Embark on a cozy adventure with Hello Kitty and Friends and restore an abandoned island to its former glory!

If you haven't already heard, Hello Kitty Island Adventure launched exclusively on 28 July 2023 on the Apple Arcade platform. 

The aim of the game is simple: you start off by creating an avatar to join Hello Kitty and Friends on a flight to an island. Things take a turn for excitement when Hello Kitty's attempt to treat everyone to some baked cupcakes causes the plane to hit turbulence and everyone has to parachute out of there asap! 

You land on the mysterious island, which was supposed to be your original destination, except now you had to crash land and your first goal is to reunite with everyone, as they’ve been scattered about the place. 

Doesn't my avatar have Animal Crossing vibes?

Your second goal is to unlock the mysteries of the island and return the place to its thriving glory days.  As you progress and explore the island, you will be able to slowly reveal recipes as you test out different combinations of ingredients. The more elaborate recipes can even be unlocked through friendship levels.

[Hello Kitty Island Adventure: All Recipes (& How To Make Them)]

There are tasks to complete, lots of them. Tasks to track down things for friends, build things using materials found on the island and a crafting table, to solve Zelda Breath of the Wild-inspired dungeons (albeit far simpler ones), and puzzles to unlock more parts of the island.

In addition to tasks, there are minigames to play, fishing and bug catching to indulge in; even photography tasks to complete! There's a whole lot activities to be done, and while similar to Animal Crossing, it is not exactly the same: you get to be involved in setting up the economy and society of the island to make it a success.

First Impressions

What I have been up to so far

Since I happened to have an activation for Apple Arcade for 3 months, I decided to download and try this adorable game. 

I initially installed it on my iPad Pro with the intention of playing with my pro-controller. But for some reason I was not able to connect them, so I switched over to play on my iPhone instead using just the touch screen controls.

The touch screen controls are a bit frustrating as they are either too sensitive or not at all. When I want to run, I end up jumping or  slow walking in the wrong directing, when I want to jump I never end up when I want to land. In total, I played less than 10 minutes as the navigation experience was subpar.

After updating my iPad Pro to iOS16.6, I was finally able to connect my pro-controller! And the difference is as clear as night and day! I am now more invested in playing Hello Kitty Island Adventure for the next 3 months to see if it's worth getting in the long run (or perhaps it might come out on the Nintendo Switch?). 

So much better playing on a bigger screen. This weekend, I'll try playing it on my Mac and pro-controller. 😍

Verdict: 4/5

The game aesthetics are both simple, but effective and adorable! 

Hello Kitty Island Adventure is a  massive place to explore, with regions being broken up into various themes – volcano area, swamp area etc). Each of those regions are each a colorful feast for the eyes, and makes exploring and playing around in each of them bright and fun. I cannot wait to each one of them and unlock more outfits options too!

Have you downloaded and played Hello Kitty Island Adventure? What are your thoughts on it? Let us know in the comments below! 

Have you gotten your copy of Pokemon Scarlet or Violet yet? If not, do check out the link below to get your copy to start your adventure! 

[S$64.00](▼20%)[Nintendo] Nintendo Switch Pokemon Scarlet/Pokemon Violet (Physical Copy) (Region May Vary)

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You might be wondering what are Mystery Gifts? Well, they are basically Poké freebies (for perpetually almost forever) and who doesn't love freebies? 😁 

They did it with the other Pokemon games such as Sword and Shield, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, and The Legend of Arceus. Since Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are ones I started really paying attention to, I'll be having a handy list of the here. 

So check out this page for the latest code for few Mystery Gifts! 

Below is a full list of the Mystery Gift codes you can currently redeem in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

