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On January 24, 2025, C&R will hold a seminar for technical artists, as well as artists who focus on 3D models and animations, using Fitness Boxing feat Hatsune Miku as an example. You will have until January 23, 2025 to apply for the seminar, and only 100 people will be allowed to . [Thanks, PR Times!]

Participation costs 2000 JPY ($12.70) for adults and 1000 JPY ($6.35) for students. Students need to bring their ID, while adults need to bring two business cards. As mentioned earlier, you have until 6:00 PM of January 23, 2025 to apply if you’re interested in the seminar. That converts to 1:00 AM PST/4:00 AM EST. As for the seminar, it’ll take place from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM of January 24, 2025. That would be 2:00 AM PST/5:00 AM EST. Koitaro Okamoto, a technical artist with Tokyo Studio, will be the presenter.

As mentioned earlier, the technical artists seminar will use Fitness Boxing feat Hatsune Miku as the example game. Topics will include look development for the Vocaloid characters, the modelling and animation, the rigging, the various costumes, the work that went into the facial expressions, and DLC that came out after the game’s release. The latter half of the seminar will be more of a meet and greet, so you can meet other people in your field during that time.

Fitness Boxing feat Hatsune Miku is available on the Nintendo Switch.

The post Technical Artist Seminar Uses Fitness Boxing Feat Hatsune Miku appeared first on Siliconera.

Fiction usually depicts nerds and gamers in two extremes: a big dude inhaling burgers while lying on the couch, or a scrawny beanpole of a person with long hair and big glasses. Very unfortunately, I am the type who prefers lying around all day while munching on snacks. You can imagine the wonders that does to my figure. But never fear, fellow nerds and gamers who can’t be bothered to slot the Joy-Cons into the Ring Fit ring every day! Hatsune Miku and her Vocaloid friends are here to whip you into shape with some fitness boxing in Fitness Boxing feat Hatsune Miku, and she’s ready to throw hands.

For starters, something that you’ll notice when you boot up the game is that the Vocaloids all speak in their native Japanese. However, the instructor who coaches you through your exercises speaks in English. It personally is a little jarring to hear a Vocaloid’s synthetic voice chitter away at me in Japanese, followed by Lin, carefully enunciating every syllable, telling me (in English) to keep my back straight. It didn't take long for me to sort of tune it out while exercising, but it was a little distracting on the first day.

Fitness Boxing feat Hatsune Miku is pretty much what it says on the tin. An instructor tells you what to do or reminds you what proper form is. Meanwhile, a Vocaloid of your choice boxes with you while offering words of encouragement. They're nice even if you mess up your combo, and the positive atmosphere made it easy to keep going every day. Miku Exercise is the mode where you get to box to a Vocaloid song. I’m a fan of the selection, which features classics like “Melt” all the way to “The Vampire.” Other favorites include “Melancholic,” “World End Dancehall,” and “Romeo and Cinderella.” I’m hoping that DLC in the future will introduce some more songs and Vocaloid partners.

In Fitness Boxing, you have to punch and move while staying in rhythm. The action the game wants you to do appears on screen, like Beat Saber or a more violent version of Colorful Stage. You start out with simple jabs and straights, then move on to hooks and uppercuts, before finally adding in dodges like sways. So the more you play, the more variation you’ll get in your daily workout. Of course, you can also go straight to the Miku Exercise and jump past all the combo lessons if you’re confident in your skills.

When I first started fitness boxing, I thought that it wasn’t as useful as Ring Fit. The physical ring that you have to use, as well as all the different kinds of exercise you can do in that game, made it feel like I was getting a lot more out of my workout. But as I continued on my fitness boxing journey, certain stretches and moves became easier than they were when I first started. That was a great feeling. I don’t understand why I never get that satisfied sense of exhaustion I always felt after yoga or Ring Fit, but maybe my daily workouts need to be a lot longer than thirty to forty minutes per session.

Since I tossed my scale ages ago for mental health reasons, I don’t know the effect Fitness Boxing feat Hatsune Miku has on my weight or my waist line. I certainly feel better though! Compared to Ring Fit, it's way easier to boot up, so I'm less tempted to skip a day or two out of sheer laziness. Though my review ends here, my fitness journey has only just begun.

Fitness Boxing feat. Hatsune Miku is readily available on the Nintendo Switch.

The post Review: Fitness Boxing Feat Hatsune Miku Is an Easy Way to Exercise appeared first on Siliconera.

Between its haunting and beautiful art, intriguing story, and easy play style, I’m honestly surprised that I didn’t know about the Spirit Hunter series until the recent English release of Death Mark II. Though not very long, the tight pacing and collection of scares make for a satisfying experience.

The story of Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II follows protagonist Kazuo Yashiki. He is a specialist when it comes to dealing with hauntings. The heaster of the esteemed Konoehara Academy hires him to investigate recurring rumors about a ghost called The Departed. The Departed leaves notices around the school, warning students that a spirit will target them. Those notices usually come true, with the warned student disappearing the next day. Yashiki, along with some of the student body and his Mark Bearer friends from the previous games, investigate these spirits. But just as he is pursuing The Departed, so too is The Departed pursuing him.

