Keitai

The Wii-mote Do It Yourself Japanese Phone

A DIY type took a WILLCOM cell phone and turned it into a WiiLLCOM brand phone. Geddit! His button additions are purely cosemtic, but very, very cool. This fella also created a Game & Watch cell phone as well, which you can check out at his site.

More Projects Here [Giz Japan]

6:00 AM on Wed Jan 30 2008
By Brian Ashcraft
2,680 views, 18 comments

katamari damacy

Life Words from Barefoot Keita Takahashi

Boy, that Keita Takahashi is plum nutty! At Nottingham's GameCity, the always delightful Alice introduced him for the keynote he gave. Barefoot. Here are the highlights:

It would be impossible for us to be here... if the world was not peaceful. If there was heavy fighting or pollution in the cities could we talk about video games like this? If you're suffering from poverty and disease could you worry about collecting coins? I don't think so.

Durr. More »

1:00 AM on Mon Oct 29 2007
By Brian Ashcraft
1,154 views, 3 comments

Latest by MangaDragon56: totally right? Same here... more »

kooky

Japanese Cell Phone Character Starring in DS Game

Japanese cell phone carrier NTT DoCoMo has put its character DOCOMODAKE in an action puzzle Nintendo DS game. Yes, even a cell phone character that has nothing to do with gaming whatsoever is getting a DS title. It's from AQ Interaction, out this December in Japan. Think of this not of an indication of DOCOMODAKE's popularity, but the DS's.
DoCoMo DS game [Gizmodo Japan]

4:00 AM on Wed Oct 3 2007
By Brian Ashcraft
1,305 views, 10 comments

clip

Giant Japanese Thumb Wants Mobile Phone Games

What says mobile phone gaming best? Yup, a giant thumb! Here, a bored salaryman listens to the giant thumb telling him to download free mobile games. The giant thumb then attacks him. Brilliant.

Mobile Phone Games [Japan Probe]

2:00 AM on Mon Sep 10 2007
By Brian Ashcraft
1,867 views, 16 comments

clips

Japan's Motion Gaming Cell Phones in Action

Here's a couple of ads for Japanese cell phone games appearing on carrier NTT DoCoMo. Above, actor Tadanobu Asano and actress Yu Aoi talk about a ball rolling game. After the jump, model/actress/singer Anna Tsuchiya gets serious about cell phone bowling. Not only does Japan have cool phones, it also has cool cell phone games. Good for Japan. More »

5:00 AM on Wed Jul 18 2007
By Brian Ashcraft
1,945 views, 20 comments

not fighter

Date SNK Girls On Your Cell Phone

Besides bringing Days of Memories to the Nintendo DS, SNK has released the SNK heroine-filled game on Docomo cell phones. It's only ¥200 (US $1.60) to download the game's hospital story and between ¥105 ($0.85) to ¥525 ($4.25) to play each month. That's a screen from the cell phone game version of Days of Memory. Looks pretty harmless! Well, that shot is. The banana-shocker is after the jump. Brian Ashcraft More »

5:00 AM on Thu Jun 21 2007
By Brian Ashcraft
4,516 views, 13 comments

...yippie

Parasite Eve 3 Hitting Cell Phones

For the last couple of years, Square-Enix has been going after the Japanese cell phone gaming market. And hard. Well, the company hasn't given up, and will eventually be ~~sacrificing~~ bringing its horror RPG series Parasite Evil to Japanese DoCoMo handsets. Good news if you live in Japan and like playing games on your phone. I guess. More »

12:00 AM on Mon May 14 2007
By Brian Ashcraft
4,497 views, 42 comments

wii-mote

Do We Really Need A Wii-mote-like Phone?

If it's good enough for the Wii, it must be good enough for mobile phones! Yesterday, Japan's biggest cell phone operator NTT DoCoMo introduced a new handset outfitted with a motion sensor. Created by Mitsubishi, the D904i lets you swing it around like the Wii-mote to play tennis or sword fighting games. Motion controls for cell phones sound utterly impractical considering how the screen and the controller are connected. Plus, seeing how most people in Japan play cell phone games on the train, would anyone actually play this way in public? Remember: This marks the second Mitsubishi phone that has been "inspired" by Nintendo. Bout time they got their own ideas, no? Brian Ashcraft More »

11:00 PM on Mon Apr 23 2007
By Brian Ashcraft
589 views, 20 comments

Latest by dtrain: @Ashcraft: Although it may seem like it now, given the Wii's popularity, motion-sensing phones are not necessarily "inspired by Nintendo", nor do they betray a lack of anyone's "own ideas" -- I've been seeing multiple motion-sensing phones from a variety more »

bandai

Monkeys, Search And Destroy With Bandai

Hunt for fake monkeys with integrated GPS. Bandai's Java-based Chimpan GPS for DoCoMo phones with satellite-navigation has players run the application and then physically search for the simian target. Players using phones without GPS log-in and act as assistants, apparently. That sounds boring! Game costs ¥315 (US $2.66) , but memories of wondering city streets looking for fake monkeys are priceless. Brian Ashcraft More »

