Surprise of surprises: I dislike the packaging produced for Kirby's Dream Collection

Considering it was home to a pair of completely awesome Kirby titles, it seems pretty appropriate that one of the Wii's last releases will be a collection of some of the adorable pink blob's best games, don't you think?

Sadly, the outer packaging produced for this collection--called Kirby's Dream Collection in North America and Kirby 20th Anniversary Collection in Japan--isn't as fabulous as I imagined it would be. Oh, it's far from terrible, that's true, but I can't help but find it kind of ... underwhelming.

That's especially true of the North American version's packaging (below), which is mucked up by a terribly boring font (the "Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition" part), a trio of pointless product scans and that jarring swath of gold along the bottom edge.

The packaging made for the Japanese iteration is a lot more appealing, if you ask me. I especially like that the "included products" are illustrations instead of scans.

Thankfully, it seems that the cover art created for the game itself (the scans above are of the boxes that will contain the game, a soundtrack and a commemorative book of some sort) won't be so manhandled between the collection's Japanese and North American release.

Don't believe me? Compare the scan below--of the game's Japanese cover art--to the one shown on the North American packaging scan above.

Kirby 20th Anniversary Collection will hit store shelves in Japan on July 19, while its North American counterpart, Kirby's Dream Collection, will do the same on Sept. 19. Will any of you be picking it up, as I will, on day one or shortly after?

(Via andriasang.com and superphillipcentral.blogspot.com)

A new trailer for one of the million or so 3DS games I'm hoping to buy in the next 12 months

Which game am I referring to in the headline above? Atlus' breast-y, Guardian Heroes-esque beat 'em up, Code of Princess.

My only real complaint about the most recent trailer (below and here) for this portable brawler: No gameplay is shown until the 50-second mark. Also, said gameplay clips rarely take up more than about one-forth of the screen. (OK, so that's two complaints. Sue me!)



Aside from that, two thoughts ran through my head while watching this Code of Princess teaser. The first: I really hope a demo of this game appears on the 3DS eShop sometime between now and whenever it's released in North America. The second: I'll bet it would be sweet to play this game on a 3DS XL.

Are any of you also salivating over the possibility of playing Code of Princess later this year?

Introducing: The Nichiest Podcast Ever!

So, I have a bit of a surprise for you today. I actually considering bringing it up a month or so ago when it first came to light, but I decided against doing so because I didn't want to jinx anything. Anyway, what's the surprise, you ask? Well, it's that I recently--as in, just a few, short days ago--participated in a new podcast that I very much hope will become a regular (or at least regular-ish) gig.

This brand-spanking new podcast is called, as I'm guessing you've picked up by now (assuming you read the header above), "The Nichiest Podcast Ever." Shockingly, our first show focuses on all kinds of niche-y game-related stuff--like some of the smaller titles that were overshadowed during E3 2012 and a few recent, worthwhile releases that we feel have been overlooked by the masses.

We also spend a bit of time chatting about the 3DS XL and the Wii U, and have a lot of fun with a segment called "The Nichiest of Them All," during which we try to stump each other about some of the lesser-known games we've played throughout our lives.



As for who "we" are: Well, you know enough about me, I'm sure. (Or at least I hope you do by now.) You should know a bit about one of my, er, podcast costars--blogger, translator and yaoi enthusiast Anne Lee, otherwise known as apricotsushi--too, since she's not only left a number of comments here over the last few months and years but authored a post on this here blog, too.

My other costar--and, really, let's call a spade a spade and admit that this person is the star of this particular production--is writer and podcaster extraordinaire shidoshi. (You may recognize that name from seeing it in the pages of EGM, GameFan and Play magazines or from hearing it in WARNING! A Huge Podcast.)

That's all well and good, but what you really want to know is how can you listen to the first installment of "The Nichiest Podcast Ever," right? Don't worry, I'm getting to it. In fact, I'll get to it right now. If you're obsessed with getting your podcasts from iTunes, go here. (Note: should this podcast stand the test of time, it'll eventually get its own iTunes page.) Another option is to go to radio.morningproject.com and either listen to it or download it there.

Should you actually check out "The Nichiest Podcast Ever," would you be so kind as to let Anne, shidoshi and I what you think of it? Feel free to do so in the comments section here or on Twitter (@apricotsushi, @pikoeri or @thegaygamer).

Manual Stimulation: Hany in the Sky (PC Engine)

For the longest time, I completely ignored this peculiar PC Engine shoot 'em up and its similarly titled (not to mention similarly odd) companion, Hany on the Road. Why? Honestly, it's because I found the protagonist of this pair of games--who looks to me like a condom with eyes and arms--to be on the wrong side of the creepy line.

As for what prompted me to have a change of heart and to give them the attention they deserve: Why, it was the art that graced the covers of their instruction manuals, of course.

I'm not sure which piece of cover art I prefer between Hany in the Sky and Hany on the Road, to tell you the truth. Although I consider both to be wonderfully creative, I'm tempted to give the nod to Hany in the Sky's cover illustration (below) due to its cotton-candy cloudscape.



Are the interior pages of Hany in the Sky's instruction manual similarly delicious? Overall, I'd have to answer in the negative, although things start off delectably enough.

For instance, there's the left-hand page below, which replaces the typical series of images warning boys and girls to not abuse their HuCards and such with images of ... actually, I'm not sure what the images on the page in question are supposed to depict. Regardless, I like them quite a bit.



Next up: A four-page comic that I'm guessing clues in readers to this game's completely wacky backstory. Again, I have no idea what's going on in the panels below, but who really cares when they're illustrated as well as these are?

Acquisition #134: Luigi's Mansion (GameCube)

Would you believe me if I told you that, until a few days ago, I'd never before played Luigi's Mansion?

Honestly, I can't tell you why I avoided this GameCube launch title all this time. I have a feeling it had to do with its rumored lack of length. (I've heard the game can be completed in just a handful of hours.) Another possibility: I was turned off by the fact that it wasn't a proper, Mario-centric platformer.

Whatever the reason, Luigi's Mansion failed to find its way into my shiny silver GameCube until now.

As for what prompted me to change my mind about this title and add the copy seen in the photo on the right to my collection: I'm going to blame it on all of the videos of the fabulous-looking 3DS follow-up, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, that popped up after E3 2012 (many of which have been watched over and over again by yours truly).

Actually, I shouldn't say "blame," as I'm really enjoying Luigi's Mansion so far. It took me a few minutes to come to terms with its controls, but since then I've had a blast. I especially like how Luigi's vacuum affects pretty much anything in its path: Hanging clothes, chairs, tables, vases--you name it, this little sucker reels them in (or at least attempts to) like so many fish.

I also really like this game's atmosphere. It's spooky, but silly, too. And the soundtrack? Subtle, but also oh so sweet. I especially get a kick out of how Luigi hums along with the main theme.

Have any of you played through Luigi's Mansion? If so, what are your thoughts on it? And are you looking forward to the sequel, or was one spooky Super Mario Bros. spinoff enough for you?

See also: Previous 'Acquisition #123' posts