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?

Acquisition #132: Engacho! (WonderSwan)

Just over a month ago, I mentioned in this post that I recently developed a bit of an obsession with the Bandai WonderSwan. I also mentioned that I've already picked up a few games for this Japan-only handheld, which was first released in 1999.

One of those games, as I'm sure you surmised after reading the headline above, is the WonderSwan version of NAC Geographic Products' amusingly gross puzzler, Engacho!



I've owned the PlayStation version of this title, which tasks players with leading a frightened boy through tile-based stages while avoiding the putrid characters that can be seen on the box above, for some time now (read a brief review of it here) and I've enjoyed what I've played of it, so when I saw this portable port pop up on eBay I couldn't help but pick it up.

I haven't played it yet--I'm still waiting for the perfect SwanCrystal to appear on eBay--but I like what I've seen of its black-and-white graphics so I'm looking forward to doing so soon.

In the meantime, I'll just stare at the game's packaging, which is pretty swell, don't you think?



I also quite like the little cartridges (above) on which WonderSwan games appear, and the plastic sleeves that protect them. The cartridges are about the size of GameBoy Advance cartridges, by the way--in case any of you were wondering.

To see a few more snapshots of this particular pick-up, check out my Flickr photostream.

See also: previous 'Acquisition #123' posts

A somewhat gay review of Escape Goat (XBLIG)

Game: Escape Goat

Genre: Platformer/Puzzler

Developer: Magical Time Bean

Publisher: Magical Time Bean

System: Xbox 360

Release date: 2011

I'm sure this will sound weird to some, but games like Escape Goat were chiefly responsible for me getting off my butt and picking up an Xbox 360 just over a year ago. I know Microsoft's second console has plenty of high-quality "packaged" games, but I didn't buy the system for those. (Deadly Premonition being the exception, of course.) Rather, I bought it so I could play the accessible, attractive and cheap titles that are par for the course on the system's XBLA and XBLIG services and that can called upon whenever I find myself longing for a little digital entertainment but don't have a ton of time to expend on it. Well, the focus of this particular review checks all of those boxes and then some. For starters, Escape Goat keeps things simple by providing players with a fairly small set of moves--the titular (purple) goat can run, jump, double jump, dash and air dash, while his beady-eyed friend (an orange mouse) can squeeze into otherwise inaccessible areas--which allows them to focus on the devilishly puzzling stages that are packed into this downloadable title. Actually, I shouldn't suggest all of Escape Goat's Rube Goldberg-esque single-screen stages, each of which takes place in a prison of sorts (you've been locked up for practicing witchcraft, apparently) and tasks players with making their way from a starting point to a (typically blocked or locked) door while pushing blocks, hitting switches and avoiding various obstacles and enemies, are devilish--in reality, a good number of the first ones are quite easy. Many later levels are sure to stump all but the brainiest of gamers, though. Thankfully, the sounds and views that can be heard and seen while playing Escape Goat are appealing enough to make even the most stressful and confounding moments enjoyable (or at least acceptable). The title's wonderfully rendered graphics, for instance, evoke the good ol' days of the Genesis--always a good thing in the opinion of this aging gamer. Also a good thing: The little touches that are strewn throughout this title's 50 levels, like the humorous animation that's triggered whenever Mr. Goat nears the edge of a ledge. The game's soundtrack is similarly noteworthy and is comprised of a number of suitably-epic tunes. With all of that said, the only negative comment I can make about Escape Goat is that it ends a little too quickly and that it likely won't be a game you'll return to after beating it. Considering it'll set you back just a buck (80 Microsoft Points), though, that's really not much of a problem, is it?

See also: Previous 'somewhat gay' reviews

The Great Gaymathon Review #43: Guru Logi Champ (GameBoy Advance)

Game: Guru Logi Champ

Genre: Puzzle

Developer: Compile

Publisher: Compile

System: GameBoy Advance

Release date: 2001

If you want to know why I bought a copy of this game, check out its cover art (above). OK, so that wasn't the only reason I picked it up, but it was a rather prominent one. A few others: it was developed by the folks at Compile (makers of Aleste, Gunhead, Puyo Puyo and more) and it has garnered rave reviews over the years. Oh, and it's portable--as is the case with pretty much all of my favorite puzzlers.

So, has it lived up to expectations, despite the fact that I dropped a pretty penny on it? Definitely. That's mainly due to the fact that it differs from just about every other puzzle game I've ever played. If I had to name one it's similar to, I'd go with Picross. Even that isn't the greatest comparison, though, as while the two titles are alike in some ways, they're otherwise quite unique.

