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Post Tagged with: "Pokemon"

My Five Favourite Game Series

I’m going to jump on Krikket‘s bandwagon and talk about my favourite game series. It’s a good writing prompt and I’m kind of running out of ideas to write about. So here goes.

Diablo

This shouldn’t be a surprise if you’ve been following me for awhile. Diablo is absolutely one of my favourite franchises ever. I love the lore, I love the genre, and I love the games. I still get that itch to play Diablo 2 sometimes even if it hurts my hands. I still regularly play Diablo 3 and I’m really looking forward to both Diablo Immortal and Diablo 4. I’ll be pre-ordering the Diablo 4 CE when it becomes available.

Guild Wars

I came late to Guild Wars, only starting the original game when the second one was announced. I did play a week during the beta, but the friend I was playing with left my behind and I was clueless about what to do. I died a lot and lost the will to play. I wasn’t ready to dive into the world of Tyria. But years later, I was swallowed whole. I tried to play as much of the story as possible before the second game hit, but I still haven’t played all of the expansions yet.

Guild Wars 2 came with a three day head start and I enjoyed those a lot. I’d have had my first character at level 40 if my friends allowed to play without them. But I couldn’t, and didn’t think it was fair to them. Even with the level adjustments and the easy waypoint system to travel between areas.

Since then, I’ve written fanfiction set in the world of Tyria based on my own characters and the lore I’ve grown to love. I’ve participated in multiple community-driven projects. Tyria was the escape I needed during hard times.

I don’t play that much anymore, but that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten Tyria. I’m really looking forward to everything that’s on the horizon. From the rest of the Icebrood Saga and to the new expansion.

Civilization

Just. One. More. Turn.

If you’ve played any Civilization games, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Just one more turn, and then I’ll have finished my researched. Just one more turn, and my army is large enough to attack India. Just one more turn, and I’ll have my victory.

The games are highly addictive, once you start, you have to finish the game. It’s not a game you should start after 10 in the evening because your sleep will suffer.

I’ve played 4, 5, 6, and Beyond Earth. I liked all of them except for six. It’s just not for me. I want my games simpler, I also don’t play on a higher difficulty. Super easy for me please.

Pokemon

Pokemon shouldn’t be a surprise either. I’m a big fan of the franchise, games, animes, merchandise, everything. I bought the Japanese Pokemon Blue for the gameboy last November when we were in Japan. That’s got to be the highlight for me. I haven’t tried it yet, and I’m sure the Japanese will be a challenge to, but I’m going to finish the game. I know I will.

Dragon Age

Dragon Age, and you can blame that one on Alistair. I can’t help it. The writing is just so good that I still have a crush on a fictional character. Even when he becomes kind of a dick in Inquisition. I don’t know what happened to my character in Inquisition but Alistair seems kind of bitter. Maybe my character died and he misses me (aww). That’s what I like to think.

I loved the Neverwinter Nights games, but it doesn’t come close to how much I love Dragon Age. Having multiple romance options, dragons, and butterfly swords is just perfect. I think I’ve done seven play throughs of the first game and I’ve put in about 50 hours in Inquisition and I’m not even halfway. I do plan on playing the second some day, but I want to finish Inquisition first.

If someone asked me, I could probably write fanfic for Dragon Age too.

New Switch Games

Every so often Nintendo will release a ‘direct’, showing off the new games and sharing information about games released at a later date. The Switch is slowly becoming my favourite console/handheld. Especially when I see the line up of new games.

My console/handheld history

My Nintendo experience started with Nintendo Entertainment System, the NES. Yes, we go waaaay back. Then I bought a secondhand Gameboy. The games were tough and I couldn’t finish them without cheating. With the first Playstation, that ended. There were a few games I finished, but I still spend a long time trying to master the games.

Then came the PS2 and PS3. Still much the same. I bought a lot of games but didn’t finish many. I’m just not that good of a gamer, and some games can’t really be finished.

