Tag: Japan
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...
News Nintendo Reveals Three More Super Mario Wood Block amiibo Sets
Joining the 'My Mario' product line in Japan
When Nintendo kicked off its 'My Mario' campaign for parents and children in August, it also announced a new 'wood block' sets doubling as amiibo were on the way. It's now revealed three more wood block sets. This includes standalone three-piece sets for Yoshi, Peach and Luigi. This follows the...
News The Nintendo Museum Has Already Played Host To Over Half A Million Visitors
Admission continues via randomly selected drawings
The Nintendo Museum has been open to the public for roughly a year at this point and, thanks to the ongoing lottery system for prospective visitors, the venue has already played host to quite a few people. Announced via Nintendo's latest financial briefing, the company states that the "cumulative...
"The result of using Japanese content as machine learning data"
Japanese video game giants Bandai Namco and Square Enix have joined other companies such as the Sony-owned Aniplex, Studio Ghibli, Square Enix, Kadokawa and Shueisha in requesting that OpenAI refrain from training its Sora 2 Generative AI model on their content. The announcement was...
News Dragon Quest Creator Yuji Horii Has Been Awarded One Of Japan's Highest Honours
Good on you!
Dragon Quest is a remarkable, enduring game series, and now its creator, Yuji Horii, has received the recognition he well and truly deserves from the Japanese government (thanks, VGC). In its Autumn decorations, the government has awarded Horii the Order of the Rising Sun 4th Class: Gold Rays with Rosette, one of the country's highest...
News New Dragon Ball Game Project To Be Revealed Early Next Year
Don't miss it
Last week, Dragon Ball fans got quite a shock when it was announced Bandai Namco would be rolling out a new update for Dragon Ball FighterZ, with an additional DLC character scheduled to follow this in Spring 2026. If this wasn't already enough excitement, the official Dragon Ball Games social media account has now confirmed a new...
News Team Ninja Founder And Industry Veteran Tomonobu Itagaki Has Passed Away
"My life has been a series of battles. I kept winning."
Team Ninja founder Tomonobu Itagaki, who was also the creator of the fighting game series Dead or Alive and revived Ninja Gaiden for a new generation, has passed away at the age of 58. A post on his Facebook page originally confirmed this, and we've now got a translation (confirmed by James...
News Sakurai Is Getting His Very Own Manga Biography
Launching in Japan next month
After Smash Bros. streams, Direct presentations and more YouTube uploads than we can count, we'd wager that you probably have a pretty good understanding of who Masahiro Sakurai is by this point. But seeing his life story told through a manga? Now that's new (thanks for the heads up, VGC). Famitsu has revealed that the...
News Nintendo Responds To Reported 'Crimson Collective' Hack With Official Statement
No sensitive data appears to have been compromised
Last week, the hacking group Crimson Collective claimed it had breached Nintendo. At the time, there was no official response from the video game giant. Now, in an update, Nintendo has shared a statement with The Sankei Shimbun, and it appears to suggest there's been no personal, development, or...
News Nintendo Is Opening Its Fourth Store In Japan This Year
Say hello to 'Nintendo Fukuoka'
Nintendo has announced that it is opening its fourth store in Japan by the end of 2025 in Fukuoka. Further details are scarce at the moment, but Nintendo says the store will be located in JR Hakata City (Amu Plaza), a large shopping mall consisting of clothing stores, furnishing retailers, restaurants, and more...
News Notorious Group 'Crimson Collective' Claims To Have Hacked Nintendo
Though its legitimacy is unproven
Nintendo is known to be extremely litigious when it comes to protecting its intellectual property, but the company may have quite the battle on its hands if recent claims are proven to be legitimate. Hacking group Crimson Collective has claimed to have breached Nintendo in what may be one of the most high-profile...
"Whether generative AI is involved or not"
Nintendo has posted a short statement denying that it has lobbied the Japanese government on the subject of generative AI. The post on X was made following a tweet by Japanese politician Satoshi Asano, who originally claimed the company had been lobbying the government on the subject of generative AI...
News The Nintendo Museum Now Has An Official Book
Available at the museum Art Gallery
If you end up taking a trip to the Nintendo Museum in Japan any time soon, you'll be able to purchase an official museum book. The 'Nintendo Museum Official Book Vol. 01' goes on sale at the museum's Art Gallery on 2nd October 2025 (that's today!) and is priced at 1,650 yen. It features an "in-depth guide to the...
Random Bandai Unleashes Palm-Sized Legend Of Zelda Weapons Collection In Japan Next Year
Is that a Lightscale Trident in your pocket?
The fantastic character designs of The Legend of Zelda series have always lent themselves very well to amiibo, toys, and all of that sweet merchandising action that we all seem to love very muchly. Big muchly! Now, Bandai Candy Toy has announced a set of ten collectible, fully-licensed Legend of Zelda...
Feature Zelda, Layton, Mega Man - 10 Games We Played At TGS 2025 Coming To Switch 1 & 2
Evil Residents, Stories of Monster Hunters, Quests for Dragons, and more!
With the release of Switch 2, fans of their handheld hybrids will be relieved to hear that, compared to last year, there were many more Nintendo games to play at the Tokyo Game Show. This time around, the massive displays put up by the likes of Capcom and Square Enix had a...
News Switch 2 Gets Its Flowers At The Japan Game Awards 2025
As if there was any doubt
Switch 2 has been a huge deal since it launched, and at last night's Japan Game Awards, the console was recognised for its monumental achievements so far. Nintendo's latest hardware took home the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award at the 2025 ceremony. It's a long and somewhat confusing title, but the basic gist...
News Nintendo Museum Introduces "Limited-Time" Mario Bros. 40th Anniversary Ticket
"Available for approximately one year"
As part of the recent Super Mario Bros. 40th anniversary news, Nintendo revealed it would be offering a "limited-time" Nintendo Museum ticket. Instead of the regular Mii design, for the next year (between now and September 2026), Nintendo Museum guests will be able to get a special Super Mario Bros. 40th...
News SNK Announces ACA NEOGEO Selection Vol. 9 And Vol. 10 For Switch
Arriving in Japan this December
SNK has announced it's releasing ACA NEOGEO Selection Vol. 9 and Vol. 10 for the Nintendo Switch. It will arrive in Japan on 18th December 2025. There's no local release mentioned, but the previous collections have included English-language support. Here's what each volume will contain (via Gematsu): ACA NEOGEO...
News Genre-Bending 'Baroque YA' Collection Headed To Switch In Japan
Multiple genres in one easy-to-store package
Japanese dev outfit Sting has just announced Baroque YA, a collection of four games from the genre-spanning series, will release on Switch (in Japan only, for now) on 18th December. Originally released for the Sega Saturn all the way back in the Spice Girls-heady days of 1998, the first Baroque is a...
News Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Imprisonment 'Treasure Box' Set Revealed For Japan
Featuring all sorts of goodies
The upcoming release Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment got a little bit more time in the spotlight during the latest Direct. Apart from the title's Switch 2 box art, it's also been revealed Japan will be getting a special "Treasure Box" release featuring all sorts of goodies. This retails for 17,780 Yen and comes...
News Sunsoft Has A "Major Announcement" To Share Next Week
Sunsoft really is back
The Japanese video game company Sunsoft (known for releases like Blaster Master, Ufouria and Trip World) is teasing something big... In a brief post on social media today, it revealed plans to share some important news. There will be a "major announcement" taking place next week on 16th September 2025 (
