Tag: Japan - Page 44
News Yukio Sawada's Super Mario-Kun Is Coming To Super Mario Maker
In Japan, at least
Super Mario-Kun is a manga series which has been appearing in the pages of CoroCoro Comic since 1991. Created by Yukio Sawada, the series is coming to Super Mario Maker in the form of a special costume. In addition to allowing his own unique take on the character to appear in the game, Sawada will also be designing his own level,...
News Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 3 Will Contain Over 500 Beasts For You To Befriend
Monster mash
This week's Jump magazine has fresh details relating to the forthcoming Square Enix 3DS RPG Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 3. First up is the storyline, which is set in the far-flung future. The hero is a young man suffering from amnesia (original!) who discovers a device known as a "Reactor" which allows him to analyse the monsters...
Random Check Out These Awesome Splatoon Plushies from Japan
So fresh
Gaming paraphernalia can be a wonderful way to casually introduce elements of your favorite franchises into an environment. Be it an amiibo to be kept on a desk, a Yoshi plush toy to sit on your kitchen counter, or a replica of the Master Sword to be mounted over a fireplace; a simple object can act as a nice reminder of the things that...
News SEGA’s GBA Version Of ChuChu Rocket! Arrives On The Japanese Wii U Virtual Console This Month
The Dreamcast port returns
Around the turn of the millennium when Sonic Team was in its prime with releases such as Sonic Adventure and Phantasy Star Online, Nintendo's Game Boy Advance was fortunate enough to receive a port of the Dreamcast title, ChuChu Rocket! Released in 2001 alongside the launch of Nintendo's latest portable system at the...
News Chibi-Robo!: Zip Lash Fails to Clean Up in Japanese Charts
Outperformed by baseball title Pro Yakyuu Famista Returns on 3DS
The Japanese Media Create charts are out in Japan and, despite some positives, are likely to cause some disappointment in Nintendo HQ. This is due to an attempt at mainstream success for a long-established franchise falling flat at launch in the country. The game we're referring to is...
News Yo-Kai Watch Busters Is Getting A Third Variant In Japan
Say hello to Moon Rabbit Team
As the west prepares itself for the onslaught of Yo-Kai Watch, our Japanese friends have been enjoying the franchise for some time - as well as its spin-off releases, such as Yo-Kai Watch Busters. Released this year in two flavours - Red Cat Team and White Dog Squad - Busters takes inspiration from the Hollywood series...
News Nintendo Enjoys Market Share Dominance in Japan
Splatoon and Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer lead the way
We report the Japanese Media Create chart results on a weekly basis, with most entries showing a strong position for Nintendo in its home country. Its level of dominance has now been reflected in figures posted by Dengeki Online for the first half of the financial year - 30th March to...
News Gaze with Jealousy at These Monster Hunter X 3DS Themes
Keep your fingers crossed
Though the West is still being left in the dark, Japan is due to receive Monster Hunter X in a little over a month. The latest instalment in Capcom's best-selling monster hunting extravaganza, Monster Hunter X is set to introduce significantly more dynamic fighting styles and tactics into the already frantic gameplay...
News Hyrule Warriors Legends Site Shows Off Skull Kid and Phantom Ganon
The stuff legends are made of
The official Japanese site for Hyrule Warriors Legends has been updated, and as expected it features playable character Skull Kid, a bit more of the Wind Waker stage and a new enemy in the form of Phantom Ganon. All of these elements were confirmed by a recent Famitsu feature. Skull Kid is one of the most iconic c
Video Zelda Producer Eiji Aonuma Guides You Through 15 Minutes Of Tri Force Heroes
In Japanese, obviously
The launch of The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes is very nearly upon us, and to tempt a few more people to part with their hard-earned cash Nintendo has convinced producer Eiji Aonuma to step in front of camera for 15 minutes in order to show you the ropes. The first video - which will be part of a series - Aonuma shows...
News PS4 and Sony Enjoy Dominant Week in Japan With Price Cut and New Releases
Price cuts can help, Nintendo
The Media Create chart results are in for Japan, and after a number of weeks with Nintendo's systems and exclusive games leading the way there's a change in momentum. In the software top 20 the shift has come through a range of new releases, with the top 5 consisting of three games across three separate Sony platforms...
Video Here, Have Some More Zany Japanese Zelda: Tri Force Heroes Commercials
Three's a crowd
The Japanese marketing campaign for The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes has already veered towards the odd, and now Nintendo is pushing out TV spots to promote the upcoming release - and they're just as amusing. The two commercials shown so far feature a trio of real-world Japanese chaps (we're assuming they're famous in their...
