Tag: Japan - Page 43
News Nintendo Share Value Ends Week on a High Ahead of Financial Results on 2nd February
Positive vibes
While rivals such as Sony and Microsoft have already given their latest financial results, Nintendo is waiting until 2nd February, scheduling it as such a few months ago. As 2016 has a lot going on for the company these quarterly reports are being watched closely, as Nintendo seeks a balance between presenting exciting news to...
Random Behold the Majesty of this Special Super Mario Maker Jacket
A jacket fit for Super Mario
We love our custom gaming clothing here at Nintendo Life; gaming themed novelty t-shirts are the order of the day in the office. We thought it didn't get much better than the Super Smash Bros. trainer jacket but that's now been surpassed by this looking Super Mario Maker jacket, as brought to our attention by Tokyo-based...
New 3DS LL still leads hardware as Wii U dips
Another week, another set of Media Create Japanese charts, and this week brings a few major releases to consider, though hardware sales are only showing minor changes. To kick off with software Yakuza: Kiwami is in the top two positions for PS4 and PS3, making it the most successful new arrival this...
News Resellers Rejoice, Hyrule Warriors Legends Is Getting A Save Data Reset Option
Thank goodness for that
Hyrule Warriors Legends is now available in Japan, and some players have encountered a troubling issue - the game doesn't give you the option to erase your save data, which means that when you sell the game on, the new owner can't start the adventure from the beginning - they're stuck with your save data. You might assume...
News The Official Legend of Zelda Timeline Has Been Updated
New releases and remasters included
The Legend of Zelda is a series known for a tremendous number of things, such as its memorable characters, captivating storylines, spine-tingling music and downright awesome gameplay. However, something that's caused the Zelda community years of theorising is how the games of the series intertwine with each other...
News New 3DS LL (XL) Holds Top Spot in Latest Japanese Charts
Sales down across the board
As January wears on we're getting to the post-Holiday stages in terms of buzz and sales. Not many new titles are coming out, and reveals are thin on the ground as game companies draw breath and put plans in place. With that in mind we have a fairly unremarkable set of Media Create chart results out of Japan, albeit with...
News Nintendo Share Price Rebounds Along With Japanese Stock Market
Miitomo reportedly helps as Nintendo gains above the average
It's been a grisly start to 2016 in the stock market, with dramatic falls in China contributing to falling share prices around the world. After a number of consecutive days of decline the Japanese stock market rallied today, however, and Nintendo's shares seem to have been among the...
News Monster Hunter X (Cross) and New 3DS Continue to Lead the Way in Japan
Splatoon, Super Mario Maker and Wii U also continue decent momentum
The festive period certainly brought cheer for Nintendo in its homeland, as the New 3DS and Wii U enjoyed impressive sales while their key releases led the software charts. The latest Media Create Japanese charts show some understandable drops as January bites, yet the results are...
Gallery This Is What A Dragon Quest Convenience Store Looks Like
Slimes R Us
Last August, Square Enix and Japanese convenience store chain Lawson teamed up to apply a bit of Dragon Quest magic to a Lawson retail outlet in Chiyoda, Tokyo, with the overall objective being the promotion of Dragon Quest VIII on the 3DS. The existing store was given a makeover which included special decals on the outside and themed...
Video This Japanese McDonald's Super Mario Happy Meal Commercial Is Too Adorable For Words
So just watch it instead
We're not going to talk too much about the following video - produced to promote the new range of Super Mario Happy Meal toys now available at Japanese branches of McDonald's - because the normally bountiful English language doesn't provide the words required to describe how utterly adorable it is. So instead, we advise...
News New 3DS and Monster Hunter Continue to Lead in Japanese Charts
Wii U dips below PS4 but maintains strong sales
2016 is now well underway, with all of the crushing realities of the post-festive period - wider waistlines, slimmer bank balances and plenty of regret. In any case, Nintendo is starting the year in Japan with a collective smile, as the company continues to perform well in the busy shopping season...
News Japanese Games Market Falls To Lowest Point In 26 Years, But Full Picture Remains Elusive
Down 13 percent year-on-year, but digital data isn't included
According to data supplied by Famitsu, the Japanese games market has hit its lowest point since 1989. In 2015, games in Japan generated ¥321bn - a 13 percent decline on 2014's total of ¥368.55bn. Sales of games dropped 16 percent to ¥191bn, while games hardware was down to to ¥130bn...
