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Fitness Meets Cute Anime Girls in Exercise App, “Burn your fat with me!!”
The holidays are over, you’ve gained a few extra pounds, but you’re finding it difficult to start a workout routine after so many peaceful days spent lounging around. What you need is a workout buddy to help you stay motivated. Preferably a cute girl.
For those of you who don’t know any cute girls willing to get sweaty with you, Japanese indie developer Creative Freaks has you covered with Burn your fat with me!!, a fitness app/dating simulation game where players must workout in real life to impress a 2D anime love interest.
- Japan
- (anime • apps • Burn your fat with me • moe • moevation • smartphone • video games)
Japanese Man Brings Virtual Girlfriend to Own Wedding, Bride Retaliates with a “Surprise” at the Reception
- Steven
Nov 25, 2012
Japanese men hold their virtual girlfriends in high regard. Even among those who eventually find a real girlfriend and get married, there are some men who struggle to abandon their digital partner.
Especially after the release of Love Plus, an addictive open-ended dating simulator for the Nintendo DS that went on to sell over 250,000 copies in Japan, stories of men who were busted by their girlfriends or wives while playing—as well as stories of men whose wives played with them—became a common sight on the internet.
While everyone has their own level of tolerance for 2D infidelity, you’d have to be one hell of a woman to allow you husband to bring his virtual girlfriend to your most important day as a couple: your wedding.
- Japan
- (love • Love Plus • video games • Wedding)
Pokemon + Nintendo, Limited Edition Charizard 3DS XL Only Available For Lottery Winners in Japan
- Michelle Lynn Dinh
Oct 27, 2012
Back in September, Nintendo released a limited edition Pikachu 3DS XL that was only available in Japan. The rest of the world was left staring longingly at the pictures of lucky residents of Japan lining up for four hours to purchase the adorable 3DS.
This week, Nintendo announced a new limited edition Charizard 3DS XL. Unfortunately, just like the limited edition Pikachu 3DS XL, the Charizard version can only be purchased in one of Japan’s seven Pokemon Center retail stores.
However, this time, even those who live in Japan will have a hard time getting their hands on this ultra-exclusive limited-edition 3DS XL because it will only be available to the winners of a lottery drawing.
- Japan
- (3DS • Charizard 3DS XL • limited edition • nintendo • Pokemon • video games)
RocketNews24 Original Scatch and Sniff: Aaah, That New Game Console Smell!!!
- Philip Kendall
Sep 27, 2012
At 00:00 a.m. on March 1, 1997, a 14-year-old version of this writer- extremely lanky and awkwardly dressed- was standing outside a videogame store alongside his mother and a few slightly bedraggled-looking young men, clutching the pocket-money he’d saved for nearly 18 months, absolutely desperate to give it away.
This was undoubtedly the nerdiest moment of my life, and I’ve never since gone to a midnight launch of a videogame console, despite owning about a dozen since. But when I’d waited more than a year for the UK launch of the Nintendo 64, and, having convinced my infinitely-patient mother to drive me into town in the middle of the night, I was excited. Incredibly excited. Perhaps more excited than a night before Christmas with Santa, Willy Wonka and a dozen sugar-rushing puppies, even.
Back at home, opening my new console on my bedroom floor (it’s called “unboxing” now, and people post painfully long videos of it online…), I was hit by that curious smell of new electronics. But not just any old electronics smell; this was the smell of a new Nintendo 64. Clean, new, professional, yet somehow extremely welcoming…
Up until now, I had thought I was the only one who noticed these things- that videogame consoles, new mobile phones, whatever- had a distinct smell of their own, not just ‘electronics’.
But over at our Japanese site, Mamiya-san has written a great little article about his own experiences with much-loved games console the PC Engine (perhaps known to some as TurboGrafix-16), and, in particular, its own very special smell. Since the machine remains relatively unknown outside of its native Japan, I can’t help but share his experiences with our English-speaking readers. Read More
- Internet, Japan
- (N64 • NES • nostalgia • PC Engine • smell • SNES • TurboGrafix • video games)
Hello Kitty Gets Naked with Giant Anthropomorphic Mushroom on Your Chest
- Steven
Sep 26, 2012
From baked goods to blue hedgehogs, there’s nothing international superstar Hello Kitty won’t do to make a quick buck.
