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Nintendo’s Yarn Yoshi Amiibo is back, now bigger (and cuter) than ever!

Casey Baseel
Aug 27, 2015
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Back in the spring, we got all weak in the knees when Nintendo decided to forgo hard plastic and instead craft an Amiibo figure of its loveable dinosaur Yoshi out of soft, cuddly wool. But while the yarn Yoshi can help you play through the game and look adorable perched on the palm of your hand, he’s a little too small for a proper cuddle.

So for those gamers who want to give Yoshi a proper squeeze, Nintendo is releasing a jumbo-sized version.

Japan
(Amiibo • cute • Mario • nintendo • toys • video games • Wii U • Yoshi)

Be the coolest (and brokest) fan at your next cosplay event with a US$5,000 Fate/stay night kit

Mike
Aug 26, 2015

Even though your mother would like you to know that it’s a silly, pointless hobby to spend your time trying to dress up like video game characters, and also, would it kill you to bring a girl home once in a while, Mike, instead of staying in your room all day reading those weird Japanese comic books?, cosplay is actually kind of hard work and requires a lot of commitment.

Sometimes that commitment comes in the form diligently researching every detail of a character, up to and including freeze frames from films and anime to get every dent, scratch and imperfection in your costume just right. Sometimes it’s commitment in the form of slaving away over the plastic pieces of your storm trooper outfit to ensure they fit together perfectly and are comfortable to wear and are appropriately badass.

And sometimes, it’s in the form of dropping the equivalent of a used car in cash to just buy a pre-made kit.

Internet, Japan
(anime • cosplay • costumes • Fate/stay night • manga • video games)

The Super Mario Brothers take a warp pipe to the land of Rimpa art

KK Miller
Aug 25, 2015

What happens when you cross Nintendo’s Super Mario with a respected art form from Japanese history? Is it a brand new Mario Paint game? Nope, although that would be pretty cool.

What you actually get is the famous Rimpa folding screen “Wind and Thunder Gods” remade with Mario and Luigi. The results are so fantastic that it’s being put on display at a special exhibit at the Art Museum Eki Kyoto. Join us after the jump for all the juicy Mario art details.

Japan
(art • Luigi • Mario • nintendo • Rimpa • Super Mario Bros. • video games)

New Super NES controller battery pack brings some retro street cred to your mobile charging needs

KK Miller
Aug 22, 2015

We’ve all got at least one thing that we carry around with us that could use a quick recharge on the road. For most of us it’s our cell phone, but it’s not inconceivable to carry three, four or even more gadgets that could use a juice boost while away from home.

There are plenty of on-the-go solutions available to you, but soon you can buy one that says as much about you as all the portable gaming systems you carry around.

Japan
(battery • charger • retro • Super Nintendo • video games)

Gold Saucer on the go! Final Fantasy VII out now for iOS devices with skippable battles

Casey Baseel
Aug 20, 2015

When Final Fantasy VII hit the PlayStation in 1997, it was one of the most graphically advanced games ever produced. For months leading up to the title’s release, gamers had been drooling over magazine previews plastered with work-in-progress screenshots of what developer Square was doing with its first foray into the bold new world of CD-based games and polygonal graphics.

Flash forward 18 years, and technology has progressed to the point that Final Fantasy VII looks pretty retro to most modern eyes. As a matter of fact, it’s so retro that not only is Square Enix is remaking it for the PlayStation 4, mobile phones now have enough power to run the original, which is why Final Fantasy VII has just been released in iOS form.

Japan
(Fial Fantasy VII • Final Fantasy • iOS • iPhone • Square Enix • video games)

They’re back! Pikachus overrun Yokohama for second straight year and dance up a storm! 【Videos】

Casey Baseel
Aug 19, 2015

Although I’ve never witnessed either in-person, I’m sure that the running of the bulls in Spain’s Pamplona and the return of the swallows each spring to their nesting grounds in Southern California are wonderful sights to see. And yet, I think I’m still happiest with what we get here in Yokohama: an annual visit from packs of Pikachus!

Just like they did last year, the loveable Pokémon once again overran the Minato Mirai harbor district for a week this August, But just like Nintendo’s Pocket Monsters routinely acquire enhanced abilities with each new video game or anime installment, in the time since their last appearance in Yokohama our adorable visitors had learned some new moves…dance moves!

Read on for all of our videos and photos of Pikachus grooving and swaying to hip-hop, hula, and more, with costumes to match!

