A Wholesome Trio of Ambitious And Adorable Games Await Us

Do you adore cuteness in video games? A prime example would be Pikachu and Eevee being the two most popular, as well as two of the most adorable Pokémon from the Pokémon franchise [6] [14]. No wonder there is a Pikachu-themed train in Japan and a forthcoming sequel to Detective Pikachu [4] [25]! Do you know who else is considered one of the cutest fictional characters of all time? Hello Kitty [5]! It will not be long until our fellow kitties join her on an adventurous interactive vacation [37] [39]. Some time afterwards, a chicken will be on a quest that will be nothing like Chicken Invaders [2] [13] [15] [38]. Later this year, some of our fellow casual gamers could have an appetite for a rhythm and decoration game co-starring adorably designed customers [31] [40]. These are the three imminent titles that reek of the sweet scent of cuteness and provide full potential in their own wholesome and fantastical ways [15] [31] [37] [38] [39] [40]. Furthermore, let us proceed to analyse the potentials of these three titles, just like how we had a jolly stroll through the creative and wholesome potentials of Sticky Business, Camper Van: Make it Home and Gourdlets back in April [32] [36] [42] [43]. Speaking of Sticky Business, that creative casual game will be released in just a few days [36].
 

What can be as cute as Fluttershy from My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic playing any of the three original Nintendogs games [22] [27] [28]? Well, any of the three forthcoming titles that are about to be discussed. [38]

Fans of Hello Kitty, Kuromi, My Melody, Aggretsuko and all the other cute critters from Sanrio ought to pack their suitcases ready for a virtual vacation with them developed by Sunblink later this month [37] [39]. Hello Kitty Island Adventure is a vibrant life simulator that can be considered the next Animal Crossing: New Horizons as there appear to be a variety of activities you can do with any of the Sanrio characters [24], including:

•      Catching insects [39]
•      Fishing [39]
•      Watering flowers [39]
•      Rearranging furniture in a house [39]
•      Crafting tools on a crafting table [39]

As casual as this game seems with its similarities to Animal Crossing [20] [24], some other activities seem riskier and remind me of a few minigames in Wii Play [23], such as:

•      Swimming underwater to possibly find lost treasures [39]
•      Solving puzzles in a temple [39]
•      Riding mine carts [39]

The player can customise their own Sanrio-styled avatar, quite like how an animal crosser can customise their avatar in Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp [21]. Hello Kitty Island Adventure is coming out exclusively for Apple Arcade in just over two weeks after plenty of alpha and beta testing [37] [39], making it another pricelessly adorable casual Apple Arcade game after the release of Cooking Mama: Cuisine! last year [7] [26]. 
 

Near the end of this July, Hello Kitty Island Adventure could be an outstanding alternative to Animal Crossing: New Horizons [24] [37] [39]. Perhaps in an update for the game, Mimmy, Kitty’s twin sister can join the vacation [5] [10]. [39]

Next, we shall discuss the potential of Chicken Journey from looneyware [15] [38] [41]. Chicken Journey is a puzzle platformer about…you guessed it! A chicken who goes on an adventure! The purpose of the adventure is to find out what came first: the egg or the chicken [15] [38]. Some of my fellow gamers may recall the first trailer that was released during the indie game showcase for last year’s Wholesome Direct [41]. As shown in the new release date trailer, there will be objectives that show up at the top right corner and some NPCs who are also chickens and can talk to you [15] [38]. There are a variety of gameplay gimmicks throughout the journey that seem to add to the adventurousness, such as mashing “X” to cut a rope by the power of the chicken’s beak, gliding in the air with a leaf after bouncing from a mushroom and using the left analog stick to pull a crate [15] [38] [41]. Hatching this August on Steam and the Nintendo Switch, Chicken Journey could be a huge step up from Super Chick Sisters and New Super Chick Sisters, the two fairly controversial and preachy platform games from PETA that parody the Super Mario series [29] [30]. 

