Tag: Japan - Page 12
Random Artwork In Retro Japanese Magazine Depicts Link As A Female
Update: Years later, a clearer image appears
Update: Thanks to @HistoryofHyrule, we now have a much clearer look at the mysterious female Link spotted in the 1986 issue of Shonen Captain. Further details on the image's origins can be found in our original article below. Original Article (Tue 2nd Apr, 2019 04:30 BST): Back in 2015,
Random Check Out This 1986 Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Book Where You Play As Zelda
Explore the story of Ganon's long-lost brother
Fantastic game history archiving news, everybody! History of Hyrule, a prolific Zelda archivist, has just uploaded a high-quality scan of The Legend of Zelda: The Mirage Castle, a choose-your-own-adventure book from 1986, shortly after the release of the first Legend of Zelda game. Because The Mirage...
News Sega Is Exiting The Japanese Amusement Arcade Business After Half A Century
All Sega arcades in Japan to be re-branded
Sega Sammy has announced it is selling the remaining 14.9% of its Sega Entertainment division to rental business Genda Inc., the company which purchased 85.1% of Sega Entertainment’s shares in 2020. The sale follows a torrid time for arcade operators globally, with the ongoing pandemic massively...
Japanese Charts Switch Continues To Dominate In A Largely Unchanged Lineup
OLED leads the charge
Famitsu's Japanese chart figures are now in for the week ending 23rd January, revealing that Mario Party Superstars is still leading the pack. With another 20,340 physical sales under its belt, Mario's latest hit has managed to fend off Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl for another week. Pokémon remains in second...
News A New Hatsune Miku Puzzle Game Has Been Announced For Nintendo Switch
Update: Here's your first look
Update [Wed 26th Jan, 2022 05:00 GMT]: And we've now got a first look via the game's Twitter account. It illustrates how you'll have to connect matching eggs on a grid to erase them. And to clear a stage, you must erase all of the eggs. Update [Sat 22nd Jan, 2022 13:30 GMT]: This new puzzle entry in the Hatsune...
Video Check Out Japan's 'Final Preview' Trailer For Pokémon Legends: Arceus
Journey to the Hisui region later this week
There's not much longer to go now until the launch of Pokémon Legends: Arceus on the Switch. Although we're nearly there, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company are still blasting us with daily videos. Today's clip is a 'final preview' of the game, courtesy of Japan's Pokémon YouTube channel. It recaps some...
News Pokémon Illustration Contest Could See Your Artwork Made Into An Official Trading Card
Update: Submissions close soon!
Update: The Pokémon Company has reminded us that you only have one more week to enter the Trading Card Illustration Contest 2022. Submissions close on 31st January; more details can be found in our original article below. Original Article (Wed 15th Sep, 2021 13:00 BST): The Pokémon Company is kicking off its...
News No More Heroes Creator Suda51 Says He's Had A Few Meetings With Marvel
"we’ve talked about the possibility of working together"
We've heard previously how Goichi 'Suda51' Suda is a Marvel fan and would "love" to work on one of the company's video game projects, and it seems there have been some developments. In a recent interview with Japanese publication Automaton, the director of No More Heroes III was asked about...
News Japanese Magazine Nintendo Dream Might Be Teasing A New Game
Could it be another Kirby title?
Kirby and the Forgotten Land is arriving on the Switch this March, but it turns out Nintendo might have a little bit more planned for the pink puff in the near future. According to a translation by Twitter user Dededaio (as spotted by VGC), the upcoming February 21 issue of Japanese publication Nintendo Dream could...
Feature Japan's 'G-Mode Archives' - The Retrogame Series You've Never Heard Of
A great way to play some more old games on Switch
If you're a retro game enthusiast, you're likely aware of Hamster's excellent Arcade Archives and ACA NEO GEO lines which both boast sizeable catalogues on Switch eShop. There is, however, another predominantly Japanese set of retro releases that might have passed you by completely: the G-Mode...
News Piplup Distribution Announced For Pokémon Legends: Arceus And Diamond/Pearl Remakes In Japan
Will it come to the west?
Japanese fans will soon be treated to a new Pokémon distribution following the upcoming launch of Pokémon Legends: Arceus on Nintendo Switch. The special Pokémon in question is Piplup, with owners of both the new Legends: Arceus game and Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl being offered the chance to claim one...
Japanese Charts Mario Party Superstars Leads In Another Dominant Week For Nintendo
Nintendo's home success continues
Famitsu's Japanese chart figures are now in for the week ending 16th January, revealing that Mario Party Superstars has once again taken top spot. The game sold a further 22,108 physical copies to stay in first place, with Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl shifting 19,129 copies between them to land in...