For instance, each "stage" in Guru Logi Champ starts with a semi-finished image. The player's job, then, is to complete the image by shooting blocks (from a cannon, using the GBA's A button) up into the play area. That's easier said than done, though, because: 1) you're given just enough blocks to complete a given stage and 2) blocks continue to slide across the play area until they run into another block. The good news: blocks can be sucked back into the aforementioned cannon by pressing the GBA's B button. Also, the play area can be rotated using the system's shoulder buttons.

Anyway, as is often the case with such games, it all begins rather easily before ramping up to a level of difficulty I like to refer to as "brain-breaking." Thankfully, it never crosses the line to "game-breaking"--as in, you get so frustrated you want to yank the cartridge from the system and smash it to smithereens.

In fact, it's nearly always completely enjoyable, due in no small part to Guru Logi Champ's wonderfully silly (and colorful) characters and graphics, which includes (in the game's single-player story mode) a number of hilarious intermissions, and its everything-but-the-kitchen-sink soundtrack, which includes both tropically-inflected and hip-hop-esque tunes.

See also: Previous 'Great Gaymathon' posts

A few flippant impressions of WayForward's Mighty Flip Champs DX (PSP Minis)

OK, so most people wouldn't describe the impressions below as "flippant." Honestly, I only used the word in the headline above because I liked how it complemented the "Flip" in Mighty Flip Champs DX.

With that out of the way, here are my initial impressions of this WayForward-developed, PSP-based puzzler-slash-platformer:

1. I really like how this game sounds. The trance-y background tunes are nice, but they're not what I'm talking about here. Instead, I'm talking about the Donkey Kong-esque (or Mario Bros.-ish, if you prefer) sound effects that accompany the protagonist's every step.



2. I also like how it looks. The above-mentioned protagonist, Alta, and her fishman friend, especially. Both are wonderfully realized and animated sprites that hark back to the 8-bit era.

3. That said, I wish I could see the game's graphics more clearly. Everything is so small that it's hard to fully appreciate the sprites that the folks at WayForward took such pains to create.

4. The main reason everything is so small is that the game's developers had to cram two of each stage's "pages" (areas) onto the PSP's otherwise-roomy screen. Although that negatively impacts Mighty Flip Champs DX's graphics, it positively impacts its gameplay (since it allows players to easily see where Alta will be positioned post-flip).

5. Mighty Flip Champs DX may look cute and cuddly, but it's got some serious teeth (i.e., it's tough). The first few stages are so easy that you'd be forgiven for thinking the whole thing is a cakewalk. Then you come to, oh, stage 1-7 and that notion is blown to smithereens as you try again and again (and again, if you're me) to reach Alta's amphibian compadre.



6. The only element of the game that I'm not so sure of at the moment is its emphasis on replaying each stage over and over in order to get the best time. Personally, I'm more of a beat-a-stage-once-and-then-get-on-with-it kind of guy, although I'm sure there are a lot of people who like this sort of gameplay.

So, that's what I think of Mighty Flip Champs DX after playing through its first two worlds. I'll write up a more formal review of the game after I've finished it. In the meantime, have any of you played it--or its DSiWare predecessor? If so, what do you think about it?

See also: 'WayForward's Austin Ivansmith is a pretty awesome guy'

WayForward's Austin Ivansmith is a pretty awesome guy

I hope he won't mind me calling him out like this, but I just have to extend a digital/virtual high-five to Austin Ivansmith, a director at WayForward Technologies.

A few days ago, I wandered onto deviantart.com in the hopes of finding a few pieces of gorgeous game-related art that could be discussed and/or drooled over here.

Before I had a chance to search for said images, though, I noticed that a heretofore-unread note was sitting in my deviantart mailbox. The note, of course, had been sent by Ivansmith and included a download code for WayForward's Mighty Flip Champs DX.



I'm guessing he saw the whiny post ("Why didn't somebody tell me Mighty Flip Champs received a PSP port?") I published about said PSP title a few weeks ago, but I can't say that with any certainty since the content of Ivansmith's rather succinct note was limited to the afore- mentioned download code and a cheery reminder to keep an eye out for the company's upcoming 3DS release, Mighty Switch Force (which he promised will "rock your socks off").

Since I've only played through the first few stages of Mighty Flip Champs DX thus far, I can't say much about it at the moment. I'll do my best to spend a bit more time with it this weekend, though, so I can share some impressions with all of you next week.