 

Due to how friendly the NPCs seem, along with the soothing music and lack of fighting, Chicken Journey aims to be a chilled adventure aside from its puzzles being a form of challenge [15]. [38]

And last, but not least, you could be hired as a barista in Nom Nom: Cozy Forest Café, an upcoming cafe simulation and rhythm game developed by Anaïs Salla and yet to be published by DevilishGames [31] [40]. Quite similar to creating a pro design at Able Sisters’ in Animal Crossing: Let’s Go To The City [20], you can freely draw the top of a customisable beverage for a customer [31] [40]. Another form of customisation shown in the trailer is how the player can change the interior design of the café. But of course, a café simulation game ought to be not without some form of challenge. How the way to grind coffee beans in a grinder is to press a button at the right timing, just like in several other rhythm games, including Hatsune Mike: Project Mirai DX is imaginatively impressive [33]. As for the customers in Nom Nom: Cozy Forest Café , including a red panda (who is NOT Sanrio’s Retsuko [19]) and a duck named “Vori”, another challenge is befriending them to unlock new recipes and decorations [31] [40]. Nom Nom: Cozy Forest Café may not become as iconic as the Cooking Mama series [1] [7] [26], but it certainly seems to have the charm needed to become a hybrid of a rhythm game and a cafe simulation [31] [40]. 
 

There is something quite tranquil about serving groovy beverages to adorable anthropomorphic animals [31] [40]. Did I mention that you can also take photos of loyal customers hanging out at the café and remarkable recipes and share them on the game’s official website [31]? That is a swell feature, isn’t it? [40]

Awww! How adorable are these forthcoming titles [15] [31] [37] [38] [39] [40]? I know I like my fair share of cuteness in games as the quirky art style in the weapon cutscenes in Ratchet & Clank: A Crack In Time made Ratchet look so cute and I desperately wanted to rescue all of those adorable robots when I first played Robots Rescue, the minigame starring the lovable Astro Bot from The Playroom VR [34] [35]! The colourful and summery vibes of Hello Kitty Island Adventure, the pixelated pluckiness of Chicken Journey and the easy-going diligence in Nom Nom: Cozy Forest Café await us in the second half of 2023 [15] [31] [37] [38] [39] [40]. And of course, there will be some more wholesome experiences, including Princess Peach’s second own game and hopefully Camper Van: Make it Home next year [32] [44] [45]. Aside from some hearty doses of adorableness, we can also crave something barbaric, such as Mortal Kombat 1 this Autumn after its beta testing and the rest of the second season of Helluva Boss [3] [9] [16] [18]. You can get the best of both. No Hannah Montana reference intended [8]. Until then, let us be kind and spread positivity to one another as we wait for or work on new establishments [15] [31] [37] [38] [39] [40].

I do not doubt that Nemesister from the first episode of the fourth season of Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends would approve of Hello Kitty Island Adventure and Nom Nom: Cozy Forest Café for their adorableness [11] [12] [31] [37] [39] [40]. Which one of the three titles consisting of cuteness will you tune into? [39]