While this is a direct sequel to the previous games in the series, I never felt lost while playing it. It explains past events and characters in a concise way, giving me enough information without bogging down the pacing. Since most of the game is a visual novel, with side-scrolling adventure elements when exploring, the plot is more important than the actual gameplay. Fortunately, the story is fairly interesting. All of the ghosts that The Departed warns about are based off of famous Japanese folk tales. For example, we've got Hanako-san and Kokkuri-san. I personally really liked that! I enjoyed seeing how the game puts its own spin on these stories and breathes new life into them.

When I say that Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II breathes new life into these classic horror stories, I mean it in multiple ways. For example, the first case focusing on Hanako-san really humanizes her. Who was Hanako, and why did she hate the world enough to linger as a spirit? Hanako-san is so ingrained in Japanese culture that most people likely aren't scared of her. In Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II, though, Hanako-san isn't just a girl in a toilet who'll drag you down to hell, or make a lizard eat you. You find one of her victims in the toilet who died after Hanako made rubber hoses sprout from his eyes, pushing out his eyeballs (which you can still see clinging via the optic nerve).

Now, I’ve read and written my fair share of horror stories with that level of body horror. It’s one thing to read about it and imagine it in your head. It's a whole other thing to see that image rendered with loving care on your Switch. I was really surprised! I had been under the impression that games on Nintendo devices are usually fairly family-friendly. Because of that preconception, you can imagine my surprise when I saw just how disgusting the bodies in this game look.

The art for the game is really something, between the beautiful shading and how visceral it is. The artist went hard on depicting the gruesome deaths, making you feel sorry for the victims even if some of them really deserved it. The balance of gore to body horror is fantastic. There isn't a lot of blood, which could serve to censor the injuries. The art explains this way with items stuck inside the victims to staunch the flow of it. As someone who does enjoy body horror and guro, I found this balance to be artistic and I genuinely enjoyed feeling the initial rush of disgust. If you’re not someone who enjoys gore or body horror you can turn off a lot of the gore and jump scares from the settings. I myself turned off the jump scares because I’m not a fan of them.

While Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II was a great experience overall, I have to say that the exploration for the game sometimes was lacking. The environments aren’t too interesting to look at, which can make exploration a slog. I do have to say that I appreciate how the game lets you teleport back to the infirmary. That's where you save or switch companions. I highly recommend going back every time you make progress! This is so that you don't have to backtrack too much if you need to switch companions for a Suspensive Act. As well, for all I praised the story, I noticed that it dips in quality later on. The beginning chapters were just too strong. Part of this comes from pacing. It definitely feels like it should be a longer game and that they had to cut some stuff out.

Over the course of seven chapters, Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II spins a terrifying and intriguing yarn that leaves you wanting more. Even if you use its accessibility features to remove the gore or jump scare, it remains a suspenseful read. As a new fan of the series, I’d love to go back and see Yashiki and the other Mark Bearers’ previous adventures as I wait for the next installment.

Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II is readily available on the PS4, PS5, Windows PC, and NIntendo Switch.

The post Review: Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II Is Gruesome and Great appeared first on Siliconera.

Norn9 Var Commons is a big game. I mean, there are three heroines, with three love interests for each, and a major overarching, science fiction plot. It’s a lot. (Even if there are some plot holes.) With the Norn9 Last Era fan disc, it really does the game justice. It’s still just as big as before, with lots of character stories and new insights. However, it is still a lot and, depending on how much you like certain characters, your mileage of how much you’ll enjoy it will vary.

So everything in Norn9 Last Era begins with the Prelude. This is the background that shows how everyone ended up on the Norn, with Masamune as the initial main character and other love interests each getting a turn. It’s fine. Like if you really enjoyed the lore of the game or the person starring in the current vignette in it is your favorite character, you’ll probably love it! However, I didn’t really enjoy it as much as the other stories in this collection. It’s quite a choice to lock additional modes behind a story like this in a fan disc, and I really didn’t appreciate it. In fact, I can’t even tell you exactly how long it is, because I did end up fast forwarding through three of the characters I didn’t like as much so I could get to the other modes.

[caption id="attachment_981703" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Aksys[/caption]

Fortunately, Fugue, Concerto, and Fantasia are far more entertaining and welcoming once you reach them. Fugue is a retelling of the original story. It’s absolutely fascinating, because you’re seeing the events through the love interests eyes over four chapters. I honestly felt it was better at establishing characters and offering insights into the background than Prelude was.

Likewise, Concerto is well done and my favorite part of the package. Again, it’s basically a four chapter story for each love interest that follows the different pairings from the best endings in Norn9 Var Commons. Not every epilogue is amazing, for example Kakeru and Masamune’s routes didn’t click with me, but I enjoyed Akito’s, Heishi’s, Ron’s, and Senri’s quite a bit.

As you can probably guess by what you’ve just read, this is 100% a game you should only get and play if you liked Norn9 Var Commons. Norn9 Last Era is also a lot! Sure, there’s a new quality of life adjustment that makes checking highlighted glossary text a little more inviting with character descriptions, but it’s still somewhat overwhelming.

[caption id="attachment_981784" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Siliconera [/caption]

Meanwhile, the Fantasia and Norn9+Life modes basically are the omake elements. Fantasia is a whole additional story where everyone turned into chibi versions of themselves due to an unexpected “treat.” It’s a brief comedy that isn’t as substantial as the other modes, but is fun in its silliness. Norn9+Life is a brief minigame. You can earn Tickets by going through a board game and its events, which you can then spend in the store for songs. It’s fine, but I didn’t touch it beyond an initial run for the review and feel no need to return to it.

