Tag: Japan - Page 47
Video Kadokawa Games Showcases Rodea The Sky Soldier Footage and Hands-On Event
Kid Icarus X Sonic
Rodea The Sky Soldier has had a difficult route to release: originally developed by Prope under the leadership of Yuji Naka - a founding father of Sonic the Hedgehog - it was apparently largely complete for the Wii and 3DS, yet publisher Kadokawa Games was largely silent. Prope dropped away and, somewhat surprisingly, Kadokawa...
Weirdness These Nifty 8-bit Super Mario Collectables May Make Canned Coffee Taste Better
Prepare to get wired
Japanese beverage company DyDo has teamed up with Nintendo to make canned coffee even more appealing. Starting on 17th February the drinks manufacturer will be putting a range of 8-bit Super Mario themed collectables on top of their cups. It appears that lucky Japanese customers will be able to collect 8-bit style Mario, Luigi,...
News GBA Classics Sonic Advance And Mega Man & Bass Arrive On The Japanese Wii U eShop Next Week
Two welcomed additions
SEGA and Capcom continue their strong support for Nintendo’s digital eShop platform next week, with the simultaneous release of Sonic Advance and Mega Man & Bass on the Japanese Wii U Virtual Console. Priced at 702 yen each, the 2001 and 2002 Game Boy Advance titles will be unleashed on 18th February. Sonic Advance is...
Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery
Today has brought news of yet another RPG title on the way with the newly announced Apprentice Witch and Fluffy Friends (translation via GoNintendo); it's due for release on 23rd April in Japan on the 3DS. The game is published by Nippon Columbia and the first screenshots drew many comparisons to Yo-Kai...
News This Xenoblade Chronicles X Hardware Bundle for Japan is Rather Lovely
Dual-sided sleeve! Art Book! Map! More!
Nintendo has streamed a live presentation of Xenoblade Chronicles X, which brought 24 minutes of footage that showed off the game's world. It also announced some practical details ahead of the Japanese release on 29th April, such as the availability of pre-purchase downloads on the eShop to speed up launch day...
News Yokai Watch Trading Card Game Deals 100 Million Cards In Eight Months
Another success for the franchise
The Pokémon trading card series has been running for years and continues to generate revenue for Game Freak and Nintendo, but it's not the only game of this type that Nintendo has up its sleeve. The recent Level-5 3DS hit Yokai Watch - which has since been followed by Yokai Watch 2 - has its own collectable card...
News Here's What Pokémon Fighter Pokkén Tournament's Arcade Cabinet Looks Like
Fighting in the streets
Bandai Namco's Pokémon-themed one-on-one brawler Pokkén Tournament is getting ever closer to its Japanese release, and the company has now released an image of what the final cabinet will look like. The image shows that a control guide has been placed above the screen - which will prove handy when you forget which button...
Wii U hardware sales dip a little further
As per normal on a Wednesday the Media Create charts in Japan have emerged, with this week's results bringing a few new releases and a subtle shift in the hardware battle in Nintendo's homeland. To start with software, Atlus RPG Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 Record Breaker has made its début at...
News New Trailer For 3DS RPG Bravely Second Launches In Japan
Bravely does it
If the wait for Bravely Second is just becoming too much then take a look at the Japanese trailer below to get your daily dose. Square Enix have been drip-feeding its fan base with tantalising titbits over the last few months including Bravely Second screenshots and art work, additional information on Edea Lee's return, the "Undo"...
News Kirby and the Rainbow Curse Misses Out on Topping Japanese Charts at Launch
New 3DS LL continues to top hardware charts
Despite having gorgeous claymation-inspired visuals and lashings of colour, Kirby and the Rainbow Curse only managed to reach the third spot in the Japanese charts, being beaten by Tales of Zestiria on PS3 and The Legend of Legacy on the 3DS. It's a shame given just how charming the game looks, but...
News New Pokkén Tournament Controller and Gameplay Details Emerge
Input fit for a console
Initially teased as a tech demo nearly two years ago and officially announced with a trailer last August, Pokkén Tournament, an arcade fighter featuring playable characters from the Pokémon franchise, has remained a bit of a mystery. Originally thought to be a new Wii U title, it was later revealed that the new fighting...
Video Latest Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call DLC Comes Packed With Fan Service
World Ends With You! Chrono Trigger! Romancing SaGa 3!
Square Enix has kindly launched a trailer covering the new batch of DLC content for Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call that will be launched in Japan this week. The most exciting part is that four songs from RPG classics Chrono Trigger and The World Ends With You are arriving, as well as a...