 
References

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29. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. (2009). PETA'S New Super Chick Sisters. Available: https://www.mccruelty.com/superchicksisters.php. Last accessed 11th Jul 2023.
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31. Salla, A. (2023). Nom Nom: Cozy Forest Café. Available: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2428800/Nom_Nom_Cozy_Forest_Caf/. Last accessed 10th Jul 2023.
32. Sánchez, A. (2023). Camper Van: Make it Home - Cozy game camperize your own van. Available:https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/campervanmakeithome/camper-van-make-it-home-cozy-game-camperize-your-own-van. Last accessed 10th Jul 2023.
33. SEGA. (2015). Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai DX. Nintendo 3DS. Tokyo, Japan.
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35. Sony Interactive Entertainment. (2009). Ratchet & Clank: A Crank in Time. PlayStation 3. Tokyo, Japan. 
36. Spellgarden Games. (2023). Sticky Business. Available: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2303350/Sticky_Business/. Last accessed 10th Jul 2023.
37. Sunblink. (2023). Hello Kitty Island Adventure. Available: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hello-kitty-island-adventure/id1553505132. Last accessed 11th Jul 2023.
38. Wholesome Games. (2023). Chicken Journey Release Date Trailer. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dakpUZLHjg. Last accessed 10th Jul 2023.
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41. Wholesome Games. (2022). Wholesome Direct - Indie Game Showcase 6.11.2022. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IRgvwWLpbA&t=0s. Last accessed 10th Jul 2023.
42. Williams, L. (2023). A Wholesome Trio Of Upcoming Creative Casual Games. Available: https://www.gamesenquirer.com/features/trio-of-wholesome-games. Last accessed 10th Jul 2023.
43. Williams, L. (2023). A Wholesome Trio Of Upcoming Creative Casual Games. Available: https://laurawritesanarticle.blogspot.com/2023/04/trio-of-wholesome-games.html. Last accessed 10th Jul 2023.
44. Williams, L. (2023). The Hopes And Theories Surrounding An Imminent Adventure For Princess Peach. Available: https://laurasambitiouswriting.wordpress.com/2023/07/06/untitled-princess-peach-game-2024/. Last accessed 11th Jul 2023.
45. Williams, L. (2023). The Hopes And Theories Surrounding An Imminent Adventure For Princess Peach. Available: https://laurawritesanarticle.blogspot.com/2023/07/untitled-princess-peach-game-2024.html. Last accessed 11th Jul 2023.

Some Newer Horizons In Animal Crossing: Happy Home Paradise

Once again, Animal Crossing: New Horizons has been a wonderful coping mechanism for many animal crossers during the next set of lockdowns in the coronavirus pandemic, along with its continuation after restrictions were concluded [34]. The same noble honour goes to the events of Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp that occurred this year, much like its events throughout the last one [16]. I recall seeing a lot of potential in New Horizons when the first trailer for it was released back in mid-2019 [32] [33]. After starting on its initial release in March 2020, the experience gradually evolved with update after update throughout the seasons [25]. Not only will there soon be the last free content update for the game referred to as “Version 2.0” [15], but also a paid expansion which is exactly what it sounds like if you have ever played Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer [13] [17] [18] [22] [24]. These forthcoming surprises are sure to shine especially on the brand new OLED model of the Nintendo Switch when it comes to truly moving on from the terrors of 2020 [19] [21]. As much as I adore the adorable crossover between Hello Kitty and Pusheen [7] [8] [9] [10] [28], I am delighted to express my thoughts on the next chapter of the fourth generation of the Animal Crossing franchise.

Oh! And speaking of Pocket Camp, there will be a new event promoting the forthcoming paid DLC later this month. [2] 

Animal crossers, please rise for a newer horizon! [22]

But before some of us put the occupation of a vacation home designer on our video game-based CVs, let us see what Version 2.0 has to offer to keep the experience fresh. The rehash of the museum’s coffee shop with some new aspects, including a vintage telephone for compatibility with amiibo cards and figures to invite other characters to a coffee break and Harriet who will offer some new hairstyles at Harv’s Island will increase New Horizons’ faithfulness to the success of Let’s Go To The City [14] [15]. There is also a rehash of travelling with Kapp’n to Tortimer Island in New Leaf and Animal Island in Population Growing [5] [6] [15], which shows that an animal crosser can explore mysterious new islands in different climates and times of the day. More new features include:

•         Two new modes for taking photographs [15]
•         A group stretching activity [15]
•         Four different ordinances [15]
•         An even bigger storage capacity [15]

To top it all off deliciously, an animal crosser’s avatar will soon be skilled at cooking. These new features in the last big free content update of the base game will go so well with what the paid expansion will have to offer when it comes to spending the last two months of 2021 well [18].

