Tag: Japan - Page 22
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 Hori Brings Its Fighting Commander Gamepad To The Switch This June
Japan only, for now
If you play a lot of fighting games, you'll know how important it is to have the right gamepad or arcade stick. It can make certain combos easier to perform and will often give you a competitive edge in battle. Japanese accessory manufacturer HORI might have already released a number of controllers for the Nintendo Switch, but...
News Official Mother Tribute Comic Revealed, More News Expected To Follow
"to be continued"
At the end of last month, the company Hobonichi Shinbun (owned by Mother series' creator Shigesato Itoi) launched the 'Hobonichi Mother Project' - promising "various contents and goods" before the end of 2020. Now, in the latest update, the Pollyanna tribute comic has been revealed. According to a translation on the
Random Japanese Scheme To "Smash" Switch Scalpers Doesn't Quite Go According To Plan
Stock situation triggers weird scenes in Akihabara
The Nintendo Switch is in short supply all over the world right now, but in Nintendo's homeland, the stock situation is especially dire, with stores regularly holding lottery-style systems in order to fairly distribute the tiny number of consoles they have. As a result, we've seen scalpers step in,...
Japanese Charts Animal Crossing: New Horizons Surpasses 4 Million Boxed Sales In Japan Alone
It's a monster!
Famitsu's Japanese chart figures are now in for both 27th April - 3rd May and 4th - 10th May after a delay in chart publication last week. As such, we have a bumper episode of data for you this time around. Strap in! It probably comes as no surprise that Animal Crossing: New Horizons is still comfortably at number one, now finding...
News Ninjala Is Getting A Physical Edition Release In Japan
Despite being free-to-play
GungHo Online Entertainment's Ninjala is set to receive a physical edition release in Japan this summer, it has been announced. The news arrives via the game's official website, where it has been revealed that Japanese fans of the game will be able to pick up a boxed copy of Ninjala on 22nd July. It contains a physical...
News This Summer's New Pokémon Movie Has Been Delayed
10th July release date scrapped
The Pokémon Company has announced that the release of this summer's movie, Pokémon the Movie: Coco, will be postponed. The film was due to be released in Japanese cinemas on 10th July, but the company has issued a statement to its official website today to inform fans of the delay. As you can probably guess, the...
News Switch Online Subscribers Will Soon Get To Play Celeste For Free In Japan
And yes, there's a western workaround
Starting from next week, Nintendo Switch Online subscribers in Japan will be able to enjoy Celeste - in its entirety - at no extra charge. The game is the latest to be offered up in a string of free, limited-time releases available to subscribers, which has already included the likes of Fire Emblem Warriors and
News Nintendo Thwarts Scalpers With Animal Crossing amiibo Card Restock
Gotta collect 'em all
We're big fans of using amiibo cards to invite villagers to our campsites in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, but let's be honest - it's incredibly hard to get the entire set and many dedicated collectors end up turning to popular auction sites in order to fill the gaps in their collection, often from unscrupulous scalpers asking...
News Tokyo Game Show 2020 Officially Cancelled, Will Be Replaced By An Online Event
Another one bites the dust
It's official, like every other video game convention before it, this year's Tokyo Game Show has been cancelled to help stop the spread of COVID-19. The show, which was scheduled to take place between 24th - 27th September, will now be replaced by an online event. Here's the official statement: Due to the outbreak of...
Random "Games I Want Ported To Nintendo Switch" Twitter Hashtag Goes Viral In Japan
Switch users from other regions join in
The Switch already has an extensive library of games, but there's always room for more ports. While we've seen Nintendo and a number of other companies release a bunch of them over the past few years, there are still quite a lot of fantastic previous generation titles that could make the Switch. The Japanese...
Japanese Charts Animal Crossing Overtakes Smash Ultimate To Become Switch's Best-Selling Game
In just over one month
Famitsu's Japanese chart figures are now in for 20th - 26th April, revealing that Animal Crossing: New Horizons has smashed yet another record - and this one's a biggie. The game sold an estimated 283,913 copies in Japan last week, taking its lifetime sales total in the region to a mighty 3.89 million. This means that in...
Gallery Nintendo Website Shares Brand New Screenshots Of Xenoblade Chronicles: Future Connected
New overview trailer also released
Perhaps the most exciting thing about Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition for returning players is the all-new epilogue story. It's officially titled 'Xenoblade Chronicles: Future Connected'. If you're curious to see more of this new chapter, some additional screenshots have now been shared on the game's...
