A few more Dragon Quest VII 3DS impressions now that I've put about 20 hours into it

When I last commented on the recently released (outside of Japan) Dragon Quest VII 3DS remake on this blog, it was to share my impressions of the first seven or so hours of the game.

Those impressions were decidedly positive, with the only real negative I could muster was that it takes a while for the adventure to get going. (Specifically, you don't encounter your first battle until you've crossed the hour-and-a-half or even two-hour mark.)

Other than that, my first seven hours with Dragon Quest VII 3DS were thoroughly enjoyable. Is that how I'd describe the 13-plus hours I've since spent with the game? For the most part, it is, though I probably wouldn't use the word thoroughly this time around. Here's why:

Boy, you sure spend a lot of time running around in Dragon Quest VII, don't you?--Was the same true of Dragon Quest IX, my previous experience with this ages-old series? If so, I certainly don't remember it. Or at least I don't remember it impacting my enjoyment of that game as much as it is this one. Regardless, I've got to admit I've already become a bit annoyed by the game's many fetch quests that force you to return to locations you've already visited a number of times before.

I know I'm "directionally challenged," but I think I'd regularly get lost in this game even if that weren't the case--Combine this piece of criticism with the last one and it should be clear that a Dragon Quest VII playthrough can really test your patience. Granted, some of this likely is my own fault. I can be more than a bit dense when it comes to keeping track of all the details that are thrown at me while playing an RPG. Although in my brain's defense, pretty much every locale here has two versions--one set in the past, and one set in the present--and as such I can't help but think most folks who decide to tackle this game also have a hard time keeping them straight, especially as the adventure progresses and the world opens up.



What's the point of making monsters visible on the overworld (or in dungeons) if you can't escape them?--OK, so this actually isn't an issue while traversing Dragon Quest VII's overworld--or at least it's only rarely an issue in that context. It's very much an issue, though, once you dive into one of the game's many dungeons. Almost without exception, these dungeons are made up of claustrophobic hallways that make it nearly, if not completely, impossible to avoid oncoming baddies. In some cases, that means getting into a battle every couple of steps. Thankfully, the battles on offer here are snappy affairs, but that doesn't mean much when you're forced into 100 of them within a single, small dungeon.

Is it just me, or does everyone here look the same?--Considering how much content developer Arte Piazza was able to squeeze into this diminutive 3DS cartridge, I can understand why they decided to cut a couple of corners along the way. Still, would it have killed that company's designers and programmers to have created a few more NPC models? It often seems like they made a small handful and then called it a day, as you encounter the same ones over and over and over again during your travels. That would bother me a lot less than it does, by the way, if it didn't regularly fool me into thinking I'm talking to a character I'd previously met when in fact it's just someone who looks like a character I'd previously met.

Given all of the above, you might think I'm no longer thrilled to be playing Dragon Quest VII. That couldn't be further from the truth. Yes, I'm mildly annoyed by some aspects of the game, but I'm loving the rest of it (especially the "party chat" option that's accessed with a push of the 3DS' B button), so don't expect me to walk away from it anytime soon.

Now that I've said my piece, what do all of you who also are making your way through this 3DS remake think of it?

Why did I wait so long to play Dragon Quest VII? (or, a few thoughts on the just-released 3DS port of Square Enix's mammoth RPG)

I have a strange history with the Dragon Quest series.

As a teenager, I devoured every piece of information about the first game's three-years-in-coming North American release I came across. My older brother and I bought it as soon as it hit store shelves and quickly beat it. (Actually, he beat it. Although I played the game, known here as Dragon Warrior at the time, through to the final boss, I never vanquished him. Later, my brother took care of it while I watched.)

You'd think that experience would've prompted us to buy and similarly burn our way through the second, third and fourth Dragon Quest--er, I mean Dragon Warrior--titles. For whatever reason, though, we didn't.



In fact, we (or, rather I) ignored every other Dragon Quest game that was released in English until Dragon Quest IX hit the streets in my neck of the woods in 2010. This time, I not only reached the end credits on my own but put more than 100 hours into it along the way.

I intended to follow up that experience my battling through the DS remakes of Dragon Quest IV, V and VI--or at least one of them--but you know what they say about best-laid plans.

