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Plants versus Zombies Garden Warfare Coming To The PS Vita! [Video]
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Is Pokemon Heading to the PS Vita? [Video]
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VitaBoys Join Forces With Fever Gaming
What Does This Mean For You?
Well you can now expect to see many different things begin integrating into the VitaBoys Network.
1. Firstly we will begin holding many gaming tournaments and party meet ups with the VitaBoys and Fever himself using the #PSVitaArmy. You will be able to hang out with other PS Vita fans and talk with the minds who bring you the top rated PS Vita podcast on the internet.
2. We will begin spreading our network even further. Originally the VitaBoys were mainly a written news and reviews site. Now however we will begin doing all sorts of Vita related content. This includes Video reviews, let's plays, PS Vita Gameplay, and so much more. Stay tuned for more on that in the very near future.
3. You will also get to experience an even greater PS Vita Podcast. After partnering with Fever, whom by the way is now a permanent co-host of the VitaBoys, we have decided to upgrade our studio. This means higher quality epsiodes and even more fun with fans. You can also begin to expect many interviews begin making their way into our shows.
4. Finally with the Fever Gaming partnership came another partnership. That is with Nerd Block, the subscription service that sends boxes full of goodies to the doorsteps of gamers and nerds. Well the VitaBoys have partnered up with Nerd Block and will begin delivering unboxings to you guys and will even host giveaways.
So when everyone has begun to call it quits on the Vita, we still are looking out for you guys. We cannot wait to see what else the future holds for this great little handheld. Regardless, you can expect the VitaBoys and Fever Gaming to be right there reporting it all to you. Thanks for the support so far, we look forward to giving you guys even more Vita content to enjoy.
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Why Nobody Wants a PS Vita
Ever wonder why everyone is always dogging on the Playstation Vita system? Ever wonder why the system just can't ever seem to get any "life", or more importantly, sales. Well take a look inside this video and see why the VitaBoys think nobody seems to want to buy a PS Vita.
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Resident Evil Revelations 2 Headed to the PS Vita This Spring
Capcom has announced that Resident Evil Revelations 2 will comprise of four episodes that will begin to release periodically starting on February 17th. Following the release of all four episodes on PC and other gaming consoles, the PS Vita will receive all four episodes in one lump sum. The last episode of the series is reported to release on March 10th, it will not take very long after that final release for the PS Vita to receive the series.
Resident Evil Revelations 2 will presumably cost $24.99 for all episodes on the PS Vita. Keep an eye out for the game on the PS Vita in the coming months.
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Pocket RPG PS Vita Review
After selecting your warrior, you simply grind through each area until you encounter a boss. Each area consists of 3-4 different sections, though you really won't be able to tell, as there is very little differences between the sections. Areas vary, from snowy outside scenery to the more frequent dark caverns. You will be battling famous RPG baddies such as undead creatures, slimes, and a variety of creepy crawly things. There is very little imagination when it comes to enemies, but in a game billed as a RPG quickie, I didn't expect there to be.
After each area you are awarded for different feats, such as clearing a dungeon without dying or killing a certain amount of enemies within your last stretch of health bar. You can also buy upgrades and skills with you earned cash and skill points
Graphics/Sound- 7/10This is another category, that when you hear the name "Pocket RPG", you aren't expecting much when booting up. Graphically the game is on par with PSP or even the DS remakes of Final Fantasy games. Though, the backdrops don't particularly take advantage of this.
Gameplay- 5/10
Story- 3/10
Replay- 5/10
Graphics/Sound- 7/10
Overall
6/10
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The Top Upcoming PS Vita Games of 2015
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December Arcade Block Review
Arcade Block is arguably the greatest monthly subscription box for gamers of all types. Each box contains amazing gaming products that you just cannot find anywhere else. When you open your box each and every month, it is like unboxing happiness. Gamers and nerds will find a brand new unique T-shirt in every box. Joining the t-shirt are other great products, such as a unique pop vinyl figure, gaming accessories, comics, and so much more.
