Japan Gaming Guide

Super Mario Galaxy 2 is finally here. With stunning review scores across the board this looks like being the best Wii game in a long time. Tighter and tougher than it’s predecessor, gameplay has been made a little harder this time around. Don’t fret though, Yoshi will be along to help out, with extra abilities to complement Mario’s already impressive range of moves. Yoshi’s tongue will of course be aimed by the Wiimote. As well as eating fruits and power-ups you’ll be able to swing from the scenery like a hungry Tarzan to get over those tricky gaps.

The game is out this Thursday, May 27 and can be yours for 5800 yen.

He’s back. New Super Mario Bros Wii takes the updated 2D platforming formula that was such as success when it debuted on the DS and puts it back on the living room TV. There’s a new four player mode, with everyone playing on the one console. This is a riot and really feels like it belongs in the game rather than a tacked on gimmick – in fact Shigeru Miyamoto claimed he wanted to add the feature back in the sixteen-bit days but was held back by the limits of the technology.

By all accounts Mario has toughened up a little since his previous outings; The game is tougher than the DS version, something that will surely please Mario’s more dedicated fans. For the less committed gamer though Nintendo have included a new autoplay feature that allows the game to play itself after failing a level eight times. Though purists will balk at this, it is optional and means younger or occasional players can see the whole game without getting frustrated.

The Japanese are getting the game a couple of weeks late on December 3rd, Europeans get it on November 20th and the rest of you should have it already. If not, what are you waiting for?

The guys remaking Zelda Link’s Awakening have moved their 3D dream a bit closer to reality with the release of a debug demo. It all looks very impressive, given that many had doubts the project would ever see the light of day. If they’ve got to this stage, surely they can finish it off. We’re very much looking forward to playing the finished game.

[Read]

A surprise from Nintendo today. Like a bolt from the blue, they’ve launched an official site for a game we’ve never heard of. Takt of Magic is coming out on May 21st for Y5,800. It looks like standard RPG fare, but for the cool looking magic system – spells are cast using Wiimote gestures. It reminds us ever so slightly of Black & White, but a bit more family friendly and, you know, Nintendo.

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Raucous game show Tokyo Friend Park 2 is coming to the Wii this month. The range of crazy events make it perfect mini-game fare and sure enough we’ll be able to enjoy such classics as Wall Crash and Hyper Hockey. Coins earned in the games can be traded for darts to throw at the grand finale prize board.

Like most Japanese game shows, Tokyo Friend Park 2 has celebrity contestants rather than ordinary people, so for fans of the show this is their only chance to hurl themselves onto Velcro walls and play hockey against comedians dressed as fish.

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Videogame legend Shigeru Miyamoto will be immortalised as a 250 foot copper-bronze statue. The statue will be constructed next to the runway at Tokyo’s Narita Airport at a cost of 14 billion yen.

Nintendo are in a strong financial position after the runaway success of the Wii and DS. With construction prices at rock bottom due to the global recession and runaway inflation threatening to devalue cash assets, it seems the perfect time for a large scale mega-project such as this one.

Over 35 million passengers use Narita Airport every year, and the statue of Miyamoto will be there to welcome them to Japan. If just half of them are inspired to buy a Nintendo console the statue will pay for itself over time. Nintendo are reportedly also keen to address some of the negative publicity arising from their alleged failure to reward Miyamoto financially for his achievements.

Early plans to have aircraft fly through Miyamoto’s legs were rejected on safety grounds, however the back of Miyamoto’s left palm will include a helipad, and the right will feature a platform for bungee jumpers. Pilots are reportedly very happy with the plans, which will make the airport easy to spot from a distance. The outstretched arms of the statue will line up with the ideal approach to the main runway, assisting pilots further.

The 2nd stage of the Pokemon World Championships took place a couple of days ago, Famitsu have a load of pics.

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A great month for RPG fans, with several big titles and a couple of novelties. No question about game of the month: the intoxication Zelda:Majora’s Mask is an astonishing game, and worth checking out whether you’re a retro fan or not. If you’ve ever wondered why people are disappointed with games as good as Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, this is one of the reasons.

Elsewhere there’s an early version of Ninja Gaiden and a very overpriced looking Space Invaders.

Famicom (500 points)

Akumajou Densetsu/Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse

Super Famicom (800 points)

Der Langrisser
Hoshi no Kabi 3/Kirby’s Dream Land 3

Nintendo 64 (1200 points)

Zelda: Majora’s Mask

Master System (600 points)

Phantasy Star

PC Engine (600 points)

Ninja Ryukenden/Ninja Gaiden

Arcade

Genpei Toma Den/The Genji and the Heike Clans (800 points)
Space Invaders (500 points)

Nintendo are giving us another chance to dust off our balance boards with Rock N Roll Climber. The WiiWare title has you climbing mountains, rewarding you with bursts of Rock N Roll when you reach the top.

The news was revealed at the Game Developers Conference by Satoru Iwata, who also claimed sales figures of 20 million for the balance board – making it almost as popular as the PS3.

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A fan is building a 3D version of Zelda – Link’s Awakening. Check the links for details:

[Read, via GameSpark]