To buy the Romancing SaGa 2 remake for Switch or Vita, that is the question

I've been awaiting an English release of Square Enix's Romancing SaGa 2 remake--or remaster, if you prefer--for a surprisingly long time.

Hell, I've been waiting for the game to be made playable in English, period, since it first hit the Super Famicom back in late 1993.

After all, the Romancing SaGa titles are about the worst games you could attempt to play through if you don't have a mighty firm grasp of the Japanese language thanks to their open-ended nature and ridiculous amount of (kanji-heavy) text.



Sadly, none of the fan translations of these games have ever progressed to a point where they could be said to be playable. As such, I bought the iOS version of the above-mentioned Romancing SaGa 2 remake the day it made its way on to the North American App Store early last year--despite its rather hefty price tag of $17.99.

Unsurprisingly, I've barely touched it in the year-plus since. Oh, I started it, and I didn't find its touchscreen controls to be anywhere near as off-putting as I assumed they'd be, but, as is the case with pretty much every mobile game I've bought to date, I just couldn't stick with it.

So, I've not-so-secretly held out hope that Square Enix would eventually bring the Vita version of the Romancing SaGa 2 remake--released in Japan alongside the mobile iteration in March 2016--to our shores.

Just when I'd about given up on that ever happening, series creator Akitoshi Kawazu took to Twitter to mention he and his team were still working toward that goal (while also prepping a similarly updated version of Romancing SaGa 3).



That was all the way back in April, though, and Kawazu's barely made a peep about the fate of the English release of Romancing SaGa 2's Vita port since, so let's just say yesterday's announcement that it'll be available for purchase on the North American PlayStation Store on Dec. 15 proved to be a bit of a curveball.

Even more of a curveball was the news that PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One owners also will be able to buy and play the Romancing SaGa 2 remaster on that same date. (Visit japanesenintendo.com to see the game's latest trailer.)

Which of course begs the question: which version should I pick up?

My initial response was to go with the Vita iteration, as that's the one I've always wanted. It wasn't long before I changed my mind and decided I'd rather experience the game on my new go-to system, the Switch.



As of this morning, though, I'm no longer so sure. Yes, the Switch has a bigger screen and I use it far more than I use my Vita at the moment, but the Vita has a better, longer-lasting battery and it also simply seems like the right "home" for such a game.

What do all of you think I should do here?

Also, are any of you planning to purchase some version of the Romancing SaGa 2 remake when it drops in a few days? If so, which one?

OK, who's got some Switch game recommendations for me?

Now that I own a Nintendo Switch, and especially now that I've finally unboxed and booted up my snazzy new console, I'm on the lookout for games to play on it.

I've already got Golf Story (look for a blog post full of impressions shortly), and I pre-ordered Super Mario Odyssey right after I bought my Switch. Oh, and I'm also planning to buy Stardew Valley shortly after it's added to the system's eShop.

Other than that, though, I'm pretty clueless as to which Switch games--digital ones, especially--I should consider picking up once I have the funds.

That's not to say I don't have my eye on any Switch titles besides the ones mentioned earlier. A few that have caught my attention to date: Blaster Master Zero, Kimiko, Namco Museum, Snipperclips and Thimbleweed Park.



Those of you who've played some or all of the just-mentioned games: what do you think of them? And would you recommend them to a Switch noob like myself?

Speaking of recommendations, please point out in the comments section below any other Switch games--digital or otherwise--you think I might enjoy.

UPDATE: a number of people have shared Switch game recommendations with me here as well as on Facebook and Twitter.

The suggestions that have most intrigued me so far: Neo Turf Masters, Slime-san, Super Bomberman R and VOEZ. All of these games are now taking up space on my ever-growing "buy these Switch games as soon as possible" list--along with the titles I mentioned earlier and no-brainers like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Should you have any positive or negative thoughts on them, let me know.

Help me solve the mystery of Bubble Bobble's many Famicom Disk System releases

When the NES port of Taito's classic quarter-muncher Bubble Bobble hit North American store shelves back in late 1988, its PCB and ROM were packed inside the standard gray cartridges that are now considered iconic.

The game's Japanese release, however, was quite different. First, it happened a year earlier--just before Halloween in 1987. Second, the game wasn't sold on one of the brilliantly colorful carts that defined Nintendo's Famicom on that side of the pond. Instead, it was sold on one of the banana-yellow diskettes that defined the Japan-only Famicom Disk System.



That's just part of the story, though. How so? Well, most people who have any interest in Bubble Bobble or Nintendo's 8-bit consoles know that Taito offered Japanese consumers an undeniably fabulous limited edition version of the game.

This LE, showcased in the photo below, included a copy of the game and a larger-than-usual instruction manual--both of which were stuffed within a soft plastic pencil case that featured the Bubble Bobble logo and adorable depictions of main characters Bub and Bob.



But that's not the only version of Bubble Bobble that was made available to Famicom Disk System owners. Another was included in a thick plastic case (it's nearly twice as thick as the typical FDS case) and came packaged with a manual that's smaller--and, uh, pinker--than the one made for the above-mentioned LE.

The mystery I'm looking to solve here is this: was this last version of Bubble Bobble FDS released alongside the LE as that region's "standard edition"? And if so, why do copies of it rarely pop up on auction sites like eBay or even in online photos?



In fact, I've come across so few of them over the years that I've long assumed they were bootlegs. I'm now pretty sure they're official, but that doesn't answer the questions I posed a couple of paragraphs ago.

