Tag: Japan - Page 35
News This Week's Japan Charts Show Nintendo With Eight Games In The Top 10
Unfortunately, it missed out on the top two
The latest Media Create figures are in for this week's Japanese charts and they show Nintendo holding onto a whopping 80% of the top 10. The only caveat is the two places Nintendo hasn't claimed are slots number one and number two, which went to Monster Hunter World and Dragon Ball FighterZ respectively...
Random The SNES, Famicom And Mega Drive Are Reborn In These Custom Painted Gundam Figures
Mobile suit retro
Often described as the Japanese Star Wars, Mobile Suit Gundam is one of the longest-running sci-fi properties in the Far East and has millions of fans all over the globe. Gamers will of course be intimately familiar with the franchise thanks to the multitude of officially-licensed games that have appeared on practically...
Feature This Ain't A Scene It's An ARMS Race (At EVO Japan 2018)
Switch exclusive has a competitive community to cherish following EVO Japan
Before fighting game regulars Tekken, Street Fighter and Smash Bros took to the stage at EVO Japan last weekend, a select group of a strong, committed and vocal community came together to advocate the inclusion of the newest title on the roster - Nintendo Switch exclusive...
News Almost Half Of The Games In Japan's Charts Are On Switch, Mario + Rabbids Takes Top Spot
Nintendo continues to hold its own in January
The Media Creates figures for week three of January 2018 are in, and they show another strong set of performances for Nintendo Switch in the East. Nine games in the top 20 are on Nintendo's latest platform with Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle continuing to show cross-market appeal as it grabs the number...
News The Creator Of Smartphone Hit Downwell Has Joined Nintendo
We're welling up
Ojiro "Moppin" Fumoto - best known for the award-winning mobile title Downwell - has joined Nintendo. Fumoto made the announcement via his Twitter account, and his profile now features the text "Downwell / Nintendo". While "serious" gamers often look down on smartphone titles, Downwell is one of those rare cases of a mobile game...
News Sonic The Hedgehog Creator Yuji Naka Joins Square Enix, will "Strive To Develop Games"
The man behind the 'Hog has a new home
Japan's video game output has produced some of the industry's most talented and much-loved developers, but when you're the man who formally led Sonic Team and lead programming on the original Sonic The Hedgehog, you're afforded a little more fanfare when you join a new studio. That's why we're excited to...
Random This Japanese Kid Was Living The Nintendo Labo Dream In October Last Year
Ahead of the game, sort of
Nintendo Labo may have taken the gaming world by complete surprise, but one Japanese player was exploring the joys of cardboard construction as early as October last year. Twitter user masaki_samurai posted the following video of his child playing with a specially-constructed gun in Splatoon 2. OK, so it's not...
News Analysts Suggest Nintendo Switch May Have Sold 14.6 Million, Trounced Wii U Lifetime Sales
If these numbers are true, then wow...
If there's one story - other than the announcement of Nintendo Labo and the divisive response its created - that's dominated Nintendo Switch news, it's how well the console is selling. Wii U has been the benchmark so far, with sales in J
News Zero Gunner 2 Stealthily Launches On Japanese Switch eShop
Zerodiv sneaks Arcade and Dreamcast shmup classic into Japan
We knew it was inbound, but out of nowhere Psikyo's cult shmup Zero Gunner 2 has appeared on the Japanese eShop. It's a pleasant surprise to see this blaster - which fetches a pretty penny on the Sega Dreamcast - pop up on Nintendo's console. If you have a Japanese account...
News SD Gundam G Generation Genesis To Hit Japanese Switches This April
Mechs a lot of sense
Originally released on PS4 and PS Vita back at the end of 2016 as part of the Gundam30th celebration, SD Gundam G Generation Genesis is finally getting another portable release, this time on Nintendo Switch. The caveat being it's currently only being slated for Japan with a 26th April release date and a 6,800 Yen price...
News Zombie Horror Returns To Japanese Arcades With House Of The Dead: Scarlet Dawn
Although a console port does seem unlikely at this stage
We all know our friends in Japan get all the fun games - especially when it comes to its thriving arcade industry - so we're more than a little jealous to learn SEGA will be releasing a brand new House Of The Dead game - subtitled Scarlet Dawn - in 2018. Noticed by twitter user...
Random There's A Super-Secret Bar In Japan Nintendo's Employees Don't Want You To Find
Bar '84' has become the 'Mecca of Nintendo fans'
There are plenty of Nintendo-related shops and locations that both local and foreign fans always make a beeline for when in Japan, but there's one that's become so legendary it's gained the title of the 'Mecca of Nintendo Fans'. Why? Because it's members-only establishment whose location has remained...
