Game Recommendations: The World Ends with You

Unique is a word that is often used far too liberally to the point where it loses meaning. Yet Square-Enix’s JRPG The World Ends with You (know as It’s a Wonderful World in Japan) comes close. Whilst there are some generic elements to the game, the overall package is so fresh and engaging that it is more than the sum of its parts.

This game has style. Set in Shibuya, it recreates the atmosphere of its location despite the limitations of the hardware. The look and personality of the characters are fairly standard, but the flair with which they are portrayed makes them very appealing. So although you may begrudge the fact that the protagonist is yet another moody teenager with an inability to socialize with others, you will at least appreciate that the kid has style. As does everyone in this game. All of the characters reflect the vibe of Shibya’s diverse fashion culture and it really helps to engross the player in this alternative vision of Shibuya. Coupled with the fact that the locations within the game are all real places and anyone who has visited the heart of Tokyo’s youth movement will find a thrill from recognizing them.



The plot of the game is also a cut above many others in the genre. The protagonist has unwillingly been forced into ‘The Reapers’ game’ which the participants to survive a week in the Shibuya area fulfilling tasks and battling other participants and the mysterious ‘Noise’. Each player’s entry fee was the thing that they value the most, and this combined with the fact that each person has died in order to enter the game leads to a lot of fascinating plot twists, though many of them are somewhat predictable.

As I mentioned before the style and panache of the game is its biggest draw. This is also present in the quality of the music which few other DS games have managed to achieve. The soundtrack is perfectly suited to the atmosphere of the game, mirroring the emotional peaks and troughs as well as the culture of Shibuya’s Hip Hop and Dance music.



The combat system on the other hand is somewhat of a mess. If played properly then it requires you to control two separate characters on the two different DS screens, whilst utilizing both the stylus and face buttons. Unless you are an octopus which, due to a bizarre toxic waste induced mutation, sports an extra pair of eyes, it is nearly impossible to feel complete comfortable. To its credit, the game is aware of this flaw and has different elements of AI assistance, allowing the computer to control one of the characters to various degrees. It was brave to try to reflect the unique aesthetics of the game in the combat system, but ultimately it is too unwieldy to be comfortable. Having said that, if you do get into the flow the reward of performing well is satisfaction as well as acknowledgement in the form of in-game currency and a ranking system that inspires the player to improve.

The World Ends with You never got the commercial success that it deserved, despite the extremely positive reviews. It does appeal to a very small audience of people who love both JRPGs and are Japanophiles, and due to a lack of aggressive marketing it probably didn’t find its way into the conscious of too many of that select group either. If you want something different with an intriguing story and which is more stylish than 99% of the games out there, then this is the game you have been waiting for. No wonder it’s so popular with cosplayers.

Game Recommendations: Viva Pinata

They say that you should never judge a book by its cover; Viva Piñata proves that this rule also applies to videogames. From a mere glance at the box art many would have dismissed it as some ridiculous kiddie game no doubt attached to an obnoxious Saturday morning cartoon. Whilst part of that statement is true, beneath the fluffy exterior of the game’s vibrant visuals lays a challenging and dark beast of a game screaming to get out.

Considering that many of you may never have even heard of this game some background information is in order. The game was made by Rare, creators of classics such as Donkey Kong Country, Goldeneye and Banjo Kazooie, in order to build a franchise that would appeal to both kids and adults. An animated series was indeed made in conjunction with the game in order to leverage some cross-promotion and hopefully to extend the franchise into other ludicrously profitable areas. Despite positive reviews, the game never achieved the success that Microsoft envisioned.



The problem is that although the game looks simplistic and casual friendly, it’s actually a fairly complex spatial-management game that shares more in common with Sim City than Spongebob. You are given an initially small garden area and you must attract different kinds of wildlife to come and live in your garden by creating an environment that appeals to them. As you manage to get more Piñatas into your garden your tools are upgraded, allowing you attract rarer and more interesting specimens. The concept itself is fairly abstract; there is no real goal other than to improve your garden and to see new Piñatas. It’s a game based around the achievement concept in that as you fulfill prerequisite challenges you are rewarded, which in turn gives you Xbox Achievement points. It’s almost a Meta idea; your desire for trophies is reflected in how much you will get out of the game.

It’s a challenging game that requires an obsessive personality. The Piñatas will fight and kill each other if you put natural enemies in the same environment. They get sick and die if they are not properly looked after. And they mate. A lot.

