I don't know about you, but I'm absolutely thrilled we're swimming in actual SaGa as well as SaGa-inspired games at the moment

I've been keenly interested in Square Enix's SaGa series of bizarro RPGs for a long time now.

Makai Toushi SaGa, a GameBoy title that was rebranded The Final Fantasy Legend before it crossed the pond, introduced me to its wonders all the way back in 1990, but only barely.

I didn't fall head over heels in love with the series until I first laid eyes on Romancing SaGa for the Super Famicom.

That's not to say I've spent a lot of time with that 1992 release. Oh, I've tried, but even with my limited--very limited--understanding of Japanese, all of the text Romancing SaGa throws at you is daunting, to say the least.

Still, Romancing SaGa turned me on to just how beautifully strange an RPG can be in the right hands (especially if those hands belong to the one and only Akitoshi Kawazu)--a point that was driven home during my first playthrough of a game that is now one of my all-time favorites, SaGa Frontier.

Sadly, the series has languished in the wake of that late-1990s offering. Although eight SaGa titles were published (in Japan, at least) between 1989 and 2000, only five have come out in the 18 years since--one of which was a remake of an older effort and two of which depressingly avoided consoles.

Amazingly, other developers have stepped into the void in recent years to provide the world with their own SaGa-esque role-players. The Legend of Legacy was the first of these quirky RPGs to hit the market (back in 2015), and while it didn't quite live up to its initial hype, it proved to be an enjoyable enough experience despite its drawbacks.

That game's just-released (outside of Japan) spiritual successor, The Alliance Alive, is an even better "SaGa-like," in my opinion. It's far less experimental, and a lot more straightforward, than The Legend of Legacy, but both of those qualities work in its favor and help it feel like the best SaGa game not made by the aforementioned Kawazu.

You should expect to see more posts about The Alliance Alive here in the coming days and weeks, by the way. I'm so in love with the game after putting more than 60 hours into it that I've got to gush about it a bit.

Speaking of SaGa-ish games I've got to gush about, or that I've got a feeling I'm going to gush about shortly after I start playing them, Octopath Traveler for the Switch is due out in just under two months. I couldn't be more excited about it, to be honest--especially since it looks to be even more akin to the SaGa games of old than The Alliance of Alive.

Will I be gushing about the last "real" SaGa title, SaGa: Scarlet Grace, sooner rather than later, too? It sure seems like it. No less than Kawazu himself recently revealed on Twitter that an English localization of the game is being worked on as we speak.

And then, of course, there's the Romancing SaGa 3 remake that was announced early last year for mobile and Vita. It's also being prepped for a Western release--although no one outside Square Enix seems to know when that will happen (or if it'll hit systems like the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One as well).

Regardless, it's now abundantly clear that the SaGa, er, saga is far from over. I don't know about you, but that thrills me to no end. You can keep your paint-by-numbers RPGs; I'll take weirdo releases like The Alliance Alive, Octopath Traveler, and SaGa: Scarlet Grace over them any day of the week.

How many of you feel the same way?

My 3DS (and DS) Play Time stats for 2015

If you read through (or at least glanced at) the "favorite games of 2015" post I published a few days ago, you may have walked away from it with the idea that I didn't play a whole lot of games last year.

Although it's true that I spent less time on video games in 2015 than I did in the couple of years before, that's mostly because I got a "real" job (as in, one that requires me to go into an office every day) in January and that put a damper on my ability to play the many 3DS, DS, PSP, Vita and other titles in my possession.

The "misty pink" Japanese 3DS I no longer own

Still, looking at the list below--which I cobbled together after reviewing the "play time" stats gathered by my three 3DS systems--I'm pretty impressed I was able to devote as much time as I did to the following 3DS and DS titles.

(Note: if I could figure out how long I played Dokuro and Danganronpa on my Vita, or Undertale on my Mac, I'd include them here and broaden this post's focus a bit. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be possible.)

1. The Legend of Legacy--39:00
2. Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley--24:13
3. 999--21:41
4. Hotel Dusk--17:18
5. Fantasy Life--13:41
6. Contact--13:15
7. Rhythm Tengoku: The Best Plus--12:45
8. My World, My Way--10:09
9. Okamiden--8:37
10. Pokémon Picross--5:17

Bonus round: I also spent nine hours and 15 minutes with the Nintendo Badge Arcade and nearly five hours with the DS version of Chrono Trigger by the time last year came to a close. And since the calendar flipped over to 2016, I've put another hour-plus into the latter release.

My favorite games of 2015 (that actually were released in 2015)

Although I bought and played a lot of games in 2015, the sad truth is that not many of them actually were released this past year.

In fact, aside from the ones highlighted here, the only other released-in-2015 games I remember playing are BOXBOY!, The Legend of Kusakari, Nintendo Badge Arcade and Pokémon Picross.

Still, I think the trio touched on below are worthy of all the praise I can heap on them.

