Tag: Japan - Page 30
News The Japanese Name For Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's World Of Light Mode Holds a Cool Easter Egg
Kirby takes the spotlight one more time
As we already know, Kirby is the sole surviving hero at the beginning of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's "World of Light" adventure mode. However, in another twist, the Japanese title for World of Light hides a Kirby-themed easter egg. The name in Japanese is Tomoshibi no Hoshi (灯火の星). If you reverse the...
Video These Adorable Japanese Pokémon Let's Go Commercials Will Give You All The Feels
Family time is Pokémon time!
If you hadn't already heard, this little obscure game called Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! launches on the Switch this very month - on the 16th of November, to be precise. Nintendo and The Pokémon Company aren't resting on their laurels in terms of promoting this upcoming game in Japan, either. You...
News Nintendo Grabs Smartphone-Related Trademarks For Zelda: Spirit Tracks And Mario Vs. Donkey Kong
As well as 'download' and 'game program' trademarks
Nintendo Co., Ltd. has applied for trademarks for The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks and Mario Vs. Donkey Kong - which isn't massive news in itself, as the company is forever renewing its trademarks to cover older IP. However, what makes these two near-identical applications interesting is that...
News Switch Maintains A Firm Grip On Japanese Charts Despite Slight Drop In Sales This Week
Super Mario Party still clinging on
Japanese chart figures are now in for 22nd - 28th October, showing that the Switch has seen a slight dip in performance thanks to a lack of major releases - just like in the UK charts. Despite this, the console is still home to 11 of the top 20 games this week. The PS4 version of the new megahit Red Dead...
News After A Short Delay, Phantasy Star Joins Sega AGES Line At The End Of This Month
Still no word on when it will arrive locally
The retro Sega title Phantasy Star appears to have finally received a Switch eShop release date. After missing its original launch in September, Sega's official Japanese Twitter account has now revealed the AGES version of the title will arrive on 31st October: The game joins the likes of
Video Bandai Namco Releases Super Dragon Ball Heroes: World Mission Teaser Trailer
The ultimate card battle
Last week, the latest issue of V-Jump revealed Bandai Namco would be bringing yet another Dragon Ball game to the Nintendo Switch. In case you missed it, this one's a bit different from the usual release. It's a card game by Dimps Corporation, requiring players to think about every move rather than aimlessly mash buttons in...
Random Japanese Auction Reveals Wii Remote Prototype For The GameCube
Paving the way
Over the years, there have been plenty of prototype Nintendo systems, controllers and accessories publicly revealed. If you think you've seen them all, perhaps not. Ars Technica reports how a recent listing on a Japanese auction site has shed light on a rare Wii Remote prototype designed for the GameCube. The controller sold for...
News Super Mario Party Still Partying Hard In Japanese Charts, Dark Souls Enters At Number Four
Switch dominating hardware chart
Japanese chart figures are in for 15th - 21st October, revealing that Super Mario Party has held onto to its second place position, only losing out to the still-new Call of Duty: Black Ops IIII. Yes, Mario's board game antics have generated another 36,381 sales in the region this week, falling from last week's...
News Japan's Getting A Fancy Stardew Valley Collector's Edition With Guide Book, Soundtrack And More
Seriously, when are we all moving?
On today's episode of 'Japan gets all the cool stuff and we're growing increasingly jealous by the day', we introduce to you the upcoming Collector's Edition of Stardew Valley. Yes, the hugely addictive farming simulator is getting the physical treatment in the land of the rising sun, with a fancy bundle set to be...
News These Nintendo Piranha Plant Slippers Release This December And We May Have Fallen In Love
Incredibly satisfying
Nintendo's surprisingly wide range of merchandise options often has us drooling over the latest and greatest thing, and this is usually amplified when we see the sorts of goodies available in Japan. Joining that list in style are these lovely Piranha Plant slippers and we can't wait to get multiple sets for ourselves. The...
News Famitsu Teasing "Possible Revival" For A Cancelled Level-5 Game
What could it be?
The Japan-based developer and publisher Level-5 is best known by Nintendo fans for charming series like Professor Layton, Inazuma Eleven and in more recent times Yo-Kai Watch. Originally established in 1998, the company is now 20-years old. In celebration of Level-5's 20th anniversary, Famitsu is teasing an interview with the...
Video Cloud Gaming Is Viable In The Future Based On This Assassin's Creed Odyssey Review
"I'm actually kind of a believer now"
There's been some serious doubt when it comes to companies trying to make cloud gaming on console devices a thing. Ubisoft's CEO Yves Guillemot has previously mentioned the future of the video game industry is streaming. In saying this, if you don't have a top tier internet connection or live in a country with...
