iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 10h

I can't tell you how happy I am that the original Street Fighter is on JP Netflix right now. The movie is so ridiculously bad it's good and the cast is great. Raul Julia, Ming Na Wen, JCVD, Kylie Minogue, etc. If the new movie has energy similar to this one I'll probably like it.

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

Anybody else ever get the urge to sit down and study Japanese for 6-7 hours straight so they can get through all the vocab and kanji in their textbooks at once or is it just me? I know it's not a good way to study, but part of me wants to just get through it all once and then review after.

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

Now live with more Metaphor ReFantazio! Lots of sidequests and bosses to fight before heading off to the final dungeon. Got a doozy of a dungeon and bounty to catch today if I can manage it in a short stream! twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

Continuing my GameCube backlog streams with Pikmin 2! I learned some hard lessons in the first game and got the bad ending, but hopefully things will turn out better this time around! twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

Streaming schedule for next week! - Monday: Pikmin 2 (PM) - Tuesday: Metaphor REFantazio (PM) - Wednesday: No Stream -Thursday: No stream - Friday: No stream - Saturday: No stream - Sunday: Pikmin 2 (PM) twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

twitch.tv

TheJapanHobbyist - Twitch

Living in Japan and doing what I enjoy. Play video games a lot. Love RPGs and Survival Horror games, but play a little bit of everything. Find me on Bluesky @thejapanhobbyist, Instagram @thejapanhobby...

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

Credits roll on Touch! Kirby (Kirby's Canvas Curse). Always wanted to try it out and while I thought the game design was cool, I prefer the traditional Kirby design of games. In usual Kirby fashion, the final boss was very challenging and took a lot of focus. Probably won't try to master it.

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

I've been going to a Japanese class for about a month now and for some reason grammar just isn't sticking with me at all at any level and I don't know why. My reading, vocab, kanji, and comprehension are all showing improvement but I can't build a grammatically correct sentence for the life of me.

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

Now live with my Japan Sports Day Celebration of Mario Tennis, Super Mario Strikers, and Super Mario Stadium! Looks like it’s going to be a lot of fun. Stop in and cheer from the stands! twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

Good news to everybody that is following my progress on saving up for an international Switch 2 here in Japan. I sold my Gameboy Micro today for 39000 yen and went from 1400/70000 yen to 40400/70000 yen. Got a great buylist price on it and couldn't pass it up. More than halfway there now!

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

Now live with the finale to Sword of Mana (in Japanese)! We got all of the elements and weapons last time, so all that’s left now is the final dungeon and final boss! Hopefully they won’t be too hard … twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

It's been great to have HBO stuff on Japanese Hulu so far this month. I wish they had a similar selection to their US offerings but I'll take what I can get. Finished the Watchmen series, Zach Snyder's Justice League, and the new Superman movie so far, and started Doom Patrol.

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

You might not see me posting about retro game pick-ups for a while since I've pretty much tapped out my Japan-sourced wishlist, but I will be posting my progress of saving up for an international version of the Switch 2 in Japan. Currently at 1400/70000 yen XD.

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Reposted by TheJapanHobbyist

Pojosama @pojosama.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

My account is for talking about video games, Music, game collecting, and various other topics along those lines. Tha being said, its dangerous out there. Take care of one another.

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Earlier than usual Metaphor ReFantazio stream today before heading out later this afternoon. Doing some more leveling up before heading up to the final dungeon. Still got about 24 days in the game to grind my levels up! twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Now live with Metaphor ReFantazio! Got less than a month left to get my levels high enough to take Louis on in the final dungeon. Tons of sidequests to do, but I’m not sure I’ll have enough time to do them all. twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

This is probably true of all media, but very apparent in movies/TV shows: the more an IP is bled dry with sequels, spin offs, and reboots, the less value it has. And it's not only customer fatigue either. Comic book IPs, Star Wars, Middle Earth things—all feel cheapened by "lore dumping".

