Review: Pokemon Let's Go (Nintendo Switch)

If you like video games, chances are that at some point you’ve played one of the many Pokemon games that exist on older consoles, ranging from the Gameboy to the Nintendo 3DS and now the Nintendo Switch. The newest Pokemon game Pokemon Let’s Go manages to keep the nostalgic feeling of games like Pokemon Yellow by using similar layouts and the original 151 Pokemon, but updates visuals and everything else to make it feel much better on a modern console. With a mix of streamlined Pokemon catching mechanics from Pokemon Go, clever dungeon puzzles, all those trainer battles and a personalized-feeling gaming experience thanks to the choice of a partner Pokemon, Pokemon Let’s Go combines old and new concepts well to make Let’s Go echo the greatness of its source material while being simple enough to make it enjoyable now, and this easy-to-pick experience in my first return to the world of console Pokemon games is one I’m glad that Let’s Go made me come back to.

5 Anime Series I Like and the JRPGs They Led Me To

When I was a kid, before there were JRPGs in my life, there was anime. And while JRPGs eventually became the thing I loved more, I loved anime for similar reasons when I was most into it. Its inspirational characters, gorgeous animation and stories I couldn’t find anywhere else kept me coming back to it at different times in my life, whether it be for the childhood inspiration magical girl anime provided or the darker side of the genre I found as an adult. As much as my relationship with anime has changed, I’m sure it led me on the path to JRPGs in different ways, from making me drawn to its visual style in games or introducing me to story styles that are some of my favourites regardless of the medium. Anime might be a smaller part of my life now, but these are five of the anime series I enjoyed watching that I can link a few of my JRPG choices to at different points in time.

My Favourite JRPGs From E3 2017

E3 2017 wasn’t amazing for JRPG fans this year, but that doesn't mean it was without a few great JRPG announcements inserted between the usual E3 stuff. There were a few good surprise announcements in Nintendo’s show and other trailers for big titles sprinkled through the week of E3 that still made it a fun week to be looking out for game news. There are certainly some JRPGs deserving of hype that had me either excited for their story, gameplay or long off releases that I’ll be keeping in mind for awhile, so here’s a list of what I was personally excited by during E3 this year.

My JRPG Dream Crate!

When Loot Crate put out the idea of creating your own Dream Loot Crate ideas as part of their Dream Crate project, I absolutely had to make a JRPG Crate.  I’ve watched a Loot Crate unboxing video or two on Youtube before, and each crate seems full of fun themed items and geeky gifts, I’ve just never seen a theme that made me subscribe to getting their crates monthly, but if there was a JRPG Crate I'd probably be very tempted to subscribe.

The idea of the Dream Crate is to pick a theme, the items you'd put in it and the franchises you'd include. If the theme is considered a good idea, it may become the theme of a future Loot Crate! I love the idea of coming home one day to a box of wonderful JRPG goodies, so here are five things I’d be more than happy to see in my Dream Crate (and will probably now be trying to purchase because more JRPG merch didn’t hurt anyone).

Square Enix Vivi Plushie

(Final Fantasy IX)

It wouldn’t be a JRPG Dream Crate without something from Final Fantasy and I thought this Vivi plushie from Square Enix would be perfect. Vivi is a pretty beloved Final Fantasy character for many reasons, such as his iconic black mage aesthetic, his curious personality and his important role in Final Fantasy IX’s story. Not only is Vivi a great character to include, he also makes a super cute plushie that would look great in any JRPG plushie collection (I need to buy him so I can have a Final Fantasy plushie collection).

Pop Vinyl #261 King Mickey

(Kingdom Hearts)

When I saw that they were making Kingdom Hearts Pop Vinyl, I was pretty surprised as, well, I don’t know of any other JRPG Pop Vinyls that aren’t something major like Pokemon. It’s a pleasant surprise, as the Kingdom Hearts Pop Vinyls are totally cute. For a Kingdom Hearts fan like myself, I think the King Mickey figure is fitting for my Dream Crate, with Mickey wielding the golden keyblade and with the keyblade being so iconic to Kingdom Hearts.

Sanshee Junes Shirt

(Persona 4)

I’ve been wanting a Junes shirt for a really long time and I think I would squeal with joy if one arrived on my doorstep with a box of other JRPG goodies! If you've played Persona 4, then you've probably had the Junes song in your head at least once. Since Persona 4 Golden is what brought me hardcore back into JRPGs, I would wear this shirt with all of my Inaba pride. It would be great to wear while playing Persona 5!

(Although it’s sold out at the time of posting, I chose the Sanshee shirt because I like the design. There are some great Persona 4 shirt options at Insert Coin Clothing as well!)

