Say hello to my Dragon Quest 'Smile Slime' mug :)

A few months ago, I noticed that AmiAmi was accepting pre-orders for a number of Dragon Quest "Smile Slime" mugs.

Although initially my eyes were drawn to this liquid metal slime mug, in the end I decided to plunk my money down on the more traditional design that can be seen throughout this post.

Now that the vessel in question has successfully made its way across the ocean and into my welcoming paws, I thought I'd snap and share a few photos of it.

As I'm sure you can imagine, the Smurf-blue box showcased above served as my "Smile Slime" mug's home as it crossed the pond last month. 

What you may not be able to imagine is that the box is pretty darn small. I'd say it's just inches--three to four, tops--in any particular direction. 

Here's a glimpse of the mug itself. It's pretty small, too--which I guess could go without saying.

Mind you, it's not so tiny it could be confused with a child's sippy cup, but it's definitely smaller than your typical mug.

Which kind of sucks, as my original plan was to take this mug to work and make all of my co-workers jealous whenever I waltz down to the kitchen to grab a cup of joe.

(Don't trust the selfie above, by the way. I was holding my Dragon Quest-themed mug at least a foot in front of my face when it was snapped. Also, don't mind that expression on my face. I was trying to give the camera the old "single raised eyebrow" look and failed spectacularly.)

Oh, well. I still love my new mug, even if it isn't as large as expected. (Now where have I heard that before?)

If you'd like to get one of your very own, just click on the following link. Don't worry, the folks at AmiAmi don't pay me--or give me any other kickbacks--for promoting their site or products. (Not that there's anything wrong with that sort of thing. I just thought you should know I don't benefit in any way from passing along links like these.)

Buy: Dragon Quest 'Smile Slime' mug

A custom-made pouch and a review copy of Curses 'N Chaos: two reasons my Vita's going to be played a whole lot more in the coming weeks

You may have noticed that I haven't mentioned my pink-and-white Vita all that much since it arrived on my doorstep earlier this year. (You can read about it, and see some snazzy photos of it, in this post.)

That isn't because I'm at all unhappy with it, I promise you. On the contrary, I love the darn thing to death. In fact, it's possible I love it too much.

What do I mean by that? Well, as I've stated elsewhere a few times before, I'm so used to laptop-esque handhelds like the 3DS, DS and even the GameBoy Advance SP that a system with an exposed screen like the Vita kind of freaks me out--to the point that I keep mine wrapped up and in its box whenever I'm not playing it.



(Admittedly, I own two PSPs and have had at least one of them for a few years now, but both came with scratched screens and so I've never obsessed over them like I do my Vita.)

As you probably can imagine, keeping a handheld stowed away in its original packaging doesn't exactly promote regular play--which should help explain my lack of experience with the Vita so far.

That's all in the past now, though, thanks to the snazzy, padded carrying pouch my neighbor friend, Gina Gallaway (her husband is Brad Gallaway, managing editor of GameCritics.com), recently made for me. As you can see in the photo below, it beautifully complements my oh-so-precious Vita.

Anyway, now that I have a case (or pouch, or whatever you want to call it) that can protect my Vita from dust and scratches and other such things, I'm keeping it at the ready.



Which means, of course, that I should be able to put a good amount of time into the copy of Curses 'N Chaos that the folks at Tribute Games kindly sent to me a week or two ago.

That's not to say I haven't put any time into it yet. Actually, I put about an hour into Curses 'N Chaos last weekend, but I'm not sure that was enough for me to come to any solid conclusions about it.

As for my not-so-solid conclusions: well, based on what I've seen and heard and felt so far, I've got to say I'm a bit surprised--and I don't mean that in the best of ways.

Don't get me wrong, Curses 'N Chaos both looks and sounds wonderful--as is the case for every Tribute Games release I've encountered to date. It feels good, too, truth be told. As of now, though, I'm not sure I'd say I'm finding it all that fun.



You see, I came into Curses 'N Chaos expecting that it would be some sort of Ghosts 'n Goblins or Ghouls 'n Ghosts clone. While it Tribute Games' effort ably apes the aesthetics of those Capcom classics, its gameplay is a lot more limited.

Specifically, while the aforementioned quarter-munchers have sprawling, side-scrolling levels, all of the ones included in Curses 'N Chaos are single-screen affairs. Because of that, Curses 'N Chaos is more of a "score attack" sort of game. That's all well and good, but I'm not really a "score attack" kind of guy.

