Tag: Japan - Page 59
Interview Rainy Frog Talks About eShop Publishing in Japan
"The Wii U in Japan is more family orientated"
Earlier this year we told you about Rainy Frog, a publisher with ambitions to bring a number of Western download games to the Japanese eShop stores and, in the future, vice versa. Its one of a group of companies that establish offices in Japan — in order to be eligible as publishers in the region —...
News Yamauchi's Heirs Have "Desire To Sell" Shares In Nintendo, Claims Report
Nintendo willing to splash $1.1 billion in buyback deal
It was previously reported that Nintendo was looking to buy back as many as 10 million of its own shares in a buyback deal, and today more details regarding that arrangement have been revealed. Bloomberg is reporting that the heirs of
First Impressions We Shine A Light On Arc System Works Action RPG Swords & Darkness
It's not very bright
You can’t beat a bit of side-scrolling beat ‘em up action as far as we’re concerned, but we’ve been left twiddling our thumbs on 3DS since Code of Princess first hit Nintendo’s handheld in 2012. Arc System Works aim to fill that gap in Japan with the eShop exclusive Swords & Darkness, a moody action RPG set in a...
News Capcom's Monster Hunter Invades Universal Studios Japan
In the hunt
We recently covered the exciting news that Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate was heading westward, and 3DS owners around the world rightfully took to the internet to celebrate. Japanese Monster Hunter fans still get all the really cool toys though, like the brand new Monster Hunter Real 2014 exhibition that opens tomorrow at the Universal...
Video Japanese Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Trailer Swings Into View
The Kongs go bananas when they get the cold shoulder
A new Japanese video showcasing footage from the upcoming Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze has appeared, and it's chock-full of gameplay bits that may help tide fans over until the game's February launch. The video — which may contain spoilers for players who are trying to avoid seeing too...
News Hardware Sales Drop in Japan as Wii U Falls Into Four Figures
Can January be over now?
When considering important sales months in the calendar year, we suspect that plenty within the game development and publishing industry have January near the bottom of the list. It does bring some new games, such as Kirby: Triple Deluxe in Japan, but it generally represents a notable downturn after the highs of November and...
News Iwata And Miyamoto Both Take Pay Cuts In Response To Nintendo's Poor Financial Results
Iwata halves his salary, Miyamoto takes a 30 percent cut
It has been revealed that Nintendo president Satoru Iwata will be taking a 50 percent pay reduction following Nintendo's recent financial results. He's not the only one taking a cut; legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto will see his wage slashed by 30 percent, as will fellow Nintendo...
News The Tetris Company's Co-Founder Explains How He Brought The RPG Genre to Japan
A tale of fantasy
RPGs are often considered as a foundation block of the Japanese development industry, with the region's studios still producing a high number of these titles on a yearly basis. Whatever systems you own there are likely to be RPG titles available that were developed in Japan — especially if you have a DS or, increasingly, a 3DS...
Matters of Import E.X. Troopers Brings The Heat To 3DS
Capcom however, remains frosty
Capcom’s E.X. Troopers may not be the latest or biggest Japanese 3DS game around, but it’s certainly no less worthy of inclusion here than any other game we’ve previously covered on Matters of Import and — as this and its high-resolution PS3 port are the only E.X. Troopers games so far — it is sadly still the...
News 3DS Hardware Sales Pass 15 Million Units in Japan
It took 153 weeks
While the 3DS may not have sales tracking alongside those of the DS family of systems, it's achieved a great deal after a poor start and — as most would agree — performed well in an increasingly crowded, volatile market. Nintendo had hoped for better, naturally, having revised its yearly target down just recently, but that's...
News Monster Hunter 4 G Due In Autumn / Fall This Year
Just for Japan at the moment, though
Capcom has just announced, at Monster Hunter Festa 13, that the 3DS will be receiving an updated version of Monster Hunter 4. It will release in Japan this coming autumn and, most importantly, saves will carry over from the original 3DS game, so professional wyvern-botherers can enjoy all the new content without...
Video Persona Q Website Unveils Two More Characters
We really can't wait to get started on this one
We've had a look at the official Persona Q: Shadow of Labyrinth website a few times before, and now we drop back in just as Atlus releases videos focussing on Persona 3's Shinjiro Aragaki and Persona 4's Yukiko Amagi. They may struggle to even hit the one minute mark, but as they're almost entirely...
Video The First Thirty Minutes Of The Best 3DS Action Game You've Never Played
That's E.X. Troopers, by the way
"Like Lost Planet, but anime" could easily have been the most cynical boardroom pitch ever, but thankfully Capcom couldn't have any poured any more love into E.X. Troopers if it had tried. We've got a full Matters of Import feature coming up soon on this amazing title, so in the meantime grab yourself a hot beverage...
