VGW: Read Beyond the Headline
Anne will tell you whether or not you’re missing out when it comes to those pesky Japan-only releases. When she isn’t researching gender and sexuality in Japanese popular culture, she’s playing the quirkiest games she can get her hands on. Region locking is the bane of her existence.
Welcome to another installment of Best of Niche Gaming, where buttons never stick and the games are always hot – even if they do manage to go under the radar of many. This May is very much the calm before the storm that is E3 and the flurry of video game announcements that will likely [...]
Any language learner knows that there’s nothing more fun and rewarding than doing something you enjoy in the language you’re studying, and Japanese is no different. Sites like The JRPG Club prove that many a video game fan dreams of Japanese language proficiency, and with the land of the rising sun being home to countless gaming gems, [...]
Can you believe April’s almost over? I certainly can’t, as I’ve still got piles of niche releases from the first three months of the year to catch up on! But time stops for no one, and the release schedule for this month is looking particularly solid. There’s sure to be at least one April niche [...]
March is surprisingly Nintendo-centric with all but one of our niche gaming picks landing on Nintendo platforms. The 3DS continues to roll out spectacular titles, including a whopping three new titles in massively-popular Japanese franchises. Most importantly, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is, without a doubt, the biggest Wii U release since the system’s launch late [...]
It was hard not to be excited for Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch. For anyone with even the slightest interest in Japanese animation, it was a dream come true: Studio Ghibli, makers of iconic films from My Neighbor Totoro to Spirited Away would be, for the first time ever, lending their talents to a video [...]
Just because it’s nearing the end of February doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten my top five monthly niche game picks! February has seen an onslaught of great titles, and it’s clear that 2013 is going to pack in as many quality releases as possible. This month we’ve got three exciting, but very different, RPGs, as well [...]
Squeals of delight were heard far and wide when Aksys Games stealthily announced on Valentine’s Day that they would be localizing Sweet Fuse: At Your Side, one of the many otome games on the PSP. The game, which is scheduled to debut in North America this summer, marks the second otome game the company has brought [...]
Back in 2011, a virtually unknown Japanese horror game by the name of Corpse Party made its way onto the near-dead PSP by way of publisher XSEED Games. Featuring a mixture of 16-bit sprites and anime-style illustrations, the game seemed relatively unassuming, making it all the more shocking that it quickly rose to revered cult-status [...]
North American publisher XSEED Games has just announced their 2013 release lineup, and it’s full of quality Japanese titles for the upcoming year. Ys I & II Chronicle+ will be first to arrive in February, followed by previously-announced Pandora’s Tower, Killer is Dead, Rune Factory 4, Ys: Memories of Celeceta, and Valhalla Knights 3 over the next 11 months. Killer is [...]
Nyu Media has quickly made a name for itself by releasing quality Japanese indie localizations such as eXceed Collection and ETHER VAPOR Remaster. Now, its latest title, Croixleur, is available for upvoting on Steam Greenlight. The hack & slash action title launched on January 24th on Nyu Media’s official website, Desura, and GamersGate, but Nyu Media is [...]
The PS Vita may low on the big releases in 2013 so far, but owners will at least have one thing to look forward to with Soul Sacrifice now confirmed for an April 30th release date. The game, which is being developed by Marvelous AQL and legendary designer Keiji Inafune, features a unique, albiet gruesome, core mechanic [...]
Acclaimed Japanese developer Vanillaware’s sole Wii title, Muramasa: The Demon Blade, will be seeing a PS Vita rerelease in Japan on March 28th. Now, a North American version has been confirmed by Aksys Games, as well. Titled Muramasa Rebirth, the game will receive a completely new English translation from the Aksys team. This news has been met [...]
Promotion for Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut is in full swing, with director Hidetaka “SWERY” Suehiro and others from Access Games touring the world to answer questions and unveil more information about the upcoming PlayStation 3 title. The game has been officially confirmed for an April 30th release, and will contain new footage not seen in the [...]