13 games I'm looking forward to playing in 2019

The 2018 version of this post I published earlier this year focused entirely on Switch games.

This year's version offers a bit more variety. Not only does it include a few 3DS titles, but it features some for Vita, too.

Are the games discussed below the only ones I'm looking forward to playing in 2019? Of course not. I can think of a few others--like Etrian Odyssey Nexus, the Switch port of Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age, and even The Princess Guide--just off the top of my head.

Plus, there are still a bunch of 2018 releases I'm excited about sinking my teeth into over the next 12 months, such as Katamari Damacy Encore and Yo-kai Watch Blasters.



Animal Crossing (Switch)--It's appropriate that this 2019 release should come first in this alphabetically ordered post. The reason: it's probably the one I'm most looking forward to experiencing next year. I've long harped about the fact that I prefer the original Animal Crossing above all of its successors, but that doesn't mean I abhor those follow-ups. On the contrary, I put a ton of time into City Folk and New Leaf. I expect to become just as obsessed with this upcoming sequel after a copy of it is finally in my hands.

Chocobo's Mystery Dungeon: EVERY BUDDY! (Switch)--Something else I've trumpeted here and elsewhere for years: I adore the original version of this game. That would be Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon, of course. In fact, I might go so far as to call it my favorite Wii game. As such, I'm absolutely champing at the bit to start my way through this enhanced remaster, which is hitting both digital and retail store shelves in Japan on March 20.



Destiny Connect (Switch)--When the folks at Nippon Ichi Software first pulled back the curtain on this PS4 and Switch RPG, I was of two minds about it. On the one hand, I loved that it harkened back to certain role-playing games from the late 1990s, like Sting's Evolution for the Sega Dreamcast. On the other hand, its art style looked like one that could be either delightful or dreadful in motion. Thankfully, the latest Destiny Connect trailer suggests the final product--due out (in Japan) on March 14--is more likely to fit the former, rather than the latter, description.

Dragon Quest Builders 2 (Switch)--Although I'm not even close to finishing the Switch port of the first Dragon Quest Builders, I devoted almost 20 hours to it in early 2018. And I previously put about 12 hours into the Vita iteration. You might think that would keep me from even thinking of wasting my money on this sequel (how could I when I've yet to complete the original?), but you'd be wrong. In fact, I can't wait to see how Dragon Quest Builders 2, erm, "builds" upon its predecessor. Here's hoping those improvements push me to play this one until I reach its end credits.



Dragon Quest XI S (Switch)--Full disclosure: I bought the Japanese 3DS version of Dragon Quest XI at launch. The cartridge has never left its beautifully covered case, however. So why am I picking up this long-in-the-works Switch port? Because I want to experience its sprawling adventure in English, for starters. Also, at this point, I'm far more likely to play a game on my Switch than I am to play one on my Japanese New 3DS.

The House in Fata Morgana (Vita)--I've heard nothing but praise in regard to this Novectacle-developed visual novel since an English PC version launched back in 2016. To be honest, that's about all I know about it--other than its supposedly intriguing tale spans a number of centuries, let alone decades or years. I'm always up for a good visual novel, though, so when Limited Run Games announced it was prepping a physical release of The House of Fata Morgana for Vita in early 2019, I decided I'd add it to my lengthy to-buy list. Seems like a worthy swan song for Sony's sadly ignored handheld, don't you think?



Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn (3DS)--Speaking of swan songs, it seems like this portable port of my absolute favorite Kirby game (yes, you read that correctly) may be just that for Nintendo's 3DS. Although I would've preferred to traipse through Extra Epic Yarn in the the run-up to the holiday--for whatever reason, I think of it as a Christmas-y game--I know without a doubt I'll play the hell out of it no matter when it's released in 2019. For more on why that is, read my post that compares the original Kirby's Epic Yarn with Donkey Kong Country Returns.

