Review: Hyperdimension Neptunia: Producing Perfection (PS Vita)

Hyperdimension Neptunia is always ready to make it's players laugh. It never takes itself too seriously as it parodies the real world video game industry, replacing the big name corporations with beautiful female heroines called CPUs. My first dive into the series was with this Idol spin-off game, Hyperdimension Neptunia: Producing Perfection. While Producing Perfection is very different from the JRPG gameplay of the main series, the Idol simulation game is full of funny dialogue and it's simple but fun gameplay and light-hearted story provides the perfect amusement level and length for a light game, being able to be completed in just a few hours. It's a great introduction to the series, especially for players like myself who are new to the series. With plenty of comedic moments, the girls of Hyperdimension Neptunia entertain both with their songs and their humour in this fun-filled Idol story.

The standard Hyperdimension Neptunia games are a parody of the video game world that usually involves JRPG mechanics and the girls fighting for their shares (as in stocks) in a 'console war'. The girls, known as CPUs, along with the areas they rule each represent a console. For example CPU Noire rules Lastation and Vert rules Leanbox, both which have names that match very closely to two real life game consoles. In Producing Perfection however, the story premise is twisted to include Idol culture. Set in Hyperdimension Neptunia's appropriately named world called Gameindustri, the four girls unexpectedly lose all of their hard-earned shares thanks to an Idol boom, which means they will lose their power. In order to keep their powers and their areas alive, they decide to combat this by becoming Idols themeselves. They will be helped by you, their Producer, who has been transported to the world of Gameindustri because of your Idol game prowess.

As an amateur producer, you have the opportunity to work with a single heroine on this journey, with each girl's personality offering different personality quirks to your journey to Idol share domination (or something like that). Neptune is very fun and happy, Noire is the sassy tsundere type, Blanc is somewhat balanced mix of extremely calm and violent and Vert is the most mature of the bunch and an avid gamer, who openly boasts to have the biggest breasts in Gameindustri. While all the girls are different, each story takes advantage of their more amusing, flirty and funnier sides to ensure that no matter which girl you pick, you will have fun. I played all the routes last year and in my recent replay I came back to Neptune, as her fun energy is infectious throughout the silly story.

Each in-game day lets you choose a different Idol or CPU related task. There's options to train to improve stats, have a publicity event to increase fans, spend time relaxing to decrease stress, move your Idol operation to another area or put on a concert (the biggest stat increaser). For the most part, you are completely free to choose whatever you want to do, as long as your Idol isn't stressed (if she's 100% stressed, it's game over). Balancing your Idol and Fan level is the main name of the game, but doing different tasks offer different cutscenes to help you get to know your Idol, so each option is kept interesting and entertaining. There isn't a lot of skill needed in every aspect of Producing Perfection, but I didn't mind as I was busy watching my character's funny antics and gaining fans to progress the story at a nice pace. Because the days are so fast, it's easy to advance multiple days in a manner of minutes. I liked the fast pace, especially since the game's subject manner is light. It stops Producing Perfecrion from becoming repetitive, which is probably best .

Lingering throughout the game is the time limit that the girls must complete their Idol quest in. If they don't complete this task within 180 days, they will lose all of their shares to MOB48 (a clear parody name of Japan's massive AKB48 girl group) and consequently their power. Once I spent maybe 10-20 in game days learning what would increase my Idol's stats and fans the fastest, this time limit was never an issue. Days pass by quickly and the game is achievable with 50-100 in-game days, depending on your luck or skill. The first time I played the game two years ago, I completed it in about 90-something days. In my most recent playthrough, it took a mere 51 days and about 4-5 real life hours.

The length of the game is either Producing Perfection's biggest fault or biggest success. You won't find a long term idol-simulation in this game, unless you're a completionist or enough of a fan of the Hyperdimension Neptunia series to unlock all events with all girls. If you're looking for a long game, this isn't it. For myself, Producing Perfection was an appropriate length, as there's not enough serious plot or twists to keep this game amusing for more than a few hours. However more replayablity can be found through playing as each of the girls or unlocking extra events. Because of Producing Perfection's short length, I really like that it allows you to play at a pace and seriousness level of whatever you're feeling like at the time.