Video Ace Attorney Collection Promotional Trailer Is Now Available As Hard Evidence
No objections here (sorry)
In addition to yesterday's news, we've got a few further details and a lovely little trailer for the Ace Attorney Collection, courtesy of the official website. The e-Capcom exclusive limited edition set, priced at ¥5,240 (about £30 / $50 USD / €37), will include a drama CD (cover to be determined) and a set of three...
News Harvest Moon: Connect To A New World Shows Us How To Get Started
English tutorials are never this good
A new issue of Famitsu has arrived, giving fans of the turnip-pulling series a very brief glimpse at the seasonal changes and two events in the upcoming Harvest Moon title. Short of trees looking a nice brownish-gold in autumn and snow covering the ground in winter there's not a fat lot else to tell there, so we...
Video Levi and Sasha Slay Some Giants In This Attack On Titan DLC Mission Footage
Scratch that Titan-hating itch
We've taken an in-depth look at Attack on Titan before, but we couldn't resist sharing some more footage — this time showing DLC-exclusive characters Levi and Sasha doing their thing. Levi's mission is a straightforward Titan-killing exercise, while Sasha has the much tougher task of hunting for hidden items whilst...
News Kirby: Triple Deluxe Remains Number One in Japan as Hardware Sales Dip
Well, it is January
It's Wednesday, which means Media Create Japanese chart results, and this week brings further cheer for everyone's favourite pink ball, as Kirby: Triple Deluxe retains top spot in the software chart. The hardware positions remain the same, but with every system seeing a drop in sales. To start with the software top 20, Kirby...
News Cody, Haggar And Guy Are Scrapping Their Way To The Japanese 3DS eShop In Mighty Final Fight
While we get Mighty Bomb Jack
Next week, Japanese 3DS owners will be able to step into the super-deformed shoes of Metro City's famous wrestling mayor Mike Haggar thanks to the release of Mighty Final Fight on the 3DS Virtual Console. Capcom's side-scrolling fighter originally launched on the Famicom and NES back in 1993, and offers the same kind...
Video Puzzle Mashup Puyo Puyo Tetris Works Better Than You Might Think
Two puzzle giants collide, with interesting results
We've dished out info on Sega's curious Puyo Puyo and Tetris fusion before, but now the playable demo has finally hit the Japanese eShop we've been able to get our grubby mitts on it and give you a real look at how it all works. It sounds quite jarring to play Puyo Puyo against someone else who's...
News Ace Attorney Collection Coming To Japanese 3DS Consoles This April
The first three adventures in one handy package
Capcom is releasing a special Ace Attorney collection for the 3DS which contains the first three games in the best-selling series. While the 3DS console's unique screen will be used to give each game a sense of depth, they will remain effectively unchanged from a graphical perspective. English...
Matters of Import Shining Force Gaiden: Final Conflict Joins The 3DS Library
Like a light Shining in the Darkness
Thanks to Sega’s continuing support of the 3DS Virtual Console service we now have all three Game Gear Shining Force games available to buy on Nintendo’s much loved handheld — in Japan, at least. The emulation is so consistently brilliant on the 3DS it’s hardly worth mentioning these days: we’ll simply...
Matters of Import Taking Initial D: Perfect Shift Online For A Spin
A Not-So-Hot Rod
Free-to-play is all the rage these days, with in-app purchases proving profitable for developers while allowing users to decide exactly how much they want to spend and everyone — from Square-Enix to Capcom to probably your Gran — has an iOS game or MMO available to install for free with optional micro-transactions attached. So...
News $1.2 Billion Wiped Off Nintendo's Market Value As Share Prices Plummet
Biggest decline since September
The recent news that Nintendo expects to sell less Wii U and 3DS consoles — as well as make a loss — has caused the company's share prices to drop dramatically. Friday's announcement that Nintendo expects to make an operating loss of 35 billion Yen ($335 million / £205 million) this financial year — after...
Feature Monster Hunting With Kerry: Taking Baby Steps With Great Jaggi
Warning: Article contains gross incompetence
Hello! Kerry here, your inept but endlessly enthusiastic guide through the dangerous and thrilling world of Monster Hunter 4. At the behest of the kind and gracious Nintendo Life overlords, I've been locked away in a small room for days on end and tasked with playing as much of the Japanese version as...
"We are thinking about a new business structure"
The news that Nintendo has reduced its hardware sales projections for this financial year and expects to make a loss has come as quite a blow to dedicated followers of the company, and has led some critics to repeat claims that the firm needs to move away from making its own hardware and embrace rival...
