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● Nintendo announced Punch Out!! featuring Mr. Dream (just ‘Punch Out!!’ in Japan, Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, (‘Super Mario Bros. 2’ in Japan) and Star Soldier for release in the Family Computer Nintendo Switch Online app on 10 April with the same three games for all three major regions. Check out the introduction video here.
● Nintendo updated Super Smash Bros. Ultimate to Version 2.0.2 adding support for the upcoming Daisy, Young Link, and Ken amiibo. The Cruisin’ for a Bruisin’ Spirit Board event was also announced and includes Legend-class spirits Akuma, Giga Mac, Akira, and many more detailed at this post.
● Nintendo also updated Splatoon 2 to Version 4.6.0 which adds 12 Sheldon’s Picks weapons and weapon badges, and more! The full list of weapons are Fresh Squiffer, Permanent Inkbrush, Soda Slosher, Launcher, Bamboozler 14 Mk III, Grim Range Blaster, N-ZAP ’83, Aerospray PG, Sploosh-o-matic, Heavy Splatling Remix, Cherry H-3 Nozzlenose, Tenta Camo Brella, and Clear Dapple Dualies.
● Rune Factory 4 Special is now available to preorder in Japan priced at ¥5,378 (it launches on 25 July) and will also see a Memorial Box edition priced at ¥9,504 and will add a book, CD, and swimsuit DLC. Check out the box art here. A livestream was also announced for tomorrow (04 April) at 20:00 JST (04:00 PT) with news on both Rune Factory 4 Special and Rune Factory 5. It will air on YouTube Live, niconico, and Periscope.
● Mechanica and Dr. Coyle was announced for the final second round match-up in the ARMS Party Crash Bash tournament, beginning on 12 April and lasting all weekend. The winner will face off with Ninjara (who recently disposed of Ribbon Girl) in the semi-finals. The winner of that battle will take on the winner of Min Min vs Twintelle in the grand final in a few weeks time.
● Success revealed that the Umihara Kawase Fresh! demo has now been downloaded 14,000 times, which they say is more than they envisioned.
● 2K have now added cross-platform cloud saves on Sid Meier’s Civilization VI for both Switch and Steam if you link your 2K account and then tick the multi-platform cloud save box in the options.
● Epic Games updated Fortnite to Version 8.20 adding the boom bow weapon and the Sniper Shootout Limited Time Mode, along with Geometric Galleries added to Fortnite Creative.
● Hamster’s only release this week is the pictured classic platform shooter Arcade Archives DONKEY KONG 3 which will be available worldwide on 05 April priced at ¥823／$7.99／€6.99／£6.29. The third game in the series introduces a third protagonist, Stanley (the first game introduced Mario and the second game, JR.). Check out screenshots and a Famitsu livestream at this post.
● Toydea announced they are bringing their ninja doggie game Doggie Ninja Kinpika Koban Dai Sakusen！to the Japanese Nintendo Switch eShop next week (11 April) priced at ¥800. Preloads aren’t live, but the trailer (here) indicates it will be available for just ¥500 at launch. The game supports English too (and is available on mobile in English) so expect it worldwide!
● OCTOPATH TRAVELER co-developers Acquire announced their Bomberman-clone SCRAP RUSH!! will release on the Japanese Switch eShop on 16 April priced at ¥1,680. A demo is now live on the eShop along with preloads for the full game. Check out the latest trailer here.
● Konami’s card-battling game Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters Legacy of the Duelist：Link Evolution is now available to preload on the Japanese Switch eShop for ¥3,240. 1.4 GB is required, but the game does support English at launch (the game will release overseas in the Summer).
● RollerCoaster Tycoon Adventures is also available to preload on the Japanese Switch eShop for ¥5,760 (the regular price is ¥6,400). Oizumi Amuzio will be publishing the game in Japan where it is also getting a physical release.
● Rising Star Games have postponed the Japanese Switch eShop release of Game Freak’s GIGA WRECKER ALT. from 02 May to 2019 “due to various circumstances”. The Western launch should not be affected.
● Flyhigh Works announced that the Ambition of the Slimes follow-up Slime Tactics will release on the Japanese Switch eShop next week (11 April) priced at ¥1,000 with preloads now live. A simultaneous worldwide launch hasn’t been confirmed at press-time but it’s expected to be on or shortly after next week. Check out the latest trailer here.
● Nintendo updated TETRIS 99 to Version 1.2.0 where Nintendo have implemented a system that grants points based on place ranking while an event is ongoing. The update also delivers a new win screen, hard drop sensitivity settings, and bug fixes.
● The download card for Hako Boy！＆ Hako Girl！(BOXBOY! + BOXGIRL!) is now on sale in Japan (and pictured here!) priced at ¥1,200, and which requires approximately 1.0 GB to download.