1. THA12022CHAMP - Shiny Grimmsnarl 18 Aug 23
2. DARKTERA0006 - Dark Tera Type Charizard 31 Aug 23
3. GETY0URMEW - Free Mew 08 Sept 23
4. NATSUN0T0KKUN - Sandwich Ingredients 30 Sep 23
5. LEVELUP -10 Rare Candy Expires 02 Oct 23
6. REV1VE -5 Max Revive Expires  02 Oct 23
7. CATCHBYBALL -5 Dive, Dusk, Luxury, Nest, Quick and Timer Balls Expires  02 Oct 23
8. ENJOYBATTLE -TM082 Thunder - Wave and TM087 - Taunt Expires 30 Apr 23
9. ROCKANDBATON -TM116 Stealth Rock and TM132 Baton Pass Expires 07 May 23
10. LETSTERA - TM171 — Tera Blast Expires 31 Mar 23
11. HAPPYVALENT1NE - Destiny Knot Expires 14 Mar 23 
12. L0VEL0VEL0VE - 2x Love Balls Expires 14 Mar 23 
13. T0KUSE1STUDY - Ability Capsule Expires 28 Feb 23
14. No Code (under "Get via Internet") - Pikachu (Tera Type: Flying) Expires 28 Feb 23
15. HAJ1ME0R1G1NAL - Sandwich Ingredients 10X: Peanut Butter, Prosciutto, Hamburger, Cream Cheese, Noodles, Rice Expires 31 Jan 23
16. READY4RA1D - 20,000 League Points Expires 31 Jan 23
17. HAPPYH0L1DAYS - 50 Ice Tera Shards Expires 25 Dec 22
18. SALTV1NEGAR - Random assortment of sandwich ingredients Expires 18 Dec 22
19. PEANUTBUTTER - Random assortment of sandwich ingredients Expires 18 Dec 22
20. LETTUCEBAC0N - Random assortment of sandwich ingredients Expires 18 Dec 22
21. T0MAT0SL1CE -  Random assortment of sandwich ingredients Expires 18 Dec 22

How do you redeem Mystery Gift codes?

To redeem the above codes, simply follow these instructions:

1. Open the main menu in your copy of Pokémon Scarlet or Violet
2. Select 'Poké Portal', then 'Mystery Gift'
3. Select 'Get with Code/Password' and input the code to claim your free gift

[S$59.50} Nintendo Switch Pokemon Games Collection (Arceus / Sword / Shield / Diamond / Pikachu / Eevee)

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If you haven't heard already, there's a new Pokémon game in town and it is supposed to help you sleep better.  You don't catch Pokémon , but get to befriend them to help you raise a Snorlax each week - the bigger the Snorlax gets, the more rewards you get in game. The more you sleep, the better it is.

Gameplay

Playing is really easy,  all you need to do is sleep using your mobile device with the app or get the Pokémon Go Plus+ to record your sleep. If you don't want to over work (and overheat) your phone's battery, the Pokemon Go Plus+ is a must get! 

Shopee - SGD$79.90

Now on to the gameplay which consists of a bunch of tutorials, guiding you from your first sleep session on getting started and orientated: introducing the Snorlax which you have to feed each week at different locations and get rewards, at the the same time befriending Pokémon to help you gather ingredients for cooking and feeding your Snorlax of the week. 

Unlike the usual Pokémon games where you catch them, in Pokémon Sleep you befriend them instead. So I doubt they are transferrable to the other Pokémon games, and the Snorlex you meet at just for show (or feeding so to say).

Other than that change in catching to befriending, it looks like the levelling system is here to stay: not only do Snorlax and each Pokémon have a levelling system, but so do the Recipes for cooking. The higher the level, the more things you can cook and more skills/capabilities your befriended Pokémon unlock to feed your Snorlax of the week. 

Then you have Incenses, and rare Pokémon with feed requirements, and evolution items to buy etc… For evolving the Pokémon you have befriended you'd need items and candy. So the more you sleep, the more rewards... It's not called Pokémon  SLEEP for nothing. 😁

As with the games series, you will work with a professor to studying the sleep patterns and gain rewards.

Meet Professor Neroli Did you know, neroli is an essential oil that comes from bitter orange trees?

According to the app, the ideal amount of sleep is 8.5 hours. You can do 2 sleep sessions each day but they must be 90 minutes minimum. You set an alarm within Pokémon Sleep to remind you to go to bed and then set one to wake you up. There's also the function to play relaxing sounds to help you doze off.

If you use your mobile phone, not only is your battery life at risk so is your privacy -  the game will record your sounds (which are supposed to be only saved locally and wiped every 24 hours) to determine what mode of sleep you are in. Hence the reason why I prefer using the  Pokémon Go Plus+ as the app does not need to be running to use and it can easily sync the sleep data in the morning via bluetooth.

Types of Sleep

There are 3 types of sleep: Dozing, Slumbering and Snoozing.

