Just over a year ago (or just under a year ago, if you don't own a Japanese 3DS), Nintendo dropped a 3DS menu theme that changed lives from one side of the globe to the other.
I'm talking about this Slowpoke-centric theme, of course.
OK, so it only changed my life. Still, that's pretty impressive considering the life-changer in question is a lousy home menu theme.
Anyway, as mind-blowing as that Slowpoke theme was and continues to be, I'm pretty sure a similar creation based on the following Japanese commercial would be even more so.
Seriously, who would use anything other than a "Machoke Movers" 3DS menu theme if such a concoction were released?
I'm going to guess next to no one.
So, please make this happen, Nintendo and Pokémon Company. And make it happen soon.
(Via tinycartridge.com)
Saturday, December 05, 2015
Friday, December 04, 2015
I don't know how 'new' it looks or sounds, but I'm still pretty darn interested in Danganronpa V3
Granted, the sentiments expressed above are coming from the mouth of a guy who's only put a few hours into the first Danganronpa game thus far.
So, for all I know, the footage (found in the trailer below) of the in-the-works third Danganronpa title, which apparently will be called New Danganronpa V3: A New Semester for Everyone's Killing Life in its home country, is quite a departure from its predecessors.
Speaking of my unfortunate lack of experience with the initial pair of Danganronpa games, keep that in mind while you consider whether or not to check out the following video. I have no idea if does or doesn't contain spoilers, so view it at your own risk.
With that out of the way, what do those of you who actually watched it think of it? Are you excited? Are you feeling wary? Are you experiencing some other emotion or emotions altogether?
Share your answers to those questions in the comments section below when you've got a second to spare. Oh, and also let me know if you think there's anything "new" to New Danganronpa V3 based on what you saw in the trailer above.
See also: some of the thoughts I've shared so far regarding my playthrough of the first Danganronpa
So, for all I know, the footage (found in the trailer below) of the in-the-works third Danganronpa title, which apparently will be called New Danganronpa V3: A New Semester for Everyone's Killing Life in its home country, is quite a departure from its predecessors.
Speaking of my unfortunate lack of experience with the initial pair of Danganronpa games, keep that in mind while you consider whether or not to check out the following video. I have no idea if does or doesn't contain spoilers, so view it at your own risk.
With that out of the way, what do those of you who actually watched it think of it? Are you excited? Are you feeling wary? Are you experiencing some other emotion or emotions altogether?
Share your answers to those questions in the comments section below when you've got a second to spare. Oh, and also let me know if you think there's anything "new" to New Danganronpa V3 based on what you saw in the trailer above.
See also: some of the thoughts I've shared so far regarding my playthrough of the first Danganronpa
Wednesday, December 02, 2015
I've already spent $5 on Nintendo Badge Arcade; how about you?
Did I say $5? What I meant to say was $10.
What on earth prompted me to hand over $10 of real-world money to play the just-released 3DS application-cum-bottom-line-stuffer called Nintendo Badge Arcade?
I'll give you three reasons, with the first being the BOXBOY! badges Nintendo plopped onto its claw machine-esque app in early November, and the second and third being the Pikmin and Pushmo badges that followed closely behind.
Thankfully, I've since come to my senses and I haven't plunked any more of my hard-earned cash into Nintendo Badge Arcade for at least a couple of days now.
All bets are off, though, if Nintendo cruelly decides to tease me with some Ice Climber or Kid Icarus badges in the coming weeks.
Strangely, despite my unhealthy fascination with the Nintendo Badge Arcade and a good portion of its offerings so far, I've yet to do a whole lot with the spoils I've yanked from the app.
In fact, at the moment, I've simply got a handful of adorable Pikmin creatures traipsing along the top of my favorite 3DS icons. (Previously, I used my BOXBOY! badges to conjure up a slightly more creative scene, but I quickly replaced it because I found it too busy.)
How about you guys and gals? Have you put any time into Nintendo Badge Arcade? If so, which of its many digital pins have most attracted your attention?
What on earth prompted me to hand over $10 of real-world money to play the just-released 3DS application-cum-bottom-line-stuffer called Nintendo Badge Arcade?
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHm1jBFn2cGwrXUS3DdRACs-jIYM8-gqxJ9fSFGnZzwcsGjjYyn2Gf0PemZGIJc7SCfWCy0nsROSAIKE88HLH0Ftd7FguR1ugRKWaK8e3ETdjl8pO80Tea6GZ62i_R_e543FWhzw/s400/Wx2HsFI.jpg)
I'll give you three reasons, with the first being the BOXBOY! badges Nintendo plopped onto its claw machine-esque app in early November, and the second and third being the Pikmin and Pushmo badges that followed closely behind.
