Games Cheats and Reviews

Basically every time a new Japanese game gets released in the west, hordes of western gaming journalists scramble to dissect it as ruthlessly as possible, criticizing it with a negativity bias that is very rare in reviews of western games, no matter how bad.

Classy Gamer analyzes this trend, and the difference in standards between reviews of Japanese games and western games that can be noticed between the western press.

There is no doubt whatsoever that Japan’s influence in the video game market in past times has been paramount. From the classic titles found in arcades to the quirky yet fun console games they produced, gamers of all ages have enjoyed some fantastic games. From Mario to Solid Snake, Tetris to Street Fighter, everyone knows of the great games developed by this little gem of a country. The Japanese influence on gamers was at one stage absolute, and to say Japan ruled the video game market, seemed to some, an absolute fact.

"Kotaku columnist Tim Rogers brings word that store after store in Tokyo is selling out of the Xbox 360 version of Bayonetta. But why?

The Xbox 360 version was awarded a perfect 40/40 score from Japanese game mag, while the PS3 version was not – it received a 38/40. The above picture is from the Yodobashi Camera in West Shinjuku. The tag on the game (??????) means "Sold Out"

Tim says the same sell-outs were visible at other Yodobashi branches as well.

There could be several reasons for this, one of which could be that fewer copies of the Xbox 360 version were ordered by shops unaware that the Xbox 360 Bayonetta was the lead platform. Or maybe lots of people are buying it."

It’s basically a fact that Kojima Productions are the most badass Japanese game team, but their new company photo has just raised their level of badassery even more!

Now we just need a CSI esque show starring the Kojima team and we’re all set

Apple’s recent foray into video games – with the iPhone, the iPod Touch and its ever-expanding online App Store – is causing as much hand-wringing among old industry players as the global economic slump, which threatens to take the steam out of year-end shopping for the second consecutive year.

Among the questions voiced by video game executives: How can Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft keep consumers hooked on game-only consoles, like the Wii or even the PlayStation Portable, when Apple offers games on popular, everyday devices that double as cellphones and music players?

And how can game developers and the makers of big consoles persuade consumers to buy the latest shoot’em-ups for $30 or more, when Apple’s App store is full of games, created by developers around the world and approved by Apple, that cost as little as 99 cents – or even are free?

"The next breakthrough in gaming is not going to be in hardware," Yoichi Wada, president of a top Japanese game maker, Square Enix, told Game Show participants. "It’s going to be in how to create a successful business model."

1UP writes… Our favorite games that haven’t come to America — and possibly never will.

When us old folks were forming our tastes as gamers, it was nice to see and learn about what was being sold in the country of origin for most videogames. Oh, how we’d squeal when a game magazine would show us a selection of awesome games from Japan, in all their explosive, wacky, mostly expensive glory. A Japanese game can still be quite a curio, but price markups still make it harder to get them.

Gambus Kahn writes: Have you ever played a JRPG and thought to yourself, this lame spiky-haired punk needs to die? Do you find the idea of taking out the brave whiny-mouthed hero and his overly frisky healer girlfriend, intriguing? Does the idea of a group of self-righteous do-gooders meeting their fate in the cold grip of impending doom just make you want explode in absolute glee? Then I shall present to you, Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman!: What Did I do to Deserve This? (Note: since this is perhaps the longest game title in the history of overly-long Japanese game titles ever, I’m just going to refer to the game as Badman, thank you! )

Japanese game makers Idea Factory, Gust and Nippon Ichi Software have teamed up for a new PS3 role-playing-game called Trinity Universe. Trinity, geddit?

The game is a 3D dungeon crawler RPG and features two plot lines: Goddess and Devil King. Gust worked on the scenario for Goddess, while Nippon Ichi did the Devil King scenario.

Japanese developed video games have always had a certain…Japanese quality to them. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, it’s just always been that way. But there seems to be a wind of change blowing through the world of Japanese game development.

Such is the topic of this week’s Soapbox. Adam talks about how he’s seem some adjustments in games coming out of Japan, and how he thinks they’re finally taking notes on what their Western counterparts have been up to, and are folding those ideas into their game development. Will it make for better games? Or will we lose the originality that Japanese titles have had for so many years?

Doesn’t 2008 seem so… last year? Here we are in late April, yet leading Japanese game magazine Famitsu has only just now announced the results of its 2008 awards. Each award was selected by reader vote; any of the 1,115 game software titles released in Japan during the 2008 calendar year were eligible.

At the awards ceremony held today inside Famitsu publisher Enterbrain’s headquarters, Capcom’s triple platinum Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G was the big winner, netting Game of the Year and Best Seller prizes. Other awards handed out are as follows: