News Read HAL's Translated Blog Post On The Creation Of Kirby Fighters 2
The first in a series
HAL Laboratory has published the first blog post in a series about Kirby Fighters 2, featuring Planning Director Tadashi Kawai. Within this article, they discuss the development of the newly-released title. We have gone ahead and translated the article below. Hello everyone. I'm Tadashi Kawai, the Planning Director for Kirby...
Says he wants to be as good as MKLeo
Last year, a special tournament was held in Japan in which corporations could put forward players to compete in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on Switch. Famitsu recently interviewed the winner of that event, Seisaku Matsukawa of Taisho Pharmaceuticals. We’ve gone ahead and translated the interview for you below!...
Casual mode, 20 hour epilogue and more!
Famitsu recently had the opportunity to conduct a Q&A with Monolith Soft President Takahashi Tetsuya, and discuss topics surrounding Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition. In it, they talk about what was updated, new features and details surrounding Future Connected. We've taken the time to translate...
News HAL President Shares His Thoughts On The Company's History And Future
"HAL Laboratory is a company where everyone is a creator"
In celebration of HAL Laboratory's 40th anniversary, Famitsu recently sat down with HAL Laboratory president, Kawase Shigefumi. Surrounded by familiar sights and sounds in the Kirby Café, President Kawase shared his thoughts on the history and future of the beloved game developer. First...
News Nintendo To Release Fiscal Year Earnings After State Of Emergency Lifts
No word on financial results briefing
Nintendo's annual Fiscal Year Earnings Release is currently set for May 7th, the day after the state of emergency in seven of Japan's prefectures is scheduled to by lifted. However, this release was scheduled prior to the issuance of the state of emergency. Kyoto, where Nintendo Co. Ltd. is based, is not...
News Wave of Closures And Possible Development Delays Follow CERO Shutdown In Japan
The safety and health of the gaming community is the highest priority
Following the issuance of a state of emergency in seven of Japan's prefectures due to the Coronavirus outbreak – including the game development hubs of Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka – many video game developers and affiliates have announced temporary closures. As we mentioned in...
News Sakurai To Work On Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Remotely Due To Coronavirus
Japan poised to declare state of emergency
With Japan set to announce a state of emergency for seven prefectures – including the gaming hubs of Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka – Masahiro Sakurai has announced via Twitter that he will be picking up the development of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate remotely. He goes onto say that security su
News Sakurai Discusses "Drawing Light, Not Objects" In Final Famitsu Column of 2019
In-depth thoughts on graphic development
Masahiro Sakurai's latest Famitsu column has been released, and it happens to be his last for 2019. In the article, titled "Draw light, not objects." Sakurai discusses various graphical development techniques and thoughts. We've gone ahead and translated the article for you. Please note, this is a general...
News Japan's Getting A New Kirby Pop-Up Shop With A 'Playful Kirby' Range Of Merch
More merch than Kirby could suck up!
As you may know, Kirby was recently voted as the most popular Nintendo mascot in Japan via a poll conducted by Nintendo Dream, a popular Nintendo-centric magazine in the region. Love for Kirby runs deep in Japan, and merch is never too difficult to find in gaming stores. From a permanent café soon to open to...
News Sakurai Praises Death Stranding In Latest Famitsu Column
A summary of his thoughts on Kojima's latest hit
Update: The full translation is now available in the Twitter thread below: The next issue of Famitsu releases tonight, but we've already received a general summary of Masahiro Sakurai's latest column. While the Smash Bros. director's writing often focuses on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, sometimes...
News Sony Music Is Publishing A Special 30th Anniversary Mother Vinyl Set
Now that's the sound of Christmas
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of MOTHER - the first game in Nintendo's popular RPG series and known as EarthBound Beginnings in the west - Sony Music Direct is releasing a MOTHER Original Soundtrack on Christmas Day in Japan. The soundtrack is a UK recording by Keiichi Suzuki's Moonriders. This double album set...
News Nintendo Switch To Officially Launch In China Next Week
The Chinese market opens at last
Tencent, Nintendo's regional partner in the Chinese market, has finally revealed the Switch will launch on 10th December for the recommended retail price of RMB 2,099 (US$300). Additionally, games will be priced at RMB 299 (~$42), which is typical for the region. This particular model will come bundled with New Super...