Did I partially make up for the misgivings detailed above by pre-ordering the North American 3DS remakes of Dragon Quest VII (and Dragon Quest VIII) as soon as I was able to do so last year? I'd like to think so.



Even better, in my mind, is that I crammed the Dragon Quest VII cartridge into my trusty 3DS as soon as the former arrived on my doorstep a couple of weeks ago. Fast-forward to today, and I'm about seven hours into this portable adventure.

I'm enjoying the journey so much at the moment that I'm beating myself up for not playing the game sooner. That's mainly because of the characters and the story.

Actually, I think my favorite aspect of Dragon Quest VII right now is the little vignettes you have to complete while advancing the overarching saga. Some of them are silly, some of them are surprisingly poignant (the first one, especially)--and all of them enjoyable. Or at least that's been the case with the handful I've encountered up to this point.



Those aren't the only reasons I'm busy kicking myself for passing on Dragon Quest VII for so long. A few others include Akira Toriyama's adorable monster designs, Koichi Sugiyama's magnificent soundtrack and the stellar visual upgrade provided by ArtePiazza's crack team of artists and developers. In fact, this version's aesthetics make it the most appealing Dragon Quest to date as far as graphics are concerned--in my humble opinion, of course.

Anyway, I know I've got a long, long way to go before I see this game's credit roll, but I have absolutely no doubt I'll get there eventually.

How about you? Are any of you also playing the Dragon Quest VII 3DS remake? If so, what do you think of it so far?

I'm really looking forward to Dragon Quest Builders; how about you?

I wasn't sure what to think when Dragon Quest Builders was first unveiled last summer. I love the whole Dragon Quest aesthetic, but I haven't exactly been bowled over by Minecraft or its many pretenders, so it took me a good long while to realize I could have a blast with Builders.

If I hadn't come around yet, I'm pretty sure the game's latest trailer (below) would've done the trick.



I'm especially enamored with Dragon Quest Builders' character and creature models. The town-building and resource-collecting aspects look interesting, too, although I'm still not entirely sold on them. (I liked, but didn't love, that component of Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley, and I'm somewhat worried I'll be similarly underwhelmed by it here.)

How about all of you? Are any of you planning to buy either the PS4 or Vita version of Dragon Quest Builders upon its North American release on Oct. 11? If so, which version will you get?

I'd totally buy the Japanese version of the adorable 3DS SRPG, Ambition of the Slimes, next week if an English release weren't in the works

I'm a sucker for a lot of things when it comes to buying and playing video games. Among them: cuteness, pixels, low-poly environments (think the original Final Fantasy Tactics) and strategy RPGs.

Oh, and slimes. You know, like the little blobs that basically represent Square Enix's Dragon Quest series both here and abroad.

All of the above are front and center in Circle Entertainment's 3DS port of a Japanese mobile game known as Ambition of the Slimes--which of course means I want nothing more than to buy the hell out of it the second it hits that region's eShop next week.



I'm going to do my best to hold off on that, though, thanks to a tweet Circle sent out earlier today that assured Ambition of the Slimes is "already on the way" to both Europe and North America.

How long will it take for this adorable tactical RPG to cross the pond? Sadly, I haven't a clue. As soon as I hear anything in that regard, I'll let you know.

In the meantime, please enjoy the trailer above, which showcases some Japanese footage of the game.

(Via japanesenintendo.com)

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

If I didn't already own a Vita, I'd totally buy one of the Dragon Quest Metal Slime Editions hitting Japanese store shelves on Jan. 28

Don't take the comment above to mean I'm at all unhappy with the precious pink-and-white Japanese Vita I picked up earlier this year, by the way.



In fact, if I had to choose between that version of Sony's latest handheld and one of the Dragon Quest Metal Slime Edition models showcased throughout this blog post, I'd still probably go with old pinky.

If the pink-and-white one didn't exist, though, there's no question in my mind that I'd blow the needed amount of money on a Metal Slime system.

Speaking of the latter, these slick special editions are set to hit the streets--and store shelves--of Japan on Jan. 28 alongside Square Enix's intriguing Dragon Quest Builders game.

A copy of that Minecraft-esque title will be included with each Metal Slime Edition package, as will an adorable Metal Slime headphone jack figure, an AC adapter, a power cord and a USB cable.



