Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
video games (Page 102)
What happens when you cross Nintendo’s Super Mario with a respected art form from Japanese history? Is it a brand new Mario Paint game? Nope, although that would be pretty cool.
What you actually get is the famous Rimpa folding screen “Wind and Thunder Gods” remade with Mario and Luigi. The results are so fantastic that it’s being put on display at a special exhibit at the Art Museum Eki Kyoto. Join us after the jump for all the juicy Mario art details.
We’ve all got at least one thing that we carry around with us that could use a quick recharge on the road. For most of us it’s our cell phone, but it’s not inconceivable to carry three, four or even more gadgets that could use a juice boost while away from home.
There are plenty of on-the-go solutions available to you, but soon you can buy one that says as much about you as all the portable gaming systems you carry around.
When Final Fantasy VII hit the PlayStation in 1997, it was one of the most graphically advanced games ever produced. For months leading up to the title’s release, gamers had been drooling over magazine previews plastered with work-in-progress screenshots of what developer Square was doing with its first foray into the bold new world of CD-based games and polygonal graphics.
Flash forward 18 years, and technology has progressed to the point that Final Fantasy VII looks pretty retro to most modern eyes. As a matter of fact, it’s so retro that not only is Square Enix is remaking it for the PlayStation 4, mobile phones now have enough power to run the original, which is why Final Fantasy VII has just been released in iOS form.
Although I’ve never witnessed either in-person, I’m sure that the running of the bulls in Spain’s Pamplona and the return of the swallows each spring to their nesting grounds in Southern California are wonderful sights to see. And yet, I think I’m still happiest with what we get here in Yokohama: an annual visit from packs of Pikachus!
Just like they did last year, the loveable Pokémon once again overran the Minato Mirai harbor district for a week this August, But just like Nintendo’s Pocket Monsters routinely acquire enhanced abilities with each new video game or anime installment, in the time since their last appearance in Yokohama our adorable visitors had learned some new moves…dance moves!
Read on for all of our videos and photos of Pikachus grooving and swaying to hip-hop, hula, and more, with costumes to match!
“Gotta catch ‘em all!” isn’t just the advertising copy for Pokémon, it’s also the personal motto of the legions of hardcore fans of the series’ video game installments. But how does one find the time to track down, battle, and capture hundreds of Pocket Monsters, especially when you’ve only got so long until Nintendo releases a sequel that renders all of your old Pokémon obsolete?
Easy: you multitask by playing four copies of the game simultaneously, as this video shows.
For any guy with a romantic streak, the highlight of summer is no doubt a weekend getaway with the girl he loves. What could be better than a little sightseeing, a stroll on the beach, and a night spent together in a hotel?
But what if the girl you love happens to be a video game character? No problem! All you need is a life-size costume of your digital sweetheart and you’re all set, as this dedicated fan shows with his series of vacation photos starring one of the characters from dating simulator LovePlus.
If you’re putting together a profile for a video game or anime character, the inclusion of certain bits of information are optional, such as favorite food, hobby, or breast weight. But just about every fictional character coming from Japan has an official birthday. As a matter of fact, it’s become such a standard bit of background information for anime and video game characters that you can search online and find dozens to sing happy birthday to on any given day.
This week, though, was the birthday of an especially popular figure: Cloud Strife. Not only did the hero of Final Fantasy VII hero receive plenty of warm wishes from fans, he also got an illustrated birthday card from his designer himself, Tetsuya Nomura.
The World Cosplay Summit 2015 competition crowned Mexico representatives Twin Cosplay as the Grand Champions at the award ceremony on Saturday. The duo also took home the Minister of Foreign Affairs Award, ANA Prize, and the Tabi Pad Award.
Twin Cosplay‘s presentation was based on Nintendo‘s Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask video game. Between the two, a total of four costume and set transformations take place in three minutes.
For a country that’s ordinarily very concerned with not doing anything to shock or offend, Japan can be extremely open about its sexual tastes, in ways that manifest as both perfectly healthy and perfectly pervy. Japan is also pretty open and comfortable with its weakness for cute things, as you’ll often see adults of both genders sporting clothing or accessories bearing the image of popular children’s characters.
But what happens when you have both a sexy anime huggy pillow and a cute Disney stuffed animal in your bedroom, and you leave them alone for a while?
Common knowledge to basically anyone conceivably reading this website, Japan is responsible for two of the world’s biggest, longest-running and most well-known console RPG series: Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. While both have historically featured similar gameplay (random enemy encounters, turn-based battles and the like), the two series are distinct enough that many JRPG fans prefer either one or the other series.