News Kemco And City Connection Apologise Over New Switch JRPG Revenge Of Justice
The game launched just last month
The teams behind new Switch JRPG Revenge of Justice have both issued statements to their official websites today, apologising over content found within the game. Both Kemco, the game's publisher, and developer City Connection have acknowledged reports that said the new game has a number of similarities to PC game,...
Teaser website also launched
The Mother series, as we know, hasn't really been acknowledged by Nintendo since EarthBound Beginnings was released on the Wii U eShop back in 2015. Fortunately, it's not been completely forgotten about. Although the series' creator Shigesato Itoi has said he's not particularly interested in making a fourth entry, his...
News EA Adds FIFA 20 To Its Nintendo Switch 'Best Hits' Line In Japan
Same game, cheaper price
On 25th June 2020, Electronic Arts is adding FIFA 20 to its 'Best Hits' Nintendo Switch line in Japan. It will see the game's price dropped reduced from ¥5,500 down to just ¥3,080. The digital version of the title on the eShop is also expected to be reduced. As you can see above, the physical Legacy Edition is still...
News Sega Shiro Needs To Stop Sega Going Bankrupt In This New Video
"Sega Shiro, is that a Switch?"
Sega is currently celebrating its 60th anniversary and is having a whale of a time making off the wall videos to celebrate Hiroshi Fujioka, an actor who played the role of Sega Saturn's mascot back in the day. In the video above we see his son Maito Fujioka reprise the role of the biggest Sega fan to grace the school...
News The Japan Retro Game Association Offers Super Famicoms To Avoid Lockdown Boredom
Donkey Kong Country saves the day
Despite all the difficulties presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the situation has also brought out some amazing acts of human kindness. Now we can add the Japan Retro Game Association to our list of lovely people, as they have offered to loan out 100 slightly yellowing Super Famicom consoles to Japanese residents...
Japanese Charts Animal Crossing: New Horizons Overtakes Pokémon Sword And Shield's Lifetime Sales
And it only took a single month
Sometimes you just have the perfect image waiting to be used in your database. Today's one of those days. Famitsu's Japanese chart figures are now in for 13th - 19th April, revealing that Animal Crossing: New Horizons once again dominated weekly sales. The game shifted an estimated 286,586 copies in Japan last week,...
Random A Fresh Line Of Pokémon Lingerie Is Coming To Japan Next Month
"Pokémon Girls" line goes on sale soon
Pokémon is one of those brands that is so insanely successful that it finds its way onto pretty much any product, and in Japan, that includes lingerie and nightwear. Underwear maker Peach John – which also has One Piece trollies in its catalogue – is launching a new range of Pokémon-themed undergarments...
Random Mario And Bowser Get Reimagined As Tokusatsu Characters
Say hello to "MA-NULTRA" and "KOOBALA"
Japanese toymaker Bid Toys is famous for its pop-culture mash-ups and bizarre figures, and the company's next project uses two of Nintendo's most famous characters in a slightly different way to what we're used to. Super Mario and his nemesis Bowser (or King Koopa, as he's known as in Japan) have been...
News Nintendo Just Launched Two Special Fire Emblem Game Variants On Switch In Japan
'Triangle Attack' and 'Climax'
On 20th April 1990, the world was given its very first Fire Emblem game in Japan and to celebrate, Nintendo has released two new Fire Emblem offerings for Nintendo Switch Online users in the country. Intelligent Systems and Nintendo's R&D1 group co-developed Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light...
News Brand New My Nintendo App Lets You Buy Games, Watch Directs And View Your Playtime
Now live in Japan
Nintendo has released a brand new 'My Nintendo' app which offers a number of handy services to those who own a Switch, 3DS or Wii U. Currently available exclusively for Android and iOS users in Japan, the app delivers news on Nintendo and its products, will let you watch videos - including Nintendo Direct presentations, and allows...
News Lack Of Switch Stock In Japan Is Driving Up The Value Of Animal Crossing: New Leaf
Second best is better than nothing?
The arrival of Animal Crossing: New Horizons has triggered a surge in demand for the Switch in Japan, but, thanks to the recent coronavirus outbreak, demand has increased to the point where consoles are incredibly hard to come by. With everyone talking about the new entry, interested players in Japan are having...