The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince (Switch)--You might assume I'd choose the Vita version of this puzzle-filled side-scroller over the Switch one. After all, I own similar Nippon Ichi titles like htoL#NiQ, A Rose in the Twilight, and Yomawari for Sony's put-out-to-pasture portable. To be honest, I'd probably make the opposite decision if NIS America sold boxed copies of the Vita release of The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince. Since that doesn't seem to be in the cards, I'll be getting the standard Switch iteration of the game.



Pokémon (Switch)--My most recent post lays out how Let's Go renewed my interest in the Pokémon series. I know that doesn't ensure I'll similarly love the next mainline game, due out sometime in 2019, but I'm planning to give it a shot anyway. I just hope I don't find its larger cast of characters and additional gameplay elements to be as overwhelming as I've found them in previous entries like Pokémon X.

Romancing SaGa 3 (Vita)--Here's another upcoming release that I probably should purchase for Switch rather than for Vita. But I've already got the Romancing SaGa 2 semi-remake that dropped in late 2017 taking up space on my precious Vita's home screen, so it seems only right that this similar reimagining of Romancing SaGa 3 would join it there. Assuming Square Enix bothers to publish a Vita version in English, of course. And if it doesn't? I may pick up both for Switch.



Umihara Kawase Fresh! (Switch)--Much like Destiny Connect, I've been on the fence about this title since it was revealed. In part that's because I thought early screenshots of it looked a bit too mobile-game-ish. It's also due to my rather ho-hum response to Sayonara Umihara Kawase. I'm still not sure I like the aesthetics of Umihara Kawase Fresh!, and I'm also not sure its gameplay will entice me the way earlier efforts--Umihara Kawase Shun being a notable example--have, but that won't keep me from adding it to my ever-growing pile of Switch games in 2019.

Work x Work (Switch)--If you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen me mention that I've owned a Japanese copy of this intriguing RPG since it came out in early October. Surprisingly (or not), I've yet to even pop its cart into my Switch. My goal is to do just that after the holidays, but don't let that fool you--it's extremely unlikely I'll play it long enough to finish it thanks to the language barrier. Which is why I'm desperately hoping someone announces a 2019 English release of Work x Work pronto.



Yo-kai Watch 3 (3DS)--To be totally honest, I'm not entirely sure why I pre-ordered this game as soon as I was allowed to do so. Although I had a great time with the first Yo-kai Watch, I completely passed on its sequel and spin-offs, I've been curious about Yo-kai Watch 3 since I learned it changes up the series' battles a good bit. Plus, it'll provide a nice excuse to put away my Switch and pull out my 3DS in early 2019.

Are you looking forward to playing any particular games in 2019? If so, let me know which ones in the comments section of this post.

My 3DS Play Time stats for 2016

Before I checked my 3DS Play Time stats for 2016--so I could write this post, of course--I was pretty sure I'd spent far less time playing games on Nintendo's current handheld than I had in 2015.

Imagine my surprise, then, when it became clear the reverse was true. In fact, I spent exactly 39 hours with my most-played 3DS game (The Legend of Legacy) last year. This year? I spent nearly 60 hours with my most-played 3DS game--Pocket Card Jockey.

And not only that, but I spent just over 50 hours with Dragon Quest VII and a smidgen under 40 hours with both Nintendo's StreetPass Mii Plaza titles (Monster Manor, mostly) and Yo-Kai Watch.

Will Pokémon Moon, above, make an appearance in the 2017 
version of this post? I have no idea, but I hope so!

Overall, I devoted 253 hours to 3DS games in 2016. Here's a breakdown of how much time I put into the 10 most-played:

1. Pocket Card Jockey--59:41
2. Dragon Quest VII--51:23
3. StreetPass Mii Plaza--39:25
4. Yo-Kai Watch--38:31
5. Nintendo Badge Arcade--13:34
6. Pocket Card Jockey demo--5:41
7. Witch & Hero II--4:37
8. Rusty's Real Deal Baseball--3:51
9. Final Fantasy Explorers--2:58
10. Bravely Second demo--2:58

If you'd like to see how this year's list stacks up against last year's, check out my "3DS (and DS) Play Time stats for 2015" write-up.