● Futari de！Nyanko Daisensou (The Battle Cats) was unsurprisingly the best-selling Japanese Switch eShop game for March in the top 20 posted on the Nintendo website. Numbers 2-20 saw Puyo Puyo eSports, Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon, Minecraft, Final Fantasy VII, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Human: Fall Flat, Final Fantasy IX, Yoshi’s Crafted World, Undertale, Stardew Valley, Splatoon 2, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, Overcooked 2, Super Robot Taisen T, Ultimate Chicken Horse, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Overcooked, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Fit Boxing.
● Chorus Worldwide announced that the Switch version of Vambrace: Cold Soul is now scheduled for Summer 2019 (the PC version releases in Japan on 25 April). The Switch version was previously planned for Spring, but then got delayed to ‘2019’ with the new Summer release implying things are back on track.
● Eastasiasoft will publish the 2D platform game GhoulBoy on the Japanese Nintendo Switch eShop next week (11 April) at the preload price of ¥864 (the regular price is ¥1,080). Japanese trailer posted here.
● Two Rising Win Tech. games are now listed on the Japanese Switch eShop with the zombie survival game Jungle Z (which releases on 08 April) and the platform action game Rolling Sky (which releases on 12 April), with each title priced at ¥1,500. English is supported in both titles (Jungle Z only supports English and Chinese). Japanese trailer for Rolling Sky posted here.
● The only unannounced game to show up on the Japanese Switch eShop today was Sprakelsoft’s platformer Croc’s World priced at ¥555. A demo also released. Check out this week’s full list of eShop releases (eight games) at this post.
● Bandai Namco Entertainment have removed both Go！Princess PreCure Sugar Oukoku to 6-nin no Princess！(along with the demo version) and Happiness Charge PreCure! Kawa-Run☆Collection from the Japanese 3DS eShop with immediate effect. No reason was given although licensing reasons are expected.
● Fire Emblem Heroes saw Grand Hero Battle Revival: Garon featuring Garon: King of Nohr from Fire Emblem Fates.
● In Pokémon GO news: Giratina Origin Forme is now available in Raid Battles and the recently announced Bug Out event has now begun.
● Super Mario Run has updated to Version 3.0.13 on Android (bug fixes) with iOS to follow (I’ll do a separate post once the iPhone version has gone live!).
● Yoshi’s Crafted World was the best-selling game in Japan last week selling 50,007 (just under the 3DS’s 52,758 but well above the Wii U’s 33,821). Yoshi didn’t manage to shift Switch hardware which went down slightly to 49,852. Check out the full top 10 best-selling games for the past week at this post.
● Nintendo Co., Ltd. shares increased by +430 (1.34%) in Japan today to close trading at 32,440 JPY.
● Universal Studios Singapore will be adding Super Nintendo World as part of a S$9 Billion dollar investment of Resorts World Sentosa. This, and the also newly announced Minion Park, are set to be completed by 2019 (via @serkantoto).
● Nintendo have announced an upcoming presence in Israel including website, Switch, and games.
● Nintendo Switch Online will launch in Hong Kong on 23 April.
● Shanda Games announced that the Chinese version of Dragon Quest 10 Online will end on 30 May (via @ ZhugeEX ).
● Numerous reports of Persona 5, along with the Metroid Prime Trilogy, and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past appearing in Best Buy’s employee system.
● 鈴木 未央 (Mio Suzuki) have applied for a (non-videogame) trademark in Japan which looks suspiciously like a Triforce (image here).
● Check out some Japanese billboard ads for Fire Emblem: Fuuka Setsugetsu here, TETRIS 99 here, and Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 04: VR Kit here.
● Weekly Famitsu Issue No.1583 review scores include V-Rally 4 with 30/40, Night in the Woods with 33/40, The Shrouded Isle with 27/40, and Tsukue de Yakyuu with 27/40. Check out our translated review for Yoshi’s Crafted World from Issue No.1581 here.
● Next week’s issue of Weekly Famitsu will have a huge feature on the 30th anniversary of the Nintendo Game Boy as well as features on both Phantasy Star Online 2 Episode 6 and Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 04: VR Kit.
● The opening movie for CLOCK ZERO ～Shuuen no Ichibyou～ Devote here.
● A Team Sonic Racing ‘Team Up’ trailer here.
● A Kill La Kill – IF product info trailer here.
● The introduction videos for the console and announced software for the Mega Drive Mini here.
● The second Astalon: Tears of the Earth trailer here.
● The Version 2.0.0 trailer for Dragon Marked For Death here.
● Another gameplay instructional video for Umihara Kawase Fresh! here.
● Siri Simran Kaur’s message and “Dwelling in Spring” song for Lyrica here.
● Thanks to Naruki for more news tips again today!
● And thanks everybody for following. Please also check out my new Toad fansite, follow me on Twitter @japaneseswitch and please buy me a coffee!