Decembers Arcade Block
Price of Box- $20
Price of Items- $78.91
Each box will always contain a unique gaming t-shirt that cannot be found anywhere else. These shirts are not cheap either, they are all high quality Gildan shirts. Alone those shirts are worth at least 15$. Throw in the fact that they are so unique and have amazing sentimental value to gamers and nerds alike, they are priceless. This months t-shirt was a slightly simpler design than usual, yet unique none the less. The theme of December's shirt was Super Smash Brothers Brawl City. Unfortunately you guys have missed out on this shirt forever, but don't miss out on next months unique gamers shirt.
MSRP- $8.99
The next item in Decembers Arcade Block was a touch control joystick for gaming on your phone. I had never seen or used something so amazing with my mobile games. I have always been so sick of having to use the touchscreen joystick all these mobile games use. I just cannot stand it. This joystick just pops right on to your phones screen right over the touchscreen joystick. You will never have to use those annoying touchscreen controls anymore. This item just further proves the quality of items that are thrown into the Arcade Block subscriptions.
Zelda MinifigureMSRP- $4.99
December's Aracade Block also had a figurine from The Legend of Zelda Phantom Hourglass. Subscribers were able to find a yellow egg in their boxes that would contain 1 of 6 different buildable Zelda minfigures. I pop opened mine and found a Knight. Unfortunately I wanted Link. Of course I am not really sure how that matters at all. The minifigure was a high quality plastic toy that came with a minifigure, a minifigure item, and a stand for them to stand upon.
MSRP- $5.99
The next item we found was a nice high quality Halo lanyard. Obviously there isn't too much to say about a lanyard. However if you are a gamer, you have very likely played Halo before. How could you not be overjoyed to have a nice new lanyard to wear around your neck. I know I might have a little something to wear at the next E3 event...... possibly.
Sonic Fridge Magnets
MSRP- $18.95
If you are a gamer of any type You Have Played Sonic. I mean come on, its one of the best games ever created. So you could imagine our excitement when we found a nice large pack of Sonic magnets tucked away in our Arcade Block. There were plenty of different magnets from Sonic and Tails, to the ground they walk on and the rings they play to capture. Heaven knows our fridge is now completely covered in Sonic magnets thanks to Arcade Block. 
MSRP- $24.99
Finally the best item this month comes straight from the laboratory, Aperture Laboratories to be exact. Thrown into the box this month as the special Arcade Certified Item of the Month is a Portal scarf to keep you warm during this already frigid winter. I have been wearing this since the day I started writing this review. The scarf is not only stylish and warm, but the scarf is also an extremely cool collectable for any gaming fan.
Thats it for this months Arcade Block review. In case I didn't mention its just a measly $20 a month to subscribe to Arcade Block. You save a lot of money by subscribing... A Lot! Until next month guys, when we will once again be reviewing Arcade Block.
Want To Subscribe? Head On Over Through This Link-
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Echo Night Coming to The PS Vita
Echo Night is a first person survival horror. However the game doesn't implement any weapons as you would expect with a first person survival game. Instead players can only make the ghosts disappear by flipping the lights on. The ultimate task in the game is to uncover a mystery about two mysterious stones, and attempt to survive the horrific nightmare.
Echo Night is a welcomed addition to the PS One classics, and will help add to the poor list of horror games the PS Vita currently has. It is currently unknown when Echo Night will launch on the PS Vita, PS3, and PSP systems. However, it is unlikely it will take very long considering it usually only takes a few weeks for games to go from rated to release.
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To Heart 2: Dungeon Travelers is Getting Remade For The Playstation Vita
To Heart 2 is a Visual Romance Novel that was only released in Japan. The player takes on the role of the main Protagonist (enter name way too hard to spell/pronounce here), who is beginning his second year of high school. The ultimate goal is to obviously find romance. The game is mainly a text driven game.
The reboot of To Heart 2 is said to have many new improvements. Included in these improvements are, revamped 3D dungeon models, improved resolution, and better graphics. The game will also have a premium edition for those who want it. Included in this is a rubber strap, game soundtrack, and a cleaning cloth.