Also, please share your 2016 3DS Play Time stats with me (and others) in the comments section of this post. It'd be fun to compare notes about this sort of thing, don't you think?

My favorite 3DS games of 2016 that aren't Pocket Card Jockey

A couple of days ago, I declared Game Freak's Pocket Card Jockey, the weird 3DS eShop title that bravely combines horse racing (and breeding!) with golf solitaire, my favorite game of 2016.

That endearingly odd 3DS game isn't the only one released in the last 12 months I thoroughly enjoyed, of course. Here are three others that fit the same bill:

Dragon Quest VII--Including this recently released remake of Square Enix's classic PlayStation RPG from the early 2000s probably strikes some of you as odd. After all, it's just as often annoyed me as thrilled me in the 50-plus hours I've put into it so far. (Examples of both reactions to the game can be found in this post and in this follow-up.) Still, I like its island-hopping (not to mention time-traveling) adventure more than I hate it, so I think mentioning it here is warranted. Plus, the only game I've played more in 2016 than Dragon Quest VII is Pocket Card Jockey, so it actually would be kind of weird if I ignored it in this post. I mean, you don't devote nearly 60 hours to a game that's irredeemably terrible, right?

Witch & Hero II--Although I prefer the more straightforward gameplay of the first Witch & Hero to the more convoluted gameplay of the second, that doesn't mean Witch & Hero II is a dud. On the contrary, it's sure to be a blast for anyone who enjoys retro-tinged titles that don't require a ton of time or attention. Both Witch & Hero games were inspired by the tower-defense genre, by the way, with the first title slipping players into the shoes of a knight who has to protect a petrified (as in turned to stone, not paralyzed by fear) witch, and the second one allowing players to control both adorably pixelated characters as they do their darndest to fight off swarms of similarly eye-catching baddies. (Additional musings on the sequel can be found in my "five thoughts on Witch & Hero II" write-up from March.)

Yo-Kai Watch--As has been the case with Dragon Quest VII, my mid-2016 playthrough of Yo-Kai Watch was not entirely pleasant. For the most part, though, I found myself both charmed and captivated by the latter, Pokémon-esque RPG. That's mainly due to the game's setting, yo-kai (the game's catchable characters) and battles. I grew especially fond of Yo-Kai Watch's amusingly interactive enemy encounters in the 40 or so hours I plopped into my cartridge earlier in the year--even if they did a number on my 3DS' lower screen. (For more of my thoughts on this Level-5 product, read my "three things I like and dislike about Yo-Kai Watch" post.)

Honorable mentions: The Battle Cats POP!, Final Fantasy Explorers, Kingdom's Item Shop, Return To PoploCrois: A Story Of Seasons Fairytale and Unholy Heights

I didn't love every single thing about Yo-Kai Watch, but I'm still excited the sequel will be released in North America this September

I've got to be honest here: I didn't love every minute I played of Level-5's "Pokémon killer," Yo-Kai Watch.

In particular, I found a good part of the last five to 10 hours of my 40-hour playthrough to be a slog. And I grew tired of the game's frustratingly ineffective ghost-catching mechanic long before reaching that point.

Still, I put 40 hours into this 2015 title--clearly I liked it at least a bit. Actually, I liked it a lot, even taking into consideration the above-mentioned complaints.

As such, I was pleasantly surprised when I heard yesterday that Nintendo is preparing to bring the second Yo-Kai Watch game to North America in late September. (On Sept. 30, specifically.)



The trailer above--which shows off the Japanese versions of Yo-Kai Watch 2, by the way--makes this sequel look like "more of the same" than some kind of extreme makeover, but that's OK with me.

Strike that: it's OK with me so long as Yo-Kai Watch 2's ghost-catching mechanism has been improved to make it less annoying.

Really, though, who am I kidding? I'll buy either Bony Spirits or Fleshy Souls (the subtitles tied to the two iterations of this follow-up) and I'll like it--even if it still takes 20 or 30 attempts to woo a particular spirit to my party.