I also owned a Wii with various exercise games like Wii Fit and Just Dance. Exercise has always been a problem for me and this console definitely help me move more. But more on that later.

The DSi Lite was my handheld of choice, the one I took with me on vacations, usually with one game I’d play the whole vacation. I probably finished more games on the DS than any other console. I really loved the games on it, but also the device itself. The feedback on the buttons of the 3DS is too much and my thumb especially starts hurting after only playing 15 minutes.

I love my Switch

And then came the Switch. We bought the Switch a few years ago with Bayonetta 2 and Mario Odyssey. I finished Bayonetta and really wanted to play 2. My husband loves Mario games so that one was for him. I didn’t play on it much before until I had Stardew Valley and played a few days every evening.

I’ll be honest. The Switch replaced the 3DS and the DS more than it replaced any of the consoles. I use it in handheld mode mostly since Stardew Valley and Pokemon Sword are excellent for handheld play.

The Switch lite would’ve been excellent, but it would’ve been nearly impossible to play Just Dance on it, so I’m glad we have the docked version. My husband also prefers to play on the TV. So it’s nice to have options.

New games

When they announced the port of the Collection of Mana, a game series I loved when I was little, I knew I wanted to play it again. My husband gave it to me. The game I was most interested in was Trails of Mana, the one they’re also making a remake of. I don’t know yet if I want to play that one. The quality of the remake is much better than I expected, but I still enjoy playing the original. So would it add value if you just play it for the story? I don’t know.

Last November Pokemon Sword came out. We were in Japan at the time so I didn’t preorder it, but it was one of the first things I did when we got back. I was waiting for a good Pokemon again. I played Pokemon Sun/Moon for awhile (until my hands started hurting seriously) but I didn’t seem to enjoy it as much. I don’t really know why because the game is gorgeous, the Pokemon cute and I love the idea of the challenges instead of ordinary gyms.

Pokemon Sword was everything I wanted and more. It didn’t bother me that I couldn’t catch all 800+ Pokemon. To be honest, the idea alone is overwhelming. This is the first time in a long while that I beat the champion in years. I’m currently trying to complete as much of the pokedex as possible.

Early last month, I bought Octopath Traveler with a 50% discount. I already played the demo before and knew I’d one day play the whole game. I guess that’s now. It seemed like the perfect game to enjoy during self-isolation. That said, I’ve only just recruited my second character and still haven’t killed the boss. It’s been awhile since I played a JRPG and have to get used again to grinding and learning the mechanics of bosses. No kill comes easy. I’ll get there though.

And with more discounts come more games. I really like that the Nintendo eShop has regular sales now and triple A games also get discounted. I remember when things were different. So I picked up Just Dance 2019 for 15 bucks, including one month of Just Dance Unlimited. I played the first two or three games on the Wii and enjoyed it a lot. Dancing is one of the few things I’d still do even if my body wouldn’t work with me. Plus, no one is going to see my dance except my husband and Shiro.

So with all these games and even more awesome games to come, I think the Switch is going to be my new favourite handheld and console. Two in one, how convenient.

Game Merch Haul – Japan Edition

You thought I’d go to Japan and not come back without some game merch? No way! Games a re big in Japan. I saw ads for games everywhere, even mobile games. Many people spent their commute playing games on their phones.

They opened the Nintendo store the day after we left so we just missed it. But the lines were way too long anyway. Lining up at 6 in the morning only to be let in after noon is too long. Even with 13 days in Japan we didn’t have time enough to do (and eat) everything on my list.

Pokemon

We visited three Pokemon Centers: the one in Ikebukuro, the one in the Skytree complex, and the one next to the Pokemon Cafe where we ate later. I picked up the plushie you can see in the picture below, together with some stationery you can see here.

If you love games, Akihabara is the place to be. We found some shops with blind bags, one of them Pokemon themed. Now, these bags usually contain a lot of dead merchandise. Things that didn’t sell, are broken, or bad quality. Well, for 3000 yen (about 28 euro), I think I lucked out. The major prize isn’t in the picture, but it’s a 30 cm Dragonite plushie. That one alone was definitely worth it. And aside from the little Eevee figurines, all Pokemon stuff was in the bag. The Manaphie and Jiggly Puff are just too cute.

