Tag: Japan
Round Up 12 Switch 1 & 2* Games We Played At BitSummit 2026 - Here's What We Thought
*Hiccups/dev kits permitting
I’ve covered a lot of gaming conventions in my time. Innumerable PAXes, E3 once, and a few Tokyo Game Shows. None of them match the immaculate vibes of BitSummit, Japan’s indie gaming convention. From developers fresh out of University to seasoned vets striking out on their own, an infectious enthusiasm for this...
News Pokémon Company Considers Using Government ID To Tackle TCG Scalping
Extreme behaviour calls for an extreme response
The Pokémon Company has issued a statement (thanks, Automaton) confirming that it is considering using government-issued ID to tackle scalping in the Trading Card Game community. Though it doesn't outright refer to scalpers, The Pokémon Company says that it wishes to “provide all customers with...
News McDonald's Japan Appears To Be Teasing Another Capcom Collab
Update: The Mega Man collab is now underway
A while ago, Capcom teamed up with McDonald's Japan to offer a special Street Fighter-themed burger menu. In an update today, it seems this partnership will continue with the fast food giant's social media account seemingly teasing a new Mega Man collab. As you can see, there's an 8-bit silhouette image...
News Nintendo Hiring For A Brand New Role 'Movie Project Promotion Manager'
Aaaand action!
Nintendo continues to step into the movie and cinema realm, as the company has opened up a brand new position for a 'Movie Project Promotion Manager'. Shared and translated by Genki_JPN, the Big N is currently accepting applications for the role, which will be based in Kyoto, Japan. Successful candidates will be "responsible for...
News Man Arrested After Reportedly Threatening To Blow Up Nintendo's HQ
"My plans cannot be thwarted"
Nintendo has been on the receiving end of a few bomb threats in recent years, and its headquarters in Kyoto have reportedly been targeted yet again. As highlighted by KTV News via Automaton, a "27-year-old unemployed Japanese man" has been arrested this week by local police on suspicion of sending letters to blow up...
News Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters Reveals August 2026 Kick-Off For Switch
"This is world-class football"
Ahead of the World Cup next month, Bandai Namco has shared an update on Captain Tsubasa 2: World Fighters. According to the Japanese version of the new story trailer, the title will be released for the Switch in this location on 27th August 2026. Alongside the launch date, Bandai Namco has also revealed details...
News Star Fox Is Getting An Adorable New Plush Line In Japan
Update: Pre-orders are now available
[Thu 7th May, 2026 07:00 BST]: Nintendo's been giving Star Fox a lot more attention recently, and following his big game reveal, we've now got an adorable plush toy announcement. Japanese company Sanei has announced it will be releasing a new line of Star Fox plush in Japan in "late June". As you can see, the...
News Nintendo Legend Takashi Tezuka Is Retiring From His Role In June
Thank you, Tezuka-san
Nintendo has announced that legendary developer Takashi Tezuka will be retiring from his role as Executive Officer. Tezuka-san is one of the most significant figures in Nintendo history, having served as a designer on the original Super Mario Bros., director on Super Mario Bros. 3, The Legend of Zelda, A Link to the Past, and...
News Steins;Gate Is Getting Another Remake On Switch 1 & 2 This August
El Psy Kongroo, MAGES.
Steins;Gate, one of the most-acclaimed visual novels of the past two decades and the most popular entry in MAGES.'s Science Adventure series, is getting a fresh new remake later this year on Switch 1 & 2. MAGES. has announced that Steins;Gate Re:Boot will launch in Japan on 20th August 2026 (via
News Nintendo Skips Over Some Heavy-Hitters In Its Super Mario 40th Anniversary Ad
Where is my Sunshine, my only Sunshine..? ♫
Nintendo has uploaded a new ad as part of its ongoing celebrations for Super Mario's 40 anniversary. Titled 'It's You, Mario', it highlights some of the plumber's iconic games, starting with the Famicom and Super Mario Bros. and ending with the Switch 2 and Super Mario Galaxy. It's a nice little look at...