So, for the moment I'm not exactly feeling this digital title (which can be played by PS4 owners, too). I'm not giving up on it, though--not by a long shot--so look for me to share additional impressions on it in a future post.

Have any of you played Curses 'N Chaos? If so, what do you think of it?

I think our home needs a set of these 'Smile Slime Yurayura' glasses, don't you?

I know I've said things like the above before and then failed to follow through on them, but this time I'm serious. Or at least I'm as serious as one can be when it comes to talking about possibly purchasing roly-poly glasses that resemble Dragon Quest Slimes.



That's because I now thoroughly regret passing on the Dragon Quest "Smile Slime" mugs--here's the regular one, and here's the one bearing the grinning visage of a liquid metal slime--that Square Enix offered for sale a couple of years ago. At the time, these vessels could be picked up for just $20 or so, while today they go for more than $40.

Anyway, these three-inch-by-three-inch "yurayura" (that's a Japanese onomatopoeia for “swaying,” “wavering” or “wobbling," according to crunchyroll.com) glasses potentially are less practical than the above-mentioned mugs--after all, I drink many cups of coffee each day, while I only drink wine (which is the liquid I'd most likely pour into these glasses) a couple of times per week--but I'm OK with that as they'd still be cool to own and even show off now and then.

They're pretty darn cheap, too, when all things are considered--with a single glass costing just 840 yen, which translates to about $7, if pre-ordered via amiami.com. (They'll supposedly start shipping in early July, so don't wait too long if you want to nab a couple.)



I'm also giving serious thought to buying one or more of the "Smile Slime" silicone ice trays that are being sold by amiami.com, too. I don't know about you, but I think 870 yen (again, around $7) is a small price to pay for something that's going to allow you to fill your drinking glasses with slime-shaped ice cubes.

This deluxe Hatsune Miku 'plush pouch' is making me want to do bad things ... with my wallet

What business does a guy like me, a guy who doesn't own a single Hatsune Miku game (although I'll have two shortly), have desiring something as fan-focused as the "deluxe plush pouch" showcased in the photo below?

I don't know. All I know is that I think it's fantastically adorable and that I want one--despite the fact that my life currently is one, big "Hatsune Miku-free zone."



To be honest, though, I have a feeling I'll chicken out on buying one when all is said and done. After all, the darn things are going to cost about $35, if not more, and that's before shipping is included.

Still, it comes with the most precious little sushi-themed screen cleaner (also pictured above), and that alone has to be worth about $10 or $15, right?

'Dead Wario' mug + 'Dead Mario' badges by the illustrious OSKUNK!

Those of you who've been coming here for a bit should be well aware of my love for the artist who calls himself OSKUNK!

(Don't worry, the exclamation point at the end there is his doing, not mine. Not that I hate exclamation points, mind you.)



After all, I've published just a few posts about his creations over the years--a good number of which have focused (and deservedly so) on his custom-painted Dreamcast consoles and controllers.

Today's post, though, focuses on some of his Nintendo-centric concoctions, with the first being the completely awesome "Dead Wario" mug showcased in the photo above.

Seriously, if I had one of these mugs, I'd never drink out of anything else. Even when I switched from coffee or tea to water or soda or booze.



The "Dead Mario" badges shown in the following photo are pretty great, too, but it's kind of hard for them to compete against the "Dead Wario" mugs, isn't it?

If you'd like even more OSKUNK! goodness, by the way, be sure to check out the custom-painted Super Smash Bros. GameCube controller that can be spied here.

It's totally Tiny Cartridge's fault that I bought these 'Cyber Neko-Nyan' silicon covers for my 3DS XLs

Late last year, the Tiny Cartridge crew published a post about Cyber Gadget's adorable cat-themed "silicon covers" for the 3DS XL.

Being the crazy cat- and 3DS-lover than I am, I included a couple of these accessories on my birthday and Christmas wish lists. Apparently they were deemed inappropriate present fodder, though, so I ended up buying two of them for myself shortly after the holidays.



The pink and tortoiseshell covers shown in the photos above and below are the results of that early-2015 shopping spree.

I slightly prefer the tortoiseshell one (buy it here), I have to say--which is sure to shock some of you. (Hell, it kind of shocks me, given my love of all things pink.)

The entirety of the tortoiseshell cover can be seen above. I love how it even has a little nub of a tail on its backside. (Not that I often look at the bottom of any of my 3DS systems.)

