Kira Kira Review: Rock, Love, and Life!!!

Cover of Kira Kira

I just finished the Visual Novel Kira Kira yesterday. I got the game free with my purchase of Shuffle from mangagamer’s site. I first got interested in the game when I saw it at AX 2009 at Mangagamer’s booth. I met the artist of the game and got a sketch of the main character (cost about $20); had I known I’d like the game so much I probably would’ve gotten a sketch of the rest of the cast. So let’s get to the review shall we?

Touhou Hisoutensoku : 東方非想天則

As most of you probably know, the fighting game, Touhou 12.3, just came out recently at C76. This game is more of an expansion to the previous Scarlet Weather Rhapsody, as it adds 5 new characters to play as. This is a standalone expansion, meaning you don’t need Scarlet Weather Rhapsody to play it. However, you’ll only have access to a small set of characters, so you’ll need both games if you want to play with all 20.

The five new characters are Sanae, Cirno, Utsuho, China, and Suwako. Only Sanae, Cirno, and China have a story mode though.  Apparently, a giant robo…err… a だいだらぼっち has been seen running around Gensokyo.  The story mode revolves around the 3 characters running around searching for it. Touhou storylines are always pretty fun, and I got a kick out of this one. You should really check out China’s story. It involves one giant fish…

If you’ve played Scarlet Weather Rhapsody before, the battle system is pretty much the same. You can customize a set of unique spell cards for each character, after which you can use them in the fight. You gain access to them in battle by taking or giving damage.  There’s also a heavy reliance on projectiles (being touhou and all…), but melee is important too.

The new characters definitely add a new play style to the game. Suwako bounces around like a frog, Cirno has an arsenal of ice attacks, and Utsuho is a walking (flying?) nuclear reactor. I didn’t expect ZUN and Tasogare Frontier to make an expansion to SWR, so this is a nice surprise. Touhou 12 : Undefined Fantastic Object, just came out too, so it’s like a double serving of Touhou! What more can I ask for?

IDOLM@STER SP

Yes! IDOLM@STER SP for psp has just been released a few days ago! February 19, 2009 in Japan, to be exact. (That’s the trailer up there by the way..) They released three separate games, each with three different (or with the case of the twins, four) idols to choose from. I’m still deciding which version I should get. Personally, I’m a fan of Yukiho, so I’ll probably get Wandering Star.

Perfect Sun has Haruka, Yayoi, and Makoto.

Missing Moon has Chihaya, Azusa, and Ritsuko.

Wandering Star (or is it Wondering Star?) has Yukiho, Ami/Mami, and Iori.

There’s also talk about a 4th(!!!) release that will have Miki and two NEW idols. Yikes. I don’t have enough money to buy all of them.. *sniff*  Heck, I even heard of PSP-PS3 compatibility, but this feature seems likely only in Japan. =(

Monster Hunter 3 (Tri) scans

Got a new scan for the upcoming Monter Hunter 3 for the Wii! Click on the thumbnail for a better look!

On the top, we see the new T-rex… *AHEM* I mean the rock-like Boruborosu. That thing looks huge, doesn’t it? Reminds me a bit of our old friend, the rocky Basarios, from Monster Hunter 2. That desert looks hot… remind me to bring lots of cold water along with me when I fight that thing.

On the bottom, we have our fishy friend, the Ragiakurusu! What do you think about a showdown between the Plesioth and this guy? Looks like he’ll be a pain to fight, being underwater and all. I don’t see how hunters can still swim underwater while carrying a gigantic sword… and also swing at the monster with enough force to kill it… but hey, I won’t complain.

Oh, the monster in the middle looks like the Rathian. She’s back to say hello to us again. See, she’s smiling at us! My… what big teeth… and fiery breath you have…

Looks like Monster Hunter 3 will be awesomely fun. Just hope it gets brought over to the US.

Oh, and the second page is another scan with Monster Hunter G and プンコちヤん!

Let’s enjoy hunting, みなさん！！！

Hatsune Miku : Project DIVA Preview

Aaah, I just can’t wait till this game comes out! It’s a PSP game that features Hatsune Miku! What surprises me is that Sega is in charge of the project. (Yay Sega!) From the looks of it, it’s a rhythm game with some room customization features. I’d assume that as you play the game, you earn points to get more things for your room…. Seems simple, yet addictive.

I’m glad to see Hatsune Miku in her own game. Since the release of Vocaloid 2, she’s had a giant growing fanbase (Just check Nico Nico Douga or Youtube and you’ll see tons of videos with her, all mostly fanmade).

Release date says it comes out sometime in 2009. No exact date yet it seems… but I’ll be sure to get it once it comes out! I’ll put out a review once I get a copy.

Hatsune Miku : Project Diva Website (JP) – http://miku.sega.jp/

Dissidia

I just got a chance to try out the recent PSP game, Dissidia : Final Fantasy, and I have to say that I’m addicted to it. Right now the game is only out for Japan, but the game is set for a US release around mid-July. You don’t need to know Japanese to enjoy the game, but it does help a lot, especially when setting specific skills to certain characters.

