#highly recommend if you like both idols and rpgs

[rosalind-hawkins]

Saw idol!Kaiba on my dash recently, so I needed to share this.

This song has been eating my brain for over a month as an idol!Kaiba song. Not just because of the lyrics, though trust me, they have strong Kaiba vibes, but also because of the very obvious DANCING WITH A HOLOGRAM. Because even as an idol, you can't keep this boy away from his tech.

Lyrical samples to convince you:

I break through any limit keeping me from my goal Till the dawn of an awakened new world under my control ~~~ In the end only those with power Are the ones who rise above ~~~ Carry onward, never let the world hold me back If the truth stand in my way then charge and attack

(flashing lights warning for the vid)

[videogametako]

steam next fest jun 2024: robot girl's dream -robotbattlechampionship-

cute robot girl fighting everyone she can and living off scavenging for scrap. link here:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2742730/Robot_girls_dream_RobotBattleChampionship/

the game starts in japanese btw, not too difficult to change it to english though

overview

robot girl's dream is an rpg where you play a robot girl who wants to beat up another robot girl she saw on tv (and everyone else who wants to fight)

weird meteorites fall to earth and scientists use them to give robots emotions, so the story goes. the prologue sequence explains this and hands off the exposition of the city we'll be exploring to a robot idol newscaster girl

(i thought her name was supposed to be "sweet" but i checked and it actually is suit)

she's a cutie. she also gives us an overview of the town, though she does overlook the area we actually start in, the waste area

we pop out of a box. the first thing we see is the television

we see the main concept the game is centered around, the robot battles. the undisputed champion, scarlet, beats someone up. like an impressionable child, we decide that our life goal is to beat the champion of the biggest robo battling tournament

and that kicks off the game

gameplay

this game has this neat announcement graffiti transition before every battle. really gives the homey cartoon vibe, i like it

after you play a tutorial battle (which is just the two of you spamming your one attack, y'know like how two jank robots would duke it out) and more system-introducing events, the game opens up

sitting. this game features a surprisingly large amount of customization that we'll see a bit later

the game revolves around managing your robot girl's (default name Thin) finances and life decisions. first very important thing to note is that you need 100 Nem for food everyday or you start to lose energy and perform worse in battles. fail to eat for 3 days and it's game over

to get money you need to work. to start, you can only scavenge for scrap, which gives around 300~400 Nem and a random item, so it's not actually that bad. you unlock opportunities for different jobs as you play (hint: visit the recycling plant with more than 5 karma)

you can also choose to go somewhere and meet new people (trigger events) or shop. you can only either work or go out, though. i found myself having trouble to do everything i wanted to do in a single playthrough, so i imagine you have to really manage your decisions in the full game

starting a new game lets you pick between the full, a short, or entirely skipping the prologue. skipping actually removes an opportunity to put 10 Nem in the collection box of the garbage shop and get +1 karma so, that's interesting

customization

one of my favorite parts about this game is thin's sprite changing based on the outfit you're wearing. this applies in battles, events, and the main home screen. sounds like a bit of a nightmare for the artist, especially in the full game with more items but honestly it's super nice to see

different parts give stats, skills (passives), and tech (actives). some parts have a set bonus, like the maid and gothic lolita outfits. both of those give a new tech for wearing the full set

there's a skill tree, too. you get "memory" from remembering things. this usually happens in events, or by talking to people. some of this resource is missable btw (for example, you can get memory by talking to the tournament champion in battle iirc). it's super valuable though, providing permanent buffs for thin. i've only ever upgraded the knife so far (because i like using the maid and gothic lolita parts). i've since tried that grayed out 5 memory in the screenshot and it gives you a gun and gloves that's actually really great (and invalidates a point i make later), highly recommended to use. you can practically only get like 15 memory in the demo i think? since you get some memory for talking to people after the demo boss

battles

battles take place on a 1D grid. that is to say, on a line. you can move every turn, but can only perform an attack if it's within range after movement. also you can talk to your opponent, which can give some useful stats/resources (though you do lose the turn, which could cause you to lose)

