Sushi Striker's retail release makes me wish Nintendo had done the same with some of the 3DS system's digital-only gems

When Sushi Striker was unveiled last summer, I was sure it would be an eShop-only offering.

After all, that's how Nintendo has treated this kind of game for the majority of the 3DS' lifetime.

So imagine my surprise when the company made it clear Sushi Striker was getting a retail as well as a digital release.

Naturally I went with the physical option--and then proceeded to enjoy the hell out of it over the course of 50-plus hours. (Seriously, if you tend to like action-puzzle games and you've still got a 3DS, pick up a copy as soon as possible. For more information, see my recent "five reasons I've fallen head over heels in love with Sushi Striker" write-up.)

Something I couldn't help but think while working my way through Sushi Striker's considerably beefy story mode (basically its only mode, if I'm to be honest): why didn't Nintendo sell boxed versions of some of its other 3DS eShop titles?

Which 3DS eShop titles am I talking about here? Pocket Card Jockey is one example. So is Rusty's Real Deal Baseball. And then there are the Pushmo, Dillon's Rolling Western, and BoxBoy! games, too. (Don't worry, I'm well aware of last year's physical BoxBoy! collection, but it only saw the light of day in Japan.)

Arguments could be made for retail releases of all these titles, if you ask me. For example, the folks at Game Freak--of Pokémon fame--made Pocket Card Jockey. That alone should have been enough for it to hit store shelves along with the eShop. (Something else that should've helped matters: the fact that Pocket Card Jockey is an absolute gem. I'd go so far as to say it's one of the 3DS' best games, in fact. To learn why I feel so strongly about it, read this post of mine: "If you own a 3DS, you need to buy and play Pocket Card Jockey right now.")

I thought a compilation of the three Mallo-centric puzzlers--Pushmo, Crashmo, and Stretchmo in my neck of the woods--was a sure thing, too, but obviously I was wrong. And I was wrong about Nintendo plopping to the first two Dillon's Rolling Western titles on a cartridge, too.

Of all the digital-only gems mentioned here so far, the one I can most understand not getting a boxed version is Rusty's Real Deal Baseball. Yes, such a product could've gathered all of its in-game purchases (which aren't insubstantial) into one package. Doing so would've required at least a little jiggering, though, and Nintendo probably decided that extra work wasn't worth it, especially given Rusty's undeniably limited appeal.

In the end, I know all of my moaning and hand-wringing here is beyond pointless. The ship's basically sailed on the 3DS, and there's no way Nintendo is going to pump out retail releases of Rusty's Real Deal Baseball, Pocket Card Jockey, Dillon's Rolling Western, or any other "old" digital game this late in the system's life.

Still, I can't help but harp on those missed opportunities a bit. As things stand, each of the games mentioned above eventually may be lost to time because they were never embedded on a cart.

I guess this just means I have to buy a few used 3DS systems and then fill them with these gems before Nintendo shutters the eShop. (I'd need a few to ensure there are plenty of backups, of course.)

Do any of you wish you could've bought physical copies of some of the 3DS' eShop-only treasures? If so, which ones?

You bought Pocket Card Jockey from the 3DS eShop yesterday, right?

Those of who without a 3DS probably are thinking, what, you want all of us to buy it, too?

Actually, I do. Granted, I'd suggest picking up a 3DS system beforehand--you know, so you can actually play it--but once you've taken care of that little detail, yes, I think you should purchase this wonderfully charming and surprisingly deep game.

For the rest of you, if you haven't yet nabbed the Game Freak-made Pocket Card Jockey from the 3DS eShop--publisher Nintendo put it up for sale, carrying a $6.99 price tag, yesterday--what's holding you back?

If it's that you aren't sure you'll enjoy it, well, I can understand that--to a point. After all, it isn't every day that you're presented with a game that dares to combine (golf) solitaire with a horse-racing sim.



That said, a Pocket Card Jockey demo has been available for more than a week now. (I wrote about it here, in case anyone is interested.) It's free and offers 15 plays, which is more than enough to figure out of its strangely addictive gameplay is your cup of tea or not.

And if that's not enough for you? Read this old post of mine. Don't fret that it says it's about a game called Solitiba; that's just Pocket Card Jockey's original Japanese title.

Anyway, in that write-up I blather on a bit about the five things I like best about digital time-waster. (I mean that in the best possible way, naturally.) I barf up some similar statements at the end of this post, by the way--in case you're looking for more encouragement.

If you're not, because Pocket Card Jockey's already taking up space on your 3DS' memory card, please share your impressions of it in the comments section below.

Pixelated service announcement: Witch & Hero II is now available in both Japan and North America

If you own a Japanese or a North American 3DS system and you've got $4 to spare, you could do far worse than go to your region's eShop and buy a copy of Circle Entertainment's Witch & Hero II. (Side note for folks who have Australian or European 3DS systems: the game is set to hit your eShop in April.)

You may remember that I was (and still am) a big fan of the first Witch & Hero. In fact, it was one of my favorite games of 2013.

As a result, I've eagerly anticipated this follow-up, which is both more of the same as well as a breath of fresh air.

I'll explain why that is in a post that'll be published in a couple of days. For the time being, just know that I've already plopped nearly three hours into the North American version Witch & Hero II (after putting about two hours in the Japanese release) and I expect I'll devote at least three or four more to it before all is said and done.



After all, I played the original Witch & Hero for just over seven hours, and this sequel seems to have quite a bit more content.

Speaking of the original, if you've never played it, I'd highly recommend picking up that--it's also $3.99, although it's often on sale for less than that--before you tackle Witch & Hero II. The first game serves as a nice introduction to the series (imagine that!), plus I think some folks might be a bit overwhelmed by jumping straight into the second entry.