Because of Producing Perfection's fast nature, most time is spent fleshing out the story. However there are some faults to be found in Concert Mode's gameplay. Concert mode is where Producing Perfection is the closest it gets to being an Idol game - you put on a stage show and it's time to try and win over the crowd. Choosing a costume and stage setting's for my Idol CPU girl was certainly fun, but the lack of song selection can make Concert mode feel repetitive, especially with only cute dancing (albeit very cute indeed) to hide behind since there's no dialogue. Once the Concert has begun, you have to win over the crowd, using stage effects and camera angles or even getting your CPU to use her more mature (both in personality and also visuals, with a noticeable chest enlargement for almost all character's forms) HDD power-up form. HDD mode almost always guarantees a successful show, stage mechanics can be fun to add, but there seemed to be no system to using the camera properly - it almost seemed like if I just moved it around and switched angles enough, my score would increase. I didn't personally mind the lack of overall challenge in Producing Perfection as I was just enjoying getting to know the CPU's, however for fans of Idol games or the JRPG version of Hyperdimension Neptunia, I can see it being potential bothersome to some players.

Hyperdimension Neptunia: Producing Perfection opens with a message encouraging people to basically 'relax and don't take it too seriously' and it sums up the game well. It's a humourous light Idol simulation game, with the spotlight mostly shining on it's fun dialogues and characters. Although it's day-to-day game life  is fun, it's idol components aren't the most challenging. If you're looking for deeper gameplay, I'd encourage you to look elsewhere (such as the main Hyperdimension Neptunia series), but if you're looking for a fun-filled, quick adventure living in a interesting universe mixed with a little music, Producing Perfection is good fun to fill a weekend or a day or so.

Score: 7.4/10
Not the most challenging game in the universe, but it's full of good quick Idol and Hyperdimension Neptunia fun for on the go or a relaxing afternoon full of cute and amusing characters.

You can pick up Hyperdimension Neptunia: Producing Perfection for PS Vita from Play-Asia.com now!

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Whose route are you the most interested in - Neptune's, Vert's, Blanc's or Noire's? What did you think of Producing Perfection?
Leave a comment below or send @JRPGJungle a tweet and let's talk!

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

Note: This article does contain affiliate links to Play-Asia to help support this site. You can read our Affiliate Link Policy here. Photos in this post are also from Play-Asia.

First Impressions - Nintendo 3DS LL (Japanese edition)

As I mentioned in my New Years Resolutions posts, I've been wanting a 3DS for a long time and I finally got one for Christmas! At the time of writing, I've only had my 3DS for about a week and I've been playing Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai 2 on it (I chose to play a less involved game because I'm still trying to finish Persona 3 on PS3. I can't do more than one new JRPG at a time!). I already very much enjoy the console, but it is definitely different to my PS Vita, which I've had for almost 3 years now. The beginning of my journey into two screens, 3D and Nintendo games has begun and so far, it's a cool, new experience.

The biggest difference between the 3DS and my other portable devices is the addition of 3D. 3D can either sound totally cool or just gimmicky, depending on the person. Every 3DS owner I know says that they rarely use the feature. I think the 3D functionality is very cool idea for many moments - I can imagine it being very cool in a JRPG dungeon situation, with the depth of field showing my characters and the enemies in their appropriate sides of the battle field. During the first time opening any game, it's cool to look at the opening clip in beautiful 3D and I haven't seen anything like it in my console experience, which makes it even more magical.

However, in some ways, the 3D function be a little distracting sometimes. If I happen to look away from my screen at all, the illusion of the 3D world is briefly broken and my eyes see double for a second. Also, maybe at least for my eyes, it's impossible to play for more than five minutes on the full setting. At the moment I'm using a the setting a little above the halfway point, but anything above that makes me feel like I need glasses. Luckily, the 3D level slider can fix all of these problems, whether it's turning down the 3D or just turning it off (which I've only done a couple of times when I've been particularly tired). I'm sure everyone has their own preferred level of 3D, so as long as I stick to my regular setting, hopefully it'll be okay. I still like the feature overall so far and I'm looking forward to testing it with many more games to see how it's used.

Another unique feature of the 3DS is the two screens, another thing new feature I'm getting used to. Unlike the 3D feature, having two screens has been very easy to adapt to and kind of convenient. In the case of the Hatsune Miku game I've been playing, the top screen is used to display the colour-coded notes and the bottom has where I need to tap, sorted by large coloured circles, making the game much easier than if I was trying to tap the small notes with my finger. In the setup and menus, it was used to keep extra information I may need or as additional space for text. All these things are smaller features, but they make a big difference. In the Hatsune Miku game, the buttons can be kept small which helps show off the fun music video in the background. I'm sure having two screens will create a new dynamic when playing JRPGs with extra commands and menus easily available on the bottom screen.