The Legend of Legacy (3DS)--If I were forced to point out my absolute favorite of the current-gen games I bought and played in 2015, this weird, distinctly Japanese RPG would be it. Don't take that to mean it's perfect or recommended for everyone or anything of the sort, though, as The Legend of Legacy often goes out of its way to be repetitive, tight-lipped (as in, its story is the definition of sparse) and hair-pullingly difficult.

Still, I put nearly 40 hours into The Legend of Legacy since I got my hands on a copy of it a couple of months ago, so clearly its developers did something right. Specifically, I consider the pop-up backdrops, watercolor aesthetics and surprisingly deep battles they created for this 3DS title to be spot-on.

I wouldn't have complained if they'd added a bit more pizazz to that last component, mind you, but even in its current, somewhat unfinished state, The Legend of Legacy is pretty great, in my humble opinion, and well worth the hard-earned cash I spent on it.

Rhythm Tengoku: The Best Plus (3DS)--Am I surprised that a lot of folks were let down by The Best Plus after digging into it? Not really. For starters, like me, they probably spent a long time looking forward to a new entry in this quirky series of rhythm games--and as we all know, that sort of thing usually leads to disappointment.

Two additional issues that surely pushed at least a few people down that same path: this title's "best of" nature (as in, most of its content is pulled from past Rhythm Tengoku releases) and its insistence on wrapping an unnecessarily chatty story around the included package of mini-games.

Although I'm just as guilty as anyone in being turned off by those "problem areas," I still walked away from The Best Plus happy that I added it to my collection. The new characters more than hold their own against those who were showcased in previous Rhythm Tengoku installments, and the new mini-games, while perhaps not as stellar as their predecessors, are well beyond passable.

In other words, there's plenty of fun to be had with The Best Plus if you lower your expectations a smidge and then just go with the flow.

Undertale (Mac)--Full disclosure: at this point in time, I don't consider Undertale to be a better (or more enjoyable) game than any of Nintendo's three Mother (aka EarthBound) titles. Granted, I'm pretty sure I've only experienced a fraction of what it has to offer so far.

Also, although I may not be as enamored with this unique RPG as some others are, there's no question I've loved every second I've put into it. The touching--and almost shockingly dark--story and pleasantly odd art style on offer here are obvious high points, but I also really appreciate Undertale's fresh take on old-school RPG battle scenes. As a result, I very much intend to blast my way to this game's finish line in early 2016.

Now that I've blathered on about my favorite games of 2015 (or at least those that actually were released in the last 12 months), please feel free to talk about yours in the comments section below.

See also: 'My favorite games of 2014 (that actually were released in 2014)' and 'My favorite games of 2014 (that were released before 2014)'

Shall We Do It? (The Legend of Legacy, Undertale and the Yo-Kai Watch demo)

Hey, I actually stepped away from The Legend of Legacy, which I've spent about 22 hours with so far, this weekend to play a couple of other games. Who would've thought?

As for the games that took my attention away from the FuRyu-developed, Atlus-published mentioned in the last sentence, they would be Undertale (for the Mac) and the just-released Yo-Kai Watch 3DS demo.

What follows are a handful of thoughts on all three of these intriguing titles.

The Legend of Legacy (3DS)--Why have I played this kinda-sorta RPG (more on that in a second) for more than 20 hours since it arrived on my doorstep two weeks ago? I guess it's because I like grinding. Or, perhaps more accurately, I guess it's because I really like this game's battle scenes. Sure, they're miles away from the fireworks-filled fights found in, say, SaGa Frontier, but they're still pretty fabulous--and fun. (In my opinion, of course.)

Can the battles here be tough as nails? Sure. In fact, they often are--especially when you start the game, or when you start a new area. For me, though, it's a welcome change of pace from the overly easy fights most RPGs offer up these days. Also, the steep challenge forces you to do what's needed--dig through the e-manual, scan GameFAQs, post questions on Twitter--to figure out the game's surprisingly intricate battle engine. When's the last time you had to do that in a modern game?

I also really like exploring each area and, in the process, filling out its map so I can sell it to the shopkeeper in what appears to be The Legend of Legacy's lone city for a few extra bucks. (If a place with a handful of buildings and citizens can even be called that.) Admittedly, I'd probably thoroughly scour each locale even if I weren't forced to do so, but I like that I'm awarded for it here.

I do wish there were more cities or towns or whatever you want to call them. And I also wish there were more people to talk to in those towns--or that the existing ones had more to say. (This includes the king, by the way, who seems pretty much useless after the first couple of hours.) That said, those same elements tend to be so much fluff in other RPGs, so maybe I should be happy that this one's developers decided to make it so they wouldn't get in my way as I work my way through this peculiar, portable adventure.

Undertale (Mac)--I almost feel like I should talk about this game here, as I'm only a smidge past where I was the last time I wrote about it.