There’s just one thing that gets to me about all of this. I mentioned UI and formatting issues in my original Norn9 Var Commons review, and these persist in Norn9 Last Era. There’s still that strange indent after the first line in each text box. It’s odd that this wasn’t cleared up for this new release. There is also some incredibly tiny font in the main menu, which might be an issue if you actually want to read about what a mode entails before starting it.

[caption id="attachment_981785" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Siliconera [/caption]

Norn9 Last Era is very clearly a game made for a particular audience. If you enjoyed Norn9 Var Commons, this is definitely an otome fan disc you will enjoy. All of the characters get their due. Aside from a bizarre requirement to force people through the Prelude, it's well executed. Perhaps that love for the original game will even make it possible to overlook the formatting issues that still come up in the follow-up.

Norn9 Last Era is available for the Nintendo Switch.

The post Review: Norn9: Last Era Is as Packed as the Original Game appeared first on Siliconera.

When you see a game involving pets on a system, especially if it has a childish name and boasts about its number of minigames, you might automatically assume it is shovelware. In many cases, you wouldn’t be wrong! But if it’s a game by Nippon Columbia, there can be hidden depths to it. Pups & Purrs Pet Shop follows up on Pups & Purrs Animal Hospital, which offered hidden relationship building with coworkers, by really requiring you to care for animals and match them up with the best possible owners. It isn't perfect, but it's quite pleasant.

The gimmick behind Pups & Purrs Pet Shop is a simple one. You’re one of two new employees at Yuko’s pet store. Together with Shun, you learn from Mai the ins and outs of caring for cats and dogs. As you perform new tasks — the over 20 minigames boasted on the box and site — you’ll rank up. This will give you access to new items for the animals, new hairstyles and customization items for yourself, and money.

[caption id="attachment_976706" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Aksys Games[/caption]

As you can imagine, these minigames tie in to actual animal care activities. You will feed them, brush them, bathe them, and play with them. However, there are also some I didn’t expect. For example, one of the earlier tasks is to check out customers, which means lining up the scanner with bar codes. You’ll also carrier-train animals, to get them accustomed to going in a carrier so it is easier for their new owners to take them home. All of these involve button presses, timing, and often paying attention. There are also various levels of difficulty, which open up as you clear prior ones, and result in better rewards.

In of quality, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. I loathed the feeding minigame, since it involved trying to time dispensing the right number of food pieces due to the amount being obscured at the halfway point. Also carrier-training is barely a minigame, since it’s waiting until the animal walks fully into a crate and you press a button. But then you also get games like fetch, which is genuinely fun.

[caption id="attachment_976705" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Aksys Games[/caption]

This means that the one of the game modes ends up being a little lackluster. After you start a file and begin playing Story Mode, you unlock Work Mode. This lets you play any minigame you opened up at the difficulty level of your choosing. But since these are so short and often don’t rely heavily on skill, there’s no real joy to playing them outside of context. It’s fine that it is there. Maybe a younger player will enjoy revisiting some. But the Story Mode is really where it’s at in Pups & Purrs Pet Shop.

Especially since that’s where the really enjoyable element I didn’t expect in Pups & Purrs Pet Shop appears. After proving yourself, you are given permission to use the store’s PC to order new pets. You can take points you earned from work each day to pick out which cats and dogs will be sold at the store. After caring for them enough to get them up to one star, you can then find them a forever home. You can see their breed, gender, and “vibe” when picking them out, with more breeds appearing as you unlock them by ranking up as an employee. Customers who come in will be looking for specific sorts of animals, and you can even have a wait list for folks looking for the right kind of pet.

[caption id="attachment_976708" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Aksys Games[/caption]

So there really is a rudimentary management option here. You need to consider what people are looking for and factor that into which animals you take in and raise. This also provides motivation to keep ranking up, as the number of animals you can keep in the shop is limited until you unlock more display kennels by playing. This means each day you do as many tasks as necessary to make time advance and prepare animals. You also need to find that delicate balance between placing pets in the Play Room, to increase their “pep,” while also keeping them safe and fed in the Displays. When you’ve done a “good enough” job caring for them, you can send them home with their perfect matches. Which frees up room and earns you enough money for new pets. It’s a simple, but satisfying, gameplay loop.

Pets & Purrs Pet Shop is not a shockingly detailed store management simulation, but it also isn’t a mediocre minigame collection. There’s actual thought put into it, with the Story Mode being a genuinely pleasant and even cozy opportunity to care for cute animals and find them homes. It pleasantly surprised me. So while not every minigame is going to be great, they’re often so swift that it doesn’t matter and you can focus on the enjoyable elements.

Pets & Purrs Pet Shop will come to the Nintendo Switch on August 10, 2023.

The post Review: Pups & Purrs Pet Shop Is More than You Expect appeared first on Siliconera.

There are more details about Mon-Yu: Defeat Monsters And Gain Strong Weapons And Armor. You May Be Defeated, But Don’t Give Up. Become Stronger. I Believe There Will Be A Day When The Heroes Defeat The Devil King., better known as Mon-Yu. This is Experience’s latest dungeon-crawling, turn-based RPG that Aksys is releasing outside Japan. The Steam page is live with an array of screenshots to show how the ambiance looks this time around.

