Weekly News Update with all the week’s Japanese Switch, 3DS, Wii U and Mobile news!
● The Japanese console market increased 172.9% in 2017 from 2016 thanks largely to the Nintendo Switch which was at 3,407,158 units sold as of 31 December 2017.
● A Nintendo Direct mini aired finally giving a date for Hoshi no Kirby: Star Allies (16 March) plus free DLC for Super Mario Odyssey and paid for Pokkén Tournament DX.
● Square Enix announced an updated version of the DS RPG The World Ends With You releasing as Subarashiki Kono Sekai -Final Remix- in Japan this year.
●The ultimate version of Hyrule Warriors was also announced containing all the DLC from the Wii U and 3DS games releasing as Zelda Musou Hyrule Allstars DX in Japan on 22 March.
● Nintendo announced Mario Tennis Ace(s) as a Spring release seeing the return of the Story Mode. Playable characters so far are Mario, Luigi, Wario, Waluigi and Donkey Kong.
● Nintendo’s final new announcement was a port of their Wii U platformer Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze adding Funky Kong, a new mode and releasing on 3 May.
● Other third party games at the Direct were Ys VIII -Lacrimosa of DANA- (Summer), SNK Heroines Tag Team Frenzy (also Summer) and Dark Souls Remastered (24 May).
● Takara Tomy Arts announced the ‘fashion and rhythm action game’ PriPara: All Idol Perfect Stage! for Switch releasing on 22 March 2018 priced at ¥6,458.
● The next issue of CoroCoro confirms that Level-5’s 3DS RPG The Snack World: Trejarers (pictured) will also be coming to Switch.
● Hamster announced three more Irem Arcade Archives series titles for Switch with Kaiketsu Yanchamaru (Kid Niki: Radical Ninja), Youjuu-den and Moon Patrol.
● Nintendo Co., Ltd. President Tatsumi Kimishima said in a recent Kyoto Shimbun interview that the company will continue to sell the Nintendo 3DS in the future and the number of sales for this financial year are as planned.
● Detective Pikachu is getting a worldwide retail release on 23 March as Meitantei Pikachu in Japan and releases alongside a 13.6cm amiibo.
● Nippon Columbia announced the children’s game Wan Nyan Dobutsu Byouin: Pet no Oishasan ni Narou! for 3DS releasing on 15 March.
● Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp added the Rover’s Garden Safari event which runs until 22 January. Full details in the post here.
● Fire Emblem Heroes added New Heroes (World of Dawn) tomorrow with Micalah, Sothe and Zelgius from the Wii game Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn.
● Pokémon GO will discontinue support on Apple devices that are not capable of upgrading to iOS 11 (such as iPhone 5 and iPhone 5c models) from 28 February.
● Nintendo Co., Ltd. applied for a 1080° Ten Eighty trademark in Europe although it’s unknown for what purpose.
● Scribblenauts Showdown was listed by Play-Asia as releasing on Switch in March 2018. Pre-order here!
● Tatsumi Kimishima said that he hopes to reach an agreement with a partner over a potential animated Super Mario Bros. movie soon and it should be ready for 2020 if agreed to.
● Kimishima also announced that QoL (Quality of Life) is still in development although there’s is no indication that the project will ever see commercial release.
● Nintendo Co., Ltd. filed a lawsuit against mobile developer Colopl Co., Ltd. on 22 December 2017 for ¥4.4 billion ($39.33 million) over five violations of infringement of patent rights for the mobile game Shiro Neko Project.
● Eiji Maeda Senior Analyst at SMBC Nikko Securities Inc. thinks we will get Pokémon, Animal Crossing and Super Smash Bros. announcements for Switch by around March.
● Developer Entersphere Co., Ltd who were founded by former Nintendo Co., Ltd. Director Motoi Okamoto have filed for bankruptcy. The company released mainly mobile games but also Army Corps of Hell on Vita.
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