i haven't actually checked what the stats do exactly, you can kinda just wing it if you know the general amount of damage you and your opponent can deal. there's systems like overheating to keep track of too (move/act too much and you lose a turn)

i find that upgrading your knife with memory twice to turn slash into double slash helps a lot with your damage output. though, that alone isn't enough to beat the boss. the reversible slash seems like it's good in theory because it provides spacing but 2/3 of the bosses in the tournament have ranged attacks, and even if they didn't they could just... move... though some moves can only be performed if you don't move, so it's mainly countering that (which does apply for the second tournament boss)

your main disadvantage is that nearly all your attack options are melee (i found one ranged attack in the shop but it's a one-time use so...), which feels super unfair against bosses that not only have ranged options, but can knock you back as well. fortunately, you can move while using defensive tech (which usually don't use a turn) so in practice it doesn't feel horrible

above is not true. you get a gun from unlocking something in the skill tree. it's really good paired with the combo gloves you get, i can beat battles without being at full health

closing thoughts

i'm gonna choose not to talk too much about the characters, but they're all a treat (especially the last two bosses). oh another thing i like about this game is the care that goes into the events, and specifically the interaction between thin and the other characters. there's a meeting after the first tournament boss that goes differently depending on whether or not you were able to meet the character beforehand. little things like that make the game really feel, uh alive i guess? i'm struggling to think of a better term, but you know what i mean. it's that rpg magic

i found the music a bit weird at first but it's grown on me. i am pretty excited for the full game too

OH also there's a sentai cartoon in one of the events (do the babysitting job) and it's conceptually glorious

this game is really cute and has a lot of potential. it's very japanese doujin game, if that makes sense (probably because it is one). if you like robot girls and fighting other robot girls, give the demo a try. wishlist the game on steam, it helps the devs

[chaosstar290]

Reasons try out Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore.

Nintendo's been pretty casual with porting Wii U games over to the Switch, and for good reasons. Normally, I'm not all into porting games that I've already played, but my personal favorite games on the system that lack good marketing and advertising are now getting the attention and love they deserve.

Take Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze for example, one of my favorite 2D platfomers. The game originally sold 1.72 million copies worldwide on the Wii U. Not very good numbers, huh? However, the Switch port managed to beat those sales numbers with 2.25 million units sold worldwide by the end of March 2019.

So while this could be seen as a way for Big N to earn more $$$, this is also a way for those who never owned a Wii U and missed out on some of the system's best titles to give these games a shot. Now we just need a port of Xenoblade Chronicles X and The Wonderful 101...and Star Fox Zero, I guess.

But that's a topic for another time. This post is specifically for my favorite JRPG on the Wii U only to be tied with Xenoblade Chronicles X....Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE.

This'll be a long one, so here's hoping you'll stick with it until the end.

Development

Before I get into the reasons, lemme educate you guys a bit. Back in January 2013, both Atlus and Intelligent Systems made a teaser trailer for a potential Shin Megami Tensei x Fire Emblem crossover for the Wii U.

The trailer was mostly just a slideshow with various character artwork. Despite this, there was a decent amount of hype surrounding it. But development around the game was pretty silent. That is, until we fast forward to the Nintendo Direct in April 1, 2015. We got a trailer of the ambitious SMT x FE crossover that fans were waiting for...but this was the final product.

Needless to say...neither SMT nor FE fans were happy about this. The fandoms were incredibly salty and foaming at the mouths, basically calling it a Person 4 Lite with a hint of FE. Heck, they're probably still posts on this site from 5 years ago that'll show that.

Fast forward to the games initial release, and you'll see quite a few positive reviews and thoughts about TMS. Unfortunately, the sale numbers were not all that great for the game. Obvious reasons being that it was a Wii U game, and many fans of both SMT x FE were not happy with how it turned out.

And to be honest, I wasn't feeling the game myself at first. It seemed too lighthearted and upbeat, and the J-Pop, anime-ish aesthetics were very off-putting. However, the more I saw about the game, the more I was drawn into it. Somehow all that disappointment I had about TMS originally just washed away. And considering it was a new IP, I decided to give it a chance. And hoo boy...I was generally pleased.

With that outta the way, let's get into why I'm excited for the Switch port of game, and hoping people will give it a fairer chance.

