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Month: November 2017

Easter egg tribute to late Nintendo president Satoru Iwata found in Pokémon Ultra Sun and Moon

Easter egg tribute to late Nintendo president Satoru Iwata found in Pokémon Ultra Sun and Moon

Published by Scott on November 30, 2017

My pick for the SoraNews24 article this week is the heartwarming: Easter egg tribute to late Nintendo president Satoru Iwata found in Pokémon Ultra Sun and Moon.

Like I talk about in the article, when Nintendo president Satoru Iwata passed away two years ago, for me it was like a close friend had died. The man had personally coded three of my favorite games (EarthBound, Pokémon Silver, and Super Smash Bros Melee), and without him the games would’ve never been the same, if they’d been released at all.

So seeing Iwata’s memory enshrined in the latest Pokémon game release brought a smile to my face. It’s exactly as he would’ve wanted to be remembered, not as a businessman or leader, but as a man who simply loved bringing games to life so that others could enjoy them as much as he did.

Top image: Twitter/@JoeMerrick

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Published by Scott on November 23, 2017

We might not have much turkey in Japan, but we’ve still got plenty of awkward get-togethers, naps, and smelly leftovers that you eat anyway.

Enjoy the stuffing, everyone!

Japanese company tries to create motivational poster, accidentally creates demotivational poster

Japanese company tries to create motivational poster, accidentally creates demotivational poster

Published by Scott on November 17, 2017

My pick for the SoraNews24 article this week is the depressing: Japanese company tries to create motivational poster, accidentally creates demotivational poster.

Sometimes the way Japan comes up with solutions to problems is hilariously sad. Nobody having children? Let’s have meetings until all hours of the night and discuss ways to fix it. Want students to all have “natural” hair color? Force the ones with naturally not-black hair to dye it black.

And here we have another example. When upper management is displeased with how their subordinates handle the last-minute changes that they demand, how do they fix it? By looking into themselves and seeing what they can do to create a better environment for the workers who look up to them?

Nah, just blame the young people!

Take a look for yourself by reading the article here, and at least take solace that most Japanese people found it as sad as we did.

Top image: Twitter/@katokato 

Documentary on North Korean schools in Tokyo sheds light on bizarre, hidden part of Japan【Video】

Documentary on North Korean schools in Tokyo sheds light on bizarre, hidden part of Japan【Video】

Published by Scott on November 9, 2017

My pick for the SoraNews24 article this week is the unusually enlightening: Documentary on North Korean schools in Tokyo sheds light on bizarre, hidden part of Japan【Video】.

Over the years, I’ve always heard about the North Korean schools in Japan. But I always assumed they were small, isolated, and put into Japan by North Korea themselves as a sort of spy unit.

But this documentary completely changed my view. The North Korean community is huge, and they’ve been part of Japan ever since they were forcibly annexed by the Japanese empire.

Their history is long and complex, as is their current situation. Funding for North Korean schools is obviously a divisive issue, but at the same time these are actual children who just want to go to school.

Check out this crazy, mostly-hidden part of Japan yourself by reading the article.

Top image: YouTube/Vox

Doki Doki Literature Club is the best horror-game-disguised-as-dating-sim that you need to play

Doki Doki Literature Club is the best horror-game-disguised-as-dating-sim that you need to play

Published by Scott on November 2, 2017

My pick for the SoraNews24 article this week is one of the best surprises I’ve had all year: Doki Doki Literature Club is the best horror-game-disguised-as-dating-sim that you need to play.

It takes a lot for me to play through a video game these days. When I was younger I’d play most games whenever they came out, finishing them to 100% completion no matter how bad they were.

But as I’ve gotten older I’ve unfortunately had less and less time to devote to games. If a game doesn’t grab me and hold my interest right away, then I’ll probably put it down and move on to something else after just a few minutes.

So I was shocked when this game, Doki Doki Literature Club, had me hooked from the very first screen, before the game even technically started.

Doki Doki Literature Club is both a visual novel and a dating sim, two genres which I’m not a fan of, and yet it’s become my favorite game released in 2017.

How did that happen? Read the article and then try out the game for yourself. It’s free, short, and will stay with you for a long time.