Chic Pixel

When it comes to festive winter tunes, I usually tend toward traditional carols and hymns (which I find rather odd, considering I'm not religious). But any self-respecting nerd has some anime and game songs in their holiday repertoire, right? Here are a few of my favorites:

Before I go any further, though, I'm going to be honest... there aren't many good anime Christmas songs. In fact, I avoid most of them like the plague. There are, however, two Sailor Moon Christmas albums that really must be in every anime fan's library. They're simply that good! My personal favorite is the first track on the Sailor Moon Sailor Stars album, "Sailor Moon Christmas." It's both goofy and original, making it stand out in the endless sea of "Jingle Bells" covers.

Now Pokémon Christmas Bash is a classic CD in the so-bad-it's-almost-good category. This song, with the uninspired title "The Christmas Song," stands out for being the only English song on my list, but since it's Pokémon-related, I think it counts. Any Christmas song featuring the English Team Rocket voice cast is an instant winner in my book, but "I'm Giving Santa a Pikachu This Christmas," which is sung by Professor Oak, is also pretty priceless, so I'm going to have to insist you give that one a listen if you haven't heard it already, as well.

I know there are a million and one "snow area" themes from various games, but when winter rolls around I always turn to "Buried in Snow," the Great Glacier/Icicle Inn theme from Final Fantasy VII. It's a melancholy tune that really captures the feeling of being out in a seemingly endless snowstorm. Now that I'm in steamy Australia where snow is but a dream, it's a tune that really reminds me of winters in Vermont.

Now, I know less about THE IDOLM@STER than I do Hatsune Miku, but what I do know is that this Christmas song, "Merry," is rather catchy! Unfortunately, it features a rather boring opening and doesn't really get going until 0:40, but if you're looking for a toe-tapping Christmas tune, this one's pretty solid!

To wrap up my list of "holiday" tunes, here's a song that doesn't really have anything to do with the season aside from the fact that the anime it appears in, Mobile Suit Gundam Wing Endless Waltz, takes place around Christmas, and it has "white" in the title. Regardless, "White Reflection" is one seriously catchy tune, so I'll dub it the Die Hard entry of this holiday music roundup.

I wish I could say I had tons more anime/game-related holiday music in my arsenal, but sadly the Sailor Moon Christmas albums are where I get most of my holiday anime cheer! If you have a favorite winter theme from a video game or Christmas-y anime song I've missed, be sure to share it in the comments!

Since the big 2.1 patch just launched today for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, I figured now would be the best time to finally show off the Collector's Edition of the game I snagged back in September. Anyone who follows me on Twitter probably remembers my slow descent into madness as I became hooked on the game during the open beta weekend and then proceeded to decide at the very last minute that I had to have a copy of the physical collector's edition. Of course, they were sold out nearly everywhere, including Square Enix's online store, but I managed to snag a preorder of the PC version from a European store. Let me tell you, it was well worth it!

The whole package comes with a slip cover featuring art by none other than Final Fantasy veteran Yoshitaka Amano. The box itself has the same illustration but without any text covering it, which is a great touch if you're a fan. I have to admit that I would've preferred a different illustration inside, such as the one featured on the Japanese box art, since Akihiko Yoshida did so many great pieces for the game, but there's plenty of that in the art book that comes with the set.

Here are the complete contents of the collector's edition! The game comes with special box art unique to the set and also contains a blu-ray titled The Waning of the Sixth Sun. Admittedly, I only popped it in my PS3 to check it out for a few minutes the day it arrived and haven't looked back since (I blame it on being too absorbed with the game), but it contains detailed history of Eorzea, including concept art and all the cutscenes from the original game, making it a great way to catch up on the story as it stands at the start of A Realm Reborn. If you're interested in seeing the contents of the disc for yourself, someone has predictably uploaded it on YouTube.

The little device at the bottom of the picture is handy security token that can be linked to your account as an added measure against hackers. Since my account was frozen on two different occasions in the first couple weeks after the game went live due to "suspicious activity," I'm definitely glad to have this! I've had no further problems since I've linked it to my account.

Here's a better look at the art cards included with the set. I'll readily admit that these are quite underwhelming – again, I would have much preferred some of Akihiko Yoshida's gorgeous art to put on my wall.

The CD that comes in the collector's edition, titled Sounds of Eorzea: Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Special Soundtrack, isn't a full soundtrack, but rather a sample of six tunes from the main locations in the game, and the art on the cover reflects this. Still, it clocks in at just over 50 minutes and features some truly iconic themes from the game, so needless to say I utterly adore it. I was astonished to learn the composer, Masayoshi Soken, hasn't done a full-scale Final Fantasy game before, though he's been with Square Enix since 2001. I hope we see more of his work in the near future!

The real gem of the collector's edition, though, is the art book:

It's a hefty hardcover book that more than accounts for the size of the collector's edition box, and is filled with tons of amazing illustrations like the ones pictured above! Akihiko Yoshida, who also did Bravely Default, is one of my favorite artists right now, so this book was a real treat. I especially like the crafting gear pictured above.

There are also pages featuring an illustration for each class and job, along with a few choice weapons. I just love the enthusiastic Mi'qote gladiator!

There are only a select few monster designs amidst the environment and scenery illustrations, but I'm glad they included what they did. I'll go on the record for saying that I'm not totally sold on Final Fantasy XIV's version of Cactuars (top right), though.

One of my favorite pages in the book is this selection of Lodestone illustrations. The Lodestone is the game's official online hub where news and events are announced, so it goes without saying that it gets a few special seasonal illustrations to promote various in-game events. The Christmas one at the bottom right with the characters dressed as reindeers is too cute!

I have to say, I've been generally down on collector's editions of games, as they tend to be a waste of money for me, but if more companies did collector's editions like Square Enix has for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, then I'd be hooked! They've just announced there will be a separate collector's edition for the PlayStation 4 version of the game, too... I may need an intervention!

I hope you'll forgive two Final Fantasy XIV posts in a row, but Square Enix just dropped the winter seasonal event, "The Starlight Celebration," today and I couldn't pass up the chance to write something about it! I don't know about you, but I'm all about seasonal events!

First, I implore you to take a moment to gaze upon the gorgeous promotional illustration that went up on the Lodestone to promote the event. Just like the Lodestone artwork in the collector's edition artbook, it doesn't disappoint!

Here's a quick look at all the obtainable items during the Starlight Celebration event, courtesy of the official Lodestone page. Interestingly, the Roast Dodo food item has been readily available in FFXIV before this event, but I suppose they included it to go along with the theme.

The first thing you'll notice when entering any one of the three cities is that they're all decked out in festive Christmas decorations. It's even snowing! All of the screenshots I'll be posting were taken in Ul'dah – I would've gone to Limsa Limonsa and Gridania, but then this post would be twice as long!

I just love all the little details in the decorations! Look closely and you'll see that there are many types of snowmen.

Anyway, enough gawking at the scenery! For this event, you actually don't need to accept a quest from an NPC. Instead, you'll need to head outside the cities to find a FATE called "Stay Frosty." There is an NPC that will tell you about the event, though, as well as another NPC that has all the items we want. Their locations are: Ul'dah, Steps of Nald: X:10, Y:9, Old Gridania: X:10, Y:9, and Limsa Lominsa Upper Decks: X:11, Y:13.

