Tag: Japan - Page 63
News 3DS Sales Jump in Japan Thanks to Kingdom Hearts
Another big week
Last week 3DS sales jumped 50% thanks to Kid Icarus: Uprising; this week it's Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance bringing about the rise. Square Enix's Disney crossover RPG sold 213,579 units in its first week. By comparison, Kid Icarus shifted 132,526 copies in its first seven days on sale, but this week dropped to fourth place...
News Japan Gets Customisable Club Nintendo Polo Shirts
Get Rover here
Want to be the best dressed gamer out there? These customisable polo shirts are just the thing. Club Nintendo in Japan is offering the shirts to all members for the cost of 550 points. You can choose from one of eight colours and one of six embroidered icons: Donkey Kong, a Fire Flower, Rover from Animal Crossing, Mr Game & Watch...
News Japanese Virtual Console List: April 2012
Slowing down
It's a bit of a slow month this time for Japan, as only two new games will be released. Neither are big surprises: Europe already got one a while ago and the other has already been announced for European release. Both of them are pretty nice games though, so although the offerings are slim compared to normal, at least they're of good...
News Two Code of Princess Trailers Fight to the Fore
Full of heart
3DS scrapper Code of Princess — from the same team behind SEGA Saturn classic Guardian Heroes, remember — is shaping up to be one intriguing title, as these two new trailers show off. The first video is what you'd expect: anime cut scenes, Japanese singing and a jester fighting with a guitar. The second shows off the game's chaotic...
News Kid Icarus Ignites 3DS Sales Spike in Japan
Up nearly 50%
Kid Icarus: Uprising is doing the business for Nintendo in Japan, as hardware sales following its release increased nearly 50% week-on-week. As Masahiro Sakurai's game sold 132,526 units in Japan to top the software chart, 3DS hardware sales hit 94,011, up almost exactly 30,000 on the previous week's tally of 64,017. 3DS accounted for...
News Five Glorious Minutes of Fire Emblem: Awakening Video
What more do you need to know?
It's all in Japanese, but that won't stop you enjoying this video of Fire Emblem: Kakusei (aka Fire Emblem: Awakening), will it? From dialogue and cut scenes to battles and maps, it's got all the daily Fire Emblem nutrition you need. The game's out in Japan next month. Nintendo of Europe has confirmed it'll release the...
News Wario Land 2 is Japan-Bound
Stolen treasure recovered
Japanese 3DS owners can continue their journey through Wario's wicked world next week when Wario Land II reaches the Virtual Console. While here in the West we got two versions of Wario's sophomore outing — one for Game Boy and a revamped Game Boy Color release — Japan only got the colour game, so that's the version...
News Coro Coro Comics 3DS Console Announced
Japanese gamers win again
We often tell you about limited edition 3DS consoles being released in Japan, simply because Nintendo's homeland has so many. There have been hardware exclusives dedicated to various themes, games and anniversaries, though the latest is arguably the most attractive. The console shown in this article's image is celebrating...
News Dynasty Warriors' Samus & Link Costumes Move Like This
Zero-ing in
Those Samus and Link costumes in Dynasty Warriors Vs. certainly look nice in stills, but how about in motion? Your wish is Tecmo Koei's command. The trailer below shows small snippets of Dynasty Warriors' characters clad in the garb of Nintendo's famous blond/e hero/ine, plus footage of Dead or Alive: Dimensions' Ryu Hayabusa and Ayane...
News Intelligent Systems Rejected Modern-Day Fire Emblem Idea
Gunfire Emblem?
As we prepare for Fire Emblem: Awakening to reach the Western world, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata sat down with some of the game's development staff to discuss this latest entry in the tactical fantasy series. Producer Hitoshi Yamagami and project manager Higuchi Masahiro began discussing the 3DS instalment while working on 2010's...
News New Film "100 Yen" Looks at Japan's Arcade History
Insert coin
A new documentary exploring Japan's still-thriving arcade scene is about to hit the 'net. 100 Yen: The Japanese Arcade Experience — a reference to the nationwide shortage of 100 Yen coins following the release of the original Space Invaders — investigates what's helped Japanese arcades stay alive, while those in the West have all-but...
News SEGA Drops Four Sonic Games from Japanese VC
Are we next?
SEGA is taking four Sonic games off the Virtual Console in Japan. The Mega Drive/Genesis games Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Sonic & Knuckles will all be removed from sale on 30th March, along with Sonic the Hedgehog on Master System. There's currently no word on whether these games will re
News Game & Watch Gallery 2 Coming to Japan
Having a ball
What comes after Game & Watch Gallery? If you said Game & Watch Gallery 2, you get a cookie. The Japanese Virtual Console service gets the second compilation next week, retailing for 400 Yen. The original game was released on Game Boy and later revamped for Game Boy Color in the West, but as Japan only got the black and white...