In part, that's because I've focused more on The Legend of Legacy and the Yo-Kai Watch demo than I have on this game in the last week or so, and in part it's because I basically had to start over after I bought the full version of this EarthBound-esque RPG. (My previous comments were based on its demo.)

Something I can say here that I think I failed to mention in my earlier write-up about Undertale is that I'm head over heels in love with its soundtrack. Even at this early juncture, it's packed with the sort of amazing, earworm-worthy tunes that make you want to pause your playthrough so the notes can work their way into your bones.

Is that enough for me to heartily recommend handing over $10 for a copy of this digital title? Not entirely, but don't take that to mean anything horrible. After all, there are plenty of additional reasons to pick up Undertale if you're still on the fence about it--with the on-point, retro-inspired visuals, the genre-busting battles and the wittier-than-it-has-any-right-to-be text being three perfect examples.

Yo-Kai Watch demo (3DS)--I've been looking forward to playing Level-5's Pokémon-esque RPG for a long time now. Or maybe I should say I looked forward to it for a long time until I read some comments on line that suggested its battles are yawn-inducing.

Because of those remarks, I downloaded Yo-Kai Watch's North American demo with a bit of trepidation. Would I still like the game I'd pre-ordered some time ago, or would I wish I'd waited before making that decision? Thankfully, I was able to answer that question within a few minutes of booting up this teaser.

Specifically, I quickly figured out that the above-mentioned critics were wrong and that Yo-Kai Watch's fighting scenes were the polar opposite of boring. For me, they're electrifyingly frantic, and the mini-games at their core do an admirable job of keeping things very interesting.

Some other interesting aspects of this demo, in my humble opinion: the wonderfully charming character designs, the amazingly detailed setting and the appropriately energetic soundtrack.

Given all of that, it'll probably come as little surprise to hear that I'm feeling a lot more positive about my decision to pre-order Yo-Kai Watch after spending just 30 minutes or so with its just-released (in my neck of the woods, at least) demo.

Have any of you spent any time with the Yo-Kai Watch demo so far? If so, what do you think of it?

See also: previous 'Shall We Do It?' posts

You've ogled The Legend of Legacy's lovely Japanese packaging, now ogle that 3DS game's North American packaging

Don't remember the fabulousness of The Legend of Legacy's Japanese packaging? Check out my blog post about it, which features photos of that release's case (interior and exterior), cartridge and folded-up "manual," as well as its soundtrack sleeve and CD.

As for the North American version's packaging, continue reading (or scrolling) to see how it compares to that of the Japanese original.

Admittedly, beyond its size, the North American iteration's outer box--above and below--isn't all that amazing.

That said, I quite like the illustration of the little cat-like character (do any of you know if he or she has a name?) that can be seen in the lower-right corner.

I'm also pretty fond of the random pieces of art that can be spotted on this box's sides and flaps, such the following example.



If you ask me, though, all of the above pales in comparison to the beauty that's showcased on the front and back sides of The Legend of Legacy's North American soundtrack sleeve.





Can anything top that bit of design work? I'd personally suggest--perhaps only meekly, though--that the game's main cover art achieves that goal, although I'd also understand anyone who opposes that line of thinking.



Some of those folks surely prefer the illustrations that grace the front and back covers of the art book that's packaged along with launch-window copies of the North American iteration of The Legend of Legacy.

That book's front cover can be ogled in the photo above, while the back cover can be ogled in the photo below.

Did any of you pick up the North American release of this SaGa-esque 3DS RPG? If so, what do you think about it so far--assuming you've played at least a smidge of it?

I've put about 18 hours into my copy of The Legend of Legacy so far, and I have to imagine I'll put in at least 18 more before I'm done with it.

Don't worry, I'll share some additional impressions of the game long before I reach that point, but in the meantime, I hope these snapshots will serve as a suitable stand-in.

A few more thoughts on The Legend of Legacy demo now that I've put almost nine hours into it

Actually, I've put "just" eight hours and 40 minutes into the Legend of Legacy demo thus far, but it's easier to say "almost nine" in a blog headline so that's what I went with here.

With that out of the way, some of you probably are wondering how on earth I could spend nearly nine hours playing this upcoming 3DS game's downloadable teaser. That's surprisingly easy to explain, actually. In fact, here are six reasons that just popped into my head:

It allows you to play as a frog--OK, so anyone who's at all paid attention to The Legend of Legacy's development or release probably knows that one of the game's potential party members is a frog. Unsurprisingly, he's been my "main" for the entire eight-plus hours I've spent with this demo since I nabbed it from the 3DS eShop a couple of weeks ago. (If you're wondering who my second-favorite character is at the moment, that would be the saucy Eloise.)