More new features include a section of emotions to express, new exterior designs and lifestyle tips from the Island Life 101 app. How Version 2 has more to offer will be sure to further increase the game’s ambition for our dear animal crossers in the franchise’s fourth generation. [15]

Oh, and that is not all! The fifth series of Animal Crossing amiibo cards will be released on the same date [23]. Some of them include brand new characters who will appear in New Horizons Version 2.0 [3]. [23]

The premise of the paid DLC is basically a surprise sequel to Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer, which was a spin-off of Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer for the Nintendo 3DS [13]. Wearing a new tropical island equivalent of the uniform from that spin-off, the player and their avatar will be in charge of designing a fantastic vacation home for villagers. For the best results, the theme of the dream home ought to suit the desires of the villager. For example, Doc would want to read books in a vibrant children’s library. The resort can be even more civilised with customisable facilitates, such as a school and a restaurant, just like in Happy Home Designer. I am aware that Happy Home Designer received criticism for its very little challenge and how slightly unrewarding the experience was at times [24], but I think that fact that Happy Home Paradise is a downloadable expansion for New Horizons instead of its own stand-alone spin-off will always allow an animal crosser to stride right back into the base game’s more progressive gameplay standards. Additionally, the results of working as a vacation home designer appear to be more rewarding as there is payment doing a great job.

Yes, I know that I am British and I am supposed to use British names for certain things, but there were missed opportunities to refer to The Sims 2: Apartment Life as “The Sims 2: Flat Life” and nickname Go Vacation “Go Holiday” just before their release dates in the United Kingdom [1] [7] [11] [12] [30]. [18]

I just wonder what personalities will the upcoming villagers have, including Sasha, Shino, Quinn and Petri [3]. I do not doubt that the themes of their dream homes may provide some hints on what they are. [18] 

Aside from how future content for New Horizons might as well be available in expansion packs [17] [18], the gameplay within the experience of building homes for villagers with different interests is nice and casual. There is a wide range of customisation when it comes to building the best vacation homes for many villagers, including:

•         Changing the perimeter of the room [18]
•         Changing the colour and brightness of lighting [18]
•         Using partition walls to divide space [18]
•         Altering the season and time of day outside [18]
•         Adding realistic sound effects [18]
•         Letting two clients share a vacation home [18]

As a part-time cleaner and volunteer at a charity shop, I think the option to polish furniture to maintain great conditions would make the experience more relatable to me. What makes Happy Home Paradise seem even more rewarding compared to Happy Home Designer is how the exclusive interior design techniques, including polishing furniture can be used to enhance the red-nosed ranger’s home in the base game [13] [18]. The way an animal crosser can invite a resident of the main island to the resort after he or she asks for a vacation home or remodel their standard homes further proves how the premise seems to work better as an expansion pack rather than a stand-alone spin-off.

It will be about time we can treat the loveable characters with notable occupations by giving them their own vacation homes with the help of any amiibo cards featuring them, including Isabelle and the twins. [18]

There will also be an application exclusively available after the installation of Happy Home Paradise. It is named “Happy Home Network” and it will provide access to images of vacation homes designed by you and other animal crossers worldwide. Another way to interpret modern technology in casual gaming. If there ought to be another expansion pack, I bet there would be another app with a different purpose. [18]

How the amount of ambition put into Animal Crossing: New Horizons will further increase is unmistakable. Its final free content update, a downloadable expansion pack and some new amiibo cards will be available this November after pre-ordering begins just before Halloween [15] [18]. Apart from how impressed I am with what an expansion pack has to offer, I am up for seeing an official sequel to the anime film based on the franchise that was only released in Japan [26]. A sequel to it ought to be released worldwide, featuring notable aspects of New Horizons and available in several other language dubs besides Japanese [29]. It worked for Tomodachi Life, right [21] [30]? More gaming adventures after 2021 await. Who knows what the ninth generation of the Pokémon franchise will bring our Poké players in a new region? Could there be a spin-off of the Dance Dance Revolution franchise with a control panel for hands instead of feet that will be accessible for wheelchair users? As for the fourth generation of the Animal Crossing franchise, I would love to see a new wave of characters in either an underwater village or a heavenly village in the sky in another expansion pack for New Horizons. But until then. Happy paradise designing just after bonfire night [18]!

