Wednesday Update：Ice Climber Coming To Switch This Week, Plus Much More News！
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● A Kong Family Reunion event was announced for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate which will see spirits from the Donkey Kong series swing on to the Spirit Board including Legend-class spirits Donkey Kong & Lady and Kaptain K. Rool, along with Ace-class spirit Rambi who will appear at set times. Check out the full list of spirits at this post.
● Idea Factory announced the visual novel game Shiritsu Verbara Gakuen ～Versailles no Bara Re*imagination～ will release in Japan on 23 May priced at ¥6,804 for the regular physical and digital versions or ¥8,964 for the limited edition. Opening movie and promo video posted here.
● Chrono Trigger, LIVE A LIVE, and Parasite Eve director Takashi Tokita is the creative producer of the upcoming Square-Enix ARPG ONINAKI. I Am Setsuna and Lost Sphear writer Hirotaka Inaba is also writing the scenarios for this game, with Atsushi Hashimoto as director, and Ryutaro Sasaki as producer.
● Flyhigh Works delivered another free update to the rhythm game VOEZ with this latest one, Version 1.6, bringing 16 more songs, making 201 in total! Update trailer posted here.
● Another recap of the latest Masahiro Sakurai interview with Nintendo DREAM magazine talking Super Smash Bros. Ultimate at this post.
● This week’s two Hamster games are the 1985 Nintendo action game Arcade Archives ICE CLIMBER (22 February) and the SNK fighting game ACA NEOGEO THE KING OF FIGHTERS 2003 (21 February). Each game is priced at ¥823／$7.99／€6.99／£6.29.
● The Lulua no Atelier ～Arland no Renkinjutsushi４ (Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland) demo was removed from the Japanese Switch eShop today after briefly appearing yesterday. It was likely published in error as the trial version is supposedly a timed exclusive for Weekly Famitsu magazine (a code appeared in today’s issue).
● One long since removed game made a return today with QubicGames’s fighting game One Strike finally back along with new characters and stages. The game was removed back in October due to one of the BGM tracks plagiarising one from the Famicom game Mouryou Senki MADARA. New trailer posted here.
● The next Kairosoft game on the Nintendo Switch will be another simulation game, but this time set in feudal Japan, with Gassen!! Ninja Mura (Ninja Village). Release date is 28 February in Japan with a global release expected. You can preload it now for the usual price of ¥1,200. Trailer posted here.
● The twin stick shooter Assault Android Cactus+ releases on the Switch eShop on 07 March in Japan and 08 March in North America and Europe and includes a new Campaign+ mode for the Switch version. The preload price is 25% off (¥1,480 instead of ¥1,980). Japanese trailer posted here.
● Media5 released three more games in its Gureko Kara no Chousenjou! series with Gureko Kara no Chousenjou！Kanji no Yakata to Obake-Tachi Shougaku１Nensei, Gureko Kara no Chousenjou！Kanji no Yakata to Obake-Tachi Shougaku２Nensei, and Gureko Kara no Chousenjou！Kanji no Yakata to Obake-Tachi Shougaku３Nensei. All three titles are kanji learning software for children priced at ¥1,000, and all originally appeared on the 3DS eShop.
● Eastasiasoft published the 2D platform game Daggerhood on the Japanese Switch eShop in Japan today priced at ¥580. Ratalaika Games will be publishing in North America and Europe this week. Japanese trailer posted here.
● Crunching Koalas also published the arcade lightspear-throwing simulator game Lichtspeer: Double Speer Edition on the Japanese Switch eShop today priced at ¥1,000. Launch trailer posted here. Check out this week’s latest up-to-date release list at this post (23 games including Ice Climber tomorrow).
● DEAD OR ALIVE Xtreme 3 Scarlet is now available to preload on the Japanese Switch eShop priced at ¥7,581 (regular price is ¥8,424), requiring 9.6 GB and English language support confirmed. The game launches on 20 March.
● Also available to preload is Super Robot Taisen Ｔ which again releases on 20 March, priced at ¥9,288 (or ¥13,608 for the Premium Anime Song & Sound Edition), requiring 5.4 GB, but not supporting English.
● The cooking management simulation game Daihanjou! Manpuku Marché: GOURMET STORY is now available to preload for ¥1,200 with the game releasing next week in Japan and shortly after in the West as World Tree Marché!. Introductory video posted here.
