RPG
Marugame Castle also holds the distinction of being one of only 12 castles in Japan with this particular architectural element left intact.
Keep your wits about you — you never know what might appear as you walk these underground tunnels.
Game developer Square Enix, renowned for its number of long-running Japanese RPG series, announced yesterday that a new, smartphone-only entry in the fabled Dragon Quest franchise will hit online stores sometime this year.
In January this year, we brought you news of an upcoming video game that quite literally evolves as you play, starting off as a monochrome mass of pixels before slowly introducing virtually every gaming mechanic and action RPG element that we’ve come to know and love, culminating with full-on 3-D visuals, giant demons and a suitably epic plot. That game is Evoland, and after long last it’s available to buy from today.
RocketNews24 was fortunate enough to receive a review copy of the game late last week. Having poured over the original promotional video for so long, it was with high expectations that we sat down with the full game for an extended session of hacking, slashing and critical dissecting. The finished article, we’re happy to say, is absolutely spellbinding.
While it’s true that a number of the world’s best-selling action RPGs – including those that this new video game emulates – hail from Japan, we have to admit that we’re taking the unusual step of reporting on non-Asia specific news with this article; the reason being that it’s simply it’s too awesome not to share.
What you’re about to witness is a short promotional video for Evoland, a new game from Boreaux-based Shiro Games that’s just a few weeks away from release. But this is no ordinary video game. Imagine playing a game that quite literally evolves as you progress; its graphics, sound and gameplay mechanics gradually changing from those of the early 80s to the multi-million dollar standards set by this generation’s sprawling action RPGs.
Taking its cues from industry greats like The Legend of Zelda, Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy, Evoland allows players to experience first-hand both the growth of the genre and the technological advancements that the video game industry has made over the past three decades, meaning that the game you finish will be almost unrecognizably different to that which you originally began.










Tokyo Skytree turns pink for the cherry blossom season
Yakuzen ramen restaurant in Tokyo is very different to a yakuza ramen restaurant
Adorable Totoro acorn key holders come with a special guest hidden inside[Photos]
Japanese potato chip Rubik’s Cubes coming soon
Japan’s first-ever capybara cat cafe opens in Tokyo
New Mochi Cream Doughnuts from Mister Donut pay homage to Japanese confectionery
Man arrested in Japan after leaving car in coin parking lot for six years, racking up three-million-yen bill
Nearly half of young Japanese women say they “hate” the company they work for in survey
Osaka establishes first designated smoking area in Dotonbori canal district to fight “overtourism”
“Office lady in heels walking on tatami”: The mysterious world of Japanese fetishism
The 10 most annoying things foreign tourists do on Japanese trains, according to locals
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Naruto and Converse team up for new line of shinobi sneakers[Photos]
Is Sapporio’s Snow Festival awesome enough to be worth visiting even if you hate the snow? [Pics]
Japan has trams that say “sorry” while they ride around town…but why?
Sakura Totoro is here to get spring started early with adorable pouches and plushies
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura Frappuccino for cherry blossom season 2026
Poop is in full bloom at the Unko Museums for cherry blossom season
Now is the time to visit one of Tokyo’s best off-the-beaten-path plum blossom gardens
Playing Switch 2 games with just one hand is possible thanks to Japanese peripheral maker
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Foreigners accounting for over 80 percent of off-course skiers needing rescue in Japan’s Hokkaido
Super-salty pizza sends six kids to the hospital in Japan, linguistics blamed
Foreign tourists in Japan will get free Shinkansen tickets to promote regional tourism
Take a trip to Japan’s Dododo Land, the most irritating place on Earth
Archfiend Hello Kitty appears as Sanrio launches new team-up with Yu-Gi-Oh【Pics】
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
New Mochi Cream Doughnuts from Mister Donut pay homage to Japanese confectionery
Man arrested in Japan after leaving car in coin parking lot for six years, racking up three-million-yen bill
Nearly half of young Japanese women say they “hate” the company they work for in survey
Osaka establishes first designated smoking area in Dotonbori canal district to fight “overtourism”
“Office lady in heels walking on tatami”: The mysterious world of Japanese fetishism
Super Mario and Baskin-Robbins Japan collab returns for 2024 with new flavor, goods, and more
Is the all-you-can-eat KFC buffet in Tokyo really as good as they say it is?
Tokyo hotel lets you make your stay a Sanrio one with special My Melody and Kuromi rooms【Pics】
Hey, Japanese taxi driver! Take us to the best Turkish rice restaurant in Nagasaki!
We tried making natto the old-fashioned way, and the result was unexpected but delicious 【SoraKitchen】
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Satoru Noda’s Golden Kamuy manga series wins the 2016 Manga Taisho award
Why is the Japanese kanji for “four” so frustratingly weird?
Crazy-cheap Tokyo lunch: All-you-can-eat curry rice for 220 yen (US$1.40)!