Here's a shot of the pink cover's packaging--which isn't nearly as precious as the tortoiseshell version's packaging, but what can you do?



Also, it has to be noted that the pink cover (buy one here) doesn't feature a tail on the underside. Bummer.

A number of additional designs (breeds?) are available, by the way, so if you'd rather encase your 3DS XL or LL in a black or white or tabby silicon cover, head over to amazon.com when you have a chance.

I also got this adorable 'Pupupu Friends' 3DS XL pouch for Christmas

So, the copy of Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley I chatted about yesterday isn't the only game-related present I received this holiday season. I also got the following 3DS case from my sneaky sister-in-law.

I'm calling her sneaky, by the way, because she figured out I wanted it by reading the "All I want for Christmas is..." post I published a few weeks back. (I honestly didn't realize until Wednesday that she occasionally checks out my blog.)



Anyway, this Kirby-themed case is pretty sweet, don't you think? And not only is its exterior the definition of adorable, but its interior is nicely cushioned and includes a couple of pockets for DS or 3DS carts.

Even better than either of those attributes, though, is that it perfectly complements my pink-and-white 3DS XL system--as should be evident for all to see in the photo below.



Now I just have to find a case or pouch that can be used to protect and carry my gold Pokémon Center 3DS LL. I've been considering this cute Monster Hunter airu one for ages now. What do you think?

Also, what kind of gaming-related gifts did all of you get this holiday season? Spill the beans in the comments section below--if you're willing to share, I mean.

All I want for Christmas is ...

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. OK, so that isn't completely true here in Seattle, although we did get a dusting of snow over the weekend. (A rarity here, I assure you.)

Still, it certainly feels like Christmas here, or it's starting to feel like it. As such, I can't stop thinking about my holiday "wish list"--which is kind of funny, as I'm sure to get a small handful of presents from my parents this year and that's about much it. (That's not a complaint, mind you. I'm just pointing out how things work in my family circle at this point in time. And given that, producing a "wish list," as I've done here, is kind of pointless.)

You don't really need to know the details of my family's gift-giving traditions, though, do you? No, you do not. So, let's push all of that to the side and get to the contents of my kinda-sorta holiday wish list:

1. A couple of Japanese and North American DS games--Which ones? Here are a few of the DS games I'd love to add to my ever-growing collection: the first Ace Attorney title, Final Fantasy Tactics A2, Ghost Trick and Okamiden. As for Japanese releases, the ones currently topping my "obtain as soon as humanly possible" list include Dig Dug: Digging Strike, Nanashi no Game and Ni no Kuni.



2. Cyber Neko-Nyan silicon cover for 3DS LL/XL--I've wanted one of these suckers ever since the guys over at Tiny Cartridge first mentioned them in a post. Specifically, I want the pink one for my pink-and-white (North American) 3DS XL and the tortoiseshell one (above) for my black-and-gold Pokémon Center (Japanese) 3DS LL.



3. Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley--Although I love that my parents got me a copy of Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call for my birthday, if I'm allowed to be completely honest, I kind of wished they'd gotten me this 3DS game instead, as I've been curious about it since the first screenshots of it popped up months ago. Oh, well, that's what wish lists like this are for, right?



4. "Kirby Taikoushin" hard cover--Yep, another 3DS LL/XL accessory. I'm kind of hesitant to ask for this one, though, as I'm worried that attaching it to, or removing it from, my system may scratch its surface. Still, I'm willing to risk that thanks to the overwhelmingly adorable design of this particular "hard cover." (I especially like the message on the bottom lid: "Pink. Puffy. Powerful.")



5. "Kirby Friends" soft pouch--Isn't this just the cutest thing? Seriously, it's so cute it makes me want to barf--and I mean that in the most positive way possible. Another reason I want one of these beauties (which can be bought here): I just know my pink-and-white 3DS XL would feel right at home tucked inside of it.



6. Light pink/white PS Vita--If I'm going to get a Vita, it's got to be the pink-tastic version showcased above. Sadly, it's only available in Japan at the moment (and is unlikely to ever see an official release in North America), but that's not as unfortunate as it sounds given the strength of the dollar--in comparison to the yen, at least--right now.

Now that I've had my say, which systems, games or even game-related items are you hoping to receive from your loved ones this holiday season?

If you're going to own an EarthBound-inspired keychain (or two), it may as well be one of these

Although I need a bunch of keychains like I need a hole in the head, I'm seriously considering pre-ordering the "Mother 2 Kizetsu Plate" set shown below.