It features some deliciously "old school" RPG fights--I know a lot of gamers have moved on from turn-based battles, but I still love them. Not only that, but I still prefer them to the kind of MMO-esque battles that are at the heart of so many modern RPGs (like Fantasy Life and Xenoblade Chronicles). Anyway, if you, too, are a fan of turn-based battles, you should get a kick out of that particular component of The Legend of Legacy.

Its battle scenes also call to mind SaGa Frontier--Kind of. Like the ones that serve as the centerpiece of that PlayStation classic, this current 3DS offering's fight scenes are far more thrilling that your run-of-the-mill ones thanks to the random bursts of light that signify one of your party members has learned a new move. Sadly, The Legend of Legacy's battles aren't as kaleidoscopically complex as those in SaGa Frontier. Specifically, the former don't allow you to produce the eye-popping combos that help make the latter such a joy to experience.

Its soundtrack is the definition of sublime--Considering how many game soundtracks he's worked on over the years, it's a crying shame that this is the first time I've heard any of Masashi Hamauzu's music. The stuff he created for The Legend of Legacy is so lovely, though, that there's no doubt in my mind I'll keep an ear out for additional examples of his work in the following months and years. Thankfully, I can turn to a few games already in my collection if I want to accomplish that quickly and easily, as it appears he had a hand in Chocobo no Fushigina Dungeon (PlayStation), SaGa Frontier 2 (PlayStation), Unlimited SaGa (PS2) and Sigma Harmonics (DS)--all of which I've owned for some time now.

It's shockingly light on story--In fact, I'm not even sure I'd say The Legend of Legacy's demo includes a story. Sure, a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cut scene kicks things off, but after that the focus is squarely on making maps and battling baddies. Which is fine with me, as I happen to be one of those crotchety "old" gamers who believe today's RPGs are far too wordy. Granted, I won't mind at all if a smidgen more of a story pops up in the full retail release of this Atlus-published title, but I also won't mind if that aspect stays as lean and mean as it is in this bite-sized version.

It's obtuse as all get-out--OK, so I'm not sure I should point to this as a positive. That said, there's something kind of cool about playing an RPG that treats you like you have a brain, don't you think? Or maybe I should say it treats you like you're smart enough to track down an online FAQ or to ask your Twitter followers for helpful advice. I also like that there's an air of the first Dragon Quest to this demo. It plops you into The Legend of Legacy's diminutive world and says "figure it out" before hightailing it out of there like it's late for a dinner date.

Have any of you played The Legend of Legacy demo? If so, what did you think of it? Did it leave you feeling desperate for the game's full retail release (due out next week in North America), or did it leave you feeling kind of cold? However you may feel about this 3DS teaser, let me know about it in the comments section below.

See also: 'While we wait for me to get off my lazy butt and begin to play The Legend of Legacy, let's drool over its lovely packaging'

Shall We Do It? (Danganronpa, The Legend of Legacy demo and Mr. Driller: Drill Spirits)

Now that I've wrapped up my many-hours-long playthroughs of 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors and Hotel Dusk (read my impressions of this pair of top-shelf DS games here and here), I'm finally spending time with some other titles I've been eyeing up for ages.

Specifically, I'm spending time with Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, The Legend of Legacy demo that hit the 3DS eShop last week and Mr. Driller: Drill Spirits.

Here are a few thoughts on the above-mentioned games based on my recent experiences with them:

Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (Vita)--I started playing this Vita-based visual novel earlier this year but then moved it to the back burner because ... actually, I have no idea what prompted me to walk away from it for a bit.

Regardless, I’m back to playing it again—although I’ve got to admit I’m only doing so in fits and spurts at the moment. (You can blame that on The Legend of Legacy demo that commandeered my attention shortly after I downloaded it late last week. Thankfully, I think I’ve nearly exhausted that teaser’s content, so my schedule should open up again shortly.)

Anyway, the few hours I’ve played of Danganronpa since I wrapped up 999 a couple of weeks back have been pretty darn enjoyable. In large part, that's because I really like this game’s unsettling atmosphere. Its jazzy, low-key soundtrack is partially responsible, too.

One aspect of Danganronpa that I’m currently reveling in and reviling in equal measure is its free-roaming nature. On the one hand, I love being able to move around as I please, but on the other, that flexibility makes it easy to get lost—or at least become confused as to where I'm supposed to go or what I'm supposed to do next.

Of course, that’s a problem I've had with every single visual novel I’ve played to date, so maybe I shouldn't point to it as an example of something that's wrong with this particular example of the genre.

I'd recommend taking all of the above with at least a medium-sized grain of salt, by the way. I still have a long way to go before I see Danganronpa's credit roll, so it's more than possible my opinions of this much-acclaimed game will change between now and then.

The Legend of Legacy demo (3DS)--In the six days since I downloaded this demo, I've put nearly five hours into it.

That alone should indicate how much I'm digging it, as only the most special of games are able to grab that much of my attention these days.

So, which of The Legend of Legacy's components are most responsible for me feeling so gaga about it at the moment? One would be the map-drawing focus of its overworld and another would be the strategic, turn-based nature of its fights, that's for sure.