News Japanese Analyst Claims NX Could Launch As Early As October, Will Eat Into Wii U And 3DS Sales
"Concept" announcement between March and May, official unveiling in June
Comments from Nomura Securities analyst Junko Yamamura have lent additional weight to existing claims that Nintendo is looking to launch its new NX console this year. Yamamura says that the console's "concept" -
News Fresh Serving Of Super Mario Happy Meal Toys Coming To McDonald's In Japan
Get in my belly
Nintendo's strong relationship with one of the world's most famous fast food brands continues with the news that McDonald's in Japan is getting a fresh batch of Super Mario Happy Meal toys. Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser, Yoshi, Toad and Boo all feature in this new wave of plastic things, with GoNintendo reporting the following...
News Eiji Aonuma's First Game Recieves A Fresh English Language Patch
It's time to revisit Another Treasure Island
Back in late 1996, with the Nintendo 64 fresh on Japanese store shelves and Super Mario 64 thrilling gamers, Nintendo pushed out a unique title on the aging Super Famicom called Marvelous: Mouhitotsu no Takarajima, which translates as Marvelous: Another Treasure Island. Notable for being the design debut...
Video Hudson's Abandoned R&D Lab Still Has Its Miniature Train Track In Place
All aboard the depression train
Those of you who have been gaming since the 8-bit era will no doubt be very familiar with the name Hudson Soft. A prolific developer during the Famicom / NES, PC Engine / TurboGrafx-16 and Super Famicom / SNES eras, the firm was responsible for titles such as Bomberman, Adventure Island, Bonk, Star Soldier and many...
News Nintendo Dominates Festive Sales in Japan as 3DS and Wii U Lead the Way
Japanese 3DS hardware passes 20 million lifetime sales
2015 has been quite a year, and it's fair to say Nintendo has had mixed fortunes. Sales of Wii U and 3DS hardware have been reasonable if not barnstorming, but the company's Kyoto HQ may ring in the New Year with renewed spirits following its end of year sales in Japan. Starting with software,...
Weirdness Gamer Keeps Super Famicom On For 20 Years To Preserve Umihara Kawase Save Data
That's over 180,000 hours
Back in the days when cartridges used batteries to store save data, your precious save files would only remain in existence as long as the battery itself had juice - when the power ran out, the data was lost forever. Collectors of retro games will know this fact all too well; many RPGs from the '80s and '90s are now...
Gotta catch 'em all, again
1996 saw the introduction of the Pocket Monster - or Pokémon, as it is better known - series in Japan. That means that next year is the 20th anniversary of the birth of the franchise, and to celebrate this milestone fans will be able to purchase the very first base set of Pokémon cards - in Japan, at least. The set will...
Higher ticket sales, but lower takings
The world may be gripped by Star Wars fever at the moment but in Japan, the most-seen movie didn't feature lightsabers or X-Wings, but mischievous ghosts and magical timepieces. More tickets were sold for Yo-Kai Watch the Movie 2: King Enma and the 5 Stories, Nyan! than Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but due to...
News Monster Strike Ships Over A Million Copies In Just Four Days
Mobile smash finding favour on 3DS
Monster Strike - a mobile phone smash in Japan with daily revenues of over $4 million - is shaping up to be something special on 3DS, too. The game - which was co-created by former Capcom legend Yoshiki Okamoto - has shipped over a million copies in four days in Japan. Like fellow Japanese smartphone hit Puzzle...
Video Mother 3 Hits Japanese Virtual Console With Impressive Trailer In Tow
Will we ever see this classic in the west?
The Game Boy Advance title Mother 3 hits the Japanese Virtual Console service today, and to mark the event Nintendo has released a surprisingly comprehensive trailer. Mother 3 is the sequel to EarthBound - which was known in Japan as Mother 2. Originally intended for release on the N64's 64DD drive, it...
News Wii U and 3DS Hardware Sales Lead the Way in Japan
Monster Hunter X, Splatoon and Super Mario Maker going strong
Sales are on the up in Japan as the Holiday season approaches, and the latest Media Create chart results bring very happy reading for Nintendo in terms of both software and hardware. Starting with software, Monster Hunter X (Cross) continues its dominance at number one, with its lifetime...
Monster Hunter X (Cross) is still dominant
The Media Create results for Japan are out, and this week has a few interesting talking points to consider in terms of both hardware and software. Starting with the latter, Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam makes its debut in second place with just under 50,000 sales; its launch numbers are actually a little...
News Nintendo's Move To Smartphones Helped It Top Japan's Gaming Stock Market
DeNA deal and Splatoon success kept things ticking over in 2015
Nintendo may have endured a difficult 2015 with delayed titles and underperforming hardware, but on the Japanese stock market the company has been dominant, outpacing Sony and other traditional game publishers. This robust performance is largely down to Nintendo's deal with DeNA, which...