News New 3DS and Nintendo-Exclusive Games Stay On Top in Japanese Charts
Wii U hardware dips back into four figures, however
Though the start of 2015 has been eventful in terms of announcements from Nintendo, it's been typically quiet on the game release front. That's certainly reflected in the latest Media Create charts in Japan, though the status-quo happens to suit Nintendo's 3DS systems rather well. In terms of...
News Yokai Watch Yo-Kai Pad Sells Out in a Blink in Japan
You don't even know what it is, but now you want one
So that Yokai Watch game, right? It's gargantuan in Japan and slowly working its way westward, even bringing its anime along with it. It's enough to make any '90s kid relapse into the Pokéjitters waiting for this franchise to arrive--just what is so amazing about it?! Well, it'll still be a...
News A New Rhythm Heaven Game On Nintendo 3DS Is Music To Our Ears
Will contain 100 mini-games, 70 taken from existing titles
The recent Nintendo Direct broadcast was so packed with content that we can surely be forgiven for missing one or two things from the Japanese event -- one of which is the news that there's going to be a 3DS entry in the popular Rhythm Heaven series. The title is expected to hit Japan this...
News New Nintendo Wii Remotes Come in Bowser and Toad Colours
All Bowser, all the time
Nintendo may, in decades to come, regard the Wii Remote as its greatest controller. While we can argue until the cows come home about the layout of the GameCube controller or the merits of a classic SNES pad, the Wii Remote is a sales phenomenon that has been waved around by hundreds of millions of people. Spanning two...
News Xenoblade Chronicles X Hits Japan on 29th April
Localise with haste, Monolith Soft!
Nintendo's various Direct broadcasts had plenty of good news, and some reassurance for Western fans of Xenoblade Chronicles X came in the form of a new trailer that not only showed off extensive footage, but also reiterated a 2015 release date. It's clear why Nintendo is confident, as the title - simply known as...
News Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Edition Was The Result Of A Speculative Pitch From GungHo Online
3DS puzzle title will feature other famous Nintendo characters
Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Edition was announced recently, and looks to combine the popular mobile (and later 3DS) puzzle franchise with Nintendo's most famous character. Speaking with 4Gamer, developer GungHo Online's Daisuke Yamamoto and Kazuki Morishita have revealed that the...
Coming to Japan this April
Nintendo has announced it will collaborate with Tokyo-based publisher & developer GungHo Online Entertainment to release an exclusive Mario-themed variation of the company's popular mobile hit, Puzzle & Dragons, on the 3DS later this year. The 3DS adaptation, Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition, will...
Weirdness Meet The Studybox, The Famicom's Audio Edutainment System
Video games have often been twinned with education to create fun, interactive experiences which both entertain and enlighten, but one of the oldest examples has to be Fukutake Publishing's Studybox, a tape drive peripheral for the Famicom (the Japanese version of the NES) which ran tape-based games that featured actual recorded audio. Using audio...
News Nintendo Dominated Japan During 2014, Despite A Shrinking Market
Every single one of Japan's top 10 games for 2014 was on a Nintendo format
Famitsu has just revealed sales data for the Japanese games market in 2014 which illustrates the astounding populairty of the 3DS in that particular region. Nintendo's handheld sold 3,153,045 units during last year, twice the amount that the second-placed system -- the PS...
Weirdness Guess What, A Pokémon Title Exists On A Sega Console
Meet Pocket Monsters Best Wishes! Chinou Ikusei Pokémon Daiundoukai
Sometimes, you hear a piece of information which is so outlandish it simply has to be true, and that's exactly what happened while we were lazily browsing Twitter here in the Nintendo Life office this evening. While sifting through the usual stream of gaming nonsense and...
Weirdness Japanese Rock Legend Gackt Has Finally Beaten Mega Man 2
A victory months in the making
Back in July of last year (we're still not used to typing that yet) we told you about Japanese rocker Gackt's ongoing quest to beat the NES title Mega Man 2. In case you didn't know, Gackt — whose real name is Kamui Gakuto — was once part of the band Malice Mizer, but has since become one of Japan's most popular...
News Free Pokémon Alpha Sapphire & Omega Ruby Medley Added To Taiko: Drum Master For Wii U
Gotta drum 'em all
Those of you lucky enough to own a Japanese Wii U may have already picked up Bandai Namco's Taiko: Drum Master Extra Large Serving, the latest in a long line of drumming action titles. If you haven't, then the news that a special Pokémon Alpha Sapphire & Omega Ruby Challenge Medley has been added to the game might have you...
Video This Theatrhythm Dragon Quest Trailer Proves The Fantasy Isn't Final
Move over, Cloud Strife
After two critically and commercially successful outings based on the Final Fantasy series, Square Enix's Theatrhythm franchise is being expanded to include Dragon Quest — the company's other million-selling RPG brand. A new trailer has just been released in Japan which shows off footage from Theatrhythm Dragon Quest —...