Speaking of The Legend of Legacy's overworld, I've become similarly enamored with the pop-up effect that's used with such confidence in each and every area you're tasked with exploring within this demo. I'm sure some will find it maddening, but I think it meshes well with the rest of the game's coloring-book aesthetic.

So, which of this FuRyu-made and Atlus-published (in North America) RPG's many components have yet to trip my trigger, as that quaint old saying goes? The best example I can come up with is its character designs. Although I love the frog prince, Filmia, and the bosomy Amazon, Eloise, I find the rest of this game's potential party members to be a snooze.

Sadly, I consider even the most boring character designs to be downright thrilling when compared to the majority of The Legend of Legacy's enemy designs. A few of the bosses showcased in the demo are OK, but the rest of what's on offer here is blah at best and tragic at worst.

All that said, I'm very much looking forward to getting my hands on the full, retail version of The Legend of Legacy halfway through October. I don't suppose any of you are in the same boat?

Mr. Driller: Drill Spirits (DS)--I've got to be honest here: when I bought Drill Spirits, I did so expecting not to like it very much. My previous experiences with the Mr. Driller series left me cold, mainly because they made me think there was absolutely no depth to its gameplay.

Still, I've always loved the series' protagonist, Susumu Hori, and I've also always loved its Candy Land graphics, so I picked up Drill Spirits in the hopes that they would prompt me to fall in love with the rest of what Mr. Driller has to offer.

Has it succeeded? Actually, I think it has. After all, I've devoted more than three hours to Drill Spirits in the last week or so.

An even more impressive feat, if my opinion: all of that time has been spent on the first two of this game's "Mission Driller" stages. (I call that impressive because usually spending such a long time on just two stages would drive me batty--to the point that I'd rather toss the cartridge in the trash than continue to plug away at it.)

I'd say the most positive thing about my playthrough (if it even can be called that) of Mr. Driller: Drill Spirits so far is that it's gotten me to stop thinking of this series as being one full of releases that feature paper-thin gameplay. No, there isn't a ton of depth to be had here, but there's more than initially meets the eye, that's for sure.

Even if that weren't the case, though, I'd still probably get a kick out of Drill Spirits' frenetic excavating action. I don't know that I'd call it fun, exactly, but it's definitely satisfying--especially whenever I'm able to complete a level without any special-item assistance--and that's more than enough for me right now.

See also: previous 'Shall We Do It?' posts

And yet five more games I'm looking forward to playing between now and the end of 2015

Just over a month ago, I published a pair of posts--here's the first one, and here's the second one--that detailed a handful of games I'm looking forward to playing between now and the end of 2015.

My original intention was to wrap up this series (if it can even be called such a thing) within a couple of days of the second post's introduction to this thing we used to call the World Wide Web, but, well, if you've been visiting this blog for any amount of time, you know that's how things go sometimes.

With all of that out of the way, let's get to the final five games that I'm looking forward to playing before this year comes to a close.



The Legend of Legacy (3DS)--Is it weird that I'm going to buy the North American version of this open-ended, SaGa-esque RPG even though I've owned the Japanese release for some time now? (You can read about it, and peruse some photos of its beautiful packaging, in this previously published post, if you're at all curious.) I don't think so, especially since I'm basically stumbling through my current copy of the game at the moment. I was OK with that when it was my only option, but once an English localization joins it as a possibility I won't hesitate in swapping out the former in favor of the latter.



Monhun Nikki: Poka Poka Airu Mura DX (3DS)--Here's another entry that may shock a couple of people, as back in February I devoted an entire post to small handful of photos I'd taken of the first Animal Crossing-ish Monhun Nikki: Poka Poka Airu Mura game that was made for the PSP, which I had acquired a few weeks earlier. Considering I've yet to even pop the aforementioned UMD into either of my PSP systems so far, why would I want to hand over my hard-earned cash to buy this updated 3DS iteration? Because I have a feeling I'll be more likely to play such a game on my go-to portable of the moment (Nintendo's latest dual-screened handheld, naturally), that's why. Here's hoping that's what actually comes to pass once this import cart is in my grubby paws.

Mysterious Chronicle (Vita)--Some of you may know this upcoming PS4 and Vita game by its Japanese name, which is Fushigi no Chronicle: Furikaerimasen Katsu Made wa. It's a remake, of sorts, of a mobile game called One Way Heroics. Both titles are roguelikes that, as far as I can tell, take place aboveground--or at least outdoors--as opposed to indoors or below ground, which is typical of the genre. Honestly, that last bit alone would be enough to make me want to track down a copy of the erstwhile Mysterious Chronicle as soon as possible, so when you add in its stellar spritework, well, you should be able to see why I'm smacking myself around for not having it on pre-order. 

