Tag: Japan - Page 30
News Out Run Races Onto The Japanese Switch eShop Later This Week
That was quick
Out Run was confirmed as the next game in the Sega AGES line last week and already it's been revealed it will arrive on the Japanese eShop later this week. Sega announced the 29th November release date via its official Twitter account. The price of the game aligns with existing releases and will set
News Pokémon: Let's Go Absolutely Smashes It In The Japanese Charts, Switch Console Sales Skyrocket
Not a bad week at all
Japanese chart figures are now in for 12th November - 18th November, unsurprisingly revealing that Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! have snagged top spot without any concern from rival games. The Switch has also seen a hugely significant boost in sales as a result. The new entries into the Pokémon franchise...
News The Eevee Tamagotchi Will Feature A New Evolution For The Popular Pokémon
Edit: Actually it won't
Edit: We've now been told by our Pokémon expert Joe Merrick that reports that this special Tamagotchi will feature an exclusive new evolution are actually incorrect: Original Story: Not so long ago, we reported on rumours that the unthinkable was about to happen - two '90s icons, Pokémon and Tamagotchi, were joining...
Random Japanese Man Named Miyamoto Arrested For Selling Modded Super Famicom Mini
No, not that one
A 39-year-old man located in Japan has been arrested by police for selling modded Super Famicom Classic Mini consoles to three individuals in online net auctions. According to a report by Asahi via Nintendo Soup, the man added a total of five games to each of the modified systems and then resold them for approximately 61,500 yen...
Only 50 up for grabs
Unless you began collecting Smash amiibo when the original Wii U and 3DS versions were released a number of years ago, the task of collecting every single one featured in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will no doubt be quite the challenge. With this in mind, there's one special storage box that could save any self-respecting Smash...
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 Bandai Namco Brings Highschool Tank Warfare To Switch Next Year
Japan only, for now
Bandai Namco will be releasing Girls und Panzer: Dream Tank Match DX on the Switch in Japan next year. The game stems from the bizarre 2012 anime and film series about a group of high school girls who engage in tank warfare as a sport. This is an enhanced version of the PlayStation 4 title and adds new tanks and characters from...
News Dead Or Alive Xtreme 3: Scarlet Is Splashing Onto The Switch Early Next Year
Fun in paradise
Last time we heard about Team Ninja's Dead or Alive series, was when the developer was queried about the possibility of the sixth entry coming to the Nintendo Switch at this year's E3. It was explained how technical hurdles would need to be overcome before a release was even considered. Now, in somewhat of a surprise announcement at...
News A Mario Kart Lottery Is Headed To Japan With Chances To Win Some Amazing Prizes
We'll take the Lakitu clock
In yet another episode of 'Japan gets all the cool stuff and it's really getting unfair now', a new Mario Kart-themed lottery has been announced where fans can win some lovely household items based on the franchise. The lottery comes courtesy of Bandai, which has revealed that it will be bringing all of the lovely...
News Luigi's Mansion Scares Away The Competition To Snag Number One In The Japanese Charts
Switch sales at highest for some time
Japanese chart figures are now in for 5th November - 11th November, and the new 3DS release of Luigi's Mansion has spooked its way right to the very top. Our favourite vacuum-wielding, green hat-wearing plumber's ghostly adventure shifted 27,370 retail units in the region last week, narrowly beating Call of...
News Atomic Robo-Kid, Forgotten Hero Of The '80s, Is Coming To Switch This Week
The robot once called "Dusty Bin with lasers"
Japanese publisher Hamster has revealed that it will be bringing UPL Co., Ltd's likeable '80s coin-op hit Atomic Robo-Kid to the Nintendo Switch as part of its Arcade Archives series. The game hits the Japanese eShop tomorrow with a price tag of just ¥823. If you'll forgive us for getting all...
News Nintendo Is Currently Recruiting For A New 3D Legend Of Zelda Game
Level design and 3D graphics
A couple of job listings have appeared on Nintendo's Japanese website, revealing that the gaming development giant is looking for staff to help work on a new 3D The Legend of Zelda title. At the time of writing, two job listings have been posted online - one for a 3D computer graphics designer, and one for a level...
News Nintendo's Legal Tussle With Colopl Rumbles Into A Fourth Hearing
Legal eagles
Back in January, we reported that Japanese developer Colopl was being taken to court by Nintendo over five patents which the latter claims were violated in the game Shiro Neko Project (aka White Cate Project). This legal battle has been rolling on all year, with Nintendo adding a sixth infringement - regarding a system of connecting...
News Switch Sales Rise In Japan This Week Despite Lack Of New Major Releases
A look at the Japanese charts
Japanese chart figures are now in for 29th October - 4th November, revealing that the Switch has managed to regain its usual sales momentum after a slight dip last time around. Call of Duty: Black Ops IIII returns to the top of the charts this week, with an extra 39,077 sales taking its total for the region to 417,990...
Rumour Looks Like We're Getting The Tamagotchi And Pokémon Crossover We've Always Dreamed Of
Leaked info hints at a virtual pet revolution
Around the same time in the '90s that Pocket Monster turned Japan upside down, another phenomenon from the Far East caused people all over the globe to go a bit potty. Bandai's Tamagotchi may have enjoyed a relatively short-lived degree of popularity when compared to Pokémon, but it still retains some...
Random Former Sega President Admits The Mega Drive Was Created To "Beat" Nintendo
Chasing success
In the latest issue of Japanese publication Famitsu, Sega's former President Hideki Sato - who led the company between 2001 and 2003 - reflected on the period prior to the release of the Sega Mega Drive / Genesis. When asked about the planning that went into the creation of the system, Sato confessed the team simply wanted to create...
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...