The Setting

The plot of Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE is mostly simple. You start out as high schooler Itsuki Aoi, the main character of the game encountering his childhood friend Tsubasa Oribe at an audition event to become a idol. It isn't until moments later in the game that the area gets overruned by shadowy creatures known as Mirages that suck out the creative energy known as Perso-- ah I mean Performa from the other idols and audience.

Poor girl doesn't know what's gonna happen next.

Despite our main characters seeming unharmed by the effect, the Mirages drag Tsubasa into their world known as the Idolsphere. And of course, courageous Itsuki takes action to follow and rescue her.

After trying to make a daring rescue, Itsuki gets bombarded by a Mirage, but somehow manages to awaken it. Taking the form of Fire Emblem Awakening's protagonist Chrom. Itsuki does the same with the Mirage that captured Tsubasa that takes the form of Cedea from Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon. The two awakaned Mirages, however, suffer from a bit of amnesia and can't quite remember who and what they are.

From there on, Itsuki and Tsubasa form a partnership with Chrom and Cedea, encountering various characters trying to reach their way to stardom while trying to draw back the opposing forces from taking over Tokyo and the world. Typical RPG stuff, am I right?

It's a fairly standard and slightly cliche plot with some common anime tropes, but for this game...it works. It's a plot that's incredibly silly, upbeat, and over-the-top, but again...it works for this game. And I love it. It may not be original, deep, or complex, but the story does its best to not take itself too seriously, and it doesn't fail to keep a smile in my face.

Aside from the vanilla cookie-cutter MC Itsuki, the various casts that you meet are incredibly charming, and go through their own personal growth as celebrities. Though you mileage may vary on this.

The Gameplay

The combat is the real star of Tokyo Mirage Sessions. Basically, it's your standard turn-based combat system...but with a few twists. If you've ever played a SMT or Persona game, then don't be surprised that elemental weaknesses make an appearance here. Along with that, the Triangle Weapon system from Fire Emblem also makes an appearance in the game.

But if you're not familiar with either franchise then give you a basic example how this works. Say that you've encountered an armored Mirage wielding an axe. The weaknesses on that enemy are both lightning and swords, and Itsuki just so happens to have both the necessary element and weapon equipped.

In case you're wondering...how the Triangle Weapon mechanic works in FE is that Swords beat Axes, Axes beat Lances, and Lances beat Swords.

The interesting thing about this is that once you exploit an enemy's weakness, other characters will jump in and combo extra attacks. These are called Sessions, and their not only powerful...but also flashy as all hell and it's glorious. Not only that, but there's also Duo Arts where two certain characters will sometimes perform a song that unleashes a powerful attack...which also strings up more Sessions. As broken as this sounds, it actually is pretty strategic for taking down harder enemies, and they can also form Sessions...so be careful.

There's more to the gameplay like roaming Tokyo, exploring dungeons, and upgrading your characters and Mirages by Tiki from Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon as well.

There's mixed opinions on the dungeon aspects of Tokyo Mirage Sessions, but...I personally enjoyed them. Aside from the first one. Once you get past the first dungeon, they get better as the game progresses. From exploring a darker version of Shibuya where you have to avoid giant cameras from sending you back to the entrance of the of the room you currently entered, to venturing through a maze-like TV studio.

There's also side-missions that you can do with your main cast that'll help them grow and develop even further. You'll be rewarded with either a special cutscene or a special attack. Or maybe both.

The Visuals

Go go...Persona Rangers?

If it wasn't obvious from the amount of images I'm posting, Tokyo Mirage Sessions is a very colorful game. Fitting with it's lighthearted theme, the amount of colors the game throws at you makes visuals aesthetically pleasing. Heck, you could make these your personal wallpaper on your phone or something.

Sure, Tokyo Mirage Sessions isn't nearly as strong as Persona 5 graphically or even artistically, but like most Nintendo games...what their games lack in terms of detailed ultra-hyper graphics, they make up for it with giving their games gorgeous artstyles.

Also, this game has some reeeeeally good artwork.

