Tag: Japan - Page 33
News Game Boy Title Sagaia Coming To Darius Cozmic Collection As Amazon-Exclusive DLC In Japan
Shooting heaven
We won't dwell too long on the fact that the Virtual Console isn't part of Nintendo's plans for Switch, but the desire for retro games on the console remains as high as ever - which is why the news that a Game Boy game is coming to the system is such big news for the wears of rose-tinted specs. However, before you get too excited,...
News How Sharp Accidentally Copyright Trolled Nintendo Almost 40 Years Ago
Famicom Wars
First, let us kick off this article by saying happy birthday to the Family Computer! Released in July 1983, (July 15th, to be exact) the 8-bit warhorse is turning 35 years old this year. That's quite a milestone for even long forgotten hardware, but Famicom/NES games still live on today, either as part of the Classic Mini line or as...
Random This Officially Licensed Sonic The Hedgehog Curry Makes Your Poop Blue
Gotta go (to the toilet) fast
In what is possibly the most random of 'random' articles we've ever published, we bring you the all-important news that an official Sonic The Hedgehog-themed curry has launched, causing some rather surprising bathroom dramas across Japan. Sega has teamed up with Geek Life to create this official Sonic dish, with...
Random Nintendo Switch Is Getting Its Own VR-Style Headset, Kinda
Headset offers a 120 inch 'virtual' display, apparently
While VR continues to bubble under elsewhere in the industry, Nintendo has remained indifferent to the technology; when your first 'Virtual' product ends up being a massive dud, we guess you become a little more cautious about asking your customers to strap lumps of plastic to their heads...
News New Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa Receives 96.51% Approval Rating From Shareholders
Pretty popular, then
Nintendo’s 78th Annual General Meeting of Shareholders took place just a few days ago on 28th June, and details have now emerged surrounding the approval rating of key figures in the company. The list includes a collection of big names including the likes of Shigeru Miyamoto and Satoru Shibata - who has recently become a...
News Nintendo Announces New 2DS XL Minecraft, Mario Kart 7 And Animal Crossing Consoles For Japan
There's life in this system yet
While a great many gamers may have written off the 3DS now the Switch is here, it's vital to remember that it's still very much a part of Nintendo's plans - and the company has reinforced this by announcing a trio of New 2DS XL (or LL as they're known over there) consoles for release in Japan. Launching in the...
News Mario Tennis Aces Has Stellar Launch In Japan, Doubles Early Sales Of Ultra Smash On Wii U
Game, set and match
Mario Tennis Aces was finally released to the world on Switch on 22nd June, and if these Japanese sales figures are anything to go by, it seems to have already been a pretty big success. According to data provided by Media Create, Mario's latest Tennis adventure racked up an impressive 123,774 sales in its opening...
News Warning! Darius Cozmic Collection Is Approaching Switch Fast!
Something fishy is going on here
Shooter fans, rejoice - Taito is bringing its classic Darius series to the Switch in the form of Darius Cozmic Collection. It's expected to launch in Japan on February 28th 2019 and will cost 5,200 Yen. The collection includes four of the arcade entries, but a limited edition - costing 16,800 Yen - will add five...
Random NieR: Automata Game Director Explains How He Was Inspired By Ikaruga
Total respect for Treasure's shmup
In celebration of the recent re-release of Ikaruga on multiple platforms including the Switch eShop, the Japanese publication Famitsu sat down with Yoko Taro - the director of the highly praised NieR: Automata - to discuss how exactly Treasure's sublime shmup has influenced his own work over the years...
Video Layton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle And The Millionaires’ Conspiracy Gets New Switch Trailer
Releases in Japan this August
Fans of Professor Layton rejoice: a new trailer has appeared for the Switch version of Layton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle And The Millionaires’ Conspiracy. As you can see, the trailer is celebrating the game's upcoming release in Japan where it is scheduled to launch on 9th August. There's still no word of a...
News Nintendo, Creatures And Game Freak Apply For Mysterious New Pokémon Trademarks
What is a Poké-Lun anyway?
Nintendo Co., Ltd., Creatures Co., Ltd. and Game Freak Inc. - the three custodians of the almighty Pokémon franchise - have applied for two new trademarks in Japan. The trademarks appear to be related to the same product and have been registered with the Japanese words ポケるんTV and ポケるん and...
News New Trademarks Suggest Nintendo Has GameCube On The Brain
GameCube Mini, anyone?
Ah, the humble trademark. Few things get the brain buzzing as fast as a company registering a name or title linked to your favourite game or console. Of course, when it's tied to the GameCube - a console that's very much back in vogue thanks to the arrival of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate in December and the announcement that GC...