Battery life on the 3DS has been my only concern so far. While the battery life seems to be similar to my Vita's, when I close the 3DS during a game, it tends to die within a day or so without any use. Maybe it's because I'm used to locking my Vita's screen and coming back within 5 days without much issue, but the 3DS seems to run enough battery while it's sleeping to warrant charging it more than I'd like to. I don't mind turning it off when I'm not using it, but changing from the convenience I'm used to with my Vita's battery has been a noticeable change so far.

On a lighter note, I'm still intrigued by the 3DS's game library. It's experiences are more cartoony fun than what I'm used to, which I welcome, as games like Stella Glow and Persona Q are cute games that also boast deep looking gameplay. Plus, known Nintendo franchises like Pokemon, Yokai Watch and Super Smash Bro are experiences I've been missing, so I'm excited to try these. Playing Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai 2 has been a fun and cute game filled with dancing chibi characters and a new way to play the Hatsune Miku games that I already love.

Speaking of games, you may have noticed in the title that I have the Nintendo 3DS LL, which is the Japanese version of the XL console. I had to make the decision between buying the US, European or Japanese version of the console because of Nintendos region locking and in the end, I decided most of the games I wanted to play were in the Japanese region, because they're JRPGs. I bought my 3DS with the knowledge that I couldn't play English games on the system, but it's worth mentioning for anyone else choosing which 3DS to buy. Also worth noting is even in the menus, there is no way to set the console to English, so if you do purchase the Japanese one, it is 100% in Japanese unlike other consoles where you can change the menu language (note: it is manageable enough to setup if you don't have any Japanese knowledge with dictionaries and translating apps).

The Nintendo 3DS LL is a very different console to what I'm used to, but it's certainly a unique console experience. I'm keen to use the second screen more and I'm hoping the magic of the 3D option doesn't wear off in a few months like it did for many of my friends. Downsides like the quickly draining battery life aren't ideal, but considering the amount of devices that die on me on a daily basis, it's probably just a difference to my PS Vita that I will have to get used to. All in all, I'm excited to continue playing the 3DS's library and hope to have a lot of 3D filled fun with it for years to come.

You can pick up a Nintendo 3DS XL or LL from Play-Asia.com!

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What do you think of the 3DS? Do you have any 3DS game recommendations?
Leave a comment below or send @JRPGJungle a tweet and let's talk!

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

Note: This article does contain affiliate links to Play-Asia to help support this site. You can read our Affiliate Link Policy here. Photos in this post are also from Play-Asia.

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

My Five Favourite Games I Played in 2015!

Somehow, I managed to play next to no new JRPG releases this year. In some ways, I regret missing new games such as Tales of Zestiria and Sword Art Online: Lost Song. On the other hand, I caught up on some classic games, along with others I'd been curious about (I'm looking at you, Conception II). With this in mind, my list of favourite games this year includes the favourites of what I played this year, regardless of release year. I love these games all for very different reasons and each minute playing them is a fond memory from this year.

With this in mind, I hope you enjoy this list and Merry Christmas dear readers!

5. Persona 4 Arena Ultimax (PS3 and Xbox 360)

Persona 4 Arena was fun, but Persona 4 Arena Ultimax's character roster and streamlined story make for a polished and fun experience that made it fly right into being one of my favourite fighting games ever. I never fully the finished story mode of this game (I want to finish Persona 3 before going deeper into it's part of the story), but it was my go to game to play with friends and my boyfriend after a long day of work. With plenty of modes to play, there will always be many reasons to come back to this game.

It's not a JRPG, but fans of either Persona 3 or 4 and fighting games are highly likely to enjoy the game because of the new chapter of the story and the return of many important characters from Persona 4.

You can pick up Persona 4 Arena Ultimax from Play-Asia.com!

4. Persona 4 Dancing All Night (PS Vita)

Persona 4 Dancing All Night is the Persona spin off that shouldn't have worked, but it excels as a rhythm game and has a pretty nice story too. I didn't want to wait for the localisation, so I bought the Japanese version so I'm not as well versed with the story as I'd like to be, however Kanami and Nanako made an adorable duo and the rhythm game portion had me tapping and pushing buttons to trump all my high scores over and over again. I'm excited to put this game in my Vita and try platinum it sometime (91% so far!) and the soundtrack was great enough to make me buy it as a standalone after I'd finished playing it.