Video New One Piece: Super Grand Battle! X Trailer Shows Off Its amiibo Costumes
Toys to strife
Bandai Namco's forthcoming 3DS fighter One Piece: Super Grand Battle! X is shaping up very nicely indeed, with visuals that challenge the likes of Super Smash Bros. when it comes to the "How the hell are they making the 3DS do that?" stakes. However, another reason to be interested in this title is the fact that like Bandai Namco...
News Yokai Watch Anime Spiriting Westward
Level-5 also teasing an even "bigger" franchise for next year
It's already pretty well known that the runaway hit franchise Yokai Watch has had plans to spread out of Japan and peacefully annex the West into its empire. But in case you were worried they were beginning to forget about us, Level-5 head Akiro Hino recently confirmed that the anime will...
Video SEGA's 3D Classics Collection Now Available In Japan, Looks Delightful
Includes an array of retro experiences
While 3DS owners in the West are still anticipating the release of the second batch of SEGA 3D Classics on the eShop in 2015, Japan is already being treated to a boxed collection of the series, including 6 of the 12 games currently ported, enhanced and released by developer M2. Announced in September as Sega...
Matters Of Import Collectible Badge Centre Brings A Personal Touch To 3DS Customisation
Gotta catch 'em all, quite literally
Nintendo is in something of a quandary at the moment. Their handheld business is obviously doing very well, but at the same time the company can’t help but glance over at the millions made from cheap smartphone apps and their "free" alternatives and long for a slice of that lucrative revenue stream. So, with...
Matters Of Import Final Fantasy Explorers Fights For Capcom's Crown
The Diet Coke of Monster Hunter
We’ve finally got around to try out the "Lite" version of Square Enix’s new team-based action RPG Final Fantasy Explorers; a playable taste of the early stages that allows adventurers to transfer certain parts of their save to the real thing when it releases in Japan today. Anyone who’s played Monster Hunter or...
News Fan Takes amiibo on Lighthearted Journey to their Homeland
A Christmas endeavour
Nintendo's got its audience over a barrel with its range of amiibo toys, and it seems that their charms have taken over certain fans' hearts, however most people don't take this appreciation to the lengths that one fan has. A Facebook page has recently appear that documents the adventures of Pikachu, Fox, and Mario in their...
News Please Sega, All We Want For Christmas Are These Amazing New 3DS Themes In The West
Variants on a theme
Ever since Nintendo introduced 3DS themes with a recent system update, we've seen a steady stream of cool backgrounds on our beloved handhelds. However, as if often the case, our Japanese friends are getting a superior offerings. There are already plenty of amazing themes available in that part of the world, and Sega has just...
News Yo-Kai Watch: Shin'uchi Storms to Japanese Chart Summit as 3DS and Wii U Sales Increase
Reports of Level-5 executives rolling in bundles of cash are unconfirmed
Yo-Kai Watch is a phenomenon in Japan — we're still waiting for it to come to the West — and has once again achieved truly impressive sales at launch, while Nintendo can enjoy some strong hardware sales in this week's Media Create Charts. Kicking off with the software top...
Video Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy Plus Shows Off Its amiibo Fighters
New trailer shows off Nintendo-themed liveries
Bandai Namco has released a trailer for its forthcoming update of the 3DS title Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy. Going by the name Ace Combat 3D: Cross Rumble Plus in Japan, the title is one of the first 3DS releases to include support for the newly-released amiibo range of interactive toys. Tapping...
First Impressions Bravely Second's Demo Comes Out Fighting
Watch the first 30 minutes right here
About a year ago we gave the original Bravely Default a whopping 9/10 in our review, so it was with some excitement that we battled through numerous eShop error messages for hours on end, desperate to get our grubby mitts on the Japanese Bravely Second demo that released recently. So how does Bravely Second...
News 3DS Brawler One Piece: Super Grand Battle! X Is Getting amiibo Support
Unlocks new costumes for the fighters
It has been revealed that Namco Bandai is bringing amiibo support to its 3DS title One Piece: Super Grand Battle! X. This is the second Namco Bandai title to showcase connectivity with Nintendo's new "toys to life" range, with Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy Plus already confirmed. The scan shown below —...
Luigi and co. clean up
Last Friday Super Smash Bros. for Wii U was finally released in Japan, and to no surprise it's taken the top spot in this week's Japanese charts courtesy of Media Create. Although the numbers aren't as grand as for the launch of the 3DS version, there are only around two million Wii U owners in Japan, meaning that ten percent...
