Operation Backlog Completion 2026

Yo-kai Watch News Teased On Its 10th Anniversary

 Video Games  2 Responses »  Tagged with: ,
Jul 122023
 

Yesterday was the 10th anniversary of Yo-kai Watch, and Level-5 opened up an anniversary website to celebrate.

There isn’t much of note for those of us outside of Japan, especially since the Switch games were never localized (not even the port of the first game).

What’s much more interesting is a tweet from Level-5 CEO Akihiro Hino, in which he talks about the anniversary.

If Google’s translation is accurate, his tweet says the “next work” is progressing even though it isn’t ready to be announced yet. This follows a tease back in February, in which he similarly commented on “the next amazing thing” in the works for Yo-kai Watch.

It’s been a long time since we’ve had any reason to discuss Yo-kai Watch.

For a while, the series seemed like it was poised to become the next big thing. It was huge in Japan and had begun to gain ground in the west. Yo-kai Watch, three different versions of Yo-kai Watch 2 (following the Pokémon model), the first Yo-kai Watch Blasters spin-off (also with two versions), and Yo-kai Watch 3 were all localized.

Then Yo-kai Watch localizations ground to a halt.

We never got Yo-kai Watch 4 or any other spin-offs, despite persistent hope for 4. Back in 2021, the trademark of “Y School Heroes” made fans hopeful that the spin-off Yo-kai Watch Jam: Yo-kai Academy Y was set to be localized, but nothing came of that.

(Then again, in that same blog post where I discussed that trademark, I mentioned that nothing had come of the Baten Kaitos trademark, and the Baten Kaitos remaster was finally announced this year.)

Now we have another chance. With Level-5 already having announced Decapolice, Fantasy Life i, Megaton Musashi: Wired, and Professor Layton and the New World of Steam this year, with a new commitment to worldwide releases, I’m hopeful that the next time a Yo-kai Watch game is announced, we’ll finally get it again in the west.

Back in March when the 3DS eShop was being shut down, I played through the start of Yo-kai Watch 3 to get far enough to download the free DLC before the eShop closed. It was fun, and it made me sad that we never got more Yo-kai Watch. While I still need to play 2 and 3, here’s hoping there is a new Yo-kai Watch game in our future!

Bayonetta Origins is Surprisingly Excellent

 Reviews, Video Games  No Responses »  Tagged with: ,
Jul 102023
 

Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is a spin-off of the Bayonetta series as well as a prequel, starring Cereza when she was a child.

Being a T-rated action-adventure game instead of an M-rated stylish action game like the main series, it caused some doubts among fans when it was announced, especially since Bayonetta 3 was already divisive.

Adding to that is the fact that the fairytale storybook aesthetic and simpler style made a lot of people assume it would be a short game without much to offer.

Well, that’s not true!

I finished Bayonetta Origins yesterday with a playtime of around 18 hours or so, and I had a fantastic time with it. As a child, Cereza ventures into the forbidden Avalon Forest, driven by dreams that say she’ll gain the power to save her mother. Yet the forest is home to malicious faeries, and she only survives by summoning a demon into the body of her stuffed cat, Cheshire.

You control both Cereza and Cheshire, either together when Cereza is carrying him, or separately. This is especially important in combat, where Cereza acts as support with limited magic techniques while Cheshire is your primary fighter.

Controlling two characters at once takes a bit of getting used to, but I found the combat surprisingly fun and more involved than I expected. It won’t have you using crazy combos like the main series, but it has a lot more action than you might have expected from the trailer. As you progress through the game, you also gain new abilities for Cheshire that play a role in both combat and exploration.

Exploration is a big part of Bayonetta Origins, and one of the main reasons I enjoyed it so much. Avalon Forest is more or less one huge interconnected map. While you could stick to the main path, there are a ton of side paths to take to find upgrades and other collectibles, especially once you have more abilities. That lends it some light Metroidvania aspects – each new power means new places to explore and items to find if you care to backtrack for them.

Meanwhile, the story is quite heartfelt. I found myself invested in the relationship between Cereza and Cheshire, as well as the development of Cereza herself from a timid, uncertain girl to someone I can see growing up into the Bayonetta we know.

Although… Bayonetta’s 3 story does raise some questions about that, making me even less a fan of the multiverse.

Click for major Bayonetta 3 spoilers
(Yes, this is primarily a spoiler for 3, not Origins.)

Which Cereza are we playing as in Origins?? Since Viola has Cheshire in 3, that made me think this Cereza was her mom, the Bayonetta who died at the start of 3. But parts of Origins strongly imply this Cereza is the Bayonetta we play as in 3 (who may or may not be the same as the protagonist in 1 and 2; join the debate). Being uncertain about whose origin story this actually is makes it feel less special.

Complications from being directly tied to Bayonetta 3 aside, Bayonetta Origins tells a compelling story with some truly excellent moments. While it’s certainly a very different genre for the series, Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon is not a minor spin-off to be ignored, but a great game I had a fantastic time with.

It’s the 23rd Anniversary of Final Fantasy IX

 Video Games  6 Responses »  Tagged with: ,
Jul 072023
 

Today is the 23rd anniversary of Final Fantasy IX.

While it wouldn’t be released in North America until November (and not in Europe until the next February), July 7, 2000 was the date Final Fantasy IX first came out in Japan.

Final Fantasy IX holds a special place in my heart. It was my first Final Fantasy game, as well as one of my first JRPGs, although I might have already played Paper Mario and Pokémon.

I fell in love with it as soon as I started playing, and it got me hooked on the genre.

It’s been so long since I played Final Fantasy IX, I’ve probably forgotten a lot of details. Still, the parts I do remember are wonderful memories. The “You’re Not Alone” scene is one of the most powerful scenes in the series to me, along with a certain scene where two characters fight side-by-side.

So I keep wondering if we’ll see Final Fantasy IX return someday.

Most attention has been on Final Fantasy XVI and the upcoming Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, but there have been some whispers of Final Fantasy IX news. For one thing, there’s supposedly an animated series being made… although the total silence about it makes me wonder if it will ever exist.

There also have been rumors of a Final Fantasy IX remake for a while now. It was part of the Nvidia leak, and further rumors have followed since then. Even Gematsu says it’s in development. If the remake does exist, could it be set for 2025 for the game’s 25th anniversary?

I don’t often replay games since there are so many games I have yet to play in my backlog, but a Final Fantasy IX remake is one I’d play for sure.

Many fans think the rumored Final Fantasy IX remake will feature turn-based combat, as a love letter to the classics just like the original Final Fantasy IX was. I would love that. It would be amazing, especially with recent games in the series switching to action combat instead.

There’s no real news to discuss today or anything like that. But after seeing that it was the anniversary of the game that really got me into the genre, I wanted to make a post remembering it. Have you played Final Fantasy IX? Would you play a remake if one came out?

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