A somewhat gay review of Chase: Cold Case Investigations ~Distant Memories~ (3DS)

Game: Chase: Cold Case Investigations ~Distant Memories~

Genre: Visual novel

Developer: Arc System Works

Publisher: Aksys Games

System: 3DS

Release date: 2016

I had such high hopes for Chase: Cold Case Investigations. The main reason for that: some (but not all) of the folks who made Hotel Dusk--as well as Trace Memory and Little King's Story--also made this digital 3DS game.

Unfortunately, Chase: Cold Case Investigations--or at least the minuscule portion of it that's presented in "Distant Memories" (more on what that means in a few paragraphs)--is no Hotel Dusk.

Hotel Dusk, despite its flaws, was a fully realized and surprisingly engaging, not to mention cinematic, product that showed just how marvelously dynamic a "visual novel" could be.

Unlike most of visual novels I've played--including Hakuoki and Sweet Fuse for PSP--to date, Hotel Dusk was more than a simple "Choose Your Own Adventure" story accompanied by static (and admittedly pretty) illustrations and enjoyable, if not altogether memorable, soundtracks. That 2007 title one-upped its fairly staid genremates by allowing players to freely move around within and otherwise explore three-dimensional spaces. It also let them solve puzzles and take notes using the DS' touch screen--all while holding the system on its side, "book-style."

And then there were satisfyingly superficial flourishes like the rotoscoped character portraits and the superbly low-key (and jazzy) backing tunes.

Sadly, you won't experience any of the above while working your way through Chase: Cold Case Investigations. What will you experience instead? A depressingly small cast (of six, if memory serves). Art that isn't completely terrible but is a far cry from what's showcased in the developer's previous titles. Scenes that feature such little animation they may as well be motionless. No exploration whatsoever. Disappointingly straightforward interactions with the game's characters. Oh, and the writing has little of the verve that drips from Hotel Dusk's text.

To be blunt, Chase: Cold Case Investigations feels half-baked. Worse, it feels like the half-baked introduction to what should be a much larger and longer game.

In its defense, it seems pretty obvious "Distant Memories" is just one part of what will wind up as a multi-part release. Still, this opening salvo is so underwhelming--and so relatively expensive, at $6 for less then two hours of content--that it's currently hard for me to imagine picking up any future installments unless it's clear from the word go they offer a lot more than this initial entry.

See also: previous 'somewhat gay' and 'Great Gaymathon' reviews

Five overlooked Famicom games you need to play as soon as possible

In my two previous "five overlooked games" posts, I focused on Japanese PlayStation and PC Engine titles. (Here's the PlayStation post, and here's the PC Engine post, in case you're interested.)

This one, of course, focuses on Famicom titles.

I know what some of you are thinking. Wait, there are overlooked Famicom titles? The system was released all the way back in 1983. How could any of its games be considered "hidden" gems? My reply: please consider the following.

Banana--This is one of those "don't judge it by its cover" games. And when I say cover, I'm not talking about Banana's box cover, which is the definition of cute. No, I'm talking about the screenshot above. Yes, this Victor Interactive Software-made and -published title (from 1986) is far from a looker, but I love its dynamic soundtrack and its action-puzzler gameplay, which is equal parts grin-inducing and brain-cramping. For more on why I'm such a big fan of Banana, read these previous posts of mine.

Door Door--Admittedly, this isn't an overlooked Famicom game in Japan. In fact, as far as I'm aware, it's actually considered a classic there. Elsewhere in the world, though, it's an unknown quantity at best. That's a shame, because aside from some unfortunate slowdown, Door Door is a real gem, with single-screen gameplay that recalls--without improperly aping--classics like BurgerTime and Wrecking Crew. Bonus: its protagonist and enemies are the most precious things you're going to come across this week, and likely this month--though its box art and instruction manual may have something to say about that.