News Splatoon 2 Has Become The First Home Console Game This Decade To Sell 2 Million Copies In Japan
Switch is squids in
Nintendo Switch has been claiming many a sales record as a console - racking up impressive performances everywhere from Italy and France to an astounding 4.8 million units shifted in the US alone - but what about its individual games? Well, according to some Japanese chart data release last week,
News Switch's Second Year Will Be "Crucial" Says Nintendo President
Kimishima describes Switch as, “a game console with long lifespan”
Nintendo Switch's inaugural year hasn't even drawn to a close yet, and Nintendo, rather wisely, is already looking to the console's sophomore year. And, according to a recent interview with Nintendo president and all-round head honcho Tatsumi Kimishima, "in order to be playable...
News Nintendo's Employees Once Went On Hunger Strike In Protest To Factory Closures
Back in 1955, that is
We'd all probably love to have a job at Nintendo these days, but back in the 1950s - when Ninty was a manufacturer of playing cards (specifically, a popular Japanese game called 'hanafuda') - things were a little different. Decades before its move towards video games, the firm was going through some internal struggles, which...
News The Food-Obsessed RPG The Snack World: Trejarers To Cook Up A Storm On Switch
The cross-media hit makes the leap from 3DS to Switch
When it comes to zany, oddball ideas, Japan's gaming industry has the market sewn up. Take The Snack World: Trejarers, a cutesy RPG boasting an unhealthy obsession with foodstuffs and smartphones, which has just been announced for Nintendo Switch in Japan. Swapping out a traditional fantasy...
One major retailer has run dry on first-party Switch games
Nintendo Switch has already proved it's a monster seller in terms of console units in Japan, but with all that hardware flying off shelves the demand for software has also gone through the roof. Along with news of Amazon Japan selling out of major first-party titles last week, now one of...
Video The Super Mario Anime Series You Probably Never Knew About
Peach-boy and Princess Peach
Back in 1988, Nintendo was approached by a large Japanese manufacturer called "Amada" with a proposal for creating three anime episodes of famous Japanese tales featuring Mario characters. One of these stories was based off of the tale "Momotaro", meaning "Peach Boy". On a floating island somewhere in space, two Hammer...
News ARMS Keeps On Swinging Thanks To A Group Of Dedicated Fans
Boxing clever
As one of Nintendo's newest first-party IP, ARMS came out swinging haymakers in 2017, but it's often struggled to keep the same kind of exposure as the likes of Splatoon 2, Breath Of The Wild and
News Nintendo Switch Has Already Surpassed Wii U's Lifetime Sales In Japan
Another milestone checked off
As reported in Famitsu earlier in the week - and picked up on by Twitter user Nibel yesterday morning - Nintendo Switch has officially passed the lifetime sales of Wii U in Japan. According to the latest issue's figures, Nintendo Switch has now sold 3,407,158 console units, surpassing the lifetime sales of its...
News Give Your Smartphone A Link To The Past With This Awesome Zelda-Themed Case
One case to Hyrule them all
It's hardly going to rock your world to learn we're quite the fans of all things Hyrulian here at Nintendo Life, so when we got word of a super-rad smartphone case with a serious case of the Zeldas you can imagine our barely contained excitement. Okay, so technically it's only available in Japan at the moment (come on,...
News Grow Your Very Own Ecosystem With Birthdays The Beginning On Switch
Evolution: The Game
You've got to give developers Arc System Works and TOYBOX Inc some props because not many studios would attempt to gamify the entire process of evolution, but that's exactly what they've done with the Switch-bound Birthdays The Beginning. Set to arrive in Japan in March, the Yasuhiro Wada led project combines the world building...
News Japanese Publication Nintendo Dream Surpasses Nintendo Power In Issue Count
Dreams never end
Two-hundred eighty-five. If that number holds any special meaning to you, then you were likely a lifetime follower of the American official Nintendo magazine Nintendo Power. While other magazines, namely Famitsu, have had longer runs and more issues multiple times over, Nintendo Power always held the spot as the longest-lived...
News Burnout Paradise HD Remaster Confirmed For PS4, But Where Does That Leave Switch?
Could we see it confirmed at the next Nintendo Direct?
Following speculation that it would be remastering one of the best open-world driving games ever made, EA has confirmed that Burnout Paradise HD Remaster (that's a tentative title currently) will hit PlayStation 4 in Japan on March 16th, costing 4,104 Yen. Given the Xbox One's dire...
News Switch Has Beaten The PlayStation 2's Year-One Sales In Japan
Just shy of 3.3 million consoles sold, to the PS2's 3 million
The Nintendo Switch is selling incredibly well worldwide, and Nintendo has made bold predictions based on this amazing first year, with 20 million consoles predicted to be sold in the next financial year alone. That might seem like a bold projection, but consider this - the Switch has...
