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The latest Japanese hardware sales from Famitsu are as follows:

Steam-Heart's & Advanced Variable Geo Saturn Tribute

Today, City Connection unveiled Steam-Heart’s & Advanced Variable Geo Saturn Tribute. The Nintendo Switch release is slated for May 29, 2025 in Japan.

You’re getting two different experiences here. Steam-Heart’s is a sci-fi shooter while Advanced Variable Geo is a fighter. There’s support for various features such as the ability to rewind gameplay.

Here’s a bunch of additional details:

Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble Among Us DLC

SEGA is continuing its support of Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble with brand new Among Us DLC.

With the DLC, players can get their hands on Crewmate as a new playable character. Bananas will turn into pizza slices across the various stages and modes. Note that this is paid DLC, which is priced at $4.99.

Nintendo Switch 2 experience host cities schedule

January 16: Following up on the just-announced Switch 2, we have the official announcement from Nintendo as well as more details about the experience events.

Fans will be able to go hands-on with the new system for the first time starting in April. Events will be held in North America, Europe, Oceania, and Asia.

Here’s the full announcement from Nintendo:

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February 2025 Nintendo Direct predictions

Today, we’re looking at the potential announcements we could see if we were to get a final Switch-centered Nintendo Direct in February 2025.

At the time of writing, we don’t currently have any sort of confirmation that we’re actually getting a presentation next month. That said, we’re arguably due for one. Other than Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition, we don’t have any concrete release dates for remaining Nintendo Switch titles. We do know that Metroid Prime 4: Beyond launches sometime this year, but we’re still missing a defined release window. Additionally, if you remember the transition from the 3DS to the Switch, Nintendo continued to publish a number of ports on the dedicated handheld during Switch’s early years. We wouldn’t be surprised if we saw a similar approach here, and if it winds up being true, it means we might still have a remake or two bound for the original Nintendo Switch sometime this year. 

Okami origins Hideki Kamiya

In a recent social media post, Okami creator Hideki Kamiya spoke about the game’s original concept, including how the initial idea was a side-scroller.

According to Kamiya, the very beginning of his idea involved playing as the leader of a pack of wolves, living on a deserted island, and trying to survive in nature. He was inspired by a particular book he saw while in university. 

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Nintendo made its first announcement regarding Switch 2 last week, but there’s still a lot to learn about the system. However, there is one concrete detail we know: it’ll be full backwards compatible with the current Nintendo Switch. There’ll be some exceptions – probably things like Nintendo Labo – but on the whole there’ll probably be just a handful of titles that aren’t compatible.

With that said, which Switch games are you looking forward to playing on Nintendo Switch 2? Are there certain titles you’re holding off on trying until the new console launches? Let us know in the comments.

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Back in the day, Kirby fans used to talk about how the character appeared angry – but that applies only to the west. If you looked at key art or boxart for the series’ various games in Japan, Kirby was often seen smiling and looked happier. It was overseas where things were different. So what was going on there?

Polygon caught up with a couple of former Nintendo of America staffers to get insight into the situation. Leslie Swan, the company’s former localization manager, first spoke about cultural differences between the United States and Japan and how “tween and teen boys tend to be drawn to tougher characters” in the west. However, it also seems that Nintendo didn’t exactly believe they were making Kirby angry – rather the character was depicting a look in which he’s “determined against all odds.”

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Mario Kart 9 Nintendo Switch 2 characters

Mario Kart 9 has been officially teased for Nintendo Switch 2, and we presumably won’t hear much about it until the full Nintendo Direct presentation on April 2. In the initial footage, a whopping 24 racer slots were shown on the track. That’s double the amount of racers per match in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. And with more drivers than ever present on the field all at once, Mario Kart 9 (which isn’t the game’s official name yet – it could wind up being Mario Kart 10 if we count Mario Kart Tour) needs more characters than ever to match. A while back, we talked about all sorts of crucial features Mario Kart 9 needs to succeed – but this time, we’re honing in on all the characters we want to see, no matter how obscure.

Phantom Brave Lost Hero review

System: Switch
Release date: January 30, 2025
Developer: Nippon Ichi Software
Publisher: NIS America


Few games have left a lasting impression quite like Phantom Brave, the tactical JRPG developed by Nippon Ichi Software. Released over twenty years ago, the original title earned a devoted following for its unique blend of free-range combat, touching storytelling, and unforgettable characters. Now, after years of anticipation, Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero is set to deliver the next chapter in this beloved series. With a modern twist on the classic formula, this sequel aims to honor its predecessor while introducing a new generation of fans to the enchanting world of Ivoire.


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