Neptune Pen

(Hyperdimension Neptunia)

In JRPGs, the fan service aspect is often a polarising aspect of the genre, but I feel like it would be wrong to ignore it, especially when it comes to making a box of JRPG goods. Whether you love or hate it, this Hyperdimension Neptunia pen represents the fan service, colourful and anime aspects of JRPGs in my Dream Crate. Also, I kinda just want a JRPG pen I can use during my day job to get me excited for JRPG time when I get home.

(Fun fact: I was tossing up between this pen or a body pillow at first.)

3DS Card Case*

(Pokemon)

Since Pokemon is most people's first childhood JRPG if you're the same age as me, I decided I definitely wanted something Pokémon-related in my Dream Crate. Most of my Dream Crate items are for use outside of gaming time, so this Pokemon Card Case is for carrying your JRPGs for during the day JRPG time. I currently use a boring looking clear case for my Vita games, so at the very least I'd prefer to get a nice one with Poke Balls on it for my 3DS!

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If you like my Dream Crate or even just the idea of a JRPG Loot Crate, make sure to let Loot Crate know by sharing my article or telling them on social media! I'd love to see a box of JRPG goodies for real! And feel free to leave your own JRPG Dream Crate ideas in the comments.
Leave a comment below, send me a tweet at @JRPGJungle, hit me up on Facebook, Youtube or Instagram and let's talk!

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Make sure to follow the blog here, follow @JRPGJungle on Twitter and Instagram, like JRPG Jungle on Facebook and Subscribe to the mailing list and Youtube Channel for updates on content and random musings on JRPG news and games. You're awesome! <3

Any link marked with * is an affiliate link that helps supports the site, so if you use it, thank you!

Transparency Note: Loot Crate did reach out to me with the idea for this post, but I promise that all ideas in this article are 100% my own!

The Results of My 2016 Gaming New Year Resolutions - Success or Failure?

There's a special feeling that comes with making New Year's Resolutions. The main reason I like them is because it's promising yourself you'll be better next year, which can't be anything but positive even if the resolution isn't always kept. The Gaming Resolutions I made at the beginning of this year were in the back of my mind all year and somewhat guided my gaming choices in 2016. But with only so much gaming time in my life thanks to working full time, my successes and failures with these Resolutions mostly came down to what I was most excited to play. While my overall success with these resolutions may be questionable, the ones I did the best with did had a positive effect on my gaming life and that's all I can really ask for. Here are the results, successes and failures of my 2016 Gaming Resolutions, hope you enjoy!

1. Play (and finish) a Pokemon game

Result: Played a bit of Diamond and the Sun and Moon demo. Didn't finish one.

Having just gotten a 3DS when I wrote my gaming resolutions last year, I definitely had some 3DS fever influencing my Resolutions and forgot about the fact that I'm invested in so many PlayStation series having almost exclusively played PlayStation games since I was a kid. I did however try my best to play Pokemon Diamond in Japanese without a dictionary and while it was pretty fun, I kept getting lost in a town and not playing for a bit and well, I haven’t touched it in months.

I played the Pokemon Sun and Moon demo in English and enjoyed it quite a bit, but with World of Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy XV out around the same time as Sun and Moon, there wasn’t much chance of me committing to buying the game. So while I did play some Pokemon games this year, I’d say I didn’t play as much as I intended to when I bought my 3DS. I’d like to play more Pokemon sometime, but perhaps when there are less exciting games that I'm invested in just released.

2. Branch out to some different series

Result: Successful!

While I didn’t play Atelier or a main series Hyperdimension Neptunia game like I intended to, I can happily say I did try a bunch more series this year. I tried Indie JRPGs for the first time, such as the very fun X-Tactics and the intriguing Legrand Legacy and Light Fairytale, and I also tried other notable JRPG series such as Fire Emblem, Lost Dimension and Sorcery Saga that all left good impressions on me. I still have a big list of JRPGs I’d like to play still, such as the Disgaea series and Atelier, so I look forward to getting to them eventually.

3. Play some 3DS-only titles

Result: Played Fire Emblem Awakening and not much else

I had really good intentions with this goal. I've been really excited for some 3DS titles that I thought I'd never play such as Fire Emblem and Bravely Default and when I finally got my 3DS, I thought I'd play them all immediately. I got really good at diving into my backlog in 2015 and I kept getting into my backlog this year, which counter-productively is mostly PlayStation games. I did however finally play Fire Emblem: Awakening and it was one of the most fun games I played this year. I hope to play more next year but I don't know if I'll make any promises this time.