I don't suppose any of you fine folks have pre-ordered one of these suckers--or have designs on purchasing one down the road?

If so, please let me know in the comments section below so I can become your new best friend.

(Via gematsu.com)

European and North American 3DS owners: you've already pre-ordered copies of Dragon Quest VII and Dragon Quest VIII, right?

Well, folks, the day so many of us have waited for has arrived.

No, not the day that Nintendo releases a Birdo-themed 3DS system. (Note: I'd even take an original 3DS featuring a Birdo design. Hell, I might prefer it to a Birdo-ized 3DS XL or New 3DS.)

Rather, it's the day that the company finally admits it's bringing the 3DS remakes-ports-whatever-you-want-to-call-them of Dragon Quest VII and Dragon Quest VIII to the West.

Don't believe me? Fast-forward to the 39-minute mark of yesterday's European Nintendo Direct (below) and see for yourself.



Or, if you prefer watching Nintendo Directs from my side of the pond, as the saying goes, jump right to the 39-minute-mark of the North American broadcast.

With that out of the way, you're all set to pre-order both of these games via Amazon like I did yesterday afternoon, right? (Here's a link to Dragon Quest VII's Amazon entry, and here's a link to Dragon Quest VIII's.)

I'd share links to similar pre-order listings on Amazon's UK site or other European Amazon sites, but unfortunately I've yet to come across them.

Anyway, how many of you also are looking forward to getting your grubby mitts on one or both of these portable adventures at some point in 2016?

I'd totally get these Dragon Quest VIII-themed 'PC' and 'TPU' covers if I owned a New 3DS XL

Thankfully for my bank account, I don't currently own a New 3DS XL or LL. And even if I did own one, it probably wouldn't be an all-white model, which is what it would have to be for the colorful "TPU" cover showcased below to stand out as it should.

Speaking of which, I don't suppose any of you know what "TPU" stands for, do you?

Regardless, if you'd like to pre-order one of these beauties, you can do so at play-asia.com--assuming you've got $24.99 to blow.

As for the Dragon Quest VIII-themed "PC" cover alluded to in the headline above, here's how it looks when applied to a blue New 3DS XL or LL.



It also looks pretty cool when it's not attached to either of Nintendo's big-screened New 3DS models, as can be seen in the image below.

These "PC" covers (again, whatever "PC means) can be pre-ordered via amiami.com, by the way, for the super-low price of 1,260 Yen (about $10).

Or, if you're more of a play-asia.com kind of person, you can buy one on that site for $13.99.

Just be aware that neither cover will reach your doorstep until late August at the earliest--which, curiously enough, is right around when the 3DS version of Dragon Quest VIII will be released.

(Via NintendoTweet)

So, what do all of you think about the fact that Dragon Quest XI is being made for 3DS, PS4 and (eventually, probably) NX?

As you've all surely heard by now, the brass at Square Enix revealed during a Dragon Quest-focused press conference yesterday morning that the 11th entry in the company’s vaunted RPG series is being prepped as we speak for the 3DS, the PS4 and the announced-but-still-shrouded-in-mystery system currently known as the Nintendo NX.

Here are some of the most pertinent of the details that were shared about Dragon Quest XI during the event held about 24 hours ago.

Although the same core staff members are working on both the 3DS and PS4 versions of the game, a company called Orca is assisting with the development of the PS4 release, while Toy Logic is helping make the 3DS one.

Despite the fact that they’ll look quite different in the end, both iterations of Dragon Quest XI will tell the same story, à la the pair of Ni no Kuni titles Level-5 made for the DS and PS3 a few years ago.

Intriguingly, Dragon Quest XI for 3DS will feature three-dimensional graphics on the system's upper screen (is it me, or do they look cel-shaded?), while the lower screen will showcase two-dimensional visuals that appear fairly Super Famicom-esque.



Oh, and when it comes to this game's battle scenes, if you're using the 3DS' circle pad when one begins, the fight will be depicted using the afore-mentioned 3D graphics. If, on the other hand, you're using the handheld's directional pad, the contest will be depicted using sprites.

Finally, Square Enix is shooting to release the 3DS and PS4 versions of Dragon Quest XI at some point during the series' 30th anniversary year--which means between April 1 of 2016 and March 31 of 2017.