Random Nintendo Shows Switch Owners How To Delete Games, Uses Super Mario Bros. 35 As An Example
"Never forget what they took from us"
As you might recall, Nintendo released a "limited-time" battle royale title called Super Mario Bros. 35 on the Switch eShop in 2020. Although the game could still be active, the company decided to take it offline when Mario's anniversary celebrations ended. If it wasn't already hard enough for fans of this...
Review Cotton Fantasy (Switch) - A Joyful, Mischievous, And Incredibly Varied Shmup
Any Witch Way
When it comes to the cute-’em-up sub-genre, the characterful witch Cotton and the series to which she lends her name are effectively royalty. There are other games that have been important in defining a niche where shmups’ staple fighter craft, tanks and laser turrets are replaced with kittens, candy canes and cuddly toys, of...
But it needs to know what you think...
Right before the end of 2021, during one of Hamster's Arcade Archives streams, Hori revealed a special "retro game controller" designed for old-school gaming and Arcade Archives titles. So far they've come up with a bunch of concepts - including a modular one, which would allow plays to change the controller...
Japanese Charts Mario Party Superstars Knocks Pokémon Diamond And Pearl Off Top Spot
Switch dominates software and hardware charts
Famitsu's Japanese chart figures are now in for the week ending 9th January, revealing that Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl have lost their position at the top of the charts for the first time since launch. This week, that honour instead goes to Mario Party Superstars, which is up from...
News Among Us Is Getting Turned Into A Manga
Amanga Us
Among Us' cultural saturation has reached new highs, as it was announced today that the social deduction game would be getting a one-off manga adaptation in the February edition of Bessatsu Corocoro, a monthly Japanese manga magazine. "How on earth," you might ask, "can they turn Among Us into a manga?" Well, it wouldn't be the first...
News Sega Has Established A New Development Studio In Japan
Will be led by Takaya Segawa
Sega, the video game company behind Sonic the Hedgehog and the Yakuza series, has established a new studio in Sapporo, Japan. It's been set up in response to the rapid expansion of the games industry and will be Sega's second development base in the country. According to the official website, 'Sega Sapporo' is made up...
News The Pokémon Company Is Sponsoring Sumo Wrestling Again
Snorlax used Wrestle!
Following the success of The Pokémon Company's partnership with sumo wrestling tournaments last year, the collaboration is continuing, with The Pokémon Company sponsoring themed banners and kimonos. You'll notice that the Pokémon featured are specifically those from Sinnoh, referencing the recent release of Brilliant...
Video Pokémon Legends: Arceus Gets Three New Commercials
Gotta watch 'em all
Nintendo yesterday uploaded a brand new six-minute trailer of Pokémon Legends: Arceus, a Switch release that arrives later this month on January 28th. To go with it, it's also shared three new commercials - showcasing the game's environments, mechanics and all of the Pokémon trainers can expect to encounter in the region of...
Japanese Charts Pokémon And Nintendo Switch Dominate The Holiday Period
Sales data arrives for two weeks over Christmas
Famitsu's Japanese chart figures are now in for the two weeks spanning 20th December to 2nd January, revealing that Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are still performing very strongly indeed at the top of the pile. The two games sold a further 231,275 retail copies combined in Japan over...
News Switch Sold More Units Than Every Other Console Combined In Japan Last Year
In line with its 2020 results
While Switch proved to be a major hit in the heavily disrupted 2020, production and distribution challenges nevertheless meant some sales were left behind. It seems that 2021, with some improvements in supply levels, was another strong selling year for Nintendo; now there are Japanese sales figures to reinforce that...
News Golf Story Is The Next Free Trial For Nintendo Switch Online In Japan
A hole-in-one
If you're a subscriber of Nintendo's Switch Online service and happen to be based in Japan, the next free game trial you'll be given access to is the RPG sports title, Golf Story. It'll be made available in this region from 7th January (tomorrow) and will be playable until the following Friday on January 14th. You can also...
Random Pokémon Piplup Aims To Get Real Swole In This New Fitness Video
Don't worry, it's only the "Beginner's Edition" if you want to join in
It's not enough for Piplup to have its own ASMR videos and social media accounts – this adorable Pokémon now has its own series of fitness videos, too. The Pokémon Company has just released a video that shows Piplup training in a Gold's Gym fitness club, with the ultimate...
Bring it
Video game companies around the globe have been preparing for 2022 for some time now, and it includes Koei Tecmo. In an end-of-year 4Gamer feature, the Japanese company teased what's to come in the new year. Apparently, it intends to reveal a number of projects that have been in development for several years and will pave the way for the...