How about all of you? Do any of you think you'll buy at least one copy of Yo-Kai Watch 2 when it hits the streets (or the 3DS eShop) in a few months?

Three things I really like about Yo-Kai Watch (and three things I don't entirely like about it)

After putting more than 25 hours into it, I appear to be nearing the end of my Yo-Kai Watch playthrough.

I'll do my best to publish a more formal review of this 3DS game in the next week or two, but for now I just want to rattle off a few comments about my most and least favorite aspects of it.

Here are three things I'm really liking about Yo-Kai Watch at the moment:

The setting--It's refreshing to play an RPG that takes place in a modern, real-world setting. OK, so Yo-Kai Watch's real-world setting is decidedly comical and cartoonish, but what else would you expect from a game that's aimed at the Pokémon-playing set? At any rate, it's nice to run around housing complexes and schools and parks rather than the generic fantasy settings that fill most of this genre's offerings.

The yo-kai--Nowhere is Yo-Kai Watch more obviously the anti-Pokémon than in its character designs. Whereas the catchable monsters in Game Freak's series tend to be cute and cuddly, the ones showcased in this Level-5 title tend to be, well, kind of ugly. Naturally there's some overlap between the two, and most people would be hard-pressed to describe Yo-Kai regulars like Jibanyan and Whisper as anything less than adorable, but there's no denying that many of their counterparts aren't as immediately attractive as Ken Sugimori and company's creations. For some strange reason, I consider that to be a "very good thing," as the incomparable Martha Stewart would say.

The battles--When I first played the Yo-Kai Watch demo Nintendo dropped onto the 3DS eShop late last year, I found the game’s battle scenes a tad overwhelming. I loved how engaging they were, but I also found it difficult to keep track of all their moving parts. (While taking on foes in this title, six of your ghost pals are plopped onto a wheel. Only three can fight at any given time, but you can switch between them by spinning the aforementioned disc left or right using the 3DS’ touch screen or shoulder buttons.) Thankfully, the experience is a lot easier to manage given a bit of time. Plus, it eventually becomes frantically fun in a way that further differentiates it from its Pokémon forebearers.

And here are three things I'm not entirely liking about Level-5's Pokémon-esque RPG:

The story--Don’t get me wrong, I adore that Yo-Kai Watch’s story isn’t your typical “save the world” tripe that’s at the center of about 99 percent of RPGs offered to the masses today. I just wish it were more cohesive. As it stands, the game feels like a collection of vignettes. That’s not a bad thing, of course, but it does keep Yo-Kai Watch from feeling as epic as I expected it to be back when I first heard about it. It also can make the game feel like a slog as you near its home stretch. Normally some sort of rousing finale keeps you coming back to the journey even if you've slowly bored of it. Here, you get semi-stuck and can't help but wonder, "eh, why bother?"

The yo-kai befriending mechanism--Anyone who’s played Pokémon knows how frustrating it is when you fail to catch a creature even after tossing a handful of Poké Balls at it. Well, multiply that feeling times 10--if not more--and you have, in a nutshell, a good part of the Yo-Kai Watch experience. Let’s just say that while I usually have to "catch 'em all" when I play a Pokémon title, here I've pretty much stuck to just the yo-kai I most need or want. And even that tactic hasn't proven to be very fruitful thanks to Yo-Kai Watch's confounding befriending mechanism, which often sees you wasting many minutes, as well as many of the game’s consumable treats, trying to woo a character to your side, only to be rebuffed in the end.

The fetch quests--I usually like a gaming fetch quest as much as the next guy or gal, but that's only true if the fetch quests in question are fun--or at least captivating. In Yo-Kai Watch, the majority of them are mundane to the point of being easily overlooked or ignored. Thankfully, you can pass by most without it biting you in the butt down the road.

Have any of you played Yo-Kai Watch yet? If so, please share your opinions of it in the comments section below.

What a difference a vacation makes (or, impressions of the Bravely Second demo, Final Fantasy Explorers, Return to PopoloCrois, Witch & Hero II, Yo-Kai Watch and more)

I don't know how many of you noticed, but I haven't played too many games over the last few months.

That wasn't because of anything negative or dramatic, mind you. Mainly, it was because I just "wasn't in the mood."

You know how it is sometimes, I'm sure. Thanks to trying to fit a whole bunch of things into a single day or week--my day job, freelance gigs, maintaining this blog, making dinner, exercise and more--I had a hard time mustering the energy and even the interest required to properly dive into any of the many games that are hidden throughout my house at the moment.

All of the above came to a halt when my husband and I went to California for vacation a couple of weeks ago. While there, I spent a surprising amount of time playing the handful of games (and demos) name-checked above and detailed below.

I've played each of the following for more than three hours so far, by the way--well, with the exception of the Project X Zone 2 demo, which I blew through it about 45 minutes.

Bravely Second (demo)--To be completely honest, I dreaded starting this demo. Online impressions of the Japanese and European versions of the full game left me assuming it would pale in comparison to its mostly awesome (in my humble opinion, of course) precursor. Although that may prove to be the case after I tackle the retail release, this demo currently has me in good spirits. It's gorgeous as all get-out, naturally, but that's just the icing on the case as far as I'm concerned. Far more important to me is that the characters are likable and the battles are just as engaging as they were in Bravely Default.

Final Fantasy Explorers--Here's another game I didn't expect to enjoy. I put an hour or two into its Japanese demo ages ago and walked away from it thinking it was little better than ho-hum. Still, I bought a physical copy of the North American release basically to prove to the powers that be at Square Enix there are plenty of people who'd like them to localize their 3DS titles for Western markets. So, imagine my surprise when I found myself having a blast with this Monster Hunter wannabe (although Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles wannabe might be a more accurate description). I can see how its gameplay could become stale over time, but for now I like its focus on fetch quests, its varied environments and its nostalgia-satisfying selection of enemies.

Project X Zone 2: Brave New World (demo)--Of all the games and demos I've spent time with in the last few weeks, Project X Zone 2 was the most disappointing. By far. That's not to say I hated every one of the 45 or so minutes I put into it, mind you. Actually, I found its fight scenes to be pretty thrilling--if far from "deep." They weren't enough to make me want to track down a boxed (or even digital) copy, though. Project X Zone 2's ridiculous wordiness has something to do with that, I'm sure, as does the confusing nature of its battles. (Yes, the latter are exhilarating, but only to a point--mainly because they feel very random and button-mashy.)

Return to PopoloCrois: A Story of Seasons Fairytale--This is the first of all the titles mentioned here that I stuck into my trusty 3DS while traveling to California. Curiously, I liked it so much early on that I thought I'd play little else during my trip. In reality, I gave three hours to it, found it "nice enough" (far from great, in other words) and then moved on to something else. (Final Fantasy Explorers was next up, I believe.) Don't worry, I'll circle back to it soon, and I plan to finish it at some point. Still, I'd be lying if I said it's blown me away up to now. I'm not entirely sure why that is, though I have a feeling its rather dull battles are largely to blame. Here's hoping things pick up in that regard after I return to it.

Witch & Hero 2--Although I put about two hours into the Japanese version of this game in the days following its release, I felt a little out of sorts during that time. I guess the new gameplay "hook"--you can move the witch as well as the hero in the sequel--really threw me for a loop at first. Thankfully, I've felt a lot more comfortable while making my way through the first 26 or so stages of the North American iteration. Being able to control both characters is a nice addition, by the way, as are the new tunes, locales and baddies. What isn't so nice is that, after the Witch & Hero II's tough opening salvo, the journey veers toward cakewalk territory.

