Tokyo Game Show 2017 Special! Part 2

More games from Japanese developers on display at Tokyo Game Show this year!
(Part 1 here.)

Note: games may not be free/ have a release date.

Continuing from last week...

[Shooting] Rising Arch (demo)
by Banraku Games
for PC (browser-based demo available)
to be released
free demo

Whaddya know, this was also displayed at BitSummit this year! (Sorry to Banraku Games, I didn't get the chance to see everything...)  It's an exciting 2D sidescroller in which you use clicks/taps to make your way through obstacles and defeat enemies. I appreciate the thought the developer put into the characters and abilities: for example, all of your abilities revolve around electricity, including a teleportation ability called "electro-portation". With cute pixel graphics and fast-paced gameplay, it'll electrify you!

Not only can you download the demo on their website (only until May 2018!), but you can also play a browser version; look for the fourth banner from the top that starts with "Web" and has a picture of a pink-haired character). It comes with 10 levels, plus a boss fight and a "Sudden-Death Mode" in which you can try to get through all levels in one go.

Language Difficulty: ★☆☆ (1/3)
If you really want to understand the story, you'll need some help, but at least for the demo version you'll find that the Level Clear screen is all in English and the menu options aren't too hard to follow. All you need to know is that you can teleport by clicking/tapping and use the titular "Rising Arch" (your electric bow and arrow) by dragging away from your target and releasing.


[Visual Novel] The Midnight Sanctuary (demo)
by Cavy House
for PC, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive
to be released
free demo

From such bright, colorful graphics it's hard to tell that this game labels itself as "occult suspense", but from the summary it actually sounds quite interesting. Basically, a small town tries to modernize and forget its religious foundations, but the appearance of a mysterious person claiming to be Saint of their legends throws the townspeople into disarray.

This may be one of the first visual novels to take place in VR (I say that having played a 3D visual novel at TGS with its own set of incredible features). Even if you don't own any VR gear, putting yourself into the story- instead of the flat character-against-background presentation we've seen so far- this way has got to be unreal.

The website lists the full version with an estimated 3 to 6 hours of gameplay.

On the DL... you can get this game from DLSite (follow the image link) for 1080 yen, but I'm pretty sure the localized version is only on Steam.

Language Difficulty: ☆☆☆ (0/3)
You probably could've guessed that score once I mentioned a "localized version". As it's being handled by the team that localized Recettear, you know it's in good hands!


[Puzzle] Crystal Clash
by Cold Fusion
for Android, iOS, PC
Available now!
free

Usually when you hear "Puzzle RPG" you think of match-3, right? This time, Cold Fusion has brought nonograms into the mix! Plus, it's realtime multiplayer, so in addition to figuring out the number grid and keeping your units strong, you'll have to match wits against your opponent!

I'm a huge sucker for nonograms and always wanted a game that would expand on the idea. Looks like this is it!

Language Difficulty: ☆☆☆ (0/3)
Completely in English! That really helps if you haven't become acquainted with nonograms (why).


That's all for this week's special! Come back next weekend for another roundup from TGS, or during the week for a featured game.

[Puzzle / Other] Defence Saviors by Strayひろま

... remember this guy? From Healer's Yell? Remember playing through it and wanting more? You're in luck!


Defence Saviors
genre: Puzzle / Other
2016
for PC
Translated from Freegame Mugen:

"For beginners, too! Unit-placement tower defense"
This game is a unit-placement Tower Defense from an isometric view.
Place your units to suppress the oncoming enemy and keep your ground!
With controls handled through the mouse and the implementation of auto-save, you can play even in a short amount of time.
This game has been adjusted to appeal to veterans as well as those unfamiliar with "Tower Defense". Go ahead and try it out!
*After completing the game, an extremely difficult "Extra" level will become available.

[Expected Play Time]
5 to 10 minutes per stage
At least 1 to 2 hours to complete

Highlights

• An orthodox tower defense that even newcomers will enjoy!
• 5-minute-long levels make for short play time!
• An additional extra-difficult "Extra" level after game completion!

Points of Pride, Pay Attention to...
I put my energy into the visual aspects and controls so that even players new to Tower Defense can have a good experience.

Message to the Players
* You can freely write reviews or stream gameplay without having to notify me.
* However, please contact me for inquiries about magazine articles or localization.
* With Ver1.07 I've made the game available unencrypted on this site. I'd be glad if it can be of some use for anyone making a game with WOLF RPG Editor.