4. Play the Tomba! series

Result: Itch not scratched

I'll keep this brief since Tomba is pretty much not a JRPG - I didn't play Tomba and I don't know when I will. I would love to sit down and replay games such as Tomba, Spyro and Sonic from my childhood sometime, but I'm so focused on catching up on the JRPGs I haven't played that I don't know when I will. Maybe I'll play them in Japanese for study sometime, but it's unfortunately not high on my priority list at this point.

5. Play another classic Final Fantasy game

Result: Should’ve done this...didn't though

I played every new mobile Final Fantasy game, saw Kingsglaive twice in cinemas and am currently playing two console Final Fantasy games. Playing a classic Final Fantasy game crossed my mind multiple times but when it did, it was at a point where I felt like something different and since I consumed so many new Final Fantasy things in 2016, I don't think it's strange that I didn't finish this one. I would still like to play my way through the old Final Fantasy games so I'll be keeping Final Fantasy VIII in mind the next time I'm out of new games to play.

I spent most of my gaming year focusing on balancing my favourite franchises with new experiences. Although I only truly completed one out of five of my resolutions, it was a nice change to my gaming life. I'm really certain JRPG series but it's nice to remember there are other great franchises that I may love just as much, if not more than ones I'm familiar with. I'm also very thankful to everyone who recommended games to me in 2016 and in my new (potentially smaller) list of resolutions I hope I can be recommended more great games.

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Did you make any gaming resolutions for this year? How did they go?

Leave a comment below, send me a tweet at @JRPGJungle, hit me up on Facebook or Instagram and let's talk!

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Make sure to follow the blog here, follow @JRPGJungle on Twitter and Instagram, like JRPG Jungle on Facebook and Subscribe to the mailing list for updates on content and random musings on JRPG news and games. You're awesome! <3

PS. Merry Christmas! <3

JRPGs I Played in Fall 2016

Fall marked the release of three long-awaited games: Persona 5 released in Japan and is now my main Japanese study tool, the delightful World of Final Fantasy and the very recently released Final Fantasy XV. Other than having some of my most anticipated games come out, I'm also really pleased with the amount of new JRPG worlds I explored in Fall. I had a silly curry adventure with Sorcery Saga, deferred moves and made relationships in Lost Dimension and tried multiple Indie JRPGs that all were very different. All these games left me with a really optimistic feeling coming into Winter, particularly with the release of Final Fantasy XV. Here's my list of what I played in Fall, feel free to let me know what you played too!

Final Fantasy XV (PS4)

Status: Only a couple of hours in as of writing this. Hoping to sink A LOT of hours into it!

I've barely scratched the stunning surface of Final Fantasy XV, but what I've played was certainly satisfying. I'm amazed by its giant looking world and while I'm a JRPG fan at heart, I love how it's so far a nice combination of the good parts of WRPGs such as choices and open worlds with typical JRPG’s skill trees, stat-building and unique dialogue. I haven't played nearly enough to give a full opinion, but I hope I remain this positive about it throughout my time with.

You can pick up Final Fantasy XV for PS4 and Xbox One from Play-Asia.com!*

A Story of the End - Revere (PC Demo)

Status: Finished the demo multiple times

Revere serves as a great indie cherry on top of my Fall gaming season as one of the last games I played this season. It was an enjoyable 45 minute experience that involved talking rabbits and bears, sprites and a surprisingly emotional twist in its story. The version I played had some grammar errors and a lack of tutorials, but the new version on Steam fixes a lot of what I talked about, so I recommend checking it out if you think it looks interesting!

You can read my First Impressions here!

You can try A Story of the End: Revere's demo for free on Steam, for download at Itch.io or Game Jolt.

The full version is scheduled for release in Fall 2017.

World of Final Fantasy (PS Vita)

Status: Playing the absolute honk out of it

If my JRPG Appreciation Post didn’t get this message across, let me say it now: I love World of Final Fantasy. It may even be one of the best games I’ve played all year. It combines so many things I love from Final Fantasy and other JRPGs: monster hunting, interesting evolutions, the Final Fantasy battle system and a quirky story mixed in with many characters I love and many new ones that make me want to get to know more about them and their respective games. I’ve been a fan of plenty of games that combine Final Fantasy characters from various series, whether it be Final Fantasy Record Keeper, Final Fantasy Brave Exvius or even Kingdom Hearts, but World of Final Fantasy is pretty much a perfect tribute to the series so far and I really don’t want it to end. Planning to platinum it!

Check out my post about World of Final Fantasy's awesome stacking mechanic here!