And now, ladies and gentlemen, our beloved “Kitty of All Trades,” the face of untainted feline innocence herself, has gone full-frontal.
- Japan
- (fashion • Funghi • Hello Kitty • Sanrio • video games)
【TGS 2012】 How Booth Babes Made Me Feel Better About Myself, Part 1 (EX Troopers)
- Steven
Sep 22, 2012
This year’s Tokyo Game Show was the first major gaming event I’ve ever been to, and honestly, I don’t even consider myself a “gamer.”
Sure games a formative part of my childhood, but the last home console I owned was a GameCube and now my gaming activity is limited to quick bouts of Team Fortress 2. And since Valve wasn’t at the show, there weren’t really any titles I was interested in checking out from the beginning.
So I spent most of the show wandering from booth to booth with very little to no knowledge of what each game was about, eventually deciding to allocate my precious time among the numerous titles in the only way that seemed fair: visiting the booths with the cutest girls.
Interestingly enough, this strategy led me to one of the two games that gave me my most enjoyable Tokyo Game Show experiences: EX Troopers.
【TGS 2012】 Where Have All the Chinese Gone?
- Steven
Sep 22, 2012
Over 200 companies from 19 countries are said to be operating booths at this year’s Tokyo Game Show, but visitors to the four-day long event may notice that one major world power turned out to be a no-show.
【TGS 2012】 WeMade Entertainment Impressions: Farmville-Meets-Final Fantasy App “Hero Square,” Mobile MMO “Arc Sphere” and Social Game Clones for All!
- Steven
Sep 22, 2012
Social and mobile games are enjoying a strong presence at this year’s Tokyo Game Show, with social game giants GREE and gloops occupying some of the largest exhibit spaces in the venue.
But it’s not just Japanese companies throwing their weight around on the mobile floorspace: Korean online game developer WeMade Entertainment, known in Asia for their popular MMO series The Legend of Mir, is showing six new Japanese-language titles for iOS and Android devices to build anticipation for their full-scale entrance into the Japanese mobile game market later this year.
Bored of the repetitive tap-based social card games, I decided to spend some time with WeMade to see if the Korean developer was bringing anything new to the table.
- Japan, Korea
- (Android • Arc Sphere • Hero Square • iPhone • smartphone • tablet • Tokyo Game Show • video games • WeMade)
【TGS 2012】Cosplay and Booth Babe Photo Round-Up, Day 1
- Steven
Sep 21, 2012
If you haven’t gotten the memo, RocketNews24 is at Tokyo Game Show this year and we’ve been busy taking lots of photos of pretty girls in colorful outfits.
With the first day over, we’ve decided to unload a batch of our favorite cosplay and babe booth photos for your viewing pleasure. We’ll be back tomorrow and Saturday with camera in hand, and who knows, we may even write about games at some point too!
Check the photos after the jump!
【TGS 2012】 Brain Kiss or: How I Neuro-Cheated on my Wife at Tokyo Game Show
- Steven
Sep 20, 2012
Now don’t get me wrong. I love my wife and wouldn’t trade her for anyone in the world. But my brain is telling me that I just met the girl of my dreams at today’s Tokyo Game Show, and how can you argue with your own brain?
She’s a booth girl at Brain Kiss, a “neuro-diagnosis” app for iOS that tests the compatibility of two people by analyzing their brainwaves.
All you need to do is put on a special brainwave-reading headset developed by NeuroSky and stare deep into the eyes of the person in front of you for 15 seconds. Brain Wave then presents you with your results, divided into five different “levels of affection.”
It sounds like a fun little app, but be careful who you use it with: if you’re like me, love may be staring your straight in the face.
