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

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.

Welcome to Animachi

For the last two days, I've been doing what every self-respecting 3DS owner has been doing for at least that long, if not longer--playing Animal Crossing: New Leaf as much as possible.

Granted, much of that time has been spent fishing and "hunting" various insects with my trusty butterfly net--as opposed to, you know, gardening or landscaping or planning the layout of the gyroid-filled mansion I'm sure to own in the future--but considering that's how I've spent 90 percent of my time while playing previous Animal Crossing games, I guess it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise.

That's not what you came here to read about, though, is it? No, I'm guessing you came here to read about--and see screenshots of--my New Leaf town and characters. Thankfully, I've got all of that in spades.

Below, for instance, is a snapshot of my female character, Aino--named after a figure from Finnish mythology--stepping foot into Animachi, my town, for the first time.



I came up with the name Animachi, by the way, by combining the first three letters of "animal" with one of the Japanese words for town or village. Fitting, don't you think?



Oh, and here's a shot of Animachi's first citizens (aka my welcoming committee): Rizzo, Barold, Snake, Winnie and Chevre. (My favorite at the moment is Barold, by the way--don't tell Snake!)



One of the first things I--er, I mean, Aino--did after getting settled in Animachi: buy a fortune cookie from the nearby Nookling Junction shop. (And, no, I don't know why Aino decided to wait until she was inside the museum to crack it open.)



Aino sports the above-mentioned "green hat" (aka the "hero's cap") in the screenshot below. Pretty nifty, eh?



Not so nifty: the fact that the river that runs through Animachi is infested with piranha. Not that Aino seems to mind.

You tell me--is the limited edition of Hakuoki: Memories of the Shinsengumi worth $59.99?

I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that the overwhelming majority--if not every last one--of you will answer the question above with a resounding "no!" And, really, I can't fault you for that line of thinking. After all, I agree with it--for the most part.

That said, a small part of me is wondering if maybe, just maybe, the limited edition release of this upcoming 3DS otome game is worth nearly 60 bones. After all, who doesn't need a folding fan branded with Hakuoki artwork, a Japanese-style towel featuring more of the same and a "Men of Hakuoki Art Book"?

Seriously, though, I'm looking forward to Hakuoki: Memories of the Shinsengumi's release, which is scheduled for Aug. 3 here in North America. On that date, Hakuoki fans will be able to pick up a regular edition of the game for $29.99 or the aforementioned limited edition for twice the price.

Will any of you be adding either version of this hunk-filled adventure title to your burgeoning collection of 3DS carts?

(Via siliconera.com)

Who's up for more Pac-Man? (Hint: I am! I AM!!!)

Those of you who followed my lead and answered in the affirmative should be happy to hear that the fine folks at Namco Bandai just announced--well, a few days ago--that they're prepping a digital compilation that'll be called Pac-Man Museum.

Which titles will this collection include? According to this press release, it'll feature "classic Pac-Man titles as well as newer arcade releases, allowing gamers to play through the evolution of Pac-Man from his humble beginnings from 1980 through 2008’s Pac-Man Championship Edition and 2010’s Pac-Man Battle Royale."



Unfortunately, all of us 3DS, PC, PS3, Wii U and/or Xbox 360 owners are going to have to wait until sometime this winter to get our four-player Pac-Man Battle Royale on.

In the meantime, PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 owners with copies of Pac-Man: Championship Edition DX can look forward to downloading a free update this summer that'll add a slew of new content--including "additional DLC mazes, music and graphics including classic Dig Dug and Rally-X sprites"--to this day-go digital title.

(Via joystiq.com and tinycartridge.com)