The Music

J-Pop plays a pretty big role in Tokyo Mirage Sessions, so expect a lot of vocal tracks. If you're not into this kind of genre of music, then you might wanna stray away from this game. If you are (or if it doesn't bother you), then you're in for a treat. As someone who really isn't into J-Pop myself, the songs in this game are incredible and catchy followed by some beautiful cutscenes. Reincarnation from Kiria Kurono and Feel from Tsubasa Oribe are some of my personal favorites.

The music from outside the vocal tracks are pretty good too. The normal battle theme and the Illusion Shibuya dungeon theme are just to name a couple.

What's New?

Like I said before, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore is a port of the Wii U version, but with added content. Any DLC that was added in the original game will part of the base game in the Switch version. But let's talk about the new stuff.

EX Story and Songs

The EX Story is basically a dungeon that you explore in short bursts. Here you'll find new costumes such as a Joker outfit from Persona 5 for Itsuki, or an Annette outfit from Fire Emblem Three Houses for Mamori Minamoto. Or you can have a much easier time grinding for EXP. Also, much like the side-stories, this dungeon will also explore the main casts' issues and help them grow.

New songs will also be added in this port. A duo song called "She is..." sung by Tsubasa and Kiria is one of them.

Sessions

By making Sessions even more powerful and ridiculous, unplayable characters like Tiki, Maiko Shimazaki, and Barry Goodman will also join in Sessions.

In addition, a Quick Session option will be added. Which is a major upgrade in my book. One of the big issues the Wii U version had was while the Sessions were fun to watch, they took forever to get through with the more characters that joined your party. There are also smaller improvements like the Switch version having faster loading times.

Conclusion

Hopefully, this long as hell post will spark some interest into those who'll give the game a shot. I know there's small nitpicks like the lack of English voice acting and censorship, but the latter is a topic I'd rather not delve deep into.

Regardless, these small cons are greatly outweighed by the large pros this charming game has. If you're an Atlus fan, a lover of JRPGs, or wanting to play something that'll ease the wait for Persona 5 Royal, I highly recommend you give Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE encore a shot.

If you're also waiting for Persona 5 to actually come to the Switch like me, this game is next best thing we've got for the time being.

This is one of the most stylish menu screens ever.

[momobage]

Momobage Interview: Questions for a games enthusiast

I still consider myself a relative beginner in the mobile game world since I haven’t explored many different genres yet. However, while the games and the developing companies are important, each gaming fandom and community make the playing experiences more enjoyable. Personally, meeting and becoming close with people can be difficult in real life. But, the people I have met and befriended because of mobile games have a strong understanding and connection for the game and its fans. So, I contacted Michelle from kurumiya on Tumblr. Michelle is 25 years old and lives in Scotland. She is a video game enthusiast and enjoys Japanese media such as games and TV shows. She also provides help and some translations for various Japanese mobile games through her Tumblr. I could tell she was such a nice and helpful person who really cared about the games she played and others in the gaming community.

Currently, what are your favourite mobile games to play? Why?

My current favourite games are Love Live, Kirameki Note and Smash Tap.

Love Live! School Idol Festival (ラブライブ！スクールアイドルフェスティバル) is a mobile game developed by KLab and Bushiroad which combines a rhythm tapping game and a card collecting game into one. It was also the very first rhythm game I played so it's just something that has always stuck with me.

Boyfriend (Beta) Kirameki Note (ボーイフレンド (仮) きらめきノート) is a mobile game published by Ameba Games and has become one of my favourite rhythm games that I've tried playing so far. Even though I knew nothing about the characters when I first began, the game was very easy to get into and events aren't too challenging for a free player.

My Hero Academia: Smash Tap (僕のヒーローアカデミア スマッシュタップ) is a mobile game developed by Bandai Namco. It’s a new game that I'm currently going through the "I love this game!" phase. Although it’s a simple tap to attack game and needs a bit of patience to play, it’s something that everyone can play for free without needing to pay for in-game purchases.

When and why did you start playing mobile games?

I started playing mobiles games about 3 years ago since they're easily accessible and many of them are free. It’s beneficial since you don’t lose any money if you end up not enjoying the game or get bored of it. I also usually play games that align with my interests, which is why I really like Smash Tap and another game called Fairy Tail Goku Mahou Ranbu (フェアリーテイル 極・魔法乱舞) since they are based off the original anime and manga.