News 'Sega Universe' Initiative Announced, Celebrating Multiple Classics With Anniversary Projects
Reviving IP such as OutRun, NiGHTS, Sakura Wars and more
Sega has announced a new 'Sega Universe' initiative in Japan, which will see the company celebrate the anniversaries of classic game series with all sorts of projects. The games highlighted on the official website include: OutRun Streets of Rage
News Toei Company Establishes New Gaming Publishing Brand
Say hello to 'Toei Games'
Toei Company, the Japanese juggernaut known primarily for its work in the film and television industry, has announced the establishment of a new gaming publishing brand: Toei Games. Originally founded in 1951, Toei Company describes the establishment as a "new challenge" and aims to release games first on Steam before...
News Good Smile Reveals Two Stunning Fire Emblem Figures, Pre-Orders Now Live
Azura reps Fire Emblem Fates
Although Nintendo is already focused on the next game Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave, The Good Smile Company is today celebrating the series' past with the reveal of two new figures based on Azura from the 3DS title, Fire Emblem Fates. There's the Azura (White Songstress) 1/7 Scale Figure and the
News A Pokémon Center Employee Has Reportedly Died After An Attack In Tokyo
The perpetrator is also dead, according to reports
Warning: Please be advised that this post includes details that may cause distress. A female employee at The Pokémon Center in the Sunshine City complex in Tokyo has died following a fatal stabbing incident on the evening of 26th March 2026, according to reports from news outlets. According to...
Random Nothing Says "I Choose You!" Quite Like These Pokémon Engagement Rings
Put an Ursaring on it
Pokémon is in all corners of our lives. You can wake up to Pokémon Sleep, brush your teeth to Pokémon Smile, throw on your Pokémon apparel and head out on a walk with Pokémon GO. Now, you can make those days extra romantic by saying "I Choose You" to your significant other, accompanied by one of these Pokémon engagement...
News Japanese Teens Apparently Love Nintendo Switch More Than Pokémon & Disney
Our survey says...
The Brand Japan 2026 evaluation survey results have revealed that Nintendo is still an extremely-popular name with Japanese teenagers, with both the company brand and the Switch console only being beaten by YouTube. As reported on (and translated) by Automaton Media, Nikkei BP Consulting's
News Investor Who Urged Nintendo To Monetise Mario's Jumps Acquires Shares In Kadokawa
“Just think of paying 99 cents just to get Mario to jump a little higher"
Oasis Management Company, a Hong Kong-based investment firm, has reportedly acquired a significant stake in Japanese media giant Kadokawa. As reported by Automaton, the firm now owns an 8.86% stake in Kadokawa after purchasing over 13 million shares. Kadokawa famously owns...
News "The Flavour Tends To Get Lost" - Dragon Quest's Yuji Horii On English Translations
"I've come to accept that English is a simple language"
One of our very favourite underrated gems on Switch, PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo, got a surprise sequel last month with the arrival of The Mermaid's Curse. To celebrate the launch, Famitsu sat down with series director Takanari Ishiyama and Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii (the...
News Pokémon Confirms Anniversary Pikachu Plush Local Release
Following the confirmation of restocks in Japan
[Tue 3rd Mar, 2026 06:55 GMT]: Pokémon is celebrating its 30th anniversary in all sorts of ways, and one of the most in-demand products is the "Beginning Pikachu" plush, available at the Pokémon Center. At the moment, this retro Pikachu inspired the Pokémon's pixel design and look from the Game...
News We Really Want To See This Pokémon Dice Game Roll Out A Western Release
TPC used Rollout
The Pokémon 30th anniversary celebrations are continuing to roll out this week, as TPC has today revealed that it's releasing a new version of Plakoro, a Japanese Pokémon dice game from the '90s. The game has only been confirmed for a Japanese release at the moment — where it'll launch at some point in July — but the more we...
News Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen Is Getting A Stunning 'Special Edition' Release In Japan
Still just a download code, mind
It's official, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen will arrive on the Switch eShop right after the Pokémon Presents wraps up next week on 27th February. It's a cause for celebration, of course, but there's a part of us that can't help but feel a pang of envy after realising that Japan is getting treated to a 'Special...
News Stardew Valley's New Update For Nintendo Switch 2 Is Now Live
This "bug fix patch" is available now in America
At the end of last year, the popular farming and lifestyle sim Stardew Valley got released on the Nintendo Switch 2 in the US. The creator ConcernedApe has now rolled out the first major update for the title in 2026. It's a bug fix patch addressing multiple issues, including some improvements to...
News Konami And M2 Announce New Goemon Switch Collection, Here Are The 13 Retro Titles Included
Releasing in Japan this July
If you're a fan of the Goemon and Mystical Ninja series, there was a rather exciting 40th anniversary announcement shared during this week's Japanese Partner Showcase. Konami and the emulation experts at M2 are teaming up to release Ganbare Goemon! Daishuugo - a new retro collection coming to the Switch and multiple...
News Legendary Developer And Insect Blocker Hideki Kamiya Is Getting His Own Book
Welcome to my world
Hideki Kamiya, the legendary game developer behind titles like Resident Evil 2, Bayonetta, and Viewtiful Joe, is getting his own book. Titled 'The World of Hideki Kamiya', the book is currently only confirmed for release in Japan on 2nd April 2026, but we'll be keeping a close eye on a potential western release. Naturally, it...
News Style Savvy Developer's Next Switch Game Has Been Rated By The ESRB
Become a dressmaker
Last year, Imagineer and developer syn Sophia (the team behind Nintendo's Style Savvy / New Style Boutique series) announced a new Switch dressmaking game called Magical Craft. It's already been released in Japan late last year, and now, in an update, an ESRB listing has surfaced. No local release has been announced just yet,...
News Yuji Horii Is Following Sakurai's Lead With His Own Manga Biography
Presented in an "RPG-like fashion", naturally
Last year, Masahiro Sakurai's game knowledge was extended to yet another medium when the game developer extraordinaire's life was translated into a manga biography. Why do we bring this up now, you might ask? Well, because Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii will soon get the same treatment (thanks,...
News Pokémon Legends: Z-A "Complete" Five CD Soundtrack Announced For Japan
Including Mega Dimension tracks and more...
One aspect of Pokémon Legends: Z-A we thought was "excellent" was the music. With this in mind, it's been announced the game's soundtrack will be getting a physical release in Japan on 17th April 2026. It will include five CDs and a total of 148 tracks. The good news is this also extends to the game's...
News Keiji Inafune's Mighty No. 9 Studio Comcept Is Finished
It was officially dissolved earlier this month
The video game company Comcept, originally founded by Keiji Inafune in December 2010, has been "officially dissolved by a shareholders' resolution" earlier this month on 13th January 2026. A notice was published about this today in Japan's government gazette Kanpo (thanks for the heads up, Gematsu)...
News Switch 1 & 2 Dominate Famitsu's Best-Selling Games Of 2025 List
Who would have thought it?
Famitsu has shared its rundown of 2025's best-selling games in Japan, and it'll come as a surprise to no one to hear that it was yet another good year for Nintendo. You might recall that Nintendo revealed the most-downloaded eShop titles in the region at the end of last year, but Famitsu's list accounts for the industry...
News Super Nintendo World Is Celebrating Its Fifth Anniversary In Style
Anyone for cake?
Believe it or not, Universal Studios Japan is hosting Super Nintendo World's fifth anniversary this year, and it's marking the occasion in a way that only Nintendo can: a buttload of decorations and some exclusive merch. The Mario-themed park will be getting a celebratory birthday makeover from 18th March, featuring a giant...