Is it possible more limited editions were produced for Bubble Bobble's Famicom Disk System port than standard ones? Or is there some other explanation to all of this?

If you have an idea--even just a guess--as to what that may be, please share it in the comments section below.

So, what do you think: is this just-announced Azure Striker Gunvolt physical release worth getting or a waste of money?

A couple of days ago, Japanese game-maker Inti Creates announced it would release--in its homeland only, at least for the time being--a physical compilation of its two Azure Striker Gunvolt 3DS titles on Aug. 25.

I've yet to play the first Azure Striker Gunvolt--barely even thought about doing so, to be perfectly honest--but of course I'm seriously considering pre-ordering this sucker via amiami.com because of my sick and desperate need to own as many boxed Japanese 3DS games as possible.



The thing is, because I haven't shown much interest in Azure Striker Gunvolt until now, I have no idea if it's any good, or if this upcoming Azure Striker Gunvolt Pack is worth picking up.

Have any of you played this Mega Man-esque title? If so, what do you think about it? Is it worth owning, or is it a waste of time and money? Also, would you even consider buying a physical compilation of it and its soon-to-be-released sequel for about $40?

Help me decide if I should buy (another) OG 3DS or New 3DS

Here's the thing: I've been itching to replace my "flame red" OG 3DS for ages now.

The main reason, of course, is that I never really wanted a red 3DS. I wanted a pink one. I won't bore you with the long-winded story about how and why I ended up with a red rather than a pink 3DS, but the gist is that I've never quite been able to quash my longing for the latter.

Another reason I want to replace my not-pink 3DS: its bottom screen features so many scratches and scuff marks--thanks to games like Maestro! Jump in Music--it's starting to drive me batty.

And then there's the fact that Nintendo just tossed the ROM for its cult-favorite SNES RPG, EarthBound onto the North American eShop--and made it only playable on New 3DS systems.

That last comment might prompt some of you to wonder why I'm asking for your advice as to whether I should buy another (this time pink) OG 3DS or one of the smaller New 3DS units. After all, if I choose the first option, I won't be able to enjoy on-the-go EarthBound in a fully legal manner.

This is true, of course, but I can't say it's done much to sway me one way or the other. I guess that's due to the "power of pink"? OK, so it's also probably due to the fact that I've grown pretty fond of the OG 3DS' design in the last few years. (I used to despise it, especially in comparison to the wonderfully sleek cases that house Nintendo's DS Lite and DSi handhelds.)

Whatever the case my be, I'm all sorts of confused about which model of 3DS I should buy in the next few days, so I'm asking for some input.

Which device would you pick up if you were in my shoes: a "pearl pink" OG 3DS or a non-XL New 3DS?

Which games allow or require you to hold your DS system sideways like a book?

I've got a problem.

OK, so I've got lots of problems--especially when it comes to this lovely little hobby of mine that some folks refer to as "gaming."

Only one of those problems is relevant to this particular blog post, though, and that would be that I'm currently kind of obsessed with games that allow or even require you to hold your DS system sideways (like a book) while playing them.

The thing is, I can't think of many DS games that fit this description. Obviously Hotel Dusk is one of them, as is its sequel, Last Window.

Aside from that wonderful pair of visual novels, though, the only examples that come to mind are Square Enix's intriguing Sigma Harmonics, Rhythm Tengoku Gold (Rhythm Heaven in North America and Rhythm Paradise in Europe) and the Brain Age games.

Do you fine folks know of any other DS carts that let or force people to play them "book-style"? If so, I'd really appreciate it if you'd share their names in the comments section below.

See also: 'Nice Package! (Last Window: The Secret of Cape West, Nintendo DS)'

A long-overdue update RE: my quest to learn Japanese

All the way back in early January I mentioned--in this post--that I'd like to start learning Japanese this year.

Well, it took me a good while, but I finally started learning hiragana--one of the language's three syllabaries, along with katakana and kanji--just under two weeks ago.

In fact, as of Thursday I've memorized all 46 "basic" hiragana characters that can be seen in the chart below as well as the "functional marks" that are used to modify a handful of them.

Is this not the most adorable hiragana chart you've ever seen?

With that out of the way, though, I'm not entirely sure what to do next. Should I take the next week or so to learn the katakana syllabary, or should I start learning hiragana words and basic grammar and then come back to katakana?

I have a feeling I should go with the first option, but I'm completely open to suggestion at this point. What do those of you who've already learned Japanese think I should do?

Let's not call it a resolution: I want to start learning Japanese in 2013

I know the kind of comment in the header above is of the "duh" variety when it comes to many western gamers, but I'm going to share it here it anyway.

Also a comment of the "duh" variety: I've wanted to start learning Japanese since I was a teen. I've never done anything about that desire, though, because, well, the whole thing overwhelms me, to be completely honest.

For starters, how should I go about learning to read and write this language? Should I take a course? Should I hire a tutor? Should I invest in something like Rosetta Stone? Should I pick up some books (such as the ones mentioned here)? Should I use a website (like this one)?



Based on what I've been told and what I've read on line over the years, I'm guessing books and/or websites are the way to go, but I'm not at all sure about that. And even if they are the way to go, which books and websites should I utilize?

Another question that's been bouncing around in my head for some time: once I finally make a decision as to which method I'm going to use to teach myself Japanese, which alphabet do I start with--kanji, katakana or hiragana?

I know at least a few of you understand Japanese. If any of you would be willing to share (in the comments section below) your thoughts, recommendations and opinions on this subject, I'd greatly appreciate it!