What is your favourite part about mobile games? Story, characters, mechanics, etc.

The mechanics of a game definitely makes a game hit or miss for me since it is essentially what will keep me hooked on a game. My other favourite thing about mobile games is the luck element many of them have like gachas. [I commented, “YOU LIKE GACHAS?! You must have really good luck!” since my experience with them is usually bad]. The reasons I love gachas so much is because I kind of like the gambling element to it. You're using all your saved up in-game currency for new characters or items so it’s really exciting to see what you're going to get! Although there is no guarantee of winning something favourable, there is always hope in the next try. It's the same feeling when you say "One more time!" while playing a UFO catchers’/claw cranes and such.

Do you feel a stronger connection between you and some characters that you may not normally feel in other games you have played?

Not particularly. I don't think mobile games are as immersive as perhaps console or pc games because they are often limited in what you can do. Often the amount of time you can play for in one sitting is only fifteen to thirty minutes before you run out of stamina.

How do you react to criticism? Usually there are negative comments online on how a game functions or is not being fair, etc.

I don't really pay attention to criticisms or reviews of mobile games. As a more mature player, as long as I find it fun for myself then that's good enough. I also don't see mobile games as a long term commitment either. If something isn't functioning right or the game is failing to make improvements then it's too easy to just delete it and find something else. Eventually you forget about it and move on. In that way I think mobile games are very disposable.

Are there any games you stopped playing? If so why?

There's too many games for me to really mention that I've stopped playing, but some games I have stopped playing recently were A3!, Band Yarouze, and BanG Dream! The main reason I often stop playing a game is because as a free player you often reach a cap that you can't really surpass without paying money. For some other games, the game starts to focus on multiplayer functions too much, which again, relies more on how much money you spend on the game rather than your own persistence.

If a game doesn’t already have one, would you want to see developers create an animated series, real life mini drama, or character sung songs?

I think it really depends on the franchise and type of game, but I think there is definitely the option to branch out into different medias such as character songs and animated series for some games. Voiced characters and a good storyline are definitely needed beforehand though.

Since smartphones are so important in our everyday life, do you think that creates even more potential for mobile games, or does it defeat their purpose since it is so common?

With smartphones being almost a necessity these days and internet becoming more accessible, I think it definitely leaves room for improvement in the mobile gaming industry since it allows for more competition; which is good in terms of gaming quality. It's also a good industry for new developers, aspiring writers and artists etc. and allows for growth and new ideas which can only lead to newer and better games.

With the development of virtual reality, do you think future mobile games will try to incorporate it? Do you think it’ll be successful?

I think there is definitely a market for VR mobile games, but it will still take some time to produce something considered "good". I think as technology continues to improve, it will eventually be successful. But for now, I think we're still quite far away from making a "good" VR mobile game.

What kind of mobile games do you wish to see next? Are there any mobile games you anticipate for? Whether in the making or already released.

I personally hope to see some more RPG open world type of mobile games as I still haven't found one with the kind of feature I'd like to see or with a decent game progression rate. As for games that I'm anticipating, I'm highly excited for the B-Project: Muteki*Dangerous (B-PROJECT～無敵＊デンジャラス～) game (photo below).

If you could create any mobile game, no limitations, what kind of game would it be?

For me I would like to create a dungeon crawling/quest RPG sort of game with lots of character customisation like MapleStory, World of Warcraft and other MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games). With customisation, it would make mobile games, especially dating/visual novel ones, even more emotional and personal. These types of games also have no limit on how long you can play you can play for hours at a time rather than perhaps 30 minutes.

If you could recommend one game to other beginner mobile game players, which one would it

I would recommend that people play Love Live as it's a popular game with a large community in both Japanese and English. So, there are multiple beginner tutorials, walkthroughs and other people to ask questions and talk to about the game.