I love rhythm games anyway, so this game was easy for me to digest but if you have any love for Persona 4's soundtrack, this game is a must try and as probably the last spin-off of Persona 4 since Persona 5 is coming, it's a fun end to a great series.

You can pick up Persona 4 Dancing All Night from Play-Asia.com!

3. Danganronpa 1 + 2 (PS Vita and PSP)

As a huge fan of deep, JRPG stories, Danganronpa's complex story was more than enough to satisfy me in it's visual novel form. Both the first and second games are full of intricate mysteries, colourful characters and enough game mechanics to make it satisfying for fans of both visual novels and exciting storytelling. Not only does it have a great story, the class trials feel incredibly satisfying with the variety of game mechanics incorporated, making it more than just a visual novel. As a series I had never delved into, Danganronpa has become one of my all time favourites very quickly and I'm very excited for the third installment to hopefully come out next year.

Fans of the mystery aspect of Persona and Phoenix Wright should find many reasons to love this game and I honestly can't recommend it's story enough.

You can pick up Danganronpa 1 and 2 from Play-Asia.com!

2. Final Fantasy IX (PS One Classic for PS3, PS Vita and PSP)

I really want to play all the old Final Fantasy games, especially since I started my journey into Final Fantasy from X meaning that I missed out on the classic Final Fantasy games before it. I began my journey backwards into the series from IX and it was well worth it to find this gem of a Final Fantasy game.

What it lacks in modern day graphics is made up for by a solid story, fun battles, cool equipment mechanics, side quests and beautiful music. The story's strong characters are just as interesting without voice acting - it's hard not to fall in love with characters like Vivi, Zidane, Garnet and even Steiner!

If you missed this one and you're a fan of long, old style JRPGs, go back and play this game because good golly it's worth it!

You can pick up Final Fantasy IX as a PS One Classic from your local PSN store!

1. Final Fantasy Record Keeper (iOS and Android)

Final Fantasy Record Keeper has a special place in my heart this year. Record Keeper came out when I was very, very tight on money after moving and became my addition very quickly because it's free. There's in-game purchase options of course, but it's extremely easy to enjoy the game without spending a cent, like I did for months. Basically a JRPG without the story, Record Keeper's equipment system, perfectly timed new/weekly dungeons and level challenges keep me on the game on the go and in my house. It manages to be both very involved because of it's many systems (and they're only adding more) but also easy enough to pull away and jump back in later. It has a decent nostalgia factor, thanks to the game being filled with the best boss fights, characters and music from the main Final Fantasy series. There's many reasons to love this game if you're a Final Fantasy fan and if you don't have time to play or money to purchase a long JRPG, this is one of the best substitutes out there.

I stopped playing this game only because after four months of playing, it inspired me to go back and try the older Final Fantasy games. It's my top game of the year (although I love the other games on an extremely close level) thanks to it's additive and fun nature, it inspiring me to finally (no pun intended) play older Final Fantasy games again and it being the only mobile game that has ever inspired me enough to put down my consoles for awhile. It doesn't replace a full length JRPG, but it's extremely satisfying on the go!

You can pick up Final Fantasy Record Keeper from the App Store for iPhone users or the Google Play store for Android people!

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What were your five favourite games of the year? Leave a comment below or send @JRPGJungle a tweet and let's talk!

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

Note: This article does contain affiliate links to Play-Asia to help support this site. You can read our Affiliate Link Policy here.

Some of the Best JRPG Trailers of 2015

In honour of the fact I got a PS4 two years ago with Final Fantasy XV and Kingdom Hearts 3 in mind, I put together this list of great trailers from this year. I'm always truly happy for the developers to take the time they need to make great games, however I'm also crossing my fingers that they will be released next year, because they all look really good so I want to play them. Enjoy and let me know your favourites of this years trailers in the comments!

Final Fantasy XV

Although Final Fantasy XV was not released this year, many trailers were released for both the gameplay and story portions of the game. I'm very excited for the open looking world, epic looking battles and that end-of-day cooking activity.

You can pre-order Final Fantasy XV at Play-Asia now!