Why didn't somebody tell me Mighty Flip Champs received a PSP port?

While researching today's other post (about Mighty Switch Force's teaser trailer), I discovered that another WayForward-developed title that I've had my eye on for some time, Mighty Flip Champs, was rather stealthily released as a PSP Mini a few months ago.

Surprisingly, said port is supposed to be a pretty good one. "It's a game that, previous to its arrival on PSP, I could only imagine as a DS game," Joystiq's JC Fletcher wrote in a recent review. "But the PSP version turns the vertical 'flipping' horizontal, and puts the two locations on the left and right side of the PSP screen. To my surprise, this arrangement works out just fine! It doesn't feel like an adaptation to a less adequate platform; it just works."



Although I'd love to add Mighty Flip Champs DX to my ever-growing collection of digital PSP games, I'm going to have to hold off on doing so until I actually have some money. Another possibility: I could wait until I buy 3DS and then purchase all three of WayForward's "Mighty" titles (Mighty Flip Champs, Mighty Milky Way and Mighty Switch Force) via that system's eShop. Decisions, decisions.

See also: 'Metroid + Mega Man + Mischief Makers = Mighty Switch Force?'

Set aside two copies of Professor Layton and the Last Specter for me, will you?

Actually, make that one copy of Professor Layton and the Last Specter and one copy of Professor Layton and the Spectre's Call, if you don't mind.

The first game is the North American version of the fourth entry in Level-5's vaunted Professor Layton series, by the way, while the second game is the European version.

Professor Layton and the Last Specter's Japanese cover art. 

Why am I buying both? Well, I'm buying Professor Layton and the Spectre's Call, which will be released on Nov. 25, because I (strangely) prefer the alternate art that graces the covers of the Euro versions of the Professor Layton games to the art that graces the covers of the North American and Japanese versions and I'm buying Professor Layton and the Last Specter, which will be released on Oct. 17, because apparently it's going to be the only English version of the game that will contain Professor Layton’s London Life, a 100-hour RPG (developed by Mother 3-makers Brownie Brown) that I believe unlocks after you finish the main adventure.

I'd prefer to buy just one copy of the game (that being Spectre's Call), to tell you the truth, but, alas, I absolutely must experience the much-talked-about London Life. So, two copies it is.

Surprise, surprise: Nintendo slipped Twinkle Star Sprites onto the Virtual Console late last week

Unfortunately for many of us, the company only slipped the game onto the Japanese Virtual Console.

Does this mean ADK's shooter-slash-puzzler, which began life as a Neo Geo title before being ported to the Saturn and Dreamcast, will soon be slipped onto the Virtual Console in other regions, too? I sure hope so.



If the possibility of playing Twinkle Star Sprites on your Wii doesn't excite you, may I suggest acquainting yourself with the video above, which shows off a good portion of the game's Dreamcast port?

Any Puzzle Bobble fans out there?

I ask because I'm itching to jump into this Bubble Bobble spin-off (called Bust-a-Move in North America), but I'm not sure where to start.

I know what some of you are thinking: Start with the first one! Don't worry, I will. But I'd also like to know which of the series' 26 iterations are considered by fans to be the best.

I'm especially interested in versions that were released for the Dreamcast and the original PlayStation, by the way, although I'm willing to consider those released for other systems (even handhelds), too.

The Great Gaymathon Review #32: Engacho! (PlayStation)

Game: Engacho!

Genre: Puzzle

Developer: NAC Geographic Products Inc.

Publisher: NAC Geographic Products Inc.

System: PlayStation

Release date: 1999

Looking at its cover--which features a quartet of slimy, smelly and even snotty grotesqueries--I'm quite honestly shocked NAC Geographic Products' Engacho! never made its way to the States. Then again, this Japanese import, released in 1999, is a devilishly difficult puzzler and not a dark and dreary FPS, so maybe I shouldn't be surprised by its lack of localization.

Anyway, enough about that--you're probably curious as to what makes this game so challenging. Would it be rude of me to suggest checking out this post, which explains the game's premise more fully than I could here?

If that description makes the game sound something less than devilishly difficult, maybe this will do the trick: so far, I've only successfully traversed the first 10 of this turn-based puzzler's stages. I believe there are between 50 and 100 stages in the game, but I can't say that with any certainty since I'm hopelessly stuck on the tenth and there doesn't seem to be a way to skip troublesome stages.