Japan
(anime • awesome • cute • events • nintendo • Pikachu • Pokemon • video games • Yokohama)

Gotta catch ‘em all, right now! Hardcore Pokémon player shows how to quadruple your productivity

Casey Baseel
Aug 19, 2015

“Gotta catch ‘em all!” isn’t just the advertising copy for Pokémon, it’s also the personal motto of the legions of hardcore fans of the series’ video game installments. But how does one find the time to track down, battle, and capture hundreds of Pocket Monsters, especially when you’ve only got so long until Nintendo releases a sequel that renders all of your old Pokémon obsolete?

Easy: you multitask by playing four copies of the game simultaneously, as this video shows.

Japan
(crazy • funny • nintendo • Pokemon • video games)

Dating simulator superfan takes romantic seaside getaway with bodysuit costume of his 2-D crush

Casey Baseel
Aug 18, 2015

For any guy with a romantic streak, the highlight of summer is no doubt a weekend getaway with the girl he loves. What could be better than a little sightseeing, a stroll on the beach, and a night spent together in a hotel?

But what if the girl you love happens to be a video game character? No problem! All you need is a life-size costume of your digital sweetheart and you’re all set, as this dedicated fan shows with his series of vacation photos starring one of the characters from dating simulator LovePlus.

Japan
(cosplay • crazy • LovePlus • otaku • video games • weird)

Final Fantasy’s Cloud gets special illustrated birthday card from designer Tetsuya Nomura

Casey Baseel
Aug 13, 2015

If you’re putting together a profile for a video game or anime character, the inclusion of certain bits of information are optional, such as favorite food, hobby, or breast weight. But just about every fictional character coming from Japan has an official birthday. As a matter of fact, it’s become such a standard bit of background information for anime and video game characters that you can search online and find dozens to sing happy birthday to on any given day.

This week, though, was the birthday of an especially popular figure: Cloud Strife. Not only did the hero of Final Fantasy VII hero receive plenty of warm wishes from fans, he also got an illustrated birthday card from his designer himself, Tetsuya Nomura.

Japan
(art • cloud • Final Fantasy • Final Fantasy VII • Square Enix • Tetsuya Nomura • video games)

Mexico wins World Cosplay Summit 2015 championship 【Videos】

Anime News Network
Aug 5, 2015

The World Cosplay Summit 2015 competition crowned Mexico representatives Twin Cosplay as the Grand Champions at the award ceremony on Saturday. The duo also took home the Minister of Foreign Affairs Award, ANA Prize, and the Tabi Pad Award.

Twin Cosplay‘s presentation was based on Nintendo‘s Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask video game. Between the two, a total of four costume and set transformations take place in three minutes.

Global
(anime • Anime News Network • cosplay • nintendo • video games • videos)

Here’s why you shouldn’t leave your anime girl pillow alone with a frisky Winnie the Pooh

Casey Baseel
Aug 4, 2015

For a country that’s ordinarily very concerned with not doing anything to shock or offend, Japan can be extremely open about its sexual tastes, in ways that manifest as both perfectly healthy and perfectly pervy. Japan is also pretty open and comfortable with its weakness for cute things, as you’ll often see adults of both genders sporting clothing or accessories bearing the image of popular children’s characters.

But what happens when you have both a sexy anime huggy pillow and a cute Disney stuffed animal in your bedroom, and you leave them alone for a while?

Japan
(anime • character pillows • Disney • funny • otaku • Senran Kagura • video games)

Dragon Quest XI’s main protagonist’s outfit may reveal a spoilery secret origin

Mike
Aug 1, 2015

Common knowledge to basically anyone conceivably reading this website, Japan is responsible for two of the world’s biggest, longest-running and most well-known console RPG series: Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. While both have historically featured similar gameplay (random enemy encounters, turn-based battles and the like), the two series are distinct enough that many JRPG fans prefer either one or the other series.

While Dragon Quest has evolved into a kind of cutesy, anime-inspired, all-ages RPG series, for example, Final Fantasy has always taken a more adult tack. And while each game in the Final Fantasy series takes place in a totally distinct universe from other entries, the games of the Dragon Quest series are at least loosely related to one another, making some interesting and sometimes dark game-to-game connections evident to observant players.

And one such dark connection may be hiding in plain sight in the upcoming *Dragon Quest XI’*s promotional materials.

Internet, Japan
(Dragon Quest • JRPG • RPGs • rumors • Square Enix • video games)

Awesome retro faceplate turns your New Nintendo 3DS into an old-school Game & Watch

Philip Kendall
Jul 31, 2015

With its Super Famicom-esque face buttons, the New Nintendo 3DS is already rocking the retro in a big way. But if you’d like your portable console to look even more old-school, this fully functional Game & Watch-themed faceplate from Japanese gadget and accessory maker Colombus Circle is sure to do the trick!

