Kotaku Australia » only in japan

King Of Games Go Spelunking

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Japan’s King of Games — our second favourite outfitter of gaming shirts — will this week be adding some more good stuff to their line of Irem clothing. And where there’s Irem, there’s R-Type and there’s Spelunker.

The single R-Type shirt has actually been available for a while, but we’re showing it anyway. Not because you can’t buy it outside of Japan (none of it is on the English site) and that it’s sold out, but because it’s so great.

The new stuff, however, is part of KoG’s Spelunker line and adds to the existing t-shirt by introducing a range of hoodies (top). And “Weakest Explorer” aside, they’re as refined, subtle and tasteful as you’d expect from such a pricey outfit.

アイレムから発売された名作スペランカー、R-TYPE をフューチャー！ [KoG]

PlayStation Hardware Continues Pie Dominance In Japan

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:20:00 +0000

Avid readers of The Japanese Hardware Chart weekly updates won’t be surprised—especially after reading about the PlayStation family’s software dominance—that Sony hardware is selling better than the competition in Japan. No change this week.

Scratch that. There was a slight change. PSP sales jumped up, PlayStation 3 sales dropped down and the two platforms switched positions from the week prior.

With PSP games and PS3 games selling well, sometimes better than their Nintendo DS and Wii rivals, it’s not much of a surprise to see Sony’s current generation platforms reaping the benefits of a larger install base. With Final Fantasy XIII due to hit the PS3 in Japan in less than a month, expect those increases to continue.

This is Japan’s bestselling hardware for the week of November 9 to 15, courtesy of Media Create.

PSP – 38,770
PlayStation 3 – 38,498
Nintendo DSi – 33,749
Wii – 26,764
PSP go – 6,427
Nintendo DS Lite – 5,036
Xbox 360 – 4,124
PlayStation 2 – 2,031

Japan Still Loves Soccer, Favours PlayStation Games

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:40:00 +0000

Last week, Japan’s video gaming populace snatched up enough copies of Konami soccer sim World Soccer Winning Eleven 2010 to put it in first place. This week, Sega’s J-League Pro Soccer Club o Tsukurou! 6: Pride of J scores.

The PSP game kicked its way to the top of the Media Create sales charts, pushing past Nintendo’s still strong Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver, which are destined to cross the three million sold mark any day now. The PlayStation Portable’s software dominance gives the PlayStation brand more than just a first place showing. It helped games on Sony’s trio of platforms score 17 of the top 30 spots this week. (One PlayStation 2 title managed to chart.)

New PlayStation 3 debuts like Dragon Ball: Raging Blast and Need for Speed: Shift helped Sony’s ratio, but it was the PSP that scored the most spots, with 10 games for the portable platform showing this week. Not all of them showing well, mind you, but enough to secure a top 30 spot.

And look, there’s Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Crystal Bearers, getting the usual Crystal Chronicles response…

01. J-League Pro Soccer Club o Tsukurou! 6: Pride of J (PSP) – 85,000 / NEW
02. Pokemon Heart Gold/Soul Silver (DS) – 63,000 / 2,980,000
03. Dragon Ball: Raging Blast (PS3) – 58,000 / NEW
04. Tomodachi Collection (DS) – 56,000 / 1,639,000
05. Wii Fit Plus (Wii) – 53,000 / 903,000
06. World Soccer Winning Eleven 2010 (PS3) – 49,000 / 267,000
07. Inazuma Eleven 2: Fire/Blizzard (DS) – 37,000 / 607,000
08. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Crystal Bearers (Wii) – 35,000 / NEW
09. Mega Man Battle Network: Operating Shooting Star (DS) – 23,000 / NEW
10. Persona 3 Portable (PSP) – 17,000 / 158,0000

11. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Wii)
12. Bayonetta (PS3)
13. Wii Sports Resort (Wii)
14. Lunar: Harmony of Silver Star (PSP)
15. Hexyz Force (PSP)
16. Hikari no 4 Senshi: Final Fantasy Gaiden (DS)
17. Higarushi no Naku Koro ni: Jan (PSP)
18. Tekken 6 (PS3)
19. Tamagotchi no Narikiri Channeru (DS)
20. Need for Speed: Shift (PS3)
21. Battle Spirits: Kiseki no Hasha (PSP)
22. Infamous (PS3)
23. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (the Best) (PSP)
24. Sengoku Hime: Senran ni Mau Otometachi (PSP)
25. Dragon Quest IX (DS)
26. Dissidia Final Fantasy – Universal Tuning (PSP)
27. Summon Night X: Tears Crown (DS)
28. Dragon Ball: Raging Blast (Xbox 360)
29. Sengoku Hime: Senran ni Mau Otometachi (PS2)
30. Warship Gunner 2 Portable (PSP)

Club Nintendo Offers Members Actual Game & Watch Prize

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:40:00 +0000

The Japanese version of Club Nintendo flexes its clear superiority over its Western cousin with even more retro-flavoured fun for Platinum members. They’re getting a real Game & Watch LCD game of Ball.

Yes, a real Game & Watch, not the digital version as seen in the previous Club Nintendo exclusive Game & Watch Collection for the Nintendo DS. Ball was the very first release in Nintendo’s Game & Watch line of dedicated LCD games, released way, way back in 1980.

