My Month with Chulip, Part 4

Well, the first month of my "Bye-Bye, Backlog" project is over and done with. How did I do? Not so well if you were hoping I'd actually finish my first selection--that being Natsume's odder-than-odd PS2 title, Chulip.

Still, I gave it my best shot and put a good 12 to 15 hours into this sucker, which is saying a lot when you consider how completely obtuse Chulip tends to be.

'Chulip Fan Sprite' by iamnotapixelartist

Actually, that's the main reason I've yet to finish it. Although I absolutely loved the game when I started playing it, over time it came to feel like a chore--thanks in large part to the fact that getting to its end credits seems to be all but impossible without the use of a guide or FAQ.

Don't get me wrong: I'm usually not against calling on such things. In the case of Chulip, though, it often feels like I'm tethered to them (as in, I have to turn to them over and over again in order to make any real progress), which I can't help but find a bit (or a lot) irksome.

Am I giving up on this title now that January's over? Not at all. Yes, my focus throughout February will be on my second "Bye-Bye, Backlog" selection (which I'll reveal first thing tomorrow), but I'll also continue to spend some time with this one until I've "beaten" it.

So, expect to see a "Great Gaymathon" review of this Punchline-made game sometime between now and the end of the month. In the meantime, look for weekly updates about my February "Bye-Bye, Backlog" selection starting this Sunday.

See also: Previous 'Bye-Bye, Backlog' posts

After seeing just a single piece of concept art, Monolith Soft's mysterious 3DS title is now at the top of my 'day one perch' list

Of course, that's assuming that the illustration below, published late last week on Monolith Soft's Facebook page in an attempt to attract designers, is a piece of concept art from the company's known-to-be-in-the-works 3DS title.



Quite a few people think seem to think that's exactly what it is, though, and, well, that's enough for me at the moment.

The reason some folks think that, by the way, is that the artist responsible for the illustration above is Yasuyuki Honne, who is a member of Monolith Soft's Kyoto-based team that has long been said to be working on a title for the 3DS.

Curiously, someone calling himself (or herself) Instro shared the following illustration on NeoGAF yesterday. It's also the work of Honne and, as such, more than a few people believe it may be related to the image above--and to Monolith Soft's mysterious 3DS game, too.



Although I hope both pieces have something to do with the company's latest portable offering (their last was Project X Zone), I'm especially enthralled by the first one thanks to its trippy, Wizard of Oz-esque overtones.

How about you ladies and gents? Do you also like these illustrations and, if so, do you hope they're indicative of a forthcoming 3DS title?

Great Dreamcast or greatest Dreamcast?

I'm going with the former option, personally, although I wouldn't fault anyone who goes with the latter.

At any rate, the Shenmue-themed Dreamcast console seen in the photo below was produced by the one and only OSKUNK, of course.



A few more photos of this beauty can be seen on OSKUNK's blog, Custom Art, so I highly recommend checking it out if you're a fan of Sega's open-world adventure title (and, really, who isn't?).

See also: Previous OSKUNK posts

Five favorites: North American DS box art

As much as I'm enjoying my 3DS systems and games at the moment, I can't help but feel a bit misty-eyed about the recent passing of their 3D-less predecessors. So, I thought I'd perk myself up a bit by penning a post about five (more) of my favorite pieces of DS box art.

Because I highlighted a handful of Japanese DS box arts in this previous blog post, I thought I'd focus on North American examples in this one. Look for a post about my favorite European DS box arts to be published late next week.

1. Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime--You really can't go wrong with a piece of cover art that features the ever-adorable Dragon Quest slime, can you? That's not the only reason I like this one, though; I also like its bold use of color and its depiction of abject chaos.

2. Electroplankton--I've often been accused of being a bit too minimalist when it comes to home decor and other such things, so I guess it isn't exactly out of character for me to say I like this experimental game's rather austere box art.

3. Etrian Odyssey--Would you believe this has long been my favorite piece of DS cover art? I think that's mainly due to the fact that it's seemingly designed to look as though you're peeking into the pages of a most adventurous novel.

Mimi's Adventures in Miminton, Part 5 (or, yes, I'm still obsessively playing the soap opera otherwise known as Animal Crossing)

Although it's been a while since we last checked in on Mimi, Momo, Mumu and their lovely pal in the next town over, Leelee, not much has changed in either Miminton or Loompala.

For instance, the majority of the animals that call the above-mentioned hamlets home continue to harangue their human counterparts whenever and wherever they feel like it.

In the case of new-to-Miminton neighbor Snake, though, such negativity often is overlooked.

Tangy, below, also tends to get a pass thanks to the dimwittedness that's nearly as prevalent as her bitchiness.

Speaking of Tangy, she recently introduced Mimi and her minions to the wonderful world of wintertime igloos.

She also introduced them to the matchless joy that is making snowmen.

Momo, below, in particular can't get enough of the frigid figures--as evidenced by her showman garb and furniture.

Although most of Miminton's residents enjoy encountering a snowman around every bend, Freckles, below, isn't one of them. Unfortunately, everyone's favorite oddly coifed duck took out her frustrations on Leelee when she paid the burg a visit early in the month.

Actually, Leelee was lucky to get away with just a spit-drenched face and outfit. Her pal Momo, below, wasn't so fortunate. (Yes, Freckles punched her in the kisser--as she was putting the finishing touches on her 115th snowman of the season.)