To Heart 2: Dungeon Travelers will launch on the PS Vita in April. The price of the game is currently unknown. It is also unknown if the game will be localized. Also as an FYI, To Heart 2 is very risque. Seriously, it only took my an hour to find a photo appropiate for this site.
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Scram Kitty DX is Headed To The PS Vita after Once Being a Wii-U Exclusive
Scram Kitty DX will support crossplay between the PS Vita and PS4 versions so fans dont have to play two different files on their systems. This version of Scram Kitty will even implement a brand new gameplay mode called Challenge Mode, which is exclusive to only Sony consoles. In challenge mode players will be able to attempt and beat the clock by collecting as many cats as they can before the time limit runs dry.
Scram Kitty DX is reported to be coming to the PS Vita and PS4 systems "very soon." The price of the game is unknown at this time. However, when we find the price you will be the first to know.
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December Geek Fuel Review
The December edition of GeekFuel was easily one of the most fun things to explore. I popped open this bad boy and lost my mind when I saw the amazing content that lied within the sheek red box that had literally just been shipped off to my house the day prior. I was excited just by the simple fact that GeekFuel made sure the puppy arrived as soon as humanly possible. Little did I know that the excitement of express shipping was the least of my excitements for the day. The second I opened the box I saw it was packed full of goodies. I saw so many items in the box that I had no clue where to even start. I did know however, that I had definitely got way more than my money's worth just by first glance of the contents of the GeekFuel. The first item I found was a custom made Princess Leia T-Shirt.
December GeekFuel
Price- $13.90
Price of Items- $72.89
Savings- $58.99
MSRP- $16.99
The PrincessLeia Sugarskull T-shirt is impossible to find outside of the GeekFuel box. Trust me I looked. This item is easily one of the most unique T-shirts I have ever found. The design is amazing, and the quality of the shirt is even better. This is not some knock-off 6% cotton junk. This t-shirt is extremely comfortable and not lacking in quality whatsoever, the same can be expected for all shirts that GeekFuel gives out. I can truly attest to that. Furthermore for fans of Star Wars, this item is a cannot miss item. Of course, you did miss it if you weren't subscribed. But it'd be best to subscribe to make sure you had never miss another amazing exclusive like this ever again.
Android Mini Figures
MSRP- $9.95
Now the Anroid Mini Figure was my favorite item in the entire box. Many people would disagree with my stance after seeing the other amazing items the box contained. I just have a thing for mini figures, and I was so excited to see the Android Mini Figure sitting atop my box. The little guy is such a high-quality plastic, and comes in 1 of 7 different designs. I ended up getting the Yeti, and Ang ended up getting the Taxi. Both of the figures had such a great design on them and look amazing sitting atop our studio shelf with the rest of the collection. This also might seem a bit odd to say, but the Android came in an amazing box for those of you who cannot bare to open up collectables.
MSRP- $7.99
Now this item might sound a bit weird inside of a geeks box. But come on, are you seriously going to complain about getting some more coffee? You definitely won't be complaining after you taste this stuff. It is some of the strongest but most delicious coffee I have ever tasted in my entire life. The Atomic Coffee has a perfect name. This stuff is packed with 50% more caffeine than most energy drinks or sodas. This certainly will help keep you up while you binge on 20 hours of gaming on the PS Vita. Hold up though, it gets even better. The Atomic Coffee comes in so many different flavors. We got Java Blast, and Cinna-Buzz. Try mixing those together and not bouncing off the walls. Now you know why we were able to record such a long podcast last week.
Terraria Bookmark and Game Code
MSRP- $10
I want you to think about something for a second. Just ponder this. For approximately the price of Terraria, you could have gotten an entire box full of amazing items. Oh, and this box also came with Terraria. I mean come on, how can you possibly get any more bang for your buck. We saw this bookmark and thought, awesome a Terraria bookmark, moving on. Then we looked a little closer and noticed that this bookmark also just so happened to have a stinking Steam Game code for Terraria. How can you ever be mad about receiving an entire game, basically free. By the way the bookmark is pretty cool, even though I will never use a bookmark. It has become somewhat of a paper weight for me. See, because it weighs itself down. Of course for those of who somehow like reading, well you now have an awesome new bookmark.
