Im just a gamer Cat

I honestly feel like both Xbox and Sony are abandoning us by killing off physical media (it was going to happened, I KNOW).

Soon, disc-based games are going to be a thing of the past. Sure, Nintendo is still making physical cartridges, but with their overpriced games, low graphics, and constant censorship, it’s getting impossible to play games in their pure form. Honestly, my friends and I are completely done with Xbox and PlayStation right now. But we actually have a massive backlog of games we haven't even touched yet.

Now that we can safely back up our entire library, we're going to have a blast—and honestly, it's a pretty great time to catch up on out back log and being a fan of pirates.

I don't think these companies understand just how resourceful our community is. If we own a game, we will find a way to play it or back it up. It’s definitely a sad day now that we can't hold these physical games in our hands anymore, but all this corporate greed is only going to increase the likelihood of people pirating.

Honestly, people are already taking matters into their own hands by buying up physical media and building their own private streaming servers. For the exact same amount you’d waste on endless monthly subscriptions, you can easily host your own custom library for games, music, books, and movies.

To be clear, I don't believe in just jumping onto a pirate ship to download free stuff. I will always support the companies I love by buying their games, whether digital or physical. But I strongly agree with the saying, 'If buying isn't owning, then downloading isn't stealing.'

Dammit windows

So for the pass week, or more, I had to reinstall OS several items. Each time it will work and then crash. Had to try different ones over and over again. My friend and I finally found on that seems to be working. We found 2 rams that are bad (replace) and I am sure my SSD is getting old and need to replace it. It only a 1TB and I am thinking of getting a 2TB. Just a small upgrade but with rising prices, I might wait a bit. Then again my motherboard and CPU is on the older side. Both need to be replace but If I do that, then I need to replace ALL the motherboard, CPU, and ram.

Otome Doushi (Moeyo! Otome Doushi ~Kayuu Koigatari~) is a 2024 Switch game that we are finally getting in 2026 as an English translation. I don't mind paying full price for it since the localization is fairly new.

What I do find odd, though, is that the publisher's website doesn't list a link for the standard edition—only the Online Exclusive. Despite that, you can still find the standard edition available for pre-order on Amazon or GameStop for $49.99."

I honestly don't understand why Aksys stopped producing full limited editions in favor of these minimal online exclusives. Charging an extra $10 for a few small bonuses doesn't feel worth it, and we haven't seen a proper North American limited box set from them since Jack Jeanne back in 2023.

Seeing Otome Doushi get this same 'online exclusive' treatment is incredibly disappointing. It's hard to tell if they are trying a new strategy or just moving away from including physical soundtrack CDs, especially since they always seem to fluctuate between packaging them in a standard jewel case or a flimsy paper sleeve anyway.

Case

Inside, we get the standard case with no manual or character cards. Yes, I know publishers are skimping on character cards lately, but they're honestly so easy to produce!

I don't usually expect much from standard cases, but the interior artwork is actually nice. On the right, we have the character art, but on the left, there's a VERY LONG message printed inside—it’s just the warranty and customer support information. Why put that there? I have no idea. It's a really weird design choice.

Rating: 5/10

Acrylic Keychain

While it’s cute to get the six acrylic chibi keychains, the whole set just feels cheap. The keychains use basic metal ball chains, which is a letdown. Why not give us those lobster clasps shaped like hearts instead? I see them online all the time for cheap, so I know it wouldn’t have been that pricey to upgrade the keychains. I buy a lot of fan-made keychains at conventions, and those heart-shaped clasps are super cute—honestly, I might just buy some myself to swap these out.

To be frank, I would rather have received one BIG shaker keychain or another acrylic diorama. I guess the publisher is trying something new, but these online exclusives just feel cheap and lack any real creativity.

Rating: 6/10

Overall rating: 6.5/10 For an extra $10 you get 6 acrylic keychains with cheap meal chain. Over all it is a ok deal. Not much creativity on the keychains. I would wait for a sale.

I am making some Nintendo DS game for 2 of my friends birthdays. They like more of the Nintendo DS games then switch games. Partly because the Nintendo ds are small, travels well, and you don't need the internet to play games. Both like JRPG games and I did find some GREAT fan translated games that I think they will both love. 7 Dragon and Fire Emblem New Mystery of the Emblem.