The FATE itself spawns every 30 minutes at a number of locations and varying levels: Central Thanalan (X:25, Y:30, level 5), Central Shroud (X:25, Y:29, level 11), Lower La Noscea (X:19, Y:35, level 13), and Coerthas Central Highlands (X:10, Y:28, level 47). There may be other spawn points, but these are the ones I'm aware of at the time of this post.

In order to do damage to the Igniter Imps, you'll need to let yourself get with the festive Treant's AoE attack. His is the only AoE attack in the FATE, so when you see the red circle appear (as shown above), book it to that spot and wait for him to do his attack. If you've been hit by the attack, you'll get pushed back and damaged slightly, but the result will be the handy "snowman" buff! It lasts 30 seconds, so you may need to get hit more than once before clearing the FATE.

Completing the FATE with a gold medal will net you 30 Eternal Ice (20 for silver and a lowly 2 for bronze), which can then be traded in at the city of your choice for the items shown at the beginning of the post. You'll need 76 Eternal Ice to get all of the costume items, plus additional ice if you want any of the food, so I'd recommend completing the FATE three times.

Now it's time to head back to those coordinates I mentioned earlier and talk with the Starlight Supplier! Be sure to grab at least one item from the Snowman clothing set to unlock the "Cold as Ice" achievement. I imagine if you're anything like me, though, you're going to want everything!

I can't get over this reindeer suit

Duel tails!

And there you have it! Unlike previous seasonal events, there's no actual quest to complete. So once you get all your items, have fun taking screenshots, and don't forget to do the quest to unlock the new snowball throwing emoticon. The event runs until December 31st, so be sure to collect all the items and get your fill of the festive decorations by then!

Now please bear with me as I proceed to share a few favorites from my excessive photo shoot:

Yoo hoo! Over here!

Looking fabulous

Santa Chive nodding off at his post!

I have to say, the Chocobo barding (basically Chocobo armor, for those who aren't playing the game), is probably my favorite thing about this event! I'm really happy Square Enix shook up the formula for the FATE a bit and provided so many fun goodies to collect, as well. It's definitely been my favorite event so far!

Now, this won't be my last post before Christmas, but I just wanted to say...

Just in time for Christmas, it's the first annual Chic Pixel Plus Holiday Special! And a special podcast it is, as I have none other than esteemed game critic Brad Gallaway with me to discuss Attack of the Friday Monsters! A Tokyo Tale, monster media, two iOS games with the word "puzzle" in their title, and, of course, all things holiday related!

In addition to reminiscing a little on Christmases past and divulging a little of what's bringing us cheer this year, we also chat about a few of our favorite games from 2013 and unanimously declare it to be the year of the PSP.

Super Asian Bundle Blast – http://bundleofholding.com/index/current (ends 24 Dec!)
Brad's top games of 2013 – http://drinkingcoffeecola.blogspot.com.au/2013/12/the-top-10-games-of-2013-according-to-me.html

Opening ♫ - Chocobo's Happy Christmas – Masashi Hamauzu
Closing ♫ - Omedetou Kurisumasu – Rica Fukami & Columbia Yurikago Kai

[DOWNLOAD] [ITUNES] [RSS]

Nihon Falcom, or Falcom for short, is one of those exceedingly influential game companies that has had the bad fortune in recent years of being overlooked in favor of blockbuster titles such as the latest Final Fantasy production. But nearly everyone is familiar with Falcom's legacy – series such as Dragon Slayer, Ys, and The Legend of Heroes served as the foundation of the RPG genre. Meanwhile, Falcom continues to release quality titles that struggle to reach a wide audience.

But that's all about to change (I hope)! In order to kick off 2014 with a bang and get folks caught up on the amazing Falcom library of titles, Kimimi of Shinju Forest and I will be playing Falcom games from our backlogs all throughout the month of January, and we'd love for you to join us! It's easy to participate: just pick up an old Falcom game, play it during the month of January, and write about your experience! You can then join the conversation on Twitter using #Falcomonth or write something for your own blog/website. If you'd like to be included in weekly roundup posts I'll be doing to promote the event here at Chic Pixel, all you have to do is send me an email (apricotsushi at gmail dot com) linking to your piece or leave the link of the comments of this post!

Want to participate but don't know where to start? Here are some awesome Falcom games that should be easy to find:

Ys I & II Chronicles+(Steam, currently 50% off!) – Why not start with the games that kicked off the iconic Ys action RPG series? These titles may seem a little rough around the edges for some, but if you really want to check out Falcom's roots, this is the place to do it!

Ys Originand Ys: The Oath in Felghana(Steam, both currently 50% off!) – Two more quality Ys titles that can be found for a steal on Steam! Ys: The Oath in Felghana is a beloved title in the series that is often recommended to newcomers. If you want to get the feel of the games, Ys Origin even has a demo!

Ys: Memories of Celceta (PS Vita) – As the latest Falcom game to release in English, Ys: Memories of Celceta would be a great pick for anyone looking to fill out their PS Vita library.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky (PSP, available for PS Vita on PSN) – Also known as TitS, to the countless amusement of many, this is one of the Falcom games I've been recommended to play most.

Now, there are tons more where this came from, and I can't hope to list them all, but here are a few more titles you may want to check out/see if you have in your collection: Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure, Sorcerian (if you want to pay a premium to play a retro Falcom game in Japanese on your iOS device...), and Ys Seven.

As for me, I'm planning on finishing up Ys: Memories of Celceta and cracking into my personal Falcom backlog, which consists of Ys: The Oath in Felghana, Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure, and The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky, along with a couple of recently-acquired Japanese Legend of Heroes titles. I dare say I'll have plenty to play!

Happy New Year! By now I think it's safe to say that I'll be doing tutorial/impression posts for all of the special events in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, and what better way to ring in the new year than with a special in-game event? Since this was my first time taking part in the Heavensturn festivities, I was excited to see what was in store for the quest line.

Just looking at the Lodestone promotional art for the event, it seems that chocobos are involved in some way. This year is themed around the horse (uma), 2014's animal according to the Chinsese zodiac. Of course, that goofy horse helmet, or kabuto, is the main attainable item.

Here is the complete list of rewards from the official Lodestone page that will be attainable until the event ends on January 14th. Square Enix is kindly offering past years' zodiac-themed kabuto, as well! Great for those like me who only started playing FFXIV with the release of A Realm Reborn and enjoy collecting the seasonal items.

Unlike the Christmas event that had FATEs near each of the three main cities, Heavensturn is a specific quest line that can only be activated by speaking to Damaris in Old Gridania. Also, the quests are all level 15, which is great for folks with lower level characters, and you don't have to worry about reaching a higher level to complete it before the deadline like I did with the Lightning event.

After speaking to Damaris, you'll simply need to walk a few more paces to Uma Bugyo to embrace your inner horse and complete the first quest in the event, "A Horse for Heavensturn." This nets you the extremely posh Uma Kabuto, which you'll want to keep equipped for a while – you'll need it for the duration of the next quest.