With all of that out of the way, what do you think of this news--and of the first footage of the 3DS make of Dragon Quest XI, which can be viewed above?

Personally, I think it's great. Sure, I would've loved it if Square Enix had decided to put the game on the PS3, Vita and Wii U, too, but even as is I'm feeling pretty darn stoked.

There's no question I'll be picking up the 3DS iteration, by the way--quite possibly when it first hits store shelves in Japan.

Don't worry, I'll double dip if Square Enix (or Nintendo) eventually brings it to North America, but you just know that's going to take a number of months, if it happens at all.

Will any of you be following suit--by buying either the Japanese 3DS or PS4 releases? Or are you planning to hold out for copies that have been localized for the country or region you call home?

With a Dragon Quest XI reveal seemingly just around the corner, what are your hopes and fears for this sure-to-be-slime-filled JRPG?

Well, we all knew it was coming, right? Or at least those of us who care about the Dragon Quest series knew it was coming--with "it" being an official announcement regarding the existence (and possibly release) of Dragon Quest XI.

As for when the announcement in question will be made, all signs point to it happening during an event that'll be hosted (and livestreamed, thankfully) on Tuesday, July 28.

It's not a sure thing that Dragon Quest XI will headline this event, by the way, so keep your expectations in check. That said, what other "big title" would prompt the powers that be at Square Enix to throw such a shindig in its honor at this point?

Anyway, assuming we actually hear something about the 11th entry in the eons-old Dragon Quest series in a couple of days, and assuming you actually give a rat's patootie about such a game, what are some of your hopes and fears for it?



Here, I'll get things started. In a twist that I'm sure will shock everyone who's visited this blog for even a few days, I'd really like it if Dragon Quest XI were released for the 3DS. I know that's extremely unlikely at this point, but I can't help but wish for it all the same.

If it isn't going to be playable on the 3DS, I'd really like it to be playable on the Vita. I'm not sure that's all that likely either--the PS3 and PS4 are where I'd put my money, if forced--but this post is supposed to be all about sharing our hopes (or fears), even bat-shit-crazy ones, so that's what I'm doing.

Now it's your turn. So, tell me: for which system--or systems--do you want Dragon Quest XI to be make? Also, feel free to pass along any other thoughts or opinions you may have about this subject, like whether or not you'd like it to continue to feature turn-based battles.

See also: 'I've got to admit, Dragon Quest Builders looks quite a bit more appealing than I imagined it would when it was first announced'

I've got to admit, Dragon Quest Builders looks quite a bit more appealing than I imagined it would when it was first announced

Full disclosure: I've never played Minecraft. In any form.

I can't tell you why that is, sadly. I guess it's possible I would've played the game by now if it were available for a Nintendo platform, but I have a feeling even that may not have pushed me to jump on the bandwagon.



That's not to say I have something against Minecraft or its makers or its fans or anything like that. For whatever reason, it just hasn't pinged my radar up to this point.

Anyway, as a result of all of the above, Square Enix's announcement a couple of weeks ago that it is prepping a game called Dragon Quest Builders--which seemingly combines elements of Minecraft with the Dragon Quest series--for PS3, PS4 and Vita didn't exactly send shivers up and down my spine.



I don't know that I would say I'm feeling those shivers now that I've thoroughly perused the first Dragon Quest Builders screenshots that can be seen throughout this post, but I'm definitely a lot more interested in the game than I ever thought I'd be.

The question is: will the powers that be at Square Enix actually release any version of Dragon Quest Builders in North America?



I wouldn't bet against the PS4 iteration crossing the pond, so to speak, especially since Square Enix seems so bullish on that console at the moment, but I'm not so sure about the Vita iteration--which of course is the one I'd buy if I were to do such a thing.

What do all of you think? Will Dragon Quest Builders see the light of day outside of Japan? And should that come to pass, will you buy one or more copies 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.

Which old or new games should I start playing to help me learn Japanese?

Well, there you have it: I'm trying to learn Japanese. Again.

You may remember that I said this very same thing (well, not the "again" part) a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, after memorizing the language's katakana and hiragana syllabaries and then beginning the process of learning actual words and grammar, my studies fell off a cliff. I don't remember what prompted that plumet, but I'm pretty sure it had to do with a deluge of freelance writing assignments.