The Dragon King’s Tower, which used to house treasures and essentially be a symbol of peace, is turned into a dangerous dungeon as Mon-Yu’s adventure begins. This means it is up to players to create a party of characters, pulling from eight classes, to explore the new labyrinth, fight its foes, and defeat seven Devil Kings. In addition to showing the new screenshots, the Steam page confirmed the PC version will feature controller and Achievements. It will also only offer Japanese audio, but English and Japanese language options.

Here are the latest screenshots for the game. It appears to have a more childish and “cute” appeal than more realistic looking Experience RPGs like Undernauts or Stranger of Sword City.
[gallery columns="5" size="full" ids="972729,972730,972731,972732,972733" link="file"]

Aksys Games often handles the worldwide releases of Experience RPGs. For example, it picked up Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi in 2021. It was also behind Spirit Hunter: NG in 2019.

Mon-Yu: Defeat Monsters And Gain Strong Weapons And Armor. You May Be Defeated, But Don’t Give Up. Become Stronger. I Believe There Will Be A Day When The Heroes Defeat The Devil King. will come to the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PC on September 21, 2023.

The post Mon-Yu Steam Page Is Live with New Screenshots of the Experience RPG appeared first on Siliconera.

It’s interesting to see how a series can change from entry to entry. Pretty Princess Party is something of a minigame collection with character and castle customization. Its sequel Pretty Princess Magical Garden Island goes in a different direction. This time, it’s an Animal Crossing sort of game. However, while community is a focus there, here it feels like it is about customizing the island and gathering resources. It's mostly an age-appropriate game for younger players, but older and more experienced ones will deal with some tedium.

Pretty Princess Magical Garden Island picks up almost exactly where Pretty Princess Party left off. Players restored the castle after coming from the real world to a magical one, and made friends with some relatively generic princesses named Charlotte, Katrina, and Laura. What's next? A trip to Carrot Isle to enjoy the rare and luxurious Princess Cake. However, upon arriving on its shores, it is completely empty. All that remains is Rabbit House, which will become players' home base. Since you already proved you're so good at revitalization in the previous game, the goal now is to farm, place buildings, and set up decorations in order to make Carrot Isle attractive again. If you do, that Princess Cake may one day be yours.
[caption id="attachment_971384" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Siliconera[/caption]
In a way, it feels like Pretty Princess Magical Garden Island is designed for the kids who played Pretty Princess Party and grew up enough to be ready for an Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley game, but still might not be completely prepared for the patience and skill those might require. This is primarily a game in which you are gathering items so you can meet requires or create new buildings, resources, or decorations. So after you buy seeds and plant crops, you need to wait a certain number of real-world minutes to harvest them. Those items could then be used in recipes to make dishes. Or, if it is something like grass or wheat, to feed to farm animals to get items like eggs or wool. You need to catch butterflies for different colors for dyes. Trees are chopped for planks of wood or you could mine ore for metals, and turning in those could help with buildings or furniture. Feeding animals means waiting real-world time for them to produce materials. Creating at a "shop" means bringing specific items and waiting for it to be made, especially if other materials need to be made ahead of it.

This does mean certain steps are removed from the process to make it a bit "easier." Chopping trees doesn't result in deforestation. You just need to wait a bit before you can get wood from that particular one again. Animals don't need to be fed or purchased. So there's less responsibility. You don't need to talk to animal visitors beyond waving to them once per day to earn gratitude points. Likewise, the sidequests from them appear in a menu and aren't as "in the moment" as the requests from villagers in Animal Crossing. You also don't need to wait many real-world days to begin unlocking things. The process is rather streamlined and speedy, which is good for less patient players.
[caption id="attachment_971385" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Siliconera[/caption]
It also streamlines the equipment element. Certain tools familiar to Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley appear. You don't need to worry about watering crops. Just till the land with a hoe (or undo that with a broom), plant with seeds, and perhaps equip the basket if you want to harvest a lot of crops or flowers quickly. Use a net to catch butterflies. The rod catches fish. The axe is used on trees to get wood. You use a pickaxe to mine things like ore or rock salt. Again, it feels like simplicity and easy of use are a priority here.

The downside is that Pretty Princess Magical Garden Island can both be a little generic and a bit of a grind. The furniture and clothing are fine. However, many items fall into the fanciful and fairy tale genres. So setting specific aesthetic for Carrot Isle is a bit difficult. All visitors are rabbits, which means less diversity than Animal Crossing’s villagers. There’s a lot of downtime when you start really crafting what you need to get new buildings or access new gameplay elements, which means literally setting the Switch down for at least five minutes while you wait for everything to be made. I found it more frustrating than waiting for an actual real-world day to in Animal Crossing, for example. Not to mention there is that element of, say, needing certain color butterflies, but then needing to wait for it to spawn. So in some ways, it requires even more patience than the games it pulls ideas from.
[caption id="attachment_971388" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Siliconera[/caption]

Still Pretty Princess Magical Garden Island is a very pleasant experience. Especially if you enjoy the idea of customizing a whole area and games with relaxed farming elements. It doesn’t always offer the depth of an Animal Crossing installment, but there’s a novelty to going through some tasks, waiting a 15-30 minutes, then gradually building up and decorating Carrot Isle.