Moai-kun--Many of the games Konami made and published during the 8-bit era are understandably regarded as classics today. Why isn't this one of them? I don't have a clue, although I wouldn't be surprised if its status as a Japan-only release has a little something to do with it. Still, it's 2016, and that sort of thing no longer really matters. So why do I think Moai-kun deserves a spot next to titles like Castlevania, Contra, Gradius, Goemon and Metal Gear? Because it stars a Moai figure, for starters. Also, its gameplay is like a sideview version of HAL Laboratory's Adventures of Lolo. And then there's the fact that Moai-kun's box art is among the best the Famicom has to offer.

Otocky--This Famicom Disc System game used to have a much lower profile than it does today. What prompted that uptick in interest? The release and embrace of Nintendo's Electroplankton for DS. Both games were conceived and designed by Japanese artist Toshio Iwai, and the popularity of the latter game prompted curiosity about the former. Which is great, as Otocky is a far more enjoyable--not to mention traditional--experience than Electroplankton, in my humble opinion. Of course, what else would you expect from a game that adds a smidgen of music-creation to the side-scrolling shmup genre? (By the way, if you own a console that accepts FDS discs, you owe it to yourself to buy a complete-in-box copy of Otocky. Its outer box, case and manual--all showcased in this old post of mine--are worth the price of admission alone.)

Warpman--If Bomberman and Robotron mated, not only would it be kind of kinky, but the product of their procreation would be this home port of an old Namco arcade game called Warp & Warp. That alone would be enough for me to recommend Warpman, but thankfully there's more to it than its bizarre sources of inspiration. Specifically, by offering up two different play styles, it keeps things feeling fresh despite its overall repetitiveness. Also, there's little denying Warpman's character sprites are almost overwhelmingly adorable. For more of my thoughts on this Famicom cart, check out my review.

Have you played any of these overlooked Famicom games? If so, share your opinions of them in the comments section below.

Also leave a comment if you think of any other often-ignored games that were made for Nintendo's first console.

Who else is excited about Miitopia after this weekend's Japanese Nintendo Direct?

What kind of "gamer" am I these days? The kind who wakes up early with butterflies in his stomach because he knows he's finally going to see some footage of an upcoming game he's been clamoring for since it was announced a couple of months back.

At least that's the kind of gamer I was over the weekend thanks to the Japanese Miitopia-focused Nintendo Direct that hit the Internet on Saturday morning.

What did I think of what I saw during that 16-minute broadcast? I thought it looked pretty great--although don't take that to mean I understood what was going on during this Direct's many gameplay segments.

I mean, I get that Miitopia is going to be one part Tomodachi Collection (Tomodachi Life in my neck of the woods) and one part Final Fantasy-esque JRPG, but even after watching Saturday's "Miitopia Direct" a few times I'm still not sure how much of the latter aspect I'll be able to control while playing through it.

Specifically, I'm wondering if I'll be able to freely move my party of adorably outfitted Miis around the game's towns and overworld areas (if what was shown in the above-mentioned broadcast can be described as such) or if it'll be done for me?

A similar question is bouncing around in my head in regard to the hilarious battles highlighted in last weekend's footage: will I direct them in Miitopia as I would in your typical Dragon Quest game, or will the title's artificial intelligence handle it?

I'd be lying if I said I'd be perfectly happy if most or all of these activities happen on their own without my input. That said, I thought I would dislike the similarly hands-off Tomodachi Life before I played it; in the end, I put nearly 130 hours into that curiosity and loved every second of it.

In other words, who's to say Miitopia won't out-and-out charm me even if it's not as involved than I'd like it to be?

Of course, that's less likely to happen if most of this game's text goes over my head due to my still-developing Japanese skills. Or maybe I should look at Miitopia as an opportunity to further expand those skills--while also having a bit of fun?

While I work through my own feelings about Miitopia, please share yours with me (and others) in the comments section below.

I'd especially love to hear from those of you who are planning to purchase the game on or around its Japanese release date of Dec. 8, although I'd also like to hear from anyone who thinks they'll buy the title if it's translated into a language they can understand at some point down the road.

Nice Package! (Dōbutsu Banchō, GameCube)

Before we get to the meat of this post, I'd like to ask you a question: Why do you think I bought the copy of Dōbutsu Banchō (or Doubutsu Banchou) showcased in the photos below? Here are your options:

A) I was a huge fan of the Atlus-published North American version of the game, Cubivore, back in the day

B) I got its title confused with the Japanese title for Nintendo's Animal Crossing series (Dōbutsu no Mori)

C) I liked its cover art

If you went with option "C," go ahead and give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back.

