Author, localizer, and (most importantly) long-time friend of the show Matt Alt joins us to discuss his new book, Pure Invention: How Japan's Pop Culture Conquered the World. Plus the usual news and other nonsense you've come to expect from your favorite podcast about Japan, and games, and Japanese games.

8-4 Play 7/10/2020: ALT.GAMES.JAPAN

Every other week, tune into 8-4 Play for talk about Japan, video games, and Japanese video games, straight from the 8-4 offices in beautiful downtown Tokyo.

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We dragged Roy away from Dragon's Dogma 2 just long enough to get the rest of us psyched about making pawns of our own someday...once we finish FF7 Rebirth, Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road, and Dermot's deathly planking drills, that is. Plus news! Time — Topic Discussed 00:53 – Nicknames 11:24 – Dragon’s Dogma 2 26:39 – Final Fantasy VII Rebirth 48:02 – Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road beta 56:43 – News: Final Fantasy VI turns 30, PlayStation rumors, and more!

8-4 Play 4/5/2024: GET OFF MY PAWN

Sakura buds yet / Play shy, and yet here the games / Blossom for us all / Mars After Midnight / PC-FX Weebo shit / Sand Land / Rando news / You can stop counting syllables   Time — Topic Discussed 01:17 – Nicknames 15:20 – Cavern of Dreams 21:14 – Sand Land demo 27:04 – Dragon Quest XI 29:17 – JP’s new PC-FX 38:34 – Mars After Midnight 56:22 – Llama Soft: The Jeff Minter Story 1:06:10 – News: PS5 Pro Leaks, Shin Megami Tensei V release date bumped, and more!

8-4 Play 3/22/2024: I CAN FX HIM

Four out of five 8-4 Play podcasters agree--to disagree, that is, about the early hours of FF7 Rebirth. Park yourself at the nearest Chocobo Stop and tune in for a Tight 56 of first impressions as well as all the news that’s fit to…fit in the last 15 minutes or so. Time — Topic Discussed 00:50 — Nicknames 06:36 — Final Fantasy VII Rebirth 39:13 — News: Pokémon Presents, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth disc labels, Mar10 Day rumors, and more!

8-4 Play 3/8/2024: REBIRTHDAY BASH

The future waits for no one, including Nintendo Directs and shit-hot Elden Ring DLC trailers, so take a trip backwards through time with us as we kick off with thoughts on both of the above, then wind the clocks back one night to talk about (older) news, games we've been playin', and predictions for...the part of the podcast you already heard in the first half? It'll all make sense, trust us. Time — Topic Discussed 01:39 — Nicknames 04:54 — Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree trailer impressions 20:10 — Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase 41:40 — News: Microsoft Business Update, Helldivers 2, Switch 2 rumors, and more! 1:07:52 — Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion 1:13:47 — Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth demo 1:20:11 — Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth 1:24:22 — Neutopia 1:26:16 — Apex: Legends 1:30:02 — Sonic Superstars

8-4 Play 2/23/2024: WE HAVE A DATE

Zip around town on your two-wheeled, self-balancing transporter of choice while we engage in our own high-speed chitter-chatter about Tekken 8, Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, FF7: Rebirth, Microsoft and Nintendo rumors, and, well, ya know…that kinda stuff! Time — Topic Discussed 00:50 — Nicknames 10:12 — Tekken 8 20:45 — Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth 32:19 — Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth State of Play Impressions 37:46 — Gran Blue Fantasy: Relink 42:24 — News: State of Play, Microsoft rumors, Switch 2 rumors, and more!

8-4 Play 7/10/2020: ALT.GAMES.JAPAN

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