Pretty Princess Magical Garden Island is available for the Nintendo Switch.

The post Review: Pretty Princess Magical Garden Island Is a Simpler Animal Crossing appeared first on Siliconera.

I suspected I’d ike Jack Jeanne would be a game I’d enjoy when I first learned about it. The art Sui Ishida shared looked gorgeous, and I’m a sucker for rhythm games of any sort. I followed it off and on, especially since there were hints of a worldwide release, but tried not to get too invested. After so many years when otome games wouldn’t get localized, I suppose I always have this lingering fear. After going through it two times now, however, I can’t help but feel like Jack Jeanne is my favorite otome game on the Switch.

Kisa Tachibana loves performing, and has since doing so as a child while playing with her brother Tsuki and childhood friend Soshiro. Her brother was so talented, he even made it into the exclusive Univeil Drama School. While she always wanted to do the same, especially after he disappeared after graduating, it wasn’t an option. It’s a school for men only, where male students play both the male Jack and female Jeanne parts. Kisa isn’t even planning to go to high school and start working to help her father.
[caption id="attachment_970713" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Siliconera[/caption]
That’s when the principle of Univeil appears with an offer. He’d like to expand the school’s issions and change policies. But to do that, he needs her help. He’d like her to , disguised as a man, and win top prizes in performances and a role in the final show. Also, as a Univeil student, she’d be earning money, so she’d still get to her family. However, she has to keep her identity a secret. So, she heads off to pursue her dream.

The structure of Jack Jeanne is such that there are the visual novel elements many Switch otome games are known for, complete for choices, but with stat-building and rhythm game components interspersed. It’s also executed somewhat like an anime series, as you could consider preparing for different shows “arcs” of the story. Kisa finds herself in the Quartz class at the school, with each class focusing on elements. For example, Amber is an “elite” group that already ends up handling major performances. Rhodonite focuses on performers who take Jeanne roles and excel at singing.
[caption id="attachment_970714" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Siliconera[/caption]
Since the structure is such, it means there aren’t the traditional “routes” as in other dating sims. Instead, you’ll end up triggering access to events based on the affection level of love interests based on responses in situations and the current skill in the stat associated with them. So the third-year dancer Sarafumi is tied to the agility skill. Each week day you’ll pick a class to build the stat associated with it or rest, if Kisa needs it. On weekends, you can visit people to boost affection or see events, meet with one teacher for extra stat building, or see another student to practice parts of the songs you’ll perform in the next show. The pacing is good, and regular story segments are frequent so it doesn’t feel like you’re constantly pushing a button to “take a class” and fill a bar too much.

The rhythm elements are split into two sorts of songs. There are dance numbers and singing performances. As the voice acting in general for Jack Jeanne, the music is exquisite and perfectly fits the “theme” for each play. The dance numbers are more traditional, as you tap one of four button inputs when indicators hit the bottom. (Custom key binding is ed, and the icons at the bottom of the note chart change when you do.) These also involve the 3D models of the characters in costumes dancing in the background. The songs are more like Groove Coaster, with notes following along a line and a player moving back or forth to follow it in time. While yes, endings are tied to performance, the easiest difficulty level is quite rudimentary. So someone unfamiliar with rhythm games could still feasibly get the scores necessary for the best ending. Conversely, the more challenging options do pick things up quite a bit, and the most challenging “Jack Jeanne” difficulty unlocks in the Gallery to play at any time after clearing that part of the story.
[caption id="attachment_970715" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Siliconera[/caption]
This is all ed by an incredible story with a wonderful cast. Whether it’s a major character or minor character, they tend to be well-written, fleshed out, and have a fantastic character design. People look amazing and stylish in this game! Which shouldn’t be surprising since Tokyo Ghoul and Choujin X creator Sui Ishida is behind it. The CGs have an ethereal watercolor effect that somehow makes the emotion behind them hit harder. Also, because of the structure, this isn’t just a fantastic otome game. It’s a wonderful visual novel in general.

The fact that the general, overall story is so strong doesn’t mean the romantic moments end up overshadowed either. Jack Jeanne’s love interests are all well-written and well-rounded individuals. Even two of the routes that might feel like they lean into tropes, like the childhood friend or the man who “hates” women, end up doing something fresh and surprising with the concept. I loved all of these people. The fact that this takes place over a school year means there’s plenty of for this being a meaningful relationship between Kisa and the person you choose. Plus, their backstories and writing are so good that all of them feel like people you can connect with.
[caption id="attachment_970716" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Aksys[/caption]
What I also loved about Jack Jeanne is the level of acceptance. The cast is actually rather diverse, and everyone embraces the roles that suit them. The of the Rhodonite class tend to wear dresses, skirts, and cute clothing, as well as bikinis during the summer break trip, and everyone is fine with it and s them. During one event scene that involves some small children, there’s a little girl who wants to learn the “Jack” role, while the boy learns the “Jeanne” one. And they’re able to, without any negative stigmas. It’s a joy to play.

Jack Jeanne is an absolute delight. It’s one of my favorite games of 2023. I’d easily consider it my favorite Switch otome game, in the same way Tokimeki Memorial Girl’s Side 3rd Story stole my heart on the 3DS. It’s so well-executed. Anyone who enjoys visual novels, even if they normally don’t go for ones that are dating sims, should give it a chance.

