Japan News, Japan Features - Page 24 of 27

Japanese researchers recreate Mario in a petri dish.

Evidentally, Japanese science folk at nanobiological laboratories of the University of Osaka got bored whilst solving real problems and decided to do something significantly more light-hearted to cheer us all up. Here we present Fungus Mario in all his fluorescent glory! Those Osaka University boffins achieved this stunning effect by engineering..

Ignorance no longer an excuse when buying games

Nintendo has revealed new kiosks for display in major retail outlets in Japan. They come in two flavours: flat screen devices for counters and retail kiosks for floor display. Both come with wonderfully hi-tech touch screens and cameras. Customers will be able to pick up any DS or Wii game and flash...

A new trademark registered in Japan is fuelling speculation on the internet

Silicon Era has reported that a new trademark registration has appeared in the Japanese trademark database for the word "Zii." Nintendo submitted the application on the 30th of October, though there's no indication of what it's for. It could be trying to block the sale of any more Wii wannabes trying to cash using..

Resurgent publisher confirms acquisition of defunct company's catalogue

If the recent news of Sunsoft's glorious return to the west has whipped you into a frenzy then you might want to take a deep breath before reading the press release below. The company has confirmed that it has bought up the rights to Nihon Telenet's software library. While younger gamers might not recognise the name, veterans..

Shouting "Objection" never felt so natural

While some might be grumbling about the fact that the upcoming WiiWare editions of Capcom's Phoenix Wright series are little more than straight ports of the DS/GBA originals, one element is likely to bring a smile to the face of pretty much every fan. As this zany Japanese TV commercial illustrates, it's possible to use the Wii Remote to object to things..

Has the machine reached its zenith?

The Nintendo Wii may have sold a shed-load of units over the past few weeks but reports from Japan indicate that even this increase in revenue is unlikely to completely turnaround the machine's flagging fortunes. A report issued by Japanese news firm Nikkei has revealed that two Japanese companies involved with the production of the Wii - Mitsumi and Hosiden -..

Two-day launch sales beat the competition

No matter how much head-scratching came out of the arguably non-portable portable's announcement, we've now learned one thing: it sells. According to Famitsu and sales tracker Enterbrain, the giant handheld sold 103,524 units in two days. While an impressive number, it's still not too surprising given the massive popularity of the DS in Japan. Last year,..

Japanese magazine gives Mario's latest top marks

Print media might be suffering at the moment but that hasn't stopped Japanese magazine Famitsu's influence in the industry. The veteran publication is still seen as something of an authority - both in its native homeland and the West - so the news that it has awarded New Super Mario Bros. Wii a...

Retro-themed freebies = WIN

Western Nintendo fans are used to getting rubbish gifts from Club Nintendo while their Japanese cousins take home some seriously amazing kit, but this latest news is especially depressing for anyone outside the Land of the Rising Sun. Nintendo of Japan is offering actual Game & Watch "Ball" units to Platinum members. The units are replicas of the very first..

Fun for the entire family

The DS XL - known as the DS LL in Japan - is something of a monster. Want proof? Check out this official promotional video, which has been released by Nintendo to advertise the impending Japanese launch of the console. The footage shows an almost unbearably happy Japanese family fawning over their new DS LL, and gives a good impression of just how chunky the new console..

Cook from afar for 50 points

Club Nintendo Japan yesterday reminded the other Club Nintendos around the world just how much better it was by adding the first all-member game download to its service. Take that, Mario Party playing cards! Ultrahand is a bit of an oddity and centers around using the titular object to grab meat off a grill; at 50 Club Nintendo points it's one of the cheapest rewards on..

North America, Europe and Japan get tentative release schedules

In case you were wondering about a release window for Metroid: Other M or any other Nintendo-published title, lo and behold, we have a list. Read with your eyes (or voice software) and mark your calendar with your hand (or voice software). Hey look, Japan is getting a Kirby game. North AmericaNew Super Mario Bros. Wii – Nov. 15,..

Latest issue of Famitsu provides a closer look at the highly-anticipated dose of retro goodness.

Japanese gaming publication Famitsu has provided the world with a first look at Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth. The screens show the typical Gothic look we've come to love and expect from Konami's vintage series. The game appears to follow the...

Lots of cool retro gear on display

This weekend the Kyoto Cross Media Experience 2009 took place in - you guessed it - Kyoto, Japan. Nintendo was in attendance and had plenty of goodies for avid gamers to ogle at. As well as showing off new games for the Wii and DS, the video game veteran had a massive display which illustrated the company's long and proud gaming history. Machines on show included..

Japanese TV show compares the current consoles to four-wheeled vehicles for no good reason

Wii owners are used to being told by their PS3 and 360-owning buddies that their console is underpowered, but such insults usually backfire thanks to the fact that Sony and Microsoft's machines don't have anything as awesome as Super Mario Galaxy. It also helps that Wii is outselling its competitors and..

Is Capcom's mega-hit running out of steam?

The Monster Hunter series is massive in Japan. Stupidly massive. The Japanese simply cannot seem to get enough of it...or so we thought. Latest reports from the Land of the Rising Sun appear to indicate that Monster Hunter 3 - which saw release earlier this month - has stalled at retail. The game sold a staggering one million copies in its first week and..

RPG is selling like hot cakes in Japan

Saying that Dragon Quest is popular in Japan is like saying that Americans are rather partial to hamburgers or that Brits like to indulge in a hot cup of tea every now and then. Since going on sale July 14th, Dragon Quest IX - the latest entry in the long-running franchise - has shifted an incredible 3.39 million units. The game is developed by Level-5 and is..

High demand wagered for Saturday's Japan release.

Monster Hunter 3 Tri isn't even out yet, but Capcom is already bracing itself for massive sales figures. So massive, they've already shipped 1 million copies of the game in Japan According to the publisher, that's the highest pre-release shipment for a third-party Wii game in Japan. Considering the monstrous success of the series in Japan, its black..

360,000 copies sold in first week

The sequel to Nintendo's astonishingly successful Wii Sports has smashed its way to the top of the Japanese sales charts, according to figures released by Media Create. Wii Sports Resort sold a whopping 360,000 copies in its first week on sale. According to Japanese magazine Famitsu, 353,000 of that figure were shifted in its first four days at retail, making it..