Completing the first quest should immediately unlock the second quest in the event, "Thank Heavensturn for You." Speak to Uma Bugyo again to undertake her mission of spreading the glory of the horse throughout Eorzea. Get ready to do a lot of traveling, as this quest requires you to go to all over the map!

To get the first of the three colored Uma Kabuto, speak to Golden Uma Yoriki standing next to Uma Bugyo. After accepting the quest, you'll be directed to Bentbranch Meadows to demonstrate the beauty of the majestic horse. You'll find Golden Uma Doshin there at X:21, Y:21 who will ask you to pose for and rally some nearby chocobos.

Complete the required tasks and Golden Uma Doshin will reward you with a Majestic Carrot, which you then need to bring back to Golden Uma Yoriki in Old Gridania for the Golden Uma Kabuto. Put it on and speak to Uma Bugyo to activate the next part of the quest!

Hop on an airship to Limsa Limonsa (or teleport, if you've got gil to spare) and head to X:11, Y:13 to speak with Red Uma Yoriki while wearing your Uma Kabuto (the original one, not the yellow one) to be sent you off on a wild carrot collecting chase to prove the might of the horse or somesuch in the "Heavenly Power" quest. I think I sense a pattern...

But don't run off too fast! Located just opposite Red Uma Yoriki is is Red Uma Shonin, who just so happens to be selling the kabuto from past Heavensturn events, along with seasonal Zoni soup, so stock up if you'd like any of those items! You will receive one Zoni for completing the "Thank Heavensent for You" quest, though, so you can skip purchasing that if you feel you don't need more than one.

Next it's off to speak with Red Uma Doshin in Lower La Noscea (X:30, Y:18), who gives you the arduous task of collecting some carrots for a local botanist. Your reward will be a... Lusty Carrot... which you can then bring back to Red Uma Yoriki for your Red Uma Kabuto reward. Then it's back to Old Gridania donning your new Red Uma Kabuto to once again to speak with Uma Bugyo.

Finally, put that Uma Kabuto back on and hoof it to Ul'dah to see Black Uma Yoriki (X:10, Y:9), who wishes for you to demonstrate the blinding speed of the horse. Head to the Eighty Sins of Sasamo (X:28, Y:24) and you'll find the first of four sets of markers you'll need to run through to complete the quest.

As if these quests weren't weird enough

By the time you reach Black Uma Doshin (X:15, Y:29), you should have completed the requirements to receive the Sleek Carrot. Bring that back to Black Uma Yoriki to collect your Black Uma Kabuto prize! Once again, it's back to Old Gridania to show off that shiny new kabuto to Uma Bugyo.

If you were hoping that was all... well, it's not! Now you need to convince more people in Gridania of the greatness of the horse (while wearing the Uma Kabuto, of course). When all that's said and done and you've reported to Uma Bugyo, it's off to the North Shroud (X:28, Y:28) to convince the Chief Chocowacker that horses are superior than chocobos.

After watching the silly cutscene, return to Uma Bugyo's usual spot in Old Gridania to complete the quest! You'll even get a nice achievement, "Horsing About," for your efforts, along with a bowl of Zoni.

And there you have it! At the beginning of the event I was very happy to have something different from the usual FATEs, but by the end of it I have to say I was a little sick of all the running around. That said, I rushed things so that I could do this post, and I can see completing it a little bit at a time as you happen to find yourself in those areas for other things a more fun way to go about it. However, the dialogue throughout the event was so cheeky and full of puns that I couldn't help but have a smile on my face throughout! At the risk of repeating myself, I have to say Square Enix has got an ace localization team working on this one.

Finally, it wouldn't be a FFXIV seasonal event post without a few photos! Here a a few of my favorites:

I can't wait to see what 2014 has in store for Final Fantasy XIV!

Now that 2013 has come and gone, I figured it'd be as good a time as any to reflect on the most memorable things that came out over the course of the year. Of course, it just wasn't possible for me to play all the games and watch all the anime that came out in 2013, and I'm not really fond of definitively putting labels on things such as "game of the year," so I'll just stick with shining the spotlight on what stood out for me personally. To hear me talk more in-depth about some of these titles, be sure to check out my end-of-the-year podcast with Brad Gallaway, as well!

☆Games☆

2013 was a great year for games, especially on handhelds. I think I played my 3DS's more than any year previous, and my Vita got a fair share of love, too! Though the new consoles that came out at the end of the year mean a new generation of flashier games to play on the TV, I imagine I'll be satisfied with my handhelds and retro hardware for a while yet. Here are a few of my favorite games I played last year:

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn (PC, PS3) – I've written so much about this one already that I'm almost embarrassed to bring it up again! But considering how much time I've spent playing and thinking about FFXIV, it'd be criminal not to include it on this list. In fact, it blows all other games from 2013 out of the water for me. Not only was it my first MMO, but it's the first mainline Final Fantasy I can genuinely say I loved since Final Fantasy X.

SteamWorld Dig: A Fistful of Dirt (3DS) – This little eShop game was, hands down, the biggest surprise of the year. When the developer contacted me to review the title for them, I initially scoffed at the name and thought, "Great, another silly western indie title." Boy, was I wrong! I've never played Minecraft, Terraria, or even Metroid (hate mail commencing in 3, 2...), which SteamWorld Dig is often compared to, but I can say that it is a polished, addictive digging title that gave me major Mr. Driller vibes while still having its own cohesive style. And I'm pretty sure it's the first eShop game I've played to completion!

Sweet Fuse: At Your Side (PSP/PSN) – I can't commend Aksys Games enough for continuing to bring over otome games in English. While their first pick, Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom was a solid game, it wasn't really the kind of thing that jives with me (brooding swordsmen, blech), so Sweet Fuse was a very welcome addition to their otome game library. Suffice it to say, if you're only going to play one otome game in your life, make it this one – it's campy, humorous, and is chock full of fun video game-related nods and references on top of the organically written romances.

Monster Hunter 3U (3DS, Wii U) – Not only was 2013 the year of my first MMO, it was the year of my first Monster Hunter game, as well! Rather than lamenting how I'll never have time for any new games now, I'd like to highlight how great an experience Monster Hunter 3U has been so far, even though I haven't played all that much of it in comparison to folks who literally sink hundreds of hours into each new installment. Everything from the monster designs to the little animation that plays when your character cooks meat on a spit is endearing beyond belief, and though I still really don't have any idea what I'm doing, I'm looking forward to blundering my way through the series for years to come.

☆Other great games: Corpse Party: Book of Shadows, Bravely Default, Rune Factory 4, Attack of the Friday Monsters! A Tokyo Tale (And probably more I'm forgetting! New Year's resolution: keep a list of all the games I play)

☆Anime☆

2012 was the year I really started following current anime again, and I'm happy to report that my interest in keeping up with new series bubbled over into 2013, as well. While previously I mostly watched older things (and not very often, I might add), it's great to be involved in the conversations that arise when everyone is watching a particular series together. That said, I didn't actually watch all that many shows, so there are only two that stand out that I want to mention today:

Free! – Also known as the best thing that happened for female anime fans all year, Free! initially made waves (pun intended) as a short 30 second commercial by Kyoto Animation early in the year. The anime itself featured a group of cute guys doing cute things in bathing suits, so of course it was a hit, but it had all of the usual Kyoto Animation quality and charm. While the anime as a whole didn't grab me as much as I would've liked, the interactions between the characters always put a smile on my face. Also, that ending sequence!