I bought the Japanese version of Pokemon Blue to play on my old Gameboy. I still haven’t given up on learning Japanese and this will motivate me even more.

Kirby

I really wanted a Kirby figurine for underneath my PC screen, but no matter how many capsules I pulled, no Kirby… Not even in the bath bomb with Kirby toy inside (highly recommend the bath bomb though). So I still have no Kirby, but a ton of other tiny monsters. One day, I swear, I will have my Kirby!

Totoro

Ok, technically not game merch, but this seems the perfect place for some Ghibli. I really love the Ghibli movies. The art and the stories are mesmerizing. I bought a blind box for Totoro. It was more expensive than a regular capsule toy, but the quality it much higher too. The plushie I bought at the airport with leftover money from our pasmo cards. It’s so soft and cute.

I could’ve bought a ton more, but my budget was spread out over several hobbies of mine, and fountain pens aren’t cheap. Maybe the next time things will be different. Maybe I’ll have a bigger budget or loose interest in one of my hobbies. But for now, it’s hard to go to Japan and not buy any gaming merchandise.

Just Five Games For A Year?

Naithin challenged his readers to pick five games to play for an entire year. I really liked this idea, mostly because I always said I only need a handful of games to play. Can I still name five?

The Rules

The rules as stated by Naithin. This is a direct c/p.

  1. The consequence for playing a 6th title?
    Playing anything outside of your pre-selected five titles will result in any gaming device you touch spontaneously combusting. (Ooooh, Spooky! Halloween ya’ll!)
  2. Selections aren’t limited to a single platform
    So if you wish to select some Switch titles, some PC, some PS4 etc — this is OK.
  3. All DLC for a given game is fine and included within your pick
    As the original tweet, all DLC for a game included. I will further specify, that this could be unreleased DLC at the time of making your selection.
  4. Mods (even Total Conversions) are also OK
    But they can’t rely on the assets of a game you haven’t selected to work. (e.g., The Skyrim TCs for Morrowind and Oblivion require the original assets.)
  5. For a series of games, each entry is an individual selection.
    If you want Dark Souls I, II and III — that’s three of your five picks.

My five games

Guild Wars 2

This should come to no surprise to anyone. I still have a love/hate relationship with the game and I have no idea where it’s headed with the last big announcement of the Icebrood Saga.

I’m still playing now, almost daily since I go to bed later, but I often find myself logging off pretty quickly. I really hope I’ll find a real goal soon that doesn’t seem too far off.

Stardew Valley (Switch Edition)

I love playing Stardew Valley on the Switch. It’s right next to me as I write this, even. It’s a moment of relaxation where I don’t have to worry about anything, just the season change.

In my current save, I’m in year three. I passed grandpa’s evaluation with four candles, so now I can focus on the other quest lines

Pokemon Sword

Yes, I picked an unreleased game. I know I can play Pokemon all year and not be satisfied with the team I have. Ever since I’ve seen Wooloo, I’ve been determined to beat the league with an all Wooloo team. I have no idea if it’s possible or not, but I’ll have to train hard.

League of Legends

This is still one of the games that I find hard to uninstall. It’s also one of the few I’ll install right away with a new setup.

League of Legends isn’t a game I’ll play daily. I don’t have to. It’s a game I’ll drop in, play a few matches of ARAM and be done with it for a while. My hands don’t really like the fast action of LoL, especially during the colder months.

Dragon Age: Inquisition

The game I want to finish. I’ve got about 40 hours in and I know I still have a long way to go, especially if I want to do all of the side quests. When I’m done I can still replay it with different choices. I’d even try to get all the achievements.

These are my five games. Which ones will you choose?

Tokyo Trip: Making a List

Even though a trip to Japan has been my wish for years, the list of places I wanted to visit in Tokyo was small. Most of those places are related to pop culture and not so much the traditional side of Japan.

