Neon Genesis Evangelion’s Rei Ayanami is an iconic character. Iconic characters mean one thing in Japan. Wait. They actually mean several things, but most notable is how that soft power translates into hard, plastic figures. For anyone who’s been paying attention to the world of Japanese sculpted figures since 1995 (and if you haven’t, listen…
Decked out in black stretch pants, sneakers and not much else, Egashira 2:50 is one of Japan’s most loathed comedians. “Creepy” and “annoying” are the words that usually describe him, but last month, the word that summed up Egashira the best is “heroic”. Egashira’s schtick doesn’t rely on witty puns or dry quips. Rather, the…
EAT IT ALL | OSAKA, JAPAN: It’s not just Pokémon Curry, it’s pork and corn Pokémon curry. (Photo by Brian Ashcraft) Rent Your Own Personal Cosplayer Cosplay was once a sideshow. But these days, it is quickly becoming the main draw for Japanese gaming and manga events, sometimes garnering more coverage than the actual games…
Let’s face it. The onboard battery for the 3DS stinks. It gets around 3 to 5 hours on a single charge, depending on the settings. Those numbers aren’t anywhere near the DSi XL or DS Lite. Too bad there isn’t a solution. Well, turns out, there is. With the Charge Base for 3DS, Nyko is…
When times were good for Nintendo, it was said the DS printed money. The 3DS doesn’t seem to be doing that. Nintendo’s stock prices continue to fall, dropping 17 percent in the US market since February and certainly not printing money for stock holders. [via Next-Gen]
This spring, a new Pokémon manga debuted. There have been Pokémon manga before, but nothing like this. Title Poké Reburst, this manga features humans changing into Pocket Monsters like it was The Incredible Hulk or something. It’s supposed to be a more mature take on Pocket Monsters and features a main character named Ryouga, who…
When the 3DS launched, Nintendo said 1.5 million of the 4 million shipped handhelds were headed for Japan by the end of March. According to respected Japanese sales tracker Media Create, there are still leftovers. Lots of them. Media Create reports that there have been only 836,000 units sold, meaning that the 3DS still hasn’t…
In “I Love Women’s Body Climber”, the premise is simple: climb up girls. The difficulty is based on what the female characters are (or are not) wearing. For example, it’s harder to climb up bare skin than pull one’s way up a sailor suit. According to Famitsu, the game is a cell phone based title,…
Game themed shirts and figures are nice and all, but they’re certainly not unusual. But a Resident Evil pistol? Certainly not standard fare. This is a replica of Chris Redfield’s Samurai Edge firearm. It doesn’t shoot bullets, because that would be dangerous. It’s an “airsoft gun” and shoots only plastic pellets, which is only sort…
Before there was FarmVille (ungh), there was Harvest Moon (yay). The newest entry in the farm sim series, Harvest Moon: The Tale of Two Towns, is headed for the DS and 3DS. [via GameSpot]
Last night at around 11:30, an aftershock with a magnitude of over 7 hit northeast Japan. The area, Tohoku, was ravaged last month by another quake and ensuing tsunami that left thousands dead and many more homeless. As the quake shook the country, Square Enix president Yoichi Wada, like many others, took to Twitter. Wada…
Cosplay was once a sideshow. But these days, it is quickly becoming the main draw for Japanese gaming and manga events, sometimes garnering more coverage than the actual games and comics. As its popularity increases, not only does the number of cosplayers multiply, so does the number of people taking pictures. Events like the Tokyo…
FIERCE FACE | OSAKA, JAPAN: It’s not May yet, but gogatsu ningyo (“May doll”) typically adorn houses starting in late March. (Photo by Brian Ashcraft) Why Gaming’s Most Tragic Conspiracy Is Bullshit It was apparently a contracted hit. Gunpei Yokoi, father of the Game Boy who failed with the Virtual Boy, left Nintendo and was…
Sega’s Yakuza crime games feature a bevy of young attractive women as the in-game hostesses. Some of them are hostesses in real life. Some are college students. Some of them work in restaurants. One was even a porn star. No, now make that two. Included in the lovely ladies waiting for players in hostess clubs,…
Spring is in the air. You can feel it. The birds are singing, and the bees are a-buzzing. It’s a perfect time to go outside. But, I’ll let you what, you go outside. I’m going to flop on the sofa and play Frog Minutes. Frog Minutes is the latest title from Grasshopper Manufacture, the Tokyo-based…
Ah, poor Miles “Tails” Prower. Here’s a Behind the Music Bytes look at Sonic’s sidekick, Tails. Think it’s hard being Sonic? Try being Tails.
One of the game’s revealed in the wake of Japan’s quake, Monster Hunter spin-off Mon Hun Nikki: Poka-Poka Airu Mura G is headed to the PSP. Here’s a first look at the game in action. Mon Hun Nikki: Poka-Poka Airu Mura G is the follow up to, wait for it, Mon Hun Nikki: Poka-Poka Airu…
Akihiro Hino, who really needs some sleep, recently tweeted that his studio is currently working on the sixth Professor Layton title. Shocking! Hino did not specify the platform, but the other Layton games are DS or 3DS titles. So… [via @AkihiroHino via Eurogamer]
Whenever Japanese people go on vacation, they buy presents – snacks, usually – for other people. Part of it is the desire to share food or local treats that aren’t widely available with those who couldn’t make the trip. Part of the custom is expressing gratitude. And then there’s the fact that, well, it’s sort…
After the Tohoku Earthquake struck, Sega decided it would be inappropriate to release Yakuza: Of The End and delayed it. The game is a zombie parody, setting in a ravaged urban center. The game finally has a new release date in Japan: June 9. A portion of the profits will go to the disaster relief…
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