Yo-Kai Watch--I've looked forward to playing Level-5's Pokémon competitor in a language I fully understand since the first game hit the streets of Japan back in 2013. Because of that, I fully expected the final, localized product to let me down. Guess what? It hasn't. Yo-Kai Watch is as charming as can be--from its setting, to its soundtrack, to its characters (including the titular ghoulies), to its battles. The latter really have me by the short and curlies right now, I've got to say--even though the associated micro-games probably make me look silly during my morning and afternoon commutes. The side-eyes are worth it, though, because the just-mentioned mini-games add some much-needed zip to an RPG component that's more often than not bored me in recent years.

See also: all of my 'Shall We Do It?' posts

Shall We Do It? (The Legend of Legacy, Undertale and the Yo-Kai Watch demo)

Hey, I actually stepped away from The Legend of Legacy, which I've spent about 22 hours with so far, this weekend to play a couple of other games. Who would've thought?

As for the games that took my attention away from the FuRyu-developed, Atlus-published mentioned in the last sentence, they would be Undertale (for the Mac) and the just-released Yo-Kai Watch 3DS demo.

What follows are a handful of thoughts on all three of these intriguing titles.

The Legend of Legacy (3DS)--Why have I played this kinda-sorta RPG (more on that in a second) for more than 20 hours since it arrived on my doorstep two weeks ago? I guess it's because I like grinding. Or, perhaps more accurately, I guess it's because I really like this game's battle scenes. Sure, they're miles away from the fireworks-filled fights found in, say, SaGa Frontier, but they're still pretty fabulous--and fun. (In my opinion, of course.)

Can the battles here be tough as nails? Sure. In fact, they often are--especially when you start the game, or when you start a new area. For me, though, it's a welcome change of pace from the overly easy fights most RPGs offer up these days. Also, the steep challenge forces you to do what's needed--dig through the e-manual, scan GameFAQs, post questions on Twitter--to figure out the game's surprisingly intricate battle engine. When's the last time you had to do that in a modern game?

I also really like exploring each area and, in the process, filling out its map so I can sell it to the shopkeeper in what appears to be The Legend of Legacy's lone city for a few extra bucks. (If a place with a handful of buildings and citizens can even be called that.) Admittedly, I'd probably thoroughly scour each locale even if I weren't forced to do so, but I like that I'm awarded for it here.

I do wish there were more cities or towns or whatever you want to call them. And I also wish there were more people to talk to in those towns--or that the existing ones had more to say. (This includes the king, by the way, who seems pretty much useless after the first couple of hours.) That said, those same elements tend to be so much fluff in other RPGs, so maybe I should be happy that this one's developers decided to make it so they wouldn't get in my way as I work my way through this peculiar, portable adventure.

Undertale (Mac)--I almost feel like I should talk about this game here, as I'm only a smidge past where I was the last time I wrote about it.

In part, that's because I've focused more on The Legend of Legacy and the Yo-Kai Watch demo than I have on this game in the last week or so, and in part it's because I basically had to start over after I bought the full version of this EarthBound-esque RPG. (My previous comments were based on its demo.)

Something I can say here that I think I failed to mention in my earlier write-up about Undertale is that I'm head over heels in love with its soundtrack. Even at this early juncture, it's packed with the sort of amazing, earworm-worthy tunes that make you want to pause your playthrough so the notes can work their way into your bones.

Is that enough for me to heartily recommend handing over $10 for a copy of this digital title? Not entirely, but don't take that to mean anything horrible. After all, there are plenty of additional reasons to pick up Undertale if you're still on the fence about it--with the on-point, retro-inspired visuals, the genre-busting battles and the wittier-than-it-has-any-right-to-be text being three perfect examples.

Yo-Kai Watch demo (3DS)--I've been looking forward to playing Level-5's Pokémon-esque RPG for a long time now. Or maybe I should say I looked forward to it for a long time until I read some comments on line that suggested its battles are yawn-inducing.

Because of those remarks, I downloaded Yo-Kai Watch's North American demo with a bit of trepidation. Would I still like the game I'd pre-ordered some time ago, or would I wish I'd waited before making that decision? Thankfully, I was able to answer that question within a few minutes of booting up this teaser.

