Japan Gaming Guide

Gamasutra published a very interesting interview with one of the designers of Sonic the Hedgehog. Hirokazu Yasuhara, who also worked on Jak & Daxter and Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune has a lot to say on the subjects of game design psychology and the differences between audiences in different parts of the world. [Read]

A shrine near Akihabar, Tokyo is offering a blessing service for computers. Shinto priests perform cleansing ceremonies on laptops and other hardware. The blessing offer protection against hard drive failures and other problems. Maybe Xbox 360 owners worried about the dreaded red ring could pay these guys a visit next time they’re in Tokyo? [Read, […]

Nintendo have just announced the release of a wireless network adapter. The device will allow you to connect your Wii and DS to a home network. Judging by the diagrams on the site, you won’t be able to use it to connect other devices, such as a PC, although we can’t confirm this yet. The […]

There are MMOs for everything these days, including Hello Kitty. This looks every bit as bright and fluffy as you’d expect. There are mini-games, farming and the option to visit various world capitals. It also has the usual RPG questing stuff, although we’re guessing that killing and bloodshed aren’t going to be playing a major […]

Shigeru Miyamoto, the creative heartbeat of Nintendo, has been honoured again. Vanity Fair, the American culture magazine, put him at number 73 in their list of movers and shakers. While we’re suspicious of any list that doesn’t put Miyamoto at the top, we can hardly complain when he’s in the same company as Vladamir Putin […]

Tecmo have rejected a takeover bid from Square Enix for a reported $200 million. Instead they have opened merger talks with Koei. In a joint statement the companies said the proposed merger would allow them to retain their talented employees and maintain and develop their brands. Employee retention has proved difficult for Tecmo of late […]

Club Nintendo of Japan have just released details of their new gift range. There’s some good stuff this time around! First of all, for 500 points,  is a new DS cart: Game & Watch Collection 2, featuring Parachute and Octopus. Very old readers will remember when these things were all the rage in the playground; […]

Streetfighter 4 has been out for a few weeks now in Japanese Arcades, so the hardcore players will have got to grips with the subtleties of the new game. Soon they’ll get a chance to prove their skills as Capcom have announced a nationwide tournament. Heats will take place in arcades across Japan from November […]

The latest version of Gradius is out now on Wiiware for 1000 points. The challenging side-scrolling shooter is another new title made in the retro style, like the latest Mega Man game. [Read]

An all new redesigned PSP is coming out in October. The PSP 3000 features an enhanced screen and a built in microphone. The screen has better contrast, faster response time and anti-reflective technology making it easier to use outside. The microphone will enable the PSP to be used as a communication device. The cost of […]