Gamertell

With Valentine’s Day drawing near, you may have started looking for a unique gift for your videogame-loving mate. Anyone can buy a gift card or item from their local GameStop, so perhaps something from overseas would be a bit more impressive. Besides, finding a great gift from overseas means there’s less of a chance your special someone already has it

Plus, if you order now, there should be just enough time for your gifts to complete the international trek by February 14, 2008.

Even though we’re going to look overseas for a gift, it’s still a good idea to stick with the classics, although with a bit of a twist: candy, toys and jewelry that have gamer connotations to them. Your loved one will thank you for it.

Candy
The best candy choice is shokugan, a Japanese toy that comes with candy. Usually the toy is from a major anime or video game and is the main draw, making the candy an extra bonus.

A great example would be the Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales shokugan. Each set comes with a small piece of candy and two character keychains from the game. There are also Star Trek statues, Super Mario Galaxy cell phone straps, DS fabric covers and water-toy DS replicas are some of the other shokugans available. This kind of gift would be a great choice for a gift for someone you sort of like and feel obligated to remember.

Of course, pink candy would also be a welcome gift. A good place to check for a sweet treat for your sweetheart is JBox. Pocky, which is basically a plain cookie dipped in chocolate, is a beloved Japanese treat and a great treat choice. Strawberry Pocky would be a perfect choice, thanks to its cheerful pink color. Since it is so popular, it should also be available in your local Asian market. Strawberry Kit Kats or cherry Sakura Kit Kats would also be quite unique.

Toys
Nothing says love like a Monster Hunter Pinky St doll. That toy bomb that Kosu Hunter Mon-chan could be holding is filled with love. Well, perhaps gunpowder and love. But still, it is a great idea for either a girl or a guy. The doll is adorable, available in limited numbers and is designed to resemble a Monster Hunter character. It also isn’t too expensive either. These toys are getting increasingly hard to find online, so if you want one for your love, order now. The only place I’ve seen online that still has all three characters in this series is FreeBento.

Of course there are also stuffed animals. I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t love a stuffed mascot from their favorite series. I’d go into it more here, but I already spent a whole column in January talking about various Nintendo, Sega and Square Enix stuffed toys that are available. If you think the love of your life needs an inanimate object to cuddle, then backtrack and read that column to get an idea of what stuffed toys are available.

Jewelry
Square Enix jewelry from the Final Fantasy video games could be the perfect item to commemorate a special occasion. Plus imagine the romantic connotations. There are few things sweeter than a boyfriend presenting his girlfriend with a Final Fantasy VIII necklace and asking her to be his Rinoa. It could go the other way around too, since a girl could offer her boyfriend a FFVIII Griever ring and ask him to be her Squall. Fine, it seems silly, but I think it is romantic anyway. All of the jewelry from Square Enix’s online store is genuine, so there’s no need to worry about it turning green or losing its luster.

If you’re looking for awesome, quality video game jewelry, but can’t afford Square Enix’s prices, then try searching independent shops online. Rubi Rocket, Etsy and Fredflare.com all occasionally carry exclusive video game jewelry which is affordable and cool. Plus they are usually limited addition, handmade items. They aren’t true imports, but you can pretend.

COMING NEXT WEEK: Barring any unforeseen circumstances and counting on Play-Asia’s phenomenal service, Important Portables will review Tokimeki Memorial: Girl’s Side 2nd Season for the Nintendo DS. If it doesn’t arrive in time, then there will be a full review of Rune Factory 2.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Last week Important Importables talked about great SNES rpgs.

Site [Play-Asia] Site [YesAsia] Site [NCSX] Site [Himeya Shop] Site [JBox]