Are any of you similarly ardent fans of the Witch & Hero series? If so, feel free to share the love in the comments section that follows.

Also, if any of you know the name of the person who created the brilliant piece of art showcased above, please let me know. Developer Flyhigh Works shared it via Twitter a couple of days ago, but I couldn't suss out who's responsible for it.

Giddyup! Game Freak's Solitiba will gallop its way onto the North American 3DS eShop this May as Pocket Card Jockey

For a lot of folks, the highlight of yesterday's North American Nintendo Direct was the surprise announcement that a new Kirby 3DS game--its subtitle is Planet Robobot--is going to hit digital and retail store shelves in this part of the world on June 10.

Others swooned over the fact that Monster Hunter X and Genei Ibunroku #FE are heading our way this summer, too. (The former's localized name is Monster Hunter: Generations, while the latter's is Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE.)

And of course a bunch of people turned their eyes to the heavens--or something of that sort--when they heard Nintendo of America's Bill Trinen say the company's Rhythm Tengoku: The Best Plus will be released (as Rhythm Heaven Megamix) here "later this year."

Although I found myself grinning--broadly--following each of those reveals, the one that prompted the most joyous reaction from me was this one:



Yes, the game showcased in the video above is a localized version of one of my most-loved Japanese 3DS titles, Solitiba.

In fact, I loved it so much I put nearly 60 hours into it in 2014 alone. (See why that is in my "Five reasons it's a shame Game Freak hasn't yet released Solitiba outside of Japan" post.)

That Game Freak-made head-scratcher--it deftly combines elements of both horse racing and golf solitaire--galloped its way onto that region's 3DS eShop all the way back in 2013, by the way. Which means I've been waiting quite a long time to play it in a language I fully understand.

Are any of you in the same boat? Even if you aren't, are you at all curious to give this kooky game a try?

See also: previous posts about Solitiba

Five thoughts on Witch & Hero II (3DS)

Now that I've spent about two hours with the just-released (in Japan) Witch & Hero II, I thought I'd pass along a few impressions of this digital 3DS title.

Before I get to them, though, here's my review of the first Witch & Hero (short version: I loved it), and here's a trailer for the sequel.

With that out of the way, let's get to my (admittedly early) thoughts on Witch & Hero II:

For better or worse, this game appears to have a lot more content than the original--I'm basing this observation on the fact that Witch & Hero II's overworld map--see the screenshot at the bottom of this post--looks a lot bigger than the one I traversed while working my way through the first title a few years ago. I've only played (many times over, in most cases) 10 or so of the game's stages so far, though, so who knows just how much ground I'll be asked to cover when all is said and done.

Being able to move the witch in part two is ... interesting--As far as I can tell, the main gameplay addition Witch & Hero II offers to folks familiar with the original is that, this time around, they can move the witch as well as the hero. (One is controlled with the 3DS system's d-pad or circle pad, while the other is controlled with its A, B, X and Y buttons.) This is important, as it lets you nudge your purple-wearing, magic-wielding companion out of harm's way when the need arises. Sounds great, right? I thought so, too--at first. A couple of hours later, I'm less sure of that fact, as it currently feels more fumbly than fun. Still, I have hope it'll "click" eventually.

Warning: the developers toss you right into the deep end this time around--If you made it pretty far into the first Witch & Hero, you know it took its sweet time introducing players to the many components of its gameplay. I rather liked that approach, I have to admit, as it allowed me to come to terms with each individual element before I had to tackle another. Here, you're basically plopped into the game with a slap on the back and a terse, "figure it out!" Normally I wouldn't have a problem with that, but in the case of Witch & Hero II, the tactic makes the early rounds feel like more of a grind than developer FK Digital's maiden effort.

If you liked the first Witch & Hero's adorable enemies, you'll faint when you play the sequel--Like pretty much every other sound-minded person who's come across the original Witch & Hero, I fell head over heels in love with its Dragon Quest-esque slime enemies the second I encountered them. I found the rest of its adorably pixelated baddies similarly swoon-worthy. How about the ones found in this successor? They're cute as buttons, too. Even better: it looks like a bunch of new ones were created for part two--although I can't yet say that with a whole lot of confidence. (Like I said, I haven't spent a ton of time with the game yet. Plus, my memory of the first one's cast is kind of fuzzy.)

Despite all I've just said, Witch & Hero II doesn't (yet) seem to be a huge departure from its 2013 predecessor--Don't take that the wrong way. I love that the brass at Flyhigh Works green-lit this project and I love what I've experienced of it so far. I didn't expect, nor did I want, it to veer far from the company's first effort. Still, I'm sure some folks have a different opinion about the situation. If you're one of them, be warned that, at least at this (admittedly early) juncture, Witch & Hero II isn't a huge departure from its predecessor.

See also: previous write-ups about Witch & Hero and Witch & Hero II

Here's your first look at Witch & Hero II (3DS)

This post is for the three other people in the world who, like me, are eagerly awaiting the release of Flyhigh Works' Witch & Hero II.

That day is approaching more quickly than you may think if you own a Japanese 3DS, by the way, as this sequel to 2013's original Witch & Hero will hit that country's eShop this coming Tuesday (Feb. 17).

And what if you don't own a Japanese 3DS? According to the folks at publisher Circle Entertainment, it'll be added to the North American eShop (and hopefully other Western eShops) sometime after mid-March.

In the meantime, take a gander the game's first trailer:



I can't tell if what's shown in it suggests Witch & Hero II will introduce some new gameplay elements or if it's just going to offer up more of the same.