News Production Of The Pokémon Anime Has Been Put On Hold, Reruns To Be Shown In Japan
It's currently unclear when it'll return
Production of the Pokémon anime series has been temporarily put on hold due to the current global pandemic's impact in Japan. TV Tokyo, the Japanese network which broadcasts Pokémon in the region, has updated its upcoming schedule, removing already-planned episodes and replacing them with reruns (thanks,...
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 Pokémon Sword And Shield Wins Famitsu Dengeki 2019 Game Of The Year
And takes out best role-playing game award
Pokémon Sword and Shield has taken out the game of the year award and best role-playing game of 2019 during a livestream award ceremony held by Famitsu and Dengeki. Apart from this, Nintendo's exercise game Ring Fit Adventure tied with Square Enix's mobile title Dragon Quest Walk for the Special Award,...
Japanese Charts Nintendo Switch Sales Plummet As Shipments Get Put On Hold
Animal Crossing drops to second
Famitsu's Japanese chart figures are now in for 6th - 12th April, revealing that Animal Crossing: New Horizons has missed out on the first-place spot for the first time since it released. The game sold an estimated 292,876 copies in the region last week, which is still an impressive total considering it's now been on...
News Nintendo Switch Shortages Are Driving Up The Price Of 3DS In Japan
There's still some demand
The coronavirus outbreak has created a lot of chaos since it was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. On the gaming front, it's made certain systems like the original model Nintendo Switch near impossible to buy. In Japan last week, we heard how one local retailer ran an online lottery to simply purchase...
News Hamster's Arcade Archives Release Record Might Be Disrupted By CERO Ratings Suspension
160 weeks and counting
Earlier this week, the Japanese video game rating organisation CERO (Computer Entertainment Rating Agency) announced a temporary closure, which at the time was expected to have a significant impact on the release schedules of many upcoming games – including Nintendo ones. It seems the first company that could be affected by...
News Demand For The Switch And Ring Fit Adventure In Japan Is Absolutely Crazy Right Now
Even lotteries to buy the products are causing chaos
As you've likely heard, there have been Nintendo Switch and Ring Fit Adventure shortages around the globe for months on end. Over in Japan, though, the situation sounds like it's got even worse. As highlighted by Niko Partners Senior Analyst Daniel Ahmad, the Japanese retailer Yamada Denki...
Japanese Charts Animal Crossing: New Horizons Surpasses Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Lifetime Physical Sales
3 million in three weeks
Famitsu's Japanese chart figures are now in for 30th March - 5th April, revealing that Animal Crossing: New Horizons is still having a wonderful time at the top. The game sold an estimated 423,367 copies in the region last week, taking its Japanese physical sales total to just over 3 million. Amazingly, this means that -...
News Ace Angler's Fishing Rod Accessory Is Giving Us The Dreamcast Feels
The 'Get Bass' successor the world needs in 2020?
Fishing fans who were hoping to get a western release of Bandai Namco's Fishing Spirits will be delighted to hear that it's on its way under the new name of Ace Angler. The game is also getting a re-release in Japan along with a quirky Hori-made peripheral called the 'Ace Angler Dedicated Joy-Con...
Talking Point We Should Brace For A Huge Games Industry Knock-On Effect Following The CERO Shutdown
Down to CERO
Today's news that Japanese video game rating organisation CERO--that's the 'Computer Entertainment Rating Organization'--is closing temporarily in response the COVID-19 pandemic will likely have far longer lasting repercussions on the video games industry than recent cancellation of annual events such as E3 and GDC. Japan's response to...
News Pokémon Staff Will 'Stay Connected' During Tokyo's Emergency Lockdown, Says Masuda
Encourages fans to stay home
Today, the Japanese government issued a state of emergency across its Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama, Osaka, Hyogo and Fukuoka prefectures, urging people to practice social distancing to fight the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Junichi Masuda, director of Pokémon developer Game Freak, has now commented on the situation...
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 New Games Could See Delays As Japanese Rating Organisation CERO Temporarily Shuts Down
State of emergency declared in Tokyo
Japanese video game rating organisation CERO (Computer Entertainment Rating Agency) has today announced a temporary closure, potentially having a significant impact on the release schedules of upcoming games. The closure has been revealed in response to the Japanese government's decision to issue a state of...