News Samus and Link Suits Pop Up in Dynasty Warriors Vs.
Suits you
Tecmo Koei's next Dynasty Warriors game for 3DS, Dynasty Warriors Vs., features some interesting sartorial options for discerning Nintendo fans. The Japan-only scrapper lets you dress up as Link or Samus in her Zero Suit. They're included on the cart, but you'll have to get far enough in the tutorial mode to unlock them. Note that these...
News Castlevania: The Adventure Whips Japan Next Week
3DS VC gets spooky
Castlevania: The Adventure will take a bite out of the 3DS Virtual Console in Japan next week. The Game Boy game reaches Japan on 14th March alongside the previously-announced launch of Game Gear. Christopher Belmont's solo outing will cost ¥400, and while it's not the best 'vania title on Nintendo's humble black and white...
News Capcom Japan Reprints GameCube Game Gotcha Force
No, we don't know either
Think back to Capcom's GameCube classics: Viewtiful Joe. Killer 7. Resident Evil 4. Good games, one and all, making it all the more baffling the publisher has reprinted Gotcha Force for Japan. The 2003 action RPG didn't review too well and never flourished into a full-on franchise, but Capcom's giving it another shot with a...
News This is Meloetta, Pokémon Number 648
Nice to meet you
Say hello to Pokémon #648: Meloetta. The new 'mon was leaked recently on a movie poster but here's your first good look at official artwork of the musical-themed character. Meloetta has two Formes: Aria is a Normal/Psychic type, while Pirouette Forme is Normal/Fighting, which should result in some interesting strategies...
News Two New MH3G 3DS Bundles to Hit Japan
Roar power
Not content with releasing a cobalt blue 3DS console this month, Nintendo of Japan is also putting together two more hardware bundles for Monster Hunter 3 G. Japanese consumers can pick a red or black 3DS console packaged with a copy of the game and an official MH3G cleaning cloth, all for 19,800 Yen — about £153 / $244 / €183. Has...
News Nintendo Japan Reveals Cobalt Blue 3DS Console
More colour coming
Nintendo of Japan just pulled the sheet off its newest 3DS colour: Cobalt Blue. The darker blue — which you may remember from a DS Lite that hit Japan and North America — is scheduled to go on sale across the country from 22nd March, the same day Kid Icarus: Uprising goes on sale. Even more beautiful is the special edition...
News Japanese Virtual Console List - March 2012
Four more
For the first time in a long while, Japan will actually be receiving fewer Wii Virtual Console games than another region. Europe, to be precise, all because of the truckload of Virtual Console games scheduled for March. Japan will still receive four games though, so let's take a look at what they are. Japan's full list for March is as...
News SEGA AM2's First 3DS Project is Not Virtua Fighter
No, it's not Daytona or OutRun either
Legendary SEGA development team AM2 has created some of the greatest arcade games ever: Virtua Fighter, Daytona USA, OutRun and more. So the studio's first game for 3DS has to be something really exciting, right? Well, it is if you like super-deformed vocaloids with blue hair. That's not to say that Hatsune Miku...
News Pokémon Director Hypes up Sunday Announcement
Oh Masuda, you tease...
At the start of this week you may have seen the news that Pokémon Director Junichi Masuda teased something for Sunday, saying that all would be revealed on Japanese TV show Pokémon Smash. Speculation naturally followed, and Masuda has decided to up the ante with a post on his English-translated Game Freak blog page. His...
News Iwata Hits Out at Nikkei's "Gossip Magazine" Tactics
Don't annoy the big man
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata was very unhappy a quote attributed to him in Nikkei's report about Nintendo resurrecting Seaman for 3DS, and took to Twitter to give his side of the story. While most outlets — including this one — picked up just on the Seaman story, apparently the original Japanese article quoted Iwata as...
News Mario and Luigi 3DS Pouches Hit Club Nintendo Japan
Hats off
The Japanese Club Nintendo rewards just got a little cooler, with Mario and Luigi hats added to the roster. They're not just normal hats though — in fact, they fail to fulfil the primary function of a hat by not staying on your head — but they can be used to hold a 3DS console. These pocket pouches have actually been around before when...
News This is How Game Gear Games Will Look on 3DS
Better than before, naturally
Now we know that Game Gear games are coming to 3DS in March, SEGA has revealed how the titles will actually look on the console. The games use their own Virtual Console menu with options for screen mode, system colour, "performance" and control over after-image/ghosting, a common facet of the original Game...
