Christmas Day News Update with Cube Creator, Tennis, Billiards and Escape games all announced for Switch, plus much more news!

● Shinya Takahashi and Yoshiaki Koizumi of Nintendo Co., Ltd. recently spoke with Takumi Watanabe of Toyo Keizai Online and revealed that the original concepts for the Nintendo Switch began in 2012, that Kou Shiota was also in the development team and there were no major shifts after Iwata passed. Go here and here to read the full translations. Check back for part three shortly!

● Arc System Works will publish Cube Creator X for Switch on 26 April 2018 with the game incorporating RPG elements into the game, adds online multiplayer. Cube Creator 3D and Cube Creator DX are both on 3DS.

● D3 Publisher announced three more Switch games with a Tennis title for late-January, a Billiards title for mid-February and a The Misshitsukara no Dasshutsu (Escape From The Closed Room) series title for Winter.

● Mebius will be publishing the Music × Light × Shooting game L.F.O. -Lost Future Omega- on the Switch this Thursday (28 December) priced at ¥864.

● Nintendo Co., Ltd. posted a job application listing for the role of Splatoon 2 level designer with no development experience necessary and the role being Kyoto based. Apply here.

● Nintendo Switch sales resume at the My Nintendo Store on Boxing Day at 12:00 JST with delivery expected between 10 – 14 January.

● Watch Yoiko’s Minecraft Survival Life season 2 episode 12 featuring Shinya Arino and Masaru Hamaguchi play Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition here. Just two more episodes are scheduled with no news on a third season.

Yokai Watch Busters 2: Hihou Densetsu Banbaraya was updated to Ver.1.2 where players can get a 5 Star Coin and Fubuki-hime (Blizzaria).

Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp players received 10 free Leaf Tickets today as an apology for the following bugs (which have all been fixed): where players are returned to the title screen while gardening, “Link to a Facebook account” issues, an error displaying when opening the Suggested Friends screen and the game crashing when changing hats or clothes, or arranging furniture. The New Year’s Event also begins tomorrow!

Miitomo added the Elegant Feather Headpiece, Flower Hair clip, Mermaid Dress with Stole and Lace-Trimmed Patent Pumps to the Shop (and all pictured here).

Gunbird for Nintendo Switch has been pulled from at least the North American eShop, although is still available in Japan (and can be purchased online here).

● Chris Deneos wrote a blogpost about Tasukete Tako-San: Save me Mr Tako here

Level-5 are planning something to celebrate their 20th anniversary (they founded in 1998) although unsure whether this is a new title. FuRyu are also preparing a new original game (no platform). Both tidbits from this week’s Weekly Famitsu.

COMG! rankings for the past week have Yokai Watch Busters 2 at 256, Pokémon Ultra Sun Moon at 219, Splatoon 2 at 200, Super Mario Odyssey at 173 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe at 116. Both new Atelier and One Piece games didn’t chart.

● Digital estimates for November saw Pokémon Ultra Sun Moon with 32,866, Dragon Quest X with 37,856 on Switch and 32,446 on Wii U and Shinobi Refle -Senran Kagura- with 32,167

● This week’s issue (#1517) of Weekly Famitsu saw DragonFangZ – The Rose & Dungeon of Time score 28/40, Poly Bridge score 28/40, Ultimate Chicken Horse score 29/40, Brawlout score 29/40, Combat! Search & Rescue score 29/40 and One More Dungeon score 29/40.

● And watch the CoroCoro Aniki Winter 2017 issue TV commercial featuring the free Pocket Monsters Ultra Sun Moon Game Boy boxes and a Kirby card here.

● Finally, thanks everyone for following your support means everything… and have a great holiday!  

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