Random This Could Well Be The Silliest Nintendo Switch Accessory Yet
'Comfortable Hands Free Stand' will work wonders for your street cred
We've seen some crazy third party accessories for the Nintendo Switch so far, with 'The Switch Visor' being one of our favourites for lazy players. However, the 'Comfortable Hands Free Stand' as spotted by eagle eyed game developer Jake Kazdal in Japan might take the...
News Nintendo Switch Continues to Dominate in Japan
Over a quarter of a million sales in one week
We may be in the middle of the Holidays, but we still have the Media Create results to show us what's hot - and what's not - in Japan. Unsurprisingly, Nintendo's latest system is continuing to fly off the shelves. Before we get to that, though, we have the software results to look at, and the number one...
News 'Cycle Across Kanto' Aims To Document The Real-Life World Of Pokémon
Pedal power
Here's a fun looking Kickstarter to start your day with. "Cycle Across Kanto" - if successfully funded - is going to be a 40-day, feature-length documentary taking the first-ever cinematic journey through the real-life world of Pokémon. It's no secret that the fictional lands found in various Pokémon games over the years are...
News Nintendo Switch Picks Up Incredible Sales in Japan to Continue Its Strong Run
Yo-kai Watch Busters 2 makes its debut at number one
It's no surprise to hear that the Switch is already close to overtaking the lifetime sales of the Wii U, even if it's a statistic that'll always be harsh on the last-gen system. Nintendo's hybrid console is hot stuff right now and that's especially the case in Japan, where the latest Media Create...
News Switch Set To Overtake Wii U In Japan After Less Than A Year On Sale
230,000 consoles sold in the last week alone
The Switch is close to surpassing the total lifetime sales of the Wii U in Japan after less than a year on sale, according to Famitsu. Last week, Nintendo's console sold 230,000 units in Japan, bringing its total in that region to 2,988,399 units. It launched on March 3rd this year. At the last count,...
News SaGa Series Director Says We Could See Other Entries Get Localised
"We plan on continuing to release titles overseas in the future"
The recent release of Romancing SaGa 2 on consoles in the west is quite significant, as the game was never published outside of Japan at the time of its original launch. The high cost of localising such a massive RPG will no doubt have put Square Enix off the idea in the past, but...
News Super Mario Odyssey Is Japan's Fastest-Selling 3D Mario Outing
More than a million copies sold in 8 weeks
Super Mario Odyssey is Japan's best-selling 3D Mario game, according to recent sales figures from Famitsu. The Switch epic has sold 1,055,806 copies in its homeland after just 8 weeks on sale, putting it above the likes of Super Mario 3D Land (1,042,511 in the same time period) and Super Mario Galaxy 2...
News WorldNeverland: Elnea Kingdom is Coming to Switch Next Year
Simulation and RPG combined
According to the latest issue of Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu, WorldNeverland: Elnea Kingdom will be released on Nintendo Switch in Spring 2018. The game was originally released on iOS and Android stores in 2015 and aims to act as a simulation of a living society. With hints of RPG gameplay elements also involved,...
News Loads Of Rare Zelda Amiibo Are Available Right Now From Amazon Japan
It supports internaional shipping, too
It's the holiday season, so if course it's time to indulge your own needs while you should really be buying those last few gifts for your friends and family. And what better way to 'treat yo'self' than filling in the gaps in your amiibo collection? And oh look, Amazon Japan has just restocked its supplies of...
News Some Japanese Gamers Aren't Happy About Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection
Including Hideki Kamiya
The fact that we're getting a compendium of every Street Fighter game should be cause for celebration, but in Japan some fans are less than happy about the upcoming 30th Anniversary Collection. The problem stems from the fact that Capcom is using the "international" versions of each game. In the small print relating to the...
News These Lovely Smartphone Cases Are Now Available Via My Nintendo, But Only In Japan
Japan continues to get the good stuff
Lucky Japanese gamers will soon able to pick up a series of charming smartphone cases from My Nintendo. They will cost 50 Gold points each. The Limited Pochi Bag has a 8bit Mario design and is free, you just need to pay the postage. Reasonable! The Smartphone Cases have a 30% discount with...
News Nintendo Switch is Still Number One in the Japanese Charts
Holds off the challenge of Monster Hunter: World PS4 Pro model
It's the middle of the week, which means we get an updated look at what's hot and what's not in Japan; though the software charts have new challengers to Nintendo games, hardware is still very much the dominion of a certain hybrid system. Kicking off with software, two new releases on...