You can pick up World of Final Fantasy for PS4 and PS Vita at Play-Asia.com!*

Pokemon Sun and Moon (3DS Demo)

Status: Finished the demo

While I'm not playing the full version of Pokemon Sun and Moon like most JRPG fans, I did take a peak at the gameplay with the 3DS demo. To my delight, the Japanese demo included the English language version so I was able to play my absolute best. While the demo is played with an OP Pokemon, I enjoyed seeing how far Pokemon had come since the last full Pokemon game I played. The Alola Region looks beautiful and I like the idea of the challenge system rather than versing gym leaders. I'd like to revisit Alola in the full version sometime, but with all these Final Fantasy games to play, I may be a little while.

You can pick up the full version of Pokemon Sun and Moon from Play-Asia.com or download the free demo from the Nintendo e-Shop!

Light Fairytale (PC Demo)

Status: Finished the demo

I played Light Fairytale thanks to noticing the adorable 3D-sprite character designs when the developer tagged me in a Twitter post. I honestly checked Light Fairytale based on the cuteness of its sprites, but I was pleasantly surprised with an interesting little demo experience. While I haven't finished Final Fantasy VII, I have played Crisis Core and I can say the maps and music of Light Fairytale is reminiscent of Final Fantasy VII in a good way. The demo is pretty short, but it looks like an interesting story and world to run around in and I'll definitely be checking this out when it's released.

You can download a free demo of Light Fairytale at Gamejolt!

Sorcery Saga: Curse of the Great Curry God (PS Vita)

Status: Finished the main story. Still eating curry multiple times a week.

I downloaded Sorcery Saga a few years ago, played the first dungeon and jumped out because it wasn't what I was used to. I decided to jump back in a month ago as I remembered it's quirky dialogue and after a few heavier games such as Lost Dimension and Fire Emblem: Awakening, I was missing silly JRPG humour. Sorcery Saga couldn't have been a more perfect game for this.

Sorcery Saga: Curse of the Great Curry God is an extremely silly search for curry ingredients in a ruthless roguelike dungeon. As my first roguelike, I had to learn about item management and knowing what fights are worth it or not and had plenty of game overs, yet it was strangely a lot of fun. Now that I've finished it, there are a lot of things I miss about Sorcery Saga. The silly jokes about curry and wannabe heroes gave me a lot to love about Sorcery Saga. In the next quiet gaming point, I’d love to try another silly game like this, whether it’s Neptunia or another series, for some more laughs and good JRPG times. If you know of a good, silly JRPG with interesting gameplay I might like, please comment and let me know!

Check out my review of Sorcery Saga here!

You can pick up Sorcery Saga: Curse of the Great Curry God for PS Vita at Play-Asia.com!*

Dragon's Crown (PS Vita)

Status: Too many boobs?

I really wanted to enjoy Dragon’s Crown. I’d heard so many good things about it, one of my favourite voice actors (Erin Fitzgerald) was in it and although the art style was different to what I was used to, it looked like a deep fantasy experience and I'm always up for trying something different. When I was looking through the character selection screen, I noticed the art style had a lot more….flesh than I was used to, even as a JRPG player. I’m far from a prude, but as I got into the first stop in Dragon’s Crown and noticed the zoomed in cleavage of the NPC, I realised I could not play Dragon’s Crown comfortably in the Starbucks seat I was sitting in. Or the train. Or any public place.

I think most people don’t care what other people do in public, but for me I would rather play this at home without the fear of prying eyes thinking I'm doing something much more inappropriate than playing a video game. Since I’m not the biggest fan of beat-em-up side-scrollers, it’s not high on my priority list after this experience. Let me know your experience with Dragon’s Crown in the comments below and if it's worth playing in the privacy of my home.

You can pick up Dragon's Crown for PS3 and PS Vita at Play-Asia.com!*

Persona 5 (PS3)

Status: Played 40 hours, then started all over again to play slowly with a dictionary to understand the story. Almost at the second save point.

When Persona 5 came out, there was no question: I needed to play it, regardless of my Japanese level. I could sit here talking about how much I love the combat, how I love the delinquent main characters and how I think it somehow improves all the things that were already great in Persona, but the reality is after getting past the first dungeon, I’ve been slugging through with a dictionary and I'm barely through the first month again. Even if it's slow, this is probably one of the most engaging ways for me to improve my Japanese since I want to know every little thing about the story. I know it's gonna take me awhile and I'm okay with that as I'm also excited for the localisation in April. It's definitely a game to be excited for and the language barrier will definitely keep some surprise in store for me in April.

Check out my first impressions of the Japanese version here!

You can pick up Persona 5 in Japanese or pre-order it in English for PS3 and PS4 at Play-Asia.com!

Lost Dimension (PS Vita)

Status: Finished the main story, want to play again for the true ending.