Thankfully, I've since come to my senses and I haven't plunked any more of my hard-earned cash into Nintendo Badge Arcade for at least a couple of days now.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivlzOXr6kTi7n3lUJGQT4yrPXCoSjieCuJWa1NJchlhdA1LcuPNja19fjfkZxftgvTwIGx8EZalAEXZSL16JxDpnT4gzMXR3FpY-677USzmOo7cxwVGDu6Groid06E2n6TYeLkVw/s400/Nintendo_Badge_Arcade_BOXBOY_Superhero_Qbby.jpg)
All bets are off, though, if Nintendo cruelly decides to tease me with some Ice Climber or Kid Icarus badges in the coming weeks.
Strangely, despite my unhealthy fascination with the Nintendo Badge Arcade and a good portion of its offerings so far, I've yet to do a whole lot with the spoils I've yanked from the app.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCII3ssTrhK5D_16vqhvs-_9zWZKoD9sfbcEUIcpuqA_jCAinGskl-pUmas70rrDwB0rghRvn7UNBF2Ie3OxUq7hAvhwLWIzcX65b1Elf5C_t62UCz6NFSKowPtdGXl7QSle6lkw/s400/Ec6kkdn.jpg)
In fact, at the moment, I've simply got a handful of adorable Pikmin creatures traipsing along the top of my favorite 3DS icons. (Previously, I used my BOXBOY! badges to conjure up a slightly more creative scene, but I quickly replaced it because I found it too busy.)
How about you guys and gals? Have you put any time into Nintendo Badge Arcade? If so, which of its many digital pins have most attracted your attention?
Labels:
3DS,
apps,
BOXBOY!,
digital games,
Ice Climber,
Kid Icarus,
Mallo,
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Pikmin,
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Monday, November 30, 2015
Two more reasons to back Indivisible on Indiegogo this week: it's being made by a gay guy and it's going to include LGBT content
First, the "gay guy" in question is Peter Bartholow, CEO of Los Angeles-based Lab Zero Games.
Second, Indivisible, in case this is the first you've heard of it, is a two-dimensional action RPG--inspired by both Valkyrie Profile and Super Metroid--that Bartholow and his team hope to release for PS4, Xbox One, PC, Mac and Linux in 2017.
For that to happen, though, Lab Zero Games has to raise $1.5 million. As of now, its related Indiegogo campaign has garnered just over $1.2 million, with less than five days left until its Nov. 24 deadline. (Go to indiegogo.com to learn more about Indivisible and to make a contribution.)
If you're still on the fence as to whether or not to hand over some of your own hard-earned cash for this intriguing effort, the following tête-à-tête--about Indivisible's origins as well as the gay content mentioned in the header above--with Bartholow may help nudge you toward the "yes" side of the equation.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqIo-S8SPrNpwQmWaB-75Q6jiQEjWEWM4wSRf6X7PJ_J-JAXLAiUIRkcu7PfT554ncL0_nKrGhyphenhyphenXnPP_qH91lesK_PEbjIXbsTG16pomU110Zh95ujZrQvJXr_RGJbrsbkdfJrYQ/s400/IndivisiblePrototype_08.png)
The Gay Gamer: Indivisible's Indiegogo page describes the game as being inspired by Valkyrie Profile and Super Metroid. Why those two games? Were they simply games you enjoyed playing back in the day, or is there more to it than that?
Bartholow: Indivisible actually began as a pitch for another publisher--they requested something along the lines of Child of Light. So we all played it, and our main takeaway was that it was a hybrid platformer-RPG. We thought about other platformer RPGs, and Valkyrie Profile immediately came to mind, since it’s one of our favorite games.
As we thought more about Valkyrie Profile, we thought about what we’d like to change. The first thing we decided to do was remove the time limit so that players had more opportunity to explore and enjoy the game as they saw fit. And that got us thinking--RPGs typically have a strong exploration component, so what are platformers with a strong exploration component? Naturally, Super Metroid came to mind. The addition of new progression abilities and weapons fit nicely into Indivisible’s nascent story, and so we started heading down that route.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgofm2fa0aAX1PZGNh6T_854jRm4oEc2rHDkHMr9ErjtppqF4ot7UqEdk83zZOUfW_eptx4YL5WYLRLbsatsD08Dn86BjVG7CtPSuLrx8HREzTrlU17CCOo12ZarreHjk6Z4Si6MQ/s400/IndivisiblePrototype_09.png)
The Gay Gamer: You've also brought up Chrono Trigger in past interviews about Indivisible. How does that Squaresoft classic fit into all of this? Or to put it another way, which aspects of Chrono Trigger will be seen or heard or felt in the final version of Indivisible?