- Japan
- (Android • apps • Brain Kiss • iPhone • love • Tokyo Game Show • video games)
Eyes on the Prize: A Look at Japanese Pop Culture Trends Through Arcade Prizes 【October 2012】
- Steven
Sep 12, 2012
One fun way to see what anime or game series are currently popular with kids and otaku in Japan is to visit an arcade and take a look at the prizes up for grabs in the crane machines, or UFO catchers, as they’re often called in Japanese.
Unlike North America, arcade culture is still going strong in Japan and UFO catchers are one of the main attractions. Always found on the first floor of arcades, these machines are stocked with the latest limited-edition figurines and plushies of popular characters, many of which can only be acquired as UFO catcher prizes (or on Amazon at obscene prices).
Japanese toy company Banpresto has announced their newest lineup of CRANEKING arcade-exclusive prizes, available this October. Check what toys are hot on the Japanese arcade scene below!
- Japan
- (anime & manga • arcade • Banpresto • CRANEKING • Eyes on the Prize • K-On! • One Piece • Pokemon • Tiger & Bunny • toys • UFO catcher • video games)
Biohazard Teaser Site Hints at an Ambiguous “New Terror” Coming September 14
- Steven
Sep 7, 2012
There’s a lot of cool stuff going on for Resident Evil fans recently. You’ve got the S.T.A.R.S. restaurant in Tokyo, the Resident Evil attraction at Universal Studios Japan, Resident Evil: Retribution movie coming to the big screen this September and of course the OH MY GOD ZOMBIE RIGHT BEHIND YOU!!!!
…sorry, what we were saying is: and of course, the October 2 release of Resident Evil 6, which will undoubtedly be less scary than the zombie attack text adventure above, if more recent titles are anything to judge by.
But hey, Capcom hasn’t lost it yet! Just check out their new teaser webpage, titled “Biohazard Hisotry.”
But be sure to turn the volume down and scroll down slowly, otherwise you might GAHHH HEADCRAB RIGHT ABOVE YOU!!!
- Japan
- (biohazard • Capcom • Resident Evil • video games)
Square Enix Reveals Final Fantasy Dating Game, is Elaborate Prank
- Steven
Sep 3, 2012
A lot of people were holding out for some exciting news during Final Fantasy’s 25 Anniversary event in Japan yesterday; perhaps some information on Final Fantasy Versus XIII or a Final Fantasy VII remake.
What they got instead was an elaborate 12-minute demonstration of Tokimeki Final Fantasy: Suzaku Magic Institution Peristylium ~ Oh no! I’m in Love With the Crystal’s Divine Guardian ~, an otome dating game set in the world of Final Fantasy Type-0.
- Japan
- (dating game • Final Fantasy • funny • otome • prank • Square Enix • video games)
Limited Edition Pikachu Yellow 3DS LL Sells Out on First Day
- Steven
Aug 27, 2012
A few weeks ago the Pokemon Company revealed the 3DS LL Pikachu Yellow, a limited edition version of the handheld console purchasable by preorder at Pokemon Center stores from August 25 to September 14.
To the surprise of no one, Japanese customers lined up outside and waited for over 4 hours to purchase the device, clearing out stocks at Pokemon Centers in Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka on the first day.
Why Do Foreigners Like Japan so Much? We Head to Comiket 82 to Find Out!
- Steven
Aug 17, 2012
Many foreigners view Japan as some marvelous dreamland of technology and culture; a place where crazy is the norm and embracing fantasy in everyday life is acceptable.
But to Japanese people, Japan is just that place you were born. Everyone and everything is routine, and it’s often difficult to see why the rest of the world get’s so worked up about “Japanese culture.”
Earlier this month, we sent one of our Japanese reporters to Comic Market (or “Comiket“), the world’s largest self-published comic book fair and otaku mecca, to interview real live foreigners and ask them what it is they really think about this country.
- Global, Japan
- (anime & manga • Comiket • culture • otaku • RocketNews24 • survey • video games)
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Pachinko parlor operator arrested for not obscuring the act of gambling well enough
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