Return to PopoloCrois: A Story of Seasons Fairytale (3DS)--True story: I've wanted to play a PoPoLoCrois (this is how the title is written in Japan, by the way) game for ages. Specifically, I've wanted to play one or more of the three beautiful, sprite-based PoPoLoCrois games--two of which are RPGs and one of which is a roguelike--that were made for the original PlayStation since I first become aware of them a number of years ago. This 3DS-based release isn't as gorgeous as any of those 32-bit efforts, I've got to say, but it still looks pretty good. Plus, I'm intrigued by the fact that this one includes content that calls to mind the Harvest Moon (now Story of Seasons, I guess) series.  

Yoshi's Woolly World (Wii U)--How am I going to play this precious-looking platformer when I don't yet own a Wii U console? I have no idea, but I'm going to do my best to make it happen. After all, I'm going to need a Wii U if I'm finally going to experience Splatoon, Super Mario Maker and Illusory Revelations ♯FE, right? As for what's pushing me to do whatever needs to be done to experience this game, that would be that it gives off serious Kirby's Epic Yarn vibes. That game was one of my favorite Wii titles, regardless of genre, so if Woolly World is even half as entertaining, it will be more than worth the price of admission.

How about you guys and gals? Are you looking forward to playing any of these games between now and the end of 2015? Or maybe you're looking forward to playing some other games that were recently made available or will be made available soon? If so, please let me know about them in the comments section below.

See also: 'Five games I'm really looking forward to playing between now and the end of 2015' and 'Five additional games I'm looking forward to playing between now and the end of 2015'

I don't usually 'do' Nendoroids, but that isn't keeping me from drooling over this Himouto! Umaru-chan-inspired one

Making all of this drooling even stranger is that I'd never even heard of Himouto! Umaru-chan before a couple of days ago.

Assuming some of you are in the same boat, here's the gist: it began life in 2013 as a Japanese manga series (written by Sankaku Head) and an anime adaptation of it is going to start airing in just a couple of days.

Oh, and its titular character is a teen who appears perfect at school, while at home she wears an animal hoodie and spends her time eating junk food, playing video games, reading manga and watching anime.

All of those interests are depicted in Umaru-chan's Nendoroid form (and related accessories), as you hopefully can see in the photo below. 

I especially like her little Vita-like game system. 

Speaking of the Vita, the folks at FuRyu (makers of The Legend of Legacy, among other titles) recently announced that they'll be releasing a Vita game based on Himouto! Umaru-chan this winter.

Apparently it'll be a "sister-raising simulation," which admittedly doesn't sound as appealing as, say, an RPG, or a rhythm game or even a Game Center CX ripoff based on the property would, but I'll take what I can get. 

Anyway, enough about that. Back to the Nendoroid. It'll hit Japanese store shelves this August. (You can pre-order one now via amiami.com.) Will any of you be buying one?

Shall We Do It? (The Legend of Legacy and Rhythm Tengoku: The Best Plus)

Those of you who follow me on Twitter (or even Instagram and Google+) may already be aware of this, but since I have no idea how much crossover there is between all of the aforementioned social-media platforms, I'll share the info here, too: late last week, I returned home from work to find a copy of  Rhythm Tengoku: The Best Plus (or Rhythm Tengoku: The Best+, if that's how you like to refer to this just-released Japanese 3DS game) on our doorstep.

Considering I've been looking forward to getting my hands on Rhythm Tengoku: The Best Plus since it was first announced many moons ago, it probably should come as little surprise to hear that I spent a bit of quality time with it over the weekend.

Specifically, I put just over three hours into it on Saturday and Sunday. In that time, I've gotten to experience a good number of the mini-games included in this, the latest iteration of Nintendo's popular (in Japan, at least) series of quirky music-centric titles.

Sadly, only a handful of those have been all-new affairs, with the rest being returning "greats" that were pulled from earlier Rhythm Tengoku (aka Rhythm Heaven or Rhythm Paradise) efforts.

Actually, I'm not sure why I just typed "sadly" in that last sentence, as I didn't exactly drown in salty tears after I heard that The Best Plus would include a ton of songs and skits that first appeared in the GameBoy Advance, DS and Wii Rhythm Tengoku games. On the contrary, I did the exact opposite when I became aware of that fact. (That said, I'm still a bit miffed that one of my all-time favorites, that being "The Bon Odori" from the GBA original, was completely ignored by the folks who were responsible for piecing together this collection.)

Anyway, as pleased as I am with "old faves" that have been crammed onto this 3DS cartridge, I'm also pretty happy with the all-new mini-games that are introduced in The Best Plus. (I like "Stair Catch," which tasks players with controlling a pair of characters as they attempt to grab oranges and pineapples as they bounce down a set of stairs, the most at the moment.)

Unlike the previous three Rhythm Tengoku titles that have made their way to market over the last decade, this fourth one changes things up a bit by wrapping all of its mini-games in what seems to be an appropriately silly story. I've heard a lot of people complain about this particular addition on line, but I can't say it's bothered me much up to this point. 