Dragon Quest (Famicom)

Given the amount of time that has passed since that original, aborted attempt, I basically was forced to go back to the beginning for this second one. I'm already back to where I left off, though, thanks in large part to a couple of handful of apps I added to my phone a couple of weeks ago.

I'm going to keep using those apps, as well as a few new ones and even the GENKI series of textbooks, to continue my studies, but I also want to toss some slightly more entertaining, real-world "lessons" into the mix this time around. Specifically, I want to use Japanese games to bolster what I learn about the language via the above-mentioned applications.

Some of the games I'm currently considering for this endeavor:

Bitamina Oukoku Monogatari (aka Great Greed, GameBoy)
Chocobo no Fushigina Dungeon (WonderSwan)
Dragon Quest (Famicom)
Lunar: Samposuru Gakuen (Game Gear)
Madou Monogatari (Game Gear)
Mother (Famicom)
Pro Tennis: World Court (PC Engine)
SaGa (GameBoy)

I'm not far enough along in my studies to understand all of the Japanese text these games are sure to throw at me, but I should be able to understand the bulk of the katakana that pops up, plus I plan to regularly look up words that make use of hiragana.

Mother (Famicom)

I pretty much pulled the selections above out of thin air, by the way, so if any of you know of other games--I'm especially interested in hearing about any Japanese 3DS, DS, PSP or Vita games that could help me expand my vocabulary--that you think would be useful for this purpose, please share their names in the comments section below.

I think it's finally time I played Slime MoriMori Dragon Quest 3: Taikaizoku to Shippo Dan (3DS)

After all, I've had the copy showcased in the photos below since April of last year.

Why on earth have I sat on it since then? I have no idea, to tell you the truth, although I'm guessing it had something to do with it arriving on my doorstep while I was in the middle of playing some other game that I can't remember at the moment.



Now that I've finished Fantasy Life (basically--more on that in the "Shall We Do It?" post I'll be publishing tomorrow), though, I have time to start playing Slime MoriMori Dragon Quest 3.

In fact, I did just that this past weekend, although I only spent about an hour with it, to be honest.



Before I say anything about how it looks and plays, though, let's talk about Slime MoriMori Dragon Quest 3's cover art. It's pretty fabulous, don't you think?

Now, I don't know that I'd proclaim it to be better than the cover art produced for its predecessors--see the GameBoy Advance iteration's here, and the DS sequel's here--but it's still pretty great.



This import-only 3DS game's instruction manual is similarly slick, with its pages of text peppered with loads of adorable illustrations like the ones shown in the photos above and below.

As for my thoughts on the contents of Slime MoriMori Dragon Quest 3's cartridge, I'm going to save most of my impressions for tomorrow's "Shall We Do It?" post (sorry), but what I can say here is that I find this game's aesthetics to be less appealing than those of its fully sprite-based predecessors. (In Slime MoriMori 3, everything is made of polygons except the characters--including enemies--and items, which are sprites.)

Thankfully, the sometimes-wonky visuals don't negatively impact its gameplay. In fact, Slime MoriMori 3 seems to play almost exactly like the DS game that's known to most in the English-speaking world as Rocket Slime so far. 

Although that's fine with me, I wouldn't complain if this 3DS title eventually differentiated itself from Square Enix's earlier Slime MoriMori efforts. Of course, I haven't experienced any of this one's ship-on-ship battles, so it's possible they'll provide the uniqueness I crave.

Square Enix reveals the next Japanese 3DS game it'll surely fail to release in other regions: Theatrhythm Dragon Quest

Can you tell I'm a bit bitter about how the powers that be at Square Enix have treated 3DS owners outside of Japan?

Of course, it's hard not to feel kind of jaded when you consider that the company has localized just a small handful of its Japanese 3DS games--Kingdom Hearts 3D and the two Theatrhythm Final Fantasy titles are the only ones that come to mind at the moment--since Nintendo's most recent dual-screened handheld launched four or so years ago.

All that said, I'm still planning to pre-order a copy of Theatrhythm Dragon Quest well in advance of its Japanese release, which is set for March 26.

That's not yet possible, sadly, so while I wait for some online retailer (I'm looking at you, amiami.com) to allow it, I'll keep refreshing the game's official site until it offers visitors some screenshots or a trailer.