That's my only real quibble with Engacho!, to tell you the truth. It isn't cheap (it's your fault when you fail to complete a stage), it controls well, its sprite-based graphics are colorful and nicely drawn and its soundtrack is surprisingly catchy. (I especially like the theme song, which recalls Rhythm Heaven's "DJ School.") And then there's that cover art. Sure, it's gross, but it's also funny and more than a bit intriguing--or at least it is to me.

See also: Previous 'Great Gaymathon' posts

I just remembered that I'll be able to buy (and play) Catherine now that I own an Xbox 360

I've been so focused on using my Xbox 360 as an Xbox Live Arcade and Indie Games player that I completely forgot, until last night, that I'll soon be able to use that big, black box to play Atlus' upcoming erotic and horrific puzzler-platformer (boy, that's a mouthful), Catherine, too.

What prompted this late-night revelation? Well, the folks at Atlus released a bunch of localized (English) screenshots--like the one below--of the game, that's what.



According to Amazon.com, by the way, both the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of Catherine will be available for purchase (for about $59.99) as of July 26. Pre-order the PS3 version here and the Xbox 360 version here.

(Via siliconera.com)

Catherine comes out on July 26

Unfortunately, I'm not talking about this Shigenori Soejima-designed character coming out of the proverbial closet; rather, I'm talking about the game of which she's the focus finally coming out (aka being released) in the US.

Surprisingly, Atlus is reusing, on Catherine's North American packaging, the rather sexy box art (right) that appeared on the Japanese PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of this action-adventure platformer-puzzler.

The question is, will the North American versions of Catherine also retain the (reportedly) confounding difficulty of their Japanese counterparts, or will the folks at Atlus include a "baby mode" for all of us wusses?

I guess I shouldn't say "us," as I've yet to buy a PS3 or an Xbox 360. Sigh. Hopefully some of you who own one or both of said systems will pick up a copy of Catherine and let me know what I'm missing.

Pre-order: Catherine (PS3) and Catherine (Xbox 360)

The Great Gaymathon Review #8: Nintendo Puzzle Collection (GameCube)

Game: Nintendo Puzzle Collection

Genre: Puzzle

Developer(s): Intelligent Systems, Nintendo R&D1, Nintendo Software Technology Corporation

Publisher: Nintendo

System: GameCube

Release date: 2003

The main draw of this colorful compilation, which sadly never saw the light of day outside of Japan: The previously unreleased Nintendo 64 port of Intelligent Systems' Panel de Pon (reworked, renamed and released as Tetris Attack in the States). Like all three of the ports included on this minuscule GameCube disc, this iteration of Panel de Pon features greatly improved--compared to the source material--graphics and sound. It also features a four-player mode--again, just like its Nintendo Puzzle Collection compadres, which includes an enhanced port of Dr. Mario 64 and an updated version of Yoshi's Cookie. (One final noteworthy feature of this release: Panel de Pon's 3D mode which, while interesting, isn't as fun as the traditional 2D mode.) Oh, and if you have a GameBoy Advance handy, you can use the bundled cable to download simplified versions of each puzzler to your portable system of choice and play them until it's powered off.

See also: Previous 'Great Gaymathon' posts

The Great Gaymathon Review #4: TwinBee Taisen Puzzle Dama (PlayStation)

Game: TwinBee Taisen Puzzle Dama

Genre: Puzzle

Developer: Konami

Publisher: Konami

System: PlayStation

Release date: 1994

I wouldn't go so far as to say it's one of gaming's greatest atrocities, but I'd definitely say it's a bit of a shame that the Taisen Puzzle Dama series--think Puyo Puyo with bells instead of blobs and subtly different rules--has yet to make its way to the States. Three Taisen Puzzle Dama games were released for the PlayStation in Japan--including one that features characters from Konami's Tokimeki Memorial series and one that's called Susume! Taisen Puzzle Dama (sorry, I have no idea what "susume" means)--in the mid-1990s, with this TwinBee-themed iteration being the best of the bunch, in my somewhat uneducated opinion. (Although I own all three of the aforementioned games, I've spent quite a bit more time with TwinBee Taisen Puzzle Dama than its successors.) That said, I wouldn't suggest running out and buying a copy unless you're a huge puzzler and/or TwinBee fan, as it's been bested by a number of its peers (namely Puyo Puyo and Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo).

See also: Past 'Great Gaymathon' post

What in the hell does 'Engacho!' mean, anyway?