News Here Are Japan's Top 30 Best-Selling Switch eShop Games For 2021
Monster Hunter Rise takes out top spot
It's that time of year where companies reveal all sorts of data about consumer spending habits, and on the Switch front, Nintendo has shared the top 30 best-selling games on the Japanese eShop in 2021. Capcom's latest entry in the Monster Hunter series took out the top spot and following this were all sorts of...
Random Shigeru Miyamoto Hijacks Nintendo's Twitter Account
To thank fans for voting Nintendo in Japan's TV poll
Nintendo fans on Twitter got quite the surprise yesterday when a tweet by the official company account sent out a message from the creator of Mario, Shigeru Miyamoto. Yes, in a short tweet - Miyamoto took control of the company's Twitter account (don't worry, we're sure he had permission) to...
"Leave it to the big companies to overwhelm the players... let's do what only we can do!"
Here at Nintendo Life we're huge fans of Ancient, the company set up by composer Yuzo Koshiro and his family which has worked on some absolute brilliant games over the last three decades — including Mega Drive classics Streets of Rage 2 and Beyond Oasis, and...
News Japan's Top 100 Console Games Of All Time Revealed, According To A Nationwide TV Network Poll
50,000 players voted
The Japanese television network TV Asahi ran a special broadcast yesterday where 50,000 players around the nation voted for their favorite console (and handheld) video games in a poll. The votes were there compiled into a "Top 100" list and Nintendo took out the top position - with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild...
News Dragon Quest X Offline Has Been Delayed Until Summer 2022
The team wants it to be the best experience possible
Dragon Quest X Offline for Nintendo Switch was due to arrive in Japan on 26th February next year, but it's now the latest game to delayed. The title will now launch in Summer 2022, and the DLC expansion content has also been postponed. The reason behind this tough decision is to improve the...
News M2 Is Bringing Yet Another Classic Shmup To Switch Next Year
Update: Release date and trailer revealed
Update: M2 has revealed that Toaplan Arcade Garage: Hishou Same! Same! Same! will launch in Japan on April 28th, 2022 (thanks, Gematsu). The collection will come in both digital and physical forms, with the latter shipping with a download code for Sennou Game Teki Paki. Players will also have access
News More Klonoa Trademarks Have Surfaced Online
Is Bandai Namco up to something?
Update [Thu 23rd Dec, 2021 02:30 GMT]: Following on from last week, trademarks have now been filed in Canada on 17th December and Europe on 20th December for 'Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series' (via Gematsu). Update [Sat 18th Dec, 2021
Where's our diploma in slime-slicing?
Ancient — the family company of VGM composer Yuzo Koshiro and developers of everything from Sonic The Hedgehog’s debut Game Gear outing to Gotta Protectors for the 3DS — released Royal Anapoko Academy in Japan on 16th December 2021. Like much of its output in recent years, this light-hearted RPG is an...
Welcome to episode 74,651 of 'Japan Gets All The Best Stuff'
The idea that Japan gets all the best stuff is a long-established and indisputable fact. In the West we tend to either get cheap tat on the level of a McDonald's toy or super premium figures and statues costing thousands — but Japan seems to get a ton of quality everyday video game merch...
Random Who Needs The Mother Games When You Can Have This Watch Instead
But seriously, can we have the games now?
Mother and EarthBound fans located in Japan might not be able to enjoy the older entries in the series on the current generation Nintendo hardware, but at least they'll be able to tell the time with this themed digital watch made by Casio. Hobonichi has announced a collaboration with the Japanese...
An "original episode" awaits
Dragon Quest X Offline is scheduled to arrive in Japan on 26th February 2022, and in the lead-up to its release, Square Enix has shared some new details about the game. For those who have played DQX before, there will still be some new content to enjoy and a new character to meet in the offline version. Here's the scoop...
News AAA Clock's 'Squid Game'-Inspired DLC Is Coming To The West In Time For New Year
"What better way to measure New Year's Eve until midnight than by AAA Clock?"
Update: RedDeerGames has confirmed that AAA Clock's new 'deluxe' version and its accompanying DLC will be coming to the west: AAA Clock has just been ranked alongside Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl and Shin Megami Tensei V in the new, "Most Played" section...
News Deathsmiles Collection Gets A Western eShop Release At The End Of The Month
The shoot 'em up of gothic horrors is back
Update [Sat 18th Dec, 2021 06:55 GMT]: It's official, Deathsmiles I.II is coming to the Switch eShop here in the West on 30th December 2021. It'll be available for $39.99 USD or your regional equivalent. It'll require 3.5 GB of space and supports up to two players. Our review for the Japanese version of the...
