July2017
News Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 to Hit the Nintendo Switch on 22nd September
Dramatic battles on the go
Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 was one of the earliest third-party retail games to be confirmed for the Nintendo Switch, though firm release details have taken a while to emerge. Bandai Namco has now confirmed that the title will head to both North America and Europe on 22nd September. In terms of Switch-specific features...
June2017
News Dragon Ball FighterZ Could Come To Switch If The Demand Is There, Says Producer
Horsepower isn't the issue
The world certainly isn't short of Dragon Ball games, but Dragon Ball FighterZ - unveiled at E3 - certainly stands out from the rest. Developed by Arc System Works and sporting a team-based combat system not entirely unlike that seen in Capcom's "vs" series of titles, the PS4, Xbox One and PC title looks set to...
News Virtual Reality Mario Kart Looks As Much Fun As It Sounds
You'll have to travel to Japan to play it, though
Mario Kart is taking a step into the world of immersive VR thanks to Bandai Namco’s spanking new VR Zone in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Mario Kart Arcade GP VR is among several VR "experiences" confirmed this week for the new venue. VR Zone is a "virtual reality arcade" powered by HTC's Vive...
News The Wii U Pokkén Tournament Controller Will Work With Pokkén Tournament DX
It was worth buying one, after all!
If you were one of the lucky people who invested in Hori's special Pokkén Tournament Controller when the game launched on Wii U then you might find that your purchase suddenly gains value, as it has been confirmed that the pad will also work on the forthcoming Nintendo Switch update, Pokkén...
May2017
News Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 To Bring the Power to Nintendo Switch in Autumn / Fall
Local play and, um, optional motion controls
Back in January a number of titles featured in the Nintendo Switch presentation from Japan, notably in a sizzle reel of upcoming games. One of these was Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, and we now have a better idea of when that game will arrive. Bandai Namco in Europe has confirmed an Autumn / Fall release...
News One Piece Unlimited World Red - Deluxe Edition is Heading to the West on Nintendo Switch
Localisation sails into view
Last week we reported on the news of One Piece Unlimited World Red - Deluxe Edition being confirmed for Nintendo Switch in Japan. With the original on 3DS, Wii U and other platforms having been localised it seemed like a good bet to also arrive outside of Japan, and now Bandai Namco has confirmed just that - for Europe...
April2017
News Tekken Producer Katsuhiro Harada Too Busy To Study Switch Hardware For Possible Port
"We couldn't even buy it - it was sold out every time we went to look"
Not so long ago we reported that Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harada was "surprised" by the Nintendo Switch, a possible indication that he and his team had been frozen out of pre-release access to the new machine. With Tekken 7 arriving on PS4, Xbox One and PC this June, Game
News Bandai Namco Files a Patent for Pac-Man Maker
Hmm...
It seems like a rather odd oversight that it took Nintendo so many years to finally put out a level editor for the Super Mario series, but when it finally got around to it, the final result was something to remember. Super Mario Maker was a fantastic success on the Wii U (and on the 3DS to a certain extent), offering gamers the chance at...
News Namco Museum Cover Art Hints At Physical Release On Switch
Gotta get physical
The recent Nintendo Direct announced that Namco Museum would be making its way to the Nintendo Switch eShop this summer, but no mention was made of a physical release. However, the Namco Museum page features box art for the game, something that would be unnecessary for a purely digital release. Furthermore, the official press...
News Namco Museum Is Coming To Nintendo Switch This Summer
Pac-Man, Galaga, Rolling Thunder, Splatterhouse and more!
During the recent Nintendo Direct presentation it was revealed that Namco Museum would be coming to the Nintendo Switch this Summer. It will retail for $29.99 in North America. Ten games are included in the package, including classics such as Pac-Man, Galaga, Splatterhouse, Rolling Thunder,...
January2017
News Namco Founder Masaya Nakamura Dies Aged 91
The man who spoke out against Nintendo and Hiroshi Yamauchi
One of the most influential names in the Japanese video game arena has passed away, it has been revealed. A former engineer in the Japanese navy, Masaya Nakamura established Nakamura Manufacturing in 1955 after purchasing two mechanical horse ride for $3,000. Due to the intense competition...
December2016
News The Soul Calibur Series Has Turned 20, And All We're Getting Is A Pachinko Machine
The soul still burns
Bandai Namco's weapon-based 3D fighter Soul Calibur (or "Soulcalibur", if you prefer) turns 20 today, but the publisher isn't giving us a new outing to celebrate - we're getting a Soul Calibur-themed Pachinko machine instead. Just what the doctor ordered, right? The series began not with a Soul Calibur title, but with Soul...
News Dragon Ball Fusions Will Direct Its Super Saiyan Fury Towards Europe On February 17th
Middle East and Australasian regions included, too
After initially being released in Japan back in August and North America in November, Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe have today announced that Dragon Ball Fusions will be arriving in European, Middle Eastern and Australasian territories on 17th February 2017. The fighting and role-playing game...