To be honest, I'm fine with either option, as long as the final product proves to be as enjoyable as FK Digital's first effort.

How many of you--if any--also are chomping at the bit to buy and play this digital tower-defense title?

See also: 'Hear ye, hear ye! The release of Witch & Hero II appears imminent'

Hear ye, hear ye! The release of Witch & Hero II appears imminent

I have the distinct feeling I'm one of the few people in the world--the Western world, at least--who actually enjoyed Witch & Hero.

Don't believe me? Check out its review scores, which average 44 out of 100 on Metacritic.

I, on the other hand, declared Witch & Hero one of my favorite games the year it was released for the 3DS eShop. (That would be 2013, by the way.)

Because of that, I've been eagerly awaiting its follow-up, which was first announced two whole years ago.

Unfortunately, the game's developer and publisher has made nary a peep about the sequel since then. Until this past Tuesday, that is.

What happened on Tuesday? The above-mentioned company, Flyhigh Works, added a Witch & Hero II page to its site.

Sure, the page in question consists of nothing more than the game's logo at the moment, but in this kind of situation you have to take whatever you get.

Are any of you itching to spend some more time with this adorably frantic tower-defense title? If so, share why that is in the comments section below.

(Via japanesenintendo.com)

Wait, a Tetris-like Katamari Damacy puzzler hit Nintendo's DSiWare service back in 2009?

In the comments section of my recent post about "book-style" DS games, two fine folks pointed me in the direction of a Giant Bomb write-up that detailed a good number of such releases.

One of the many games highlighted in that post was Korogashi Puzzle Katamari Damacy (or ころがしパズル塊魂).

Unbeknownst to me, the folks at Bandai Namco dropped Korogashi Puzzle Katamari Damacy onto the Japanese DSiWare shop (or whatever the hell it was called) all the way back in 2009.



Given my love of book-style DS games, Katamari Damacy and puzzlers, I nearly fainted when I first became aware of Korogashi Puzzle Katamari Damacy's existence.

Sadly, unless I'm horribly mistaken (someone please tell me if this is the case), Korogashi Puzzle Katamari Damacy never made the leap from the DSiWare shop to the 3DS eShop.

Oh, well, maybe this is just the universe's way of telling me I need to pick up a Japanese DSi pronto?

Shall We Do It? (Contact, The Legend of Kusakari, Penguin no Mondai: Saikyou Penguin Densetsu! and Rhythm Tengoku: The Best Plus)

I've played a lot of games since I last published one of these "Shall We Do It?" posts (which happened all the way back on June 22, incidentally enough), so I figured now would be as good a time as any to get off my lazy butt and work up another.

As for which games I've played in the last month-plus and what I think about those experiences, here are all of (or at least most of) the relevant details:

Contact (DS)--Yes, I'm still plugging away at this always intriguing and sometimes infuriating adventure. Or at least I was plugging away at it until about a week ago. That's when I reached what I believe is the game's final location, and after spending a few hours grinding (the enemies in this level are quite a bit tougher than the ones I had to deal with previously), I basically chickened out on taking on the last boss.

The plan at the moment is to take care of him (or her, or whatever it may be) in the next few weeks, after I wrap up my playthrough of Penguin no Mondai: Saikyou Penguin Densetsu! (see below for more on that title), but who knows if I'll actually follow through with that.

I don't suppose any of you can provide me with any motivation here? I mean, will Contact's ending make my gargantuan effort thus far worthwhile, or will it make me wish I'd never shoved its cartridge into my trusty 3DS?

The Legend of Kusakari (3DS)--If you've never heard of this one, it's a 3DS eShop that's only seen the light of day in Japan so far. I picked up last week because it was cheap (just 300 yen, which is about $2.50) and because Brian, the proprietor of the Japanese 3DS tumblog, has said interesting things about it since it was released a couple of months ago.

Speaking of which, Brian recently described The Legend of Kusakari as being a "fun cross between the 80s ZX Spectrum lawnmower simulators and A Link to the Past," and even though I've sadly never played any ZX Spectrum lawnmower simulators, I definitely can see where he's coming from with this association.



After all, The Legend of Kusakari basically involves whacking away at clumps of grass, à la A Link to the Past, while bystanders and baddies block your path (both of them can cause you harm) and a timer ticks away.

No one is going to accuse this digital title of being an overly deep experience, but it's fun and cute and has a wonderfully weird soundtrack, so for me it's more than worth its bargain-basement price tag.

Penguin no Mondai: Saikyou Penguin Densetsu! (DS)--It's funny that I mentioned the Japanese 3DS tumbler's Brian in the segment above, as he's responsible for me playing this game, too. (Here's some more information on why that is, if you're at all curious.)

Although he deserves a hearty pat on the back for both introductions, that's especially true when it comes to Penguin no Mondai, which is a surprisingly enjoyable--and adorable--Metroidvania that was developed (I believe) and published by Konami.

In fact, my only complaint about this action-heavy DS release is that its protagonist--a roly-poly penguin--is made of polygons rather than sprites, which is what was used to construct pretty much every other component of Saikyou Penguin Densetsu!

Other than that little niggle, though, I've really gotten a kick out of the handful of hours I've put into this game in the last few weeks. I especially like how you regularly encounter various minibosses--which also are penguins, by the way--that offer up their outfits and weapons upon being defeated. From then on, you can mix and match their swag to alter your move set, health, power, defense and more.

Anyway, I've had such a blast with it that I'm planning to pick up the other Penguin no Mondai games Konami made for the DS as soon as is possible.