The Nintendo Power article that's responsible for my interest in Japanese culture and video games

Here's a piece of news that should shock no one who has visited this blog on a somewhat regular basis: I've been interested in--some would say obsessed with--Japanese culture and video games for a very long time.

How long? According to the filled-out-but-never-turned-in "Player's Poll" I just found in my well-worn copy of Nintendo Power's premiere (July/August 1988) issue, the answer is 26 years. (On the above-mentioned poll, I listed my age as 11.)

As for what the first issue of Nintendo Power has to do with all of this, well, if memory serves, the article above--which I just scanned from said issue--is what prompted me to fall in love with the Land of the Rising Sun in general and its video games in particular.

Seeing that throng of people standing in line, waiting for their copies of the just-released Dragon Quest III set my hear aflutter, as did the screenshot of the Famicom game's overworld. (For whatever reason, making all four party members visible while traversing said overworld completely blew my young mind.)

Assuming at least some of you have a similar fascination with Japan and its games, what pushed you in that direction?

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.

A new gaming blog draws near: Gaymer Quest

Although there are a lot of positives associated with maintaining a gaming blog, I'd be lying if I said some negatives didn't also come with the territory.

A particularly noteworthy negative, given the focus of this post, is that it can be difficult to keep up with all of the great gaming blogs other folks are busily maintaining.

I'm going to do whatever I can to keep up with a new gaming blog I was introduced to late last week, though--with the blog in question being the fabulously titled Gaymer Quest.



It was started by--and will be maintained by, obviously--a bloke who calls himself "Kaze" (kah-zay), who some of you may have spied in the comments section of this very blog.

Kaze, a self-described gaymer and aspiring Japanese translator, says he launched Gaymer Quest "as a fun outlet to discuss all the nerdy things I'm passionate about. So, expect a lot of posts about retro video games, modern video games, anime, manga, Japanese culture, gay culture and who knows what else."



Gaymer Quest's home to just three posts so far, but two of them--one of which focuses on the first Final Fantasy Legend GameBoy title, while the other discusses the GaymerX event and "the power of safe spaces"--proved to be intriguing reads (the first was little more than an introduction), so I'd say this is a blog that's well worth keeping an eye on for some time to come.

Oh, and should you want to check out or follow Gaymer Quest elsewhere, its Facebook page can be found at facebook.com/gaymerquest and its Twitter account can be found at twitter.com/gaymerquest.

I'd be a lot more interested in these if they were Dragon Quest-branded coffee mugs rather than 'melamine cups'

To be completely honest, I'm not entirely sure what a "melamine cup" is. Are we just talking about a plastic cup that a person might use to drink milk or water?

Regardless, I can't help but wish the Dragon Quest-themed vessels (above and below--oh, and there's a blue one, too!) that will soon be sold by the folks at shopncsx.com were porcelain mugs rather than melamine cups.

Of course, I need a game-related mug like I need a social disease (some would say "another social disease"), so maybe I should forget about this particular wish while I'm ahead.

Are any of you chomping at the bit to own one of these cups (which can be bought for just $8.90 each), or are you perfectly fine with whatever other cups you already own?

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm really digging the crazy-ass box art created for the 3DS remake of Dragon Quest Monsters 2

Some of you will think I've lost my marbles after actually taking a gander at the box art in question, I'm sure, but I'll stand by my assertion in the header until the bitter end. I think.

I mean, you can't deny that the cover art below--created for the Japanese 3DS remake of Dragon Quest Monsters 2, which hits Japanese store shelves alongside an awesome 3DS LL on Feb. 6--is fabulously colorful. Nor can you deny that the character illustrations featured on said cover art are anything less than adorably compelling.

If you were to tell me you thought the game's logo sucked or was a bit too wordy, though, I'd totally agree with you. Also, it blends in a bit too much with the art behind it, if you ask me. Still, I like it, and I hope it eventually finds its way across the pond to our shores--although we all know that's about as likely as Slime MoriMori Dragon Quest 3: Taikaizoku to Shippo Dan making it over here.

Speaking of which, the Japanese 3DS tumblog recently published a post that showcases the cox art created for all of the Dragon Quest games that have been released for the Japanese 3DS so far. Check it out here.