Nintendo, Asia

Wii U will be released in the United States on November 18, and one week later in Japan, according to reports. The claim comes from Wii U Daily, which cites an internal email circulated to staff of Media Land, a videogame retailer in Tokyo's Akihabara district. More >

Kid Icarus: Uprising is the new Japanese all-formats number one, Masahiro Sakurai's 3DS debut selling 132,526 copies in its first week on shelves. In second place is Yakuza Black Panther 2, Sega's PSP game selling just under 105,000. There are three further new entries in the top ten: Capcom's Devil May Cry HD Collection at number four, ahead of Ninja Gaiden 3 and PS3 RPG Attouteki Yuugi: Mugen Souls. More >

Sequels to Pokémon Black and White have been announced for Nintendo's ageing DS. The news comes from Andriasang, which reports that Game Freak's Pokémon game director Junichi Mashida announced the games - imaginitively titled Pokémon Black 2 and Pokémon White 2 - on Japanese TV show Pokémon Smash yesterday. More >

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has hit out at Japanese news outlet Nikkei for employing what he describes as "gossip magazine techniques." More >

Nintendo has revealed Japan's 3DS game lineup for the coming months. The news was revealed by company president Satoru Iwata during a Nintendo Direct presentation streamed on the firm's official website, which was re-broadcast with English subtitles an hour later. More >

Nintendo has announced a new game of brain training exercises featuring Dr Kawashima, to be released in Japan this summer. The game was announced by company president Satoru Iwata in a Nintendo Direct briefing earlier today. Speaking from the sound studio in the bowels of Nintendo's Kyoto HQ, Iwata recalled that he first met Dr Kawashima on the day DS launched in Japan, showing him a prototype that would eventually become Brain Training. More >

Yoot Saito's Dreamcast pet sim Seaman is headed to 3DS, according to reports. Andriasang brings word from Japan's Nikkei, which in a feature claims Nintendo is looking to revive games from thirdparty publishers' back catalogue for 3DS, giving Seaman as an example. More >

Nintendo's 3DS has set a new record for hardware sales in Japan, becoming the quickest system to reach five million sales. The glasses-free 3D handheld reached the five million mark within 52 weeks of its Japanese release on February 26 last year, according to Media Create data passed on by Andriasang. More >

Nintendo has released the first paid downloadable content for its 3DS handheld. Andriasang reports that DLC for Nintendo-published 3DS photo app Tobidasu Print Club Kiradeco Revolution is now available, with three sets of decorations available for ¥100 (81p) each. More >

The Super Mario Bros. X Converse One Star Ox shoe (we're not entirely sure why Mario All Star didn't make the cut) comes in white or black and red with a pixelated Mario sprite and inset yellow star. More >

Nintendo's 3DS was the dominant force at Japanese retail last month, its games occupying the top three spots, and half of the top ten overall. Leading the pack was Mario Kart 7, with sales of 388,760 units between December 26 and January 29, according to Enterbrain data passed along by Andriasang. More >

Satoru Iwata has revealed a significant shift in Nintendo policy by saying the company would be open to having social games on its platforms. In an investor briefing, company president Iwata said that Nintendo would not forbid developers from selling virtual goods through microtransactions in a manner similar to social games on Facebook and smartphones. More >

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has said that the company is using external studios to make games for Wii U which would previously have been developed externally. Speaking to investors following last week's disappointing financial results, Iwata moved to allay shareholder fears about the impact Wii U's processing power could have on Nintendo's development budgets. In addition to using the services of external developers, Iwata was keen to point out that not every Wii U game would take full advantage of its processing grunt. More >

Mario Kart 7 is once again the Japanese all-formats number one, reclaiming top spot from lSuper Robot Taisen OG Saga Masou Kishin II. In a slow week for sales - Mario Kart 7's sales actually fell by a third - the highest new entry is Sega's 3DS title Rhythm Thief. D3 Publisher secures that rarest of sights - a top ten slot for an Xbox 360 game - with Onechanbara Z Kagura at number five. More >

Mario Kart 7 was the best-selling videogame in Japan last year, according to Media Create, with its host platform 3DS topping the 2011 hardware chart. Andriasang reports that 4,282,143 3DS systems were sold over the course of the year, and it's little surprise to see it top the hardware chart given that it has been the best-selling hardware in Japan every single week since last August's price cut. More >

Nintendo's 3DS handheld has set a new record for monthly sales in Japan, selling more in December than any system has managed since Enterbrain began tracking data in 1997. Andriasang reports that a total of 1,492,931 units between November 28 and December 25. The system has been the best-selling hardware for seven consecutive months, and has topped the weekly hardware chart every week since last August's 40 per cent price cut. More >

Mario Kart 7 is once again number one of the Japanese all-formats software chart, selling just under 110,000 units in the week ending January 1. Sales of PlayStation Vita, however, have fallen again. After launch-week sales of almost 325,000 units, sales of Sony's PSP successor fell by more than 77 per cent last week to 72,479. This week sales have fallen a further 41 per cent to 42,648. More >