Gatchaman Crowds – After hearing a number of friends recommend this one, I finally decided to give it a watch in December, and I'm so glad I did! Gatchaman Crowds requires absolutely no knowledge of Gatchaman to enjoy, and it's a beautiful, colorful series with a lot of interesting characters and surprisingly poignant themes. It's also the first series where I've actually liked the ultra-hyper cute female lead (you know the kind), so it gets major points for that.

☆Bonus best anime-related trend of the year: Attack on Titan opening parody videos. I don't normally get into memes, but these were amazing.

If you're a fan of this blog and haven't played or seen everything I've mentioned, hopefully you'll have some new ideas for things to check out! And please do leave your own personal favorites of 2013 in the comments so I can fill my "to do" list with more great games and anime.

When Kimimi first give me the idea of dedicating a month to playing Falcom games, I never imagined it would catch the interest of more than a few of our mutual friends. Imagine my surprise when people I didn't personally know started using #Falcomonth and commenting about what a great idea it was! So before I get into a roundup of what those participating in the Falcom Community Game-Along (Falcom Month, for short!) have been up to over the past week, let me first take a second to thank everyone who has spread the word of this majorly last-minute event! I sincerely mean it when I say this wouldn't have taken off without your support.

source

In fact, while the first week of January was a short one, but that doesn't mean Falcom Month was off to a slow start! People have been tearing up #Falcomonth on Twitter (you're welcome to use it on Tumblr, as well!), and there have already been a few blog posts and articles to come out of the event. Here are just a few*:

So it's now #falcomonth Are you going to be playing any Falcom games this January? *Cough* Trails in the Sky *Cough*
— Ross Brierley (@Ghostlight_Ross) January 1, 2014

Of course, my partner-in-crime for Falcom Month Kimimi, made sure to announce the event on her own blog. Be sure to follow her Tumblr and Twitter for updates on her Falcom Month progress, along with some of the best screenshots around!

Kirsten at Endless History, a Falcom news/fan site, wrote a great news post about Falcom Month for her readers. Thanks so much! If you want to keep up to date on all the goings-on of Falcom and their game releases, make sure to subscribe to Endless History.

Falcom telling me that I've been playing for 1 hour and that I should rest 15 minutes #Falcomonth pic.twitter.com/unOhmqIcvR
— Laura (@Tokiremu) January 2, 2014

Totally ready for #Falcomonth pic.twitter.com/qt9EM7Yetb
— Netto-kun (@hansuramu) January 3, 2014

@brawndwarf highlighted a post he wrote in 2011 for Falcom's 30th anniversary compiling all the Falcom games ever released on Sega systems, many of which were never released officially in English.

Davzz wins the prize for producing the first article dedicated to his Falcom Month experience so far! His piece on the Megadrive version of Sorcerian is a great read if you've never played the game before and want to get an idea of what it's like – he also provides lots of screenshots and tips for new players.

My games are ready for #Falcomonth. pic.twitter.com/ZzYJ2Dh3fL
— Josep (@jdkluv) January 2, 2014

A lot of folks also celebrated #OSThursday with their favorite Falcom tracks. @pablo_0151 highlights the amazing field music from the first Ys, while Kimimi picks a mysterious track from Brandish, and @Soulhouf goes for a heart-pumping piece from the soon-to-be-localized The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC.

I just cleared Ys1, my 1st experience with the series, yet everything was very familiar, like faint memories of '90s anime/manga #Falcomonth
— Christian Z. (@Crackalacking_Z) January 5, 2014

Finally, we're trying to get an official thread for the event on NeoGAF! If anyone reading this is a member and would like to assist, please let me know. And be sure to keep playing Falcom games and tweeting/writing up your impressions so I can include them in the week two roundup post!

*Unfortunately I can't include every tweet in this post, but I'll strive to highlight every article. Please contact me if you've written at length on a Falcom game this week (or the event in general) and I haven't included it!

Today I'm going to try something a little different... A slipper review! But these aren't just any slippers, of course, as they feature the very adorable kitty mascot of the Monster Hunter series, Felyne!

I guarantee by the end of this post those soulless eyes will start freaking
you out (if they don't already)

I received these as a Christmas present from my mom, and I have to say, even though it's the middle of the summer here in Australia, I can't help but want to wear them around the apartment. They're just so cute!

But cuteness if only half of a premium slipper package. And, in the case of character merchandise like this, there's always the possibility of bootleg items. Let's take a closer look:

First, can I say that the little tail on the back is the most adorable detail? Anyway, the label looks legit, even though it's sewn on rather crookedly.

The tag, however, makes it clear that this is definitely official Capcom merchandise with that fancy gold Capcom seal. You know you've got something special when you can't even throw the tag away! That, or you're me.

Aside from being made from a very soft, fluffy fabric, the slippers come with an anti-slip bottom. My house is fully carpeted so I don't really have to worry about this, but it's nice to have if you live in a place with lots of wood floors or other slippery surfaces!

Here's what they look like on. I don't think I'll be able to stop looking at my feet! The felyne heads are extremely well sewn, and it really feels like I'm stomping around on a pair of plush toys with how cushy they are. Of course, they are built with Japanese feet in mind, so if you have larger feet they unfortunately probably won't fit. I generally run about a size 8 (25 centimeters), and my heel is just at the very back of the slipper.

One last thing: check out how big the front of these are! They're not called plush slippers for nothing. Using the universal measurement of the PSP case, they are a little more than half a PSP case tall.

The only aspect I wasn't able to "test" was their durability – I haven't worn them all that much, so I can't speak to how well they hold up over time. But they'll only set you back $10 at Jlist.com, and for that price, they're definitely a steal for Monster Hunter fans! They even have Felyne's black kitty buddy, Melynx for those who prefer the pink x black color scheme.

How can you say no to that face

Finally, for those of you who are bummed that you won't be able to fit into these tiny Japanese slippers, they also have Felyne and Melynx earmuffs! If it actually got cold enough where I live to necessitate owning earmuffs, I would've definitely picked up a pair by now.

Hopefully my Felnye slippers will keep me happy and my feet warm for years to come!

Falcom Month is in full swing now with people all over the web playing Falcom games and writing about them! In hopes of keeping this post a little more concise than the last one, I'm just going to link to last week's roundup and the initial Falcom Community Game-Along post, so do go check out those if you want to read up on the event!

Just finished Ys1 Chronicles. I still prefer the PCE version but it's an amazing game nevertheless #Falcomonth pic.twitter.com/55y2Iuvpwt
— Wassim Christin (@Soulhouf) January 13, 2014

First, @BadoorSNK linked to a great guide to the Ys series that briefly describes each of the games and recommends which ones to play first. Unfortunately, the original link appears to be dead, but here's the image:

Just like last week, some folks took the opportunity to celebrate OSThursday with groovy Falcom tunes, but week two is decidedly Ys-centric! @TepidSnake goes for classic PC-88 Ys, while @pablo_0151 chooses a bright theme from Ys III, and @Soulhouf highlights a more intense number from Ys: Oath in Felghana.