Japan
(3DS • cover • Game & Watch • nintendo • video games)

Metal Gear Solid composer talks Konami fall out

Anime News Network
Jul 30, 2015

By now, the video gaming community is all but painfully aware of the sudden divorce between game director Hideo Kojima and game developer Konami. Solid Snake himself has even tweeted the fact that studio Kojima Productions has been disbanded, the studio logo having been removed from advertisement posters for the upcoming title, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.

Japan
(Hideo Kojima • Konami • Metal Gear Solid • split • video games)

The female cosplayers (and their occasionally male characters) of Summer Wonder Festival

Casey Baseel
Jul 29, 2015

Last weekend, it was once again time for Japan’s model and garage kit enthusiasts to gather for the summer iteration of Wonder Festival, held at the Makuhari Messe convention center in Chiba Prefecture. But while the event’s primary goal is to showcase the talents of those recreating anime and video game characters in plastic and resin, you’ll also find plenty of fans bringing their favorite heroes and heroines to life in flesh and cloth, as Wonder Festival has also become a major draw for cosplayers.

But would the soaring temperature during this year’s Summer Wonder Festival keep cosplayers in their air-conditioned homes? Not at all, and we figured if they were going to brave the heat, we would too, so we grabbed our camera and headed for the convention.

Japan
(anime • cosplay • Dragon Ball • love live • Touken Rambu • video games • Wonder Festival)

Square Enix to release Dragon Quest game exclusive to smartphones

Mike
Jul 24, 2015

Game developer Square Enix, renowned for its number of long-running Japanese RPG series, announced yesterday that a new, smartphone-only entry in the fabled Dragon Quest franchise will hit online stores sometime this year.

Global, Japan
(apps • Dragon Quest • RPG • Smartphones • Square Enix • video games)

“Dedicated to Satoru Iwata” is the musical Balloon Fight tribute we have been waiting for

KK Miller
Jul 16, 2015

With the unfortunate passing of Nintendo president and CEO Satoru Iwata this past week, thousands of kind words and tributes have been posted online to thank a wonderful man for all his hard work. An outpouring of beautifully drawn pictures from gamers around the world honored his memory. The tributes were not limited to words and art though, as a video game musician who worked with Iwata on a number of projects released a remix of the Balloon Fight theme song for his close and dearly missed friend.

Japan
(Hirokazu Tanaka • nintendo • Satoru Iwata • tribute • video game music • video games)

The more you know Mario: The unusual Japanese names of Nintendo’s Super Mario characters

Philip Kendall
Jul 16, 2015

If, like me, you grew up playing Super Mario Bros. on the NES, then you’re no doubt super excited for the launch of Super Mario Maker this coming September. Exclusive to Wii U, the game allows players to build their own worlds, using every block, enemy and power-up (plus a few new ones) from a whole host of Super Mario games, then share them with players all around the world.

For those of us who never quite gave up on our childhood dream of making games for Nintendo especially, Super Mario Maker is shaping up to be the ultimate celebration of 30 years of Mario, and the thought of throwing all your favourite bad guys into bizarre platforming situations has us positively giddy with excitement.

With that in mind, today we’ve decided to take a quick look at some of the characters we know and love from the Mario franchise. To spice things up, though, we’re going to be introducing you to their original Japanese names and explaining a little about the meanings behind them. Think you know Mario? Let’s find out!

Japan
(characters • Japanese • names • nintendo • Super Mario Bros. • video games)

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has died

Mike
Jul 13, 2015

It’s a very sad day for gaming.

This morning, Nintendo released a statement that the company’s much-beloved president and CEO, Satoru Iwata, died in hospital on July 11 due to medical complications arising from a bile duct tumor that had been discovered some time before. Iwata was the first person to assume the role of president at the company who was not immediately related to members of the Yamauchi founding family.

Global, Japan
(nintendo • obituaries • Satoru Iwata • video games)

Paying to play – Catching up with a Chinese leveling service

KK Miller
Jul 11, 2015

Growing up, many of us wondered how we could turn our favorite hobbies into a career. For a lot of us, that thing we love is gaming, and here at RocketNews24, we are definitely guilty of spending entire afternoons daydreaming about playing games professionally and making tons of money. Unfortunately though, the peak years for reaction time are well behind, so our life goal of being a pro gamer is simply a pipe dream.

Thankfully there are still ways to turn gaming into a profession, and a golden case currently exists in China.

Gamers and savvy business people offer leveling services to casual gamers who pay to start powerful, rather than slogging through the low levels themselves. But is such a business actually a viable career? And does the income and resultant lifestyle make it worth it?