Based on the duration of your sleep at the different stages, various Pokémon will spawn the morning after. They have multiple ‘Sleep Styles’, so in terms of collecting there's the Pokémon, their sleeping styles and did I mention you can even befriend Shiny Pokémon?

You use biscuits to befriend the Pokémon and add them to your team. They will then collect the berries and ingredients to feed the Snorlax and for cooking recipes.

Certain types show up based on the quality of your sleep. You are initially gifted a Pikachu and if you use Pokémon Go Plus+ you get an extra Pikachu helper wearing a nightcap. 

And that's how Pokémon Sleep works. It also includes tips about healthy eating and other aspects of your life, especially about sleep. If you are looking for something to motivate you to improve the quality of your sleep by gamifying it, then this is the perfect app.

There's the monetization part of the game but I find it pointless, as I see it more as a motivation for better sleep rather than grinding and playing to get the highest level per se. If you want to grind and play something more play worthy then Pokémon Go would be a better choice. Pokémon Sleep is more a lifestyle enhancement app which gamifies sleeping - perfect if you want to reward your sleep but not really worth paying anything in-game for. 

Have you played  Pokémon Sleep? Let us know in the comments below! 

About The Game

Take control of an adorable turnip who happens to be an absolute menace to society. After failing to pay taxes and getting evicted from your home, you must go on an epic quest to pay back your massive debt to Mayor Onion. Garden tools to solve plantastic puzzles, meet eccentric vegetables and fruits, and take on treacherous fights. Along the journey uncover what’s spoiling this garden community and rise to tear down the corrupt vegetable government!

So... I came across this game on sale the other day for just under USD$3 and the premise seemed interesting and adorable at the same time. Needless to say I downloaded the game and have started play, hence this is a mini review on the experience so far. 

Playing as a turnip trying to evade taxes and defeat a seeming corrupted onion as mayor seems fun a vegan world. As Turnip Boy, you can can evade as much tax as you like without any real world repercussions; it is a game after all. 

It's one of the cutest games I've played and the gameplay is easy to grasp for the most part. Once you manage to get the hang of the controls, you'd be defeating baddies and evading taxes like a pro. 

Some captures from my game progress so far

At start of the game Turnip Boy obtains a ‘soil sword’ along with a watering can.  The sword is used to attack against fearsome snails, piglets, and other dangerous but adorable (mostly vegetable eating) animals. The water can can also help water bombs, put too much water and you'd lose a few hearts. Alternating between the sword and watering can can be a bit cumbersome, but once you get used to it, it's a breeze. There are 2 options to alternate between items 

1. Use the ‘L’ and ‘R’ is easy, OR
2. Holding down ‘Y’ to access to inventory

There's also a move to throw the bombs in the direction you want to attack animals or blast doorways to open pathways. Time it right after you use the water can and kick it in the direction you want or risk being bombed yourself. 

The whole tax evasion thing is the theme, and the aim is to repay back the onion mayor by doing various tasks. While exploring the world, the other characters encountered will also give you mini-tasks with mini awards / achievements. It's relatively simple: task is given, go to location, complete task and return for the reward. The reward could be new items or abilities. 

There's a wide range of characters you’ll come across during your travels, all of which comprise different fruits or vegetables (it is a vegan world after all). There's dialogue and you can follow the storyline as well. It would have been better if there was indication of which characters would give you tasks and others just there for comic relieve. Having to approach each character to see if a bit cumbersome and can be a bit frustrating since you cannot skip past some pointless conversations. If you take your time to read each one, it is still a nice adorable little game. 

For those looking for something adorable and relatively easy, Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion is definitely worth a try. That said, although Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion is not too difficult, some of the boss battles and puzzles where you have to make use of multiple items may well pose a good challenge.

Verdict: 4/5

Overall, Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion is a delightful vegan adventure and I cannot wait to complete the game! 

If you’re after a chill and adorable game with a bit of RPG action, then look no further; this is a great way to get started and also get more digital veggies into your gaming diet.

Have you played Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion? If yes, let us know in the comments below how much you liked it (or not)! 

You can get the physical copy to keep or re-sale after you are done, or get it from the Nintendo e-shop when there're sales.

[S$39.90](▼5%)[Nintendo]Nintendo Switch Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion

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Have you heard? Kirby's third Switch game in the last 12 months dropped on 24 Feburary 2023. It's actually a remake of the Wii game Kirby's Return to Dream Land (or Kirby's Adventure Wii if you're in Europe). 