Bartholow: There are subtle touches here and there influenced by Chrono Trigger, such as how the enemies are in the environment and you fight them right there. But probably the main influence is our approach to the story. In Chrono Trigger, each era was sort of an episode focused on a particular character or characters who, in addition to being involved in that era’s story, also served as a guide for Crono and Marle to help them settle into the events they’ve stumbled into. So our goal is to give each region of Indivisible’s world and its story a similar feel, with interconnected episodes anchored by strong characters.
Second, Indivisible, in case this is the first you've heard of it, is a two-dimensional action RPG--inspired by both Valkyrie Profile and Super Metroid--that Bartholow and his team hope to release for PS4, Xbox One, PC, Mac and Linux in 2017.
For that to happen, though, Lab Zero Games has to raise $1.5 million. As of now, its related Indiegogo campaign has garnered just over $1.2 million, with less than five days left until its Nov. 24 deadline. (Go to indiegogo.com to learn more about Indivisible and to make a contribution.)
If you're still on the fence as to whether or not to hand over some of your own hard-earned cash for this intriguing effort, the following tête-à-tête--about Indivisible's origins as well as the gay content mentioned in the header above--with Bartholow may help nudge you toward the "yes" side of the equation.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqIo-S8SPrNpwQmWaB-75Q6jiQEjWEWM4wSRf6X7PJ_J-JAXLAiUIRkcu7PfT554ncL0_nKrGhyphenhyphenXnPP_qH91lesK_PEbjIXbsTG16pomU110Zh95ujZrQvJXr_RGJbrsbkdfJrYQ/s400/IndivisiblePrototype_08.png)
The Gay Gamer: Indivisible's Indiegogo page describes the game as being inspired by Valkyrie Profile and Super Metroid. Why those two games? Were they simply games you enjoyed playing back in the day, or is there more to it than that?
Bartholow: Indivisible actually began as a pitch for another publisher--they requested something along the lines of Child of Light. So we all played it, and our main takeaway was that it was a hybrid platformer-RPG. We thought about other platformer RPGs, and Valkyrie Profile immediately came to mind, since it’s one of our favorite games.
As we thought more about Valkyrie Profile, we thought about what we’d like to change. The first thing we decided to do was remove the time limit so that players had more opportunity to explore and enjoy the game as they saw fit. And that got us thinking--RPGs typically have a strong exploration component, so what are platformers with a strong exploration component? Naturally, Super Metroid came to mind. The addition of new progression abilities and weapons fit nicely into Indivisible’s nascent story, and so we started heading down that route.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgofm2fa0aAX1PZGNh6T_854jRm4oEc2rHDkHMr9ErjtppqF4ot7UqEdk83zZOUfW_eptx4YL5WYLRLbsatsD08Dn86BjVG7CtPSuLrx8HREzTrlU17CCOo12ZarreHjk6Z4Si6MQ/s400/IndivisiblePrototype_09.png)
The Gay Gamer: You've also brought up Chrono Trigger in past interviews about Indivisible. How does that Squaresoft classic fit into all of this? Or to put it another way, which aspects of Chrono Trigger will be seen or heard or felt in the final version of Indivisible?
Bartholow: There are subtle touches here and there influenced by Chrono Trigger, such as how the enemies are in the environment and you fight them right there. But probably the main influence is our approach to the story. In Chrono Trigger, each era was sort of an episode focused on a particular character or characters who, in addition to being involved in that era’s story, also served as a guide for Crono and Marle to help them settle into the events they’ve stumbled into. So our goal is to give each region of Indivisible’s world and its story a similar feel, with interconnected episodes anchored by strong characters.
Labels:
Child of Light,
Chrono Trigger,
Indiegogo,
Indivisible,
interviews,
Lab Zero Games,
Linux,
mac,
PC,
Peter Bartholow,
PS4,
Q and A,
Super Metroid,
trailers,
Valkyrie Profile,
Xbox One
Friday, November 27, 2015
Happy birthday to me :)
So, as I just gave away in this post's header (above), it's my birthday.
What wild and crazy things have I done since I got out of bed about seven hours ago? Well, playing the "special" mode of the PC Engine port of Parodius Da! counts as wild and crazy, right?
I've also played a good bit of a few other PC Engine games, namely Detana!! TwinBee, Pro Tennis World Court (RPG mode, of course) and Valkyrie no Densetsu.
That's all well and good, I'm sure some of you are thinking, but what about newer games? Have you spent any time with games that were made and released in the last, say, 20 years?
Not really. I'll be playing some of those kinds of games soon, though. Or at least I hope I'll be playing them soon.