News Super Mario Party Slips To Second Place In Japanese Charts, Switch Still Best-Selling Console
Black Ops 4 steals top spot
Super Mario Party has just faced its second week in stores, and Japanese figures (from 8th - 14th October) report that its sales have remained relatively high, despite dropping to second place in the charts. The new rival taking over that prized top spot is, of course, the newly-released Call of Duty: Black Ops IIII,...
News The Card Game Super Dragon Ball Heroes: World Mission Is Coming To Switch
Prepare for the ultimate battle
If you're a Dragon Ball fan who lives in Japan and also happens to own a Switch, we've got some exciting news to share courtesy of this week's issue of V-Jump. Dimps Corporation is bringing Super Dragon Ball Heroes: World Mission to Nintendo's hybrid platform (as can be seen in the scan above). It's described as a...
News Tokyo's Unofficial Mario Kart Service Continues To Dress Up Riders After Nintendo Wins Lawsuit
Perhaps a blue shell will sort this out
Even the law can't stop Tokyo's Mari Mobility company, formerly known as MariCar. After last month's reports the unlicensed Mario Kart business would be required to pay 10 million yen (roughly $88,000) in damages and immediately stop wearing Mario-themed outfits, it was believed Nintendo had finally got its...
Random Pokémon Cards Inspired By Edvard Munch's 'The Scream' Are Headed To Japan
Yep, seriously
We know that Pokémon's pretty popular, and that the series tends to collaborate with other franchises, retailers, and anything else going, but this is one tie-in we never thought we'd see. Introducing the Edvard Munch x Pokémon Trading Card crossover. With designs for Pikachu, Eevee, Psyduck, Mimikyu, and Rowlet, the cards are...
News Sega Wants Simultaneous Video Game Releases Worldwide
Also plans to revive idle IP
Sega Sammy's integrated report for 2018 has revealed one of the Japan-based company's "Road to 2020" objectives is to simultaneously release games worldwide. The report touches on the localisation of Japanese games and explains how better quality translations result in a more positive reception from players worldwide...
Video First Beyblade Burst: Battle Zero Switch Trailer Shows Joy-Con Ripcord Motion
Motion control at its finest
The first official trailer for Beyblade Burst: Battle Zero on Nintendo Switch has just landed, giving us another look at the Joy-Con being used as ripcords in the game. As you can see above - if you make it through all the hectic excitement - the game has you using your left Joy-Con to set up the Beyblade's position and...
News Yo-Kai Watch 4 Has Been Delayed Until Spring 2019 In Japan
While we still wait for Yo-Kai 3
Yo-Kai Watch 4 - the next entry in the Yo-Kai Watch series and the first to appear on Switch - has seen a delay in Japan, it has been confirmed. Originally, the game had been scheduled to arrive in winter 2018, but the latest issue of Japanese magazine CoroCoro has revealed that it has now been pushed back to spring...
News Famitsu No Longer Tracking Sales Of Wii U In Japan, Final Figure Stands At 3.3 Million
Press 'U' to pay respects
Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu will no longer track the sales of the Wii U in Japan, finally allowing the console to serenely drift off into the loving embrace of Nintendo's past systems. It comes as no surprise (the console was often generating weekly sales of between 10 and 20 units in recent weeks) but Famitsu was the...
Physical sales only
Japanese sales figures are now in for the week of 1st - 7th October, revealing that Super Mario Party managed to jump right to the top of the charts with a very impressive sales total indeed. The moustachioed plumber's latest outing generated 142,868 sales in its opening weekend. Of course, the game only arrived in stores on 5th...
News Romantic Visual Novel Nightshade Is Headed To Switch This December
Japanese release confirmed
Multiple Japanese retail listings have revealed that Nightshade - an otome visual novel currently available on PC and PS Vita - is headed to Switch in the region this December. The game follows a story set in Japan soon after the Sengoku Period, with players following the romances between its protagonist and other main...
News Hamster's Arcade Archives Producer Was Surprised By Nintendo's Cooperation
"I think a common ethos is one reason we succeeded"
Japanese publisher Hamster Corporation has become known over the years for reviving classic video games and adding modern touches to each one. Its recent focus on Nintendo’s retro library for the Switch eShop has been well-received so far. In an interview with Famitsu, Arcade Archives series’...
News New Switch Releases Litter The Japanese Gaming Charts, But PS4 Editions Come Out On Top
Dragon Ball FighterZ, FIFA, Warriors Orochi 4
Japanese sales figures are now in for the week of 24th - 30th September, with multiple new Switch releases jumping immediately into the top ten of the charts. Warriors Orochi 4 was the top-selling new release in Japan both on Switch, and as a whole, with the PlayStation 4 version selling 100,831 retail...
News Report Finds Elementary School Students In Japan Use 3DS As Their Main Music Player
A handy feature
While the 3DS is most commonly used as a portable video game system, one of its less utilised features is the device's ability to play music. In Japan, though, school students apparently enjoy listening to music on their 3DS on a regular basis. Mobile Marketing Data Labo - a research firm located in Japan - has released a report...