Video See Taiko Drum Master In Action On Nintendo Switch
Handheld percussion
While we're still waiting on news of an official western release for the Switch incarnation of Taiko Drum Master, at least we know the Japanese version will be getting an English language option when it launches in August. Well, while we wait (or sort out a pricey import), some more gameplay footage has dropped for the Switch...
News Yo-Kai Watch Comes To Smartphones To Challenge Pokémon GO's Dominance
Spooky stuff
Level-5 and GungHo Online Entertainment have just launched a Yo-Kai Watch game for iOS and Android smartphones in Japan. Yo-Kai Watch World is a location-based title not entirely unlike Pokémon GO, where famous Yo-Kai characters appear "in
Video The World Ends With You: Final Remix Gets A New Trailer And A Funky Limited Edition
Remix to ignition
We were thrilled to learn the Nintendo DS classic The World Ends With You is getting a Final Remix re-release on Nintendo Switch, and now we've been treated to a brand new trailer and a peek at its rather funky-looking new limited edition. The It’s a Wonderful Bag Limited Edition is a Square En
News CoroCoro Shares Entire Splatoon Manga Online For Free For A Limited Time
Take a look while you can
CoroCoro Comic - a monthly Japanese manga magazine that often shares and creates content on video game franchises - has uploaded a complete Splatoon manga online for free viewing. This particular manga, which features both the newly introduced Octoling characters and the new Spy Gear, comes from this month's magazine...
News Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido Has Shockingly Poor Launch In Japan
Not the best start for Nintendo's new IP
Just last week, Nintendo's latest creation Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido launched on both Switch and 3DS. The game is an action-puzzle mash-up with an incredibly high level of polish and a great story mode (we rated it rather highly in our review), but the initial sales figures for the game are shockingly...
News Shoji Mizuno, The Character Artist For Bomberman's Classic Look, Has Passed Away
He was a longtime staffer at Hudson Soft
According to a number of reports, Shoji Mizuno - the man who gave Bomberman the iconic look he sports today - has died. One such report is a blog post written by former Hudson Soft executive and frontman Toshiyuki Takahashi, which memorialises Mizuno's contribution to the company. Mizuno has a decades-long...
News Taiko: Drum Master Will Be Getting An English Option In Japan This August
Time for an import come August
We're big fans of Taiko: Drum Master here at Nintendo Life - or Taiko No Tatsujin as it's known in the East - but while we were stoked to hear the series was making its way to Switch, we were also frustrated it was seemingly being released with no consideration for us western percussionists. Well, while it still isn't...
It's this week's Japanese charts
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has now sold over a million physical copies in Japan, according to the Media Create charts for May 28th to June 3rd. The Switch launch title sold 6,722 copies during this period, making it good enough for 9th place. It has now sold 1,004,689 copies in Japan since it launched...
News Mother 3's Director Is Involved With FuRyu's New Nintendo Switch RPG, Work x Work
All work and no play...
The Alliance Alive and The Legend of Legacy studio FuRyu is working on a new RPG for Nintendo Switch, and there are some pretty big names involved with its development. Described as a 'retro-inspired' RPG, Work x Work places you in role of a hero's dog who has to guide visitors around a dungeon-filled theme park...
Random Pokémon Plush Doll Vending Machines Keep Popping Up In Japan
Better than fizzy drinks
Most of us who follow Nintendo and love its various franchises have likely come to terms with the fact that Japan will always receive the coolest stuff. A couple of months ago we reported on a Pokémon Cafe that had arrived in Tokyo, allowing customers to try out Pokémon-themed food and buy plates and mugs to take home...
News The Mega Man Legacy Collections On Switch Debut At Number Nine In Japan
Bombing Blue Bomber
It's been another strong week for Nintendo Switch software titles in Japan, with half the top ten comprised of games on Ninty's hybrid hardware. However, Mega Man didn't perform quite as well as Capcom was probably hoping, with the combined Mega Man Legacy Collection debuting at number nine. In other words it failed to sell as...
News Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Was The Best-Selling Game For May In Japan
Switch the best-selling console, too
Sales figures have been released for software and hardware sales in Japan for the month of May, and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze has smashed and ground-pounded its way to the number one slot. Famitsu has shared the latest numbers and chart positions for the month, which actually cover the four week...
News Check Out Some Of Splatoon 2's Fresh New Cuts And Threads
Fro rider
Octolings are set to arrive in Splatoon 2 as part of the incoming - and hotly anticipated - Octo Expansion, and it looks like the newcomers are going to be getting some rad new haircuts to help them stand out from the ink-stained crowd. The fresh cuts were revealed via a series of promo images on the Japanese Splatoon Twitter account,...