I posed that question on Twitter recently, and received just one response. Apparently, "engacho" means "hitches" or "pegs" in Spanish. That doesn't make much sense given the game's content and (what little I know of its) story, so I'm guessing something was lost in translation when the folks at publisher NAC Geographic Products Inc. chose Engacho! as a title.

Another possibility: They weren't thinking of Spanish when they decided to call their game Engacho! or they simply made up the word.

Regarding the former, the always reliable (ha!) Google suggested this word--えんがちょ--when I asked it to translate "engacho" from Japanese to English. It certainly sounds like the Google lady is saying "engacho," doesn't it? (Click on the link above and then "listen.") Also, Google's translation of えんがちょ is "for example I is wicked," which, while hilariously stilted, fits the game's theme fairly well.

Why am I running off at the mouth in regards to this rather disgusting--but still loads of fun--little puzzler? Well, I bought it recently, that's why. I can only play it on my computer (using an emulator) at the moment, as I don't yet own a Japanese PS1 or PS2, so I can't tell you too much about it--I hate playing games on my computer--but I can share a few photos of it.

For starters, here's the game's colorfully gross cover:



And here's the actual game disc, which I consider to be both cute and creative (the face is of the game's protagonist):



Oh, and remove the disc from its transparent tray and this is what you see:



(In case you're wondering: Yes, I'm completely incapable of taking a straight-on photo of a game.)

I'll share scans of the game's front and back covers when I review Engacho! as part of "The Great Gaymathon." In the meantime, check out this post for (a bit) more information.

Hey, Konami: Why haven't you localized any of your Taisen Puzzle Dama titles?

Don't worry if your reaction to the headline above was, "Taisen Puzzle what?" Although the folks at Konami have produced at least 10 Taisen Puzzle Dama games in the last decade-plus, they've yet to release one of them outside of Japan.

That's too bad, as the Taisen Puzzle Dama titles--which could be described as not-so-distant cousins of Compile's Puyo Puyo games--are some of the best puzzlers around, in my humble opinion. How so? Well, all four of the Taisen Puzzle Damas that have found their way into my collection are chock-full of addictive gameplay, toe-tapping music and wacky-as-all-get-out characters.

Don't take my word for it; check out the following video (of the series' first title) and decide for yourself if Western puzzle-fans should feel at all slighted:



Each of the Taisen Puzzle Dama titles released for the original PlayStation and the Saturn can be picked up for between $5 and $20 via ebay, so if you have an import-enabled 32-bit system and you enjoy a good puzzler I'd definitely recommend purchasing one.

'Think you can solve the puzzling puzzles?'

The marketing folks at Nintendo of America have been hitting it out of the proverbial park as of late when it comes to producing TV ads.

Case(s) in point: This recent Metroid: Other M ad and this Dragon Quest IX ad. Oh, and this Professor Layton and the Unwound Future ad:



Speaking of the latest entry in the Professor Layton series, I'm starting to regret my decision to pass on the just-released North American version of the game in favor of the European version. Oh, well, October 22 isn't that far away, right?

Buy: Professor Layton and the Unwound Future

Trism 1.51 (aka Trism HD): Coming soon to an iPad/iPhone 4 near you

How many hairs been pulled from the heads of gamers since Steve Demeter's iPhone/iPod Touch puzzler, Trism, hit the App Store three years ago? I have no idea, but if I had to guess I'd say it's in the millions if not trillions.

That number is sure to increase once Trism 1.51 (aka Trism HD) is released. After all, the update will allow iPad and iPhone 4 users to get in on the Trism action.

No word on when Trism 1.51--or the announced-some-time-ago Trism 2--will hit the App Store, though Demeter assures both are on their way in his latest blog post.

What do you think the chances are that I'll get an iPad, iPod Touch or an iPhone before that happens? Yeah, I don't think they're very good either.

See also: 'The man behind the Americanization of Mother 3's Magypsies' and 'The Advocate: Apple's Gay Poster Boy'

The wait is over

You remember this post, right? It's the one in which I whined about waiting for my copy of Guru Logi Champ (aka the GameBoy Advance's Holy Grail).

Well, the wait is over--it arrived! Yesterday, actually. Unfortunately, I've been so busy with work the last two days that all I've done so far is snap a few photos of its outer box, cartridge and instruction manual. Here's one of them:



Isn't it pretty? The box is sweet, too.

Anyway, I probably won't be able to spend some quality time with the game until this weekend. After that, though, I'll let you know if it really is a mash-up of Picross, Puyo Puyo and Magical Drop.