Nihontown PosterEstimated MSRP- $15.99
These next few items are the highlights of this months GeekFuel box. Starting off these exclusive never before seen items is an amazing poster drawn by Enfu. For those of you who don't know, Enfu is a game developer and illustrator. He worked on huge titles like Halo, and Scribblenauts. GeekFuel had him come over and create one of the greatest gaming posters you will ever see. It is honestly impossible to put into words the quality of this poster. The poster is basically an explosion of American and Japanese culture thrown onto one extremely busy street in Nihontown. The poster references some of pop culture's biggest icons. I spotted several including the likes of Hello Miffy (Hello Kitty), and Charlie Brown. It is one amazing piece of Art and is worth it's weight in gold in my opinion.
Cosplay Sticker Set
Estimated MSRP- $5.99
The next item once again was created by Enfu. He once again uses his amazing artistic abilities to recreate some of gaming's biggest icons, this time in the form of stickers. The artistic genius recreated so many great characters including, Mario, Batman, Naruto, Boba Fett, MegaMan, and of course Nyan Cat. The quality of the art is amazing, and it is so hard to put a price on these sorts of items. It is definitley known that these items are so rare and hard to find in boxes that aren't.....well..... GeekFuel.
Estimated MSRP- $2.99
GeekFuel is all about beating stale mail. Everyone is so sick of bills, and letters, and more bills. They have definitely helped to make receiving mail a lot more fun. They decided to do that once again by throwing in this awesome Hobbit greeting card. This item is of course exclusive to GeekFuel and is actually quite a good card. GeekFuel encourages you to join in the revolution against stale mail. In fact the VitaBoys even joined in. We took the cards and mailed them to two of our biggest fans with an autograph. We wonder what you would do with yours.
How To Speak DothrakiEstimated MSRP- $2.99
Finally the last item we found in our GeekFuel was a booklet on how to Learn to Speak Dothraki. Now don't be mad at me, but I had no idea what that was until now. Apparently its from Game of Thrones, and now I know how to speak a bunch of the language, and have never watched the show. Regardless, its an amazing item that just shows GeekFuels commitment to provide amazing content for all Geeks no matter what they love.
It was an absolute pleasure to open up December's GeekFuel. We have always loved gaming subscription boxes, but something about GeekFuel just surprised us. From price, to quick shipping, to customer service, to amazing contents, GeekFuel is one of the greates pleasures I have had in a long time. Expect to hear us talk about GeekFuel many times again on the VitaBoys podcast, and expect many more reviews in the coming months. In the meantime go head on over to Geekfuel.com and check out their amazing products.
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Is Gravity Rush 2 Still Coming To The PS Vita, or Going To The PS4?
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Infamous was Coming To The PS Vita, Then it Got Cancelled
Now a few years later rumors have arose that the game was in fact in development for the PS Vita system, however the title eventually got canned. These rumors come from an ex Sony Studios artist who took to Reddit and leaked these details. According to her report Sony had planned on releasing the title following the release of Uncharted Golden Abyss on the PS Vita system. However Sony had decided not to do this because they didn't want the system to experience a burnout from receiving too many good titles at once.
It seems if these rumors are true that fans of Infamous and the PS Vita almost got a lucky break. However now the PS Vita may never get to experience Infamous on its screen, outside of the realm of PS4 remote play.
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The Insane Reason Why Final Fantasy Type-0 Won't Come To The PS Vita
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Sony Takes More Steps Backwards With The PS Vita, Taking Away Features instead of Adding Them
I couldn't believe it when I read about it, thought there had to be some mistake. No, it's actually happening though, say goodbye to two of the PS Vita's apps, and look for less in one other. What has to be considered a huge step backwards, at least to me, Sony is removing the Youtube and Google Maps apps, and cutting features from the NEAR app. Seems like the opposite of the news you want to hear regarding the Vita and it's features.