News Kirby And Friends Are Getting Some Super Cute Big Chinned-Gachapon Toys
Think Funko Pop Vinyls only with huge jawlines
Funko isn't the only company turning your most beloved characters into oversized caricatures. Over in Japan, gachapon maker Panda no Ana has been making a name for itself with Shakurel Planet - a range of toy-capsules that contain miniature animals with oversized jaws - and it's now turned its attention...
News Nintendo Switch Ends 2017 On A High With 2.5 Million Units Sold In Japan Alone
One handheld console to rule them all
Nintendo Switch hasn't even rounded off its first year and it's already hit another huge milestone, selling a staggering 2.5 million units in Japan so far. Now, that's a lot of people playing Switch on the way to work. The figures were released as part of the regular Media Create report, which shows the latest...
News We Can't Ignore The Switch, Says Sony's Head Of Corporate Planning
Nintendo's system has "captured consumers' attention"
To say that the Switch is selling incredibly well worldwide would be a massive understatement, but in Japan it is particularly dominant, regularly topping both the hardware and software charts. This isn't lost on Sony, which is Nintendo's only genuine rival in its home region. In an interview...
News Pokémon, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and Nintendo Switch Lead the Way in Japanese Charts
Monolith Soft's title beats launch sales of predecessors
It's that time, once again, for the Japanese Media Create charts. They make for some interesting reading this week, with the release of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 being of particular interest. Monolith Soft's title had a pretty decent launch on Switch, securing second place behind Pokémon Ultra...
News Get Those Vocal Cords Ready, Joysound Karaoke Is Coming To Switch
And it works with your Wii U microphone!
It's time to dust off those mics and get those vocal cords ready, because Nintendo has confirmed that Joysound is coming to the Switch as a free download on the Japanese eShop. Like the Wii U version, the game will grant access to 140,000 songs which can be played using timed tickets. ¥324 gets you 3 hours...
Random Check Out This Japanese Guide to Classic LCD Games
Yes, that includes Game & Watch
There are lots of gamers out there who seem to love physical media. Whenever a digital-only game gets a sudden print run on card or disc, people go crazy! Also, plenty of gamers love books - especially books on games. There have been countless tomes released over the last few years; practically every topic has been...
Video Here's How You Play Switch Drumming Game Gal Metal
Waggle to the beat
Gal Metal launches early next year, and DMM Games has released a new trailer which shows how the game's drumming mechanics work. As you can see, the aim is to shake the JoyCon controllers in time with the music - as you perform, a group of 3D characters jam out. Rawk. Gal Metal is scheduled for launch in Japan on February 8th,...
Video Street Fighter II Transformers Get An Awesome Promo Trailer
Just in case you didn't think the idea was cool enough already
A few days ago we reported on the news that Takara Tomy is set to release a special range of Street Fighter-themed Transformer toys, each one representing a character from Capcom's famous one-on-one series. The company has now released a special trailer for the line which, somehow,...
Weirdness Pikachu Is Now A Cultural Ambassador For The City Of Osaka
Don't worry, they've got some actual humans involved too
Pikachu - the world's most famous Pocket Monster - has been made a Cultural Ambassador for the City of Osaka. No, you're not dreaming. Foreign Minister of Japan Tarō Kōno presented Pikachu with the position at a ceremony recently. Hello Kitty (but of course!) was also given...
News Nintendo Switch Hardware Sales Reach Another Level in Japan
It's taking off
With the middle of the week coming around it's time for the Media Create chart results in Japan. It was a week with a number of new releases, but it's the Switch hardware sales that really catch the eye. We'll start off with software as we normally do, and this week sees Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon unsurprisingly...
News Nintendo Tops Toyo Keizai's List Of Japan's Richest Companies, While Sony Is Fourth
Jump up, Super Star!
Japanese business publication Toyo Keizai has released its list of the 500 richest companies in Japan, and Nintendo has come out on top. Nintendo has a whopping 946 billion Yen in net cash reserves, and is - as we know - currently raking it in thanks to the incredibly successful Switch. Nintendo's closest rival in the video...
News Nintendo Launches Some Charming Festive Switch Commercials in Japan
Happy times
We're into the final few weeks before the festive season - that's another month of shopping before some much needed downtime to wrap up the year. Nintendo's had a fantastic 2017 with the launch of the Switch, and is naturally hoping to finish it strongly. Perhaps due to the different shopping habits in Japan - some of the biggest...
News We're A Little Bit In Love With These ARMS Mobile Phone Keychains
Only in Japan, of course
In the next thrilling instalment of "Japan gets all the cool stuff", we have these amazing mobile phone keychains (not sure if it's even accurate to call them that, but we were stumped on any other description) based on weapons from ARMS, which is officially 2017's most underrated video game (OK, semi-officially). Produced...