If you want to give the game a go befire you decide to get it, you can download a free demo on the eShop right now.

Here's a bit about the story, and what else you can expect courtesy of the PR:

"A new story will unfold in Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe when Magolor, the interdimensional traveller from the main adventure, loses his powers and must escape the realm between dimensions. You can access this new epilogue after clearing Story Mode. Up to four players on the same console can venture through this mysterious realm together, where there are over 20 stages to explore. Can Magolor restore his powers and safely return to his world?"

What's New?

Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe adds a co-op epilogue where players play as Magolor, a mega-easy setting. Magolor acts as the bumpers to Kirby’s bowling alley. You toss him health items and make sure he that does not fall over and die.

There are 8 worlds in total to float and fight your way through here. And as it's somewhat of a remake of a successful game which has stood the test of time with lots in the way of fun and creativity, you  can happily blast your way through the game. 

There's even an amusement park with 10 mini-games called Merry Magoland. 

There are some games, like Ninja Dojo, where you and up to three friends, throw shurikens at moving targets to try to get a bullseye. This game can also be unlocked from Magolor’s spacecraft, Lor Starcutter, like in the original. 

Other games, like Egg Catcher, are from older titles like the 1993 NES game Kirby’s Adventure.

Are you excited for Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe? 

[S$66.00](▼18%)[Nintendo] Nintendo Switch Kirby Return To Dream Land Deluxe

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Image: Game Freak/The Pokémon Company

As part of a Pokémon Presents stream on Monday, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are getting paid DLC and the first wave of the upcoming expansion is coming in fall 2023! 

It's called "The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero", and it is separated into 2parts and will take players beyond the existing Paldea Region as well as let them encounter new Pokémon.

There are 2 parts to this new adventure: 

Part 1 is called The Teal Mask, and will arrive first in the fall of 2023. It will take players on a school field trip to the land of Kitakami, a mountainous region with a village at the base. 

Part 2 is called The Indigo Disc and is slated to arrive sometime before the end of winter 2023”. It will take players to visit their sister school, Blueberry Academy. 

Although it is split into two parts, both stories will link up into one continuous narrative.

Check out the trailer below:

Which new Pokémon are coming to The Teal Mask and Indigo Disk?

In addition to experiencing new locations, The Hidden Treasure DLC will also feature new Legendaries and returning favorites. 

The Teal Mask’s Legendary, will feature Ogerpon with new Pokémon Okidogi, Munkidori, and Fezandipiti also appearing alongside the likes of Chingling, Shiftry, Milotic, Ninetales, Vikavolt. 

The Indigo Disc will feature the Legendary Terapagos, alongside returning Pokémon Dewgong, Metagross, Alcremie, Espurr, Zebstrika, and Whimsiscott.

The Pokémon Company also revealed that Pokémon Home will finally link Let's Go and Scarlet/Violet together. This, together with the DLC, will now introduce over 230 Pokémon to the games that weren’t previously available in them to catch or battle with!

Are you excited? I certainly am and will have this on my shopping cart ready to check out!

Have you gotten your copy of Pokemon Scarlet or Violet yet? If not, do check out the link below to get your copy to start your adventure! 

[S$67.00](▼5%)[Nintendo]Nintendo Switch Pokemon Scarlet / Violet / Double Pack

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The Paldean region of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet has added another unique creature to its ranks...

... Meet the Wiglett

Digletts are Ground Type Pokémon basically whack-a-moles with cute noses, and they were made even more memorable by their cries of “Diglett Dig” in the cartoon. It's cousin the Wiglett,  resembles a garden eel, a subset of the eel species that live underground and poke their heads out from under water. It debuted during a livestream in Japan, which verified that while it bears a striking resemblance to Diglett, it is different enough to be classified as a unique species and not a Paldean variant.

Wiglett is a long worm-like creature that rises from the ground. But unlike the Diglett it is not a Ground Type but Water Type.  It also has a pair of eyes and a nose similar to Diglett, one of the original 151 Pokémon that has already been shown in trailers for the new game.

The Wiglett becomes the 17th new Pokémon revealed for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, including the Paldean variant of Pokémon Wooper from the second generation. New species introduced for the new game include LeChonk, the legendary Koraidon and Miraidon, and the newcomers Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is the ninth main installment in the Pokémon franchise, which will introduce players to the new region of Paldea when it launches on 18 November 2022 exclusively on Nintendo Switch.