Lost Dimension was a nice way to fill my Final Fantasy XV delay void. I had a lot of fun with its Defer system, the magical gifts and the deeper side of the characters found in the social aspect of the game. The only problem is my experience feels a little incomplete since I didn't get the true ending and I didn't get to know some of my favourite characters (AGITO!) because well, they were pretty much randomly selected to die in my playthrough. I hope to come back to Lost Dimension next time a game delays and truly finish the game. If you want some suspicion mixed in with your JRPG experience, Lost Dimension is pretty interesting!

Check out my review of Lost Dimension here!

You can pick up Lost Dimension for PS3 and PS Vita at Play-Asia.com!*

Mobius Final Fantasy (iOS)

Status: Not playing

I was super excited to try Mobius Final Fantasy, particularly since I was moving apartments as it came out. Only problem is that I didn't like it nearly as much as I expected and now it's just chilling on my phone taking up data because I feel bad deleting it. It's been announced for PC though and I'm keen to give it another try there. I thought it was too complicated and had too many tiny buttons for a smartphone game so I'm hoping it'll be a more comfortable experience so I can try the story out a bit more.

Check out my Mobius Final Fantasy first impressions here!
Mobius Final Fantasy is free and available in both the App Store and the Google Play store.

X-Tactics (iOS)

Status: Playing occasionally

I was pleasantly surprised when I booted up X-Tactics last month as it ran so smoothly it almost felt like a new game. The Gamkin team have obviously been working hard since I reviewed it as they've gone well beyond the version number I played during my review (they’re past version 20, I reviewed up to version 4.4) and it really shows. The gameplay has been slightly altered to remove some of the touch mechanics, but it actually makes the experience much faster and smoother. Speaking of speed, X-Tactics is downright zippy in the speed department. I used to try have 10 minutes aside for an X-Tactics game but I can fit an average mission into about 5 minutes now, which makes me really happy when I’m transferring trains. Also, I finally got my beloved Kuu thanks to free X-Coins and he's adorable. I’m really impressed with how far X-Tactics has come and will be sticking around as it continues to improve.

X-Tactics is available for free on iOS and  Android.

Kingdom Hearts Unchained χ (iOS)

Status: Logging in during free AP events, at around quest 120

While I had a lot of fun with Kingdom Hearts Unchained during it’s beginning no-AP campaign, I haven’t felt as compelled as I did with other mobile games to come back to it. I didn't play it much due to the slow moving story, but I did log back in for a few days during one of the recent no-AP events to try get further through the story. While I only get 10-20 quests ahead and didn’t find any significant story, Unchained is still fun, even if it’s a little repetitive.

Check out my review of Kingdom Hearts Unchained X here!
Kingdom Hearts Unchained X is available for free on iOS and Android.

Final Fantasy Brave Exvius (iOS)

Status: In Lanzelt, slowly getting through the story

Brave Exvius is probably the mobile game I’ve been playing most recently, as its quests are fairly quick and I’ve been playing my Vita at work a lot these days. I had a few good draws from the random unit draw, including a 5-star Lightning but I'm more into the story than collection at the moment. While I’ve been playing extremely slowly, the story has great dialogue and I hope to get through it and I'm glad the charming characters are keeping me interested.

Check out my review of Final Fantasy Brave Exvius here!
Final Fantasy Brave Exvius is available for free on iOS and Android.

Digimon World Next Order (Japanese, PS Vita)

Status: Played an hour or two, not actively playing

When I got Digimon World Next Order, despite playing another game at the same time I was so excited that I had to try it immediately. One of my favourite games as a kid was the original Digimon World and when I saw how similar Next Order was in its trailer, I was filled with nostalgia. Next Order is currently only in Japanese so I had a little trouble understanding the new mechanics, but since it was so similar to what I played as a kid, I was able to have fun doing my first Digivolution and getting a Digimon to come to the city. The only problem is I got a Veemon instead of an Agumon to hang out with my Gabumon and I'm very much an Agumon fan. I will have to fix this as soon as I get back in, but I don't know if I'll play before or after the localisation is released.

You can pick up Digimon World: Next Order in Japanese for PS Vita or pre-order it in English for PS4 at Play-Asia.com!*

Winter Gaming Plan

With Final Fantasy XV having just been released, my gaming plan is pretty simple: play Final Fantasy XV. I expect to be playing it at least until Christmas (but probably well after), so that will take a majority of my console gaming time. It's looking like I'm nearing the end of World of Final Fantasy in my portable gaming life and after that I have far too many things to play. I'm quite tempted buy Pokemon Sun and Moon, but I'm also tempted to pick up an older game. I did make one of my JRPG new year resolutions to play Final Fantasy VIII so that's an idea, but I also don't know how I feel about playing two Final Fantasy games simultaneously. I may try Hyperdimension Neptunia: Re;Birth1, but obviously I'm quite undecided. In regards to my Japanese gaming for my language studies, I'm easily going to be playing Persona 5 for awhile so I'll stick with that. I can't see myself finishing it with three months but I'm enjoying taking my time with it.