... looks way more polished than its predecessor, doesn't it? The only problem- if you choose to see it that way- is the lack of an English version. For a scholar such as yourself, however, this is a worthy challenge!
Also, if you happen to be a newbie at Tower Defense, trust him when he says it's made for you: there's even a time-control bar so you don't get overwhelmed by waves of enemies!

Language Difficulty: 3 / 3 ★★★
By "worthy challenge" I mean "you'd better be ready for some intense reading action". Sure, some words written in katakana are relatively straightforward ("power", "speed", and "range", for instance), and if you know how tower defenses work you'll be able to figure out the basics, but to actually take advantage of gameplay mechanics you're going to want to understand the explanations.

Find the green download button under the social media icons! Also, here's the developer's twitter account. Let him know how you like the game!


Saturday seems to be the best day for Twitter Roundups, so while I still have titles to show from Tokyo Game Show, I'll show them off then. Thanks for reading!

Tokyo Game Show 2017 Special! Part 1

To make up for the lack of a Twitter Roundup last week, I'm gathering up the Japanese games from the Indies Corner at Tokyo Game Show this year! I only got a chance to play a few, but trust me, there's a reason they were on display!

Note: games may not be free/ have a release date.

In alphabetical order by developer name...

[RPG] StarMined
by 4th cluster
for iOS / Android
to be released by end of 2017
free

An RPG for smartphones. Interestingly, the random encounters of RPGs are there, but proceeding through the map is a totally different experience. Instead of a chibified version of your character, you have only a pinhole view of the screen and proceed between glowing points. We'll see as it gets closer to the release date!

Japanese Language Difficulty: ★★★ (3/3)


[Card] The Fiend with 17 Faces
by Alpha Code
for iOS / Android
to be released
price undecided

Among the VR games at TGS, this one felt the most like a party game. Your goal is to catch the fake detective by looking at the suspects on your screen and matching their features with the cards on the table in front of you. I can totally imagine this being played at a board game cafe- as long as everyone has a smartphone- of which there are several in Tokyo, not to mention other cities in Japan. With the majority of VR games at the moment focusing on a single player's immersion, often involving horror/suspense or nausea-inducing motion, this game took a stab at the social game arena and, in my eyes, succeeded.

I have a feeling it's just an updated version of their previous game, SPYvsSPYvsSPYvsSPY, but, hey, it works!

Japanese Language Difficulty: ★★★ (3/3)
There's a lot to keep track of! Once you figure out the rules it should be possible to go through the motions without understanding the text, but you'll want someone there to explain for at least your first try.

[Sim] TINY METAL
by Area35
for Switch / PS4 / Steam
to be released Autumn 2017
price undecided

I simply could not write a post about Tokyo Game Show's indie scene without including the title my friend fell in love with while there. It's a turn-based strategy game- haven't seen one of those in a while!- developed by self-described "grizzled" developers. The graphics look cute, but it's definitely a war game, and a polished one at that.

Japanese Language Difficulty: ☆☆☆ (0/3)
It will come out in English as well!


That's all! Feel free to ask for more information about any of these games or this year's TGS through my Twitter account (to the right).

Twitter Roundup 9/16

This week is the shortest yet! Not because there aren't good games out there, but because I want to focus on games that deserve more attention and save longer games for longer posts. With that said...

Mobile (iOS / Android)

それでも確かに、きっと特別な夏だった。

Android⇒https://t.co/xc1Pnb71Z7
iPhone⇒https://t.co/IxsXQjvYMB#無料 #脱出 #あの夏 #謎解き #拡散希望

— じぇふ@デジゲー博B-24 (@jeffry1461) 2017年9月11日

[Puzzle / Other] Dasshutsu Gemu: Ano Natsu no Hi kara Dasshutsu (Escape from That Summer Day)
App Store description (translated):

▼Features▼
●Head for the "Haunted Tunnel" and escape from that summer day.
●This game progresses in stages, and the story unfolds with the solution of puzzles at each stage.
●Each stage also has its own hints and answers, so even beginners can follow through to the end.
●All stages are free to play.

▼How to Play▼
●Examine by tapping.
●Tap the item menu and choose an item.
●Tap a selected item again to enlarge.
●Bring up the menu by tapping the Menu button at the top of the screen.
●Tap the ? button at the top of the screen to see hints and answers.

▼Strategy▼
●Try tapping all over the screen.
●Look over the items carefully, too.
●Items can be combined.
●Pay attention to all of the information given in the game.