News Nintendo Celebrates Landmark of Record Sales Success for Million-Selling 3DS Games
Four games have sold 2 million copies in the last 5 months in Japan
While hardware results have slowed due to a certain level of critical mass, the 3DS remains a major success story in Japan, in particular. Along with the release of the New Nintendo 3DS — which is helping the portable maintain its dominance in the hardware charts for the country...
News The Next Theatrhythm Game Is All About Dragon Quest, And It's Coming To The 3DS In 2015
Japanese launch happening in March
Square Enix's Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy games have been a commercial and critical success for the company, taking the legendary tunes heard in the million-selling series and placing them in an incredibly compelling rhythm action context. Given that Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call has pretty much mined the...
News The Latest 3DS Home Themes in Japan Have Monsters, Cute Cats and Festive Cheer
Ticking all the boxes
While we're seeing plenty of 3DS HOME Themes make their way to the West, our curiosity with Japanese culture means that we can't help but be intrigued by themes released in Japan; it also helps that Nintendo regularly releases charming videos showing them off. The most recent batch of ten videos from Nintendo caught our eye,...
News This Ancient Promotional Calendar Is Filled With Rich Nintendo History
Could this be one of the oldest pieces of Nintendo merch ever?
Nintendo’s beginnings started out in Japan in late 1889 when the company produced a playing card game known as Hanafuda. Since then, the Big N has dabbled in all forms of entertainment including video games, bowling alleys and even love hotels. With such a rich history, it comes as no...
News Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire and New 3DS Lead in Japan, With Wii U Sales Improving
Etrian Odyssey Untold 2 enters charts at number three
As we rattle towards the festive season and retail sales spike, Nintendo is no doubt hoping for strong sales around the world to move towards its targets and overall profitability. While the peak season has arrived in the West — with Black Friday, for example — the biggest sales boosts in...
Video Nintendo Shows Off a Series of New Third-Party 3DS HOME Themes in Japan
Tales of the Abyss! Puyo-Puyo! Stuff you might not recognise!
When Nintendo introduced 3DS HOME Themes earlier this year it was fairly reasonable to wonder whether it would be a rather limited initiative, with a small range of first-party themes that would gradually lose momentum. That's not the case so far, however, with new designs arriving most...
News Latest Sales Data For Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire Finds Fans Are Growing Older
Super Smash Bros. players are also getting on
Since its inception, Pokémon has been commonly associated with a young audience. Whilst this connection remains intact, the latest data from Japanese sales tracker Media Create reveals the primary purchasers of Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire in Japan on release were not necessarily children or...
News Nintendo's Official Japanese Site Suggests Discontinuation of Certain 3DS Units
Disappointment XL
Nintendo's official Japanese website has begun displaying a notice above some of its 3DS models that speaks doom for some of the variants. The message translates to: Production is slated to end shortly It seems Nintendo is really trying to push the New 3DS into the hands of the Japanese public, and by reducing the number of...
News Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire Storm Japanese Charts, New 3DS Sales Climb in Unison
There's 1,500,000 or more to see
Not content with securing first place in the Japanese sales charts, Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire also managed to secure second place as well with the Double Pack variation. This amounts to over 1,500,000 physical sales for the monster-catching experience in its first week of sales, an astounding feat which...
News 1.5 Million Copies Of Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire Sold In Japan Within Three Days
Gotta sell 'em all!
With Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire being two of the most anticipated 3DS releases of 2014 – as well as one of the most requested remakes from the Pokémon line – it comes as no surprise that over 1.5 million copies of the latest entries in the series have been sold in Japan within the first three days of its...
Video New Rodea the Sky Soldier Footage Shows Off Progress
Looks like a modest upscale from the Wii version
For quite a while Rodea the Sky Soldier seemed destined to remain in publishing purgatory, with original developer Prope and project lead Yuji Naka declaring the Wii version finished and simply awaiting release, while the 3DS iteration was mostly ready. Whatever happened behind the scenes, publisher...
News Atlus Confirms Etrian Odyssey X Mystery Dungeon and Reveals Etrian Odyssey V Teaser
Buckle up, RPG fans
The 3DS has already established itself as a terrific console for fans of RPGs, particularly those developed in Japan. Atlus are the main contributors to that, of course, not only producing excellent titles but also localising them to North America and — gradually — Europe. Those that enjoy this output have some good news to...
News The 3DS Proves to Be a Popular Music Player in Japan
Exposed shoulder buttons not an issue
Contrary to the West, Japan has an app that allows 3DS owners to download and listen to music, and despite the prominence of smaller and more dedicated media devices, many Japanese gamers are taking full advantage of the system. Recently hitting 3 million downloads, RecoChoku is the app in question. The site...
