Jean Snow [.net]

Month: December 2016

  • Inside

    —

    by

    Jean Snow
    in ,

    So yet another game I just played this week and had to add to my top 5 of the year (along with Virginia, and so taking out Rise of the Tomb Raider and Watch Dogs 2). I knew this was something I’d enjoy, as I was a huge fan of Limbo. It did not disappoint,…

  • Virginia

    —

    by

    Jean Snow
    in ,

    I played this in one sitting yesterday, and I have to say, I think I can safely say it’s my favorite gaming experience of the year (and so I had to update my top 5 list). I was completely and utterly mesmerized by the oddly constructed narrative, beautiful score, and lovely aesthetic. As soon as…

  • The Year of Nothing

    —

    by

    Jean Snow
    in

    Néojaponisme has tended to end the year with a collection of short pieces by a bevy of collaborators (including me), looking back at some of the top ideas, topics, and themes that marked Japan that year. This year, as David shares in this essay, nothing much happened, and that’s OK. He also ends with a…

  • Tharsis

    —

    by

    Jean Snow
    in ,

    I just started playing it a bit last night, and so I’m still in the process of wrapping my head around how best to deal with stuff, but so far I’m already digging the dice mechanics (you roll dice to accomplish various things in the game, from dealing with events, to dealing with your crew…

  • Abzu

    —

    by

    Jean Snow
    in ,

    Played this in one sitting last night, and wow, what a stunningly beautiful experience. Definitely in the Flower/Journey vein, but still a lovely experience in its own way, and those undersea environments are just jaw-droppingly gorgeous. Lovely score too, to accompany the visuals. It’s currently on sale on PSN, and so a great time to…

  • The Making of A Link to the Past

    —

    by

    Jean Snow
    in

    Shmuplations is a fantastic site that digs up classic interviews with video game developers, translating them from the original Japanese. One of the latest interviews shared is this gem with Shigeru Miyamoto, talking about the making of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.

  • Interview with Fumito Ueda

    —

    by

    Jean Snow
    in

    I’m currently enjoying my time with The Last Guardian — I’m playing it slowly, about an hour every day — and so let me point you to another great interview by James Mielke for Glixel (he’s been racking them up of late), this time with the game’s director, Fumito Ueda.

  • Let’s Speak English, The Book

    —

    by

    Jean Snow
    in

    I wasn’t aware of the web comic by Mary Cagle that this Kickstarter book project draws from, but from what I’m seeing on the Kickstarter page, it looks like a real fun series (as evidenced by the strip above). We are definitely many to have experienced the joys of teaching English in Japan (I did…

  • Akimasa Tokunaga

    —

    by

    Jean Snow
    in

    I quite like the sci-fi art of Akimasa Tokunaga — there’s lots to see on his portfolio page. Found via Darran Anderson.

  • People Make Places

    —

    by

    Jean Snow
    in , , ,

    I remember being interested in this People Make Places project when it first came out — but I wasn’t blogging at the time — and now I’m reminded of it thanks to this great big review for Time Out Tokyo (even better, it’s written by my old friend Sophie Knight).