Attack of the Friday Monsters! A Tokyo Tale- 3DS

I've long been an admirer of Kaz Ayabe's long-running Boku no Natsuyasumi series - in fact one of my first blog posts was about Boku 3 on PlayStation 3 back in 2008. 

Since then I've tracked down the second game on PlayStation 2 but the first game on PS1 - and subsequently ported to PSP - and the PSP-only fourth game in the series have sadly eluded me.

It's a series which has a lot going for it, but with its roots deep in Japanese culture, there was never a chance  of any of the games being translated into English and released in the West - although I know of one brave soul who is currently beavering away on a translation project for Boku no Natsuyasumi 3.

So it was with delight that I discovered that Ayabe's Millennium Kitchen - along with Level 5 - had actually released a title in the West last year on 3DS. It went completely under my radar until chatter over on Twitter alerted me to the game's existence just last month.

While Attack of the Friday Monsters! A Tokyo Tale isn't directly linked to the Boku series, there are many similarities here, specifically the hand-painted backdrops, the rural setting, the joy of exploration and the innocence of childhood.

The protagonist is young Sohta Tono, a kid who has arrived in a Tokyo suburb toward the end of the summer of 1971. Here, in this well-looked after collection of houses, shops and businesses, something amazing happens every Friday - huge "Kaiju" mysteriously appear, hulking great monsters who do battle on the edge of town. Or do they?

The strange goings on in this picturesque town are seen through a child's eyes and are open to interpretation, while Sohta and his friends' imaginative tale unfolds beautifully in waves of wide-eyed wonder.

The immaculately told story is utterly charming and while the game is linear in its structure, there are things to do when not following the story arc. Multicoloured Glims are scattered around the town and collecting seven similarly coloured motes of light rewards the player with a monster card which can be used to battle friends in a simple rock, paper, scissors-style game. The monsters have wonderful names such as the Colossal Crustacean and Jumbogon and each card gives a delightful description of the monster along with a roaring sound clip.

The general atmosphere of the previously mentioned Boku no Natsuyasumi series is intact here, not just because of the lovely hand-drawn locations and the Japanese voice acting, but thanks to the environmental sounds which pepper every scene; birds chirp, katydids and crickets rattle away, Japanese voices from unseen TVs chatter while you're exploring the streets and wind chimes clink in the distance.

There's even a nod to Boku no Natsuyasumi to be found in the game: Stand outside the dry cleaners, and you'll see a small poster featuring a young lad who looks remarkably like Boku from Ayabe's best-loved series.

The soundtrack is another feather in the game's cap, with gentle guitars, tinkling pianos, clarinets and violins combining to creating a superb atmosphere. However, the standout is the game’s opening theme which is upbeat, sickeningly cute and packed with heartfelt lyrics.

Attack of the Friday Monsters! A Tokyo Tale lasts around four hours and costs £7.19 from the Nintendo eShop and it is a little gem. I'm so glad I was pointed in its direction - better late than never - and now, I'll just wait patiently to discover if Ayabe-san has Boku no Natsuyasumi 5 up his sleeve for PS4 or Vita.

Luigi's Mansion 2 - 3DS

When the ever bashful Luigi reluctantly entered the spotlight without his more famous brother in 2002's Luigi's Mansion - a GameCube launch title - there was a smattering of grumbling from some, who were disappointed that Nintendo chose not to unveil a fresh Mario platformer to kick-start their dinky box of tricks.
    However, Luigi's Mansion - despite being a rather short caper used mostly to highlight the GameCube's technical fizz - proved to be an enjoyable little gem, which is now, I'm happy to say, fondly remembered.
    Earlier this year, Nintendo finally saw fit to release a spooky sequel and with Halloween only a few days away, it's the perfect time to revisit this gem of a game on 3DS.
    Professor E. Gadd has been happily studying ghostly goings-on in a variety of spooky locales when the Dark Moon above his base in Evershade Valley shatters, turning the once friendly apparitions into mischievous rascals. Who better to sort out this phantom menace than the experienced - if utterly terrified - Luigi? Armed with the wonderfully titled Poltergust 5000, Luigi reluctantly agrees to help the professor by Hoovering up these translucent tykes across five sprawling levels and restore some sanity back to the once peaceful valley.
    The Poltergust 5000 might be nothing more than a modified vacuum cleaner, but it's not just for cleaning up dusty corners and sucking up cobwebs. Luigi uses it to capture ghosts of all shapes and sizes, but first he must stun them with his trusty torch. What follows is a paranormal game of tug of war, as Luigi clatters around the fabulously detailed rooms, frantically wrestling with the obstinate spooks. It's a hugely enjoyable activity, too, and it can be quite a challenge thanks to a decent variety of ghosts who are intent on making life as uncomfortable as possible for the industrious Luigi.
    Later in the game, new elements are added which make Luigi's task even harder, but it rarely becomes frustrating and causes the player to think quickly and change tactics on the fly.
   But even when he's not ghostbusting, Luigi has plenty to keep him occupied. The five huge locations Luigi is forced to visit contain a wonderful array of fiendish puzzles and it's to the game's credit that they never feel stale or lose their focus throughout the course of the lengthy adventure.