Jack Jeanne is available for the Nintendo Switch.

The post Review: Jack Jeanne Is My New Favorite Switch Otome Game appeared first on Siliconera.

Aksys announced a release date for one of its next otome games. On June 15, 2023, Jack Jeanne will come to the Nintendo Switch. This is one of the more unique entries in the genre. That’s because the dating sim visual novel elements are combined with rhythm game performances.

This is due to the nature of the game. Players follow Kisa Tachibana. She wants to follow in her brother’s footsteps and become a great actor. Her goal is to attend the Univer Theater Academy. However, it only its men. So, she disguises herself as a boy so she can attend and learn from the greats there. As you go through the game, the songs are “performances” she’ll participate in along the way. As one might expect, her classmates are young men she can fall in love with during the course of the story.

As a reminder, this game comes from Sui Ishida. In the past, the auteur created the renowned manga series Tokyo Ghoul. This is his first video game. He worked on the concept, character designs, and one of its songs.

However, another Aksys otome game will appear before this one does. Winter's Wish: Spirits of Edo will appear on May 18, 2023.

Jack Jeanne will come to the Nintendo Switch on June 15, 2023. There are three different kinds of limited editions to choose from, each with additional items.

The post Jack Jeanne Release Date Falls in June 2023 appeared first on Siliconera.

There are certain developers very well known for revisiting their games on as many platforms as possible. Idea Factory International is one of them! Primarily, it’s guilty of this when it comes to the Otomate visual novels. (Just look at Hakuoki.) Norn9: Var Commons is the latest otome game to return, and this is one of the more welcome Switch rereleases. This offers a fresh translation for an older visual novel ahead of the first-time debut of the Norn9: Last Era fan-disc. While it doesn’t fix any of the original issues with the story and its execution, it does mean an optimal experience before heading into the next part of the story.

The important thing to know about Norn9: Var Commons if you’re new to the game with the Switch entry is that this is one of the “experimental” Idea Factory otome games. This doesn’t mean odd gameplay mechanics, though. Rather, it means a split narrative that means multiple protagonists, certain love interests for specific characters, and an initial introduction with a young, time-traveling boy named Sorata Suzuhara that doesn’t really get explained until you finish every story and can finally reach the epilogue. So the story starts in the Heisei era (so modern times around the original PSP version’s 2013 debut), Sorata gets sent back in time to the Taisho era and meets an enigmatic young woman with pyrokinesis powers who can’t her own name. She’s waiting to be picked up by “people” and taken to “The World.”

It’s once they’ve boarded a futuristic ship that things begin to come together more. 12 young adults with supernatural abilities are all gathering together for this journey to allegedly help bring peace to the world. However, there’s apparently a traitor on board. Players then split up and follow one of the three heroines, who are the pyrokinetic Koharu, barrier-creating Mikoto, and memory-erasing Nanami. Once that’s done, they then follow that protagonist’s specific route and get a chance to possibly fall in love with one of the three men in their group. Depending on the heroine chosen and love interest pursued, you could see more backstory on what’s going on, perhaps discover details about the traitor, get insight into the political and societal climate or see a love story.

The result is often uneven! Many of the routes are really interesting. I love the Nanami and Akito route for the character development, as well as the Nanami and Ron one for what it does for insight into the situation all the espers encounter. Mikoto’s storylines with Natsuhiko and Sakuya are both satisfying in their own ways, both for how they propel the overarching narrative forward and elaborate on existing relationships. It can sometimes feel like each heroine has one love interest whose story is designed to help you figure out more about what’s going on. (For Koharu, it’s Kakeru.) But then there are some routes that can feel a bit unequal or unsatisfying, due to the demands of everything going on. For example, I’m still unhappy about the course of Koharu and Masamune’s storyline.

The plus side is that the localization this time around is generally better. The original Vita version of Norn9: Var Commons was interesting even though it wasn’t exactly perfect. This retelling of the story is more succinct and understandable. Also, since this is a visual novel, it doesn’t really ever feel dated. There are no modern references, due to it being a period piece with science fiction elements. As an otome visual novel game, it isn’t like there were incredible strides in execution between Norn9 Var Commons’ 2013 PSP debut and 2023 Switch return, which also helps a lot!

The downside is if you aren’t feeling Norn9 Var Commons, then it’s very easy to get lost and leave the game without really knowing what’s going on. There is a lot of information players deal with throughout the story. You don’t get a full understanding of everything going on unless you unlock the epilogue. Locking away a true ending or a special love interest isn’t uncommon in an otome game. However the sheer numbers here and diversity means getting that resolution is a little rough. Especially since, spoilers aside, there are still some plot holes even if you do complete it all.

There are other elements that I feel still hold Norn9: Var Commons a bit, even though it’s largely an enjoyable otome game. The text in some UI areas and tutorial messages can vary in of legibility due to font choices. There’s also a strange formatting effect. Whenever dialogue comes up, there is an indent after the first sentence. More importantly, this is one of those games where you “pick” a route, then are flat out stuck on that path for the rest of that storyline. You aren’t given a lot of exposure to the love interests prior to that, so you might not know enough to make an educated choice about which route to pick. What’s worse is that even though there are three love interests for each heroine, one of them is locked out until you complete some of the other branches.

