{"id":9212,"date":"2017-12-31T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-12-31T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/reviews\/switch-eshop\/hiragana_pixel_party"},"modified":"2017-12-31T16:00:00","modified_gmt":"2017-12-31T16:00:00","slug":"review-hiragana-pixel-party-switch-eshop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/2017\/12\/31\/review-hiragana-pixel-party-switch-eshop\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Hiragana Pixel Party (Switch eShop)"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"Screenshot 1 of 7\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/87105\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/87105\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"Y4 Kxyu Gh Phg KWntqy5 Lw5 J Ws Ya A2 N1 N9\" \/><\/a><\/aside>\n<p>If you spend much time playing games, watching anime, or reading manga, Japanese is certainly an appealing second language option, and if you want to try your hand at learning, <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/switch-eshop\/hiragana_pixel_party\">Hiragana Pixel Party<\/a><\/strong> \u2014 originally a mobile title \u2014 aims to kickstart that process. While it won\u2019t help you with words or phrases, it will teach you how to read two of Japanese\u2019s several scripts, and in that regard it\u2019s a real success. Combining fun, simple rhythm gameplay with catchy chiptunes and character-learning, Hiragana Pixel Party is both a great way to get started reading Japanese and an enjoyable game in its own right.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"Screenshot 2 of 7\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/87109\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/87109\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"W6 Kwz Zc Ye BMtqn Utyr W85 Gi Gr FDk IAo V\" \/><\/a><\/aside>\n<p>First up: a bit of background. Japanese is written primarily using three systems: hiragana (\u3072\u3089\u304c\u306a), katakana (\u30ab\u30bf\u30ab\u30ca), and kanji (\u6f22\u5b57), all of which are ultimately derived from Chinese characters. \u2018Nintendo\u2019, for instance, could be written in hiragana as \u306b\u3093\u3066\u3093\u3069\u3046, in katakana as \u30cb\u30f3\u30c6\u30f3\u30c9\u30fc, and in kanji as \u4efb\u5929\u5802. While kanji are logographic characters \u2014 meaning you generally need to already be familiar with a certain kanji to know how it\u2019s pronounced \u2014 hiragana and katakana are syllabaries, which means you can read them phonetically, much like an alphabet.<\/p>\n<p>Just as in an alphabet, each symbol in hiragana or katakana represents a certain sound. But instead of a single consonant or vowel, each hiragana or katakana symbol represents a particular mora, a linguistic unit similar to a syllable. The Japanese word for cat, \u2018neko\u2019, for example, is written in hiragana as \u306d\u3053 (\u306d \u2018ne\u2019 + \u3053 \u2018ko\u2019). The same word in katakana is written as \u30cd\u30b3 (\u30cd \u2018ne\u2019 + \u30b3 \u2018ko\u2019). Hiragana and katakana each consist of around 45 symbols, and while that sounds like a high number if you\u2019re used to a 20-odd-character alphabet, since you don\u2019t have to worry about combinations and irregularities (think of the &#8216;gh&#8217; in English &#8216;cough&#8217; vs. &#8216;gherkin&#8217;!) they\u2019re actually much easier to learn quickly \u2014 and that\u2019s exactly what Hiragana Pixel Party sets out to help you do.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"Screenshot 3 of 7\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/87107\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/87107\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"Oo KTKa Jl Kq NQDO4 U UO4 Lkdh4 UE Vm Ac R\" \/><\/a><\/aside>\n<p>Hiragana Pixel Party is a rhythm-based runner that uses these Japanese symbols as button-prompts over several hundred individual levels (or lessons) split over two distinct paths: hiragana and katakana. You can choose either syllabary to start with, and bounce back and forth between the two, but the gameplay remains the same in both: in each discrete, thirty-second-or-so stage, you\u2019ll control a girl who runs steadily to the right in-time to chiptune soundtrack, and need to press the correct face button (or touchscreen version of the same) to jump over boxes as they come up on the beat. The kicker is in how you\u2019ll know which face button to use, and that comes down to repeating a pattern of either hiragana or katakana.<\/p>\n<p>These patterns are delivered PaRappa-style; you\u2019ll first see the girl run through a riff for one bar of music, and then have to copy it yourself in the next measure. The cues can be either visual, audio, or a combination of the two, and can involve up to four symbols, each of which are mapped to a face button in an on-screen diagram. You might see and hear a pattern of \u2018ne ne ko ko\u2019, for example, and noting that \u2018ne\u2019 is assigned to the \u2018B\u2019 button and \u2018ko\u2019 to the \u2018A\u2019 button, tap out \u2018B B A A\u2019 when your turn comes around.<\/p>\n<p>The rhythm side of the gameplay is fun and forgiving, with relatively lenient timing on both sides of the beat, which lets Pixel Party focus on its main goal of teaching you how to read. Each level concentrates on a few characters at a time, and the game introduces new ones carefully and slowly. The first time you see a symbol, it will usually be the only one in that verse: you\u2019ll hear \u2019ko\u2019, see \u2019\u3053\u2019, and learn to associate the two by repeated on-beat button presses. In later verses or levels, these cues are switched up: you might see \u2018ko\u2019 (written in the Roman alphabet) and have to pick out \u2018\u3053\u2019 from among a few other familiar hiragana symbols, hear \u2018ko\u2019 without any visual and have to do the same, or see \u2018\u3053\u2019 with no associated sound and have to press the button marked with \u2018ko\u2019, as opposed to \u2018ka\u2019 or \u2018ke\u2019.