

I'm pretty keen on the one above, which first appeared about a month ago in response to the continued success of Denpa Ningen no RPG 2 (aka The "Denpa" Men 2), because of its colorful, Katamari Damacy-esque vibe.

The rather classy one above, on the other hand, was released to celebrate the arrival of the new year.

In a cruel twist of fate, not only do Japanese 3DS owners get to play Tobidase Dōbutsu no Mori (aka Animal Crossing: New Leaf), but they also get to exchange adorable, Animal Crossing-themed notes and doodles thanks to the stationary design seen above (which was first delivered to unsuspecting gamers a week or so ago).

Two days ago, the folks at Nintendo starting sending out the precious piece of stationary that can be seen above, which once again includes characters from the popular eShop title, Denpa Ningen no RPG 2.

Will those of us who don't have Japanese 3DSes (or don't have friends who have Japanese 3DS3s) ever gain access to any of these Swapnote designs? I have my doubts, but I'm crossing my fingers and toes all the same.

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.

I'm baaaaaaaaack

Those of you who follow me on Twitter already know this, and some of the rest of you likely figured it out for other reasons, but for everyone else: I just returned from a two-week vacation that took me and my husband from Seattle to Aruba, Colombia, Costa Rica, Grand Cayman, Panama and back again (via the "Island Princess" cruise ship).

Don't worry, I'm not trying to brag. I'm only bringing it up because I'm guessing a portion of you guys and gals noticed that things were a bit "off" around here during the last two weeks (I rarely Tweeted, I didn't comment on any recent announcements, etc.) and I wanted to make sure you know things will get back to normal as of today.

I also wanted to touch on a few of the aforementioned announcements that I typically would have talked about had I not been sleeping in, stuffing my face and otherwise chillaxing aboard the Internet-challenged Island Princess. Speaking of which, here are the gaming-related announcements that have caught my eye since we returned home on Friday evening:

* Animal Crossing's 3DS sequel finally gets a North American subtitle: "New Leaf"--Well, it's certainly better than "Jump Out," isn't it? Still, it sounds a bit odd. Not that I really care; I would have pre-ordered it even if Nintendo had decided to call it Animal Crossing 3DS.

* Daigasso! Band Brothers to make a triumphant return in 2013--During the latest Japanese Nintendo Direct broadcast, Satoru Iwata (with a little help from Barbara the Bat) revealed that another entry in this series of portable music games is being prepped for the 3DS and will see the light of day (in Japan) sometime next year. Which means I have to get off my butt and buy a Japanese 3DS pronto.

* The Denpa Men 2 is coming to North America, too--Unfortunately, the folks at Genius Sonority have yet to say when me and my countrymen (and countrywomen) will be getting our grubby little hands on this follow-up to the 3DS eShop title that has attracted more than 40 hours of my attention so far, but that's OK. After all, they haven't even released the original in Europe yet. Still, I hope The Denpa Men 2 earns a spot in our region's eShop sooner rather than later.

* Dragon Quest VII remake 3DS-bound--And not only that, but it'll be released in February. In Japan only for the moment, of course. Not much information has been released about this effort thus far, but what has been released suggests it will be a full, polygonal remake of Square Enix's two-disc PlayStation RPG. Anyway, here's hoping this Dragon Quest title doesn't get stuck in Japan like Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry's Wonderland 3D and Slime MoriMori Dragon Quest 3 did.

* The pink-and-white 3DS XL will see a stateside release in a few weeks--Can you believe it? I honestly thought Nintendo of America would wait until February (you know, for Valentine's Day) to bring this beauty of a system to our shores. Does this mean I'm getting one? I guess you'll have to wait and see. (Gilt.com seems to be the only place you can purchase this system right now, by the way.)

So, did I miss anything? If so, please let me know. Also, let me know what you think of any or all of the tidbits discussed above.