▼Highlights▼
●People who like summer or memories of summer, or who like escape games, will like this game.
●There are even secondary hints and answers so it should be no problem for beginners.

▼Playful Spirit▼
Each stage is carefully constructed and filled with plenty of "playful spirit".

As you can see from the screenshots, the art is gorgeous. You won't see any of the characters, but from the dialog you can feel the innocence and youth pouring in like the summer sun.

Speaking of youth, the narrator seems to be looking back at his memories as a child, so the majority of text will be spoken by a child. Although some words might be elusive to the beginner, for the most part they should be simple enough to look up. For that, I'll give it a 2/3.

完成しました！
八月中とか言っといて九月になりました
よかったら遊んでください＾＾https://t.co/pjt8t5v7WV#Unity　 #unity3d pic.twitter.com/EWOaJbPMnH

— レモンティー (@Slemontea7948) 2017年9月3日

[Action] Busamon (Android Only)

Truth be told, I don't know how to play this game. Apparently the name is based on the fact that the developer can't model monsters well (ugly + monster = busamon). It's made in Unity, and from the screenshots the modeling doesn't actually look bad. Someone let me know what their experience is!

The text from the screenshots would require some knowledge of grammar and some higher-level kanji, so it gets a 2/3.

Browser

そしてこれはその会社のサイトにあったデバッグ体験ミニゲームである。制限時間8分以内にゲーム内に存在するバグを5つ見つけるのが目的。実践同様、ゲームやりながらバグ見つけないといけないから、ヒントなしだとたぶん全部見つけるの無理だった。https://t.co/f3IamFIG4f pic.twitter.com/Z2rIhQYhX7

— ロッズ (@rods_skyfish) 2017年9月9日

[Puzzle / Other] Debugging Challenge

Want to try your hand at debugging? Why not try it in Japanese? The name of the game within the debugging experience is "Exciting Shiba Inu Walk", but first you get a meta tutorial explaining your real mission. You only have eight minutes to find five bugs. In case the tweet is unavailable, you can find the game at the bottom of the right-hand menu bar at this site. (Side note: truthfully, with a motto like "save the digital world", I was expecting something to do with Digimon...)

In terms of language, you'll want to understand the instructions, which are fairly simple but may prove difficult for low-level learners. I'd say it's about a 2/3.


That's it for this week! I'm still figuring out how many games are appropriate for a weekly roundup, so if you have any suggestions, let me know on Twitter or in the comments!

Twitter Roundup 9/9

Recently these roundups have focused heavily on mobile games, so this time I'm going to throw in a couple for the keyboard-and-mouse crowd.

PC / Mac

『三国恋戦記　魁』体験版を配信中です！是非プレイして下さい！（CV：鈴木達央、鳥海浩輔、小西克幸、興津和幸、花江夏樹）https://t.co/rCd8dSw4uW

— Daisy2official (@Daisy2official) 2017年8月26日

[VN] Sangoku Rensenki Sakigake (Love and War of the Three Kingdoms: Foreunner) (Demo)

You're a high school student chatting with your friends during history class, to the annoyance of your teacher. While wondering about plans with your friends after school- pancakes or studying?- you suddenly find yourself... in the middle of a battle?! And in your hands is... your history book?! Come to think of it, this scene is awfully familiar...!

Even if you're not into otome games (visual novels, or "romance simulator games", generally made for young women), you've got to admit, they're great for language practice: you have a long story with recurring characters, meaning much of the same vocabulary will come up frequently, so even without a dictionary you can figure out at least a few from context. Furthermore, you can read along while listening to the characters, giving you both reading and listening practice. Sure, the same goes for anime, but the nature of a visual novel lets you go at your own pace and gives you a motivating goal. Plus, the demo is free to download!

If you want a taste of the first few minutes of gameplay, you're in luck: Daisy2 uploaded the following on its official Youtube channel!

... if that piqued your interest, the full game went on sale on August 25th! It's available for...¥8964 (about $80)! Sure, it costs more than a textbook, but let's be honest, if you're like me you'd be far more likely to finish a game than go past the first lesson of "Japanese for So-and-So!"

Since it mostly takes place in the past you're going to run into some old-fashioned Japanese, earning this game a 3/3 on the Japanese difficulty scale.