Kingdom Hearts 3

The non-release of Kingdom Hearts 3 was no surprise, as Square Enix has been very ambiguous about any release date for Kingdom Hearts 3. But this year's E3 trailer was worth getting hyped for, thanks to the smooth, beautiful and fun looking as the trailer. If the game is even close to how fun the trailer looks, I'm completely on board for whenever it's finally released.

You can pre-order Kingdom Hearts III at Play-Asia.com now!

Kingdom Hearts 2.8 HD Final Chapter Prologue

Kicking Kingdom Hearts 3 out of being the first Kingdom Hearts game on PS4, 2.8 was announced for 2016. With Kingdom Hearts 3 being dateless, I'm assuming this will probably be the first Kingdom Hearts game we see in 2016.

Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 will feature two previous Kingdom Hearts games, Dream Drop Distance and Back Cover x. The game will also feature Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep - A Fragmentary Passage, a new part of Kingdom Heart's story told by the character Aqua and set right after Dream Drop Distance. Since I haven't played Dream Drop Distance, I'm very excited to finally play the game and look forward to it hitting PS4 next year.

You can pre-order Kingdom Hearts 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue at Play-Asia.com now!

Persona 5

As an avid Persona fan, I was a little bummed (although not surprised) that Persona 5 got delayed until next year. However, they released this really cool trailer with the news of the delay, so I didn't know whether or not to be mad. With the trailer looking this good, the delay is probably for the best and I can't wait to play what I'm sure will be another top quality Persona game.

You can pre-order Persona 5 (PS3, PS4) from Play-Asia.com!

Gravity Rush 2

After years of people hoping, the news of Gravity Rush (or Daze, depending where you are) 2 was very exciting and a little unexpected. The world in the trailer looks stunning and it looks like Raven may have a more prominent role along side the game's star Kat as well judging by all of the advertising so far.

Danganronpa v3

Although it is a visual novel and not a JRPG, Danganronpa's story is deep enough to satisfy many fans of Japanese games, including myself, so I'm chucking it in here as 'related gaming'. The most recent trailer for Danganronpa 3 generously reveals three characters, but is still keeping a lot of the details of the story hidden. Interestingly though, this will be the first Danganronpa game involving students outside of Hope's Peak Academy, so I'm very interested to see how they will tie in with the story so far.

Ni no Kuni II

In another unexpected PSX announcement, Ni No Kuni II was revealed and it looks incredibly beautiful (as to be expected from Level 5). I'd like to also thank this trailer for reminding me I need to play the first one....hopefully I'll do this sometime next year.

You can pre-order Ni No Kuni II: Reverent Kingdom now at Play-Asia.com!

Final Fantasy VII Remake

After years and years of people begging for a remake, Square Enix granted many wishes with the announcement of Final Fantasy VII Remake coming to PS4. Although there was a little controversy recently with the announcement that it will be released in episodes, the plus side is that we'll only get to see the game sooner if they release it in small portions. If waiting for the Remake is difficult, they also just ported the original game to PS4.

You can pre-order Final Fantasy VII Remake from Play-Asia.com!

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Which game are you most excited for? Did I miss any important ones? When do you think these games will be released?

Leave a comment below and let's talk!

Thanks for stopping by and make sure to follow @JRPGJungle on Twitter for updates on content and random, shorter musings on JRPG news and games!

2015 New Years Resolutions Revisited! Success or Failure?

Generally, people have trouble keeping New Years Resolutions, myself very much included. However I had never tried doing Gaming New Years Resolutions, so last year I wrote a post containing five New Years Resolutions for my gaming life. It's not totally the end of 2015, but it's close enough to know results and to start thinking of a game plan for next year's. Here's a progress report on the progress and failures of last year's gaming resolutions.

1. Platinum Final Fantasy X HD

Result: Not Platinumed

Looking at my gaming habits of last year, this was a pretty ambitious one. With a very full backlog and no guarantee of a working TV after moving my life to a new place, I didn't really have a method for this one. By the time everything was set up, I really just wanted to play games I hadn't experienced before.

However, after a very delayed start, I am playing Final Fantasy X HD again on my Vita and I'm loving it. I bought it in an attempt to consume more Japanese media and to get the platinum and it's been a great solution for when I need a change of pace from any game I'm playing. I've set aside a little time each weekend to work on platinuming games and replaying old favourites, so I'm confident I will platinum it sooner rather than later. I will be sure to report back when I do!

2. Play a native Japanese RPG from start to finish.

Result: Very close to finishing this one. Likely to achieve this before the year ends!