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What did you play last season? What will you play this season?

Leave a comment below, send me a tweet at @JRPGJungle, hit me up on Facebook or Instagram and let's talk!

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Make sure to follow the blog here, follow @JRPGJungle on Twitter and Instagram, like JRPG Jungle on Facebook and Subscribe to the mailing list for updates on content and random musings on JRPG news and games. You're awesome! <3

Any link marked with * is an affiliate link that helps supports the site, so if you use it, thank you!

Discovering the Fun of the Nintendo 3DS as an Avid PS Vita Fan

PS Vita has been my favourite portable console for awhile. I've had some of my best gaming experiences on it, such as Persona 4 Golden bringing me hardcore back into gaming and JRPGs, playing Final Fantasy X HD as my first game experience in all Japanese, going deeper into the Final Fantasy series with Final Fantasy IX and getting heavily sucked into so many stories that had as much depth as that ones I play on home consoles. Because I was having so much fun on my Vita, I initially had a very low level of interest in the 3DS for a long time. The only thing I was missing without a 3DS was the childhood nostalgia of Pokemon games that I never truly felt like I was missing out because I still had a Gameboy Advance. What finally got me properly interested in the 3DS was when Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance came out, which I was initially annoyed about as it was the first Kingdom Hearts game I couldn't play on Playstation. As much as it annoyed me, when it happened again with Persona Q I felt like a needed the console to continue these series I loved.

When I finally got my 3DS, I assumed for the most part I’d only play Pokemon, Kingdom Hearts and Persona. I didn’t think of the 3DS as a JRPG machine as that was how I thought of my Vita, but after doing some research into the system's library I quickly discovered there was plenty for a JRPG player like myself to enjoy. I first started picking up random Japanese DS JRPGs such as Pokemon Diamond to help my Japanese studies, but it was when I started playing Fire Emblem Awakening that I realised that while the 3DS may not have the same amount of JRPGs as the PS Vita, they certainly had some quality ones.

One of the things that make me love JRPGs so much is there silliness and for some reason it never crossed my mind that a brand like Nintendo would naturally put fun games like this into its 3DS library. Even while playing Fire Emblem Awakening, I noticed this silliness during the Support system and it reminded me why I was jealous of my friends who owned Nintendo 64s when I was younger. Whether in the form of chibi characters like in Persona Q or the witty lines in Fire Emblem Awakening, the games I’ve played so far on the Nintendo 3DS have featured great gameplay while not taking itself too seriously.

As much as the 3DS features a lot of fun and humour-filled games like Yo-Kai Watch and Persona Q, it does also feature serious games such as Shin Megami Tensei IV. The same could be said about PS Vita, with it featuring many fun and humourous JRPGs such as Hyperdimension Neptunia but also featuring darker ones like Lost Dimension. As a JRPG fan, having both the 3DS and PS Vita means I have access to more portable JRPGs than I can get through in my lifetime and with plenty of fun options on both systems, I definitely feel pretty spoiled (and a little overwhelmed).

While I’m taking a break from my usual JRPG time on PS Vita to play the Japanese visual novel cross third-person shooter Danganronpa: Ultra Despair Girls, I can say I love both systems and feel really lucky to have both. While new and upcoming PS Vita games such as Caligula and World of Final Fantasy have me more excited than Pokemon Sun and Moon on Nintendo 3DS, the 3DS’s popular and lighthearted franchises definitely have their place in the gaming world and I’m glad to welcome them into mine. With a lot of new releases focusing on home-console games, I hope the PS Vita and 3DS both stay around for a long time as great handheld JRPG machines.

You can pick up Fire Emblem Awakening, Persona Q and plenty more portable games for 3DS and Vita at Play-Asia.com!

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What's your favourite 3DS JRPG? Are you Team 3DS or Vita?

Leave a comment below, send me a tweet at @JRPGJungle, hit me up Facebook or Instagram and let's talk!

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Make sure to follow the blog here, follow @JRPGJungle on Twitter and Instagram and like JRPG Jungle on Facebook for updates on content and random musings on JRPG news and games. You're awesome! <3

An E3 2016 Summary for the JRPG Fan!