News Nintendo Switch Online Prepaid Cards "Selling Extremely Well", Says Major Japanese Retailer
12 month option most popular
Last month finally saw the launch of Nintendo's shiny new online service, with fans of the company having to pay for their online gaming for the first time. We're still yet to find out how well this service is performing from a Nintendo revenue point of view, but a major Japanese retailer seems to believe that things are...
News Sega Is Listening To Fans, Would Love To See Shenmue And Sequel On Switch
Fingers crossed
Prior to the 2018 Tokyo Game Show, Sega ran a poll asking what games fans wanted to see adapted to the AGES line. In case you missed it, the Jet Set Radio series was at the top of the list. This covered the original game released on Dreamcast in 2000 and also Jet Set Radio Future launched on Microsoft’s Xbox in 2002. Right below...
News There Will Be No More Drifting Around Tokyo In Unlicensed Mario Karts, As Nintendo Wins Lawsuit
Game over
Japan can be both a weird and wonderful country at times with robot restaurants and cat cafes. You might have also heard about an unlicensed Mario Kart ride company located in Tokyo. Even the Australian actor Hugh Jackman, best known for playing Wolverine in the X-Men movies, has spotted these karts in action. Being a completely...
Feature Five Lessons From The Tokyo Game Show 2018
Take note
2018’s Tokyo Game Show wrapped up last weekend, and we were lucky enough to be in attendance. While PAX, E3, Gamescom and EGX have their own flavour, none of them quite match TGS for sheer uniqueness; perhaps that's a cultural thing - the Japanese do things very differently to the west - or maybe it's because the TGS lacks any kind of...
News Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna DLC Grabs A Spot In The Physical Release Japanese Charts
Switch still leads the console charge
Japanese sales figures are now in for the week of 17th - 23rd September, revealing that the physical version of Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna - The Golden Country - the DLC expansion to Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - has narrowly missed out on a place in the top ten chart positions. Of course, seeing a piece of DLC...
News Psikyo's Strikers 1999 Bringing More Shmup Action To The Switch
Finally confirmed
The Switch eShop already has a healthy selection of shoot 'em up games and soon there will be another one added to the digital library. Psikyo's arcade title Strikers 1999 (also known as Strikers 1945 III) appears to be on the way. The news was teased a while ago, and following this year's Tokyo Game Show has now been confirmed by...
Gallery The Best Cosplay From The Tokyo Game Show 2018
Mario! Link! Toad?!
As is often the case at Japan's premier gaming showcase, this year's Tokyo Game Show had some great cosplay from a variety of Nintendo (and non-Nintendo) franchises. All of the big names were represented, including some of the company's most famous faces - and a few cult favourites, of course. Here is some of the best cosplay...
News Nintendo Wins Big At TGS 2018's Japan Game Awards
Both hardware and software acknowledged at Tokyo Game Show
While Nintendo has been increasing their presence at consumer events in Japan - including Kyoto’s Bitsummit indie game show as part of their ”Hello Indie World” campaign - the company has never had an official showing at Japan’s flagship gaming event, the Tokyo Game Show. In 2018,...
News Bandai Namco Localising Two Sword Art Online Games For Switch
Enter virtual reality
The popular Sword Art Online series is heading to the Nintendo Switch. During a stage event at the 2018 Tokyo Game Show, Bandai Namco announced Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization and Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet would both be arriving on the Switch at some point in the future. According to Gematsu, the first is a Deluxe...
News Indie Shmup Astebreed Announced For Nintendo Switch
"Hope turns to an unlikely hero"
The shoot 'em up genre is a perfect match with the Nintendo Switch, so it should come as no surprise yet another one is on the way. Japanese indie developer Edelweiss, with the help of Active Gaming Media, will be bringing the 2014 title Astebreed to the Switch eShop in the near future. A release date has not been...
News Happy 129th Birthday, Nintendo
129 years young
Nintendo is today one year older. It's now been 129 years since entrepreneur Fusajiro Yamauchi originally founded the Japanese company. Established way back in 1889 as a Hanafuda playing card manufacturer, Yamauchi opened his first shop "Nintendo Koppai" in Kyoto. Eventually, he was succeeded by his son-in-law Sekiryo Kaneda...
Video The "Completely Insane" Policies Of Nintendo President Hiroshi Yamauchi
Saving the day with his draconian ways
Nintendo's third president, Hiroshi Yamauchi, was famously disinterested in video games, preferring to play more traditional Japanese board games. Despite this, he's also known for modernising Nintendo and transforming the video game market. Although we've heard plenty about Yamauchi's life previously, in...
