Saturday, June 22, 2013

Aino's (and Bryan's) Adventures in Animachi, Week Two

So, I've been playing Animal Crossing: New Leaf for about a week and a half now. How much have I been playing it? I'm going to plead the Fifth on that one. Let's just say I've played it a lot.

What happened during all of that playtime? I thought you'd never ask! Here's a not-so-brief glimpse at the goings on in my New Leaf town, Animachi, over the last week or so.

As you can see in the screenshot below, the week started with a ceremony to celebrate the completion of my town's "vital" campsite project.


And, yes, I punished all of the villagers who failed to show up for this momentous occasion.

One villager who got a pass for not being there: Ankha, who was moving into her new home at the time.


Although I wasn't sure about Ankha at first, I warmed up to her after checking out her new home's decor.


Shortly after the above-mentioned festivities, Animachi experienced its first Bug-Off event. Mayor Aino took part despite the fact that Nat, the master of ceremonies, proved to be more than a bit creepy.



Aino endured the creepiness, though, and ended up winning the whole she-bang.



Oh, and that empty spot on the podium? That's where I would have been standing I hadn't been off fishing or stalking beetles or picking my ears while I gazed lovingly at the "Pikmin Garden" I won via a fortune cookie the other day.

Friday, June 21, 2013

Let's Play: 'Which Box Art is Better?' (Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn edition)

Late last week, I tweeted the following: "Assuming the PS3 gets a price drop later this year, I think I'm going to pick one up just so I can play Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn."

Although the main reason I want to buy A Realm Reborn (along with a PS3, of course) is its appealing looking gameplay, I'd be lying if I said its box art didn't have a little something to do with it, too.

The question is: which piece of Final Fantasy XIV box art am I talk about--the Japanese, North American or European one?

I'll answer that at the end of this post. In the meantime, let's take a gander at box arts in question.

For starters, here's the Japanese release's cover image:


And here's the illustration that's supposed to grace covers of the North American iteration:


As for the European version of Final Fantasy XIV, here's its cover art:


Last, but not least, there's the following, which will appear on the outer packaging of the Collector's Edition of the title that'll be sold in Europe and North America:


As for which one I like best, well, I can't help but go with the Collector's Edition. It has to be said, though, that I like the (rather busy) Japanese cover art nearly as much.

Which piece of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn box art is your favorite? Assuming you like any of them, of course...

See also: previous 'Which Box Art is Better?' posts

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Say hello to my copy of Nazo Puyo: Arle no Roux (aka a Japanese Game Gear puzzler I won't be playing anytime soon)

For once, I'm not saying that I won't be playing (insert name of random Japanese game here) anytime soon because I don't yet own the system needed to play it. That's because I recently bought a used--"thoroughly used" may be a better way to describe it, sadly--Game Gear from a local shop for just 30 big ones.

So what's keeping me from popping the Nazo Puyo: Arle no Roux cartridge seen in one of the photos below into my newly acquired Game Gear and taking it for a spin?



Animal Crossing: New Leaf, of course. Seriously, the latest iteration of Nintendo's world-conquering "community simulation" has taken over my gaming life--actually, it could be argued that it's taken over my non-gaming life, too--to the extent that the only other title I'm considering playing at the moment is THE "DENPA" MEN 2, and even that's only getting a passing glance from me at the moment.

At some point, though, this whole Animal Crossing: New Leaf front that's clouding up my gaming skies will pass, and when it does Nazo Puyo: Arle no Roux will be there waiting to be enjoyed.


In the meantime, I thought I'd share a few photos of this weird little Puyo Puyo spin-off, which is based on the "puzzle" modes that were included in some of the series' earlier installations.

An interesting note about this particular Nazo Puyo title (two others were released for the Game Gear prior to this one): it includes an RPG-ish mode that's akin to the ones found in Arle no Roux's Super Famicom-based counterparts.



Also worth mentioning: Arle no Roux has a short, but sweet, instruction manual that features a number of completely adorable illustrations (such as the one in the photo above).

Don't worry, I plan on devoting a "Manual Stimulation" post to this sucker soon. Until then, though, you'll just have to imagine how cute Arle and her puzzle-loving compadres look while inhaling copious amounts of curry.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

QR codes for a few of my (current) favorite characters from THE 'DENPA' MEN 2

The good news about my experience with THE "DENPA" MEN 2: Beyond the Waves thus far: I've put just under 17 hours into it.

The bad news: less than an hour was added to that tally in the last week (thanks to the arrival of--and my subsequent obsession with--Animal Crossing: New Leaf, of course).

Don't worry, "DENPA" MEN fans, I'm not giving up on this digital 3DS title--I've enjoyed it far too much to do that. That said, it may be a while before I can devote more than a couple hours to it per week.

In the meantime, here are QR codes for seven "Denpa" men that I captured by flailing about somewhat madly while my husband attempted to navigate the hilly streets of Seattle while constantly rolling his eyes.

Kevin (Weaken All)

Adam (Dark Messenger)

Genius (Revive)

Kamari (Full Heal)

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Precious game-related thing I desperately want but do not need: Space Invaders x Hello Kitty pouch

No joke: if the "square pouch" below--which features a Space Invaders x Hello Kitty mash-up that could only come from Japan--were large enough to fit a Nintendo DS or 3DS, I'd hand over my hard-earned money to the folks at NCSX right now.

The problem is, I have no idea of knowing how large or small these Gotochi-made pouches are at the moment--which means for the time being, at least, my cash is staying put in the confines of my wallet.



Should I hear from someone at NCSX that they're large enough to accommodate, say, my "misty pink" Japanese 3DS--well, I may have to reconsider.

Thankfully, the pouches--which currently carry a price tag of $25.90--aren't expected to ship until October, so all of us Space Invaders and/or Hello Kitty fans have plenty of time to suss out what's what when it comes to their length and girth.

Pre-order: Space Invaders x Hello Kitty square pouch

Monday, June 17, 2013

He likes Animal Crossing: New Leaf and he loves to abuse the screencap function

Those of you who frequent the comments section of this here blog (and to those of you who don't: why not?) may recognize the username Zaphod65.

Well, that same Zaphod65 has been posting silly, and even a bit saucy, Animal Crossing: New Leaf-inspired comics via Twitter for the last week or so, and as of Friday he's publishing them via a tumblog as well.

Here's an example of one that's both silly and saucy (in my humble opinion, of course):



To see more of Zaphod65's "The Dunwich Hoarder" comics (he's published nine as of yesterday), check out dunwichhoarder.tumblr.com at your earliest convenience.

And if your Animal Crossing: New Leaf itch hasn't been scratched after you finish perusing the above-linked tumblog, scroll through this recent blog post--devoted to my own playthrough of this uber-addicting 3DS title.