Spring is officially here, and we had the weather to prove it today. Which was nice, as we’d had grey and wet weather in the beginning of the week. Still, a good week for handheld gaming news, so first let me get you a cup of coffee. It might be a bit early to sit outside, but the sun is streaming into my kitchen, so let’s enjoy it here.
When I doubted in last weeks News article whether my blogging about handheld gaming news should continue, I had a lot of reactions. It felt really good to hear you all voice your opinions that you’re happy to chat gaming with me. As I still like writing these blogs, I will gladly oblige!
Two reactions I want to highlight here: I was asked if I consider Switch gaming handheld gaming. The answer is yes: I think Switch gaming can be handheld gaming too, so when the games interest me, I’ll surely mention them here.
Another blogging friend mentioned that we should stick together in giving the 3DS games the attention they deserve, which is why I should keep delivering Handheld Gaming News. I realised he was right: Now I know the Switch is a cool device to play on and it’s a novel experience. But when I look at sites like NintendoLife I see almost each and every article is Switch related! That’s not right either, now is it? So, I’m going to keep writing about all kinds of Handheld Gaming.
The energy of a puppy
First, before we jump into gaming chat, I thought it was nice to give you an update on how Sammy is doing. As you can see in this clip, she is doing very well. Always in the mood for playing until tired, and then she’s happy to snuggle up on my lap. This was last week, when she went on a play-date at my brothers home. I was at work, and she was playing with her furry friends. Well, mainly with the blond dog, Molly, who was every so patient and kind with the little rascal!
The return of Radiant Historia
Radiant Historia was a DS game that saw the light in 2011, but I don’t think it was widely known. At least, I never played the game. But the news that there’s a new game coming to Japan in June 2017 has me interested. This week in Famitsu, Atlus announced Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology. It’s a remake that will come with “a new scenario”.
The old game is a time travel game in which you can make several pivotal decisions, then go back to the past to see what other outcomes might result. You can also use information you get in one timeline to alter your decisions in another, sort of like the Zero Escape series. Combined with a grid-based combat system it sounds very interesting! I do hope it will make it West too! 
Release Yo-Kai Watch 2 in Europe
It took them some time, but there’s finally a release date for Yo-Kai Watch Bony Spirits and Fleshy Souls: the game will be available in Europe on April 7. That’s almost a year after the first game, which isn’t too bad I guess. Still don’t understand though why there has to be a 6 month gap between America and Europe. Well, it’ll be pretty soon now for the fans. 
Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth gets another game!
The news that particularly had me exited this week was that Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth gets another instalment. The game is called Hacker’s Memory and is about Keisuke Amazawa. After being accused as the criminal to a case he knows nothing about, he jumps into a world of hackers. To prove his innocence, it means joining a group of hackers and help them to solve the troubles threatening this mysterious universe.
It will be a separate story from the first one, and promises to see some familiar faces to appear. You’ll get to collect Digimon again and use systems like the DigiFarm. In fact, the first game will be included in the Japanese version for free if you buy the second one. The game will be release for the Vita and PS4 in Japan in 2017. Expect a Western release in 2018.
Mashiro Witch: Marchen of Midnight for mobile in Japan
Square Enix will bring another game to smartphones in Japan, called Mashiro Witch: Marchen of Midnight. The game is all about magical girls, but this time it’s not a visual novel. This is an RPG, where girls fight with magic, and get to collect splendid costumes along the way.
The main heroine’s name is Namana Asahi, a girl who doesn’t have any memories of her mother and enlisted in an academy to help find hints on the whereabouts of her mother. An interesting one to keep an eye on!
Patent for MiiTopia has been filed in the US
In February, a patent for MiiTopia has been filed in America. Now this doesn’t mean the current Japanese game will make it West, but there’s a good chance it will. True to form, this is a quirky game, derived from the Streetpass Quest. Leave it to Nintendo to make it unique. Here’s some more info on the game. 
