You know, like, "I can't drive, so I'm gonna walk all over you!" Or, "I drink to prepare for a fight. Tonight I am very prepared!"
(Via videogamesmademegay.tumblr.com)
Friday, July 01, 2011
Say hello to my Soda Popinski wallpaper
Could the following image--which currently serves as my desktop wallpaper--be any cooler? Actually, I think it could be--if it, say, featured one or more of the Punch-Out!! character's memorable quotes.
You know, like, "I can't drive, so I'm gonna walk all over you!" Or, "I drink to prepare for a fight. Tonight I am very prepared!"
(Via videogamesmademegay.tumblr.com)
You know, like, "I can't drive, so I'm gonna walk all over you!" Or, "I drink to prepare for a fight. Tonight I am very prepared!"
(Via videogamesmademegay.tumblr.com)
Earth Seeker has some seriously sexy box art
My original headline for this post, by the way, was: "Earth Seeker, the Wii RPG that's being made by the guy who produced the first Monster Hunter game and that will never see the light of day outside of Japan, has some sexy box art." In the end, though, I decided that was a bit too wordy and went with the shorter-and-sweeter version seen above.
With all of that out of the way, let's look at this Crafts & Meister-developed, Kadokawa-published game's supposedly sexy box art, shall we?
If I knew Japanese I'd totally take one for the team and buy a copy of the game (which hit store shelves in Japan on June 23), but since I don't I'm just going to grouse about the fact that it's unlikely to be released in a language that I understand.
For more information on this intriguing game, check out any of these articles at andriasang.com or this discussion thread at NeoGAF.com.
With all of that out of the way, let's look at this Crafts & Meister-developed, Kadokawa-published game's supposedly sexy box art, shall we?
If I knew Japanese I'd totally take one for the team and buy a copy of the game (which hit store shelves in Japan on June 23), but since I don't I'm just going to grouse about the fact that it's unlikely to be released in a language that I understand.
For more information on this intriguing game, check out any of these articles at andriasang.com or this discussion thread at NeoGAF.com.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Let's Play: 'Which Box Art is Better?' (Solatorobo: Red the Hunter edition)
I've never played CyberConnect2's Tail Concerto, but I've read enough about this "3D anime-style, action-adventure platformer" (per Wikipedia), released in 1998 for the original PlayStation, to know that I should add it to my collection sooner rather than later.
Another game I should add to my collection sooner rather than later, according to positive early impressions of it: The spiritual sequel to Tail Concerto, Solatorobo.
That game--which, like its predecessor, seems to focus on the exploits of an anthropomorphic pooch and his semi-humanoid mecha--hit the streets in Japan late last year and is set to do the same in Europe (courtesy of Nintendo; it was published in Japan by Namco Bandai) on July 1 and in North America (courtesy of Xseed Games; pre-order it here) on Sept. 27.
Speaking of this DS title's much-anticipated international release, here is the box art that will appear on the North American iteration:
The art that will grace the cover of the European pressing of the game, on the other hand, should look something like this:
Finally, here is the box art that was used in Japan:
As for my thoughts on this trio of box arts: Well, I kind of hate to say it, since I'm sure it's going to make me sound like a biased broken record, but once again I prefer the Japanese art. I especially like its sense of adventure and whimsy, neither of which are depicted in the European or North American designs.
That's not to say I hate the other options. Actually, let me clarify that: I don't hate the North American art. In fact, I really like its use of warm colors. I'm not so fond of the placement of the subtitle, but it's not enough to make me turn up my nose at the game.
I wouldn't say the European art is so bad it would prompt me to bypass the game, but it might push me to pick up the Japanese or North American version instead--if, you know, I lived in Europe and not in the US. Admittedly, I doubt many European DS owners will react as strongly to the art as I have, but I definitely think it's possible some of them--especially those who have never heard of the game and aren't looking forward to its release--may simply overlook it thanks to its bland, boring box art.
Anyway, that's what I think of the art that has appeared or will appear on the covers of the European, Japanese and North American versions of Solatorobo. What do you think?
See also: Previous 'Which Box Art is Better?' posts
Another game I should add to my collection sooner rather than later, according to positive early impressions of it: The spiritual sequel to Tail Concerto, Solatorobo.