● Intragames have moved their upcoming comedy action RPG Super Cane Magic Zero from Winter to Spring. Check out the latest trailer here.
● The only demo this week on the Japanese Switch eShop (other than Atelier Lulua!) is SAT-BOX’s table tennis game Tsukue de Ping Pong. The game hasn’t been announced for localisation yet, although its predecessor, Tsukue de Soccer, became Desktop Soccer.
● FuRyu will be removing both Doraemon: Nobita no Nankyoku Kachikochi Daibouken and Doraemon: Shin Nobita no Nippon Tanjou from the Japanese 3DS eShop on 27 February. The next Doraemon game, Doraemon: Nobita no Getsumen Tansaki, appears on the Switch on 28 February.
● Dragalia Lost saw Hildegarde’s and Prometheus’s limited-time stories added to the Valentine’s Confections story event .
● Fire Emblem Heroes saw New Heroes: Kitsune and Wolfskin arrive featuring Keaton: Lupine Collector, Velouria: Wolf Cub, Kaden: Kitsune Braggart, and Selkie: Free Spirit. Today also saw Forging Bonds: The Orb Case. Introductory videos for the New Heroes posted here and official artwork posted here.
● The next Pokémon GO Limited Research Day event is for the Pokémon Clamperl and runs on 23/24 February (check your version of the game for local times!).
● This week’s Media Create charts saw JUMP FORCE debut at number with with 76,894 units sold. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe was the best-selling Switch game with 34,541. Nintendo Switch was the best-selling console with 65,958 units sold, whilst Nintendo 3DS sold 4,754 units. Full Nintendo software charts at this post.
● Mario & Luigi developers AlphaDream have posted internal and external job listings looking for a production assistant for game development.
● Weekly Famitsu Issue No.1577 review scores included Zoids Wild: King of Blast with 29/40, Wizard’s Symphony with 28/40, Forgotton Anne with 32/40, and Tsukue de Ping Ping with 28/40.
● Also nominated for the Famitsu 2018 Game of the Year include OCTOPATH Traveler, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Pokémon Let’s Go: Pikachu!／Eevee, Dragon Quest Builders 2: Hakaishin Shidoo to Karappo no Shima, and Fortnite. It’s expected to be between Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Monster Hunter: World.
● Check out this weeks Famitsu Most Wanted here which sees Dragon Quest XI: Sugisarishi Toki o Motomete S as the new number one!
● Nintendo Co., Ltd. shares increased by +1.02% today to close trading at ¥29,675.00.
● Nintendo Switch was the best-selling console in both dollar and unit sales in the United States in January using NPD data. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe was the best-selling Switch title and number three overall, up 30% from the Wii U original.
● Nintendo Australia announced a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Australasian Open 2019 and Splatoon 2 Australasian Open 2019. Website with trailer here.
● Skybound Games will publish Skullgirls 2nd Encore on both Nintendo Switch and Xbox One this Spring with the Switch version also seeing a physical release. New trailer posted here.
● Capcom are teasing information about the localised version of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy next week, along with Resident Evil 0, Resident Evil Remastered, and Resident Evil 4 information around the same timeframe.
● Chris Deneos (Tasukete Tako-San) tweeted that he has an Appointement at Nintendo HQ" and “Can’t wait to see how things will turn in the future.”
● Nintendo posted the winners of the first Smash Bros. Dojo in-game photo competition with comments by Masahiro Sakurai (go here to see them all!).
● The Tentacles (Off the Hook) plushies are now available for preorder. Go here for Pearl and here for Marina – use the code JPNINTENDO for $3 off!
● And Famitsu posted pictures from the Pokémon Shirts pop-up shop (go here to see!).
● The L.C.A.STUDIOS ～ＵＳＪ Blog posted a video of their mock-up images for SUPER NINTENDO WORLD here complete with Mario music!
● Three promo videos from the OCTOPATH TRAVELER Arrangements Break & Boost album which is out today in Japan here.
● Eight days to release countdown trailer for Wizard’s Symphony here.
● And an eight days to release countdown trailer for JUDGEMENT 7 Ore-tachi no Sekai wa Owatteiru。 (Our World is Ended) here.
● Thanks to Naruki, Madzie (no Twitter/website!), and L.C.A.STUDIOS ～ＵＳＪ Blog for their help today.
● And thanks everybody for following. Please also follow me on Twitter @toadforsmash and please buy me a coffee!