While Dragon Quest has evolved into a kind of cutesy, anime-inspired, all-ages RPG series, for example, Final Fantasy has always taken a more adult tack. And while each game in the Final Fantasy series takes place in a totally distinct universe from other entries, the games of the Dragon Quest series are at least loosely related to one another, making some interesting and sometimes dark game-to-game connections evident to observant players.
And one such dark connection may be hiding in plain sight in the upcoming Dragon Quest XI’s promotional materials.
With its Super Famicom-esque face buttons, the New Nintendo 3DS is already rocking the retro in a big way. But if you’d like your portable console to look even more old-school, this fully functional Game & Watch-themed faceplate from Japanese gadget and accessory maker Colombus Circle is sure to do the trick!
By now, the video gaming community is all but painfully aware of the sudden divorce between game director Hideo Kojima and game developer Konami. Solid Snake himself has even tweeted the fact that studio Kojima Productions has been disbanded, the studio logo having been removed from advertisement posters for the upcoming title, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.
Last weekend, it was once again time for Japan’s model and garage kit enthusiasts to gather for the summer iteration of Wonder Festival, held at the Makuhari Messe convention center in Chiba Prefecture. But while the event’s primary goal is to showcase the talents of those recreating anime and video game characters in plastic and resin, you’ll also find plenty of fans bringing their favorite heroes and heroines to life in flesh and cloth, as Wonder Festival has also become a major draw for cosplayers.
But would the soaring temperature during this year’s Summer Wonder Festival keep cosplayers in their air-conditioned homes? Not at all, and we figured if they were going to brave the heat, we would too, so we grabbed our camera and headed for the convention.
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.
With the unfortunate passing of Nintendo president and CEO Satoru Iwata this past week, thousands of kind words and tributes have been posted online to thank a wonderful man for all his hard work. An outpouring of beautifully drawn pictures from gamers around the world honored his memory. The tributes were not limited to words and art though, as a video game musician who worked with Iwata on a number of projects released a remix of the Balloon Fight theme song for his close and dearly missed friend.
If, like me, you grew up playing Super Mario Bros. on the NES, then you’re no doubt super excited for the launch of Super Mario Maker this coming September. Exclusive to Wii U, the game allows players to build their own worlds, using every block, enemy and power-up (plus a few new ones) from a whole host of Super Mario games, then share them with players all around the world.
For those of us who never quite gave up on our childhood dream of making games for Nintendo especially, Super Mario Maker is shaping up to be the ultimate celebration of 30 years of Mario, and the thought of throwing all your favourite bad guys into bizarre platforming situations has us positively giddy with excitement.
With that in mind, today we’ve decided to take a quick look at some of the characters we know and love from the Mario franchise. To spice things up, though, we’re going to be introducing you to their original Japanese names and explaining a little about the meanings behind them. Think you know Mario? Let’s find out!
It’s a very sad day for gaming.
This morning, Nintendo released a statement that the company’s much-beloved president and CEO, Satoru Iwata, died in hospital on July 11 due to medical complications arising from a bile duct tumor that had been discovered some time before. Iwata was the first person to assume the role of president at the company who was not immediately related to members of the Yamauchi founding family.
Growing up, many of us wondered how we could turn our favorite hobbies into a career. For a lot of us, that thing we love is gaming, and here at RocketNews24, we are definitely guilty of spending entire afternoons daydreaming about playing games professionally and making tons of money. Unfortunately though, the peak years for reaction time are well behind, so our life goal of being a pro gamer is simply a pipe dream.
Thankfully there are still ways to turn gaming into a profession, and a golden case currently exists in China.
Gamers and savvy business people offer leveling services to casual gamers who pay to start powerful, rather than slogging through the low levels themselves. But is such a business actually a viable career? And does the income and resultant lifestyle make it worth it?
You may not have noticed, but a lot of advertising for anime and video games revolves around boobs, almost as if the marketing plan is trying to build up escape velocity to break free of the gravitational pull of the female cast’s breasts. And since nitty-gritty bits of numerical data regarding a series’ world and characters are the icing on the cake for super fans, you can usually expect the producers to release official statistics regarding the bust measurement and also often the cup size of the more top-heavy characters.
One new anime, though, has decided to raise the bar, and twice actually, since not only do its official character bios reveal the cast’s underwire measurements, but in perhaps the most bizarre bit of trivia ever, the weight, in kilograms, of the characters’ breasts.
Nintendo’s Splatoon, a new IP for Wii U, was released in May to wide critical and user acclaim. Apparently the combo of squid and kid is a winner; who’d have thought it?
