Showing posts with label ツイッター. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ツイッター. Show all posts

Saturday, September 16, 2017

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)


[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.

[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

[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!
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Friday, September 8, 2017

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


[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)


[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!

[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.


[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


[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.
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Saturday, September 2, 2017

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)

[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!

[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.

[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.

[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

[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.
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Sunday, August 20, 2017

Twitter Roundup 8/20

Some of these games don't get picked up by blogs in Japan. Well, they're on Twitter, you just need to know where to look!


iOS / Android

[Shooting] Enemy Snatcher
App Store description (translated):
Don't take down your enemies, just take them!
You're the next Enemy Snatcher.
Enemy Snatcher: the third installment from Tsuchigoe Games.
A simple shooting game where the goal is not to defeat enemies but to snatch them.
Enemies that have been hit become "snatchable", at which point you can capture, or "snatch", them.
You can make longer combos by snatching many enemies in a row.
Try to get a high score by making long combos!
I'm really terrible at any shooting games. We'll see how this one goes, but I don't know if I can handle the extra challenge of picking up the enemies, too! Anyway, it's in English so the language shouldn't be an issue.

[Puzzle/Action]  Circles and Triangles
App Store description (translated):
Oh my, the main character's girl has been kidnapped by the enemy. Let's go save her, shall we?
●How to Play
The main character is a wimp.
He'll be taken by the enemy once he's discovered.
He has to sneak to the goal.
●Enemies' Weak Points
The enemy can only see in front of them.
As long as you're not right in front of them, you won't be discovered.
Also, they're extremely dense.
You can push them from behind.
Just try not to get caught.
●Levels
There are many kinds of enemies and levels. You'll even see giant enemies.
With 30 levels in total, you should be able to complete the game in 30 minutes to an hour.
Other
If you have any questions or would like to report a bug, don't hesitate to contact me!
Twitter: @oioinknk3you
Gmail: oioinknk3you@gmail.com
The opening video is full of expression, considering the characters are made only of circles and triangles! You will need some level of Japanese to understand the instructions, but you may be able to figure out (especially by reading "How to Play" above).

[Action] Ayakashi Dochuden (Haunted Journey)
App Store description (translated):
In a world ravaged by monsters... a lone wanderer stood to defend it.
Fight the monsters and bring back peace to the land.
■How to PlayTravel between areas and eliminate the monsters.Power up through the money and items won in battle.Defeat the boss monster lying in wait!
■Day and NightTime passes as you travel through each area.Daytime monsters are weak, but those at night are strong.Keep that in mind.
■BattlesBattle commences when you approach an enemy.Cut them down with the "slash" button!
■GuardWithstand monster attacks with the "guard" button.When you guard right before an enemy attack,they will flinch and be unable to move!That's your chance to deliver the finishing blow!

The only problem is that the button for the healing item gets replaced with "slash" when you enter battle, so when it's over you may end up healing yourself and wasting an item!

[Casual] Ichiban Yoi Namae o Tanomu (The Best Name, Please)
App Store description (translated):
One day, you are placed at a new office.
Your job is to give names to the babies born into this world.
To the babies just waiting in their mothers' bellies, wondering when their mothers will give them birth, you are to give the best name and send them off to the rest of their lives.
◆ Simple Gameplay You don't need any complicated controls at all to play this game.
Just think of a name for the baby and tap the screen a few times.
◆ Results Change With the Name The name you give has a big effect on the baby's life.
Possible combinations number more than a trillion.
Try to give a name that will provide a rosy path.
◆ Play in Your Free Time Each session takes less than 60 seconds.
While you're waiting for friends, on the bus, or during any free time,go ahead and try giving the names you've come up with.
It's one of those apps that pushes the boundaries of the meaning of "games", but if you believe hard enough... !
[Casual] Nananengode Matteru (Waiting for Seven Years)
App Store description (translated):

Seven years ago, I lost my memory...
But I still remember that one promise...
"I'll be waiting here for you in seven years."
I don't remember their face or name, only that promise.
That's why I came back to this town:
to recover my fragmented memories
and to keep the promise I made that day.
Game Description
▼Story
The story starts with the main character, who somehow lost his memories seven years ago, coming back to his hometown for spring vacation after begging his parents.
▼Game Type
You could call it an RPG-like game without battles.
▼Free to Play?
You can play the whole game until the end without pause.
There's no counter for stamina or anything like that.

 It's more like an interactive story, but you'll get hooked on the mystery! And it's completely in Japanese, so you can get a lot of reading practice in if you're willing to look up kanji.



PC / Mac

 [Puzzle / Action] Jump Gun (DEMO)

In this game, you can't jump... but you have a gun that makes things jump! Click the Google Drive link for the download.

[Action] Eisalvia (DEMO)

Looks like a sidescroller where your character fights with a sword and warps in four directions. The download link for the demo is in the banner above the YouTube video.

Feel free to contact me about your game! Or request me to feature a game you think deserves more love.
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