Oh, we already know what's next. The Youtube app is also being taken away, and while you can still use the web browser to view the site, I really liked the app for quick use. This isn't a huge deal since I already use the web browser for Facebook, seeing as the Vita app for that has been broken for some time now, but again, the point is removing apps is not the direction we want to see Sony. I do wonder though, why Youtube? I mean, it's already available, why bother?
While I will miss the map app, the features being removed aren't a big deal, it's the fact that anything is being removed period. Here I am still waiting for a Vine app, or something similar to make use of the video recording feature, a Snapchat or decent, working Tumblr app to make me want to use the camera. ANYTHING, I mean, even fix the Facebook app(I haven't been able to view messages since the last update). Considering they never bothered to fix the Flickr app(crashes every other upload), I guess I was expecting a bit too much.
Maybe there is a master plan that we, the players, just can't comprehend. Maybe Sony has this all figured out and we just can't see it. All I know is that whether it be the PS Vita or the Playstation T.V, we need MORE apps and uses, not less. While these features being removed don't affect the devices too much(though I do think having a map on a portable device might just be handy), it's like I said earlier, it's the fact that things are being taken away from us which is the exact opposite of what we have been asking for. I guess we got that calendar way back then, oh, and don't forget themes, cause looking on the store they are really putting effort into those.... I love the games, don't get me wrong, but look at what you are holding in your hand, it can and should be so much more, yet I can't help looking at my dusty PSPs sitting in the corner and worrying just a little.
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The Top 5 Games The PS Vita Desperately Needs
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A Huge Playstation Vita Announcement Might Be Coming Soon
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January Geek Fuel Review
January's box was certainly something downright special. The theme this month was space and time travel, and for fans of Doctor Who, you all certainly made out this month. A close friend of the VitaBoys was nearby to witness the opening of the GeekFuel and let out a blood curdling shriek of pure fan fueled joy when she saw the amazing contents of January's GeekFuel. So Much Doctor Who! Even for those like myself who don't care for Doctor Who, the box was certainly a treat. The t-shirt is easily the best shirt in a subscription box I have received thus far and the Full Mojo Rampage game is one amazingly fun time. Overall January's GeekFuel was one excitement after another as we pillaged our way through this month's box. Read on to see every item we received this month, but first take a look at how much money GeekFuel saved subscribers this month.
January GeekFuel
Price- $13.90
Price of Items- $61.43
Savings- $47.53
If You Subscribe Through This Link GeekFuel Will Throw In A Special Surprise For You!
Make Sure To Check Out the GeekFuel Contest as Well!
Exclusive T-Shirt
MSRP- $20
The First Item we ran into when unboxing January's GeekFuel is so exclusive that we couldn't even find a single picture of the amazing thing on the internet. You know if Google cant find the bad boy that it is certainly as exclusive as exclusive can be. Anyways that is why I was so lazy and just cropped the shirt out of the photo above. This shirt is so amazing, I have been wearing it everywhere. Seriously, I dont think I have even washed it since the box arrived...... a week ago. The shirt shows "A Brief History of Time Travel." It includes the Tardis from Doctor Who, the teleportation scene from The Terminator, and even the Hot Tub Time Machine. This shirt is seriously just so cool, and I can't quit getting comments on it. As always, GeekFuel throws in high quality products as well, because the shirt isn't just cool looking it seriously is so comfortable. I expect to see many more great exclusive shirts from GeekFuel in the near future.
Dalek Bobble Head
MSRP- $13.99
The next item sitting atop the box to greet us as we dug through was one of the coolest little Dalek bobble heads I have seen. (if you don't know what a Dalek is, join the club with everybody else) The Doctor Who baddie is a very well made monitor mate that you are supposed to stick up on your television set. He just joined the rest of our gang on the shelf of awesome action figures (working on a better name.) For fans of Doctor Who, this item definitley brings back great memories and is certainly an amazing addition to your home. 
MSRP- $3.99
Oh magnets how we love you. You keep unimportant junk and terribly drawn family portraits hung to our fridge. You help us get that lid out of the can of corn when we accidentally drop it in. You help distract us for hours on end with your beautiful designs. What? Is that only me? You'd be lost in the beauty of this superhero mash up magnet too if you had one. A simple little gift sure, but to fans its an item you just cannot get rid of once you have it. This magnet mashes together Iron Man and Ant-Man into...... the Iron Ant or Man-Man, your choice. Either way, its a pretty cool item we are glad to have seen in the box this month.