This week also saw two reviews for Ys: Memories of Celceta go up! Elliot Gay of Japanator has some high praise: "If you have a Vita, I guarantee you that you won't find a better action RPG experience on the console."Phil Kollar has a similarly positive impression of the title, stating in his Polygon review that Memories of Celceta is the "most approachable and smartly designed Ys game ever." If you have a Vita and don't have Memories of Celceta on your "to play" list for Falcom Month, you may want to consider it!

"Attack food" in #TrailsSC seems really op so far. Deal 3k damage to a boss without any charge time? Sure, why not. #Falcomonth
— Hasemo (@Hasemo) January 12, 2014

@jdklove has also been streaming a playthrough of Brandish 2 throughout the week, so be sure to follow him and keep an eye on his Livestream channel if you're interested.

Finally, @BadoorSNK wrote a great piece on his blog about the quirky PSP title Gurumin, which he just completed as part of Falcom Month. He describes it as a "pleasantly breezy, super-charming, and whole-out joyful experience" that takes about 10 hours to complete. The game is available on PSN for the Vita as well as UMD, making it another easy title to pick up this month! I know it's next on my list to play after I finish Memories of Celceta.

Continuing on with #Falcomonth, still on Sora no Kiseki FC. Determined to finish everything at Ruan tonight!
— Peter Grant (@ragathy) January 9, 2014

Hopefully we'll see more writeups and impressions as people start to finish their games in week 3! Expect something from me, at the very least... I'll see you in the next roundup, and until then, happy gaming!

In my opinion, "Are games art?" is a tired debate. Rather than wasting time arguing whether or not they are, I prefer to let critique, analysis, and thoughtful discussion about the games we love and hate speak for themselves. Matt Sainsbury of Digitally Downloaded is looking to do just that with his new Kickstarter project for The Interactive Canvas: Gaming Artists, an annual coffee table book that will celebrate games as art through creator interviews and essays.

Since Matt is no stranger to Chic Pixel (you can hear us chat on episode 2 of Chic Pixel Plus!), I decided to get in touch with him to further discuss his vision for the project. "You can't tell someone that a game is a work of art. All you can do is write about games from that perspective and, eventually, even the greatest of disbelievers will come around. This is how it happened with the film industry half a century ago," he says. "I hope to show the skeptics that games are art by providing them with this book that is filled with proof. All the the game developers that we have involved with the book are genuine artists, and I expect that by reading their stories people will be convinced that there are game makers out there that think at a similar level to finest filmmakers and writers."

The highlight for many of the planned book with be the 30 interviews with various game creators it contains – a sampling from the official Kickstarter page lists the likes of American McGee, Jonathan Blow, and Hidetaka Suehiro (Swery65). Since I'm all about Japanese games here at Chic Pixel, I had to ask Matt if he was planning/able to get more Japanese developers in addition to Swery on board. "I do have quite a few Japanese game developers that I can't announce right now for various reasons," he wrote. "I think with the Japanese developers, they want to see if the book is guaranteed to be published before they publicly back it... of the 30 interviews that will be in the book, around 1/4 of those will be with Japanese developers." It's too bad he can't announce them until the Kickstarter is funded, but it's great to hear there are more in the works!

A game like Okami takes the term "interactive canvas" quite
literally!

But if the "games as art" debate is hotter than ever in the western games industry, what's the situation like over in the land of the rising sun? Here's what Matt had to say: "When I was in Japan a few years ago, a major art gallery in Tokyo had a simply massive exhibition of interactive art; Miyamoto got awarded a lifetime achievement award, and there was all kinds of displays looking at everything from Street Fighter to Love Plus. I think the Japanese love the idea of games as art, and the likes of Goichi Suda, Keiji Inafune and, of course, Shigeru Miyamoto, are simply accepted as artists. If we don't see such an active debate about whether games are art in Japan, I'm more inclined to believe it's because the Japanese don't question whether it is or not."

Finally, in addition to all the exciting content already covered, The Interactive Canvas will feature a number of guest writers, including Brendan Keogh, author of Killing is Harmless, and... yours truly! That's right, if The Interactive Canvas exceeds its funding goal, Matt has expressed an interest in hiring me to write an article for the book, which I would most certainly love the opportunity to do.

If a gorgeous, 200 page, full color book chock full of insightful content on games far sounds up your alley, I encourage you to head over to the Kickstarter page and consider donating before the campaign ends on February 6th!

It's not a secret that I love Japanese candy. In fact, I've written some strangely in-depth posts about interesting Japanese candy a few times in the past, but unfortunately I've noticed that they tend to not get nearly as much traction as my other, non-food posts.

Of course, the most obvious reason for this would be that no one is nearly as interested in Japanese candy as I am. If that's the case, consider me thoroughly shocked and I will cease all candy-related endeavors at once. But instead of jumping to that conclusion, I've considered that perhaps reading about someone eating candy isn't nearly as amusing as actually watching said person eating candy... Bet you can't guess where I'm going with this!

That's right, I've decided to jump into the scary world of Youtube videos! I'm calling the series Apricotsushi Samples and will be posting a new episode every Sunday. In my very first attempt, I take a bite out of the sakura matcha (cherry blossom green tea) Kit Kat pictured above. It'll only take five minutes of your time, so if you're at all interested, please give it a watch!

I'm sure it will become immediately apparent that I was extremely nervous to film this video. My fear of talking in front of people and the anxiety associated with that is something I'm always trying to work on, and while podcasting certainly helps, I imagine posting these videos will be a big step in overcoming that to some degree. Fingers crossed!

Of course, any and all comments are more than welcome! I'd definitely like to hear what people like/dislike about the video and what you would like to see more of in the future. And if you need to cleanse your palette after my video (pun intended; I'm so sorry), I highly suggest checking out Emmymade in Japan – her food videos are super, and she does a lot of fun Japanese candies, as well.

Hell of a title, eh? Unfortunately, it couldn't be helped, as Square Enix decided to launch two tie-in events in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn this month: a Dragon Quest X event, "There's Golems in those Hills!" and a Final Fantasy XI event, "That Old Black Magic." It's great to see near-constant events since the Lightning event began in November, but these two quests are rather short, so you should be able to knock them off rather quickly.

First, you'll need to initiate the Dragon Quest X event in Ul'dah and the Final Fantasy XI event in Gridania, so I'd suggest hitting up whichever one is closest to you at the time. Both events end on February 3rd and won't take you very much time at all to complete, though, so you may want to wait a few days until the initial rush is over! I started with "That Old Black Magic" in Gridania, but it doesn't matter what order you do them in.

You'll find the quest giver, Khloe Bajhiri, at X:10, Y:11 in New Gridania. This level 10 quest is very straightforward: after accepting it, you'll need to go complete two FATEs that happen in succession. The easiest FATE location to get to from Gridania is in East Shroud at X:12, Y:26, but you can also find it at South Shroud (X:15, Y:30), Western Thanalan (X:25, Y:19), Southern Thanalan (X:14, Y:38), Middle La Noscea (X:15, Y:12), or Eastern La Noscea (X:30, Y:34). That's a lot of FATEs, but remember you only need to go to one location to complete the quest, so you can take your pick.