News Monster Hunter X (Cross) Storms to Japanese Chart Lead and Boosts New 3DS Sales
Nearly 1.5 million sales in two days
It's that time again for Media Create chart results from Japan, and this week's numbers have an air of predictability about them; that's good news for both Nintendo and Capcom. The launch of Monster Hunter X (Cross) has brought nearly 1.5 million sales for the title - with Famitsu having a number slightly above...
News You Can Now Register For A New Nintendo Account In Japan
It's happening!
With the Club Nintendo service finally shutting down this year, fans have been waiting expectantly for Nintendo's new account system. The company revealed the snappy title of Nintendo Account in October, and explained that the system will use cloud storage to exchange data between platforms. It was also revealed that accounts will be...
News We'll Be Seeing More Of Level-5's 3DS Title The Snack World This Month
Anime will debut alongside Yo-Kai Watch the Movie 2 in Japan
At its media event this year, Level-5 lifted the lid on its latest cross-media extravaganza, The Snack World. The property is hitting a wide range of sectors - including smartphones, TV, comics and toys - but Nintendo fans will be interested to learn that it's coming to the 3DS as well...
Video Santa Is Ready For Insane Levels Of Monster Strike 3DS Demand In Japan
Very asobemasu!
You might not have heard of it, but Monster Strike is one of Japan's biggest smartphone games, and pulls in daily revenues in excess of $4 million. Think Puzzle & Dragons, but even bigger. Co-created by former Konami and Capcom employee Yoshiki Okamoto (1942, Final Fight, Street Fighter II) and currently available on Android and...
News Dragon Quest X Compilation of All Three Versions Heading to Wii U in Japan
The rest of the world says hi, Square Enix
Until recently Western Nintendo fans of the Dragon Quest series had to either gaze longingly at the Japanese release slate or resort to importing the various titles that have arrived on Wii U and 3DS. Thankfully Dragon Quest VII and VIII on 3DS were both confirmed recently for localisation in the most...
News Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival Has Modest Impact in Japan as 3DS Sales Improve
Wii U is still comfortably in five figures
The latest Media Create Japanese chart results are in and bring a mix of good and bad news for Nintendo. Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival has, unsurprisingly considering the trends elsewhere, struggled to achieve notable sales; the Wii U title shifted just 20,303 units in its first week, well down on the...
News Soon You'll Be Able To Create A Games Store In Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer
Gaming at home
Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer might not have been the Animal Crossing game fans had hoped for, but it still has its fans - and those same fans will no doubt be over the moon to hear that a host of new video game-related items are on their way. The items are due to arrive next month in Japan, and include racks full of games, an...
Video Check Out Ganondorf's Terrifying Trident In This New Hyrule Warriors Legends Trailer
Stick 'em with the pointy end
Forthcoming 3DS brawlerHyrule Warriors Legends has been blessed with another new trailer, this time showcasing the evil Ganondorf's Trident weapon. The footage shows some of the new attack combos available to the malevolent character, as well as the destructive power of the weapon itself. Hyrule Warriors Legends...
News You Can Now Buy A Replacement Wii U GamePad On Its Own
In Japan, at least
Eagle eyed Pokémon Master and Nintendo Life contributor Joe Merrick has spotted that Nintendo are now selling a solo GamePad for the first time in Japan. While we've come to accept that the Wii U will probably never support two GamePads at the same time in future games, it's nice at least to have the option to replace your...
News You'll Be Able To Dress Up Your Felyne Palico As A Yu-Gi-Oh Dark Magician In Monster Hunter X
Or "Dark Maginyan", to be precise
The latest issue of Weekly Jump reveals that the forthcoming 3DS title Monster Hunter X will allow players to dress up their Felyne Palico as a Dark Magician from the popular Yu-Gi-Oh! series. Known as the "Dark Maginyan", the costume will be obtainable via an event quest. This is likely to be the first of many...
News Splatoon Bundle Boosts Wii U Sales in Japan as Project X Zone 2 Struggles
3DS 'family' sneaks top in hardware
It's Media Create chart results day, once again, and the Japanese market has had a few key releases to shake things up. Starting off with software we have Project X Zone 2 making its debut on 3DS, though it's unable to overthrow Call of Duty: Black Ops III having only shifted 40,935 units; that's well down on the...
Video These Charming Japanese Commercials Highlight Festive Wii U Bundles
Splatoon and Mario Maker get a big push
Christmas is an important time of year when it comes to selling video game hardware and software, and over in Japan Nintendo is giving the Wii U a festive push with special bundles. The company has given recent hits Splatoon and Super Mario Maker their own hardware bundles, and has rolled out some TV...