Rhythm Tengoku: The Best Plus (3DS)--Sure, I've put a lot of time into all of the previously mentioned games in the past month or so, but this is the one that's taken up the lion's share of my attention during that span. Specifically, I've plopped over 13 hours into my copy of The Best Plus since it arrived on our doorstep at the end of June.



As you may have heard, this iteration of Rhythm Heaven features a story (which a lot of long-time fans seem to hate), 70 "old" mini-games and about 30 new ones. I've now experienced--and "beaten"--all of them, along with their corresponding remixes. In fact, I gleefully encountered its ending credit roll this time last weekend.

So, what do I think of this iteration of Nintendo's fabulous series of music-focused games? I think it more than holds its own with its predecessors, for starters. Admittedly, the story does slow things down at first, and it takes far too long to get to this version's remixes (as well as a number of its new mini-games, a couple of which are as good as any that have appeared in past Rhythm Tengoku titles), but even then it's a joy to behold.

I'll say more in the "Great Gaymathon" review of The Best Plus that should be published late this week or early next, but in the meantime, just know that I highly recommend buying this game if you have a 3DS that's capable of playing Japanese carts. And if you don't, well, here's hoping the powers that be at Nintendo do the right thing and bring it to other regions sooner rather than later.

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

Out of this world: Nintendo's first Mother game finally earns an English release (via the Wii U eShop) as EarthBound Beginnings

I'm sure all, or at least most, of you have heard this news elsewhere already, but just in case you're among the handful who haven't: last night, Nintendo decided to shock everyone and drop an official English localization of the original Mother game on the Wii U's European and North American eShops.

This is the 8-bit precursor to the SNES game, EarthBound (known as Mother 2 in Japan), that has garnered quite the cult following in the two decades since it first hit North American store shelves in 1995, for those of you who are lacking a bit of knowledge about this series of wonderfully and endearingly odd RPGs.



Another morsel of info some of you may or may not know about Mother (aka EarthBound Beginnings): Nintendo translated the game into English shortly after it hit the streets of Japan (in 1989, for the Famicom), but its North American release was scrapped at the last minute in favor of its 16-bit sequel.

If you'd like to learn a bit more about this heretofore-unreleased NES title before handing over nearly seven of your hard-earned dollars for a digital copy of it, you may want to check out the trailer above or the message from series creator, Shigesato Itoi, that can be seen below (and here).



You also may want to check out a couple of previous posts I've published about this game--one of which features a few photos of Mother's fabulous box and cartridge, and one of which offers a glimpse at its similarly stellar instruction manual.

The only other thing I've got to say about this whole she-bang is that I sincerely hope the powers that be at Nintendo eventually decide to put EarthBound Beginnings on 3DS eShops around the world, too, as it would be a real shame if only Wii U owners got to experience it.

Hooray, hooray, a brand-new Pushmo game is on the way!

Actually, if you own a Japanese 3DS, it's already here. Its name is Pushmo: Hippa Land, by the way, and it looks completely and awesomely adorable--or completely and adorably awesome, if that's how you prefer to butter your bread.

Don't believe me when I say this eShop game looks both awesome and adorable (as well as, er, complete)? Check out the trailer below (or here, if the video's borked).

For anyone who is left a bit confused by that two-minute-and-forty-eight-second slice of heaven, the gist of what sets this Pushmo apart from its three predecessors is that it features four distinct worlds.

One features puzzles that are typical of the series, one features puzzles that look like objects (such as the Tower of Pisa), one features puzzles teaming with enemies and one features puzzles that are inspired by classic Famicom (NES) games.



Oh, and you control a different Pushmo character in each world, although I'm sad to say I don't know enough about the series to know anyone other than Mallo.

Twenty-eight puzzles are offered up for free (seven from each world), but after that you have to hand over 500 yen for the 100 remaining regular puzzles and 300 yen each (900 yen total) for the rest of the other worlds' puzzles (50 per world, or 150 in all).

That comes to 1,400 yen for the whole enchilada--if you buy them separately. Those who know what's up will take Nintendo up on its offer to pay 1,000 yen (just under $10) to nab all of them at once.

Considering the original Pushmo and its two follow-ups, Crashmo and Pushmo World, eventually were released outside of Japan, I have to imagine the same will be true of Hippa Land. Here's hoping it doesn't take too for Nintendo to make that happen.

At long last, my review of THE 'DENPA' MEN 3

Unfortunately, you can't read it here. Instead, you have to head over to gamecritics.com.

Don't worry, this doesn't mean all of my reviews are going to appear on GameCritics rather than here from now on. I wrote this particular review for a site that isn't my own because Senior Editor Brad Gallaway, who has been a Twitter friend of mine for ages now, asked me to write it.

OK, so he also asked me to write a review of Fantasy Life, so at least one more of my reviews will be published there rather than here, but that's likely to be the extent of it. I think.

Anyway, if you're at all curious as to how I felt about THE "DENPA" MEN 3 after spending more than 40 hours with it, check out gamecritics.com at your convenience.

Oh, and please share your feelings on this 3DS RPG in the comments section below--should you be one of the five or six people outside of Japan who've actually played it, I mean.

See also: my 'somewhat gay' review of the first 'DENPA' MEN game

My favorite games of 2014 (that actually were released in 2014)

If we're going to be honest here (and why wouldn't we be?), I'm far from the ideal person to write a post such as this.

Unlike a lot of folks, I'm not all that interested in the "next gen" consoles (as opposed to handhelds) that tend to dominate online gaming discussions these days, plus I spend at least half of my annual games budget on retro titles and systems.