Pokemon

If you’re here, you probably know I’m a gamer. I’ve been a Pokemon fan for as long as it’s been available in the West, so the Pokemon Center is high on my list. Tokyo now also has a Pokemon Cafe, which is also on my list. We’ll have to make a reservation in advance if we want to go there, but it’s probably worth it (the experience, not the food).

Tokyo Tower

Photo by Yu Kato on Unsplash

Tokyo tower is a well known landmark that’s often seen in anime and dorama. I do want to see it, but I have no desire to go inside. I have a fear of heights and I have no idea how that’ll show itself when we reach the observatory deck.

There’s also the Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku with free access to their observatory deck. I’d rather go there, in a building with enough support.

Budokan and Tokyo Dome

Both places are pretty famous. Budokan is an event location where lots of sumo tournaments are held, but it’s also the place to be if you’re in a band. That’s the stage to aim for.

Tokyo Dome is home to Tokyo’s baseball team, Yomiuri Giants, but the whole area is made to entertain. I’ve seen various concerts filmed from Tokyo Dome and it would be nice to see how big it really is. The Tokyo Dome area has attractions, a shopping mall and food court around it which makes a good area to go on a date.

I doubt we’ll go inside these places, but that’s okay.

Sensoji Shrine

Sensoji shrine is probably one of the most recognisable shrines in Japan. The bright red kaminari is one of the most photographed sites of the shrine and most people know where it is.

It’s a tourist trap. The shops lined up from the gate towards the shrine will probably be more expensive than when you buy the same things somewhere else. And since it’s popular with both foreign tourist, local tourists also like to visit the shrine.

Come early to avoid the huge crowds. And don’t forget to check out the smaller shrines in the area.

The list with all the places that we’re going to visit it much longer of course, but these came to mind when I first started thinking about what I wanted to see.

Tokyo Trip: Where It All Began

If you’ve read my latest post here or follow me on Twitter, you might have heard that I’m going to Japan this year. We’re just visiting Tokyo, but there’s so much to do and so much I want to see, that we won’t be bored.

My interest began many years ago, but I was already Pokemon daily and regularly watched Dragonball Z, Sailormoon, or other dubbed anime on Jetix. But there is one other pop culture franchise that truly launched me into the otaku world: Kingdom Hearts.

I’m not even talking about the game (which is amazing), but the TV ad that ran before it came out. I loved Disney and Final Fantasy, and Kingdom Hearts had both. The anime look just completed it.

The ad had the amazing soundtrack done by Utada Hikaru. The song is called Simple and Clean in English and Hikaru in Japanese. I fell in love with that song and I spend two hours looking for it online. I don’t remember if the ad actually mentioned it, but I missed it. The Japanese version popped up first and later I found the English version. But I was hooked.

I explored more of Utada’s music and found Maaya Sakamoto later. She’s also a well known seiyuu. One of the shows she did was Escaflowne which was one of the first animes I watched.

From there on, I went into jdrama. Kimi wa Petto was my first, with Matsumoto Jun. I loved his acting and looked him up. He is the concert master of the boyband Arashi. He provides the MC when necessary when they do live performances.

I just found out there’s a remake of Kimi wa Petto on Viki from a few years ago and I might have to watch it now…

Arashi was the biggest snowball. From there I found more jdramas, other Japanese artists and connected more with the Japanese culture from watching their variety shows. If you need something fun to watch, try finding episodes of Himitsu no Arashi with English subs. Below is a highlight reel of things they do.

All of the Arashi members did their own shows and series. By watching most of what they’ve done, drama or real life things, my knowledge and interest in the Japanese culture became larger.

My wish to visit Japan and see the places from the series in real life, taste the foods that they showed, but most of all, I want to try the sweets.

Come back later to follow me as I prepare for the trip of a lifetime. If you want to know more about something specific (like my obsession with Arashi or Pokemon) let me know in the comments below so I can dedicate a separate post to it.

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Young Miira:
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