News English Translation Of Metroid EX: Samus & Joey Manga Finally Complete
It's non-canon, before you get too worked up
Keen followers of the Metroid series may be aware of the Comic Bom Bom manga, Metroid: Samus & Joey. This non-canon story was first published in the magazine in 2003 and focused around Joey, a young boy who is saved by Samus Aran after an attack on his village, and thereafter swears to stay by her...
News The 3DS Is Getting A New Medabots Game, But Don't Expect A Western Release
Coming in two versions
The Medabots series may not be as popular in the west as it is in its native Japan, but there are still plenty of fans in this part of the world who will no doubt be pleased to learn that the series is getting a new entry on the 3DS. Those very same individuals may be equally annoyed by the fact that it probably won't get a...
News Pokémon Rumble World Is Getting A Physical Release In Japan
Minus microtransactions, of course
A physical version of the free-to-play 3DS eShop title Pokémon Rumble World is coming to Japan on November 19th, it has been revealed. The game will feature none of the microtransactions seen in the digital release and will give players all 3,000 Poké Diamonds and the Poké Diamonds Digger from the outset. It...
News Super Mario Maker Back on Top in Japan as 3DS and Wii U Sales Increase
Building blocks for success
The Japanese Media Create chart results are out once again, and despite an absence of major new releases this time around there's good news for Nintendo. New releases in Japan have been on Vita, PS4 and PS3, though none have shifted significant numbers. In fact Nintendo system exclusives occupy the top three places, with...
News Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon Tops Japanese Charts as Wii U Beats PS4
Super Mario Maker claims second place
The Media Create Japanese chart results have been later than normal this week, but the eventual outcome certainly has some positives for Nintendo. For starters, Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon has claimed top spot in its début week, with the 3DS title sneaking past 150,000 sales. Super Mario Maker claims second...
News Amazon Offers Neat Picross 3D 2 Demo Promotion in Japan
'Buy' a free demo, get a discount on the full game
A little while ago it emerged that Picross 3D 2 is heading to the 3DS in Japan, providing a sequel to the popular DS retail puzzler. Due on 1st October in the country, it'll serve up more 3D puzzles and include amiibo support for extra content. In a neat promotion simply trying out a demo will also...
Video Take A Look At How Monster Hunter Stories Is Shaping Up On 3DS
Beautiful monster
The Tokyo Game Show is in full swing and lots of upcoming games are being shown for the first time on the show floor. One of these which is of great interest to us is Capcom's Monster Hunter Stories, a spin-off game with a very different art style to the classic Monster Hunter series which we know and love. In this official...
News More Than A Million Super Mario Maker Levels Have Been Uploaded In A Week
You guys have been really busy
Nintendo's Japanese Twitter account has confirmed that since Super Mario Maker launched last week more than a million user-generated stages have been uploaded. Just allow that colossal number to sink in for a moment - when you think that Sony's LittleBigPlanet was released in 2008, it took
News Super Mario Maker Tops The Charts In Japan, Causes Wii U Sales To Double
Almost 140,000 copies sold, additional 10,000 consoles shifted
Super Mario Maker has made its début in Japan and has claimed the top spot in this week's Media Create Sales charts. The DIY platformer has sold 138,242 copies in its first week on sale. In second place is Capcom's 3DS exclusive Monster Hunter Diary: Poka Poka Airou Village DX, which...
News Genei Ibun Roku #FE Japanese Release Date And Bundles Revealed
Swimsuit sets included, because why not?
Nintendo has revealed that Genei Ibun Roku #FE - also known as Shin Megami Tensei x Fire Emblem - will launch in Japan on December 26th. As well as offering up this all-important piece of info, three bundles have been announced for the game. The bog-standard regular edition comes with a set of costumes as a...
News Next Sega 3D Classics Retail Collection Includes Cult Arcade Racer Power Drift
But it's only available in Japan
Sega has confirmed the second 3D Classics compendium for the 3DS, and the big news is that the seminal arcade racer Power Drift has made the cut. The pack follows the previous retail release which pulled together all of the 3D Classics titles released up to that point. This second selection boasts Sonic the...
News Super Mario Maker DLC Confirmed, Famitsu's Mascot Necky The Fox Coming Soon
Necky the Fox to be a playable costume in Japan
Super Mario Maker hits the shops in Europe and North America tomorrow (just in case you hadn't heard!). Out of the box it supports a staggering variety of amiibo figurines; for example if you tap a Kirby amiibo against the Wii U GamePad while creating your level you can give Mario an 8-bit Kirby...
News Dragon Quest VIII and 3DS Overtaken by Metal Gear Solid V and PS4 in Japan
VIII is not greater than V, after all
It's Japanese Media Create chart results time again, and after a sustained spell of ruling the roost the 3DS and its games take a backseat this week, though that was always on the cards. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Hideo Kojima's final entry in the series and with Konami, has naturally taken the two...