As mentioned in the beginning, the gaming community is very helpful, especially for mobile game beginners. By conducting this interview, I understand how Michelle and I’s gaming experiences may be different based on the games we played. However, we can still bond over similar aspects in games or fan over characters we like with ease. These kinds of relationships with other players are what make mobile games so fun and special. A big thank you to Michelle for being so nice and doing the interview!

[returnerofthesky]

So that’s that.

...I have to say, I wasn’t expecting the Atton-vs-Sion duel to actually end up giving me an alternate ending. Kind of a punch in the stomach, especially right at the very end.

It feels a lot more like what I would have expected out of a game written by Chris Avellone - and it feels much more like an “Empire Strikes Back” ending like what he was going for. It’s a damn shame it took about an entire decade for that ending, and the game’s writing, to truly be given justice via the Restored Content patch. Believe me, if you ever ask me about why not to rush things for the holidays, this game is right up there.

The whole game feels poignant. And there’s something I read recently from Avellone where someone asked him why so many of his games are nihilistic and... existential, maybe? And he said that he likes writing worlds like that because then, if you’re able to bring some kind of hope back to that world, then the writing resonates, and feels a lot stronger for it. Or something like that.

That’s a really good way to describe KOTOR 2. The whole story, the writing, the plotting, it’s dark, but in a very understated way. It feels like... well, exactly what it is: a galaxy struggling to rebuild after being devastated by war(s), a galaxy where its former idols/protectors are no longer respected or even able to help (either due to spite or due to danger).

There’s very little true, proper pleasantness anywhere the game takes you, and there isn’t really any kind of real antagonist for so much of the game (the Sith are only really around on Peragus and during the end, and the rest of the time it’s much more related to other factions related to the exile) that the grey-and-grey morality hits that much more strongly. It’s an inward journey, all of which is tied to the past. In a lot of ways, despite being a sequel, it’s just as self-contained as KOTOR 1 was.

I’m glad that this was my first WRPG/CRPG, so, so long ago. And I’m even more glad I came back to revisit it.

(Now if only someone could get KOTOR 1 to run at 1920x1080 and have all the little quality of life updates this game had...)

Also, there’s my final stats. That includes my equipment and upgrades as well; a Kaiburr-Charname Lightsaber, an Ossus Keeper Robe with a Biorestorative V underlay, Jal Shey Meditation gloves, a Physical Boost implant, and a Qel-Droma belt.

...in hindsight, if I’d known how dumb that TOR prequel book was earlier, I wouldn’t have gone for an attempt at a canon character. But hey, I’ve never played a female Exile before, so that was neat!

I went for a Sentinel to go for a jack-of-all build, and in the end I think I was a lot stronger for it than I would have been if I’d gone Guardian or Consular. Aiming for a skill-based setup made getting through the game much, much easier, and alongside going for your usual lightside buffs like Speed and everything, combat wasn’t too much trouble either.

As usual, going Persuade in an Obsidian game was a good decision. Same with Awareness, really, even though that wasn’t that high. And Computer Use, Security, Repair... really, all the skills have a lot of important uses, both in-game and in conversation, too, so it’s good that playing as a Sentinel basically lets you get all of them up to good, high levels. Considering how easy it was to just Force Wave enemies repeatedly and then Flurry them until they died, going for a Skill Watchman was as fun as could be. I can’t imagine playing a pure combat character in this game would be much more fun, considering how important skills really are.

Either way, it was good. Really good. I highly recommend this game to anyone who wants to sink their teeth into a proper RPG - I’d probably call this the best Star Wars game out there, or at least one of the absolute best. It’s incredible.

[canvaswolfdoll]

CanvasWatches: New Game!

Oh no, it’s one of those Moe Blob shows. I’d hoped i was better than that.

Well, to be honest, I was just looking for easy viewing garbage while up late busy with not sleeping.[1] New Game! was on Funimation’s streaming service, and a few youtube reviewers have mentioned it with generic positivity. It’s… okay. Very much fills the ‘Cute girls doing stuff as if they’re real people, but in a softer world’ mold. In this case, Video Game design! Yay. Sarcastic Jazz hands.

A few years ago, I stumbled upon a Manga/4koma series called QuickStart!! which is about girls playing tabletop RPGs. I quite liked it. It’d be nice to see it get an anime of its own someday.

