Five favorites: European DS box art

All the way back in mid-November, I published a blog post about five of my favorite examples of Japanese DS box art. Last week, I followed it up with a similar post about five of my favorite pieces of North American DS box art.

As I promised at the end of the latter post, here are five European DS box arts of which I'm particularly fond:

1. Contact--How much do I like this RPG's European cover art? So much that I recently bought it despite the fact that buying the North American version would have been a bit cheaper. Really, though, how could I have said no to those adorably pixelized characters and that awesome, retro-tinged logo?

2. Final Fantasy III--True story: I've seriously considered picking up a European copy of this game (even though I already own the North American version) simply because of its beautiful box art, which brings to mind the classic imagery that appears on the packaging of the Super Famicom release of Final Fantasy VI and the PlayStation port of Final Fantasy IV.

3. Kirby Mass Attack--What do you get when you combine the best elements of the covers created for the Japanese and North American iterations of this portable puzzler-platformer? You get the glorious artwork that can be seen above, of course.

My five favorite non-3DS games of 2012

I may have singled out THE "DENPA" MEN as my favorite 3DS game of 2012 yesterday (with Theatrhythm Final Fantasy coming in a close second), but that doesn't mean it was the only game I had a blast playing this past year.

In fact, I had a blast playing a number of games that were released for the other current-ish systems I own. Here are the ones I considered the cream of the crop, as they say:

* Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom (PSP)--If you read my "somewhat gay" review of this game, you're likely a bit shocked that I decided to include this release, which was published in North America by Aksys Games, here. So am I, to tell you the truth. While thinking back on all the titles I played this year, though, I kept coming back to this one. Although I still think it's more of a novel than a video game, it did a surprisingly great job of keeping me interested in its goings-on from start to finish--which is something that can't be said of every game these days.

* Kirby Mass Attack (DS)--Of all the titles included in this post, this is the one I've spent the least time with thus far. Still, I've experienced enough of it to know it's an enjoyably unique game--and one that I'll surely return to next year when I inevitably find myself without anything new to play.

* Rhythm Heaven Fever (Wii)--It's amazing how many hours you can spend playing a single game when you set your mind to it. I say that because I'm pretty sure I clocked well over 20 hours with Rhythm Heaven Fever during its first week in my possession. Was it because of the adorably wacky graphics? The toe-tapping soundtrack? The "just one more time, I swear" gameplay? I have a feeling it was all three--and then some.

* Spelunky (XBLA)--You know how sometimes you look forward to something (like a game) for so long that when you get your hands on it at long last you experience a letdown? Well, I was more than a bit worried that would happen to me once I finally acquired Spelunky, as I'd been waiting for the XBLA version for what seemed like ages. Thankfully, it didn't. On the contrary, I've enjoyed this tough-as-nails (and surprisingly precious) platformer more than I even imagined I would--although it would be nice to actually "beat" it at some point.

* Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii)--That I haven't yet completed this open-world RPG is criminal, if you ask me. I can't even tell you why I left it at an unfinished state early this summer (although I have a feeling a quick trip "home" may have had something to do with it). What I can tell you is that I pretty much loved every minute I played of it until that point. (I say "pretty much loved" because I found a few aspects--like the camera in general and one boss battle in particular--to be irksome.) Here's hoping I'm able to work my way back into--and through--this sentimental journey in 2013.

See also: Past 'favorite games of the year' posts

Five games I have to get back to (and hopefully finish) in 2013

Well, it's that time of year again. No, not the time of year when I bore you with posts dedicated to my favorite games that were released in the last 12 months (that doesn't happen until next week). Rather, it's the time of year when I grouse about all the games I failed to complete during that same time frame.

The five games (some of which were released in 2012 and some of which were released earlier) that are causing the most grousing at the moment:

1. Corpse Party (PSP)--Why did I stop playing this digital-only title after thoroughly enjoying its introduction? To be completely honest: I got stuck. Normally, that wouldn't be a problem for me, but for some dumb reason I was stubborn this time around and refused to turn to a walkthrough to get myself out of the situation. As you probably can imagine, I only put up with that for so long before moving on to something more enticing. I swear, though, that I'll return to Corpse Party sometime soon--especially since the sequel is set to hit PSN anytime now.

2. Deadly Premonition (Xbox 360)--You might think I gave up on this quirky adventure for the same reason as the one stated above, but that actually wasn't the case. Instead, I walked away from Deadly Premonition early in the year because I just couldn't take any more of the combat scenes it was throwing at me. That said, I didn't intend to stop playing the game for good; I just wanted to take a bit of a breather. So, expect me to tackle this Hidetaka "SWERY" Suehiro-designed title with renewed vigor sometime in 2013.

3. Kirby Mass Attack (DS)--I honestly have no idea why I stopped playing this one just a few hours into it. I'm guessing another game caught my attention and wooed me away from it--although for the life of my I can't come up with which game accomplished that feat. Anyway, much like Deadly Premonition, I quite liked what I'd experienced of Kirby Mass Attack's unique gameplay and charming (as always) graphics before the game inexplicably fell by the wayside, so I think it's a fair bet that I'll pick it up again sooner rather than later.

4. Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)--Some of you are sure to be shocked to hear that I moved on from this game before seeing its end credits. Well, prepare to be shocked even more: Not only haven't I finished it, but I only conquered a few of its worlds before turning my attention to Mario Kart 7. What was it about this particular Mario adventure that left me feeling a bit cold? I'm not entirely sure, although I think the tiny levels that I recall encountering had something to do with it. I've since been told to stick with the game, though, so that's what I plan on doing as soon as my 3DS backlog dwindles at least a bit.

5. Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii)--Here's another headscratcher--or at least it is to me. The reason: I loved the hell out of this open-world RPG before it dropped off my radar. This time, though, I have a valid reason for walking away from a game I was thoroughly enjoying beforehand. Basically, I went on vacation--and when I returned, I was swamped with work and ... well, I'm sure you can imagine what happened next. Considering my jaw was regularly planted on my chest while I worked through the first 10 or so hours of Xenoblade Chronicles, I don't think it'll take much arm twisting to convince me to go back to it at some point in the next 12 months.

How about you gals and guys? Are there any games that you failed to finish in the last year or so that you'd like to wrap up in 2013?

Acquisition #136: Kirby Mass Attack (DS)

OK, folks. Raise your hands if you're at all surprised that I picked up Kirby Mass Attack. No one? Yeah, that's what I thought.

Actually, I'm guessing some of you may be surprised that it took me this long to add it to my collection--especially given my blossoming admiration for the Kirby series.

How does Kirby Mass Attack compare to the other Kirby games I've played--and loved--over the last few years (Kirby's Adventure, Kirby Canvas Curse, Kirby's Epic Yarn and Kirby's Return to Dream Land)? As of now, I'd say it stacks up with the best of them.

Granted, I've only completed Kirby Mass Attack's first three or four stages so far, but they've been more than enough to make me fall head over heels in love with the game as a whole.



I especially love all of the different things you can do with your raucous pack of Kirbys, such as tossing them around with a flick of the stylus and sending them scurrying toward enemies with simple tap.

Speaking of which, watching them beat the crap out of hapless foe after hapless foe is a bit disconcerting, but it's also kind of invigorating. (It helps, of course, that said hapless foes often are doing their best to bring down as many of your brain-dead Kirbys as possible, so it's not like they didn't have it coming.)

I also love the game's jaunty soundtrack, which seems to fit both its graphics and gameplay to a tee.

And then there's Kirby Mass Attack's box art. I know I was a bit ambivalent about it when it was first revealed, but now I positively adore it (despite the fact that the illustration's largest Kirby is of the angry variety).

Have any of you played this one? If so, what do you think of it?

See also: Previous 'Acquisition #123' posts

Speaking of Kirby Mass Attack ...

Did you know that the European box art for Kirby Mass Attack combines elements of the game's Japanese and North American covers? If not, well, you do now.

Specifically, the game's Euro art, which can be seen below, combines the "circle of Kirbys" illustration that fills most of the Japanese cover and the stylized logo that's front and center on the North American cover.

Did the designers at Nintendo of Europe produce the ultimate piece of Kirby Mass Attack box art, or do you prefer the covers that were made for the Japanese and/or North American versions (both of which can be seen and commented on here) of the game?

Although I'm still quite fond of the game's North American box art, I'd be lying if I said I couldn't see the appeal of its European and Japanese counterparts.

How do you make Kirby's Epic Yarn more beautiful than it already is?

By adeptly playing one of this precious platformer's signature tunes on a pair of pianos, that's how.



The "Butter Building Theme" played in the clip above was transcribed and arranged by Gary Swerdlow, by the way. Listen more of his work on his YouTube channel. Don't expect to hear any more Kirby's Epic Yarn tunes, though--this is the only one he's done (thus far).

Speaking of Kirby, did you know that little pink puff's latest portable title, Kirby Mass Attack, is now available for purchase? Pick up a copy of it here. Also, Kirby's Return to Dream Land, for Wii, will hit store shelves soon, too. (On Oct. 24, to be exact.) Pre-order it here.

(Via gonintendo.com)

More like Angry Kirby Mass Attack, amirite?

I don't know how many of you are aware of this, but for some strange reason Nintendo of America's designers are seemingly unable to produce a piece of Kirby box art without making the little pink blob look angry.

In fact, I'm pretty sure "angry Kirby" has shown up on all North American Kirby game boxes with the exception of Kirby's Epic Yarn.

Well, it seems that trend will continue with the upcoming DS title, Kirby Mass Attack (Atsumete! Kirby in Japan). Here's the cover of the Japanese version of the game, which hit the streets a few weeks ago:

And here's the cover of the North American version, which will be released on Sept. 19 (pre-order it here):

Although I generally roll my eyes at Nintendo of America's obsession with turning Kirby's smile into a frown, I'll refrain from doing that in regards to the cover art above--which I find quite captivating despite the main character's furrowed brow.