I was super excited and confident in this goal, despite my Japanese level at the time. Once I arrived in Japan, I realised a lot about Japanese - mostly that I didn't know as much as I thought. So along with being overwhelmed with the language being all around me, when I began trying to play Ciel no Surge, the amount of words I didn't know was overwhelming enough for it to only last a month in my Vita.

Instead of totally giving up, I switched my 'game' plan and started playing less story orientated Japanese games, like Hatsune Miku Project Diva and Persona 4 Dancing All Night. Not only was this fun, I got a lot more comfortable with not understanding things, which I think is essential for playing Japanese games when you're starting out.

For my Platinum goal, I needed to play a FFX HD again which was fine. But playing in Japanese would mean I could grind both resolutions and hear the infamous 'hahaha' scene in Japanese. The experience has been really enjoyable thus far (I'm almost at the Calm Lands FYI) and if you're okay with not understanding everything, I definitely recommend trying games in another language. It's a very cool way to experience games again or ones not available in your region and with some patience, you can find ways to get around things you don't understand.

3. Chip away at my backlog

Result: Nailed it!

This is one of the best things I've ever done for my gaming life. It's funny how gaming libraries pile up - we buy games because they seem cool and then get distracted by another 'cooler' game and then have a pile of unplayed cool games. I definitely still have plenty of games in my backlog and probably added many more. But I also have a new found love of the Danganronpa series, an appreciation of Final Fantasy IX and closure for Conception II that I wouldn't trade the time back for.

I recommend doing this to every gamer. Your new favourite series may be waiting for you!

4. Play more PS4 Games

Result: Yes and No.

This was kind of difficult, especially when this goal directly contradicted with getting through my backlog. While PS4 games like Sword Art Online: Lost Song and Tales of Zestiria definitely tickle my fancy, the Australian PSN store prices always kept me away, because I would be like 'I could pay $100 for a new game...or I could play through the great games I already own'. Persona 5 was meant to be my ticket to PS4 heaven, but that got delayed until next year so there weren't many JRPGs to keep me to it. Not only that, but the TV that came with my new place had no HDMI, so I had to save some money to buy a monitor to even play my PS4 at all. Things were looking pretty grim for my PS4 life....until I renewed my PS Plus subscription.

The PS4 Instant Game Collection is kind of a goldmine, especially if you've had it since the PS4 was released. I was pleasantly surprised when I continued my subscription after missing a month or so to see all of my previous games from PS Plus still waiting for me. This allowed me to continue playing games like Resogun that I loved at release. My boyfriend and I also love having random Rocket League matches nowadays and I'm looking forward to diving into Fallout 4 more. Things are definitely looking up in PS4 land right now, so I hope to play more next year (however I probably won't make a resolution about it this time).

Hindsight note: If games you like are on an older console, it's totally okay. I don't feel bad for unplugging my PS4 to play Persona 3 on PS3 anymore, which is the opposite to the resolution but that's okay. I love my PS4. I love my PS3. Other consoles are cool too. I'll play whatever has the coolest games at the time because both are great.

5. Buy a 3DS XL

Result: Technically a failure, but I'm getting it as a gift for Christmas.

I've had many opportunities to buy a 3DS this year. There are many new and pre-owned ones around for decent prices, but I never felt the need to buy it because I have so many games in my PlayStation backlog. But, when my boyfriend asked if I still wanted it for Christmas this year, it was an easy yes. Although it's a terrible decision for my backlog, I really want to play some modern Pokemon, Yo-Kai Watch, Persona Q and Phoenix Wright. My love for PlayStation is pretty real, but I'm also excited to branch out into the world of Nintendo.

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Looking back on my gaming life this year, I really put a priority on balancing playing new games and getting through my backlog. I didn't play a large amount of games right on release this year but I still had plenty of fun exploring series that were new to me, like Danganronpa (which has become a big new favourite in my collection). I'm excited to try make a gaming plan for the new year again, perhaps with less contradicting goals this time. It was a lot of fun and I think even though I failed a few of these, the small changes made to my gaming life have all been for the better.

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Did you make any gaming related New Years Resolutions this year or last year? How did you go?

Leave a comment below and let's talk!

