Operation Backlog Completion 2026

Bug Fables is an Indie RPG Inspired by Paper Mario

 Video games  3 Responses »  Tagged with: , , ,
Feb 072018
 

February 5 was the 17th anniversary of the original Paper Mario’s North American release.

I’ve been disappointed in the changes they’ve made to the Paper Mario series (although I will eventually give Color Splash a try), but as I was reading comments about Paper Mario’s anniversary, someone mentioned an indie game inspired by Paper Mario called Bug Fables.

I was skeptical at first. I’ve seen other Paper Mario spiritual successors that either just took the paper aesthetic or looked like a complete clone. However, Bug Fables looks like it’s successfully captured the Paper Mario aesthetic while still having an identity of its own.

Bug Fables, which is currently seeking funds through Indiegogo, follows three bug characters (Bee, Beetle, and Moth) on a quest to find a legendary treasure.

It is filled with gameplay mechanics reminiscent of Paper Mario, including turn-based combat with action commands (which are different for each of the three characters), a cooking system, skills each character can use on the field, and a “tattle” system where you can learn more about each location and NPC.

The story will take place across 6 chapters and several locations

If the trailer isn’t enough to convince you, don’t worry. There’s also a demo you can download. The demo covers the game’s prologue, as well as a section after the prologue that lets you check out how cooking, shops, side quests, etc. will work in the full game.

You can even participate in a play, with humorous results. One of the things I liked most about this demo was that the characters’ personalities had a chance to shine, especially since Paper Mario has veered away from that. If the same charm and humor are present throughout the game, Bug Fables should be quite entertaining.

I had a lot of fun with the demo, and I can’t wait to see what the full game will be like. It really captures that Paper Mario style while standing on its own beyond nostalgia.

If you’re interested in supporting an indie RPG inspired by Paper Mario, head over to the Bug Fables Indiegogo page to help them out.

Nekopara? What Did I Get Myself Into?

 Video games  2 Responses »  Tagged with: , ,
Feb 052018
 

On my birthday, I decided to 1) complete something from my backlog, 2) play something relaxing because it was my birthday, and 3) do research for my freelance work.

All of these things would be accomplished if I played the visual novel Nekopara Vol. 1.

(You know you’re at a strange point in your career when you’re playing Nekopara for research purposes.)

I knew very little about Nekopara going in, but I had Volume 0, 1, and 2 from the visual novel Humble Bundle, so I decided to give it a try.

Nekopara is set in a world with catgirls, which are basically what you’d get if cats could speak and behave like humans but still keep a lot of their feline tendencies. It’s actually a kinetic novel, so there are no choices to make or routes to follow, just a story to enjoy.

Well, it’s not the deepest story. The main character starts up a bakery, and two catgirls from his home follow him and end up working there. In the all-ages version, it’s pretty much just silly hijinks and awkward sexual situations the entire way through.

There’s something endearing about it, though. If you don’t think too hard about it, it’s a silly, cute story. If you do think too hard about it, it starts to feel a little creepy… but if you accept everything at face value, Nekopara is a fine way to enjoy a few hours.

Except for Shigure. Shigure is always creepy.

It also has really good production values. I was a little surprised at how nice everything looked, with lovely art and even animated characters.

After I finished Vol. 1, I played Vol. 0, which has even less story and just exists to show the characters in some additional silly situations. Since I have Vol. 2, I’ll probably go through that eventually, and then we’ll see if I’m interested enough to pick up Vol. 3 and the eventual fourth volume.

In short, Nekopara is silly and a little embarrassing to play, but it was an amusing way to spend the afternoon.

Website Redesign Ideas

 Uncategorized  10 Responses »
Feb 022018
 

Just a quick blog post today (partly because it’s my birthday).

After the site went down in January, a few pieces never quite recovered. For example, we lost the collapsing archives that used to be in the sidebar, the list of similar content at the end of each post, and the lightbox effect for images.

It was also brought to my attention that the site design itself could be considered outdated.

So since I’ll have to make some changes anyway because of the first issue, I’ve been considering a redesign. But what sort of site design is best? Since you’re the ones who will be reading it, I’d like your feedback.

Which do you prefer?

  1. Keep this design, with the blog post front and center.
  2. Switch to a design that shows many recent blog posts at once on the front page, like the design for my Kingdom Hearts fan site, KH Theories.
  3. Switch to a static front page with links to different types of content.
  4. Go with a hybrid that has a static front page and recent posts, like the current design for my new game site, Lovecraft Video Games.
  5. You have a different idea (let me know what it is in the comments).

Let me know your thoughts and ideas in the comments.

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