News Xenoblade Chronicles Team Recruiting for 3DS Game
Is that a Monolith in your pocket or..?
Xenoblade Chronicles developer Monolith Soft is recruiting for an unannounced 3DS project. The Japanese developer has several positions available, including motion designers, 3D CG designers and motion designers. The title doesn't have a name, but considering the jobs specifically mention monsters, maps and...
News SEGA, Capcom and Namco Bandai Tease 3DS Project
Big names, secret game
SEGA, Capcom and Namco Bandai are collaborating on a secret Nintendo 3DS project. The game, which Namco Bandai will publish, has no name or genre so far, just a teaser site available. What do you think these three giant companies could be cooking up for 3DS?
News Game Gear Games Reach Japan VC Next Month
Are we far behind?
The Japanese 3DS Virtual Console service will get its first Game Gear games next month. Andriasang reports the service will get its next new system on 14th March, launching with Sonic the Hedgehog: Triple Trouble, Dragon Crystal and Shinobi. The games will cost ¥300 each — that's about £2.40 or $3.75. Ho
News Code of Princess Battle Movie is Guardian Heroes-Esque
Most wanted?
In case you were still in any doubt that Code of Princess is the spiritual sequel to legendary SEGA Saturn co-op fighter Guardian Heroes, here's some quick footage of the game's battles in action. Featuring four of the cast of playable characters the movie gives you a short introduction to the chaos of battles, with combos, magic, bombs...
News Nintendo Resurrects Dreamcast's Seaman for 3DS
Nothing fishy here
Bizarre Japanese fish conversation simulator Seaman is coming to 3DS, according to Andriasang. The Dreamcast original boasted a microphone that let you talk to the titular fish-with-a-face, giving him commands and building a relationship; in the English version, the voice over was provided by none other than Spock himself, Leonard...
News Nintendo Japan Hosts Nintendo Direct Tomorrow
Why tomorrow..?
Nintendo Japan will host another of its Nintendo Direct internet broadcasts tomorrow at 8pm Japan time (11am GMT / 6am EST / 3am PST). Nintendo president Satoru Iwata will discuss the latest Wii and 3DS developments, so you never know what we might see. The last broadcast, on 27th December, showcased Fire Emblem: Kakusei and Kid...
News Pokémon Director Teases Something for Sunday
We're not sure what
Game Freak director Junichi Masuda has brushed off a fan question about a sequel to Pokémon Black & White with a hint to watch out this Sunday. Asked at a public Q&A for information on a follow-up to Black and White — likely the inevitable Pokémon Grey — Masuda said: I can't answer that yet. Well, I can say to...
News Theatrhythm Gets the Nobuo Uematsu Tears of Approval
Tracks of his tears
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy is released in Japan tomorrow, combining rhythm action with — you guessed it — Final Fantasy. Long-time series composer Nobuo Uematsu just played the game for the first time, and it certainly seemed to strike a chord (sorry) with the legendary musician. Uematsu tweeted: I played Theatrhythm Final...
News In Fire Emblem 3DS, Death Isn't Always Permanent
It's up to you
The Fire Emblem series is probably best known for its "when it's gone, it's gone" approach to units: if they die in battle, they're gone for ever. That's not the case in every Fire Emblem game though: Japan-only DS remake Fire Emblem: Hero of Light and Shadow let you turn this feature on or off, and that option returns in...
News Nintendo Japan Releases First 3DS Paid DLC
Stealing Theatrhythm's thunder
After Nintendo's announcement last year that DLC would arrive on 3DS, it looked like Theatrhythm Final Fantasy — due for release in Japan on 16th Feburary — would be the first title with paid extra content on the handheld. Not to be upstaged, Nintendo has jumped ahead and released three small download packs for a...
News Kirby's Dream Land 2 On the Way to Japanese eShop
Sweet dreams
Kirby's Dream Land is one of the best-selling Virtual Console games on 3DS, so it's no surprise Nintendo is preparing 1995 follow-up Kirby's Dream Land 2 for Japan's eShop next week. The portable platformer heads to Japan's store on 15th February, and will hopefully bound its way over to Europe and North America before too long. In the...
News 3DS Big Three Keep on Selling in Japan
Nearly 4 million served
Nintendo's Christmas trio of top titles continues to sell in Japan into January, with Mario Kart 7, Super Mario 3D Land and Monster Hunter 3 G still topping the country's sales charts. Between them the games have sold 3.94 million copies in Japan, an incredible figure as the most recent hardware sales put the machine at 3.6m...