Still, I've played through good number of games this year, so I'm publishing a pair of posts that focus on the handful I've enjoyed the most. Today's post covers titles that actually were released in 2014, while tomorrow's will cover those that were released earlier.

One thing to keep in mind as you review this particular write-up: I played zero Vita games this year--because I still don't own a Vita system, although I can guarantee that will change shortly--and I failed to play a number of highly acclaimed 3DS games that hit the streets in in the last 12 months, including Kirby: Triple Deluxe, Persona Q, Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney and Shovel Knight (although all of these take up space on my lengthy "wish list").

With that out of the way, let's get to some blurbs about my favorite games of 2014 (that actually were released in 2014):

Bravely Default--This Square Enix-made stunner, released early in the year in my neck of the woods, ably straddles the line between being an old-school RPG and a next-gen one. On the old-school side of things, there are the random, turn-based battles and the chibi character designs that harken back to the 8-bit and 16-bit Final Fantasy titles (as well as The 4 Heroes of Light spin-off, of course), while on the next-gen side there are the bevy of combat options (one of which allows players to avoid enemy encounters or otherwise alter how often they pop up), the online and multiplayer components and the surprisingly well implemented use of augmented reality. If you've read anything about Bravely Default, you're likely already aware of the fact that the second half of the game's story is a bit controversial (to put it mildly), and while it unquestionably deserves the criticism, I have to say that, for me, most of the related annoyance was forgotten following the final battle, the credit roll and what came after that--to the point that I'm pretty sure I'll willingly put myself through it all again (maybe more than once) in the not-so-distant future.

Fantasy Life--I don't know about you, but I've long been one of those gamers who want to wander off the beaten path in an RPG while in the shoes of something other than a sword-wielding warrior. Specifically, I've wanted to boot up a role-playing game that let me spend time as a shop owner or a weapon maker or even an inn keeper. Fantasy Life promises some of that and more--to an extent. On offer in this 3DS title are 12 different "lives" (jobs, basically) that allow players to act as miners, woodcutters, blacksmiths and cooks. As I'm sure you can imagine, some of these professions are more engaging than others. For me, angler, miner and woodcutter have proven to be the most fun so far, although I've also enjoyed the time I've spent as a blacksmith and carpenter--despite the fact that the latter pair's focus on repetitive and too-similar mini-games is sure to get on the nerves of some gamers. That's one area I hope is improved upon should a sequel ever see the light of day. Other than that, there isn't much wrong with the current iteration, as its art style is the stuff of childhood dreams, its gameplay is more entertaining than it has any right to be and its soundtrack ties all of the above together before topping it with a pretty bow.

Tomodachi Life--Following its Japanese release in 2013, the word on the Internet was that Tomodachi Life was a shockingly alluring mixture of Animal Crossing and The Sims. Although those folks were right on the money in attaching Electronic Arts' life-sim series to this similarly themed 3DS release, they were pretty far off the mark in adding Nintendo's animal-packed fave. That's because Tomodachi Life is all about populating an island-locked apartment building with family members, friends, celebrities and more and then watching them get into all sorts of wacky situations. The experience is more interactive than that description makes it sound, thankfully, but it has to be said that interactivity isn't the name of the game (pun intended) here. No, the point of Tomodachi Life is to revel in the hilarity of it all--and mark my words, it's often pretty darn hilarious (or at least that was my impression during the 100-plus hours I spent with it this past year).

Woah Dave!--It's pretty telling that this 3DS eShop game (iOS, Mac and PC versions also are available, and PS4 and Vita versions are on the way) has been available for just a couple of months and yet it still managed to make this list. Given my nearly lifelong love of simple, pick-up-and-play titles like Bubble Bobble, Donkey Kong and Ms. Pac-Man, though, I guess its inclusion here shouldn't be too shocking. Speaking of the afore-menitoned games, the developers responsible for Woah Dave! looked past them and toward Nintendo's original Mario Bros. for inspiration instead, which was a pretty genius move, in my humble opinion. After all, that sewer-centric platformer has been begging for some sort of modernist update for ages now. My only issue with this otherwise-enthralling affair: the titular Dave and his abstract adversaries are nowhere near as appealing as Mario, Luigi and their quarter-munching co-stars. Thankfully, you probably won't even notice, as if you're anything like me you'll be too busy scurrying about in an attempt to stay alive and nab as many coins as you can while you're at it to notice the humdrum character designs.

Honorable mentions: Coming Out on Top (PC/Mac), THE "DENPA" MEN 3 (3DS), Tappingo 2 (3DS) and Yoshi's New Island (3DS)

Shall We Do It? (Fantasy Life, Pinch 50, Slime MoriMori Dragon Quest 3 and Woah Dave!)

The last month or so has been so busy for me that I haven't had as much time as I would've liked to play games. Thankfully, things calmed down quite a bit this past weekend, and I took full advantage of the solitude to spend some quality time with the following four 3DS titles:

Fantasy Life--Would you believe that after 76 hours of play, I've finally finished this Level-5 RPG? Or, rather, I've finished its main campaign. I bought the game's day-one "Origin Island" DLC just before Thanksgiving, and I've yet to play--let alone conquer--it, but let's put that aside for the moment. (Plus, we are talking about post-game content here, so it's not like it negates my claim that I've completed the main part of the game.)

So, what are my near-final thoughts on this massive adventure? Well, for starters, I'd say it's easily one of the funnest, most engaging games I've played in 2014. That's mainly because of its MMO-esque gameplay, I have to say, although its job-swapping hook played an important role, too.