Norn9: Var Commons is one of those otome games that shows Idea Factory isn’t afraid to try things, and the Switch release is the best version of it. However, while it is enjoyable, it also happens to be a game that can be a bit scattered due to how much it attempts to do. Some of the routes can be really enjoyable and the whole of the story is fun if you don’t get too bogged down in the details. However, know going in that if you want all the answers, you’ll eventually need to basically fall in love with everyone.

Norn9: Var Commons is available on the Nintendo Switch.

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Record of Agarest War is a game that wants to be many things at once. It is, first and foremost, a turn-based strategy game with RPG features. It also includes visual novel-style narration with light dating sim elements. While it is no Persona on that front, romancing and choosing a partner for your protagonist is an integral part of the game. These elements tie into the titular generations, as the story is told through five different generations of the lineage of the initial hero, Leonhardt Raglan.

Immediately after pressing “New Game,” you are offered the option to enable any of the multiple DLC packs that released for the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of Record of Agarest War. These DLCs range from very powerful weapons and skills to extra gold and resources. Activating any of them will make the game a breeze, as you will immediately get a ridiculous amount of resources from the beginning. I imagine these would be better suited for a second or third run of the game, when trying to see new generations of heroes and other endings.

After picking between Easy, Normal, and Hard difficulty, the game starts by delivering a considerable amount of exposition in a simplistic looking intro cutscene, explaining the Era of Myth and the war that led to the creation of Agarest. This immediately leads to the very abrupt and unceremonious introduction of Leonhardt, a minor aristocrat and member of the military from the country of Grimadas who is the first protagonist of the game. The odd pacing and cheap feel of this intro is representative of the rest of the game. Shortly after getting acquainted with our first hero, Leonhardt opposes the war against the high-elves that his country is waging by trying to save a high-elf child named Ellis.

Leonhardt is then mortally wounded, and in an attempt to survive he makes a pact with the mysterious Dyshana to become a Sprit Vessel. The pact gives him great power and allows him to fight back against the Grimadas soldiers, but also makes him indebted to Dyshana. Because of his nature as a mortal and his comparatively short life span, his Spirit Vessel pact es on to his progeny, which ties into the main mechanic of the game: the Soul Breeding system. As the name suggests, it is... awkward, but never as awkward as the Conception games. The player can, and must, romance a character in each of the five different generations of the game. Each one has, generally speaking, three different romanceable options.

Depending on which wife you choose for your current protagonist, the main character for the next generation will be somewhat different. The generation mechanics of Record of Agarest War are never as interesting as Phantasy Star III. While the later game can change parts of the adventure for the next offspring depending on the parents, Agarest takes a simpler approach, changing only the appearance and combat properties of the child. Otherwise, these offspring always have an identical name and personality. The game counts with five generations, and each one can last anywhere between 10 to 20 hours depending on how many side content you play.

Dialogue and exposition are presented in a visual novel style, with static background art and anime-style character portraits. The art style is serviceable. The game uses desaturated colors for the character sprites during combat and exploration, which can look a bit drab. Character designs, however, are very on the nose. If the oddly named Soul Breeding system and every offspring always being male wasn’t enough of a giveaway, the choice of deg female characters that look like minors (but are actually hundred-year-old elves) wearing ridiculous revealing outfits feels really gross, and it reflects directly into other parts of the game. While the story is a fairly serious war drama, the amount of sexual fanservice is incredibly jarring.

The other main selling point for Agarest is its combat system, and it is an interesting one, albeit terribly bloated. Encounters are divided between Move Phase and Action Phase. Move Phase is rather self-explanatory. Turn order during Move Phase is determined by a unit’s agility stat, and to move you need to expend AP. However, turn order in the Action Phase is determined by agility and the remaining AP of that unit, so by conserving AP you can make slow and hard-hitting units act before the enemy.

Something I quickly noticed about combat is that it has some noticeable quirks. For example, controls for the D-pad when navigating through tiles are inverted, and to attack you first select a target and then the skills to use. It doesn’t take much to get used to, but it surprised me how persistent elements like these are in Agarest.

Because of the strategy elements of combat, character positioning is very important. Each character has a unique field that allows other characters lining up with it to launch their attacks in tandem, no matter how far they are from the enemy. Arts are combinations of particular Skills, and they are really powerful and pretty cool looking. Each Art has a really flashy and long animation, but these can be skipped with the press of a button. Additionally, Record of Agarest War counts with a plethora of other smaller systems like Extra Skills, definitive attacks that characters can use under very particular conditions, the skill allocation system, crafting and upgrading weapons, etc. It can be a lot to learn and manage.

Outside of combat, the game progresses through a world map similar to Fire Emblem Awakening. In between each event lie several combat encounters. Fights are very short compared to the length of a regular tactical RPG encounter, so advancing in the world map is fast and breezy. The other main form of exploration comes from Dungeons. These are regular fare for any typical JRPG, with random combat encounters while exploring. However, dungeons can be very tedious, as the exits to each screen might not be apparent immediately, and encounter rate is quite high.

A curious thing I noticed when I started playing is that the default audio balance is all over the place. Fortunately, by pressing the R button at any time during play, I could access the settings menu and change audio to my liking. Voices are only available in Japanese. They are fine, but the recording quality is very uneven and of a low quality. I would suggest lowering everything a bit except for the voices, and making those louder, as by default they are very quiet. The soundtrack is serviceable as well, with no standout tracks.