Sure, it slows things down a tad, but I really like the colorful cast of characters that are showcased in the related cutscenes. Also, the diorama-like rooms that are tied to each story segment (and that contain four thematically unrelated mini-games) are stunningly realized. So, if a smidge of story was required for these components to exist, I'm all for them.

That's about all I can say about Rhythm Tengoku: The Best Plus so far, as I've yet to tackle some of the other intriguing modes that have been added to this sequel, but you can rest assured I'll do my best to talk about them in a future post.

As for the other game mentioned in the header above, The Legend of Legacy, I've only devoted about two hours to it since I first popped its cartridge into my Japanese 3DS LL, but that's been enough to give me the distinct impression that I'm going to enjoying working my way through it in the coming weeks and months.

Specifically, I love the art style employed in this SaGa-esque role-playing game--although I'm not as enamored with the aesthetics of its battle scenes as I am with the rest of its content. Also, the soundtrack is the definition of fabulous and the gameplay is both engaging and addictive. 

In regard to the latter, I'm especially getting a kick out of those battle scenes I just disparaged in the previous sentence. Although they're far from lookers (so far, at least), they're surprisingly satisfying thanks to their strategic nature. (You really have to think your way through many of the fights that pop up every few minutes; you can't just bludgeon foes like you can in many Japanese RPGs.)

They're also surprisingly tough, though, so make sure you're the kind of person who can laugh off being annihilated during a random encounter before you decide to pick up a copy of The Legend of Legacy.

As with Rhythm Tengoku: The Best Plus, expect to read more impressions of The Legend of Legacy in an upcoming write-up.

Have any of you played either (or both) of these 3DS imports, or are any of you looking forward to playing them. If so, let me and others know about your experiences--or your interest--in the comments section below. 

The question is: am I going to put any time at all into my Japanese copy of The Legend of Legacy before the North American version of this 3DS RPG hits the streets in a few months?

The most likely answer to the question posed in this post's headline is "probably not," I sadly have to admit, although I'm going to do my best to turn that ho-hum response into something that's far more appealing--you know, like, "yeah, but only a couple of hours."

Seriously, though, I've wanted to dig into my Japanese copy of The Legend of Legacy ever since it arrived on my doorstep in early March. Unfortunately, all sorts of annoying things--like work, work and more work--have kept me from doing so.

Actually, that's not completely true. My day job and my on-the-side freelance gigs aren't solely responsible for my failure to pop this cart into my Japanese 3DS LL even once over the last three months. At least a bit of blame can be heaped on the technical writing certificate program I just wrapped up (imagine me doing a little happy dance right now), my slow-as-a-snail Japanese studies and my insistence on having some sort of life outside of work, class and blogging about games.



At any rate, one of my many gaming goals at the moment is to spend at least a little time with this SaGa-esque, FuRyu-developed 3DS RPG before it makes its way to North American store shelves (as well as this region's eShop) later this year.

No, your eyes aren't deceiving you--an English version of The Legend of Legacy is being prepped as we speak. Specifically, it's being prepped by the folks at Atlus, who revealed today that both physical and digital versions of the game will be released in both North and South America sometime "this fall." Oh, and it'll sport a perfectly acceptable (to me, at least) $39.99 price tag.

Does this news thrill any of you as much as it thrills me? If so, share your excitement in the comments section below. (Also, if you'd like to catch a glimpse of the Japanese version's beautiful packaging, check out my post about it when you've got a spare second or two.)

While we wait for me to get off my lazy butt and begin to play The Legend of Legacy (3DS), let's drool over its lovely packaging

An admission that should shock no one who has been visiting this blog for any length of time: since my copy of The Legend of Legacy arrived on our doorstep a couple of weeks ago, the only "action" it's seen so far has involved me groping and ogling and photographing its packaging--and not necessarily in that order.

All of the groping, ogling and photographing surely make sense, though, right? I mean, just look at the snapshot above, which showcases the art that graces the covers of this Japanese 3DS RPG's game and soundtrack cases.

The interior of The Legend of Legacy's game case is worthy of some meaningful stares, too, thanks to the attractive character art that peeks through its many openings. 

The game's fold-up manual and cart label are lookers, too, as this next shot proves. I especially love the art showcased on the manual's front side, which calls to mind the art that's often been produced to promote Square Enix's wonderfully weird SaGa series over the years.

Unsurprisingly, the interior of The Legend of Legacy's soundtrack slipcase (below) is more of the same--as in, it's equal parts beautiful and SaGa-esque.

The backside of the game's case, and the backside of the soundtrack's slipcase, are nearly as pretty as their fronts. Seriously, the art included here is so SaGa it's almost ridiculous--which of course is why I love it so much. It almost seems inspired by art nouveau, but with a Japanese twist.