The first FATE located in East Shroud is level 11 and will find you fighting a bunch of large Spriggans, while the second FATE features the unnamed "Monstrous Sorceress" (though anyone who knows Final Fantasy XI should recognize her!). Since I did the FATEs the day the event went up, it was hard to see much of anything, and I was worried I wouldn't get a gold medal since I wasn't in a party. I only hit the Monstrous Sorceress a couple times, but I still got a gold medal! I'm not entirely sure, but I think you just have to participate in the event in order to get the item required to complete the quest.

The item in question is a Dainty Doll, which you'll need to turn in to Vorsaile Heuloix in New Gridania (X:9, Y:11). You'll then be treated by a very fun cutscene, after which you'll get your reward! I don't want to spoil too much of the fun for those who will be doing this quest themselves, but here are a couple screenshots that gave me a chuckle:

In awe of the giantess

Two of them?!

After you encounter Shantotto, you'll be gifted with a Wind-up Shantotto minion.

I gotta say, the minion's pretty cute:

Again, it was a very simple quest, but the reward is nice!

Next up is the Dragon Quest quest (heh) located in Ul'dah. Interestingly, the requirement is only level 7, which is lower than the Final Fantasy XI quest. You'll need to go see Havak Alvak at X:12, Y:8 to initiate it, then go find the Beefy Businessman at X:8, Y:12. He'll ask you a very important question that you must answer correctly in order to proceed:

As if I would say no! Just like the Final Fantasy XI event quest, you'll need to go complete a series of two FATEs to complete "Breaking Brick Mountains." Again, there are many locations, but the easiest one to get to from Ul'dah is located in Central Thanalan, X:17, Y:23. For the curious, here are the other locations: Lower La Noscea (X:27, Y:17), Upper La Noscea (X:34, Y:24), Central Shroud (X:23, Y:23), and North Shroud (X:15, Y:31).

Like the Final Fantasy XI quest, the first FATE will feature a bunch of smaller enemies, and the second will be just one large enemy, a Stone Brickman. You can see I decided to party up for this one just in case I needed to get a gold medal for the FATE to get the quest item.

The item you'll need is the Brickman Chunk, which you can turn in to the Beefy Businessman to complete the quest. Again, I'm not 100% sure, but I think you just need to participate in both FATEs to get the item. That, or it's very easy to get gold!

Just like with the Final Fantasy XI quest line, I don't want to spoil the cutscene that follows. This one, in particular, is a lot of fun! I'll just leave you with these:

Puff puff fans rejoice!

The expression on Chive's face is priceless

For some reason, Square Enix decided to give not one, but two items for completing this quest: a Thug's Mug and a Wind-up Brickman.

Here are a couple shots for posterity:

Love how it looks cel-shaded!

Goes pretty well with Chive's Monk garb, eh?

I was a little surprised by how bare-bones these quests were, especially after the complicated holiday quests. Then again, I thought the Heavensturn event was rather tedious, so I guess something more straightforward is a good change of pace. The cutscenes were very fun, and it's always nice to get new minions, so even though I would have liked a little more than just a couple of FATEs, it's definitely better than nothing! Overall, though, I have to say my favorite part of these tie-in quests are the event-specific quest and FATE fonts and the cute slimes they added to the quest window for the Dragon Quest X event. I'm such a nerd!

Come one, come all, to the first episode of Chic Pixel Plus of 2014! I'm joined by games writer Janine (@bleatingheart) for a special themed episode on all things crafty, cutesy, and figure-y! We cover everything from deco to Re-Ments, Nendoroids to Volks, so if you've ever wanted to learn more about a different side of Japanese nerd (and not so nerdy) culture, then be sure to give this episode a listen!

We also get a little serious about the stigmas associated with the topics we cover, as well as answer some listener questions. We're kicking off the new year with a bang, and I sincerely hope you enjoy the show!

My other podcast has a new episode up, too! http://radio.morningproject.com/the-nichiest-podcast-ever-take-008b/
Read Janine's games writing here: http://nwn.blogs.com/nwn/games/

Opening ♫ - Rouge no Dengon – Arai Yumi
Closing ♫ - Rashiku Ikimashō – Meu

[DOWNLOAD] [ITUNES] [RSS]

If I were to preemptively name 2014's theme, I might be inclined to call it the "year of niche Japanese game releases." Not only are we getting Danganronpa, Yumi's Odd Odyssey, Conception II, and Steins;Gate, but now Idea Factory International has announced that they will be bringing their card battling RPG PS Vita title, Monster Monpiece, out in Europe and North America this spring.

I have to say, the idea of a card battling RPG is totally my jam. Unfortunately, Monster Monpiece comes with a little extra, er, baggage. See, the game became notorious last year for its raunchy mini-game called First Crush ❤ Rub that requires players to find monster girls'"weak points"... and I'm sure you can guess where these weak points might be. If a monster girl becomes sufficiently excited during First Crush ❤ Rub mode, an additional minigame called Extreme Love will be activated. This is probably the most infamous element of Monster Monpiece, as it requires players to grip their Vitas vertically and vigorously rub the front and back touch pads simultaneously. And if you're still left wondering what these mini-games are all about, here's a direct quote from Idea Factory International's Press release to drive it all home: "... we kindly note that we highly recommend you play this portion of the game in private, due to the explicit voices and hand-action during First Crush ❤Rub and Extreme Love."

Okay, it's pretty clear that Monster Monpiece is not aimed at me. But from what I understand, beneath its obnoxious exterior is actually a very competent RPG, and I've always wanted to see a card battling game come out in English. Unfortunately, though, not only does Idea Factory International feel it needs to highlight the more unsavory aspects of the game (if their first English trailer is any indication), but the company is also in hot water with fans over the removal of a number of the higher level (and thus, less clothed) monster cards from the English release of the game.

I'm really not interested in turning this post into an argument of whether censorship is okay or not, or whether Monster Monpiece is objectifying/sexist/etc. or not (though if you're wondering, the answers are no and yes, but the discussion is definitely more complicated than single-word responses). Rather, I think it's important to highlight that despite all this, I'm not only happy that Monster Monpiece is coming out, but I'm actually interested in checking the game out myself. However, the fetishistic gameplay elements and the preoccupation game developers have with pandering towards a male audience is beyond tiresome, and I sincerely hope that if nothing else, Idea Factory International brings one of their parent company's otome games over next.

The idea that there isn't a market for games aimed at a predominately female audience is simply absurd, and we need to see more diversity in the games that are localized into English. You know where to find me if you want my list of otome games I want to see come over, Idea Factory!