What I am planning to design/print

Nintendo DS Cover

Manual

DS sticker

Maybe box cover (if I have time)

Homura The Crimson Warriors (Kurenai no Homura Sanada Ninpou Chou) was originally a 2018 PS Vita release that has now made its way to the Nintendo Switch. I love that we’re finally getting English translations for these otome games, but paying full price for a game that is eight years old? That’s crazy. This isn't a limited edition, so I’m just going to focus on reviewing the cards. Remember when character cards were the standard for otome games? Now we rarely get them—it’s honestly tragic!

Anyway, this standard edition includes a set of character cards: four regular cards and one random holographic card. Keep in mind that since the holographic card is randomized, what I have might be different from what you receive when you buy the game from the IFI store.

Case We actually get a reverse cover! It’s such a simple addition, but I really like this second version of the artwork. Still no manual, though! Rating: 7/10

Character Cards We have four regular character cards, and while the artwork is pretty, the names are only in Japanese. Why? I understand this is originally a Japanese game, but since we’re getting the North American release, it would have been nice to have the names in English. Did they really just slap the artwork on the card without translating the names or adding any info? That feels incredibly lazy—you had one job! This is exactly why I feel product reviews are so necessary.

Holographic Card I pulled Sasuke Sarutobi! It really would have been helpful if the English translation of his name were actually on the card. The cardstock feels identical to the others—likely 60lb—and the finish isn't particularly vibrant. I actually had to retake the photo several times just to capture the shimmer. Having seen better holographic effects in MTG, Pokémon, and Yu-Gi-Oh!, this one feels a bit underwhelming. I did notice one cool detail, though: the background is holographic while the character remains matte. It’s a nice touch, even if the effect is very subtle.

I purchased the Temirana: The Lucky Princess and the Tragic Knights Plus Edition, and the setup is decent for the price point. While it is an improvement over their previous Plus Edition (The Battlefield Waltz), the lack of limited edition options is a bit disappointing.

First, we have the Nintendo Switch reversible cover. These aren't difficult to produce, and while it's a nice touch, it's nothing fancy. I’m seeing a lot of companies include reversible covers these days. Rating: 6/10

Next up: the IFI store trading card. It’s disappointing that it’s just one card with chibi art instead of the full-sized character cards we usually see with otome releases. I also wish the quality was better—it feels like it’s printed on thin 60 lb cardstock.

Rating: 5/10

"Last is the official music and audio CD! This is the item I wanted most from this Plus Edition. The packaging is excellent; it holds the CD securely, unlike those flimsy cardboard jackets where the disc just slides in—I hate those! The inside of the case lists the tracks, and the disc trays actually look like dinner plates. It’s a wonderful touch that fits the tea party aesthetic perfectly.

Even the CDs themselves look like tea party desserts! The printing is beautiful, and the entire interior layout is well-executed. To whoever designed this: you did a fantastic job. The exterior features a lovely illustration of the love interests in a garden, which looks like an art poster when unfolded. I especially appreciate that the folds don't cut across the characters' faces. You’d be surprised how many companies forget to account for where the folds land!

Rating: 9/10

The regular edition is $49.99, while the Plus Edition is $64.99. For a $15 difference, you’re essentially paying for the CDs and the case, which is a great value considering a single CD can often cost $15 to $20 on its own. The only real downside is the lack of a physical translation for the drama CD. While the Plus Edition includes a translation, it’s digital-only. I’m a firm believer that 'physical is forever,' and for a company with the resources to provide printed booklets, relying on digital downloads feels like a letdown.

Happy Valentine's Day to me and a Happy Valentine's Day to all of you otome fans who are waiting for this game. I'm sure a lot of Hakuoki fans, and some of you PS Vita fans, were waiting for the day for this game to finally come! When I heard this game was going to get an official translation, I pre-ordered it SO FAST because I didn't want to miss the chance to get this limited edition. LET ME TELL YOU, this was for the USA fan of the series. I'm so happy that this is an Asia region switch game, so hopefully not much is cut from the PS Vita version.

Out of all the otome games we are getting this year, there are not many limited editions. So far, I only see a few. Out of those, only 2 of them caught my eye. This is one of them that I been WAITING for this year.

