At the time of writing, it is the last week of March 2024. Next week will be April, marking the start of a new Fiscal Year.
Since it is that time of year, those of you entering new environments in April for school or work have likely already finished moving.
Once the hustle and bustle of moving settles down, the time before school or work starts can be a particularly homesick-inducing period, but in times like that, the best thing to do is immerse yourself in something you love.
And when it comes to things we can immerse ourselves in, it has to be games!
At your parents' house, you might have been scolded for playing until late at night, but once you live alone, it's all-you-can-play! ...However, it is a common story of living alone that one might mess up their lifestyle rhythm and ruin their health because of it. Let's try to practice self-restraint.
That being said, it is a fact that the amount of time you can play freely increases, allowing you to play many titles, making it a great opportunity to start titles you couldn't get around to before.
While latest games are great, the world of retro games is full of masterpieces. And speaking of retro games, we are right in the middle of the Famicom 40th Anniversary.
While various projects are being carried out, the latest episode of the monthly treat Famicom Talk Shop Kobayashi Toy Store is scheduled for a premium premiere on Thursday, March 28, 2024, at 20:00, but when it comes to weekly treats, it’s the Famicom National Poll!
The results for Vol. 36 "Which Game Comes to Mind When You Think of 'Goodbyes'?" have been announced!
「ファミコントークショップ #コバヤシ玩具店」第9回を3月28日（木）20時よりYouTubeでプレミア公開します。URLは後日こちらのアカウントでお知らせします。#ファミコン40周年https://t.co/Aw1IfTYF29 pic.twitter.com/CVOrffpq7s
— ファミコン40周年 (@famicom40th) March 26, 2024
The Future Lies Beyond Overcoming "Goodbyes"! Vol. 36 Results Announced!
The results for "Famicom National Poll" Vol. 36 "Which Game Comes to Mind When You Think of 'Goodbyes'?" have been announced, and the top 20 are being showcased on the Famicom 40th Anniversary Campaign Site!
Since those of you starting in new environments this spring have likely experienced various "goodbyes," this is a very timely topic.
Because "goodbye" scenes often serve as a major turning point in a work, many of them are quite memorable, and the one that took 1st place was FINAL FANTASY II with a 22% vote share!
Following in 2nd place was Dragon Quest III: The Seeds of Salvation with a 13.7% vote share, and in 3rd place was Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen (which the author also voted for) with a 9.5% vote share, resulting in masterpiece RPGs from the current Square Enix dominating the top three.
Across the top 20 overall, many titles from genres with high narrative qualities, such as RPGs and simulations, made the rankings, but as mentioned before, "goodbye" scenes often serve as major turning points in the story.
Therefore, explaining what they are like here carries the trap of becoming a spoiler for those who haven't played them!
For those who have played the ranked titles, the "goodbye" scenes are effective precisely because you play through them, so I won't say much this time!
Even if it is difficult to play the original versions on Famicom, many are available to play on the latest hardware or have remakes released, so if you are interested, please do give them a play! I'm sure you'll feel glad you did!
Personally, though, I'd love for people to play the original Famicom version of Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen.
#ファミコン国民投票 第36回テーマ結果発表
「別れ」といえば？
みなさんに選ばれたトップ10はこちら。第37回テーマ
「隠れた名作」といえば？
の投票をただいまより受付開始。サイトではトップ20やあなたが投票したタイトルの順位も確認できます。 https://t.co/sdHovLdeBx pic.twitter.com/u3mBWKtlVd
— ファミコン40周年 (@famicom40th) March 28, 2024
Masterpiece? Or Flop? "Which Game Comes to Mind When You Think of a 'Hidden Gem'?" Voting Starts!
The end of Vol. 36 means that Vol. 37 has begun.
Voting for "Famicom National Poll" Vol. 37 has started as of Thursday, March 28, 2024! The theme this time is "Which Game Comes to Mind When You Think of a 'Hidden Gem'?"!
Since the Famicom saw so many titles released, there truly are a vast number of masterpiece titles.
However! When it comes to hidden gems among them, many people might find themselves scratching their heads.
One might worry that what is a hidden gem to them might be super mainstream to the public, or might be a flop rather than a masterpiece, but you don't need to worry that much!
If you think it's a hidden gem, then it is undeniably a "hidden gem" to YOU!
Cast your precious vote for the hidden gem you were obsessed with, regardless of what others think!
This time as well, you can vote from the Famicom National Poll page on the campaign site after logging into your Nintendo Account.
Don't worry, even if you've forgotten the title, suggestions will appear if you enter part of the name.
The voting period for "Famicom National Poll" Vol. 37 is until Wednesday, April 3, 2024, at 11:59, and the results are scheduled to be announced on Thursday, April 4, 2024!
I voted for SD Gundam Gaiden: Knight Gundam Monogatari 2 - Hikari no Kishi, the second entry in the SD Gundam Gaiden: Knight Gundam Monogatari series—a masterpiece RPG that, while not exactly hidden, is hard to call mainstream! I used to collect Carddass in the real world too.
#ファミコン国民投票 第37回のテーマは…
「隠れた名作」といえば？
投票期間は4月3日（水）11:59AMまで。
結果発表は4月4日（木）予定です。#ファミコン40周年https://t.co/sdHovLdeBx pic.twitter.com/fphoqF3w1Q— ファミコン40周年 (@famicom40th) March 28, 2024