Those of you who are already following my YouTube channel (thanks!) probably know already, but for those who don't – a new episode of Apricotsushi Samples is up! This week, I try out some adorable Pikachu cookies I purchased at the Pokémon Center in Osaka last June. If you're interested, do give it a watch:

Since my YouTube video endeavors are still rather young, I thought it'd help get the word out by posting about them here... But I also don't want to keep repeating the same things, just in different outlets, so I really want to be able to include some special extras for those of you who actually go to the effort to read these posts! Luckily, in this case, I have just the thing:

In the video, I mention that each of the cookies has a distinct face (except for the one duplicate, which I gladly ate), but I didn't get a chance to show them. So, here's a photo! I absolutely adore how Japanese companies put little flourishes on their products like this. The Pikachu in the top middle looks so sad, though!

And here's a closeup of the cookies and individual wrapper designs. I suppose I should go ahead and eat the rest of them, but it's really hard to bring myself to eat something so cute!

Well, I hope you're enjoying Apricotsushi Samples so far! I'm having a lot of fun filming them, and if all goes well I'd like to slowly expand the video content on my channel. Fans of the written word have no need to fear, though, as this site will always come first! That said, I'd love some input on future episodes of Apricotsushi Samples. This week I'll definitely be doing the Mountain Dew Cheetos I received in the mail yesterday, but future weeks are still up in the air. Would you like to see different Kit Kat flavors? Savory snacks? Sweet candies? I've got quite the backlog of Japanese treats to choose from!

January's Falcom Community Game-Along was so successful that I thought it would be a shame to have the festivities end after only 31 days! As a result, you can look forward to having monthly game-along themes for the duration of 2014, or at the very least until interest and participation starts to wane.

Since February is the somewhat official month of romance, what better way to celebrate than with some dating sim games? The dating sim genre hasn't ever had its time in the limelight outside of Japan, where it's actually quite popular with both men and women. In fact, the term "dating sim" isn't even really correct, as it only encompasses romance games that have simulation elements (usually meters for stats that you have to raise to get the girl/guy you're pursuing). The Japanese term ren'ai, meaning romance, is generally used to refer to any games that focus on the romantic pursuit of one of usually a number of selectable men or women, but since "dating sim" is more the well-known term in English, I'll be using it for the purposes of this event to refer to any game with romance elements, be it simulation, visual novel, or otherwise.

The "otherwise" is important here, too, since there many games such as the Harvest Moon and Rune Factory series that incorporate romance. It should also go without saying that romance games aimed at anyone are fair game, be they catering to a predominately male audience (bishōjo) or female (otome). Here's a quick sampling of titles available in English that fall into the dating sim genre:

Arino plays Angelique Trois

Katawa Shoujo(PC, Mac, Linux) – If you've never played a dating sim game before and want an affordable first experience, you can't really go wrong with Katawa Shoujo. Not only is it free, but it tells a surprisingly heartfelt journey of a young man who suddenly finds himself with a life-threatening disability. There are five female romance options, all with different disabilities, and the game treats its delicate subject matter more seriously than most games in the genre. Be aware, however, that this is an 18+ game, which means it features sex scenes, but they can be skipped by selecting an option in the menu.

Hatoful Boyfriend(PC, Mac) – For those who are ready to go all in, you can't go wrong with Hatoful Boyfriend. While it's a dating sim aimed at women, you're not dating men... not human men, anyway. All of the suitors are male pigeons! The free version allows you to date seven different pigeons, but the full version with a mysterious eighth pigeon only costs $4, so it won't break the bank.

Hakuoki series (PSP, 3DS) – One of the few major official otome game releases in English, Hakuoki is a must for all serious fans of the genre. Fully voiced in Japanese and taking place during the Edo period in Japan, the game is a great example of the kind of otome visual novels that are currently all the rage in the land of the rising sun. If samurai warriors aren't your cup of tea, you may want to try Aksys Games's other otome release, Sweet Fuse: At Your Side (PSP/PSN), instead.

Of course, there are many, many more games than the couple I've listed here, but it would simply be impossible for me to include them all! Here are a couple more titles you may want to check out: Dandelion (PC, Mac), Aselia the Eternal (PC), Absolute Obedience, Persona 3 and 4, and any entry in the aforementioned Harvest Moon and Rune Factory series. There's also tons of free content available from last year's Pulse Pounding Heart Stopping Dating Sim Jam! Finally, for folks who want to brush up on the classics, both the Angelique and Tokimeki Memorial series are great places to start. If you're still having trouble finding something you'd like to play, let me know in the comments so I or someone else can help you out!

It's easy to participate in the February Dating Sim Game-Along – all you have to do is play and write about dating sims in some form, be it on your blog, Twitter, or elsewhere! If you're using Twitter, Tumblr, or Instagram (or some other newfangled social media that also uses hashtags), please use #DatingSiMonth so that I can keep track of your submissions and include them in my weekly compilation posts. Of course, you're also welcome to submit podcasts or any other critical work to the Game-Along – as long as you're talking about dating sims, virtually anything goes!

I hope you're all ready to date some cuties and share your experiences come February! I've got a pile of Japanese otome games and Katawa Shoujo calling my name, so I, for one, am all set!

I still can't believe what a success the Falcom Community Game-Along has been! What started as a offhand comment on Twitter turned into a fun month-long event that got all sorts of people playing games and talking about them, and I couldn't have asked for more. Though things quieted down around week three, which prompted me to postpone that week's roundup until the end, content really began to pick up again as the month came to an end.

This roundup post will focus more on the great selection of blog posts that went up, but that doesn't mean there wasn't also lots of tweeting going on! Be sure to check out #Falcomonth on Twitter to see how the month panned out.

And that's Ys V finished. It was lots of fun. Special thanks to @GideonZhi's team for translating it #Falcomonth pic.twitter.com/PSTVYAyeo8
— Badr Alomair (@BadoorSNK) January 17, 2014

Today's Series Dedication Sunday (No. 3!) is more of a Company Dedication for #falcomonth : Falcom Games! pic.twitter.com/TsOqeP3hpz
— CephiYumi 愚かな醜い (@CephiYumi) January 19, 2014

@Soulhouf pointed out a brilliant article on Hardcore Gaming 101 that covers the entire Ys series. It's a definite must-read for both fans and those interested in checking out the series. I'm seriously impressed by all the details they've packed in.

Next, @DavZZGndm contributed a piece on Vantage Master Online – a game from a lesser-known Falcom series that is actually available for free in English translation from Falcom themselves! Davzz's in-depth look at the 1v1 strategy's systems, complete with plenty of screenshots, should be enough to make anyone interested in Falcom games want to check it out. And for the price of free, how can you pass that up?

meanwhile, in #falcomonth: ADOL, MASTER SWORDSMAN (but seriously how cute is this) http://t.co/kHWu1MkLHQ
— Ant Cooke (@TepidSnake) January 21, 2014

Over at One Million Power, Brian Clark whipped up a great piece about his experience playing the Famicom port of the original Ys. Unfortunately, the Famicom port featured some changes that were not for the better, such as the strengthening of all of the bosses except for the final one, who was made weaker (I might not mind that!), and reducing Adol's movement speed. Even so, Brian notes that he enjoyed the experience overall and now has the perspective to see how modern action RPGs have evolved.

Badr Alomair managed to check out the fan-translated Ys V and reported back on his blog, Video Games! and other stuff. Often cited as the black sheep of the series, Ys V never got an official English release, but Badr asserts that he enjoyed his time with the game and considers it to be a decent introduction to the series, even with its flaws.