 Pre-order @ Amazon - SGD62

 Pre-order @ Qoo10 - SGD$60

Release Date: July 30, 2021 (North America)

Developers:  EXtend

Publishers: PQube

Platforms: PC (Steam), Nintendo Switch

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

 Buy this game

Note: BUSTAFELLOWS is rated “M” in ESRB. It depicts a lot of gun violence as well as drug references, if you are uncomfortable with these themes in fiction, this game may not be for you.

Game Story: 

Arrive in New Sieg, a beautiful fictional town. Step into the shoes of Teuta – a strong, smart and gifted journalist, in this romantic adventure set in America. After witnessing the murder of crooked lawyer, Limbo, Teuta is destined to save him. With the ability to leap into the past for a very brief moment and take on the body of another – you must find clues, search for data, and help those around you. Thus, our journey begins. Travel to the past to warn Limbo of his fate and figure out how to save him!

My first foray into Otome games.... Bustafellows

Read more about the chatacters' bios on the Offical Site

What's an Otome game?

[S$52.90](▼34%)Nintendo Switch Bustafellows (EU)

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Source: Nintendo

Sometime back I reviewed Nintendo Switch Sports Volleyball and Badminton, and this time I am back with Chambara. I thought Volleyball and Badminton gave a workout for the arms, but Chambara  actually overtakes Volleyball  and Badminton: the speed and arm movements for Chambara are definitely more intense (particularly if you opt for the Twin Swords 😅)!

[Nintendo Switch Sports Volleyball and Badminton First Thoughts Review]

So what is Chambara?

Source: Nintendo

It's basically sword fighting, and is one of six sports in Nintendo Switch Sports. It requires a single Joy-Con, but can be played with two, and allows up to two people to play at a time.

What are the rules?

To win, within the time limit (45 seconds) you have to knock your opponent off the platform and into the water using the arm movements Attack and Guard. If no one is knocked off within the time limit, it becomes a draw. If no winner is decided after three rounds, there's a Final Round in which the arena shrinks.

What are the basic moves?

Attack: Slash the Joy-Con as if it were a sword. The direction of your attacks greatly matters. If your opponent is guarding vertically, you should attack vertically, and so on, or they will block you.

Source: Nintendo

Guard: Hold the ZR(or ZL) button to Guard. Aim perpendicularly to the incoming attacks to stun your opponent.

Source: Nintendo

What types of weapons?

Source: Nintendo

There are 3 types of swords to choose from:

1. Sword: has an edge with the simplest mechanics. It can knock an opponent off the platform in just 4 attacks.
2. Charge Sword: f you're adept at blocking at the perfect time, the Charge Sword could be a better fit for you.
3. Twin Swords: it has the ability to easily confuse the opponent, since you can switch stances and guards very quickly. It can knock an opponent off the platform in 6 attacks.

Some Tips:

Personally, I prefer a mix of digital and physical because it just makes sense. This is especially the case for:

•  digital games which go on sale on the Nintendo e-Shop and are way cheaper than the physical copy (sometimes up to a 50% discount or more!)
• physical games which come with special bonuses, make for a good collection or if I don't like it, I can resell it away to fund my other games

Depending on what you want both digital and physical games have their pros and cons. But in a nutshell, if you want easier access to games on the go without having to constantly take out game cartridges each time you want to play a different game, then investing in a in a large-capacity microSD card and getting games digitally would be the choice for you. However, if you prefer owning the game cartridges and have your own little collection which you can trade or resell to fund future games, then physical game cartridges with a little investment on a  invested a smaller microSD card and a carrying case for the cartridges.

Note: The Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite have 32GB of internal storage, while the Switch OLED offers 64GB. When you download a game from the eShop, it will occupy some of that storage space. You can expand the Switch's storage through microSD cards up to 2TB (which is more than enough for plenty of Switch games), but that's an additional expense.

Personally, I prefer a mix of digital and physical because it just makes sense. This is especially the case for:

•  digital games which go on sale on the Nintendo e-Shop and are way cheaper than the physical copy (sometimes up to a 50% discount or more!)
• physical games which come with special bonuses, make for a good collection or if I don't like it, I can resell it away to fund my other games

Pros