News Virtua Racing Joins The Sega AGES Line On Nintendo Switch
Start your engines
The Sega AGES game library continues to expand, with the latest game announcement for the Nintendo Switch series taking place at this year's Tokyo Game Show. The arcade version of Virtua Racing was shown during Sega's stage event. Take a look at the Twitter announcement along with a number of screenshots released so far: A...
News Capcom Announces Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy For Nintendo Switch
No objections to this
A few weeks ago, Capcom revealed it would be hosting an "unmissable" Ace Attorney panel on the 22nd September at this year's Tokyo Game Show. Following a bunch of rumours dating back to November last year, it's now finally been confirmed the first three Phoenix Wright games are on the way to the Nintendo Switch. For the first...
News Nintendo And Panasonic Filed Patent Applications For Two 'Quality Of Life' Devices In February
Dead or alive?
In June this year, there were suggestions Nintendo's 'Quality of Life' initiative was dead. At the time, it was linked to a dramatic fall in the company's share price. Hardware partner Panasonic had also reportedly withdrawn itself from the project in March. The last official acknowledgment was when Nintendo's Annual Report for 2017...
News Nintendo Labo Vehicle Kit Has Disappointing Launch In Japan, Switch Still Best-Selling Console
Last week's Japanese charts
Figures are in for the Japanese gaming charts, covering the 10th - 16th of September, and Nintendo's major new release of the week - the Nintendo Labo Vehicle Kit - managed to snag a debut spot at number five. Sales figures show that it failed to reach the lofty heights of the previous Labo designs, however...
Video Take A Look At Square Enix's Trailers From The 2018 Tokyo Game Show
Final Fantasy and more
Square Enix has shown new trailers for Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition, World Of Final Fantasy Maxima and Chocobo's Mystery Dungeon: Every Buddy! at this year's Tokyo Game Show. In addition to this, it was also revealed
News Android 17 Is Being Added To The Character Roster In Dragon Ball FighterZ
Video footage included
Update: Cooler and Android 17 will join the fight on Nintendo Switch from 28th September. Take a look at the latest free update trailer above. Original Story: The former villain and twin brother of Android 18 will soon be added to Bandai Namco's hit game, Dragon Ball FighterZ. According to a reveal in the latest issue of...
News Sega Mega Drive Mini Release Has Been Delayed Until 2019
Now aiming for simultaneous worldwide launch
Gematsu reports Sega has now delayed the Mega Drive Mini originally scheduled to arrive in Japan this year. According to Sega, the response to the announcement in the west was bigger than it expected. There are now plans to give the system a simultaneous release worldwide in 2019. This covers the Genesis...
News Nintendo Listed As Most Reliable Japanese Company In Forbes Report, 11th In The World
Disney takes the top spot
Every year, Forbes publishes new reports looking into which of the world's largest companies are the most reputable among its consumers. These reports collect data from hundreds of thousands of individuals across multiple countries, looking into which companies provide the best services, products, and support with every...
News Capcom Beat 'Em Up Bundle Is Receiving Four Different Retail Options In Japan
And some are pretty huge
One of the bigger surprises during the recent Nintendo Direct was Capcom Beat' Em Up Bundle. Featuring a selection of the most famous side-scrolling fighters from the company, this scrumptious looking bundle will be available from the eShop tomorrow, but Japanese fans can get their hands on a ridiculous amount of extras,...
Random The 'N' Returns To The Logo At Nintendo's Kyoto Headquarters
A quick fix
You might recall a post last week about a horrific typhoon that devastated Japan and literally knocked the 'N' out of Nintendo at the company's head office in Kyoto. The storm was considered one of the worst to hit the country in 25 years, leaving a trail of destruction in major cities. Nintendo got off lightly in contrast, with the loss...
News Japanese Nintendo Direct Shows Handful Of Indie Games Coming Soon To Switch
A growing library
The Japanese Direct was slightly different to the western broadcast. During one part of the presentation, there was a segment for upcoming indie releases on the Switch. Nidhogg 2 by Messhof is scheduled for fall this year, as is Downwell by Devolver Digital. Tangledeep from Impact Gameworks
News Wireless Famicom Controllers Are Being Released For The Nintendo Switch In Japan
Available in a two pack
While the western Nintendo Direct was happening, Japan also held its own presentation. During this, it was revealed Japanese Switch owners would be able to play Famicom games via the Nintendo Switch Online service with the assistance of brand new wireless Famicom controllers. These controllers will even be available in a two...
News Assassin's Creed Odyssey Is Coming To Nintendo Switch, But There's A Catch
Every cloud has a sliver lining?
Well, that was unexpected. During the Japanese version of today's Nintendo Direct broadcast, there was a surprise announcement that wasn't present elsewhere in the world: Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Odyssey is coming to the Nintendo Switch. However, before you get too excited, it would seem that the French...