I am going to get the basic items out of the way first.

The Switch Box is most likely made from 60lb or 80lb paper. Semi-gloss with the logo, Hakuohi SSL, emboss stamp. The packaging is very tight. Not something I like. I would have preferred heavier paper to keep the box more stable.

Rating: 6/10

The Switch case and the manual that's inside. Switch case is what you expect. Keeping the school theme on the back and inside of the cover print.

Rating: 8/10

WE HAVE A MANUAL! The ONE thing I don't see in these games is a manual. We LITTERLY have a place in the switch case for a manual or instructions for a game and IT IS NEVER USED. WTF.

The manual is also keeping the school theme and is printed on a 12-page spread (pretty small) It's has information on how to play and the mini games. The paper is semi-gloss and thicker than normal copy printed paper. Not bad. The only thing I have problems with is that the font is small. This is just my own personal problem with it.

Rating: 9/10

We have the certificate number. I'm not the biggest fan of these since it just tell you the number out of the limited order they produce. It is a neat thing to have if you are a BIG collector. It's on a higher gloss paper and thicker than the collector box. The number is printed on the card AND also the switch box! That is a VERY nice little detail! The logo is also embossed in the paper.

Rating 10/10

This is SO CUTE! A mini case for your switch card. I have seen these on Esty and they are so adorable. Would I use it for my switch card? Most likely no since I don't want to lose anything but it will be a cute keychain! Maybe I can 3-d print one and place it inside! It also has the playasia logo inside of the case.

10/10

I expect nothing less then a artbook in these limited editions. The art is what brings the story alive. A good half of the art book is the characters and information about them. The rest are photos of the love interest with about 10 pages of sketches (I'm not the biggest fan of them since I would like more art than sketches).

The art books is printed with the same paper as the numbered card and the manual booklet. I do feel like the artbook is small, but for the price we are paying and all the stuff we are getting, it's not too bad. 8/10

Joy-Con Stickers. This is cute, but not something I would use. I like stickers, but I don't like placing them on my Switch or Joy-Cons. They tend to leave residue, and I would like to keep my stuff clean. If this was joy-con covers, that would have been a nice touch. The stickers have a very light sandpaper feel to them.

5/10

We got a CD case with the original soundtrack. Happy we are not getting a simple jacket cover (looking at you Aksys). We do not get any drama CD with this set, only the music from the game. Kind of a let down with this limited edition, but I do hope one day we can get the drama cd with an English translation.

We do have a list of the songs but it not on the back of the CD case but folded in the cover. I don't know if this was on intentional or not. Maybe They where planning on a different case then this thin one?

7/10

Last is the acrylic stand of all the love interests in their swim trunks. This is the highlight of the limited edition. Acrylic stands are getting popular, and I am happy we are getting more of these in our otome games. They are pretty small (around 3.5") and only printed on one side. The detail of the print is good, but I would like something bigger.

8/10

I did get this play-asia Hakuoki SSL sticker! I don't know if the videogamesplus people will get their own sticker, but I got this one!

10/10

Well, It's been a cluster fuck for at lest a week. So Windows did an update and my onedrive was not working at all, and my files for work and art was on there. I was still able to access them when needed but it was a hassle.

Long story shot, I had to find a different ISO that will work and that took several tries. As of today, I finally have a working PC. Sadly, since I wasn't able to get much work done (work or hobbies) I now have to do caught up. Hopefully I can get back to my hobbies.

I want to get back into my otome/visual novels and do more reviews and art. I am planning to do tiktoks and update of the project I am working on. The PC being down did not help on my work/job.

It been a long time since I post anything. Fall is usually a very busy time for me since project need to get done before the end of the year and also invoice of the design job i do for work. With the holidays around the corner and my PC being glitchy, I had to place hobbies on hold.

I did find out my graphic card DIED and i need a much need up grade. So new graphic card, motherboard, and CPU. Nothing too much but it was needed. PC running faster but there are a few thing that still need to be fix but over all it work!

Long story short, life been a bit crazy but thing are finally in order.

i will be back on making boxes again. The design i wanted to do look like it will be hard to print, with the right paper and also a print shop that can score and cut.

So i am going to have to re design them all.

Hey, It's been a while. Work been busy and been traveling on the weekends.