@apricotsushi The pressures of social media forced me to finally try out the classic Ys. #Falcomonth success!
— aka_Chewie (@ciscoidiot) January 30, 2014

Yay peer pressure! Ahem.

Cody Winn earns double, nay, triple points for not only covering Ys: Memories of Celceta (which we only saw covered in a couple of unrelated but well-timed reviews) but also having the most punny title of the month: "Ease into Ys." I do love a good pun!

Anyway, Cody remarks that though he'd never played a Ys game for more than 10 minutes, he found Memories of Celceta to be fun and fast-paced. He does, however, mention that the music is one of his least favorite aspects, which is a bit of a kick in the gut for any Ys fan! However, it's an unfortunate truth that Memories of Celceta was a little lacking for tracks.

Finally, Alois Wittwer wraps up Falcom Month with another great post about the very first Ys game. Unlike other write-ups, he chose to focus specifically on the game's combat, and it's a piece as snappy as the good 'ol bump system. It's a great way to finish up the month, as he manages to capture the beauty of Ys's battle system in a way few have done. Even if you think you've read enough about Ys, I highly suggest you go give it a read!

@_Kimimi Well happy! Now I can continue my own personal #Falcomonth (or months!)
— Paul Darbyshire (@pablo_0151) February 2, 2014

That's right, Paul! Falcom Month is never truly over. As if we could ever stop playing Falcom games!

Once again, I want to give a huge thanks to everyone who helped make this Community Game-Along a success! It was a ton of fun, and I really hope everyone enjoyed sharing the Falcom love. If you're interested, be sure to check out February's Community Game-Along. The theme? Romance, of course!

Love is in the air in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn! As expected, February's seasonal event is a tie-in with Valentine's Day. In keeping with the game's tradition of "re-imagining" the names of real-world holidays for the game world, though, they've added an "o" to Valentine... I suppose it's meant to sound exotic?

As always, the Lodestone illustration for the event is simply gorgeous. Honestly, I'd probably be happy if Square Enix did away with events all together and just posted a new illustration every month! Okay, that's definitely an exaggeration, especially if they do more awesome outfits like the one you get for completing the Valentione's Day quest line!

Full event details at the Lodestone

There is absolutely no combat in this event, and it's quite straightforward, so I'm going to try to make the tutorial as snappy as possible. That means I won't have screenshots of absolutely everything, but all the info will be here for those who want it!

You'll first need to speak with Larsonient, who is located at X:11, Y:13 of the Limsa Limonsa Upper Decks. As usual, the seasonal even quests are only level 15, so most people should be able to participate. After speaking with him, you're immediately directed over to Lisette De Valentione, who gives you the first item in the Valentione clothing set, completing the quest. This unlocks three different quests, "Sweet, Sweet Love,""Right Here Waiting," and "Love Is a Battleground," which require you to spread love to the inhabitants of each of the three main cities. I suggest talking with Lisette to initiate all of the quests before setting out to complete them, as it saves time in the long run. I tackled the Limsa Limonsa quest, "Love Is a Battleground" first, but it doesn't matter what order you do them in.

The first NPC you'll need to talk to for Love Is a Battleground, O'kalkaya, is located right near Lisette at X:12, Y:13. The following tasks are extremely straightforward, so just follow the quest icon on your minimap. Completing the quest will net you two bitter heart chocolates if your character is male, or two pure heart chocolates if your character is female. Hold onto these for later!

Next, let's head over to Ul'dah! Again, the order in which you do these quests doesn't matter, as long as all three get done. The NPC you need to speak with to initiate the Sweet, Sweet Love quest is Yellow Moon, located at X:14, Y:13 in the Weaver's Guild. She wants a bunch of odd ingredients for her concoctions, so you'll need to speak with all of her admirers to acquire the required items. The first pair of admirers are located at X:11, Y:11, and the second pair are at X:10, Y:8. Completing this quest will reward you with two more chocolates.

Finally, it's off to speak with Nemoh Mainhov at X:12, Y:6 in Gridania for Right Here Waiting. She's looking for her lost lover, so you'll need to go talk to three men who look like him around X:9, Y:9. After returning to Nemoh, you'll then need to head to the North Shroud to Gwayne at X:28, Y:26. After jumping back and forth between Gridania and North Shroud, you'll finally complete the quest for another two chocolate hearts. Now you can finally return to Lisette De Valentione in Limsa Limonsa!

Your final quest, Never Say Farewell, requires you to turn in one bitter chocolate heart and one pure heart chocolate to Lisette. The only way to do this is to trade with a character of the opposite gender who has also completed the first three Valentione's quest. If you hang around Lisette, you should find others looking to trade, so be sure to let everyone know in the chat! Since I did the event quests the day they were released, there were plenty of people around looking to trade. Be sure to only trade one of your chocolates for the one you need to complete the quest, though, as you're going to need the rest to trade for the remaining items in the Valentione's outfit! Completing the Never Say Farewell quest will get you your Valentione's top and an achievement for finishing the seasonal event.

Now, the in the areas decorated for the seasonal event in each of the three cities are a House Valentione Butler <Purveyor of Love> and a House Valentione Maid <Purveyor of Love>, but the most convenient ones to access are located right near Lisette in Limsa Limonsa. No matter where you find them, make sure to trade your chocolates to the Butler for the rest of the Valentione's set and purchase some limited-time items from the Maid! The left and right Prismatic Hearts are very cute for using in screenshots with friends, so I made sure to stock up.

I'm really liking how Square Enix is switching up the formula with each event quest – the last one was very FATE-centric, so it's a nice change to not have to do any FATEs this time. And look at that outfit! All the running around was certainly worth it to see Chive in such cute garb.

The Valentione's decorations themselves are nothing special, though they are featured in every city. I don't think they really compare to the winter holiday decorations, but I suppose you can't have both a great outfit and great decorations, eh? At least I got to spend some time with other folks in their Valentione's gear. My only complaint about the event is the fact that it was a requirement to exchange chocolates with someone of the opposite gender in order to complete the quest. Really, Square Enix, it's 2014!

As I've said before, it's great to see monthly events, but I'm not sure how much longer Square Enix will be able to keep it up... I wonder what the next seasonal event will be?

Looking back, I'm surprised I made it 15 episodes without naming one of them "Anime Boyfriends." Well, the time has finally come, and who better to talk about anime boyfriend simulators (aka otome and BL games) with than Amanda Cosmos? Her background in QA brings some really interesting insight to the discussion, as well, since I know absolutely nothing about how games work beneath what I see on the screen. Don't worry if you're unfamiliar with otome or BL games – we discuss exactly what those words mean, as well as some standout titles in the genres and our own personal favorites!

Remember, February is Dating Sim Month, so there's no better time to jump into the genre!

Dating Sim Community Game-Along information: http://www.chic-pixel.com/2014/01/introducing-dating-sim-community-game.html
Amanda's Otome 101 part 1: http://acosmos.net/post/75479460804/otome-games-101-origins

Opening ♫ - Ai Catch – Goatbed
Closing ♫ - Orion de SHOUT OUT – Kishō Taniyama

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