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"Screenshot 4 of 7\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/87108\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/87108\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"Fa PA7 Vl Hk PHXRYZj9 RBNtddoyh QYl WOt\" \/><\/a><\/aside>\n<p>By varying your cues between these several different mission types, Pixel Party does an excellent job scaffolding your learning, ensuring you get plenty of repetition and practice at matching sound and symbol in different ways. It also smartly peppers in characters you\u2019ve yet to learn as red herring choices, ensuring you\u2019ll have at least a passing familiarity with new symbols even before you\u2019ve learned their sounds.<\/p>\n<p>The game\u2019s structure of short, focused levels also fits in very well with its educational aspirations; working through a few a day is a great way to get the continuous practise that really helps with language learning, and each stage is quick enough that knocking out two or three is easy on even the briefest of morning commutes. Our only real complaint with this pacing is that it feels restrictively linear; you\u2019ll unlock new levels in groups of three at a time, by scoring well in the prior group of three, so it\u2019s a bit of a slow grind working your way through the lot. Again, the approach works well for language learning, but we would have appreciated more flexibility in choosing what to tackle when.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"Screenshot 5 of 7\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/87110\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/87110\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"M BFo Z Yd BDnoi De25 V5 O4 FOm6 I4 W42 S\" \/><\/a><\/aside>\n<p>Similarly, Pixel Party\u2019s overall structure sees it working its way down the hiragana or katakana chart in a relatively linear fashion by consonant group, and while that certainly works, we would have loved to see levels based around themed groupings as well. Who wouldn\u2019t want to challenge a lightning round with the four horsemen of the katakana apocalypse, \u30c4 (\u2018tsu\u2019), \u30b7 (\u2018shi\u2019), \u30bd (\u2018so\u2019), and \u30f3 (\u2019n\u2019)?<\/p>\n<p>Still, these are minor quibbles, and Hiragana Pixel Party is absolutely an effective learning tool. Stick with it, and you\u2019ll learn how to read hiragana, katakana, or both. Just as important, however, is that it\u2019s also genuinely fun to play. The rhythm base is simple but addictive fun, and it\u2019s gamified in a way that\u2019s enjoyable even if you already happen to know hiragana: the specific face-button mapping changes not just in each level but also with each verse, so being able to register the cues in time while also reaching for the right buttons can be a satisfying challenge in and of itself.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"Screenshot 6 of 7\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/87106\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/87106\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"R Sd Bh Lk5 Cj X9 Rf XWehl5 Gt ZPIKjr F3 G\" \/><\/a><\/aside>\n<p>The soundtrack helps elevates all that button pressing to joyous musical purpose, too; it\u2019s Anamanaguchi-style chiptune synths accompanied by noise channel percussion and acoustic guitar, flitting comfortably between rousing footstompers and calmer, more introspective tunes. And while there\u2019s not a unique track for each level \u2014 at almost 400 it would be quite a feat! \u2014 there\u2019s enough musical variety that we only ever noticed repetition in extended play sessions.<\/p>\n<p>This is also a surprisingly good-looking little pixel party; it uses a simple, retro-inspired graphical style, but adds in a generous helping of colour and dramatic lighting effects to create an appealingly oversaturated aesthetic. The backgrounds are also thematically intriguing and diverse, jumping from giant robots and abandoned urbanity to green grass, butterflies, and titanic turtles acting as walking biospheres.<\/p>\n<p>Hiragana Pixel Party is a great time, and a great way to learn to read hiragana or katakana; if you\u2019re planning on learning Japanese, it makes for a perfect head-start. It won\u2019t teach you any of the actual language, but you\u2019ll be able to hit the ground running in hiragana the moment you crack open your textbook or attend your first class, rather than having to spend the first few lessons struggling with the symbols.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"Screenshot 7 of 7\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/87106\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/87106\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"R Sd Bh Lk5 Cj X9 Rf XWehl5 Gt ZPIKjr F3 G\" \/><\/a><\/aside>\n<p>We\u2019d argue, however, that there\u2019s real merit to learning these syllabaries even if you aren\u2019t actually planning on learning Japanese. If you\u2019re an import gamer, for instance \u2014 or if you aspire to be one \u2014 learning hiragana and katakana will change your life. Especially in retro titles, so much of Japanese game menus is made up of either direct loans from English (i.e. \u30ed\u30fc\u30c9\/\u30bb\u30fc\u30d6 \u2019r\u014ddo\/s\u0113bu\u2019 \u2014 \u2018load\/save\u2019) or a relatively stable set of terms (like \u3075\u305f\u308a \u2018futari\u2019 \u2014 \u2018two-player\u2019), and being able to sound out these words will make a treasure trove of incredible games instantly more accessible. Likewise, if you\u2019re planning a visit to Japan, learning at least katakana (the syllabary used for most foreign loanwords) will open up a world of sign-reading; you\u2019d be amazed how much is interpretable with English fluency and basic katakana literacy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you spend much time playing games, watching anime, or reading manga, Japanese is certainly an appealing second language option, and if you want to try your hand at learning, Hiragana Pixel Party \u2014 originally a mobile title \u2014 aims to kickstart that process. While it won\u2019t help you with words or phrases, it will [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9212","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nintendo-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9212","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9212"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9212\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9212"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9212"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9212"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}