Given the nature of this job, and the fact I make an almost annual pilgrimage to Japan, Iāve been meaning for a while now to get off my butt and learn more of the local language than simply what I need to order a beer.
Hiragana Pixel Party is just what I needed to knuckle down and get started.
Itās a tool for learning the basics of two of Japanās alphabets, yeah, but it comes in the form of a chiptune rhythm-action game, where you need to tap the screen in time with the music (and a little girl running on the screen) while matching the letters presented to you.
Note that itās not a language-learning tool: itās just teaching you the hiragana and katakana alphabets. Still, thatās where you need to start when learning Japanese, so starting with chiptunes and a video game is better than starting with a book.
While it gets repetitive in parts, thatās also the point: itās trying to hammer home knowledge, not be fun 100% of the time. Itās fun, then, around 70% of the time. Which is 70% more than the last time I tried to learn Japanese.
Hiragana Pixel Party [App Store]