How to even describe New Game!...

Well, it’s about a girl named Aoba Suzukaze who, fresh out of high school, lands her dream job of doing art for the game studio that made her favorite video game, working directly under her personal idol, Ko Yagami.

Which, coming from a western perspective, seems insane. Who lands that sort of job right out of high school, with no college degree or industry experience? I mean, there’s the One Big Lie, then there’s unreasonable expectations. I’m a great writer,[2] and even I can’t find footing to do this for a living.

So Aoba arrives to work and meets the coworkers she shares cubicle space with: Hifumi the shy one; Hajime the energetic one; and Yun… last one. While the OP makes you think that these four will form a K-On! like dynamic, in truth the focus doesn’t drift from Aoba until her friend Nene takes a larger role.

While the trials and tribulations of working for a small Japanese Game studio are interesting, and Aoba’s struggles to get used to the life of a office worker is nice, I’d have liked character development for anyone besides Aoba (whose arc consists of achieving her goals) and Ko (who’s learning to be a mentor. Before leaving the country.)

Later, Aoba’s High School pal Nene gets hired on as a QA Tester for the summer, and the story shifts to Nene wandering around and being distracting. But it’s okay, when she’s actually working, she finds all the bugs!

Nene’s voice is also annoying.

The first season concludes with the cast releasing a game, which is well received. Yay!

The second season is when I suddenly realize that, somewhere along the line, the show became Kaleido Star, but with lower stakes and flatter characters. Which, if you’ve seen Kaleido Star,[3] is saying something.

Upon reaching the level of her blond idol, who is being forced into a new supporting role, our protagonist finds themselves in need of a rival that resents the protagonist’s ascent to glory and their relationship with the blond idol.

However, while Kaleido Star’s May barked her way into my heart by being just so bizarre and ridiculous, New Game! Instead brings in Momiji Mochizuki, who is… there. I guess.

Momiji’s quirk is she eats a bunch and resents Aoba for having success while being a year ahead in her career.

It’s not a well written conflict!

Don’t worry, though. Nene also gets a rival in the form Tsubame Narumi, who is introduced as being Momiji’s calmer and more amicable friend, but turns out be kind of petty and resentful of Nene getting a job through nepotism.

Which… okay, fair, Nene did kind of get hired on due to her connections, but by the same token, it’s made clear that Nene’s in more of a training role while Tsubame is given actual assignments.

Since Nene isn’t my favorite character, the conflict with the programming team is just unnotable.

Momiji’s unlikable from the get go, and Tsubame loses all her endearing traits upon being exposed to Nene. Momiji and Tsubame are so unprofessional, and we see so little of the actual projects being assigned in the second season, that I found myself rooting for them to get fired at the end, as a wake up call to both characters and to have actual consequences.

But it’s a Moe-blob show. Everyone needs to be friends by the end, no lessons get learned, and everyone’s going to be fine because the world of moe has kid gloves.

As I have awkwardly found myself commenting on more and more, New Game! of course had an amount of fan service. It was relatively tame, mostly around Ko’s tendency towards pantslessness and brief fantasy inserts. Nothing to deeply analyze beyond noting the fantasy inserts were mostly egregious and the fanservice wasn’t particularly exciting.

Also, it broke the ‘Establish the limit in the first episode’ rule I mentioned in my Dagashi Kashi review, though the particular break happened midway through the second season, so perhaps I need to consider a ruling for subsequent seasons. What amount of escalation is fair play for viewer retention, and does it break trust?

Food for future thought, if I can’t pull myself away from the topic.[4]

I watched New Game! during a particular period of my life. I had left a retail job, spent a couple months not working, then got a job for a call center contracted to service accounts for a credit card company,[5] and I decided to watch this anime after watching Sakura Quest,[6] so I’d watched two work-based animes while training for a job that, by all signs, would be monotonous, creatively-stifling, and utterly miserable.

And, during the nights while I was dreading going back the next day, I watched an anime based in an office where the cast were doing what they loved, had varied tasks, and a relaxed pace. Quite the escape from my call center job with a maximum 5-minute reprieve from idiots confused by the concept of interest and no paper allowed just in case I wanted to moonlight with a little identity theft.[7]

It’s a bad job. Avoid it.