Mobile (iOS / Android)

【新作リリース】
「Unityの寺子屋」をご覧になってくださった皆さまへ私からの感謝の気持ちです！

新作アプリ「寺院（てら）へ…」リリースしました。Unityの寺子屋特別付録です！ | Ninebonz　- その和尚IT系 https://t.co/uKJcEOvFeU pic.twitter.com/cBnNSagrj8

— いたのくまんぼう・Unity入門書発売中 (@Kumanbow) 2017年8月29日

[Sim] To the Temple
From the App Store description (translated):

It's a simple idle game.Swipe to collect "virtue" (徳) and build up your temple!

This game is a step up from the sample game "The Temple" as it appears in MdN Corp's "[Unity Temple School: Introduction to Basic Smartphone Game Development]" (aka "[Master's Text 2]"), with system and production improvements and the addition of ads.

By comparing this with the sample in the book, you may find out what areas need adjustments to release the product as an app.

Additionally, it may serve as a sample of ad placement in apps.

Made by the author of the Unity textbook, "Unity Terakoya" (now on sale!), this is an upgraded version of the sample from the book. If you're interested in developing mobile games, you could buy the textbook and kill two birds with one stone!
Of course, you'll be in for some quite difficult language. Based on screenshots, the game itself gets a 2/3. Recognizing "徳" is probably easy enough; it's figuring out the feedback that you'll need some knowledge for!

新作ゲーム "GlowHunter"のiOS版も本日リリースしました。
iOS: https://t.co/7MLzregyoy
Android: https://t.co/DY18IG0MUT#indiegame #indiedev #gamedev #pixelart

— Yoku@swgames (@swgames_jp) 2017年9月7日

[Sim] GlowHunter

This is the kind of game you don't need to micromanage: just wait for resources to pile up and decide how to use them. Gain companions, upgrade your armor, and try to accumulate as many Glow Stones as you can! And... there's a chicken in there?

0/3 language difficulty for the English version.

指の速度と時間の速度が連動するゲームです。
危ないときは指を止めれば敵も止まるので、アクションゲーム下手な人でも遊べます。
もうすぐ1年なので、このゲームを知らない人にも伝わればうれしいです。https://t.co/kF1fjLRVaK pic.twitter.com/kDMaZc8J2c

— otsuka (@otsuka_game) 2017年6月9日

[Shooting] Time Locker

As the description says, the game only moves when your finger does. Sure, you're shooting at things, but you're an adorable pixellated, pastel-colored animal accompanied by sound effects fit for a carnival game.

But don't take my word for it!


Funnily enough, someone commented on Twitter that they didn't believe the developer was Japanese because the site is written completely in English. As you can probably guess, the language difficulty is 0/3.

Browser

これは、人ではないものと少女の間に起きた、誰にだってありえる物語。 「ジャミと呼ばれた妖怪（ブラウザ版）」 https://t.co/mWzOCcyfB7

— ふりーむ（無料ゲーム配信中！） (@FreemGames) 2017年8月27日

[VN] Jami to Yobareta Yokai (A Spirit Called Jami)

This visual novel made in Tyrano Builder Pro should only take 30 minutes to an hour to complete. There's not much in terms of gameplay, but according to its website it's received a couple of awards. Here's the description on Freem Games (translated):

Walking home from middle school one day at the end of autumn, with winter approaching, a girl meets "something not human".

This is a story between something not human and a girl, a story that anyone could have.

The not-human (spirit?) doesn't speak much and the girl has the vocabulary of a middle schooler. That, along with the length, causes me to give it a 2/3. I haven't played it through yet, though, so if you've having trouble, I'll adjust the score.



That's all for this week! I believe I started out with 10 games per week, but 5 is much more manageable. I usually try to test out the games first, make sure they're available outside of Japan, cut those without at least a free demo, etc., but I share much more through Twitter! That's also where you can chew me out for problems with the site.

[RPG] World Wandering

Most of the games so far have an English version or are so short that you won't spend much time with them. If you're serious about getting knee-deep into Japanese "in the wild", however, come along and have your (metaphorical) machete ready.


World Wandering
by CAT END TURN
"Youth wandering through the world

Pleo leaves on a journey to find her missing father. At the first port town she runs into the adventurer Legacy, and they continue the search together.

However, due to some incident along their journey, they are afflicted by an awful curse sending them wandering through a parallel world!

And so, their endless World Wandering starts!

■ This game is especially for...

・those who can dedicate time to a long RPG

・those who want to sit back and enjoy the game

■ This game may not be for...

・those who can't stand long cutscenes

・those looking for straight gameplay or a speedrun

Highlights

- No complicated battle system!

- Exclusive of excessive speed challenges or other annoying  components!