Gold calibre Club Nintendo members get a calendar and a little pat on the head.

Club Nintendo Member Presents [Club Nintendo of Japan]

PSP Comics Service Dated, Priced (For Japan)

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:30:00 +0000

Sony Japan today announced the final launch plans for the PlayStation Portable’s comic service, whereby a range of manga will be made available to PSP owners in Japan.

There’ll be a PSP firmware update on the 19th to 6.20, which will add the comics store ahead of the service’s launch a few weeks later on December 10.

Individual issues will cost between ¥50-150 (USD$0.55-$1.70), while collections will run for the uniform price of ¥420 (USD$4.70).

Finally, The Steel Battallion Controller Is Put To Good Use

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Looks like somebody found a job for their old Steel Battallion controller that didn’t involve posting on small-time forums how much they paid for it or how awesome it would have been if more games had supported it.

Instead, Japanese VJ Bonsajo rigged his up for performances, using it to do things like fade and scratch the images appearing on screen. If, like us, you had no idea what a Video Jockey actually did outside of hosting obnoxious MTV programs, the video below may be of some assistance.

VJ with Steel Battallion Controller (2) from Bonsajo on Vimeo.

News: VJing with the Steel Battalion controller [Mecha Damashii]

New Kingdom Hearts PSP Fit For Japan

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:30:00 +0000

Sony have just unveiled a new custom PSP for the Japanese market. And it’s a silver PSP-3000, covered in all kinds of stuff that will make sense only to fans of Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep.

It’ll go on sale on January 9, 2010, and as part of a bundle including Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep, will retail for ¥22,000 ($264).

If you expect this to turn up in the US or Europe, you are living in a fantasy land.

Phalanx Making A Triumphant Return

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Phalanx is a strange game. Few of you will remember the game, even fewer probably ever played it. But most of you will remember, or at least recognise, the game’s famous box art.

Sadly, that art won’t be needed for the game’s impending re-release, with original developers Zoom Inc handling a port of the original Sharp X68000 — not the later SNES — version of the game for Nintendo’s Wii.

It’ll be made available via WiiWare, not the Virtual Console, and will go for 500 Nintendo Points. Phalanx is currently due for re-release only in Japan.

Phalanx Gets WiiWare Port, Banjo Not Included [GamerBytes]

Konami Kicks Bayonetta Off Top Of Japan’s Game Charts

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:40:00 +0000

Last week’s queen of Japan’s video game sales charts Bayonetta didn’t have the legs to stay on top for very long. Konami’s latest soccer game, World Soccer Winning Eleven 2010, is this week’s new software champ.

Sega’s Bayonetta was reduced to an 8th place showing, falling behind perennial bestsellers like Pokemon, Wii Fit Plus and Tomodachi Collection, Nintendo titles that continue to sell incredibly well week after week. Unfortunately, one Nintendo title that didn’t seem to garner much interest from Japanese consumers was Treasure’s Sin & Punishment 2, which debuted last week at #21 and has fallen off the charts this week.

Speaking of unimpressive debuts, two new PS3 games, 3D Dot Game Heroes and Infamous, failed to capture a wide audience in their first week on the chart. At least Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and Tekken 6 appear to be hangin’ in there.

For the rest of the top 30 games in Japan, according to Media Create, read on.

01. World Soccer Winning Eleven 2010 (PS3) – 218,000 / NEW
02. Pokemon Heart Gold/Soul Silver (DS) – 74,000 / 2,918,000
03. Wii Fit Plus (Wii) – 70,000 / 850,000
04. Tomodachi Collection (DS) – 64,000 / 1,583,000
05. Persona 3 Portable (PSP) – 46,000 / 141,000
06. Inazuma Eleven 2 Fire / Blizzard (DS) – 42,000 / 570,000
07. Hikari no 4 Senshi: Final Fantasy Gaiden (DS) – 35,000 / 150,000
08. Bayonetta (PS3) – 29,000 / 165,000
09. Summon Night X: Tears Crown (DS) – 24,000 / NEW
10. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Wii) – 22,000 / NEW

11. Tekken 6 (PS3)
12. Wii Sports Resort (Wii)
13. Dissidia Final Fantasy Universal Tuning (PSP)
14. Infamous (PS3)
15. Bayonetta (Xbox 360)
16. 3D Dot Game Heroes (PS3)
17. Tamagotchi no Narikiri Channeru (DS)
18. Dragon Quest IX (DS)
19. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (the Best) (PSP)
20. Flash Precure! Asobi Collection (DS)
21. Gran Turismo (PSP)
22. World Soccer Winning Eleven 2010 (Xbox 360)
23. Rune Factory 2 (DS)
24. Shin Sangoku Musou 5 Special (PSP)
25. Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu Portable 4 (PSP)
26. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3)
27. Stein’s Gate (Xbox 360)
28. Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (PSP)
29. Love Plus (DS)
30. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)

Media Create Weekly Software Sales [Gpara]

Can You Name All These Japanese Game Developers?

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:00:00 +0000

Pop quiz time! Here’s a Photoshop of a bunch of Japanese game developers — who can you name?

Pic [はちま起稿 Thanks, 金！]