Speaking of Fantasy Life's job-swapping hook, my favorite jobs (or "lives," if you will) so far are the three "gathering" ones: angler, miner and woodcutter, though I'm also pretty fond of the blacksmith and carpenter ones. (Sadly, I've completely ignored the alchemist, cook, paladin or tailor professions up to this point.)

In less positive news: I still find this game's obsession with text to be annoying, and I worry that it's going to be the one thing that keeps a good chunk of folks from enjoying the experience as much as they otherwise would. Thankfully, it's limited to a quarter or less of the overall adventure. Most of the time, you're free to run around and fight beasts or gather resources, so keep that in mind if you're having a hard time with the wordiness of it all.

Anyway, I'm going to do my best to complete the aforementioned "Origin Island" DLC content as soon as possible, but don't be surprised if it takes me a while, as I'm pretty sure one of the other games discussed in this post (Slime MoriMori Dragon Quest 3) is going to take over my life for the next few weeks.

Pinch 50--I purchased this Japanese eShop title last month, but I barely played it until a couple of days ago. Which probably was for the best, as it's likely this game only would've added to the stress I was dealing with between then and this past weekend. That's because Pinch 50, made by Masanobu Endō (creator of classics like The Tower of Druaga and Xevious), is so masochistic it gives similar efforts like 1001 Spikes and Spelunky a run for their money.

Before you get the wrong idea, Pinch 50's gameplay is a thoroughly different beast than that found in the aforementioned pair of titles. In fact, Endō's game is remarkably similar in feel (and look) to that old Activision Atari 2600 classic, Pitfall, although Pinch 50 is about ten times tougher than the game that surely inspired it.

That's all I'll say for now, as I've only beaten the first 11 of this digital title's 50 stages as of last night. (Oh, and I died about 20 times while trying to finish one of the latter stages, with my giddy giggles rising in volume with each death.)

Slime MoriMori Dragon Quest 3--As I mentioned in Monday's post, I've had a copy of this Dragon Quest spin-off for more than a year now. Sadly, it's done nothing but sit in a drawer ever since--until this past Saturday, I mean. Now that I've started it, though, I have a feeling I won't stop until I've finished it--or until I've gotten so hopelessly stuck (or lost) that I give up on it. That's how much it's got me by the short and curlies at the moment.

Oh, sure, it isn't the best looking 3DS game in the world (the low-quality polygonal backdrops are far less appealing than the sprite-based ones found in this game's GameBoy Advance and DS predecessors), its soundtrack features a ton of tunes that also appeared in the first two Slime MoriMori titles and its gameplay isn't all that different from the second one (known as Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime in North America), but none of that has kept it from being a thoroughly thrilling affair.

One new element in Slime MoriMori 3 that's really impressed me so far is its watery overworld, which is traversed by ship. It kind of recalls the sailing sections of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, although this 3DS game's ship-centric action is far less annoying and monotonous than what's found in that GameCube effort.

Also, the boss battles in Slime MoriMori 3 have proven to be surprisingly entertaining thus far, although I've only experienced three of them to this point. (Oh, and they make great use of the stereoscopic 3D technology packed inside the 3DS, with most of these encounters featuring impressive pop-out effects.)

Should folks who can't currently play this Rocket Slime sequel be upset that it's failed to make it to their respective region? I'm not sure, to tell you the truth. Although I'm having a lot of fun with it at the moment, it's so similar to the aforementioned DS title that I don't think you're missing out on a whole lot by not having easy access to the 3DS iteration.

Woah Dave!--Is this eShop game still on sale (in North America, at least) for just 99 cents? If so, I'd highly and heartily recommend nabbing a copy of it as soon as you're able.

Normally, I'd attach a little disclaimer--such as, "if you like single-screen platformers that feature old-school graphics and twitch-y gameplay"--to a recommendation like the one above, but in the case of Woah Dave!, I'm pretty confident that almost anyone who owns a 3DS (or a PC or smartphone) will get a kick out of this game.

Should you require some sort of description of its gameplay before handing over your hard-earned 99 cents to this title's developers, does "it's like the original Mario Bros. on speed or 'shrooms--or both" suffice?

Even if it doesn't, do yourself a favor and pick up some version of this trippy soon-to-be-classic. It won't disappoint.

Shall We Do It? (Fantasy Life, Final Fantasy Explorers Light and Solitiba)

There's a reason I haven't published one of these posts in some time. (Not since Oct. 14, in fact.) Actually, there are two reasons, with one being the North American 3DS title, Fantasy Life, and the other being the Japanese 3DS eShop title, Solitiba.

Although I've put far more time into the former than the latter in the last month and a half, I've gotten such a kick out of playing both of them that no other game has been able to steal my attention away from them.

Well, that's not completely true. I forced myself to download the Japanese demo of Square Enix's Final Fantasy Explorers (called Final Fantasy Explorers Light) a weekend or so ago, after all, and even gave it a few plays before stuffing it into a folder somewhere and moving back to Fantasy Life and Solitiba.

Anyway, keep reading if you'd like to read a few more of my thoughts on this trio of 3DS games.



Fantasy Life--You want to know how completely this recent Level-5 release has me wrapped around its finger? I've put 76 hours into it so far, that's how completely.

Actually, I probably should've said "had" rather than "has" in the sentence above, as I haven't booted up Fantasy Life since I played it for about four hours while flying from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Seattle last Friday. Don't worry, I'll get back to it shortly. After all, I've loved pretty much every minute of it so far--and I've spent a lot of minutes with it.

I've accomplished a lot during all those minutes (and hours) of play, of course, although I've yet to finish the game's main story. I believe I'm nearly there, though, so expect me to wrap it up between now and the next time I publish one of these posts.