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Review: Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair (PS Vita)

When the first game in a series is incredible, it sets very high expectations for the next one. Thankfully, Danganronpa 2 takes all expectations brought from it's predecessor and hits them with the hard-hitting visual novel mystery that it does best, with added new features partnered with the best ones from the first one. Delivering the epic battle between hope and despair back once again with just as many passionate and colourful characters as last time, Danganronpa 2 is definitely special in it's own right and is worthy of being part 2 of Danganronpa's thrilling mystery.

Giving a new layer to the classic 'stranded on an island' dilemma, 16 students of Hope's Peak Academy find themselves trapped on Jabberwock Island alone with a strange magical rabbit. To begin their school trip gone wrong, the rabbit insists that they must travel the island to collect the Hope Fragments and become friends with one another...that is until Danganronpa's original evil bear Monokuma arrives and takes over, turning it into a tropical killing trip where the students are expected to kill one someone without getting caught. If successful, they can 'graduate', have their classmates punished (killed) and leave the island. If unsuccessful, the killer (known as the blackened) is punished and the rest of the class stays on the island.

The story runs over six twist-filled chapters, all compelling enough to have me glued to my PS Vita for about a week straight. The new cast is just as funny and zany as the last, to be expected when the talented cast of characters includes such titles as the Ultimate Team Manager, the Ultimate Yakuza and even the Ultimate Gamer. The characters aren't just amusing though, they're all complex personalities with different backgrounds, therefore reacting in very different ways. Throw in Monokuma and Monomi and you have a cast that perfectly compliments the deep, but cheeky storytelling of the Danganronpa series.

The consistent flow established in the first game continues in Danganronpa 2. Each chapter is divided into two parts, Daily Life and Deadly Life. During Daily Life, the story progresses and you are also given a chance to collect Hope Fragments with your fellow students. Once the story progresses to a climax (when a character has been killed), Deadly Life begins and it's time to Investigate and do a Class Trial to choose who is the blackened. Making friends with characters during Daily Life is encouraged to add more depth to the story, although it can be bittersweet, as you never know if they might be killed by the time it hits Deadly Life.

During the Class Trial, the group discusses at length the murder case in an attempt to weed out the blackened. The protagonist must use his Truth Bullets - facts uncovered during the Investigation - to shoot down or support his classmate's arguments. Supporting character arguments during the Non-Stop Debates hasn't been the only thing added to the Class Trial, in fact for better or worse the whole experience has undergone a revamp, along with some new additions. My favourite new additions were Logic Dive, a cool snowboarding mini-game that utilities ramps as choices when thinking out an argument, and Spot Selection, a simple new feature which presents a photo and you must choose the area being discussed or that is a contradiction.

On the other hand, the revamped Hangman's Gambit seemed much more complicated than it's original form and Rebuttal Showdown was cool, although my Vita sometimes couldn't handle some of the button mashing required of it. Initially when playing, I found the sheer amount of mechanics needed for the Class Trial overwhelming, but the way they are used add for a nice variation during the trial. Another small, but nice addition is that each trial is split into two parts, meaning it's possible to save partway through, which is appreciated when the length of each Class Trial is considered.

Outside of the main story is enough content to put most DLC to shame. There's Island Mode, an item collection cross social/dating game much like the original Danganronpa's School Mode, Magical Miracle Girl Monomi, a mini-battle game where you can fight small island enemies and Monobeasts, a digital novel called Danganronpa IF covering an alternative story line to the first game, unlockable art and movies and even your own Tamagochi like pet to raise during and after the main story is over. I was overjoyed when these features where unlocked at the end of Chapter 6, as the game had not only left me wanting more, but had willingly given me it. There's also a Japanese voiceover option and in-story collectibles that are also an excuse to playthrough the thrilling story a second time, making Danganronpa 2 highly re-playable even after the 40 hour story.

If you loved the first game, Danganronpa 2 does nothing but add to the thrilling story and world from the first game. With many more activities and a gripping story that ties in perfectly to the first one, Dangranronpa 2's mystery kept me coming back for more - and then kept giving me more. If more thrills, chills and kills is what you're looking for in a story, letting yourself become absorbed by Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair's many mysteries is completely worth it.

Score: 9.7/10

A gripping tale and new game mechanics and modes make this game beary, beary good.

Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair is available now at Play-Asia,net.

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Did you play Danganronpa 2? Are you itching for V3 as much as I am?
Leave a comment below and let's talk!

Thanks for stopping by and make sure to follow @JRPGJungle on Twitter for updates on content and random, shorter musings on JRPG news and games!