Japanese game stores now have a Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream leaflet that has a personality quiz just like the game! Finally, Miis are now real.

I was invited on to the Tokyo Game Life Podcast once more, this time to talk about Ainu in games. Thanks for having me on again!

✨ NEW EPISODE ✨ Featuring: 🗾 Ainu in video games w/ @kaihat.su 🏝️ More Tomodachi Life and Monster Hunter Stories 3 💹 Star Fox impressions and Nintendo financials analysis Listen now! 👇 tokyogamelife.com/episode/ainu...

Today is the final day until BEEP closes and moves to a new location in Akihabara in early June. Yes it was cramped and underground, but the location was iconic!

Note to self: get really into collecting old Japanese Star Fox strategy guides

New podcast episode tomorrow! A special guest joins to chat about Ainu in video games! Plus final thoughts on Tomodachi Life and MHS3, and Nintendo news analysis! Follow Tokyo Game Life on: Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t... Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/7oDaILm...

Which disc are you nabbing?

Family Mart will host a Yoshi themed Ichiban Kuji prize lottery from 5/23! Is it time to introduce new Yoshi colors? More: www.nintendo.com/jp/topics/ar...

Always get permission from an anime version of a staff member before taking photos inside Japanese stores

Switch 2 stock situation in Japan is so bad that stores like Sofmap are returning to lotteries. I thought we were out of the darkness…

The year of Virtual Boy continues as Jack Bros, Vertical Force, Space Invaders Virtual Collection, Virtual Bowling, and V Tetris hit NSO, those last three for the first time outside of Japan. Yet Japan also got Virtual Fishing exclusively for some reason.

Some familiar faces outside of Somsoc Gallery in Harajuku

The perfect lunch

Jade Cocoon’s Japanese name is Tamamayu Monogatari, or Story of the Jade Cocoon. The English subtitle is Story of the Tamamayu, as Tamamayu means Jade Cocoon. So the English title is Jade Cocoon: Story of the Jade Cocoon.

New Star Fox merch is coming soon, but did you know Editmode sells official Star Fox shirts? Check it out: shop.editmode.jp/search?q=%E3...

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom launched three years ago today! Will someone make a better game? Probably not. Nintendo also celebrated by revealing the long-awaited Mineru’s Construct amiibo is coming 9/17! Maybe to lineup with a Zelda game? 🤔

Sega revealed some of the apparel for their 65th anniversary pop up shop at Miyashita Park starting on 5/21! There’s never been a better time to buy another black T-shirt. More: sega65th-the-limited-shop.anique.jp

I proclaim this the Summer of Mother, as new Earthbound goods will appear at Shinjuku’s Seikatsu no Tanoshimi exhibit from 6/1. Fingers crossed for a giant inflatable pool. More: www.1101.com/seikatsunota...

Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 display at Don Quijote! Patiently waiting for Nintendo to patch Star Fox in.

You can always trust a blonde

Tokyu Hands has a small Doko Demo Issyo section for some reason. Toro for Smash?

✨ NEW EPISODE ✨ Featuring: 👊 Hong Kong 2097 w/ @ultrahealthy.bsky.social 🌌 The Super Mario Galaxy Movie in Japan 🗼 Tokyo events and new merch Listen now! 👇 tokyogamelife.com/episode/hong...

Pokemon Local Acts pop up is coming to Odaiba on 5/29! It’ll feature exclusive merch and collab items from different prefectures, and the mascots will also make an appearance! More: local-bussanten.pokemon.jp/tokyo/index....

Small preorder display for Star Fox! The cover art really pops in person!

Switch 2 sold out at my local Yodobashi and Bic Camera, first time I’ve seen this in months. Japanese buyers are rushing to get one before the price hike on May 25. Japanese sales data for the next few weeks should be very interesting 🤔

New train station ad for Yoshi and the Mysterious Book! “This book is filled with mysterious creatures.” You don’t say… 🤔

It seems that Takashi Tezuka may be retiring from Nintendo according to their updated personnel list. Not sure if he is leaving the company entirely, but hopefully we hear more soon. No matter what, he’s had an absolutely legendary career. More: www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2026/...

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream has a sell-through of 3.8 million units after two weeks! Fun fact: that’s more than any Metroid game!

Nintendo posted their quarterly financial numbers! - Switch 2 at 19.86 million - Pokopia at 2.41 million in about four weeks - Switch 2 goes up to 59,980 JPY / 499 USD - Hanafuda cards now have no set retail price

Spotted some Star Fox preorder info at Bic Camera. This didn’t exist a day ago!

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie toy section in Kiddy Land Shinjuku! Tempted to buy all the Yoshi eggs and hatch them at the same time.

I ate at a place called Kamo to Negi today, aka Duck and Green Onion. The name is based on a Japanese proverb about a duck carrying a green onion representing good luck, and the phrase is also the inspiration for Farfetch’d! In short, I ate Farfetch’d ramen.

Sanei is releasing Star Fox plushies in June! Pigma when?

Star Fox returns in… Star Fox! Hits Switch 2 on 6/25 and is based on Star Fox 64, a totally original idea that’s never been done before. It’s priced cheaper than normal in Japan, so Nintendo’s streak of lower priced games continues.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie x Lush collab is also happening now in Japan! Some of those colors look a bit too bright for human skin, but I gotta trust Mario.

Pragmata on Switch 2 is sold out at a local Bic Camera. Guess you’ll have to just make Hugh and Diana in Tomodachi Life in the meantime.

I spent Golden Week in Gunma, which you may know as the setting of Initial D! I ran into a lot of fun Initial D stuff there, but sadly didn’t find Sega’s arcade games based on the series…

Japanese stores now have Splatoon Raiders for pamphlets introducing the game! Did you know half of Japan’s plastic is used to make Splatoon amiibo?

Came across this cafe in Ikaho with a random mix of Dragon Quest and Ghibli decorations. Totoro could pass for a DQ monster I think… 🤔

I’ll be in the Namco excavator if you need me

I visited Ikaho Toy, Doll, and Car Museum which has a small area dedicated to video games. Mostly just discs slapped on a wall, but it was cool to see. Not sure what Super Scope did to be put in jail though.

✨ NEW EPISODE ✨ Featuring: 👊 Hong Kong 2097 w/ @ultrahealthy.bsky.social 🌌 The Super Mario Galaxy Movie in Japan 🗼 Tokyo events and new merch Listen now! 👇 tokyogamelife.com/episode/hong...

I’m at Shibukawa Skyland Park, where there is a severely sun-damaged Mario statue. He needs to be free.

Mario, Pokemon, and Kirby all had special physical hanafuda sets. What Nintendo franchise should get one next? 🤔

New podcast episode tomorrow! The developer of Hong Kong 2097 joins to chat about making a sequel to Japan’s worst doujin game! And I detail the Mario Galaxy movie experience in Japan! Follow Tokyo Game Life on: Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t... Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/7oDaILm...

Dual advertisements for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and the Galaxy collection on Switch at Shinjuku Station! Kinda funny to see both Switch 1 and 2 in the same ad.

RE Engine meaning Reach For The Moon has big “DS means Developer’s System” energy

Sanei is releasing new Donkey Kong Bananza plushies this August! Please tell me a Grumpy Kong plush is in the works.

These are all real screenshots from Evangelion video games. We chat about the weird and wonderful world of Eva games in the latest podcast episode: tokyogamelife.com/episode/evan...

What if Yoshi had a mysterious book? The Japanese title uses 図鑑 which is more specifically a picture book or field guide.