The fact is, though, that most of what Fantasy Life has to offer people happens outside the confines of its main story--or, rather, happens while the main story is "on pause," so to speak. In my case, for instance, the majority of my experience with the game has been spent leveling up various "lives"--to the point that I've now spent a good amount of time with eight of the 12 jobs included here. (All of them have been brought up to "Hero" level except blacksmith, which is only up to "Master.") My favorites at the moment: archer and angler, I think, although I honestly get a kick out of all of them.

I still find Fantasy Life's verbose nature to be a bit annoying, by the way, but it's easy enough to skip through all of the blather, so don't worry about it too much if you're on the fence about buying the game.



Final Fantasy Explorers Light--Although I downloaded this demo of Square Enix's upcoming Final Fantasy spin-off (for the 3DS) as soon as it was uploaded to the Japanese eShop, I put off playing it until a couple of days ago due to the fact that I've been luke warm (at best) on its art style ever since I first laid eyes on it a few months back.

Which is a shame, as now that I've spent some time with the game and seen its graphics in motion, it really doesn't look all that bad. It also doesn't look stellar, mind you, but it looks better than I thought it would based on my first impressions.

As for the gameplay, all I've gathered so far is that it's quest-heavy--it's similar to the Bravely Default demo, in that regard--and vaguely Monster Hunter-esque, although I hesitate to say the latter as Final Fantasy Explorers seems a lot less strategic than Capcom's money-maker.

I'm going to play Light for a little longer before making a decision about the full game, but I've got to admit that at the moment I'm leaning toward not picking it up--assuming Square Enix even bothers to release it in North America. (Because there's no way I'm importing and playing through the Japanese release.)

In a way, I kind of hope the remainder of my time with Light prompts a change of heart, because for some weird reason I really want to like it--even with its questionable art style. Why couldn't the artist responsible for, say, the original Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles have worked on this sucker?



Solitiba--I actually stepped away from this (sadly) Japan-only offering after putting about 35 hours into it. Not because I was tired of it, mind you, but because my copy of Fantasy Life arrived and I was just a bit more desperate to play it than I was to continue playing Solitba.

Now that I'm taking a bit of a breather from Fantasy Life, though, I have plenty of "brain bandwidth" to devote to Solitiba again.

In case you haven't gathered already, this is one of those games that latches onto you and refuses to let go without a proper fight. I guess that could be due to the fact solitaire is such a prominent part of it--and solitaire's right up there with games like Tetris when it comes to sucking you in and wasting more of your time than you thought it would, although of course it could be argued that one is a bit less exciting than the other--but I don't think that's entirely what's going on here.

No, I think the real reason Solitiba is so easy to pick up, and so hard to put down, is that all of its elements--the solitaire portions, the horse-racing segments, the magnificent art style, Game Freak's "golden touch"--combine and conspire to produce a whole that's far more enticing than the sum of these aforementioned parts.

As a result, I really hope the folks at Game Freak--or Nintendo, or some other publisher--are toiling away on English and other language versions of Solitiba, because I honestly consider it to be a gem that people all around the world, and not just those in Japan (or those, like me, who own Japanese 3DS systems), should be given an chance to experience.

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

I just pre-ordered a copy of The Legend of Legacy (3DS), which means a North American localization should be announced any day now

Actually, I pre-ordered a number of 3DS games--Japanese and otherwise--in the last week or so, with two of the "otherwise" games being Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. and The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask.

Getting back to The Legend of Legacy, though--as I've said before, this Japan-only (for the moment, at least) 3DS RPG is being developed for FuRyu by a bunch of the same people who worked on Square Enix's now-defunct SaGa series back in the day.

That, along with the game's interesting art style and unique pop-up-book world, was enough to push me to pre-order a copy (it's supposed to hit Japanese store shelves on Jan. 22) via amiami.com recently, despite the fact that I'm sure to flounder horribly while attempting to play through it.

While I was pre-ordering The Legend of Legacy, I also pre-ordered a copy of Sega 3D Fukkoku Archives, which combines six of the Sega 3D Classics eShop titles that have been released in that region so far (Fantasy Zone, Ecco the Dolphin, Out Run, Shinobi III, Space Harrier and Streets of Rage) as well as two bonus games--updated versions of Sega Master System's (or Sega Mark III's) Out Run 3D and Space Harrier 3D titles.

This budget-priced compilation is set to hit the streets (again, in Japan only--at least for now) on Dec. 18.

Considering Nintendo announced its intentions to publish Level-5's Fantasy Life in the West shortly after I picked up a Japanese copy of that game, I'm hoping these recent pre-orders of mine will prompt similar announcements regarding The Legend of Legacy's and Sega 3D Fukkoku Archives' overseas prospects.

My 3DS XL will soon sport one (or more) of these adorable Animal Crossing menu themes

Word on the street is that the handful of Animal Crossing: New Leaf 3DS menu themes that have been available in Japan for some time now will be brought to the European and North American eShops this week.

That's music to my ears, as I've been clamoring for the Sable Able one (below) since I first became aware of it.



Later, I'll pick up the "Isabelle in Town Hall" (below) and "Timmy and Tommy Nook" ones, too.



To see (and hear) the rest of this batch of 3DS menu themes in action, check out this video (for the "Bulletin Board" one) and this video ("Mabel Able").

Are any of you planning to add one or more of the above themes to your 3DS systems in the coming days? If so, which ones? And if not, have you bought--or are you considering buying--any of the other menu themes that have been made available so far?