Featuring FPS and visual enhancements, mouse controls & more
The Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP - Switch 2 Edition got a last-minute delay in November 2025, but we've now got an update...at least for Japan. According to the latest Dragami Games press release, it will be launching in this location on 26th March 2026 (this includes a physical release)...
News It's Official, Fitness Boxing 3 Is Getting Persona 5 Royal DLC
Out later this week
Imagineer, the developer behind Fitness Boxing, appears to be teasing a new collab with the Persona series. An official post on the Fitness Boxing social media account has shared some dialogue, and it's displayed with a Persona 5-style user interface. Here's what it says, according to a translation (via Gematsu): ???:
Opinion Cult Classic 'Tokimeki Memorial' Hits Switch - But 30 Years On, It's Still Out Of Reach
Forever with you; never with us
True love lasts forever – and so do some games. Tokimeki Memorial: Forever with You, the legendary dating sim from 1995, is hooking up with Switch next month to celebrate 30 years on the scene. Immaculately presented but bewilderingly complex, TokiMemo is a foundational piece of video game history that defined a...
News Here Are Japan's Best-Selling Switch and Switch 2 eShop Games For 2025
Mario Kart World and Pokémon top the list
It’s once again that time of year where companies sum up all sorts of things about the year that was, and with this in mind, Nintendo’s Japanese branch has revealed the best-selling games on the Switch and Switch 2 eShop in 2025. This covers January through to December, and everything else in between...
Random The Japanese Football Team Sponsored By Nintendo Now Has Pikmin On Its Shirt
It's no Fiorentina jersey, but it's something
Nintendo has a long history of sponsoring professional sports teams, and one club it's continued to support over the years is the Japanese football side, Kyoto Sanga, which currently competes in Japan's top-flight competition known as the J-League. Nintendo owns 16.6% of this club, and ever since it...
But it'll cost you
Since the launch of the Switch 2 in June, developers have been rolling out all sorts of upgrades for existing titles. With this in mind, the latest one announced is for Beyblade X: Evobattle. Beyblade X: Evobattle - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition arrives in Japan today on 18th December 2025. It is a 1,000 yen paid upgrade for existing...
Random The Latest Mario Stop-Motion Short Might Be The Most Adorable Yet
Let's play hide-and-seek!
If you're looking for a little bit of lightness this holiday season for you and the kids, then hopefully you've been saving up a bunch of those It's Me, Mario! shorts. Nintendo has been sharing these on its family-friendly Play Nintendo YouTube Channel since August 2025. Episode 5 dropped overnight and features Mario with...
Random Four Legendary Devs Walk Into A Bar... And We're So Very Jealous
Imagine the conversations!
It's the little things in life that bring us the most joy sometimes, and today, we're bringing you an absolutely delightful photo from developer Suda51 (No More Heroes, Killer7) that's been doing the rounds over the weekend. It's no secret that some of the greatest minds in Japanese game development like to get together...
News Printable Metroid Prime 4 'Databook' Has Us Feeling Nostalgic For Instruction Booklets
Manual override
Bar a few exceptions, the days of opening your boxed copy of a new game and eagerly flipping through the instruction booklet are behind us. But it looks like Nintendo isn't ready to give up on the nostalgia just yet, as it has released a printable 'databook' for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, that just makes our hearts sing (thanks for the...
News Nintendo Reveals New Line Of Metroid Merch, And We Want It All
Cooler than Phendrana Drifts
Metroid has rarely been able to play with the Nintendo big boys as far as sales are concerned, so it's no surprise that Samus merch drops have been a fair bit rarer than those seen for Zelda and Mario. But, with Metroid Prime 4: Beyond finally here, Nintendo is changing that... in Japan, at least. Yes, a new wave of...