Star Trek Coaster
MSRP- $6.95
Ok, so this item is really cool. We were digging through the box this month and felt something glass, only to
find that it is one of the highest quality, coolest looking Star Trek coasters ever. No, we aren't really Star Trek fans, (I know weird, whatever) but who can't appreciate an item like this. I actually like the design so much that I refuse to put any drinks on the thing. Each box got one of four different designs, each one has a ship of some sort on it (sorry.)
MSRP: $3.50
The next item up is something Marc Anthony really needs, and was happily given the second we saw it in the box. A pack of breath mints, neatly placed into one awesome Ocarina of Time shield. This item perfectly matches the months theme for sure and we can assure you this item definitely went to use. What more can we say.... its a pack of mints people. Geesh, what do you want from us.
Full Mojo Rampage Game and Sticker
MSRP: $13.00
Finally, one of the coolest items in the box was a huge vinyl sticker of a Full Mojo Rampage character as well as a code for the entire game on Steam. This is certainly something we love about GeekFuel. They always try to put in an entire video game packed into each month's box. Its a really cool thing to see, and obviously we all certainly appreciate it. The game is extradorinarily fun, and I would have missed out on it if it weren't for my amazing friends at GeekFuel.Thats it for this months GeekFuel. Make sure to subscribe to the box, its a really small fee and amazing content. If you use the link geekfuel.com/vitaboys you can get an amazing free item. Until next month guys, we will see you later.
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Senran Kagura Bon Appetit! PS Vita Review
The Vita has, more than once, been said to cater to a “niche” audience. What that means changes depending on how one defines “niche,” but the popularity of titles like Hatsune Miku DIVA F 2nd in the West makes it clear that fans of the rhythm genre are a part of that audience, and they are among the many Vita owners that enjoy games from overseas. November’s Senran Kagura: Bon Appétit is a recent addition to this category. As a cooking-based spin-off of the relatively well-received and largely combat-oriented Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus (the series’ first Vita game), it’s also a peculiar one. Is combining the rhythm genre with food preparation a recipe for success? Perhaps, but to rhythm fans unfamiliar with the Senran Kagura series, Bon Appétit’s presentation might be unappetizing.
Story- 5/10 Bon Appétit, like its predecessor, centers around all-female squads of teenage shinobi-in-training. These shinobi-in-training attend schools and receive instruction in order to become either “good” shinobi, employed by the Japanese government, or “evil” shinobi, who live outside of the law. Because Senran Kagura is an ecchi series (i.e. it contains subtle sexual themes but does not portray genitalia, distinguishing it from hentai’s more prominent themes and lack of censorship), the characters, their interactions with one another, and their approaches to the conflict between squads fluctuate between solemnity and ridiculousness. Here, each of the 22 playable characters, 12 of which are separate downloadable content, has an individual story (told through conversations with other characters and introspective textual portions) in which she competes in a series of five cooking battles in order to obtain a “Super Ninja Art Scroll” said to be able to grant her greatest wish, which can be anything from wanting to provide for one’s family to creating a harem, depending on the character. Some are more entertaining than others, but ultimately, they’re nothing special.
Gameplay- 6/10Cooking battles have three rounds and are one-on-one matches. In each round, the player prepares a dish based around their opponent’s favorite food by pressing, holding, and mashing the directional and face buttons as indicated by colored icons that scroll from right to left across the bottom of the screen in two rows toward a shuriken icon. Above these rows, the player’s character and the opponent are shown making the dish. Depending on how close the colored icons are to the shuriken icon, players receive a ranking of either “bad,” “fine,” “great,” or “perfect.” Getting anything other than “bad” creates or continues a combo, and combos of “perfect” ratings fill up a meter on the left side of the screen that, when full, allows players to perform a “Secret Ninja Art” by pressing the L button. This turns the rows gold and acts as a score multiplier that increases as long as the combo is not broken, and “perfect” ratings are earned. Maintaining a combo during the first two rounds fills up to half of a heart-shaped meter. If it is full by the third round, then a heart appears among the scrolling icons. Triggered by pressing any button, it briefly changes the background from the two characters cooking to close-up shots of the opponent’s body.