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Tentative Streaming schedule for next week! - Monday: No stream - Tuesday: Metaphor REFantazio (PM) - Wednesday: No stream - Thursday: Sword of Mana? (PM) - Friday: No stream - Saturday: Mario "Sports" Day (PM) - Sunday: LOTR: Return of the King (PM) twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

twitch.tv

TheJapanHobbyist - Twitch

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Getting close to the end of Sword of Mana today! Heading into the mountains to beat a monster that has frozen a kingdom, then tracking down the final elemental and my last 2 weapons. Close to the finale today! twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

I really hope that the blogs I have written over the last decade about Magic the Gathering and video games in Japan have had a positive impact on the communities that I wrote about. I'd like to think I've had an impact on all the local places I've talked about and created more business for them.

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Now live with more Sword of Mana (in Japanese)! Heading right into a boss battle in the plant dungeon first. Feeling pretty strong now. Got 5 Mana powers and 7 weapons unlocked. Might get close to beating it today! twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Mind is kinda blown that Hulu Japan got HBO again this month. Hulu is already part of Disney+ in Japan for about 1500 yen so this is amazinflg value. But also it's understandable because while Netflix continues to release tons of new stuff every other week, Disney/Hulu is kind of a wasteland.

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Now live with more Metaphor ReFantazio! We unlocked a powerful new form in the fairy forest last time, time to try it out on the assassin that was stupid enough to stick around. Boss battle incoming! twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Doing a rare evening stream for the next 3 hours! Playing some Metaphor ReFantazio. Did a lot of leveling last time I streamed this but I’m not sure it will be enough to beat Louis. Fingers crossed! twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Maybe it's an old person thing, but this surge protector I got today for 2800 yen at Costco today is really cool. USB C and 3.0 ports, and 4 moveable plugs that can become 8. Been wanting something like this for a while. It's incredibly useful. Now I can keep all of my consoles plugged in.

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Tentative stream schedule for next week! - Monday: No stream - Tuesday: Metaphor REFantazio (PM) - Wednesday: No stream - Thursday: No stream? - Friday: No stream? - Saturday: Sword of Mana (PM) - Sunday: Sword of Mana? (PM) twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

twitch.tv

TheJapanHobbyist - Twitch

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Now live with Sword of Mana (in Japanese)! I ended up getting my 4th element and 4th weapon last stream and am feeling pretty strong. Just fell out of an airship tho so I gotta find my way back to everyone and help out a prison buddy I met up with. twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

My game store reviews are getting rarer, but there are still some great stores out there! I found this one out near Nagoya the other month and you should check it out if you are looking for good deals on #retrogames. thejapanhobbyist.com/2026/09/24/r...

thejapanhobbyist.com

Retro Game Store Reviews: Otakara Soko Kyowa (Aichi)

My heart kind of sank after I visited the last Ojamakan in the Kansai area. I only learned about the chain when I moved to the Osaka area, but after a year of living here, I had visited pretty much…

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Animal Crossing coasters at the Nintendo store in Japan now. My wife ended up getting 2. Seems like you can't go wrong with this selection.

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Nothing like a total outage of the entire ISP network to make me happy that I have physical media. Hopefully it's back up by tomorrow when I have to work in the evening. (Also thank goodness my phone service upped their data plan for free the other month)

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Back with more Sword of Mana today on the GBA (in Japanese)! I was let down by Legend of Mana but this game has been great so far. Loving the story, characters, and gameplay. Also really surprised by all the Secret of Mana tie-ins. Stop in and check it out! twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

I've been hesitant to play more games in Japanese because I don't feel like I know enough to play them, but the more I play the more confidence I'm getting. I've been picking up lots of new vocab and learning new kanji, and my reading speed and comprehension has been getting better too.

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Trying out Sword of Mana for the first time today! After beating both Secret of Mana and Legend of Mana recently, I wanted to give it a try. Hopefully the Japanese isn’t too hard for me to read! twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Streaming schedule for next week! - Monday: Sword of Mana (PM) - Tuesday: Sword of Mana (PM) - Wednesday: No Stream - Thursday: No stream - Friday: No Stream - Saturday: Super Mario Strikers (PM) - Sunday: No Stream twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

twitch.tv

TheJapanHobbyist - Twitch

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

This game was amazing. Everything about it was great except the length (only 5 hours long). If they ever remade it on Switch using the new Starfox engine and added another 10 hours of gameplay I would totally buy it.