Feature Unravelling The Crossover Fisticuffs Of Blade Strangers
Diverse roster aims to cut its teeth among the genre's elite
Studio Saizensens new fighting game, Blade Strangers, brings together a diverse and interesting mix of established characters in their own respective universes, but are new to the fighting game genre. Teaming up with publisher Nicalis has further bolstered the roster to include the...
News The Original Professor Layton Game Is Getting A Mobile HD Remake In Japan
Will this come to the west?
It has been revealed that Professor Layton and the Curious Village - the very first title released in the series around a decade ago - will be receiving a mobile HD remake. The news comes from the latest issue of the weekly Famitsu magazine, which states that Level-5 intends to release the remake on mobile platforms...
News The Latest Japanese My Nintendo Rewards Include Discounts On Those Precious Micro SD Cards
Jealous of Japan?
The My Nintendo rewards system is an ever-increasingly debated topic among Nintendo fans; we've seen numerous comments of upset and even anger from our fine collection of readers over the last few months, with discussion usually suggesting that players aren't happy with the offerings in Europe and North America - despite the...
News Japanese TV Show Oha Suta To Share "Shocking" Pokémon News On 31st May
Update: TV episode description suddenly changed
Update: It appears that the description of this TV show, which originally mentioned "shocking Pokémon news" and "a moment a new story begins", has now been replaced. The description now reads "Full of Pokémon Information", suggesting that either a mistake was made, or this little snippet of...
Feature Diving Down The Rabbit Hole With Japan's Arcade-Based Trading Card Games
It's in the cards
Tourists dropping in on Japan’s arcades are often surprised. Western arcades have stuck to a familiar trajectory, running last-decade machines form last-century franchises: OutRun 2, After Burner Climax, Time Crisis 4…. The games we’re used to are easygoing, fun and friendly, with a warm welcome and a wave goodbye. It’s not...
News Two Classic Super Famicom Games Are Set For A Special Reprint In Japan
SNES who?
There's been a spate of retro re-releases as of late in Japan, with publishers reissuing classic titles (and a few obscure gems) on their original platform. Japanese firm Tommo is the latest publisher to leap aboard the bandwagon, with two Super Famicom titles getting a reprint. It's been confirmed that Shodai Nekketsu Kpuha Kunio-kun...
News Japanese Version Of Resident Evil 7 On Switch Has An English Language Option
Worldwide release when?
Biohazard 7 - known as Resident Evil 7 in the rest of the world - has just been released on Switch in Japan. It's a cloud-based proposition which means you're playing a streamed version of the game from Capcom's servers, rather than running it direct from the console itself. There's no indication on whether or not Capcom has...
News Nintendo Continues To Dominate Japan's Charts As 7 Of The Top 10 Games Are On Switch
Although the top-selling game is on PS4...
That Nintendo remains top dog in Japan this week in terms of sales perhaps isn't the most shocking news - the company regularly finds itself in pole position in its homeland. However, the Media Create sales figures for the 14th of May to the 20th show that a PlayStation 4 game came in at number one -...
News A Cheaper, Customisable 'Nintendo Switch 2nd Set' Has Launched In Japan Without A Dock
A cheaper way to play
Nintendo is now selling the 'Nintendo Switch 2nd Set' in Japan, which is essentially a fully colour-customisable Switch without a dock. This new package appears to be aimed at those who want a second Switch in their home, aiming to give customers the option to purchase a second device without having to fork over for an...
News Nintendo Applies For New N64 Trademark - Is Another Classic Edition On The Way?
It's only a matter of time, right?
With the NES and SNES Classic Editions proving to be commercially successful, it's almost inevitable that Nintendo will produce another 'recooked' version of one of its vintage platforms. Given that Nintendo Co., Ltd. has just applied for an N64 trademark in Japan, one might assume that the 64-bit console...
Video Get Another Glimpse Into The Wacky Levels Of Splatoon 2's Octo Expansion
Ballin'
Nintendo has slowly but surely been drip-feeding new details about the hotly anticipated Octo Expansion for Splatoon 2. The latest video shows a new escort mission, where you'll be guiding a ball through a maze, using both your steady stream of ink and various contraptions around the course like a larger than life version of Mouse Trap...
News SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy Locked In For A 6th September Launch In Japan
Sky Love is also joining the roster
It's been revealed that SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy will be getting a 6th September release in Japan, a day earlier than the 7th September date previously confirmed for Europe and North America. The official release date was confirmed in the latest issue of Weekly Famitsu. Along with the news on the date for...
Feature Lumines Remastered Is Music To Our Ears At BitSummit
Maestro Tetsuya Mizuguchi revisits a classic number
At last weekend's Bitsummit indie games event in Kyoto, Japan, Tetsuya Mizuguchi of REZ and Child of Eden fame showed off his latest project - a remaster of beloved music-puzzle game, Lumines. As advocates for using the interaction between music and games in pioneering ways, it was great to play...