    Exploration is a key element and rooting around in gloomy corners amply rewards the player, with the Poltergust 5000 used to snaffle out of reach coins, pull dusty curtains away from grimy windows to reveal shiny trinkets, blow aside rugs to reveal secret switches, and expose glittering gems which had previously been squirrelled away in the game's glorious environments. The whole experience is underpinned with eye-popping art direction, amazing animation, a terrific soundtrack, an extraordinary eye for detail, while a healthy seam of humour runs throughout, causing the player to chuckle away at some of the ludicrous sights.
    While the haunted environments he scuttles around in are magnificent, it's Luigi himself who proves to be the star of the show. He nervously glances around as he creeps about, leaps in the air with a startled yelp if he discovers a supernatural spectacle and all the while his wee knees knock together in terrified tension. He also hums to himself to keep his flagging spirits up, an act which is beautifully choreographed with the game's soundtrack.
    But Luigi's latest adventure isn't perfect and it occasionally stumbles. The constant interruptions from the professor - he contacts Luigi via a bit of technical wizardry in the shape of a humble Nintendo DS far too often - quickly begins to grate, while the mission-based structure of the game can be annoying. Too often Luigi is teleported back to the prof's lab just when things are getting interesting, leaving the player slightly frustrated that they can't snoop around and explore to their heart’s content. I suppose the bite-sized missions have been crafted to suit the mobile nature of the 3DS but it's still frustrating when all the player wants to do is see what new terrors lurk around the next corner.
    Multiplayer has been included, which sees teams of up to four people - either online or via local multiplayer - partake in three ghostly activities. These provide short-term fun, but never match the sheer scope and variety of the single player campaign.
    An intelligent and instantly appealing game, Luigi's Mansion 2 is bursting with creative ideas which, for the most part, are implemented perfectly. So this Halloween lock the door, turn out the lights, put the headphones on and experience one of the finest games on 3DS.

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate

Rejoice, my fellow hunters! Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is almost with us! Well, we still have a few months to wait, but I hardly need much persuasion to post something Monster Hunter related, so here we are.

Ultimate is stomping its way to the US on March 19, before swimming across the Atlantic - presumably tied to the back of a Lagiacrus - a few days later on March 22. Ultimate will be released simultaneously on Wii U and 3DS and that means one thing - I'll finally be picking up a Wii U to coincide with the release. I've been putting it off for too long and this gives me the perfect excuse to jump into Nintendo's new console.

While the Wii U version will have full online play, the 3DS version doesn't have this feature. However, cross-platform saves mean I gather resources on the bus to and from work on my 3DS and then transfer them to the Wii U when I get home. Perfect.

While it's doubtful we'll ever celebrate Monster Hunter like they do in Japan, I really hope this is the version which finally convinces those sitting on the fence how good Monster Hunter really is.

And, as if all this Monster Hunter goodness wasn't enough, there are rumours abound that Monster Hunter 4 - due to arrive in Japan this year on 3DS - will also be coming to Vita. The thought of playing an import version on the Vita's sumptuous screen is enough to make a wyvern cry shiny tears of joy.

I'm off for some 1000 Year Crab and Hairy Tuna sushi to celebrate!