It's been fun

Now that I've turned in my research paper, and have finished all of my other classes, I finally have time to play games instead of just writing about them. So, no more posts from me after this one, but just for the sake of anyone reading this who wants some recommendations on good Japanese games to play, I thought I'd list some of my favorites.

Persona 4 (this one should be obvious)
Persona 3: FES or P3P
The Legend of Zelda (the entire series, but especially Majora's Mask)
Fire Emblem: (Path of Radiance, Radiant Dawn)
Pokemon Blue (Red is for losers!)
Chrono Trigger
Tales of Symphonia
Super Metroid
Final Fantasy XI (this game will eat your life--play it at your own risk! I mean it!)
Harvest Moon
Eternal Sonata
Super Mario Galaxy (especially if you are on painkillers. I played this when I got my wisdom teeth out, and became one with the universe)
Ace Attorney (do yourself a favor and play them in order. Start with Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney)



Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some Fire Emblem: Awakening to finally play. I'll see you around.

Arcades in Akihabara

Whenever I went to Akihabara, I was amazed at the towers filled with electronics.  Akihabara is known as “the electric city” pretty much for this reason.  You can get any sort of console, electronic part, or any video game you’re looking for.  In some of these towers were stories and stories filled with arcade games.

I spent more time than I would like to admit hooked to the arcade games.  There were floors filled with fighting games, floors of music/rythm games, floors for racing games, etc.  On some floors, there were tournaments with 30 or more people competing in Gundam or Persona Arena. Overall, it was an exciting and slightly overwhelming experience.

What I left out of my Persona 4 presentation

First off, since more people than I had anticipated didn't want to be spoiled, and others said they wanted to play this game after hearing my presentation, I have to say that I didn't get to any of the really spoilery stuff since I ran out of time, so if you plan to play the game don't go to the rest of the article after the jump. Just for the sake of people who may skim this opening paragraph:

SPOILER ALERT! END OF THE GAME DETAILS FOLLOW

Tail Concerto

My brother got a demo copy of the Japanese version of this game as part of the Underground Jampack disc series,  when he first bought his PlayStation in 1998.  I would spend hours playing the first level over and over, in a language I couldn’t yet understand, because this game was just so much fun.  Years later, I got my hands on the full version. Even though it’s a much older and less well-known game, its creative and unique approach at the adventure genre has given it a permanent place as one of my favorites.

The main character, Waffle, is a dog police officer who rides a mech, flies a zeppelin and is tasked with capturing naughty kittens wreaking havoc, all on his day off.  The kittens are led by a gang of three pirate-cat sisters, Alicia, Flare, and Stare. The only way to stop the kittens is by trapping them in bubbles (all of course for the sake of non-violence and family friendly-ness).

Check out this bubble action below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_OaeZX6uyg

Sequel to A Link to the Past announced!

This is pretty specific, but it's so exciting, I have to post it. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is getting a (currently untitled) sequel for the 3DS, which I never thought would happen. At the time of its release, the 1992 Action-Adventure was heralded for its engaging gameplay, excellent music, and (for the SNES) crisp graphics. In my opinion, it still holds up. If you haven't played it, I highly recommend buying an SNES and a copy of the game (definitely don't use an emulator like ZSNES to play a ROM you downloaded from a site like emuparadise.org) and experiencing it for yourself.

 
 

http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/04/17/new-zelda-game-announced-for-nintendo-3ds

Hatoful Boyfriend: The Satire Dating Sim for Pigeon-lovers

Hatoful boyfriend (a pun between "heartful" and "hato [pigeon]") is a parody dating sim made for the PC and MAC.  Instead  of choosing from male or female human characters you would normally expect to find in a dating sim, you date, yes, pigeons.  Of course very few visual novels in this genre are as simple as just choosing who to date, they contain plot twists and characters with incredible backstories.  Hatoful Boyfriend takes this to a satirical extreme.

In this game, you star as a bright human girl who is accepted into a prestigious school for pigeons.  Your character has to be very smart, because the game subtly reveals it takes place in a dystopian future.  Even though it appears to take place in current day, human beings now live in caves and normally have a very primitive level of intelligence, with pigeons as the new master species.

Your choices include a psychopath school doctor, a wealthy, but aloof classmate, a ghost, your best friend, and more.  There are eight potential pigeons to choose from.  Some of the storylines are very typical, you spend time together, you fall in love, the end.  Some choices end with you falling in love with a CIA agent and running away together. 

This game is subtle, but if you keep a close eye, you will notice some pretty amazing things in the storytelling that go far beyond the usual dating sim.  

Sony Computer Entertainment Japan and Asia Divisions Will Merge

Due to the economic climate, Sony has announced that SCE Japan will take over SCE Asia in the near future. Hopefully the PS4 will be successful enough that no more jobs will be lost from the down economy. Since escapist entertainment tends to still do well (in a relative sense) in lagging economies, this is thankfully not a remote possibility.

http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/01/sony-fusing-asian-and-japanese-gaming-units-into-one/