That's because between my parents and myself, I received three thoroughly modern games as birthday gifts this year.
OK, so I personally bought two of the three games in question. Also, one of them technically is 20 years old--although the version I snagged is just seven years old.
That particular game would be Chrono Trigger DS, by the way.
Yes, Justin Difazzio, I'm finally going to play this classic Squaresoft RPG. (In case some of you haven't followed every single word I've said on this blog or on Google+, Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr over the years, although I watched my older brother play through most of Chrono Trigger when both of us were much, much younger, I've never played through it myself.)
As for why I bought it now, that would be because Square Enix's online store hosted a bit of a sale yesterday, and one of the best bargains to be had (for a short period of time, it seems) revolved around brand-new copies of Chrono Trigger DS for $6.
Another, far more modern game I bought for myself yesterday: the Vita port of Hatoful Boyfriend.
I've been meaning to buy this pigeon-centric dating sim for ages, but failed to do so until now for all sorts of stupid reasons.
When I heard (via Twitter) that it could be picked up via the PlayStation Store for just $5, though, I hightailed it over there and nabbed a copy as quickly as I was able.
Sadly, I'm not going to be able to play the damn thing until at least Christmas, as the game is 1.9 gigs in size--which is way more than my poor Vita can handle.
As such, until I buy (or receive for Christmas) a Vita memory card, Hatoful Boyfriend is going to have to become intimately acquainted with the other games on my PSN download list.
That leaves just the game my parents so kindly bought and sent me for my birthday: Yo-Kai Watch for 3DS.
I really enjoyed this game's demo, so I'm very much looking forward to playing through the full offering.
Have you played any of these three titles? If so, share your thoughts on them in the comments section below.
What wild and crazy things have I done since I got out of bed about seven hours ago? Well, playing the "special" mode of the PC Engine port of Parodius Da! counts as wild and crazy, right?
I've also played a good bit of a few other PC Engine games, namely Detana!! TwinBee, Pro Tennis World Court (RPG mode, of course) and Valkyrie no Densetsu.
That's all well and good, I'm sure some of you are thinking, but what about newer games? Have you spent any time with games that were made and released in the last, say, 20 years?
Not really. I'll be playing some of those kinds of games soon, though. Or at least I hope I'll be playing them soon.
That's because between my parents and myself, I received three thoroughly modern games as birthday gifts this year.
OK, so I personally bought two of the three games in question. Also, one of them technically is 20 years old--although the version I snagged is just seven years old.
That particular game would be Chrono Trigger DS, by the way.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNPFaYmWIiJsa1PpY852Wf2mKNzfYZVyQuOlbV1FHLp3H49SUDwAyktvxb-SX8lUHH-_qGWqezOD7rQQPyvvfGl-35QkJ-QIHcEJUw0DRQZ4PzUvefB76tRPIs12S3VXGqPL4R6A/s400/20307_front.jpg)
Yes, Justin Difazzio, I'm finally going to play this classic Squaresoft RPG. (In case some of you haven't followed every single word I've said on this blog or on Google+, Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr over the years, although I watched my older brother play through most of Chrono Trigger when both of us were much, much younger, I've never played through it myself.)
As for why I bought it now, that would be because Square Enix's online store hosted a bit of a sale yesterday, and one of the best bargains to be had (for a short period of time, it seems) revolved around brand-new copies of Chrono Trigger DS for $6.
Another, far more modern game I bought for myself yesterday: the Vita port of Hatoful Boyfriend.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTAfrtz8x9DnGXQN_0swY5TuXtpqFau8q47pEjXSV1Xj8ULrNj6UnHyCeMSLEmondoBcGTPFrgRqs9JuTCAVt7VAK2CaK8r8kJbgb9k4hFQ-CeY_nuJGquu9JR-klMh0O4mgFzJg/s400/308197-hatoful-boyfriend-playstation-4-front-cover.jpg)
I've been meaning to buy this pigeon-centric dating sim for ages, but failed to do so until now for all sorts of stupid reasons.
When I heard (via Twitter) that it could be picked up via the PlayStation Store for just $5, though, I hightailed it over there and nabbed a copy as quickly as I was able.
Sadly, I'm not going to be able to play the damn thing until at least Christmas, as the game is 1.9 gigs in size--which is way more than my poor Vita can handle.
As such, until I buy (or receive for Christmas) a Vita memory card, Hatoful Boyfriend is going to have to become intimately acquainted with the other games on my PSN download list.
That leaves just the game my parents so kindly bought and sent me for my birthday: Yo-Kai Watch for 3DS.
I really enjoyed this game's demo, so I'm very much looking forward to playing through the full offering.
Have you played any of these three titles? If so, share your thoughts on them in the comments section below.
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