With all of that said, have any of you played The Legend of Legacy yet? If so, what do you think of it? 

And if you haven't played the game, what do you think of the box art, cart label, soundtrack and more shown throughout this post?

I may be a bit miffed with Nintendo at the moment, but I'm still looking forward to a mountain of upcoming 3DS games

There's no question Nintendo of America irritated me and a lot of other North American gamers during (and after) yesterday's Nintendo Direct.

Did the company irritate me to the point that I'm considering giving up on its 3DS system? Of course not. In fact, I'm as smitten with Nintendo's second dual-screen handheld as ever--if my ever-growing list of pre-ordered games is any indication.

For instance, I've had three North American 3DS games--Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. (due out on March 13), Etrian Mystery Dungeon (April 7) and The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D (Feb. 13)--pre-ordered for some time now, and the same can be said of two upcoming Japanese 3DS games, The Legend of Legacy (Jan. 22) and Theatrhythm Dragon Quest (March 26).

I actually had Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (Feb. 13) pre-ordered until last night, but I canceled it after I had a not-at-all-awkward heart-to-heart chat with myself about the fact that I've only put a few hours into MH3U so far and, as such, I really shouldn't buy its follow-up until I can be sure I'll give it the attention it deserves.

And then there are all of the North American and Japanese 3DS titles I'd pre-order in a snap if I were allowed to do so, like A-Train: City Simulator, Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai DX, Lord of Magna (assumed to be the North American title of Marvelous' Kinki no Magna), Puzzle & Dragons Z + Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition and the just-announced fourth game in the Rhythm Tengoku series.

Finally, there are two Japanese 3DS RPGs that I'm hoping beyond hope will make their way to our shores at some point in 2015: Bravely Second and Final Fantasy Explorers.

How about you? Are you looking forward to a bunch of 3DS games, too? If so, which ones?

I just pre-ordered a copy of The Legend of Legacy (3DS), which means a North American localization should be announced any day now

Actually, I pre-ordered a number of 3DS games--Japanese and otherwise--in the last week or so, with two of the "otherwise" games being Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. and The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask.

Getting back to The Legend of Legacy, though--as I've said before, this Japan-only (for the moment, at least) 3DS RPG is being developed for FuRyu by a bunch of the same people who worked on Square Enix's now-defunct SaGa series back in the day.

That, along with the game's interesting art style and unique pop-up-book world, was enough to push me to pre-order a copy (it's supposed to hit Japanese store shelves on Jan. 22) via amiami.com recently, despite the fact that I'm sure to flounder horribly while attempting to play through it.

While I was pre-ordering The Legend of Legacy, I also pre-ordered a copy of Sega 3D Fukkoku Archives, which combines six of the Sega 3D Classics eShop titles that have been released in that region so far (Fantasy Zone, Ecco the Dolphin, Out Run, Shinobi III, Space Harrier and Streets of Rage) as well as two bonus games--updated versions of Sega Master System's (or Sega Mark III's) Out Run 3D and Space Harrier 3D titles.

This budget-priced compilation is set to hit the streets (again, in Japan only--at least for now) on Dec. 18.

Considering Nintendo announced its intentions to publish Level-5's Fantasy Life in the West shortly after I picked up a Japanese copy of that game, I'm hoping these recent pre-orders of mine will prompt similar announcements regarding The Legend of Legacy's and Sega 3D Fukkoku Archives' overseas prospects.

This new SaGa, I mean Legend of Legacy, game continues to look great

Or at least what's shown of it in the video below continues to look great to me.

Of course, I've always been a sucker for games with "unique" aesthetics, and this FuRyu-published RPG, which is set to hit the streets (and the eShop) of Japan early next year, certainly fits that bill.

By the way, in case this is your first encounter with Legend of Legacy, it's being made by many of the same folks who worked on Square Enix's all-but-forgotten SaGa series in years past.



Those games were known for being rather quirky (if not downright crazy), so I'm hoping that will be true of Legend of Legacy in the end as well.

Actually, I'll let you know whether or not that's the case after I sink my teeth into the game, as I recently pre-ordered a copy of it via amiami.com.

(Via japanese3ds.com)

I love everything about this Legend of Legacy (3DS) trailer except for maybe the English text

Actually, I guess you could say the English text in the following trailer--which, as I mentioned in the header above, is for the upcoming 3DS RPG called Legend of Legacy--is good for chuckle, but it also could be described as cringe-inducing.

That said, pretty much every other aspect of this rather lengthy preview--yes, including the pop-up scenery--pleased me, so who really cares it if featured some wonkily translated text?



By the way, if this is the first time you've heard of Legend of Legacy, here's the gist: it's an RPG that's being made by a bunch of former Square Enix staffers, many whom have worked on some of that company's SaGa games.

Oh, and the finished product is set to be released in Japan on Jan. 22 carrying a price tag of 5,980 yen (about $55).