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NimbleBit donates 35 iPads and more to charity
It's not like we needed more reasons to love brothers David and Ian Marsh of NimbleBit. First off, they make terrific free (and lucrative) games like Pocket Frogs and Tiny Tower. Second, they're super nice and very supportive in the developer community. Third, they're humble and smart, keeping their company small and focusing on just developing good games rather than growing into a megacorporation. And now there's another reason to love NimbleBit: They're darn generous. Sign on San Diego reports that the pair have gifted over $30,000 of equipment, including 35 iPad 2s, to an elementary school in their hometown. The principal of the school is the Marshes' old technology teacher, and he inspired them so much that they wanted to give a little something back, by putting this tech in the hands of elementary school students early. What a great story. The school will use the iPads to manage their own small businesses that the kids are learning to run, and even to shoot video for the school's TV station. And Ian Marsh says just having the iPads around might be inspiration enough: "When I was in school, I would have died if someone handed me an iPad. ... I definitely think that technology can be useful in education." Agreed. Kudos to the Marshes for their fine work, and applause to them for their generosity. [via TouchArcade]
More mallowy Marsh artwork
Even without knowing a single thing about Maya and Marsh, we would've fallen in love with the two companions anyway, just based on the character designs for Eigo wo Taberu Fushigi na Ikimono Marsh (Mysterious English-Eating Animal Marsh). "Love" is a strong word, you might say. Well, so are our feelings for Dimple Entertainment's pet-sim/English-trainer. We have some new art samples for the game in our gallery which you should really check out. The simple style is like a mix of Kurt Halsey romance and Kogepan charm; it's no wonder we can't resist it. So what if we'll never see this quirky title localized for the US? And who cares if its English isn't perfect? The minute we saw this scene of Marsh flopped next to its friend, Cocoa, our hearts were won over. %Gallery-5600%
TV-show-starring, plushie-appearing, and screenshot-posting Marsh
Our favorite English-eating creature, Marsh, promoted its upcoming DS game recently with a week-long series of five-minute TV segments in Japan. Sisters Manami, Kinuyo, and Mikako posed an English problem everyday which Marsh would then try to answer. These interstitials served partly as commercials and partly as educational pieces to help viewers memorize English.We would sell our souls to have one of those cute Marsh dolls that the sisters are posing with. We could probably make one of our own with a sharpie marker and a bag full of cotton balls, but, as we're sure all of you spoiled kids out there agree, it just wouldn't be the same! Don't look away! You know this to be true.Developer Dimple Entertainment has posted screenshots for the pet-simulation/English-trainer title which you can see in our gallery below. Eigo wo Taberu Fushigi na Ikimono Marsh (Mysterious English-Eating Animal Marsh) hits stores in Japan this September 27th.%Gallery-5600%
Marsh: The cutest game you'll ever import
Maya, 25 years old and a short-haired brunette, works as a waitress at a coffee shop. Single, she lives alone in her apartment, or at least, she used to live alone in her apartment before an adorable, English-eating creature came to stay with her -- that's English words, not English people. Maya named her new roommate Marsh, taking inspiration from its marshmallow color and fluffy consistency.Eigo wo Taberu Fushigi na Ikimono Marsh (Mysterious English-Eating Animal Marsh) plays like a cross between a virtual pet simulator and an educational game meant to strengthen English language skills. Using a series of menus to string words together, you can help Maya find out how Marsh is feeling, ask if Marsh wants to help clean the room, or enjoy other interactions with the mallowy critter. Should you decide to import the title when it arrives in Japan this September 27th, you won't have to worry much about any language barriers, as Maya insists on communicating with Marsh in English. We're in love with the artwork we've seen so far for the game, so much so that we're willing to overlook that almost everything seems to have been ported from Microvision's cell phone game. Check past the post break for a three-minute trailer. Doesn't your heart just melt when you see Marsh playing with the toy airplane?