Actually, go ahead and give your back a little pat, too, if went with option "A." Although I wasn't a huge fan of Cubivore back in the day--how could I have been? I never played it--I definitely knew of the game and the positive word of mouth associated with it.



Add those two components together and you've got a good explanation as to why I purchased the copy of Dōbutsu Banchō seen above and below when I came across it on eBay just over a month ago.

As those snapshots should make clear, this GameCube title's packaging is on point in all respects. OK, so the backside of its outer sleeve (see above) is a bit boring, but the rest of it is so intriguing I'm not too bothered by it.

My favorite part of Dōbutsu Banchō's packaging (or whatever you want to call the game's outer sleeve, case, disc and instruction manual) is its blood-covered disc, by the way.

As for the game's manual, I'm not entirely sure why I failed to take any photos of it. I guess this means I have to whip up another "Manual Stimulation" post as soon as possible--as long as it isn't a complete dud.

With all of that said, have any of you played either Dōbutsu Banchō or Cubivore? If so, what did you think of the experience? Let me and others know in the comments section of this post.

See also: previous 'Nice Package!' posts

Let's ogle six lovely examples of Japanese PS4 and Vita cover art

To know me is to know I love a good piece of game box art.

Sure, most of the cover art I shine a light on here is of the "retro" variety, but that doesn't mean I turn my nose up at more modern offerings. Consider the following, all of which make me feel warm and tingly inside:

Birthdays the Beginning (PS4)--Although this game is still a bit of a mystery to me, that isn't keeping me from wanting it with all my might. Sadly, I'm unlikely to buy Birthdays the Beginning--even the North American release, which will hit the streets here early next year--because I don't currently own a PS4 and because I doubt that'll change in 2017. Oh, well, staring at its Japanese cover art (above) brings me so much joy that it (almost) makes up for the fact I'll likely never experience its gameplay.

Harukanaru Toki no Naka de 6 Gentou Rondo (Vita)--This one's a Japanese otome game, which means there's no way a copy of it is going to find its way into my collection anytime soon. (Not because I hate otome games, mind you; rather, it's because I can't even imagine attempting to play through an otome game in Japanese at this point in time.) If some brave company were to release an English version of this title, though, I'd buy it in a second--as long as the company in question retained its brilliant Japanese box art, of course.

Nier: Automata (PS4)--I may not be as hot to trot about Nier: Automata as your average "gamer," but I'm certainly hot to trot about its beautifully stark Japanese cover art. Granted, I'm a huge Akihiko Yoshida fanboy, so I guess my interest should've been expected?

Princess wa Kane no Mouja (Vita)--This piece of box art, for the upcoming title Western gamers often refer to as The Princess is Money-Hungry, is as bright and colorful as Nier: Automata's is dreary. I especially love its funky logo, which--appropriately enough--seems to be bathing in gold and silver coins.

SaGa: Scarlet Grace (Vita)--OK, so I'm no longer so sure I'm going to pick up this latest entry in Square Enix's odd SaGa series. (This despite the fact that I've got a huge crush on earlier entries that were released for the GameBoy, Super Famicom and PlayStation.) I am sure I like SaGa: Scarlet Grace's Japanese box art, though. Is it on the simple side in terms of design? Definitely. Still, it seems fitting for a title that'll hopefully end up being a compellingly strange RPG.

Touhou Shinpiroku ~ Urban Legend in Limbo (PS4)--This box art is for an upcoming PS4 brawler, if you can believe it. Fighting games usually prompt me to yawn, but this one has my attention thanks to its eye-popping cover illustration. Does this mean I'd probably buy Touhou Shinpiroku if I had a PS4 console? I doubt it. I'd definitely buy a poster-sized version of the above, though.

See also: 'Eight Vita games I'm planning to buy (and play) later in 2016 or as soon as possible in 2017' and 'Six Vita games I may buy (and play) later in 2016 or as soon as possible in 2017'