Video Empoleon Struts His Stuff In New Pokkén Tournament Trailer
Hail the emperor (penguin)
Long rumoured as a new combatant in the excellent Pokkén Tournament, Empoleon is finally making his debut in the coin-op edition of the popular one-on-one brawler, and Bandai Namco has released a special trailer to mark the occasion. Packed with in-game action featuring the penguin-like Pokémon, the trailer shows the...
November2016
News Tekken 7 Producer "Surprised" By Nintendo Switch, Won't Confirm Or Deny Possible Port
"Read into that what you like"
Tekken 7 has been doing the rounds in Japanese arcades since last year but is finally making its way to home consoles in early 2017. Tekken as a series began life on Sony hardware but has since branched out to rival systems, including the Wii U. Given that Tekken 7 is being ported to PS4 and Xbox One around the same...
News Pokkén Tournament's New Fighter Is A Bit Of A Surprise
I feel so gunky
A new character is coming to the arcade version of Pokkén Tournament, and it's fair to say that it's a rather unexpected addition. Ladies and gentlemen, allow us to introduce the one and only Croagunk. This Poison/Fighting Pokémon comes to the coin-op version of the crossover fighter on November 10th. You can check out some...
October2016
Video Get In The Halloween Spirit With The Complete History Of Splatterhouse
Rickrolled
Namco took quite a gamble when it released Splatterhouse in arcades in 1988. The company's previous titles had been cartoon-like and appealing to all ages, but this side-scrolling action title took inspiration from Hollywood slasher and horror movies, turning up the gore level and providing an experience which wasn't really suitable for...
News Scizor Arrives in the Pokkén Tournament Arcade Very Soon
Might bug Wii U owners, though
Since its release in March plenty of Pokémon fans have been able to re-enact some showdowns in Pokkén Tournament on Wii U, and in the West (particularly) it's easy to forget that this title first arrived as an arcade. That version has already had new characters added in the past, and now Scizor has been confirmed to...
News A New Fighter Announcement for Pokkén Tournament Comes on 13th October
Who's that Pokémon?
It's been awhile since we've heard any news relating to Pokkén Tournament, but it seems like the silence is soon to be broken. Not long ago, Darkrai was added as a new fighter for the Japan-only arcade version, though it still has yet to show up in the Wii U version despite being spotted in update files. Now, Namco Bandai is...
September2016
News Free Dragon Ball Fusions Update Adds Online Battles and a New Stage in Japan
Here's hoping they'll come with the Western version on day one
It can be hard to predict, at times, which enticing and notable releases will make it out of Japan to the West. It was certainly good news, then, when Bandai Namco recently confirmed Dragon Ball Fusions for a 13th December release in North America; it'll arrive in Europe sometime in...
News Dragon Ball Fusions Arrives in North America This Year, Europe Shortly After
Better late than never
Dragon Ball Fusions arrived not too long ago in Japan, and we've been admiring its slightly wacky trailers and footage. Recent ratings and listings pointed to localisation for this one, and now it's official - it'll arrive on 3DS in North America on 13th December, and February 2017 in Europe. In case you're unaware, this...
Video Bandai Namco Goes Big on Iconic Franchises for Mobile Through 'IP Open Project'
From Pac-Man to Mappy, to Vampire Holmes Pac-Man?
Way back in March 2015 we told you about an intriguing 'IP Open' project being run by Bandai Namco in Japan. A number of iconic franchises were included, and the initiative enabled developers of various types to submit games using those IPs, with an approval and selection process in place. As you...
News Mario Sports Superstars Is A Collaboration Between Camelot And Bandai Namco
Teaming up
Last week's Nintendo Direct gave us some nice 3DS-sized surprises, one of which was the previously-unannounced Mario Sports Superstars. The next entry in the long-running Mario Sports series of games, it aims to pull together several different disciplines into one package. Now, thanks to the Australian Board of Classification, we have...
August2016
News Brazilian Listing Gives Hope for Western Release of Dragon Ball Fusions
Is it our turn?
Dragon Ball Fusions is a title we've followed with some curiosity out of Japan. The latest 3DS title utilising the popular IP offers turn-based gameplay, but a key hook is the ability to fuse characters together for interesting results. So far it's arrived in Japan but there's been little solid indication of a Western release, but...
News Pokémon Spin-Off Pokkén Tournament Ships One Million Units Worldwide On Wii U
Fighting all over the world
Bandai Namco has confirmed that Pokkén Tournament has shipped one million units globally - no mean feat for a Wii U game. The fighting title - which is best described as a crossover between Tekken and Pokémon - launched in arcades before coming to Nintendo's home console, and has secured a sizeable audience which...