After all, these aren't your typical EarthBound/Mother 2 keychains; rather, they feature the game's four main characters--Ness, Paula, Poo and Jeff--in their "unconscious" states, halo-topped noggins and all.



For me, though, the standout of this set is the "teleport failure" keychain. That's the one I'd be sporting if I were to pick up these Takara Tomy Arts-made gashapon figures.

Thankfully, I've got a bit of time before I have to make up my mind one way or another, as it appears they won't be made available until February of next year.

Should any of you already know you want them, though, you can pre-order a complete set (for $22.90) via shopncsx.com.

I'd rather have a Dragon Quest Slime stress ball, but these Cactuar, Chocobo and Moogle ones will do in a pinch

I can't say I've ever had much interest in owning or even using a stress ball, but I'm giving the idea serious consideration after setting eyes on the Final Fantasy-themed ones that can be seen throughout this post.

If these were plushes or something of the sort, I'd point to the Chocobo and Moogle varieties as potential purchases, but what kind of monster would I have to be to enjoy pulverizing the faces of those adorable mascots?

I probably wouldn't have the same problem squishing Cactuar's noggin between my fingers, though, so let's say that's the one I'd go with if I were to go ahead and buy a Final Fantasy stress ball.

Shopncsx.com is selling these beauties for $15.90 apiece, by the way, with orders expected to begin shipping sometime next month.

All I want for or Christmas are these awesome Monster Hunter 4G 'Stained Design' straps

Granted, I have no idea what I'd do with them once I got them, but that's beside the point.

I especially want the last four on the bottom row of the following image, by the way. I've yet to see their in-game inspirations, but I want them all the same.

Each of these Monster Hunter-inspired accessories measure five centimeters by four centimeters (or 1.96 inches by 1.57 inches, I believe) and all are made of zinc alloy, epoxy resin, iron and nylon.

The whole she-bang (all 10 "straps") can be pre-ordered at shopncsx.com for $50.90, with shipment expected to occur sometime in late November.

Should someone decide to make a Dragon Quest Slime version of these headphones, I'll probably buy a couple of pairs

Don't get me wrong, I like Dragon Quest's Watabou character well enough, but not so much that I'd buy a $22 pair of fluffy headphones bearing its likeness.

Granted, even if someone made a Slime variation of this product, I'd probably only wear them around the house.

Whatever. I'd consider them a worthy purchase even if all I did was use them to decorate my desk.

Should you be interested in a pair (or two) of Watabou headphones, though, you'll want to head over to shopncsx.com at your earliest convenience so you can plop down a pre-order well in advance of their November release.

Soon my Japanese 3DS LL won't feel so naked

That's because I'm going to buy one of the Monster Hunter airu (felyne) pouches seen below as soon as they're available--which will be at the end of March, according to play-asia.com.



Actually, my current plan is to pre-order it via amiami.com so it can be shipped along with my copy of Kumamon ★ Bomber: Puzzle de Kumamon Taisou, also releasing sometime next month.



As much as I like the front of this particular 3DS LL/XL pouch, I like the reverse even more--thanks in large part to the "From the Monster Hunter" message splashed across its backside.

See also: 'A few photos of (and thoughts on) my gold Pokémon Center 3DS LL'

Pink and blue Animal Crossing: New Leaf 3DS XL pouches for everyone! Er, I mean, everyone who lives in Japan :(

Ah, yes, it's that time again. What time, you ask? Why, it's the time when I whine about how much more awesome the Japanese Club Nintendo is than its North American or European counterparts.

Case in point, the following Animal Crossing: New Leaf pouches that (I believe) were just added to the Japanese Club Nintendo rewards catalog. 

I mean, I'm sure they'll pop up on eBay sometime soon enough, so those of us currently drooling over them can just pick up one there, but I'd prefer to use some of the Club Nintendo points I've been stockpiling for the last year or so, if at all possible.

(Via japanese3ds.com)

This set of Final Fantasy keychains is awesome, but I'm not sure it's $117 awesome

And, really, what would one do with 29 Final Fantasy-branded keychains even if one had $117 ($116.90, if you're a stickler for details) to blow on them?

I guess you could use one per day--switching them out at the end of each night--and waltz around town telling all the gawkers, "Oh, this? This is the Final Fantasy keychain I use on the sixth of every month. Wait until you see tomorrow's!"