News Shin Megami Tensei IV: Final to Feature Predecessor's Cast and Use Its Save Data
For those dedicated to the series
While we're still awaiting news of Shin Megami Tensei IV: Final being localised to the West, the popularity of its processor - unsurprisingly called Shin Megami Tensei IV - gives us hope that Atlus will bring the title outside of Japan. For now we can only follow coverage for the February 2016 release in Japan, and...
News Puzzle & Dragons X Confirmed for 3DS in Japan
Why about Y?
A little while ago we shared the news that a new Puzzle & Dragons title had been confirmed for the 3DS, albeit without a name or details. Well, there's a little more to share now - it's called Puzzle & Dragons X and will arrive in Japan in 2016. It was confirmed by GungHo Online Entertainment and Nintendo in the latest issue of...
News The 3DS Is Getting A New Puzzle & Dragons Game
CoroCoro magazine will reveal more details later this month
Puzzle & Dragons Z was a massive success in its native Japan, and encouraged Nintendo to work with developer GungHo to create a Super Mario-themed semi-sequel - which was released alongside the original game in the west. While Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Edition wasn't as...
News Disney Magical World 2's Whimsy is Outsold By Call of Duty's Futuristic Warfare in Japan
Also can't match the launch sales of its predecessor
The latest Media Create Japanese chart results are in, and this week reflect one notable sales trend from the West with a big-name shooty-shooty-bang-bang game making a strong debut and boosting Sony's hardware, while there's also a major release on 3DS. Yes, Call of Duty: Black Ops III takes top...
News Gaze Upon The Lush Mega Man Legacy Collection Limited Edition You'll Probably Never Own
$120 to you, sir
Mega Man Legacy Collection arrives on the 3DS early next year - a little later than the home console editions - but should be well worth the wait for long-time fans of the series. Compendium of the six "classic" 8-bit adventures, the collection comes with added bonuses for hardcore fans, such as artwork and a special challenge mode...
Wii U sales stay in four figures
It's Media Create chart results time in Japan, and after a debut week at number one for The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes and plenty of Nintendo platform releases close behind, the latest results show new titles on rival platforms taking over the top spots. We already highlighted that Tri Force Heroes
News Nintendo's Latest Hanafuda Deck Is Perhaps Its Most Eye-Catching Yet
If only we knew how to play
As we all know, Nintendo started out making playing cards - Hanafuda cards, to be precise - and although the company's focus has changed over the years, it has maintained a link with its past by producing special Hanafuda packs. The latest set is possibly the most visually alluring yet, and uses classic Super Mario...
News Fire Emblem will be Getting an Art Book for its 25th Anniversary
Naturally, it's Japan only
It's hard to believe, but Fire Emblem has been a source of SRPG nirvana for almost 25 years already. Of course this statement is kind of cheating, as Nintendo didn't opt to bring the series West until a little over ten years ago, but at least Japan got to enjoy it for all that time. When it comes to Fire Emblem, it seems...
Less than a quarter of Link Between Worlds launch sales
The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes has rolled out around the world, with the quirky spin-off bringing a multiplayer focus on the 3DS. It's with interest that we check out the latest Media Create results in Japan, then, to see whether it's hit it off with the portable's audience in Nintendo's...
News Japan Is Getting Some Gorgeous New 3DS Hardware Bundles And Cover Plates
Jealousy mode: engaged
Japan gets all the best hardware bundles - that's just one of the things us westerners have to live with. As if to prove this universal truth, details have just been released regarding two fresh New 3DS bundles coming to The Land of the Rising Sun, and both look downright lovely. First up is the Super Mario Bros. 30th bundle,...
News 7th Dragon III Code: VFD Claims Japanese Number One Spot as Nintendo Maintains Momentum
PS4 still leads hardware, though
The Media Create results are out in Japan, and this week is relatively low key overall, with a new SEGA RPG on 3DS arriving as the most successful newcomer. 7th Dragon III Code: VFD jumps up to number one spot in the software top 20, with Yo-Kai Watch Busters holding onto second place. In a chart dominated by...
News Nintendo of Japan Has Just Published a 30th Anniversary Super Mario Bros. Complete Encyclopedia
255 pages of gaming history
As many of you are likely aware, we're currently approaching the end of the year that has marked the 30th anniversary of the Super Mario series. It's hard to believe that this iconic game franchise has only been around for 30 years when you look at the impact it's had on the game industry and the world as a whole, but...
News The Chibi-Robo amiibo is Being Sold Separately in Japan
Perhaps Nintendo has similar plans for the West?
Chibi-Robo!: Zip Lash launched recently in North America to somewhat middling critical reception. We awarded the game a 6/10, praising its solid gameplay and criticising its somewhat derivative execution. The game also launched alongside an amiibo which was sold exclusively in a bundle with the game...