Which leads us to the sinister underbelly of the game. Rare are a British studio that have always liked to inject their own brand of humor into their games. Thus the mating dances that the various Piñatas perform are hilarious and at first you will want to see all the different cutscenes that are cute visual metaphors for their procreation. As you get more serious about the game though, you will discover that the best way to make money is to constantly breed the most valuable animals you have in order the sell their offspring as soon as they are hatched. As I became more engrossed in the game I found myself questioning my life priorities as I sat clutching my controller at 2am forcing my clan of Cinnamonkeys to hump each other non-stop.



The hardcore of course were put off by the sugarcoated look of the game. After all, if a loved one walked in whilst you were playing with your Buzzlegums, Horstachios or Fudgehogs it is quite difficult to convince them of the depth of the gameplay experience.

That was always the problem with the game. Its visuals appealed to one kind of audience and its gameplay appealed to another. As a result it was widely dismissed by the public. If you want a charming, insanely addictive game that will continue to shock, surprise and disturb you then there are few games that fit the bill better than Viva Piñata.

Game Recommendations: Professor Layton and the Curious Village

Do you like charm? Do you like whimsy and adventure? Do you like testing your own mental capacity? If your answer to the above was no, then don’t worry; most DS owners agree with you. Professor Layton and the Curious Village contains all of these elements, yet the majority of people outside Japan chose not to engage in one of the most interesting portable game titles available.

In many ways it is understandable as to why many would pass it by. At its core, Professor Layton is a simple book of brainteasers that you could pick up for about a dollar. On the basis of that it seems ridiculous to justify paying up to 30 bucks for the window dressing…but seeing as this section is called game recommendations I guess I had better give it a try.



That ‘window dressing’ is in fact an integral part of the game’s appeal. From the first moment the gentlemanly Layton and his irritatingly perky assistant Luke step into the village of St. Mystere inevitably it enraptures you. If you have ever seen the French animated movie ‘Les Triplettes de Belleville’ this will feel wonderfully familiar. The game suffocates you with its charm until you are forced to submit and fall in love with it, somewhat like how I felt about Amelie. The soundtrack certainly shares a lot in common with that movie, evoking a wistful rustic feel and bringing life to the enthralling yet slightly sinister village. The gorgeous graphics are the shell of St. Mystere, but the music that reacts to the mood of the narrative breathes the soul into it.

Without spoiling the story, there are so many mysteries to uncover that you will always be looking to find the next piece of the puzzle (literally in some cases). It contains all the classic clichés such as a rich recluse dying and leaving behind a mysterious will, unexplained things that go bump in the night, murder, and a mysterious man who stalks the streets at night. The ‘action’ is occasionally punctuated by sumptuously produced cutscenes that indicated just why Studio Ghibli entrusted Level 5 with a collaborative game.



Despite all this, it is just a collection of puzzles. Is it really worth paying for the ‘window dressing’? The short answer is “yes”. The longer answer is “Yes, do it.”

Game Recommendations: Christmas Shopping

The Christmas shopping starts now. Well in Japan that involves preordering your KFC and Christmas cake but for the rest of us we have to figure out how best to symbolize our emotions within something worth about ¥5000. I especially feel for those boys or girls who have to find something specials for someone who is a gamer. It is so hard to know what they already have and what they want. So here is a little list to help you on you way. But first a few tips.

1) Know what they already have or what they are going to buy
One of the fundamental problems is that dedicated gamers buy everything they want around the day of release. This makes it near impossible to know what they have or will have. Gamers really are one of the most dedicated set of consumers in the world. What you can do to ensure you don’t give them obsolete is to check through their collection or ask them what games they are excited about. But to be honest it is best just to ask them what game they want for Christmas. Whilst you lose the element of surprise, the lucky gamer will be so thrilled that you have just validated and supported their hobby will counter this magnificently. You will be the coolest boyfriend/girlfriend/friend　and you won’t have to hear the dreaded phrase “I’ve already got this one” uttered on December 25th. In other words, Do ask and Do tell.

2) Make sure you get the right version
Know which console to buy for. For the uninformed it can be a nightmare. Currently there are games which appear on up to seven different machines (Xbox360, PS3, Wii, DS, PSP, PC and Mac) so make sure you know which one to get.

3) This one is more specific to Japan but make sure you know what region to get. Ask them and remember, and check out my guide to buying games consoles for foreigners feature.

4) Write down the title exactly
No I’m not being patronizing, though it may sound like it. There are a lot of games that have very similar names or similar box designs. Games like Dead Space and Dead Rising are easily confused, and there are so many Mario and Dragon Quest games that it is very easy to get the wrong iteration.