Or you could do what most people who wind up buying a set will do in the end--which is keep them boxed up in the back of your closet. (No hate--I'd do the same!)

All kidding aside, I think these keychains--each of which is 28 millimeters wide and 34 millimeters tall, with a 63-millimeter chain--are pretty cool. They'd be cooler if they featured sprites pulled from the original version of Final Fantasy V rather than Final Fantasy: All the Bravest, of course, but that goes without saying.

Should you want to buy them anyway, head on over to shopncsx.com sometime between now and late September and plop down a pre-order.

Who wouldn't want to wake up to one of these slimy suckers?

I don't know about you, but I start every day by downing a couple of steaming mugfuls of coffee. Unfortunately, the mugs in question are about as boring as you can get--completely unadorned and white.

That may help explain why I'm more interested in acquiring the following Dragon Quest-themed mug than I probably should be.

Of course, I'm a Dragon Quest fan from way back, so that may be partially to blame for my curiosity, too.

Regardless, I'm intrigued--and I'm seriously considering buying one (for $22.90) once they become available at ncsx.com.

The question is: should I buy the one above, branded with the long-running RPG series' smiling mascot, or should I go with the one that features a similarly grinning metal slime?

Precious game-related thing I desperately want but do not need: Space Invaders x Hello Kitty pouch

No joke: if the "square pouch" below--which features a Space Invaders x Hello Kitty mash-up that could only come from Japan--were large enough to fit a Nintendo DS or 3DS, I'd hand over my hard-earned money to the folks at NCSX right now.

The problem is, I have no idea of knowing how large or small these Gotochi-made pouches are at the moment--which means for the time being, at least, my cash is staying put in the confines of my wallet.



Should I hear from someone at NCSX that they're large enough to accommodate, say, my "misty pink" Japanese 3DS--well, I may have to reconsider.

Thankfully, the pouches--which currently carry a price tag of $25.90--aren't expected to ship until October, so all of us Space Invaders and/or Hello Kitty fans have plenty of time to suss out what's what when it comes to their length and girth.

Pre-order: Space Invaders x Hello Kitty square pouch

Things I'd buy if I had a lot more disposable income than I currently have #476: One Piece Romance Dawn (LaLaBit Market Luxury Edition)

Why? For the adorable "Tony Tony Chopper Multi Pouch" that can be seen in the photo below.

Granted, the game itself, a PSP RPG based on the One Piece series, looks pretty nice, too, but not as nice as nice as the aforementioned pouch.



Considering the whole she-bang is going for just under $140 at Play-Asia, though, I wouldn't count on me picking it up anytime soon.

Note: All of the above is coming from someone who knows next to nothing about One Piece and even less about Tony Tony Chopper.

I may have missed out on a pink 3DS, but I'll be damned if I miss out on one of these

The "one of these" alluded to in the header above, by the way, is the rather posh (and completely fabulous) Princess Peach 3DS case seen below.

Of course, even if I do somehow manage to acquire one of these precious, available-only-in-Japan-at-the-moment cases, I'd more than likely be too much of a chicken to leave the house with it.



Those of you who are less cowardly than I am should know that these must-have, MSY-made accessories will hit the streets of the aforementioned island nation on March 1 carrying a price tag of ¥1,800.

(Via andriasang.com)

I kind of want an R.O.B. too

Here's the thing: I've never used, let alone owned, one of Nintendo's Robotic Operating Buddies (aka Family Computer Robots in Japan).

There's a good reason for that, of course. Actually, there are two good reasons for it. First, the NES Deluxe Set--the one that included an R.O.B. and a copy of Gyromite--was pretty darn expensive when it was released back in the day (late 1985 here in the States). Second, the early word on the street--or the word in my small-town-Wisconsin neighborhood, at least--was that the R.O.B. and the games that utilized it were duds.



Anyway, as is often the case with my gaming obsessions, my childhood lack of experience with the R.O.B. and its games has me (somewhat) clamoring to own one as an adult. Unlike most of the games, peripherals and systems on my wish list, though, I can't really see myself buying an R.O.B. or copies of Nintendo's "Robot Series" titles anytime soon.

Someone calling himself Alan Rappa on Flickr seems to have three of these SAINT Number 5-esque accessories (as evidenced in the photo here and above), though; maybe he'd be willing to give--or even loan--one of them to me? Yeah, I doubt it, too.

See also: 'I want a Famicom light gun'