I believe that another expansion pack for New Horizons ought to introduce the appearances of Moppina, Vicious Vole Vinnie, Hayseed Hilda and the Legal Eagles [27]. [17]

But in the meantime, it will be a pleasure working with Lottie, Wardell and Niko after the special event in Pocket Camp before Halloween [2] [17] [18]. As Don Resetti would say, see ya [14]! [18]

References

1. 7ESL Learning English. (2018). BRITISH vs. AMERICAN English: 100+ Differences Illustrated | Learn English Vocabulary. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e33vwOw8jl0. Last accessed 16th Oct 2021.
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A Player’s Hopes Before Christmas

You read this article before Christmas, staying warm in your house [5] [41].

Simmers control a snowy escape by the power of a mouse [9] [10].

Stars strut in this month’s update of Kim Kardashian: Hollywood [15]

As we all hope that gaming in 2021 will be mostly good.

Surely we have lived in such a hard time to be alive [8],

But we are blessed with the release of the PlayStation 5 [37].

We are yet to guide Ratchet and Clank as they rift apart [40] [68] [69].

We shall celebrate thirty years of a blue hedgehog with a heart [43] [44] [48].

[38]

[40]

Balan Wonderworld will provide many colourful characters [50]

And seemingly engaging gameplay throughout six chapters [51] [52] [53] [54] [55] [56].

Cyberpunk 2077’s bugs must have caused so much frustration,

So it should hopefully be in shops again after rehabilitation [49].

As for the eighth chapter of the Resident Evil franchise,

Player discretion is what we will need to strongly advise [39].

A security breach got delayed for after the Christmas season [12],

But fans of Freddy and his friends better beware for a specific reason [37].

[50]

[37]

A “pro” model of the Nintendo Switch? Is that true [6]?

If so, will it enchant Nintendo nerds like me and you?

Super Mario 3D World will be re-released for the Switch [59]...

With the fury of Bowser?! Son of a rhyming witch [27]!

Could we soon fight as alternate versions of Black Widow and Thor [25]?

Or perhaps a spirit of vengeance or a new Fantastic Four [22] [34]?

Marvel: Realm Of Champions is out now for mobile [20] [23].

Updates for the brand new game could come after a while.

[59]

[28]

Another tomb awaits a raider, looking like a cartoon [57].

The lady with twin guns will return on mobile devices soon [63] [65] [66].

A sequel to Britney Spears: American Dream would be swell and hip [4] [14],

As long as it can celebrate freedom from an unfair conservatorship [17] [45].

I could be expecting increased sales of foldable smartphones [11] [71],

But you know what would send some thrill through my bones?

An official app based on the legacy of the Game Boy [58]

Specially designed for the Z Flip [11] [42], bringing foldable joy [1]!

[57]

[1]

And there could be more karts and costumes in Mario Kart Tour [29],

Like the ones at least some Nintendo nerds have raced as before

Though I am fully aware of players loathing that app’s greed [21],

So perhaps new Home Circuit sets would be what they need [28].

A dozen monochrome adventures on a small device await [36].

Their players will turn the crank of no other than the Playdate [35].

Could there be a second digital house owned by Pixel Stars [46] [47] [67] [70]?

Or quite similar to Pixel Chix, could the next toy be a car [7]?

[28]

[36]

A new crossover is adorable; Tamagotchi and Hello Kitty [60]!

A few new designs after its release could look pretty.

But wait! There will be Demon Slayer Tamagotchis too [2] [61]?!

Hopefully a Tama-caretaker will not have to clean up THEIR poo [62]!

And what will the next for the sixth season of Fortnite [13]?

Could there be more colours for the Nintendo Switch Lite [30]?

Animal Crossing: New Horizons helped animal crossers cope [26] [33].

Its first anniversary shall await us [3], along with hope.

[61]

[3]

We all know that a brand new decade has only just begun,

So as long as ambition is still around, we can still have fun

A prime example would be Super Nintendo World in Japan [18] [19]!

Going there in 2021 sounds like an awesome plan!

I hope there will be a sequel to Tomodachi Life someday [31].

We hope to return to conventions soon in new cosplay [64].

2021 shall bring new experiences and delight.

Happy Toy Day, fellow players, and to you a goodnight [5] [26] [32] [41].

[19]

[32]

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