Evolution items for Pokémon Go
Are you still playing Pokémon Go? I am, now and then. I walk a lot with the dog, so I might as well catch some critters. The game has had another update. Now, to evolve some Pokémon you need certain items. If you manage to make it 7 days in a row, you will get a Dragon Scale, King’s Rock, Metal Coat, Sun Stone, or Upgrade. You need them to to reach special Seadra, Poliwhirl, Slowpoke, Onix, Scyther, Gloom, Sunkern, and Porygon evolutions.
This has turned into a long chat! Time to put my laptop aside and go to milk some cows in Story of Seasons. What are you playing at the moment?
For now, thanks for reading and I hope you have a great gaming weekend.
I love the video of Sammy! How cute! You mentioned a lot of great games this week. I’ve never heard of Radiant Historia, but it looks really neat! Interestingly, I looked it up on Amazon and it was labeled “Amazon’s Choice” and had a lot of high ratings, so I guess people love it! I may have to check it out. Also, that Mashiro Witch game looks cute and I hope it gets released outside of Japan!
I had heard mention of Radiant Historia before, but I’d never really looked it. But now, it looks to be very interesting indeed. So I will surely give it a go!
I think I will too! The more I read about it, the more I like it! 🙂
I love the video. So cute.
Sammy is adorable! My own dog has made a friend as well. Dogs may be man’s best friend, but they’ll be loyal to one another too!
Radiant Historia is a game I’ve had interest in for a while. A time-travelling adventure with a good story and an interesting combat system… Everything I like out of a JRPG!
Good to know that Miitopia is likely going to get an English release. It looks like a quirky but fun (and funny) game.
I’m glad Yo-Kai Watch 2 is getting released in Europe. I was worried that it wouldn’t. Plus, some of the new Yo-kai are based on the old Japanese myths, so keep a look out for them!
As for games I’ve been playing recently, I’ve been playing a JRPG called “Fate/Extra”, which is a spin-off of a Visual Novel called “Fate/Stay Night”. It’s like Cyber Sleuth and Persona in a few aspects, but it’s a lot darker. It has a good story, but hit-or-miss gameplay. The characters are memorable too. It doesn’t help that some of them are based on characters in real-life history and mythology (which I’m a bit of a fangirl of…).
I’ve wondered before why it is that in some visual novels characters are clearly based on people out of actual history. Always makes me wonder why the developers would do that, seems so much easier to create a fictional character.
Seems that Radiant Historia was overlooked by a lot of people, the game didn’t get much attention at the time!
I hope Radiant Historia comes to Europe this time. Cute doggie. If I was a pup I would be the one sitting on the chair, safely away from hyperactive Sammy.
Lol, that’s how I feel sometimes: just let me sit and enjoy some peace and quiet, haha! You’re right, she is super hyper active. It I guess it’s what pups do. Pretty soon I’ll have turned her into a sleeping dog!
Great news! I’m quite pumped about the Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth sequel, and getting a physical release of Yo-Kai Watch at long last is also really nice. Better late than never! ^^ The Radiant Historia remake is also seriously piquing my interest, but a purchase won’t happen any time soon. If / when I invest in a Switch, I’ll get that revamped Radiant Historia only if it gets a physical release, even if I have to go Japanese. That shouldn’t be a problem, given that the Switch is not region-locked! ^^
I’m looking forward too to a sequel for Cyber Sleuth! Who would have thought I’d like a Digimon game, lol.
The Radiant Historia remake will be on 3DS, which makes it extra nice in my opinion!
Really? I was sure it was for the Switch! Well, that’s a lovely misunderstanding, and it makes me even more thrilled about that game! Hopefully it will come to the West before the 3DS bails out; but even if it doesn’t, I’ll purchase a Japanese copy. I have a Japanese 3DS, I might as well feed it! ^^
My Japanese 3DS has been lying idle for a long time now. I think the last time I played it was for Poka Poka Airu Village. Poor thing, lying abondoned for all that time!