So, New Game! helped stoked the flames of wanting a better job. One where I don’t have to directly deal with the public, have a consistent schedule, and get some variety. The show also made it clear that I have no viable method into such a job. I’m creatively minded, sure, but I don’t have the actual skills for professional art,[8] I lack the memory to learn programing, and I certainly lack the networking capabilities to find opportunities.

There was an undercurrent of resentment for these stupid girls and their easy lives. I know real life game development is far less cozy than what New Game! displays, but even a taste of that ideal would be better than where I am now.

Anyways, since finishing the series, I discovered it was easier to get a different job than request a day off,[9] so hopefully I can start an upward climb.

Maybe you can help? I do have a patreon, after all.

I also accept questions and comments, and produce other reviews, writings, and a webcomic, so check those out. Any positive reaction to things I feel passionate about would be peachy.

Kinda a downer ending for a review of such an upbeat anime. Oh well.

Kataal kataal.

[1] Really should try and find one of those graveyard shift jobs. I seem naturally predisposed to it… [2] Amazing even. Fight me. [3] Which is glorious garbage that I actually recommend. [4] I’m essentially a grumpy old man waiting to happen. Less Master Roshi and more harsh but fair paternal figure. [5] No, I won’t say which one. [6] Good show, but I didn’t really have anything to talk about in regards to it, hence no review. Still, highly recommend! [7] Had I stayed, I probably would’ve begun strategizing how to get away with such a caper just to fill the tedium. [8] I hate english academia far too much to get a degree, and Theater was a clear path to jobs in the local area. [9] This and other policies made quitting two weeks after finishing training so easy.

[wee-dog-willis]

Quick Facts: 4, 7, 8. Have I (You): 4, 9, 10. This or That: 2, 3, 5, 6, 8. Last: 8, 9. Do You: 5, 8. Someone You: 1, 7, 8. Misc: 4, 6, 7, 11, 17, 19.

Last book you readQuick facts

4: Zodiac Sign: Libra

7. Favorite Color: Purple

8. Hobbies: Gaming in general, Tabletop RPGs specifically.

Have I (You)

4. Smoked Weed: No, Can’t abid the smell, but I won’t stop others from doing it on their own time.

9. Caught Sneaking out: Never snuck outn or rather never had anything to sneak out FOR.

10. Been in love: Do fictional characters count? If not than no.This or that

2. Salty or Sweet: Both when possible, but salty more often than sweet.

3. Chocolate or Vanilla: Vanilla, I like the classics.

5. Airplane or Drive: Airplane if I can get through all the checks quickly.

6. Mountains or Beach: Mountains, I like the cold.

8. Blonds or Brunettes: I’m partial to Brunette, but I’m not really picky.

Last

8. Thing you ate: Chips and Salsa

9. Thing you bought: The Chips and Salsa

Do You

5. Like Chinese Food: I LOVE Chinese Food.

8. Type fast: Moderately.

Someone you

1. Miss: My best mate Aron.

7. Hate: Whichever witless shit-fucker decided that the Arche Comics needed a gritty fucking reboot!

8. Idolize: Mr. Fred Rogers. We desperately desperately need someone like him again.

Misc

4. How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?: It can take as little as 15 minutes to an hour and a half depending on how urgent the day is.

6. Last book you read: I am currently reading “Ciaphas Cain: Hero of the Imperium” by Sandy Mitchell, I highly recommend for someone looking to get into Warhammer 40K.

7. How can someone win your heart?: They can practically just ask for it really. More seriously all you need to do is be a kind, good humored person, and I can get into you.

11. Where do you want to live when you get older?: The Pacific Northwest, probably around Portland, though if living abroad ever became a genuinely good option for me, Ireland would be a wonder.

17. Top 5 songs right now: 99 Luft Ballons by Nena. I Believe in a Thing Called Love by The Darkness. I Love You, Always Forever by Donna Lewis. North By Afro Celt Sound System, Cool Patrol By Ninja Sex Party.

19. Trip to the bottom of the ocean or outer space?: SPAAACE!