How to get into Japanese rock and pop by listening to Tales series music

By Jenni Lada // 1.22.191.22.19

Lots of great Japanese games have major Japanese rock and pop singers providing the theme songs for them. The Final Fantasy series had Gackt providing “Redemption” for Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus and Hikaru Utada always provides the theme song for each Kingdom Hearts game. But if there is one series that reliably brings out the best singers and songs, it is Bandai Namco’s Tales series. It routinely brings the bangers.

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The Gudetama Tamagotchi perfectly captures the character’s personality

By Jenni Lada // 1.16.191.13.19

Something unexpected happened as 2018 came to an end. Brace yourselves, because an odd Tamagotchi was released outside of Japan. A year after its Japanese debut, the Gudetama Tamagotchi ended up getting an English release in North America. This is simultaneously odd and novel, which means we are going to look over what this strange little device is and why it is such a cool thing to have.

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What to expect from the Retro-bit GoRetro Portable

By Jenni Lada // 9.11.189.11.18

Gaming has reached an age where people are getting unprecedented access to import games. Newer titles are becoming easier to acquire, thanks to the removal of region-blocks. Older games are being picked up and localized. One company, Retro-bit, is releasing plug-and-play systems and compilation cartridges with NES and SNES games that include some titles that never received an official release outside of Japan. One of the latest is the Retro-bit GoRetro Portable, a Game Boy-inspired handheld that runs on four AAA batteries and plays an assortment of titles that either were on the NES or would have been at home on the system.

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Let’s look at Atlus’ and Sega’s Purikura adventures

By Jenni Lada // 8.27.188.27.18

Back in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, Atlus was involved in a venture you wouldn’t expect. The company was a part of the Print Club fad. Though, you might recognize it as Purikura. This was a sensation where you popped into a photo booth, took some pictures, then added frames, words and accents to little pictures that would print out on stickers. (People who played Yakuza Kiwami may remember the Purikura photo booths!) It was a big deal at the time, but do you know how far it really went? Let’s review!

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How to date in Tamagotchi Mix

By Jenni Lada // 11.27.1711.27.17

Tamagotchi are virtual pets that have become increasingly detailed as time goes by. In many of the recent incarnations, players have the ability to create whole dynasties in their games. Once an owner has a character, they can pair it off with another via an in-game matchmaker or with a character someone else has raised in their own game. Tamagotchi Mix is no different. This latest line of course allows people to pair off their characters together to create families. However, it is when someone doesn’t have a real-world cohort that things get interesting.

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Pokémon Mini broke a few boundaries

By Jenni Lada // 10.11.1710.8.17

When it comes to Nintendo handhelds, people tend to recognize and remember only the most important ones. Everybody knows the Game Boy and its various models, the Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS. Those who really pay attention will recall the Game & Watch models released. But there is one system that is often forgotten: the Pokémon Mini. This short-lived handheld may not have made much of an impression, but packed in quite a few features that people wouldn’t have expected from such a small system at such a time.

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Super NES Classic Edition gives the ’90s’ greatest RPGs another chance to shine

By Jenni Lada // 10.5.1712.6.17

Every console makes a name for itself when it comes to providing games from certain genres. With the Super NES, Nintendo provided a system renowned for its RPGs. Japan came out in full force to support it with 30-60 hour adventures every few months. It was a wonderful time. But, there is a downside to all of these games being so good, and that is that their value only increased over the years. Their reputation preceded them, making them near impossible to find until Virtual Console releases. Even then, people needed to have a Nintendo 3DS or Wii U to properly access each one. The Super NES Classic Edition is important because it is a tool providing easy and immediate access to some of the most influential RPGs of all time.

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Pokemon Petite Pals are pretty precious

By Jenni Lada // 8.15.178.13.17

Some rather adorable Pokemon have recently stepped into the limelight. They’re the Pokemon Petite Pals, a line of toys from Tomy made with little girls in mind. Except, these new friends are actually some new ones we never knew we had. Each of these little buddies originally appeared years ago in Japan, and now they’re ready to find fame in other regions.

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Digimon Xros Wars is a digivice for busy adults

By Jenni Lada // 8.1.177.31.17

In the late ’90s, virtual pets were all the rage. Bandai’s Tamagotchi started a trend in 1996, with the company’s Digital Monster offering another take on it. While Tamagotchis were peaceful pets, Digimon were monsters you could raise, train and battle. Ten years after its 1997 launch, the Digimon Mini was released. This line offers smaller virtual pets for people to carry. Of this series, the Digimon Xros Wars variety is most convenient, giving people who grew up with the toys a more manageable pet.