News Iwata Accepts Responsibility For Poor Financial Results, Ignores Calls To Resign
No management shake-up expected
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has taken responsibility for the poor financial results posted earlier today but has insisted that he will remain in charge in order to steer the Japanese company through these testing times. Nintendo's latest report reveals that it expects to sell less Wii U and 3DS consoles by the...
Video Feast Your Tired And Weary Eyes On This Fresh Puyo Puyo Tetris Footage
Four-way puzzle madness
Today's not been fantastic as far as the world of Nintendo is concerned, but thankfully we've got some new footage of puzzle crossover title Puyo Puyo Tetris to show you, and that goes at least some way to making up for the less enjoyable news we've had recently. The video — which shows off the four-player mode — is...
Video Thirty Glorious Minutes Of Shining Force Gaiden: Final Conflict
Yet another excellent but untranslated Sega RPG hits Japan
The last Game Gear Shining Force game, Shining Force Gaiden: Final Conflict takes place in between the mainline Genesis / Mega Drive titles Shining Force I and II and — as you'd expect — features many, many, fan-pleasing plot threads, characters and general references to the events in...
Matters Of Import A Peek Into The Tragically Unobtainable World Of Dragon Quest X
Taking the quest online
In an utterly baffling move, Dragon Quest X — the most recent game in the iconic RPG series — is not only import-only but also IP blocked, meaning the game will refuse to work for all legitimate users trying to play from outside Japan. Luckily, there are ways to get your foreign internet connection to disguise itself with...
News Shin Megami Tensei IV Soundtrack Released Next Month
Four discs crammed full of incredible music
Atlus has just announced that Shin Megami Tensei IV, which scored a fantastic 9/10 in our review, will finally see its wonderful soundtrack released in Japan on 26th February. Even better is that this isn't some half-hearted "best of" or "selection" CD, but all 112 tracks spread across four CDs and...
First Impressions Kirby: Triple Deluxe Is Three Times More Fun Than Most Other 3DS Games
Definitely doesn’t suck
It’s obvious from the moment you start that Kirby Triple Deluxe is Nintendo and HAL Laboratory at the height of their collective powers — software and hardware coming together to create a game as games should be: good fun, embracing all of the the 3DS’s unique features without ever reducing them to mere gimmicks. We...
News Kirby: Triple Deluxe Makes Japanese Chart Début at Number One
3DS remains on top as Wii U dips below Sony rivals
The Japanese charts seem to follow the patterns of many individuals from the Holiday season into a New Year. Festive excess and gorging makes way for a rapid retreat to the norm, with appetites slowed down to more reasonable levels. The latest Media Create charts show sales figures settling back to...
News You'll Want To Check Out These New Senran Kagura 2 Screenshots
Bursting out all over
As we all know, Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson is coming to the 3DS in Japan later this year, and promises to bring more of the same schoolgirl-on-schoolgirl combat action which made Senran Kagura Burst so appealing. The screens show off the game's new locations and characters, as well as the full-3D boss battles. Oh, and there...
First Impressions Shouting Shounen in Capcom’s Gaist Crusher
We go hands-on with this hyperactive Treasure-developed 3DS title
Gaist Crusher is one of those multimedia extravaganzas where right from the start there’s a TV series, manga and other merchandise all lined up and ready to drain the wallets of anyone unable to withstand the assault. This 3DS offering — developed by none other than the legendary...
Weirdness Puzzle & Dragons Z Yogurt Will Unlock A Scrumptious Special Dungeon
Part of a balanced breakfast
You may have seen our recent coverage on the 3DS sensation Puzzle & Dragons Z here at Nintendo Life, a game which hopefully see the light of day in the West at some point this year. What you haven't seen is a delicious new way to unlock some bonus content for the game — and we do mean delicious. After crossovers...
First Impressions Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call
We will never spell “Theatrhythm” right first time
A demo for Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call recently went live on the Japanese 3DS eShop, and will hold few surprises with hardcore fans of the series. There’s really very little here that will not be immediately familiar to anyone with even the most casual experience of the original...
Video This Is What The First Half Hour Of Kirby: Triple Deluxe Looks Like
Not just full of hot air
Can't wait for Kirby:Triple Deluxe to come out? Then pull up a comfy chair as Nintendo Life plays the Japanese version and takes you through the first world of Kirby's latest adventure; we've got a new foe, old friends, lots of hats and pixel-style collectable key-chains! There'll be plenty more information and a full...
News Kirby: Triple Deluxe Sound CD Now Available at Club Nintendo in Japan
We'll have this in the West too, please
Kirby: Triple Deluxe is out now in Japan, which is sure to make fans of the pink one jealous in the West; our import expert's currently preparing some early footage and impressions for you. We know that it'll make it to PAL and North American regions this year, but Nintendo is yet to pin down a more precise...