E3 2016 was full of a lot of great surprises, conferences and games and a nice, big handful of them were JRPGs! As I mentioned last year, Tokyo Game Show is usually a better show for JRPG fans, but nonetheless E3 usually has a few major JRPGs mixed in, this year being games such as Final Fantasy XV and Persona 5. It took me about a week to catch up with all the news and announcements and that's because there's a lot to be excited about being released, which you can read about in this article.

Five New Years Resolutions For Gaming - 2016 Edition!

It might sound weird to say, but one of the funnest things I did last year was making and doing New Years Resolutions for my gaming life. Doing them has vastly improved my gaming life for the better - I finally played some classics (I've played Final Fantasy IX and Danganronpa now!), I'm trying a new console and most importantly, I'm playing and discovering more and more great games.

In the spirit of continuing this awesome gaming life, this year I decided to do a new set of gaming resolutions. This year's ones are very different to last year's due to a certain new console in my life, but they're all things I've been wishing I had more time to do, so it's time to make time to play these games. The main theme of my goals this year is trying many series I didn't have access to because of my PlayStation life, while also checking out some older games that I either miss playing or haven't played. The main struggle for these goals will be balancing these new games with all my current favourite series on Playstation. Persona 5 is meant to be coming, along with Danganronpa v3 and Final Fantasy XV. These won't be short games and I'm very excited for them, so they will no doubt be a distraction (along with, you know, my full time job).

You are also invited to make your own Gaming New Years Resolutions!

They can be as big or small as you like and you can list as little or as many as you like, like regular new years resolutions. Here are mine, feel free to leave yours in the comments below or hashtag it on Twitter with #JRPGJGamingResolutions.

To every single person who reads this, have a very Happy New Year! Let's spend the JRPG love again this year! <3

1. Play (and finish) a Pokemon game

Pokemon games were some of my favourite games ever as a child. As an adult, I've never returned to the series properly, although I have thought about it a lot. Emulators never gave me the same satisfaction as using the Gameboy and since having a Gameboy, I haven't owned any other Nintendo consoles. Until now!

Since I now have a 3DS, all the Pokemon titles are at my fingertips. I haven't made the decision if I want to go for one of the new Pokemon games (I was really excited when Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire) or go back to older ones. In any case, I'm pretty keen to try 'catch 'em all' once again. The challenge for this goal will be the sheer length of a Pokemon game, but I'm hoping if the game is fun enough, the time will fly by easily and my Pokemon itch will be satisfied.

2. Branch out to some different series

I tend to play and indulge in a lot of the same series - Final Fantasy, Persona and the new addition to my group of favourites, Danganronpa. There's nothing necessarily wrong with this, but there are many RPG series and one-offs I haven't tried because of this.

Nothing in the world will stop me from playing Persona 5, Final Fantasy XV/VII Remake and Danganronpa v3 when they're released, however I'd like to challenge myself to try series such as Atelier, Hyperdimension Neptunia and more of the Gust games that I'm always intrigued by. Again, I only have so much gaming time but I hope to try many more series next year, especially when I tie it in with the next goal.

3. Play some 3DS-only titles

I'm pretty loyal to PlayStation when it comes to gaming. As much as I love Playstation and their games, this means I've missed out on Bravely Default, Phoenix Wright, Final Fantasy Explorers, Fantasy Life, Fire Emblem, Persona Q, Yo-Kai Watch and probably many other games on 3DS. I adore my PS Vita and my PS3 and 4, but I'd like to challenge myself to try these titles and series that I once assumed I'd never play. Bring on the Fire Emblem and Bravely Default next year!

4. Play the Tomba series

Technically not a JRPG, but still a quirky Japanese game. Tomba 2 (in Australia and Europe called Tombi) was one of my childhood favourite games because of it's fun platforming and many challenges to complete, which started my life as a completionist. I tried going back to it a year ago and it was pretty wacky. Maybe even a little too wacky, as I didn't play it for more than a few days. Since then, I've had an unscratched Tomba itch. I'd like to finally play the first one and go back to the second one and see if the crazy pink haired jungle kid game is still for me. Give me closure, Tomba!

5. Play another classic Final Fantasy game

This one's simple - Playing Final Fantasy IX was one of the highlights of my gaming year last year. I'd love to play more than one classic Final Fantasy game this year, but I'm being realistic and saying just one. Probably Final Fantasy VIII. I played up to the second disc of Final Fantasy VIII when I was younger, but the disc I was borrowing glitched out on me and wouldn't let me continue. I remember it being a fun game and getting pretty addicted by disc 2, so this will be a fun one to get back into again.

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Tell me your Gaming resolutions!
Leave a comment below or send @JRPGJungle a tweet with #JJGamingResolutions and let's talk!