However, while the title being exclusive to the Wii U has been helping to boost hardware sales for Nintendo, PC gamers who are unwilling or unable to shell out for a new console have been left out of the loop. But for those desperate for some inky multiplayer action, there’s a free option coming to PC soon: Splat Fortress.
Anime Industry Report shows overseas anime market is bigger than Japanese one, but is this a cultural tipping point?
Japan’s deadliest food claims more victims, but why do people keep eating it for New Year’s?
Starbucks Japan reveals new Valentine’s Day goods for 2025
Starbucks unveils new Valentine’s Day Frappuccino in Japan
The etiquette rules for visiting Shinto shrines in Japan
The top 10 annoying foreign tourist behaviors on trains, as chosen by Japanese people【Survey】
Nintendo and Godiva team up for fancy fun chocolate line【Photos】
Overseas Uber driver and anime fan gets the Cowboy Bebop surprise of a lifetime【Video】
Starbucks Japan saves the best for last in our fukubukuro lucky bag haul
Starbucks Japan’s Lucky Bag #3: A fukubukuro surprise we weren’t expectingJapan’s deadliest food claims more victims, but why do people keep eating it for New Year’s?The top 10 annoying foreign tourist behaviors on trains, as chosen by Japanese people【Survey】
Let’s go open a Lego Japan lucky bag…oAnime Industry Report shows overseas anime market is bigger than Japanese one, but is this a cultural tipping point?
McDonald’s Japan has a fukubukuro lucky bag that everyone wants to get their hands on
There’s an official PlayStation lucky bag, but what’s inside?【Photos】
Hayao Miyazaki says Happy New Year to Studio Ghibli fans with new art for Year of the Snake
What’s in Starbucks Japan’s fukubukuro lucky bag for 2025?Starbucks Japan’s Lucky Bag #3: A fukubukuro surprise we weren’t expecting
Square Enix releases a Final Fantasy fukubukuro lucky bag for New Year’s in JapanJapan’s deadliest food claims more victims, but why do people keep eating it for New Year’s?The top 10 annoying foreign tourist behaviors on trains, as chosen by Japanese people【Survey】
Bear breaks into house in Japan, quickly begins spending winter exactly like Japanese people doHayao Miyazaki says Happy New Year to Studio Ghibli fans with new art for Year of the Snake
Japanese company develops classy heavy metal band frames for glasses
This downtown Tokyo cafe is like a time machine that takes you back 50 years into the pastMcDonald’s Japan has a fukubukuro lucky bag that everyone wants to get their hands onWhat’s in Starbucks Japan’s fukubukuro lucky bag for 2025?
Station of despair: What to do if you get stuck at the end of Tokyo’s Chuo Rapid Line
Starbucks Japan reveals new winter holiday goods to wrap up 2024
McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Foreign tourists on Shinkansen bullet train break suitcase etiquette, angering local passengers
Possessing Harry Potter’s Sword of Godric Gryffindor is now illegal in Japan
[Deleted] Article written for April Fool’s Day 2018
Japanese government to make first change to romanization spelling rules since the 1950s
Foreigner’s request for help in Tokyo makes us sad for the state of societyJapan’s deadliest food claims more victims, but why do people keep eating it for New Year’s?
Japanese convenience store Family Mart announces abolishment of eat-in spaces
Life-size vibrating Legend of Zelda Master Sword for sale from Nintendo【Photos】
Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
The top 10 annoying foreign tourist behaviors on trains, as chosen by Japanese people【Survey】
Nintendo and Godiva team up for fancy fun chocolate line【Photos】
Overseas Uber driver and anime fan gets the Cowboy Bebop surprise of a lifetime【Video】
Starbucks Japan saves the best for last in our fukubukuro lucky bag haul
Starbucks Japan’s Lucky Bag #3: A fukubukuro surprise we weren’t expecting
Evidence that ‘kawaii’ has ruled Japanese pop culture for centuries!
Family Mart and Mos Burger join forces for a special new steamed bun in Japan
Animate Akihabara releases a lucky bag for the first time in years, and it’s amazing
The official cosplay booth models of Tokyo Game Show 2024【Photos】
Second-hand video game fukubukuro lucky bags reveal nostalgic surprises
Instant bear curry from the northeastern mountains of Japan【Taste test】
Draw like a Studio Ghibli anime artist with exclusive watercolour set approved by Hayao Miyazaki
Japan’s snack of almonds and whole fish might not be for everyone【Taste test】
Lingerie lucky bag from Japan’s Peach John includes anime cosplay bra/panty set, maybe by accident