- A standard story-driven RPG that players of any skill level can play

- Made in RPG Maker VX Ace

- About 35-40 minutes of gameplay!"

Reviewers had some qualms with the battle system (using skills especially), but praised the characters and world. You'll probably be familiar with these problems if you've played RPGs, and depending on your tolerance, they may not bother you; after all, it's only about a half-hour game. There are plenty more RPGs made in RPG Maker VX on Freegame Mugen; I may not feature them very often, because they're usually quite similar, but they're chock full of dialogue.

With that said, this game gets a 3/3 for language difficulty. You'll need to recognize common kanji and sentence structures, and even then you may need a dictionary handy. Plus, there are different speaking styles- for young male and female characters, demons, old wise men, etc.- that might throw you off if you don't recognize them.


For even more games, articles on the gaming industry, and features/offers by developers, artists, programmers, composers, etc., be sure to follow me on Twitter!

Twitter Roundup 9/2

Recently I've been posting Twitter Roundups exclusively, but I'll bring back the regular posts, too. For now, enjoy the week's indie finds!

Mobile (iOS / Android)

アドベンチャーゲーム『人形の傷跡』を掲載しました。1999年のリリース以来、様々なプラットフォームに向けてリリースされてきた本作ですが、本作はSteamによる世界配信版となります https://t.co/U9E4adpAg8 pic.twitter.com/A8zmQQKll7

— Made with Unity JP (@madewithunityjp) 2017年8月23日

[Adventure / Novel] Scar of the Doll

It's an "adventure novel game" (AVG) with a touch of horror and quite a hefty amount of text bound for Steam, but you can download it for free on iOS or Android. It says it has an English version, too! For that reason, it gets a 0/3, but if you're up for the challenge, try the Japanese version as well!

スマホ向け美少女育成シミュレーションゲーム
『ポケットガール』シリーズ
シリーズ総計DL数60万DL！！（ﾀﾌﾞﾝ
2作とも力作です！是非遊んでね！！https://t.co/x32w1FV5CL

— zabosama＠ハクスラ開発開始！ (@Zabosama) 2017年4月12日

[Sim] Pocket Girl

Once you download the game, you start living with your new "daughter". It's one of those pet-raising games, but instead of a dog or fish or something, it's a girl that changes her personality and appearance based on how you raise her. Sounds like a lot of work, but at least you don't have to feed her! Although it may sound slightly creepy, it's rated 9+, so you won't find some of the stuff you usually associate with "dojinshi".
I don't have the game and the screenshots don't show any actual gameplay, but the App Store says it has an English version, so it's a 0/3.

フェーズ8まで進んで、スコアは2035438でした！自己ベスト更新！！
iOS DL:https://t.co/vVDNKg3JSZ#ドタバタラッシュ #ランゲーム pic.twitter.com/cURvqaD749

— スレ (@ginneco_s) 2017年8月21日

[Action] Slapstick Rush

It looks like a simple "running" game on the surface... but there's more?? You're a mouse running away from cats so the cute characters and items are tied to that theme. It doesn't take long to dash through a stage so you can play it in your free time, with kids, etc. This one also has an English version so it's a 0/3.

【重力パズル】「Gravity Roll」 をリリースしました！
iOS: https://t.co/HIsaRFLgcJ
Android: https://t.co/M1APWzFX79
ぜひ遊んでみて下さい！#indiegame #unity pic.twitter.com/sEiZdnyhhH

— SpearSoft (@SpearSoftGames) 2017年3月21日

[Puzzle / Other] Gravity Roll

Did you ever have one of those tables that you could pitch up or down to direct a marble through a maze as a kid? This is kinda similar, but probably twice as intense. Based on what I can tell, the instructions are either self-explanatory or written on the App Store description, so it gets a 0/3.

Browser

おさしみができました！　score:15 https://t.co/hL2QVo8Gb8 #unityroom
イラストめちゃめちゃ可愛いw

— naichi (@naichilab) 2017年8月27日

[Action] Osashimi Tsukuru Yo (Makin' Sashimi!)

Very short, but charming and fun for what it's worth! You're a cat that wants sashimi, but you have to make it by... hand-chopping the plate as it comes. The timing is random; see if you can make a whole plate! I'd say it gets a 2/3 juuuuust so you can appreciate the types of dishes and the cat's determination to eat.



That's it for this week! Hit me up on Twitter if you want to see more of a certain genre, want me to promote a specific Japanese game, etc.