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

My new article for @gameyevg.bsky.social just dropped! In my article I talk about how important replay value is in retro game collecting. If you're going to spend a lot on a game, you might as well get something you can play over and over again! www.gameye.app/news/new-gam...

gameye.app

New Game Plus | GAMEYE

Replay Value and Its Effect on Game Collecting

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Too poor to buy a Switch 2 and the new Starfox game and too cool to play Adventures, so I’m now live with Starfox Assault on the GameCube (in Japanese). NGL, this soundtrack goes pretty hard! twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Now live with more Pikmin! We should be able to finish it today since the first game is rather short, but I’m enjoying every minute of it. Let’s see if we can get all our spaceship parts today! twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

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Reposted by TheJapanHobbyist

Cassiel SparklePony ✨ Covid is Airborne 😷 @sparkleponycass.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Awhile back my team translated a game demo, and if it did well the full game would be made. And we've recently heard that it's going ahead. The dev had tons of praise for our translation because the players loved it. Most important feedback? Players loved that it clearly *wasn't* AI translation.

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Been thinking about my game collection recently and wanted to explain why I'm in the process of curating it. I have around 410 physical games in my collection, and I'm actively trying to sell about 70 of them. That leaves me with about 340 games that I plan to keep.

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

It’s been a while but I’m finally back with more Metaphor ReFantazio! Still leveling up for the final Louis battle in the capital. Now hunting some bounties in an ice forest. twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

If Fight Club came out now, do you think Project Mayhem would have been about data centers?

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Finished my Gamecube collecting this weekend. I figured Fire Emblem is probably the lowest it's going to be since it's on NSO, and even if Metroid 2 gets a remaster in the future I wouldn't lose too much on it. The first one held its value well. Prime 2 was $37.50 and Path of Radiance was $25.50.

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Streaming schedule for next week! - Monday: No stream - Tuesday: No stream - Wednesday: No stream - Thursday: Metaphor: REFantazio (PM) - Friday: No stream - Saturday: Pikmin (PM) - Sunday: Starfox Assault (PM) twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

twitch.tv

TheJapanHobbyist - Twitch

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Stars Wars Rogue Squadron 2 was a little bit too challenging so I’m taking a break from it to play Pikmin for the first time. It looks straightforward enough, how hard could it be? twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Continuing my Japanese playthrough of Star Wars: Rogue Squadron 2 today! Made it pretty far last time after figuring out the controls. Game still looks good for its age and the space battles are pretty thrilling! twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Today's pick ups for about $8 each. This finishes my want list of Japanese games for the PS1. I have games I want in English still, but this is the last of me picking up Japanese games to play. Got quite a good library of fighting games on the PS1 now!

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Was out in Kobe again this weekend with my wife and after checking out the Sannomiya area, we decided to check out the Book Off Super Bazaar near Komagabayashi station. The prices were decent with some things a deal and others high, but the best thing was how close it was to the station.

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Now live with Star Wars Rogue Squadron 2: Rogue Leader (in Japanese) on the Gamecube as I continue to go through my backlog of games! My brother and I really liked the original on the N64 so I hope I like this one as well. twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Now live with more Spider-man the movie on GameCube (in Japanese)! Ever wonder what Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe, and James Franco sound like in Japanese? Well, be careful what you wish for … twitch.tv/thejapanhobb...

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TheJapanHobbyist @thejapanhobbyist.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

I've been throwing around the idea for this article for a long time and it took a lot of data collecting to put it together, but it's finally done! Check out my comprehensive list of the best and worst places in Japan to buy #retrogames in 2026! thejapanhobbyist.com/2026/09/11/t...

thejapanhobbyist.com

The State of Retro Gaming in Japan: The Best and Worst places to buy retro games in 2026

I had considered doing another “State of Retro Gaming in Japan” update this summer but after careful consideration I felt it was just more of the same and it didn’t really help pe…

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