News Sega's Astro City Mini Is Getting A 'TATE' Version Packed With Shmup Goodness
Batsugun! Battle Bakraid! Armed Police Batrider!
Sega's Astro City Mini is getting a new version that features a vertically-oriented screen, it has been revealed. The Astro City Mini V looks much like the original, but its screen is tilted 90 degrees to accommodate 'TATE' games. Taito is taking a similar route with its similar Egret II Mini, which...
News Cave Story's Secret Santa Is Available Now On Switch, But Only In Japan
Available for a limited time only
If you're looking for something to help get you in the festive mood, then Cave Story's Secret Santa might be just the ticket. Developed by Nicalis in cooperation with Cave Story creator Studio Pixel, Cave Story's Secret Santa is “a bite-sized side story of stealth and puzzle-solving, with familiar characters and...
News Bub Is Back! Taito Is Developing A New Puzzle Bobble Game
Get ready to Bust-A-Move
Taito's Bubble Bobble series is currently celebrating its 35th anniversary and as part of this, the Japanese company has announced a new entry in the spin-off series Puzzle Bobble (Bust-A-Move) is currently in development. Puzzle Bobble game director Tsuyoshi Tozaki said the new entry would "of course include its trademark...
Japanese Charts Nintendo Switch And Pokémon Diamond And Pearl Remakes Continue To Dominate
Pokémon's latest releases pass 2 million boxed sales in the country
Famitsu's Japanese chart figures are now in for the week ending 12th December, revealing that Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl have remained on top for a fourth consecutive week, in the process passing two million physical copy sales. It was a quiet week overall with...
Round Up Every Game Featured In Japan's Indie World Showcase - December 2021
Including some exclusive announcements
Whenever Nintendo hosts a special presentation, it normally does one for Japan and one for fans in the West. The latest Indie World showcase was no different - with Nintendo uploading a very different video in its homeland. If you didn't happen to catch it live, there's no need to worry as we've rounded up all...
News Nintendo Is Removing Credit Card Support From The 3DS And Wii U eShop Next Month (Japan)
A timely reminder
Nintendo's customer service Twitter account for Japan has issued a reminder that it will be ending credit card and prepaid card support for the 3DS and Wii U next month on 18th January 2022, 9 AM JST. The company previously announced these changes for 3DS and Wii U users in Europe, Australia and New Zealand back in 2019. Here's a...
News Super Nintendo World's Getting Adorable Limited-Edition Holiday Merch
And we want it all
If you're lucky enough to be visiting Japan's Super Nintendo World over the holidays, you'll be pleased to know that you'll be able to get your hands on some lovely limited-edition merch. If you're not lucky enough to be visiting – like us – then these images showing what you could have had will sadly have to do. Visitors...
News Nintendo Is Investing In Office Space In Japan To House More Game Development
Nintendo HQ 2: HQ Reloaded
Once upon a time, Nintendo was a little playing card company, located in a regular-sized office building in Kyoto, Japan. They're a bit bigger now, and you may have seen their boring-but-iconic Kyoto headquarters before: It's a big white cube covered in windows. But it looks like there's about to be a second big cube...
Random Ace Attorney Says OBJECTION! To Drugs In Japanese Anti-Marijuana Campaign
Hold it, but don't pass it
6,000 posters and 4,000 leaflets featuring the characters from The Great Ace Attorney have been printed in Japan in an attempt to combat "cannabis abuse", Capcom announced today. The partnership between Capcom and the government has been going on since 2009, and has been aimed towards "crime prevention enlightenment" as...
Japanese Charts Pokémon Diamond And Pearl Remakes Stay Top, Big Brain Academy Lands In Top Three
As Switch locks out the entire top ten
Famitsu's Japanese chart figures are now in for the week ending 5th December, revealing that Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl have remained on top for a third consecutive week. The two games sold another 164,580 physical copies combined in Japan last week, taking their total physical sales count to...
News Level-5's Mech RPG Megaton Musashi Gets A Free DLC Update
But it's still exclusive to Japan...
Update [Thu 9th Dec, 2021 02:00 GMT]: This new free update is now available. Level-5 has also released a roadmap for the game, which includes the anime series and a "large-scale" paid update coming in Fall 2022 (thanks, Gematsu): December 9, 2021 Free Update Vol. 1: Counterattack Boost Patch Superdreadnought...
News Fantasy Life Online Comes Out In English On iOS And Android Today
It's not Fantasy Life 2, but we'll take it!
After Level-5's wonderful cult classic Fantasy Life came out on 3DS, and blew us all away with its depth, heart, and charm, it was a little disappointing to find out that the sequel would be a mobile-only game called Fantasy Life Online. It was even more disappointing to find out that it was only destined...