News Nintendo Switch Stock Concerns Grow As Shipping Gets Temporarily Halted In Japan
Only pre-existing reservations will be fulfilled
Nintendo has issued a notice to fans in Japan this morning regarding the current status of Switch console shipments, revealing that shipping will be temporarily put on hold. The message, which was shared on Nintendo's official Japanese Twitter account, says that both the Switch Lite and standard...
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 Here Are The Switch eShop's Best-Selling Games Of March 2020 (Japan)
Animal Crossing and Pokémon top the list
Earlier today, we shared a list of the top 15 most-downloaded Switch games in Europe last month and now have yet another list, this time from Japan. Below, you can see a list of the 20 best-selling games on the Switch eShop in Japan throughout the month of March, 2020. Also included are each game's release...
Japanese Charts Animal Crossing: New Horizons Looks Unstoppable With Mighty Second Week On Sale
This could become Switch's best-seller
Famitsu's Japanese chart figures are now in for 23rd - 29th March, revealing that Animal Crossing: New Horizons is going from strength to strength. The game has managed to shift another 727,791 physical copies in Japan alone in its second week on sale, down from last week's tremendous 1.8 million-strong debut...
News Nintendo's Servers Haven't Been Hacked, It Was All An April Fool's Joke
Another fake identified
Update: Like the Flipnote Studio rumour, this one also appears to be an elaborate fake. You can listen to the eight fan-created tracks on Video Game Music Resources (the YouTube channel behind the joke). On the plus side, it means Nintendo's internal development servers haven't been breached. Phew! Original Story [Wed 1st...
News Nintendo Files Patent For The Switch Lite
Better late than never
Companies are always filing patents for new product designs, but this time it's a little different. Nintendo Co., Ltd. recently registered a design at the Japanese patent office for the Switch Lite – a handheld system which launched in September last year. The description notes how the device is "an electronic computer...
News Bandai Namco Announces The Namcot Collection For Nintendo Switch
Launching in Japan this June
During the Japanese Nintendo Direct, Bandai Namco revealed it would be releasing the Namcot Collection for Switch on 18th June 2020. No, it's not a typo, 'Namcot' was the name Namco used for its console publishing business between 1984-1995. This upcoming collection will be available as a physical release and as a free...
News Switch Has Now Surpassed Wii's Lifetime Sales In Japan
But Wii's worldwide total remains on top
The Nintendo Switch had a hugely successful week in Japan last week, shifting a massive 392,576 units according to Famitsu data. This places the console at an estimated 12.8 million sales over its relatively short lifetime, which means Nintendo's latest machine has just hit a new, significant milestone. As...
Japanese Charts Switch Sales Soar As Animal Crossing: New Horizons Dominates
Records broken left, right and centre
Famitsu's Japanese chart figures are now in for 16th - 22nd March, reconfirming Animal Crossing: New Horizons' huge debut success. As had been reported earlier today, the game has managed to sell a phenomenal 1,880,626 physical copies in its first three days on sale in Japan. It's the strongest launch for any...
New Horizons is a hit
The success Nintendo has seen thanks to the launch of Animal Crossing: New Horizons is truly off the charts, with new data now revealing that more Switch consoles were sold in Japan last week than at the console's launch. The game, which has just had the most successful launch of any Switch title ever in the region, has...
News Animal Crossing: New Horizons Sold A Whopping 1.88 Million Copies In Three Days In Japan
Switch's best ever launch
Update (Wed 25th Mar, 2020 09:45 GMT): The reports were true, as new Famitsu data (thanks, VGC) confirms that Animal Crossing: New Horizons sold a phenomenal 1.88 million copies in just three days in Japan alone. As mentioned in our original article below, this means New Horizons has had the best l
News Animal Crossing: New Horizons Is Already Selling Out In Japanese Stores
Crazy scenes
With all of the crazy stuff going on in the world right now, it's perhaps unsurprising to hear that even video game stores are seeing unusually high levels of demand. Early reports coming in from Japan suggest that a number of retail stores have experienced particularly lengthy queues during midnight launches for Animal Crossing: New...
Japanese Charts Pokémon Games Land In Second And Third As Nioh 2 Debuts On Top
My Hero One's Justice 2 debuts in fourth
Famitsu's Japanese chart figures are now in for 9th - 15th March, revealing that Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX has slipped down to second place after topping the charts in its opening week. The game managed to shift an estimated 46,391 units this week, not managing to fend off the brand new PS4...