The Rumble Fish fighting game series heads west for the first time
Publisher 3goo has announced that The Rumble Fish and The Rumble Fish 2 will be released worldwide for modern consoles this winter. This marks the first time that the series has been released outside of Japan.
Massage Freaks is a bishoujo rhythm game coming to Nintendo Switch August 4
Massage Freaks is a rhythm game where players perform massages on various girls. By using the hidden massage techniques, players will relieve customers of their troubles and increase their affection toward the protagonist.
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak’s Insta-Block becomes a source of amusement for players
A method of fun using Insta-Block first became possible in Monster Hunter Generations. The Insta-Block was brought back in Monster Hunter Rise, and even though time has passed, it seems like players are carrying on the tradition of having some fun with it.
Elected official in Japan wants a legal framework for preserving games and keeping them playable
Ken Akamatsu, the first manga artist elected to Japan's House of Councillors, wants a legal framework for preserving games and keeping them playable.
Metal Gear Solid voice actor denies claims that a new game is in the works
Voice actor Kikuko Inoue released a statement regarding a response she gave to a question at an event in Saudi Arabia. Her answer had been reported as suggesting a new title in the Metal Gear Solid series which she says is not the case.
Japan continues its reign as the country that tweets the most about gaming
Japan once again took the top spot in the “Top 10 Countries Tweeting Most About Gaming” for the first half of 2022, something it also achieved last year. The country has been the king of gaming tweets in recent times, also topping the yearlong rankings in both 2021 and 2020.
A Japanese government agency is exploring making mods for Cities: Skylines
Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is looking into developing mods for Cities: Skylines. The plan for their development looks to be related to another project being led by the ministry, Mogura VR News reports.
Konami is preparing to bring back delisted Metal Gear Solid games
Konami Digital Entertainment announced that they are preparing to bring back the temporarily delisted titles in the Metal Gear Solid series after certain games were taken off of storefronts in November of last year.
Psychedelic occult-themed JRPG Exit Veil now seeking crowdfunding on Kickstarter
Exit Veil is an occult-themed JRPG with 3D exploration, a healing-focused turn-based combat system, and tarot cards all brought together. The team behind Exit Veil is Cherrymochi, an indie studio known for their debut game Tokyo Dark.
Nintendo warns Switch users not to play the console in hot areas as a heatwave continues across Japan
Nintendo’s Japanese customer support Twitter account recently tweeted out a warning reminding users not to play their Nintendo Switch consoles in high temperature areas. Japan is continuing to experience record breaking heat, with some areas reaching 40.2°C (104°F) during the month of June, the highest June temperature recorded in Japan.
Cute and colorful shmup Like Dreamer is coming to Steam on July 21
Like Dreamer is a bullet hell shooter with a social media theme. In the game’s world there’s a popular bullet hell social media platform called Bulletolk, and by showing off impressive gameplay, users can receive “likes” from others. Like Dreamer is set to launch on July 21 for PC (Steam).
Mobile game developer revealed that halving in-game ads simply halved their profits
Japanese solo game developer Yanase experimented with reducing the frequency of ads that appeared in their mobile games to unsatisfactory results. We reached out to Yanase to learn more.
A game developer creates delicious looking anime ramen with custom made “soup shader”
To create the delicious looking anime ramen, game developer Harry Alisavakis used his own self-made “cel-shading” shader which allowed him to add a hand-drawn feel to the 3D models. The noodles, bowl, and other ingredients are all modeled individually.
Is the concept of leveling in games a waste of time? Gamers and developers in Japan discuss
“I have come to believe that games with leveling systems are a complete waste of time.” This is the title of an opinion piece posted to a Japanese anonymous blog site that has struck up a discussion among Japanese gamers and developers.
Kojima Productions protests the spread of fake news following the circulation of a false rumor regarding Hideo Kojima
Kojima Productions took to Twitter to protest the spread of fake news and false information. The unusual message came after false rumors involving studio head Hideo Kojima began circulating online.
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series launches to an extremely positive reception on Steam
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series is a remastered collection consisting of 1997’s Klonoa: Door to Phantomile and Klonoa 2: Lunatea’s Veil for PC and modern consoles. While the game was released just a few days ago, it’s already pulling in positive user reviews that rank it among the platform’s finest.
3D RPG development tool RPG Developer Bakin announced by the developers of Petit Computer
RPG Developer Bakin is a 3D RPG development tool that boasts not requiring any programming and allows users to enjoy making RPGs through its intuitive controls and sophisticated features. Bakin is being made by the developers of Petit Computer.
One pro gamer advises aspiring youth to stay in school. “Going pro isn’t something you aim for”
Pro gamer and streamer ta1yo says he often receives messages from people saying they want to quit school and pursue becoming professional gamers. ta1yo took to Twitter to respond to these messages saying, “Going pro isn’t something you aim for. It’s something you just realize has happened. Let’s stay in school.”
Stab food and furniture with a flying fork in the alpha release of Forklore
Forklore is a 3D action game where players control a fork that has gained the ability to fly through the power of magic. The goal is to progress through each stage by flying around and stabbing a variety of objects along the way.
A new AI-powered shogi analytics service puts the latest game analysis technology in the palm of your hand
A new AI-powered shogi (Japanese chess) analysis service for professional players called Kishin Analytics was released in Japan. Kishin Analytics is a service that lets users have shogi games analyzed by the latest deep learning shogi AI dlshogi and by Yaneuraou’s Suishou shogi AI all from a web browser.
Creator of Yu-Gi-Oh! Kazuki Takahashi has passed away
Yu-Gi-Oh! creator Kazuki Takahashi has passed away at age 60, NHK reports. On July 6 at around 10:30 am (JST), his body was found floating off the coast of Nago city in Okinawa prefecture. He was wearing snorkeling gear at the time.
Armored Lab Force VULVEHICLES mixes shmup gameplay with terrain destruction
Armored Lab Force VULVEHICLES is a comical shmup where players destroy both enemies and terrain to clear stages. The game’s main characters are 6 girls at the facility who pilot versatile vehicles known as Vulvehicles.