10:00 PM on Tue Feb 27 2007
By Brian Ashcraft
387 views, 3 comments

snk

Build A Better Maid On Your Japanese Keitai

Starring Iroha the Maid from Samurai Spirits, this self-titled SNK cellphone lets players turn Iroha into the greatest maid in the world. How you may ask? By setting schedules and tests for her. Not only that, but also increase her five stats: love, intellect, physical strength, manner and figure. Yes, Japanese maids need not only to be smart and have big jubblies, but strong as an ox! Iroha is SNK's poster child of late: There is also a DS scheduling "game" called Techou Maid Techo that features Iroha and a hundred different outfits. Talk about being a clothes horse! Brian Ashcraft More »

6:22 AM on Mon Jan 15 2007
By Brian Ashcraft
1,132 views, 7 comments

Latest by Mogbert: You know, I could see a cross between Japanese Maid games and Nintendogs. You know, the real reactions when you scratch behind her ears... more »

onechanbara

Onechanbara: The Cell Phone Game

We've seen the cute toys, now have a gander at the cute Onechanbara cell phone game. Cowboy-hat-wearing-zombie-slayer gets cell-shaded and over-the-shoulder camera angles for D3 Publisher's CERO Z (the Japanese game equivalent of "X") title. Since its a cell phone title, apparently the game slips under the country's ratings radar. Though, with graphics that kawaii, what's to worry? Brian Ashcraft More »

7:22 AM on Fri Jan 12 2007
By Brian Ashcraft
1,003 views, 7 comments

the overwhelming hell

The Giant Bug Japanese Schoolgirl Game

There are some games that cannot be as good as you imagine them. Simple 2000 title Tairyou Jigoku ("The Overwhelming Hell") for the PS2 is precisely one of the those games. The plot is Alice in Wonderland gone bad. It's a "panic action" game and centers around a schoolgirl named Erika, her missing cell phone, giant bugs and a rabbit in a top hat. See, the rabbit in a top hat stole her cell phone (of course!) and as the girl goes searching for it, she's attacked by cockroaches, centipedes, crickets, spiders and snakes. When the creepy-crawlies start to attack, Erika shakes them off or smacks 'em with poles and sticks. Though, don't know which is worst for most schoolgirls: Giant insects or not having a cell phone. More »

8:25 AM on Wed Dec 13 2006
By Brian Ashcraft
5,570 views, 24 comments

Latest by Chef: Wait, so it's like Dynasty Warriors with bugs? Asia's gonna eat this game up. more »

namco

The Drum Master: A Love Story

This isn't just a video of some guy kicking ass on Taiko no Tatsujin. Sure, that's the surface, but underneath, it's deeper. This is the story of a young man and a girl. With his buddy supporting him, the drum master pounds out a tune on the taiko. He's trained countless hours for this moment, just hoping he could catch the attention of a female. Any female. And for a fleeting moment, he did, and the two connected on so many different levels. There is real human drama in Akihabara game centers. Brian Ashcraft More »

1:22 AM on Mon Jun 5 2006
By Brian Ashcraft
119 views, 5 comments

Latest by Torokun: $10 at sears? When? How? more »

xbox 360

The Xbox 360 Japanese Fish Sim

Tokyo game maker Frontier Groove has made its underwater 3D aquarium game AQUAZONE for computer gamers and cell phoners. And now add the 360 to that list. The console version boasts 14 type of fish, including that one from Finding Nemo. Think of it as your own personal HD fish thank, but without minus the algae scrubbing. —Brian Ashcraft More »

8:27 PM on Thu May 18 2006
By Brian Ashcraft
661 views, 9 comments

sex

Photographer, Models And Bad, Bad Dialogue

Taking a page from a Three's Company script, Bandai Namco's cell phone dating sim Koi no Shutter Chance puts players as newbie photographer, living with two foxy idols. The story ~~undresses~~ unfolds through conversations with the ladies. Chit-chat like (see above): More »

11:22 AM on Thu Apr 27 2006
By Brian Ashcraft
650 views, Comment

top

Upstart CEO Talks Mobile Brain Gaming

Earlier this week, we reported on the slew of Brain Age knock-offs headed our way. Barry O'Neill, CEO of the Dublin-based Upstart Games, emailed us to let us know his company had been "sitting on" a cell phone brain game that predates Brain Age by about two years. Originally called Right Brain Paradise, the game was released by G-mode in Japan. Upstart's English version is titled IQ Academy and will be on in major US and European carries this July. We sent questions to Mr. O'Neill, regarding the upcoming title, the brain game craze and skiing in Nintendo's wake.
More »

5:22 AM on Wed Apr 26 2006
By Brian Ashcraft
363 views, Comment

ninety-nine nights

Ninety-Nine Nights: The Cell Phone Version

Microsoft Japan is launching a mobile content site for the upcoming RPG Ninety-Nine Nights, which goes on sale April 20th. Fans can sign up at the Vodafone site for 315 yen (approx. US $2.80) and download keitai wallpaper, ringtones and read the adventure novel. How exciting. More »

9:22 AM on Tue Apr 4 2006
By Brian Ashcraft
101 views, Comment

cell phone

Game Designing Jack Bauer Style

Over the weekend, MTV's Stephen Totilo checked out the "Mobile Game Mosh" at New York's Parsons School of Design. The Glu Mobile and Atari-sponsored design contest challenged college and grad students to churn out a Nokia compatible cell phone game in 24 hours. Contracts, Totilo reports, signed by the participants forfitted game rights to Atari and Glu Mobile. Yuck. More »

7:29 PM on Tue Mar 14 2006
By Brian Ashcraft
225 views, 2 comments

Kotaku

Another Mario Sonic Collaboration in the Works?

Gawker Media Network