Record of Agarest War is a generic take on a generational RPG. The experience feels dated even for 2007. While combat can be fun, the game is a slow burn, and it is difficult to ignore its more questionable content. Considering the price mark for a game that is sixteen years old, and the overwhelming length of the game, I would only recommend it to someone interested in a crunchy, slow combat system, looking for quantity over quality. Considering that the game received a prequel and two sequels, it surely has enough public.

Record of Agarest War is readily available for the Nintendo Switch and Windows PC.

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Aksys confirmed the contents of the Record of Agarest War limited edition for the Switch release. The box gives people not only a physical copy of the game, but also a number of items offering additional peeks at its characters and art. For example, there is an 80 page art book and 12 bromide cards in it. There’s also an acrylic standee. This will cost $89.99, and pre-orders are open through the Aksys storefront.

The acrylic standee features the Record of Agarest cast of characters. The first piece of it features the game’s title. The second one shows 14 of the cast. The back one offers a background to set them all against. A physical soundtrack CD will be in the box. So will the 12 5x7 inch bromide cards and 8.25 x 5.875 inch art book.

Here's a closer look at the full contents of the Record of Agarest War limited edition. Only one of the concept art images for the 5x7 bromide cards shows up. It is of Valeria. However, that final design could change.

As a reminder, one of the key elements of this strategy game is its relationship-building elements. Your main character can fall in love with one of the heroines in the party, leading to the next generation.

The Record of Agarest War Switch standard and limited edition will appear on March 9, 2023. The game also appeared on the PS3, Xbox 360, PC, and mobile devices.

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Aksys confirmed that it will not just offer one Jack Jeanne limited edition option, but three for the Switch otome. When it launches in June 2023, there will be three tiers available for the physical release. There will be a Bronze one to start, with Silver and Gold on top of that.

The Jack Jeanne Bronze Limited Edition includes items that will be present in each possible package. In addition to the physical copy of the game, they get five class pins, an acrylic diorama featuring standees of the characters, a scarf, and the 80-page Jack Jeanne Visual Art Book. The Silver tier adds a crossbody bag inspired by the game. Finally, the Gold version adds both the bag and a shirt.

There's also a photo showing off the Bronze Limited Edition items people will get.

As a reminder, Jack Jeanne is an otome game with rhythm elements to it. It is known for Sui Ishida's involvement, as he created it and worked on its character designs. Ishida also worked on the series Tokyo Ghoul and Choujin X.

Jack Jeanne will come to the Nintendo Switch outside Japan in June 2023, and three limited edition versions will be available. The game is immediately available on the system in Japan.

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A Nintendo Switch port of Record of Agarest War will appear in March 2023. It originally came out for the PS3, Xbox 360, and Windows PC in 2008, with Android and iOS ports appearing in 2013 and 2014, respectively. It is a multi-generational tactical role-playing game with dating sim elements. There will be both standard and limited editions available.

The story of Record of Agarest War spans five generations, each with its own male protagonist. Using the “Soul Breed” system, you can date and have a baby with a female party member of your choice. Who you choose will affect the appearance, race, and stats of your next male protagonist. For example, if Leonhardt (Gen 1) marries Fyuria, then his son Ladius (Gen 2) will have blonde hair and excel in Agility. However, if he marries Elaine, then Ladius will have black hair, with excellent stats in Strength and Vitality.

You can watch the trailer for Record of Agarest War here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjCvtrHq0kM

Aksys announced the port during its All Aksys Fall stream. Other games that appeared during this include Tengoku Struggle -Strayside-, Spooky Spirit Shooting Gallery, and Cuddly Forest Friends. As of the time of writing, it appears that the Switch version of Record of Agarest War is exclusive to English. Compile Heart has not listed it under its Nintendo Switch tab, and no Japanese news outlet has reported on it.

Record of Agarest War will come out on the Nintendo Switch in March 2023. It is available on the PS3, Xbox 360, Windows PC, iOS, and Android.

The post Record of Agarest War to Appear on Switch in 2023 appeared first on Siliconera.

During the All Aksys Fall 2022 livestream, Aksys revealed several games, including Cuddly Forest Friends. The short trailer shows off a colorful cast of cuddly critters, who are the animals you must care for. The game is a “heartwarming simulation game” that will come out for the Nintendo Switch in February 2023.

The point of Cuddly Forest Friends is to increase your Happy Feelings, which are HF points. The more HF points you get, the taller the Tree of Happiness will grow. Your goal is to help the Tree of Happiness reach its maximum maturity. In total, there are nine little forest friends that you can take care of. They are: Rabbit, Squirrel, Mouse, Degu, Hamster, Porcupine, Flying Squirrel, Capybara, and Beaver.

You can watch the trailer here (Japanese only):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrIhua4Xqcc

Cuddly Forest Friends is “cute animals” played straight, as opposed to the modern trend of using adorable imagery to tell a dark or gruesome tale in the vein of Happy Tree Friends. As you progress through the game, you can obtain accessories for the animals to wear, or decorations to place around the forest.

Cuddly Forest Friends will appear in English on the Nintendo Switch in February 2023. It originally came out in July 2020 in Japan.

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