Video Resident Evil 7 Cloud Brings Both Good and Bad to Nintendo Switch
Anytime, some places, on your own
Cloud gaming is something that's been banded around for ruddy years now, and whilst it's had its successes and failures, it's never properly made its break into the public's hearts. That's not necessary about to happen when Resident Evil 7 comes to Japanese Switch through a cloud streaming system, but it's still...
News Resident Evil 7 Is Coming To Nintendo Switch In Japan
But there are a few catches...
It’s fair to say that Resident Evil 7 surprised the gaming community back in early 2017. As well as being a dramatic departure and reinvention of the franchise, what was more interesting to most was that it was actually really good. More than good. Developer Capcom has been a strong supporter of the Nintendo...
Feature PixelJunk Monsters 2 Developer Q-Games On Nintendo-Like Design And Future Switch Projects
"The amazing thing about the Switch is the simplicity"
In the heart of Japan's former capital Kyoto, Q-Games founder and former Argonaut programmer Dylan Cuthbert and his team are putting the finishing touches to the sequel to popular tower defence game PixelJunk Monsters. Ten years since the original title and several ‘canon’ games later,...
News Super Smash Bros. Switch Is Playable At Special Events In Japan Next Month
Just after E3...
Nintendo has revealed that the upcoming Switch title Super Smash Bros. will be playable at a series of events in Japan during June and July. The demo will kick off its Japanese tour at RAGE 2018 Summer, which takes place on June 17th at Makuhari Messe, Chiba. A week later it will be at Jisedai World Hobby Fair ‘18...
News Okami HD Release Date Revealed For Japan
Two versions available this summer
Japan's weekly gaming magazine Famitsu has revealed that the Switch version of Okami HD will be released on 9th August. A limited edition, priced at ¥3,990, will be available alongside the standard edition (priced at ¥2,900). Sadly, there's no news on whether this special edition will be making it to the West...
News Layton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle And The Millionaires’ Conspiracy DX Is Switch-Bound
Layton's on the case
Good news if you're waiting patiently for a Layton-based adventure on Nintendo Switch - Level 5 has confirmed last year's Layton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle And The Millionaires’ Conspiracy (which hit 3DS and smartphones) will getting a Switch port with an extra DX on the end for good measure. The announcement was...
News Yuji Naka Wanted To Join Nintendo After He Finished Working For Sega
"I had this faint hope that I’d be getting a call… but it never came"
Ever wondered what would have happened if Yuju Naka - former head of Sonic Team and one of the driving forces behind the success of the iconic blue speedster - had made the move over to Nintendo? Well, turns out that could have easily been reality. In a recent interview,...
Feature Nintendo Of Japan Stamps Its Mark On BitSummit 2018
Popular Japanese hobby crosses over to unite indies on Switch
As previously reported by the lovely Alex, many games from western indie developers are coming not only to Switch, but also to make their mark in Japan, which came to fruition under the new Nintendo umbrella 'Indie World'. A cute pixellated world exhibiting both existing hits and upcoming...
News Beyblade Burst: Battle Zero Will Spin Its Way Onto Nintendo Switch This October
Well, in Japan at least
The toy-spinning action of Beyblade is going to make the jump to Nintendo Switch in 2018, with news that Beyblade Burst: Battle Zero is coming to the platform on 25th October. The only caveat is that's a Japan-only release at the moment, with a price tag of 6,280 yen attached. The game is also getting a special physical...
News Keep The Beat With The New Taiko Drum Controller For Switch
Drum up some hype
Back in March, we reported on the reveal of Taiko: Drum Master - known as Taiko no Tatsujin in Japan - a rhythm-action game featuring tunes from both Splatoon 2 and Super Mario Odyssey, and now Bandai Namco has unveiled the special Drum Controller that will accompany it. The controller, based on a traditional Japanese taiko...
Video Discussing What Took Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate So Long to Come to the West
Slaying monsters in HD... in English!
The news dropped recently that Monster Hunter XX is dropping on Nintendo Switch in the West in the form of Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate; a borderline direct port of the 3DS version to guarantee compatibility. It's lovely news and no mistake, but why did it take Capcom so long to make the decision? We...
News Nintendo Reveals a Feast of Nindies Coming to the Japanese Switch eShop
Western devs make their mark
To say Nintendo's embracing the indie scene is a vast understatement, and now that support has spread over to Nintendo's homeland with the recent Indie World showcase. Unsurprisingly, it's a video showing off a load of lovely new indie games coming to the Switch in the near future, most of which we've heard of before,...