News Splatoon Art Book Making A Splat Landing In Japan This Year
300+ pages of kid/squid goodness
As if the Inklings among us didn't already have enough to celebrate, it looks like the 2-disc soundtrack we recently reported on isn't the only piece of Splatoon merchandise emerging from the watery depths this year. Freshly announced by Famitsu magazine and translated by
News This Hello Kitty New Nintendo 3DS Console Is Just Purrrfect
Cute as a button
North American Nintendo fans may be over the moon about the fact that the smaller New 3DS console - the one with the collectable cover plates - is finally coming to the US, but over in Japan they've got through quite a few special editions of the customisable handheld system already - and there's another being added to the list...
News This Monster Hunter X New Nintendo 3DS Cover Plate Makes Us Want the Game Even More
Just look at it
Based on the ease with which we're still able to fill an online lobby, plenty of gamers are still enjoying Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate in the West. Of course, lucky Japanese gamers have Monster Hunter X (Cross) to look forward to later this year, a fresh take on the series that introduces new approaches to combat and an action-centric...
News Some Western Splatoon Players Would Prefer Not To Compete With Japan
Online technicalities causing tension?
Reports have recently surfaced via Japanese video game blogs that certain clusters of Western Wii U owners do not enjoy playing Nintendo's competitive online squid shooter Splatoon with players from Japan. Some have even taken to social media to demand that Nintendo enforce regional servers for the game. The...
News Dragon Quest VIII Storms to Number One in Japan and Boosts New 3DS Sales
Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer creeps towards 1 million sales
Wednesday is Media Create results day in Japan, in which we see whether Nintendo and its system's games can maintain strong form in the company's homeland. On that score this week brings more positive news. Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King, the 3DS port of the PS2...
Feature Handheld LCD Gaming Past And Present
For those times when an original Game Boy just isn’t retro-chic enough
Nintendo first hit the LCD game scene all the way back in 1980 with Ball, a simple but thoroughly playable affair at the time that may be familiar to fans of the Game Boy Camera or those brave souls who ventured onto the DSi shop. From these humble beginnings Nintendo's LCD...
News Super Robot Wars BX Battles Its Way to Number One in Japan
Animal Crossing and Yo-kai Watch still going strong
It's Media Create Japanese chart results time again, with this week bringing more good news for the 3DS; the portable's been rather greedy in its success in recent times. Super Robot Wars BX makes its début on 3DS in top spot, which looks noisy and fun based on the footage at the end of this...
Video Japanese TV Commercials For Super Mario Maker Take The Reserved Approach
Low on CGI, high on charm
The launch of Super Mario Maker is just around the corner, and Nintendo is giving the game one final push in Japan with a raft of new TV commercials. Compared to the CGI-heavy nature of the US ads, these are a little more reserved and showcase one man and his quest to create the most entertaining Super Mario level...
Video Check Out These Delightful Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Japanese Trailers
Dungeon crawl with your pocket monsters
The upcoming release of Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon promises to take the now long-running series to new heights with a more extensive game experience than ever before – with enhancements such as randomly generated dungeons that change each time a player enters, and the chance to battle alongside both...
News We're Pretty Sure We Need These Earthbound Techo Planners In Our Lives
Shigesato Itoi mines his past for future greatness
One of the many modern-day pursuits of Earthbound / Mother creator Shigesato Itoi is creating planners, or "Techos" as they're known in Japan. His company Hobonichi makes many of these useful items, which can be used as a diary, notebook or scrapbook. Hobonichi has had plenty of success in its...
Weirdness Dancing Electric Rodents Infest The Japanese Coastal Town Of Yokohama
Pika-pi, Pikachu!!
Japan appears to be absolutely obsessed with the cute, cuddly and electric Pokémon, Pikachu. To celebrate the nation’s cultural obsession with the adorable pocket monster, for a second year in a row now, Nintendo has infested the coastal Japanese town of Yokohama with dancing Pikachu. These giant-sized Pikachu are actually a...
News Splatoon eSports Tournament Series To Be Launched In Japan
Over $1 million in prize money
It seems like only yesterday that we learnt that North America would be getting a Transformers themed Splatfest in the ever-popular Splatoon. The Splatoon hype train waits for no man however and it's been revealed today that a Splatoon eSports tournament series will be launched in Japan with over $1 million in prize...
News Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer Leads as Splatoon Passes Half a Million Sales in Japan
Wii U sales increase, too
The latest Media Create Japanese charts have arrived, bringing with them more positive news of Summer sales for Nintendo. On the software side Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer stays on top with over 180,000 sales in its second week, pushing it beyond 700,000 retail sales already. The two iterations of Yo-Kai Watch...
