Operation Backlog Completion 2026
Jul 182025
 

You might remember that back in 2023, Voltage announced three new Nintendo Switch otome games.

Their code names were Project Code Neon Mafia, Project Code Kaleido Tower, and Project Code Vampire Hunter.

The initial schedule got switched around a bit, and the first to come out was actually Project Code Vampire Hunter, under the title Red Bell’s Lament.

Despite Red Bell’s Lament being the one that interested me the most, I ended up not buying it because of the concerns over AI-generated art used for the backgrounds.

There still hasn’t been any clear answer on that either way, which is frustrating.

But now it’s time for the next of the three to be official released, as Voltage (or AmuLit, the brand used for their console games) has announced that Project Code Neon Mafia will be released in Winter 2025 as Neon Clash -Echoes of the Lost-.

The new trailer makes it look pretty intriguing, with a power to give someone else strength by erasing your own existence.

(A different studio is handling the background art, so hopefully this one will be free of AI controversies.)

Of course, I still haven’t played Even if Tempest yet, not to mention all the other otome games still in my backlog. I’m sure I’ll play them all… eventually.

Are you interested in Neon Clash -Echoes of the Lost-?

Jul 092025
 

Today is the day. On July 9, 2015, The Great Ace Attorney first came out for the 3DS in Japan.

I remember when it was first announced. Initially, I was uncertain about an Ace Attorney game set in the past with a new cast of characters, but I quickly came around to being excited for it.

I remember my excitement and confusion over the reveal of Sherlock Holmes and Iris, and how I waited and waited for localization news…

…and waited and waited…

…and waited…

…until the glorious day when The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles was leaked and the even more glorious day when it was officially announced.

When The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles came out in 2021, I finally had my chance to play the games I had been waiting for. My impressions of The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures were favorable, but for the first time I thought its long-delayed localization might have been a good thing, since I was kinder to the game’s loose ends and unanswered questions knowing I had the second game right there waiting for me.

And The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve ended up being an amazing experience and possibly my favorite game of all time, so I’d say it was well worth the wait in the end.

Now here we are, just a few years later, celebrating the 10th anniversary. So far it looks like all they’re doing for the anniversary is releasing a variety of merchandise, but the merch is taking strange and unexpected forms, like kitchen appliances that talk to you in the characters’ voices.

They’ve also announced acrylic stands of every character, and I do mean every character. They’ve even gotten around spoilers by censoring certain characters’ names in the official list.

Click for major The Great Ace Attorney 2 spoilers
Which means yes, there are acrylic stands of Kazuma as a prosecutor and in western clothes, as well as one that includes Klint and Balmung.

The acrylic stands are tempting, but the sets are expensive.

Anyway, while there’s a good chance this is the big event for the anniversary, I still have my fingers crossed that they might announce a new game. They ended some of their social media posts by asking fans to continue supporting The Great Ace Attorney series, so maybe there’s some hope after all!

But whether we get a new game or not, I’m glad The Great Ace Attorney exists, and I’m glad I got to play it. What are your thoughts on The Great Ace Attorney’s 10th anniversary?

Jul 072025
 

I can’t believe we haven’t talked about Shuten Order until now.

Shuten Order was announced back in May, while we were busy discussing mystery games, and it’s one of the upcoming games I’m most interested in.

It’s being developed by Too Kyo Games and Neilo, and what sets it apart the most is that it has 5 distinct genres depending on which route you’re playing.

Set near the end of the world, you play the reincarnation of the murdered Founder of the organization known as the Shuten Order. With your memories gone, you have four days to find and kill your murderer, with the five ministers of the Shuten Order as your suspects… and each minister has a route.

The Minister of Justice’s route is a mystery adventure, where you’ll investigate a crime by gathering evidence and questioning witnesses. The Minister of Health’s route is an escape game, where you’ll solve puzzles to escape a room and survive the death game. The Minister of Science’s route is a multi-perspective visual novel, with choices to make that affect the outcome. The Minister of Education’s route is a romance adventure, where you have to build affection with three heroines and confess your love. And the Ministry of Security’s route is a stealth horror game, where you have to solve puzzles while being pursued by a killer.

It’s such an interesting idea for a game, and I’m really intrigued by it.

Shuten Order will be out on September 5 for the Nintendo Switch and PC. (Will I even be done with Hundred Line by then? We can only hope…)

Unfortunately, it seems like Shuten Order is going to be a digital-only release in the west. Oddly enough, there is a special edition, but only for the PC version; it’s a handful of physical items alongside a Steam code.

It looks like Play-Asia has a multi-language edition of Shuten Order, so I might get that to have a physical copy.

Anyway, what are your thoughts on Shuten Order? Which route are you most interested in?