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Make sure to follow @JRPGJungle on Twitter for updates about new content and shorter musings on JRPG news and games. You're awesome! <3

The Original 'Pokemon Trading Card' Game Coming To Europe's 3DS Virtual Console

Want to relive the greatness that was the Pokemon Trading Card game? Now you can, on European Nintendo 3DS's Virtual Console. The game is set for release July 10th (which in my side of the world is today) and will be going at about 5 dollars, varying on which currency you use.

The Pokemon Trading Card game was originally released on Gameboy Color. The physical Gameboy game is actually still available on Amazon, although the Virtual Console port certainly seems more cost effective!

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E3 2014 - Nintendo: Pokemon Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby's Release Dates and Gameplay Footage

The trailer basically says it all, along with some cool cinematics and gameplay to keep things interesting. Pokemon Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby will be released on November 28th this year, so look forward to it!

I've already pre-ordered Sapphire for me and Ruby version for the boyfriend. Comment below if you've pre-ordered too!

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You can pre-order Pokemon Omega Ruby and Pokemon Alpha Sapphire for 3DS from Amazon. As the game is on 3DS, please make sure you a pre-ordering the right region for your console.

Follow @JRPGJungle on Twitter to keep up to date with our news, reviews, articles and J-RPG musings!

Sharing is Caring! Pokemon Emerald/Ruby/Sapphire Battle Music (Orchestra Cover by George King)

Need some epic nostalgia? Here's an awesome orchestrated version of the Champions theme from Pokemon Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald to celebrate the upcoming release of Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. The orchestration really makes the already great piece soar!

Now I REALLY want to play Pokemon.

The orchestration is done by George King (my boyfriend) who was so keen for the new Pokemon games that he made this. You can check out his other pieces at his website: http://www.mihosproductions.com/

16/5/2014 - J-RPG Jungle's weekly game annoucement round up!

I honestly don't understand why I didn't do this sooner. Heaps of new games and trailers get announced every week, but it's hard to do a post on every single one. Each week, I'll put what I considered to be the most important ones here.

Spanning from Saturday to Friday, here goes!

(Please note: some of the links for pre-ordering these games are for the Japanese versions of the game.)

Omega Quintet (PS4)

(Click here to read the Original Post)

An extended version of the original teaser trailer. The trailer also provides this extremely beautiful slogan for the game:

In a world on the verge of destruction, singing might be their only hope.

...Shut up and take my money.

A first look at Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire (3DS)

A small, but satisfying sneak peek of Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. You know, for if you weren't already wishing it was November.

Pokemon Art Academy (3DS)

I wasn't actually interested in this game until watching the trailer. It's not something I'll personally buy, but I love that they included the use of highlighting, shading etc and the range of simple and more complicated drawings. Could be a lot of fun for beginners in digital art or people who enjoy drawing.

Super Sonico in Production (3DS)

You may know Sonico from the Soni Ani anime. Now she's getting her own Idol game! I don't know a heap about this game other than it's due out in Japanese in July. But hey, I'll always take another Idol game!

Final Fantasy Agito (iOS Japan)

This is probably the best original Final Fantasy title I've seen in a while, yet there is no way I can get it right now....dammit! Such teases.

Anyway, this game has been talked about for awhile and is out now in Japan. It is set in the same universe as Final Fantasy Type-0 and begins with the player creating their own character and starting out in a magic academy. I really hope this gets localised.

Arcana Heart 3 Love Max!!!!! (PS3/PSV)

Previously in Arcades and on consoles, the upgraded Arcana Heart 3 game boasts Arc System Works awesome fighting mechanisms and young girls, plus the awesome story mode we know and love. It's all been announced for localisation. Horray!

Persona 4 Arena Ulimax (PS3/XBOX360)

Without any spoilers for the original Persona 4 Arena, Labrys was by far my favourite story in the game and a fun character to fight with. Here's her trailer for Ultimax!

Pokemon are remaking Ruby and Sapphire!

Were you a fan of Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire? Or (like me), have you not had a chance to play these wonderful games?

(I have Pokemon Sapphire and a Gameboy Advance sitting in my house for Gods sake. What am I actually doing with my life?)

To the delight of Pokemon fans, Nintendo and Game Freak have announced the upcoming release of Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. These games are remakes of the previous Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire games from 2003. Not many other details were released, however as you can see in the trailer, the covers look epic. The game is set to be released in November 2014.

All I can say is: I'm getting my piggy bank ready!

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If you have a US region 3DS or 2DS, you can pre-order Pokemon Omega Ruby and Pokemon Alpha Sapphire at Play-Asia.com