5) Order online with them next to you. Again it spoils the magic but you can be damn sure you are getting them something they will love.
6) Just don’t bother
Give them money. Give them a card. Give them a DVD. Give them a T-shirt instead. Buying games as a present is hard. And when you do you are buying them something that means they will spend less time with you. It’s not really worth it!

Still reading? Ok here is a list of great games that are coming out this holiday that you special someone might want. I recommend you read reviews of them on a videogame website such as ign.com and see if they are something you think they would like.

Gears of War 2 – Xbox 360
Little Big Planet – PS3
Mirror’s Edge – PS3 and 360
Fallout 3 – PS3 and 360
Wii – Animal Crossing
Rockband – PS3 and 360
Resistance 2 – PS3
Call of Duty: World at War – PS3, Xbox 360, Wii
Fable 2 – Xbox 360
Ninja Town – DS
Dragonball Z Origins – DS

If you want to get any other older DS games, please check my previous articles on the subject. In Japan almost everyone has a DS so it should be a hit if you pick a good game they don’t have. As for me I will be buying myself any game I want as a present to myself to ensure that I have everything I need. Yep, it must be a complete nightmare to have to buy a present for a gamer. The best advice is not to even try!

Which PS3 store should I register to?

Using the Playstation sore can be a confusing process, and for those living in Japan it is even more complicated. Here I will attempt to explain how to use it as well as give some advice about potential problems.

So what is the Playstation store? Well it is an online store on the PS3 from which you can download games, demos, game soundtracks, videos, wallpaper and additional content for your games. You can check the website on your PC, but if you want to download content you need to have a PS3 that is connected to the internet.

The first thing you need to do is register your PS3 which you can do on the dashboard. But wait. This is actually a very important decision you will have to make. You can only do it once and after that you will be unable to change some of your information. Why is this important? Because depending on your address you will only be able to access the Playstation store for your address’s area. So for example if you put in your Japanese address you will only be able to access the Japanese Playstation store. And if you can’t read Japanese then you are in for a rough time.
So which one should you choose? Well each of the stores has slightly different content but there are a number of different factors that should influence your decision. What kind of credit card do you have? You use your credit card to buy things on the Playstation store and your card can only be used for the region where it was issued. So for example if you have a British credit card you can only use it on the British store and if you have a Japanese credit card you can only use it on the Japanese store. I have been unable to test if some big credit cards work in any region’s store, so I can’t promise it will work. This will probably be the most important point for anyone choosing which network to choose. You can also buy points cards in some Japanese videogame shops. A 5000 point card will cost you ¥5000 so it’s a one to one ratio. These cards were not as easy to find as I had been led to believe and also they can only be used in the same region as they were purchased. I bought a point card in Japan and it wouldn’t register to my British Playstation store account. If you have a Japanese credit card and a credit card from your home country, then you have a choice to make, otherwise I would just choose the region that your credit card is from. If you don’t have a credit card then register in the region you live in so you can use the point cards.

The stores:

American – If can use an American credit card and your Japanese isn’t so hot then this is the best store. Do to exchange rates it is cheaper than the European stores and sometimes has content that isn’t released in the European store or is released a little earlier. Also as most games you will buy in Japan are American, you might be able to download additional content for your games. More on that later.

European (British) – Well if you read about the American store you can guess how the British store is. Pretty much the same but a bit more expensive and sometimes late to the party. Avoid if possible.

Japanese – If your Japanese is pretty good and you love Japanese games then this is a no-brainer. Its content is pretty different compared to the other two stores. It has some games that won’t appear on the other stores, but also it dosen’t have some games that are more Western focused, so you stand to lose out in that sense.

Warning section!
For many games it is possible to download additional content for your games on the store, some for free and some paid. An example of free content would be a new t-shirt for your character and an example of paid content would be a new level of a game. You have to own the game to use this content. However there seems to be a problem somewhere between the region of the console, the region of the game, and the region of the Playstation store you are registered to. In my case I have a British Playstation store account, a Japanese Playstation and most of my Playstation games are American. When I try to download additional content for my games, it doesn’t work. Also I have some games that are Japanese and they too can’t get the additional content. So perhaps the only sure way to be able to get additional content is to have your PS3, Playstation 3 game AND Playstation store account from the same region. A little unlikely for importers like myself.

However, you don’t need to worry about downloading demos or full games from the Playstation store. On my Japanese PS3 I can download full games or demos from the British store with no problems at all. It is only additional content for an existing game that is affected.

So, pretty confusing stuff. At least you are a little more informed, but if it is a tough decision anyway. Good luck!