Five reasons it's a shame Game Freak hasn't yet released its quirky 3DS eShop title, Solitiba (aka Soliti Horse), outside of Japan

How do I love thee, Solitiba (aka Soliti Horse)? Let me count the ways.

Actually, let me count the hours--as in, the hours I've spent playing this Japan-only, Game Freak-made 3DS eShop title that, as I'm sure you've heard me say before, adds a bit of zip to the traditionally staid horse-racing genre by infusing it with some lightning-fast rounds of solitaire.

The tally so far, by the way, would be just under 25 hours. That's how long I've played Solitiba, I mean. Which, admittedly, is a bit ... extreme. What can I say? I'm enjoying the hell out of it.

Which is why, as I state in the header above, it's a damn shame this game has yet to be released outside of Japan.

Here are five more observations related to why I believe that to be the case:

It's addictive--I guess that could be gleaned from my earlier revelation that I've spent 25 or so hours with this sucker so far, but that's not all there is to Solitiba's addictive nature. For instance, there's the fact that this is one of those titles that, even when all you plan to do is pick it up and play it for five or 10 minutes, you end up playing it for far longer than that. In my case, that usually means playing it for 30 to 40 minutes, it not longer, which is kind of crazy when you consider we're basically talking about a gussied-up game of solitaire.

It's adorable--All you need to see for proof of this bullet point are the screenshots that are scattered throughout this post. I especially love the looks of Solitiba's pudgy little horses, although I wouldn't have minded if the artists at Game Freak had conjured up at least a couple of "girly-looking" ones to balance things out a smidge. (I mean, why don't any of them sport pink or purple coats? There are a number of blue and yellow ones, after all.)

It's deep--Despite the fact that I've described Solitiba as being one part horse-racing sim and one part solitaire on at least three or four occasions now, there's far more to this digital title than that. Winning or losing has to do with more than just completing a hand of solitaire. How a player positions his or her steed throughout a race can lead to success or failure, for example, as can either picking up or passing up on the many "item" cards that are scattered about each track.

It's got a surprisingly awesome soundtrack--In fact, I've yet to hear a tune that I would describe as anything other than great. The standouts on Solitiba's soundtrack, though, go well beyond great, with two notable cases in point being the ditty that opens this video and the one that can be heard starting at the 8:04 mark of the same medley.

It's really easy to screw things up due to the slew of unintelligible menus--And by that, I mean that if you don't know some amount of Japanese, it can be far too easy to, say, delete your save file--which is a headache that's made even more painful once you realize that you're going to have to go through the game's far-too-wordy-for-its-own-good tutorial once again.

See also: Dengeki Online's Solitiba guide, Japanese3DS.com's review and Sosostris.com's write-up

Game Freak is releasing a Solitiba soundtrack on Nov. 7 and I'm going to buy the hell out of it

I know what at least a few of you are thinking right now: "How do you buy the hell out of something?"

I don't know, to tell you the truth, but I'm going to figure it out between now and Nov. 7, which is when the folks at Game Freak, makers of those Pokémon games you've probably heard about (along with a number of other gems), will release a soundtrack for Solitiba--aka Soliti Horse, aka the game that's currently eating up most of my precious free time.

Anyway, I'm guessing the two or three of you who also are feeling this Japan-only eShop game will be happy to hear copies of its soundtrack are being sold for just 2,700 Yen (about $25) via shop.2083.jp--although it seems Amazon Japan will sell them eventually as well.

Want to hear a bit of said soundtrack before committing your hard-earned dollars to it? Here you go:

By the way, if any of you are curious to learn more about this addictive digital title, which wackily combines elements of solitaire with those of an adorable horse-racing sim, keep your eyes peeled for a post I'll be publishing early next week.

See also: 'Would somebody please translate these Solitiba (3DS) screens for me?'

Would somebody please translate these Solitiba (3DS) screens for me?

While the rest of the 3DS-owning world obsesses over the latest Super Smash Bros. title (or the just-released Pokémon Alpha Sapphire/Omega Ruby demo), I am obsessing about a quirky little title that hit the Japanese eShop over a year ago: Game Freak's Solitiba (aka Soliti Horse).

In case this is the first you've heard of it, Solitiba ably--and shockingly--combines everybody's favorite single-player card game, solitaire, with a rather adorable horse-racing sim.

If that makes it sound like a snoozefest, well, I can't really blame you for feeling that way, but I can assure you the resulting effort is anything but a bore.

Anyway, I bring up all of the above because a few things are keeping me from enjoying Solitiba to the fullest: namely, the screens that can be found below. As such, if any of you kind souls could translate--or even just share the gist of--the Japanese text showcased in the following photos, I would greatly appreciate it.



The message above pops up whenever I try to play my existing save file. Clicking on the purple button returns me to Solitiba's main menu.



Speaking of the game's main menu, it can be seen in the shot above. I know the button in the upper-left corner (red jockey) takes me to Solitiba's "training" (practice) mode, while the ones in the middle (black jockey) and lower-left (orange jockey) take me to the main campaign and the options screen, but do any of you know what the one in the upper-right is supposed to represent?



Also, if I click on the "options" button shown in the last photo, I come to the screen above. Here, I know the button in front of the white horse takes me back to the previous screen, but what do the other buttons say or do?



Finally, the message above keeps popping up whenever I try to launch Solitiba. Is it telling me an update for the game's available on the eShop, or is it telling me about something else?

I ask because I pressed "Y" the first time I encountered it, but the only noteworthy thing I could make out on the resulting eShop page was that a demo (I think) of the game was available for download.

A hearty thank you in advance to anyone who is able to help me with this admittedly silly request!