And June rolls around and life is getting busy for everyone. Eric has a son, Alex is sorting out a new job. And yet, gaming survives. Eric logged one game and Alex claims to have two, although his photos haven’t gone up on the May challenge yet. Trusting him, that puts it at a tentative 14 for Eric and 10 for Alex, but we’ll see when the real totals roll in.
June 23 - A-Lx
2. Earth Defense Forces 3 (Earth Defense Force 2017)
My sempai (guy who worked at my office before me) was making his rounds and saying his final goodbyes before heading back home to Canada, and before he left, I got a message from him saying simply “We have to finish EDF”. Which is to say, “I’ve only got 36 hours left in this country, and I want to spend eight of those playing an Xbox game”.
Earth Defense Forces 3 is the kind of game that you’d expect to find in the bargain bin of an electronics store. The cover art is horrendous; the title is pathetic; the story is essentially non-existent; and the power-up sprites look like they were ripped straight out of Wolfenstein 3D—you can literally see the cut corners as you play the game.
That said, it is filled with the kind of simplistic charm that proves addictive. You can’t help but strategize when and how you kill a boss in order to pick up the most weapons. The gameplay, thankfully, is smooth as butter and the framerate is incredible. Sure, it’s a little ridiculous that you use the same tactic to avoid giant ants as you would to avoid being tackled in the original Tecmo Bowl, but the levels are short, have a clear objective, and have a great reward structure.
If you haven’t played it, pick up a copy, invite a friend over, and start up a co-op campaign. You won’t be disappointed.
No pic for this one, either. Shame on me.
June 20 - A-Lx
1. Find Mii!
With the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test and biannual ulcer source) just around the corner, and my Final Fantasy 2 save wiped from existence, I doubt I’ll finish more than this one in June.
Still, Find Mii! is a game worth mentioning, if not for the fact that it alone accounts for me having the 3DS in my pocket, turned on, every waking hour of the day. Utilizing “Game Coins” racked up by walking*, it’s a fat-free RPG with cute unlockables, and a good built-in title for the system. No pic for this one, sorry.
*Shaking it mindlessly while on the toilet works just as well, go figure.
June 14 - Eric
1. Kirby’s Dreamland 2
Massively larger than the previous game and better in almost every way. Loved it.