News Japanese Virtual Console List - February 2012
Neo Geo support continues
Japan is getting three more Wii Virtual Console games this month. The scale is clearly tipped in the favour of the Neo Geo once more, as it will see yet another two games. If only we'd see some more Neo Geo games in the West. Japan's full list for this month is as follows: Super Famicom: Kunio-Kun no Dodge Ball Dayo Zenin...
News Genius Sonority's eShop AR RPG Looks Mad
Cute, though
Japanese developer Genius Sonority — best known for its work on various Pokémon spin-offs over the years — has revealed its next title, due out in the Japanese eShop next week. Called Denpa Ningen RPG — or Electric Wave Person RPG, believe it or not — is an augmented reality RPG where you use the 3DS's cameras to reveal hidden...
News DS Speech Recognition Could Help Disabled Children
Trials underway in Japan
The DS, in its various forms, has not only been the biggest selling handheld console of all time, but has also played a role beyond that of a simple gaming machine. As we reported last year, Art Academy has helped students with their creative skills, while there are plenty of educational software options available. Reports...
News Punch-Out!! is Japan's Next NES 3DS VC Game
OK?
NES pugilist title Punch-Out!! is the next game coming to Japan's 3DS Virtual Console. Due next week for 500 Yen, it's the third NES game to join the service but the first that wasn't released to 3DS Ambassadors: both Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda are available to buy in Japan. Looks like hopes for a 3D Classics: Punch-Out!! just...
News Nintendo Senior Managing Director Nobuo Nagai Passes Away
Sad times
Nintendo senior managing director Nobuo Nagai has died aged 66 after a battle with stomach cancer. Nagai joined Nintendo in 1967, becoming a director in 2000 before moving up to managing director, eventually becoming senior managing director and representative director in 2004. Among Nintendo's board of directors, Nagai had worked at...
News Code of Princess Takes the Fight Online
Getting better all the time
3DS action RPG Code of Princess — from the same team behind SEGA Saturn stunner Guardian Heroes — is set to get online multiplayer, according to 7net (via Andriasang). The site states up to four players — two fewer than on Saturn — can engage in the battle mode, with cooperative quests on offer for those who like...
News Kid Icarus: Uprising Comes With This 3DS Stand
In Japan at least
Kid Icarus: Uprising will be bundled with an arm-saving display stand for the 3DS. The folding stand sits on a desk and cradles the console itself while you use the stylus and face buttons to control Pit. Uprising supports the Circle Pad Pro for left-handed players but don't worry if you're not planning to pick up the peripheral...
News 3DS Still Top of the Japanese Charts
A Happy New Year for Nintendo
In recent weeks Nintendo has been enjoying significant 3DS sales worldwide, making the most of the Holiday period. In Japan, the 3DS set a new console sales record for December, based on records that began in 1997. Although the festive period has now passed, it appears that sales of the handheld are continuing to do...
News Resident Evil: Revelations Art Book and CD Soundtrack Announced
For Japan, so far
The hype is starting to build for Resident Evil: Revelations, not surprising as it's the first major release of the year on 3DS. With that in mind, it seems that Capcom is ready to go the extra mile to give fans of the series all of the content they need to get them excited. According to Andriasang, Capcom has announced a rather...
News 3DS Sets New Japanese Console Sales Record
Blazing a trail
Nintendo 3DS sold more consoles in Japan during December than any other machine on record. Enterbrain (via Andriasang, naturally) has been tracking console sales since 1997. Nintendo sold 1,492,931 3DS systems between 28th November and 25th December, beating any other console in Enterbrain's books. Last week it was revealed that 3DS...
News 3DS Hardware and Software Tops Japan's 2011 Charts
Outselling the rest
Nintendo 3DS has achieved the 2011 chart double in Japan by topping the hardware and software charts for the year. Statistics from Enterbrain (via Andriasang) show 3DS shifted 4,135,739 units since its February launch, twice as many as the second place — and now seven years old — PSP with 1,960,177 sales. Wii didn't make it...
News Japanese Developers Wrap Up 2011, Look Forward to 2012
What did they make of Nintendo?
Japanese website 4Gamer (via Andriasang) recently asked a huge selection of Japanese developers about their best moments of 2011, and what they look forward to in the coming year. Predictably the 3DS featured heavily, with Platinum Games producer Atsushi Inaba calling the console "a revolution in...
News Japanese Virtual Console List - January 2012
Ringing in the new year
Nintendo of Japan continues to deliver the goods, with three more games slated for release on the Wii Virtual Console this month. Will we see any release in the west at all? The full list for Japan this month is as follows: Famicom: Ganbare Goemon 2 — The second game in the classic series (not counting its arcade origins),...