News The Nintendo Museum Has Finally Got Its Christmas Decs Up
Light up, Super Star
Believe it or not, the holiday season is almost upon us. Of course, many stores have been setting up the Christmas cheer for months now (this writer was seeing bedecked trees in shop windows back in October), but, as of today, the Nintendo Museum is finally following suit. As shared in a post on the museum's official X account,...
News Is The Pokémon Café's New Mega Dimension Menu Teasing Some Returning Legendaries?
Those doughnuts sure do look familiar
If you've been paying attention to the recent trailers for Pokémon Legends: Z-A's Mega Dimension DLC, you'll no doubt know that doughnuts have a pretty big role to play in the dimension-hopping — what did you expect, it's Pokémon! The Pokémon Cafe's new menu looks set to bring these sweet treats into the...
News Ongoing MicroSD Shortages Could Have A Knock-On Effect For Switch 2 Storage Availability
Maybe it's time to ask Santa for MicroSD Express cards
Storage-hungry consumers in Japan have been jumping on available stocks of super-fast MicroSD cards as an ongoing memory shortage continues across the computer industry, with no signs of getting better in the immediate future. As reported by Tom's Hardware, a spiralling issue of rising costs...
News PokéPark Kanto Includes A Major Area Those With Limited Mobility Can't Access
Don't go into the woods
As you may already be aware, PokéPark Kanto is officially opening to the public on 5th February 2026. The Pokémon-branded theme park will be a permanent fixture in Yomiuriland in Tokyo's Tama Hills, and will be divided into two core areas: Pokémon Forest and Sedge Town. The thing is, if you have limited mobility, then you...
Reminder 'Hello, Yoshi!' App Now Available For Switch And Mobile Devices
Following the release of 'Hello, Mario!' in August
Nintendo announced a new 'My Mario' campaign for parents and children in August, which included a whole range of products as well as a Mario-themed smartphone and Switch app. In an update, the Japanese firm has now announced a new Yoshi-themed app for Switch and mobile devices. Like the Mario one,...
News 'Hello, Mario!' App For Switch Updated To Version 1.0.2
A small update and a new stop-motion short
In August, Nintendo launched a new 'My Mario' campaign in Japan designed for parents and their children. This included an interactive app called Hello, Mario! for the Switch and smart devices. Although this app is a bit different to Nintendo's usual offerings, it seems it will still receive the same type...
News Sega Gives Japanese Employees "Peace Of Mind" With Another Salary Raise
Plus an increase for new-hires
Sega has announced that it is raising the salary for its full-time staff along with increasing the starting salary for new-hires over in Japan (thanks, Automaton). Starting from 1st April 2026, the base salary for full-time employees will raise by an average of around 10%. Sega is introducing a more flexible pay...
News Sony Once Again Takes A Leaf From Nintendo's Playbook In Japan
Firm announces region-locked PS5
If you've been keeping an eye on our weekly Japanese Charts, then you'll know that the Switch and Switch 2 have been consistently dominating the hardware space, with Sony's PS5 struggling to get a foothold in the region (and let's not even mention Xbox). That's not to say it hasn't done well, mind you, with the...
News 'PokéPark Kanto', The New Pokémon Theme Park, Opens Its Doors In February
Let's go, Tokyo!
Well, here's a little something to make you smile. The Pokémon Company has today shared another look at its upcoming theme park, 'PokéPark Kanto', and announced that gates will open on 5th February 2026. Tickets to this new section of Tokyo's Yomiuriland Amusement Park will open for Japanese residents on 21st November and will be...
Gallery Nintendo Updates Its 'My Mario' Product Line With Multiple New Yoshi Items, Here's A Look
Fancy a singing and talking Yoshi?
Nintendo's 'My Mario' campaign has lifted the lid on multiple Yoshi-themed announcements today, and apart from the new app, there'll also be a new singing and talking Yoshi released later this month. This fluffy Yoshi, available on 18th November 2025, is a toy that will flap its arms, sway from side to side, talk...