At the end of a round, the player’s dish is judged by the length of their longest combo and the types of ratings they received. They are then given a score between zero and 100 and a percentage score between -100 and 100. If the percentage score is less than 51, then an article of clothing becomes ripped. If it is higher, the opponent’s clothing becomes ripped. If the player wins all three rounds, then the opponent is stripped nude, and the player views the opponent’s “special,” which consists of the opponent posing on a plate on top of fruit, her body adorned with chocolate syrup and whipped cream (completing a character’s story allows the player to see that character’s “special”). This is only possible if the aforementioned heart meter is filled, and its corresponding icon is triggered. It is considered a “perfect victory” but is by no means required.
While there is nothing particularly bad about the gameplay in theory, in practice, it has significant problems. First, the result of the third round determines whether or not the player wins the cooking battle. If the player wins the first two rounds but loses the third, then the entire three rounds have to be repeated, which makes getting through songs (opponents’ theme songs), and thus characters’ individual stories, more frustrating at times than necessary, as it contradicts the “best two out of three” approach players expect. Second, there is a high difficulty curve for new players. There are three modes of difficulty, Easy, Normal, and Hard, but these only change the number of icons that appear during a song. The speed and relative complexity of each character’s song remain constant. That would normally not be a complaint, but in story mode and arcade mode (a series of five battles with no story), the first, fourth, and fifth opponents are determined by the player’s character, while the other two are randomized based on the difficulty selected. This means that a simple or slow song can be followed by a fast or complex song with no warning (unless the player has competed against that opponent before). Third, there are occasional drops in framerate during certain portions of certain songs, which can cause icons to be missed and potentially affect the result of a round.
This is alleviated somewhat by playing in free mode, where players can pick any character and have a cooking battle against any other. Since there is no tutorial, this mode is best used for practice. However, one cannot freely switch between modes. For example, if a player completes three out of five battles in a character’s story in story mode and then wants to play in arcade mode, they can’t start arcade mode without losing their progress in that story (so they would have to do those battles again).
Replay- 4/10Beyond the three modes and difficulties, the game does not have much content appealing to people outside of Senran Kagura’s fanbase. Aside from the settings menu and a list of statistics, there is a dressing room that allows players to view and interact with character models (I won’t go into detail, but this interaction uses the touchscreen), customize their appearance by changing their hairstyles, clothing, lingerie, and accessories, all of which are unlocked by winning battles, and viewing their “specials” if they are unlocked, while the library allows players to view pictures, listen to the game’s music, and hear character voice clips. Downloading the additional characters doubles the game’s length and includes the soundtrack as a free download, but at the same price as the base game, they may not be worth it to everyone.
Graphics/Sound- 7/10 Graphically, the game is identical to Shinovi Versus, with the characters and backgrounds resembling an anime while being mostly smooth in texture (some lingerie pieces are pixelated when viewed from close-up) and sharp in color. The audio is Japanese only, though there are English subtitles in what few cutscenes there are. The soundtrack is decent but not particularly memorable, though a number of character themes include vocals by the voice actresses. It would be nice if all of the songs had vocals, though, since the majority of them are instrumental. I do not know if Senran Kagura: Bon Appétit is the worst rhythm game on Vita, but I feel confident in saying it is not the best. People who are comfortable with ecchi games may like the humor and certain other aspects of the game, but that’s a niche within the niche audience to which the Vita supposedly caters. The rhythm component, while not boring to play, is not the most original aside from the visual distractions, and is marred by the fact that two-thirds of every song are technically meaningless. If the dressing room is counted as a mode along with story mode, arcade mode, and free mode, since it involves players doing things, then that means three-fourths of the game are technically meaningless, which is a shame.
Story- 5/10
Gameplay- 6/10
Replay- 4/10
Graphics/Sound- 7/10
Overall- 6/10
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