News CoroCoro Reveals Yo-Kai Watch Dance: Just Dance Special Version For Wii U
A Level-5 & Ubisoft collaboration
After selling millions and becoming a cultural phenomenon in Japan, it has been revealed the popular Yo-Kai Watch series will receive a Just Dance spin-off. The latest issue of Japan’s CoroCoro Magazine explains Yo-Kai Watch Dance: Just Dance Special Version is on the way to the Wii U courtesy of a surprising...
News CoroCoro Magazine Posts More Images Of Mysterious New Pokémon
Another monster for your pocket
We recently reported on a mysterious new blob-like Pokémon which was teased during the screening of Pokémon the Movie: Hoopa and the Clash of Ages in Japan. Viewers caught a little glimpse of the new character, which is expected to make its début in the forthcomingPokémon The Movie XY. However, CoroCoro magazine...
News Not Only Does Japan Have Awesome Arcades, it Has Cool 30th Anniversary Mario Prizes
We'll happily buy these, given the chance
The arcade scene in the West isn't completely dead, but it's certainly less vibrant and varied than in Japan. It's not just that Japanese arcades have incredible machines, old and new, but some of the amusements also offer awesome prizes. As an example we have the following prizes that, if we're making...
Video These Yo-Kai Watch Busters Commercials Focus On The Ghostbusters Vibe
Bustin' makes me feel good
Yo-Kai Watch Busters is doing pretty brisk business in Japan, as is to be expected when you consider how massive the Yo-Kai Watch series is in its native homeland. The title launched last month and a series of fresh commercials have been aired to maintain sales momentum, and they really push the whole...
News 3DS Version Of Dragon Quest VIII To Feature Brand New Ending
As well as a new dungeon to tackle once you complete the game
Dragon Quest VIII hits the 3DS in Japan on August 27th, and to build on the already intense interest for the game in its homeland, Jump magazine has delivered some more details. The most striking addition is that the game will feature a brand-new ending. There isn't a lot more detail...
News SNK Playmore's New Chinese Owners Aim To "Do A Marvel" With Its Famous Franchises
$63.5 million paid for 81.25 percent of the gaming veteran
SNK Playmore has been acquired by a group of Chinese investors, Gameindustry.biz is reporting. Ledo Millennium has paid $63.5 million for 81.25 percent of the company's shares, purchased from former SNK CEO Eikichi Kawasaki and his wife Natsuyo Kawasaki. Chinese companies Oriental...
News Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer Dominates Japanese Charts, Boosts 3DS Sales
Wii U sales increase, too
It's that time of the week, once again, for the Japanese Media Create sales charts. Pleasingly for Nintendo a spin-off for one of its most successful franchises has had a strong start, allaying fears that it would struggle to grab attention. That title is Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer, which launched with various...
Video These Monster Hunter X Trailers Are for Lance Fans
Or treat yourself to the Gun Lance
Capcom's currently in the process of teasing its YouTube followers with flashy weapon trailers for Monster Hunter X (Cross), which is coming to the 3DS in Japan in late November. The footage is welcome, though, as it showcases a few monster variations and demonstrates how the co
Weirdness Keep Your French Fries Toasty Hot With These Yo-Kai Watch Holsters
Only in Japan, of course
Yo-Kai Watch is massive in Japan, and that means there are plenty of opportunities for all kinds of cross-promotional activity. However, few ideas are as zany as these McDonald's French Fry holsters, which allow you to slot in your pack of chopped potatoes and keep them warm during your quests to locate naughty spirits...
News Capcom Continues to Go Big With a Monster Hunter X Limited Edition and New Trailers
For those always on the hunt
Monster Hunter X (Cross) is being given a big push by Capcom ahead of its late November release in Japan, a fresh entry that brings a slight switch in dynamic to the core play. Considering the huge success of previous 3DS releases in the franchise the projections for millions of sales don't seem excessive. A pricey...
News Splatoon And Nintendo Dominated Japanese Retail During June
Over 50 percent of the top 30 were 3DS titles
Japanese gaming publication Famitsu has published sales figures for the month of June, and Nintendo's online shooter Splatoon has come out on top. The Wii U release sold 368,538 copies between May 25th and June 21st - almost 20,000 of which were digital - making it one of the most impressive débuts for...
News Nintendo Is Licensing Hudson Soft IP From Konami
New Momotaro Dentetsu title in development
Earlier this morning, we posted some rather worrying news regarding the current situation at Konami, including claims that staff are being used as cleaners and security guards. If there's one positive to come out of the whole situation it's that Konami is so disinterested in harnessing its catalogue of IP...