Specifically, I quickly figured out that the above-mentioned critics were wrong and that Yo-Kai Watch's fighting scenes were the polar opposite of boring. For me, they're electrifyingly frantic, and the mini-games at their core do an admirable job of keeping things very interesting.

Some other interesting aspects of this demo, in my humble opinion: the wonderfully charming character designs, the amazingly detailed setting and the appropriately energetic soundtrack.

Given all of that, it'll probably come as little surprise to hear that I'm feeling a lot more positive about my decision to pre-order Yo-Kai Watch after spending just 30 minutes or so with its just-released (in my neck of the woods, at least) demo.

Have any of you spent any time with the Yo-Kai Watch demo so far? If so, what do you think of it?

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

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

True story: I've been on a bit of a "pre-order tear" for the last couple of weeks due to all of the just-announced games that have been offered up for sale at sites like amiami.com and play-asia.com.

I only mention this because the afore-mentioned pre-order-athon is fully responsible for the creation of this post.

So, which games am I really looking forward to playing between now and the end of 2015, and which ones have I already pre-ordered? Keep reading to find out.

Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer (3DS)--I don't know about you, but I've had quite a change of heart regarding this soon-to-be-released (in Japan, at least) 3DS title. When it was first unveiled, I looked at it in horror due to the fact that it sounded like little more than an embarrassingly limited cash-in. After its brilliant E3 2015 showing, though, I "did a 180," as the saying goes. Now, I'm not only interested in this game, but I've got a copy of the Japanese version, Doubutsu no Mori: Happy Home Designer, pre-ordered along with a couple of packs of the Animal Crossing-branded amiibo cards that will join it on store shelves in late July.

Code: Realize (Vita)--I've considered myself a fan of the otome genre ever since I played through the first Hakuoki game that made its way to the West. (I shared my impressions of that PSP title in this "somewhat gay" review.) Does that mean I'll get a kick out of Code: Realize, which will earn both a digital and physical release sometime this fall courtesy of Aksys Games? Not necessarily, but I certainly hope I'll end up feeling as positive about it as I did about Demon of the Fleeting Blossom. The story "hook" of this Otomate-made game should help matters quite a bit, given that it features a number of famous literary characters as romance options.

Super Mario Maker (Wii U)--Does this mean I'm actually going to get off of my cheap, lazy butt and buy a Wii U before 2015 comes to a close? That's the plan, but your guess is as good as mine as to whether or not that's what will happen. If it does, though, you can thank Super Mario Maker, which I think looks absolutely stunning at this point--and I'm not sure we even know all there is to know about it yet. Speaking of which, if someone at Nintendo were to reveal that Super Mario Bros. 2 (Super Mario Bros. USA in Japan) characters, enemies, items and moves will be appearing in this game, too, I'd go out and buy a Wii U console the very next second.

Taiko no Tatsujin: V Version (Vita)--My decision to include this upcoming Vita release on this list shouldn't surprise those of you who previously read this post or this post. Still, I'm mentioning it here because it's easily near the top of the heap in terms of games I desperately want to play in the next six months. Thankfully, I know for certain that I'll be playing it either in late July or in early August, as I pre-ordered it as soon as I was able via the previously discussed amiami.com.

Yo-kai Watch (3DS)--I've wanted to play this Pokemon-esque Level-5 RPG since it first graced Japan with its presence two years ago. Thankfully, Nintendo revealed it will be releasing a localized version of it in North America this holiday season. Will it also bring the series' second and third entries to our shores, potentially in 2016 and 2017? I sure hope so, although I can't say I'm all that confident that's what will come to pass. Oh, well, at least we'll always have this first ghostly adventure.

This isn't the extent of the games I'm looking forward to playing between now and the end of the year, by the way. In fact, I've already started writing a follow-up post in which I declare my love for five more such titles, so look for it to be published sometime next week.

In the meantime, let me know which games, if any, you're chomping at the bit to sink your teeth into at some point during the remainder of 2015.