That game--which, like its predecessor, seems to focus on the exploits of an anthropomorphic pooch and his semi-humanoid mecha--hit the streets in Japan late last year and is set to do the same in Europe (courtesy of Nintendo; it was published in Japan by Namco Bandai) on July 1 and in North America (courtesy of Xseed Games; pre-order it here) on Sept. 27.
Speaking of this DS title's much-anticipated international release, here is the box art that will appear on the North American iteration:
The art that will grace the cover of the European pressing of the game, on the other hand, should look something like this:
Finally, here is the box art that was used in Japan:
As for my thoughts on this trio of box arts: Well, I kind of hate to say it, since I'm sure it's going to make me sound like a biased broken record, but once again I prefer the Japanese art. I especially like its sense of adventure and whimsy, neither of which are depicted in the European or North American designs.
That's not to say I hate the other options. Actually, let me clarify that: I don't hate the North American art. In fact, I really like its use of warm colors. I'm not so fond of the placement of the subtitle, but it's not enough to make me turn up my nose at the game.
I wouldn't say the European art is so bad it would prompt me to bypass the game, but it might push me to pick up the Japanese or North American version instead--if, you know, I lived in Europe and not in the US. Admittedly, I doubt many European DS owners will react as strongly to the art as I have, but I definitely think it's possible some of them--especially those who have never heard of the game and aren't looking forward to its release--may simply overlook it thanks to its bland, boring box art.
Anyway, that's what I think of the art that has appeared or will appear on the covers of the European, Japanese and North American versions of Solatorobo. What do you think?
See also: Previous 'Which Box Art is Better?' posts
The Great Gaymathon Review #28: Final Fantasy Tactics (PlayStation)
Game: Final Fantasy Tactics
Genre: Strategy RPG
Developer: Squaresoft
Publisher: Squaresoft
System: PlayStation
Release date: 1998
Would you believe me if I told you I felt a bit "ho hum" about the PlayStation before I laid eyes on Final Fantasy Tactics? Well, it's the truth. Oh, other games--like Final Fantasy VII, Jumping Flash and even Ridge Racer--piqued my interest in the system, but none of them prompted me to go out and buy Sony's boxy, gray console like this one did. As for why I found Final Fantasy Tactics more appealing and irresistible than the aforementioned games: Well, I can't remember exactly--it has been 13 years, after all--but I think it had something to do with this title's Final Fantasy V-esque job system. I also recall being intrigued by its big, showy spells and strategic battles. There's more to Final Fantasy Tactics than those three back-of-the-box bullet points, of course--like a complex, convoluted and controversial (thanks to its negative depiction of religion in general and the Roman Catholic Church in particular) plot. Also, there's a bevy of controllable characters, an impressive array of battle locales and a beautiful, as well as memorable, soundtrack (composed by Hitoshi Sakimoto and Masaharu Iwata). So, what's wrong with Final Fantasy Tactics? Not much, if you ask me. In fact, I can think of only two things that could turn off the odd gamer: First, it can be confusing at times (thanks to the above-mentioned backstory) and, second, it can be brutally difficult. Don't let those negatives keep you from giving it a go, though, as it's easily one of the best games ever released for the PlayStation--or for any system at all, really, especially if you're a fan of strategy RPGs.
See also: Previous 'Great Gaymathon' posts
See also: Previous 'Great Gaymathon' posts
Nintendo of America gives the finger to Xenoblade, Pandora's Tower and The Last Story fans
In response to the recent campaign that called for a stateside release of The Last Story, Pandora's Tower and Xenoblade, Nintendo of America posted the following (rather annoyingly cheerful, if you ask me) message on its Facebook page yesterday afternoon:
The Redmond, Wash.-based company also aimed this tweet at folks foolishly clamoring for that trio of Japanese RPGs:
Really, they could have just flipped us the bird, told us to buy Wii Play: Motion and been done with it, don't you think?
(Via gonintendo.com)
Thank you for your enthusiasm. We promised an update, so here it is. We never say “never,” but we can confirm that there are no plans to bring these three games to the Americas at this time. Thanks so much for your passion, and for being such great fans!
The Redmond, Wash.-based company also aimed this tweet at folks foolishly clamoring for that trio of Japanese RPGs:
Thanks for being such incredible fans! Unfortunately, there continues to be no plans for NOA to release these 3 games right now.
Really, they could have just flipped us the bird, told us to buy Wii Play: Motion and been done with it, don't you think?
(Via gonintendo.com)
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