To begin, Dissidia is an action fighting game, but with Final Fantasy characters from I to XII to choose from. It’s also not like the traditional 2D fighting game, as this game uses a 3D environment. It’s a bit like that arcade game, Virtual On. It features a fast paced, 1 on 1 battle system where the characters run around on the stage and attack each other. The controls aren’t too complicated and it’s fairly intuitive. You use the PSP analog stick to move around, the X button to jump, the square and circle buttons to attack, and the triangle button to do special movements (like running up walls and dashing at your enemy). There are two ways to attack your enemy, by either pounding away at their HP, or by damaging their BP. HP are the standard health points which you have to deplete to 0 in order to win. BP stands for brave points, which is basically the character’s offensive attack power. By attacking BP, you subtract the enemy’s BP while adding to your own. The amount of BP you have is the amount of damage you would do with an HP attack to the enemy. Make sense? Ah well… it’s probably not as complicated as I made it sound.

What I like about the game is that it gives a chance to actually play my favorite Final Fantasy characters in an action-based environment instead of just commanding them to “Attack.” There’s a whole variety of different customizations you can do and many different things to level up. Characters learn new attack and support skills, and there are plenty of items and equipment to find. The story seems pretty decent (from what I can tell from my limited knowledge of Japanese), and it’s cool to see all the characters interact with each other. Overall, I think Final Fantasy fans will love this game. I’m just eagerly awaiting the US release so I can actually understand everything…

Plenty of Matrix-like moments as you dash along walls and fly across wide chasms.

Sephiroth looking badass as he finishes off Squall.

Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho!!!!

True Remembrance

It’s been awhile since I delved into the world of visual novels. Ever since altogether 2006 passed, I’ve been eagerly awaiting a new visual novel to sink my teeth into. 2 long years have passed…and now it’s finally time for altogether 2008!! Woo hoo!

http://altogether.insani.org/2008/

I don’t want to spend my time talking about the difference between an H-Game and a visual novel. In short, visual novels emphasize developing characters and stories rather than trying to get into a girl’s (or guy’s) pants. In other words, just imagine a novel with pictures and you probably have the idea what a visual novel is like.

Anyway, I just recently read through True Remembrance, a visual novel written by Shiba Satomi and translated into English by insani. As usual, the quality of the translation is awesome. It was released earlier this year on February, but I’ve only recently had a chance to check it out.

The premise of the story is simple with a few interesting twists. A girl named La is under the care of a Mnemonicide named Blackiris. She has a disease called the Dolor, which leads to psyche corrosion (which almost seems like a sort of depression). The disease had led to an increase in suicides throughout the world, so in response, Mnemonicides were created… memory killers. Their purpose is to erase the memories of those affected by the Dolor so they could live life again without the intense feelings of sadness those memories had created.

It has a surprising amount of depth to it There’s even some speculation about memories and the human brain. The art style has a warm feel to it, despite some of its darker themes. It also does a really good job of characterization. The story is told mostly through the first person perspective of Blackiris, but it also shifts between characters throughout the story. It’s interesting to see the internalization of thoughts and actions of some characters that were not necessarily understood by someone else. It’s also easy to empathize with the characters because they’re “human.” They all carry some sort of hardship or concern, but they still try to live their lives.

Oh, and like it says in the opening movie, nothing is what it seems. The story is also part mystery because there are many questions that aren’t immediately answered. It’s pretty much this drive to know more about the characters and their world that kept me hooked on it. And I loved every moment of it. The ending is a little bittersweet (more sweet than bitter I think), and it also has a surprise twist that will probably make you say “whoa” when you realize what’s happening.

Oh yeah.. the best thing about all of this is that it’s free. I’ve really come to appreciate the quality of these visual novel works because of that. People do this to tell a story, not to make money. Anyways, it’s hard to know which demographic to recommend this to because visual novels are a bit of a niche  in the English community.  Heck, if you like anime and/or you’re into more serious, dramatic, and thoughtful themes.. give it a try. You might like it.

You can download it on this website here.

True Remembrance

-PJ

Yogurting

Hey everyone. This is PJ with my first post.

Ever heard of Yogurting? No, it doesn’t have anything to do with yogurt. It’s an online RPG that’s only available in a few select countries, such as Korea and Japan. I spent hours trying to figure out how to get an account just so I could try out the game. Basically, it’s an online RPG set in a anime-ish school atmosphere. You start out by making your own character, choosing your type of class, and then choosing between two schools. There are plenty of different skills and clothes to collect, which adds to the appeal of the game. You basically run around doing quests and leveling up, trying to get the newest gear in terms of clothes and weapons. It’s a typical mmorpg setup, but it’s also really addictive.

What really makes this game stand out, in my opinion, is that it’s an online RPG based around a school atmosphere.  Just that alone adds a lot of charm to the game. Where else can you live the life of an anime school fantasy? It’s really cute and promising, but I doubt we would ever see an English port. I heard the Korean servers had to shut down recently (it’s a Korean game by the way), but the Japanese servers are still up. In the end, I had to stop playing Yogurting because I didn’t know how to advance any further in the story. There are a lot of great games out there, but many of them get lost in translation..

If anyone does want to try out Yogurting, it’s sorta hard to get an account, but not impossible. This website should be able to help : http://yogurting.tk/ It’s an English forum dedicated to the game, and that’s where I first learned how to get the game running.