Feature We Paid A Visit To Nintendo TOKYO On Opening Day, And Here's What We Found
Let's-a-go check out some amazing merch!
Nintendo TOKYO officially opened in the renovated Shibuya Parco in Tokyo last week, and despite it being both rainy and the coldest day of the year, that didn't stop Nintendo fans from lining up by the thousands to get in. The store officially opened up at 10:00, but you first had to line up to get a...
News Junichi Masuda May Not Have Composed Music For Pokémon Sword And Shield
The end of an era?
Game Freak director and Pokémon series producer Junichi Masuda is best known for his music contributions to the series. Since Pokémon Red and Blue first debuted on the Game Boy, Masuda's compositions have given atmosphere to every mainline game he's been involved with. Last year, Masuda said, "...it’s important to have the...
News Chinese Nintendo Switch Packaging Appears Online Ahead of Release
The Chinese market prepares for the Switch
As you may already know, the Chinese company Tencent is preparing for a Nintendo Switch launch in the Chinese market. Images have now appeared online for packaging of the Nintendo Switch and accessories for the Chinese market. These products include: Nintendo Switch with Neon Joy-Cons Nintendo Switch...
News Sakurai On Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Becoming Best-Selling Fighting Game of All Time
His thoughts on Terry's inclusion, plus more
The latest issue of Weekly Famitsu has been released, and once again we are treated to a column written by Masahiro Sakurai. This is a summary of the column, as translated by Nintendo Life. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has exceeded the lifetime sales of Street Fighter II to become the best-selling...
News Nintendo's Tokyo Store Is Set to Open This Friday, And It's Looking Amazing
More merch than you can toss a Pikmin at!
The Parco Store in Shibuya, Tokyo has been closed for renovations since spring of this year. However, that will change this Friday, November 22nd. With its grand reopening, the public will finally have access to the Nintendo Tokyo Store. Journalists in Japan have recently had the opportunity to go in and...
News Popular Tourist Go-Kart Company in Tokyo Loses Lawsuit Appeal Against Nintendo
Crash and burn
Last year, we reported that Nintendo had won a lawsuit against the popular go-kart company based in Tokyo, MariCar. The business was known for attracting tourists with its Nintendo-themed costumes and go-karts. Even the branding of MariCar (though officially known as Mari Mobility Development Co.) was a cheeky play on the title of...
News Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Faces Massive Online Data Dump
Almost two weeks in advance
With less than two weeks away from launch, it was recently claimed that Super Smash Bros. Ultimate had made broken street date in the form of the physical game. We now have total confirmation that Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has made its way into the wild, as the game data has been dumped online. Among the content dumped...
News People Claim To Already Have Copies Of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Be wary of spoilers
As with other popular games of the past, such as Pokémon X and Y, physical copies of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate may have already made their way into the wild. With the game being prepared for distribution, it is a fact that the physical game will be passed between companies, warehouses and people in the coming weeks. Twitter...
News Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's World Of Light Mode Will Not Include Co-Op
One against the world
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's new adventure mode, World of Light, looks to be a wonderful addition to a fantastic game, based on what we recently got to play in our hands on. With so much content crammed into this mode, it's sure to be a wonderful experience, and one that will keep us glued to our Switch consoles for ages...
Video Pokémon's Switch Debut Predictably Results In A Much Prettier Cast
3DS to Switch is quite a leap
Pokémon has come a long way from its inception on the original Game Boy. Gone are the days of black and white pixels on a green screen. Since we saw those rough-looking 3D Pokémon in Pokémon Snap, we've had to wait until 2013 to play a main series Pokémon game in proper 3D. Now, a new graphical dawn has begun...
News Kadowaka Shoten Set To Release Kirby Hidden Art Scratch Book
Only in Japan, of course
Kirby has been receiving a lot of attention this year, from the return of the Kirby Café in Tokyo, to a seemingly endless flow of free DLC for Kirby Star Allies and even a special focus in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. His spotlight continues to shine, although only in Japan this time. Next month, Kadokawa Shoten will be...
News Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Will Apparently Only Include Two Final Fantasy Songs
Possibly no Square Enix spirits
Nobody can deny that Final Fantasy contains some of the best music in gaming history. Unfortunately, it seems that no new songs from its strong line up will be making it into Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. There is the possibility additional tracks could be unlocked through gameplay, but for now, we're only looking at...