News A Link Between Worlds Early Japanese Sales Surpass Ocarina of Time 3D
Yet don't reach glory days of Phantom Hourglass
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds arrived in Europe and North America on 22nd November last year, but it was 26th December before it arrived in Japan. It's had a decent performance in the charts, too, claiming top spot in its début week before falling back to third place in its second week...
Weirdness Japanese Gamer Clears Ocarina Of Time Using Only His Feet
Saving Hyrule is by no means an easy feet
Ocarina of Time needs no introduction. It's a title that has been explored through speedrun after speedrun, exploited and researched tirelessly for different ways to complete it, and today it will even be featured on Awesome Games Done Quick's fantastic charity streaming event. This particular playthrough,...
Matters of Import Grappling With Attack On Titan: The Last Wings Of Mankind
Or Shingeki no Kyojin: Jinrui Saigo no Tsubasa, to Japanese players
Considering the intense critical and commercial acclaim Hajime Isayama's Attack on Titan has been receiving, the emergence of a game based on the events portrayed in the anime and manga series was more of a question of “when”, rather than “if”. The more surprising news is...
Video Allow Us To Serve Up The First Thirty Minutes Of Puzzle & Dragons Z
Epic adventures await
Join us as we take you through the opening thirty minutes of GungHo’s smash hit Puzzle & Dragons Z, taking in cute white dragons with attitude, an evil group breaking the world into jigsaw-shaped pieces and of course plenty of puzzling too. Still not enough? Then be sure to check out our hands-on preview here.
News Rainy Frog Launches to Focus on Bringing Western Download Titles to Japan
Kicks off with a re-named version of Spin the Bottle: Bumpie's Party
Whenever we refer to the continual growth of the eShop platforms here on Nintendo Life, and in particular the continuing rise of download-only and 'Indie' developers, we're specifically referring to territories outside of Japan. At present a game can only be released in Japan if...
News Pokémon X & Y Return to Top of Japanese Charts as 3DS Leads in Hardware
Wii U sales drop to 60,548
Update: Our original Japanese Charts post cited Media Create results from 4Gamer, but these appear to be incorrect. Our apologies for the error, and as an alternative below are the latest results from Famitsu. Earlier this week we found out how Nintendo had performed over the festive period in Japan, with 3DS and Wii U...
Matters of Import Drop Matching And Dragon Evolving In Puzzle & Dragons Z
This 3DS smash proves there is life after microtransactions
Puzzle & Dragons is popular wherever it’s available, but perhaps in its native Japan most of all. GungHo’s cash cow not only has regular tie-ins with big franchises like Monster Hunter, Taiko no Tatsujin and Hunter X Hunter, but has also generated an extensive range of merchandise...
News Pokémon Bank Remains Offline in Japan as Nintendo Apologises for Issues
An economic crash
During the festive break the Nintendo Network encountered issues for over two days, with a number of new system owners combining with Christmas Day Pokémon Bank gamers in Japan to cause major problems. The downtime of the eShop platforms in particular was damaging in such a busy period; yet while the online stores have been back...
News Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson Is Bouncing Towards Japanese 3DS Consoles This August
Best of the breast
It has been revealed in the latest issue of Famitsu that Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson is currently in development for the 3DS and will be hitting Japanese store shelves in August. Like Senran Kagura Burst, the game will be a side-scrolling fighter packed with scantly-clad, large-chested female combatants. Burst developer Tamsoft...
News Level 5 Is Hard At Work On A New Game That Will "Surprise" Us
CEO hoping to move the gaming industry along
Level 5 is a thoughtful company, and not only because it is the developer behind the brain-bending goodness of Professor Layton. The studio is careful and considered in its evaluation of the current gaming industry, and is interested in how ''technology advances'' and is always striving to defy...
News Pokemon X and Y Come Out on Top in Japanese Software Rankings for 2013
Hardware figures for 3DS and Wii U also revealed
Famitsu is reporting that Nintendo didn't just dominate the Japanese Christmas charts, but it almost cleaned up the entire year too, taking nine out of the top ten total sales spots for the year. The only game to break that hold over Japanese gamers was Grand Theft Auto V on Playstation 3, and even...
Matters of Import Welcome To The Terrifying Yet Accessible World Of Monster Hunter 4
Something to get your teeth stuck into
Monster Hunter 4 is the latest and greatest in Capcom’s endlessly popular series of wildlife-bothering games, bringing even more areas to explore and new monsters to turn into breastplates and boots. Thankfully hunters come prepared for these new challenges with two new weapon types and the all-new ability to...
