4.29.2014

Mobile game of Crayon Shin-chan is cute! but unfortunately it's released only in Japan

Bushiroad released a mobile game of Crayon Shin-chan of popular Manga/Anime developed by Applica late last week.

Crayon Shin-chan is a Japanese popular Manga/Anime started in 1990. It follows the adventures of the five-year-old Shinnosuke "Shin-chan" Nohara and his parents, baby sister, dog, neighbours, and friends and is set in Kasukabe, Saitama Prefecture. Particularly, anime is very popular, the movies are produced  every year from 1993, and they are appreciated from adults. Now, they were exported to other Asian countries, and the copyright trial occurred in China and Korea. (via Wikipedia)



A theme song of this year's movies is Japanese POP star Kyary Pamyupamyu!

Unexpectedly this is the first time that a game for smartphones of Crayon Shin-chan was released.



This is a simple running action game. While Shin-chan run and collects sweets in Kasukabe city where sweets were scattered by a mystery UFO. Various obstacles appear to stages, and a game is over when Shin-chan conflicts with them.


Players can win medals whenever they finish a play, and play Gacha of cos-play clothes using them. They are very cute and have various special effects. Furthermore, they can play Gacha of rarer cos-play clothes when they purchase a gold balls for real money.


I use a robot suit now. This is a tie-up item of this year's movie, and was distributed for free with a limitation of 50,000 in commemoration of the release of the game.

This does not have the particularly new element. However, anyway this is cute. BGM, graphic design, UI, texts, etc...all of them reproduce the atmosphere of the anime faithfully. I think the most important element is a voice. Japanese game industry utilize voice actors. In Japan, voice actor is a popular job and their voices are very popular among fans, too. In mobile games, it's an important element for acquisition of active users. In this game, Shin-chan talks like anime. His unique tone is impressive.


I think that it's accepted even if this is released in other Asian countries. However, unfortunately it's released only in Japan now. Official site is here.

4.28.2014

GungHo and Square Enix released the arcade game of the Puzzle and Dragons

Now, Puzzle and Dragons is in everywhere in Japan. GungHo and Square Enix released an arcade game version of popular mobile game Puzzle and Dragons "Puzzle and Dragons Battle Tournament" last week. 1 play is 100 yen.





The basics of the game of this do not have many changes from a mobile version. Players fight against enemies with a puzzle, gets monsters and characters and bring them up.




However, the new elements are added.


Players can choose avatars of their own. There are eight kinds and of course can customize them.

And this is the most important element. Players can battle with other players in Japan on real time.

In an arcade game, how do players save data? Japan has IC card "NESiCA" of exclusive use of the arcade games.


Players can save their avatar data, battle data, deck data and story data using this. Furthermore, they can get a privilege in conjunction with Puzzle and Dragons of the mobile version using this.

GungHo and Square Enix magnify setting shops of this from now on.

4.24.2014

The Japanese personifies everything, even samurai swords

I wrote about Japanese sea fight simulation game Kan-Colle(艦これ) for PC Web browsers until now.

See Also:
"Kan Colle" --- simulation game that personified battleships of the Japanese empire navy as girls

This is the game that personified battleships of the Japanese empire navy in cute girls, and became very popular.

Would DeNA be influenced by it? They announced such a new mobile game last week. They accept the pre-registration now.


The title is "Youtou Arashi to Fubuki -Sword of Twins-(妖刀 あらしとふぶき -Sword of Twins-)". Youtou(妖刀) means mysterious sword in Japanese. In this game, the brother of Arashi and Fubuki fights against Youkai(妖怪: Japanese monstrous being) while collecting various swords.


The swords which existed in Japan become fairies and appear. For example...

Futsunomitama(布都御魂)
A holly sword that Takemikazuchi(建御雷神:Thunder-God) used in a Japanese mythology.

Real sword is this. (This is a copy reproduced in the Meiji era) This is enshrined in Isonokami Shrine(石上神宮) now.

Nikkousukezane(日光助真)
A sword of Ieyasu Tokugawa (徳川 家康), the Tokugawa clan samurai warrior and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan.

Real sword is this. This is enshrined in Nikko-Tosho-gu(日光東照宮) now.

Tenkoumaru(天光丸)
A sword of Minamoto no Yoshiie(源義家), the Minamoto clan samurai warrior of the late Heian period.

Real sword is this. This is enshrined in Tsuboi-Hachiman-gu(壷井八幡宮) now.

Shichiseiken(七星剣:Seven star sword)
Straight swords which were made based on Chinese Taoism. The feature is that Big Dipper is engraved. Originally they were swords for ceremonies of ancient China, but made some in Japan, and saved at temples and museums now.

One of them. This is a sword of ancient Japanese politician Prince Shotoku(聖徳太子).

Ichigohitofuri(一期一振)
A sword of Hideyoshi Toyotomi(豊臣秀吉), the feudal lord, politician and samurai warrior of Sengoku period(The Middle Ages in Japan).

Now, the Japanese emperor has it and it's not shown openly. However, we can buy its imitation in Amazon.co.jp.

Many sword-girls appear for a game as well as these and we can check them in teaser site. Unfortunately all of they are written in Japanese. I do not know whether this game is released in foreign countries except Japan. Will this attract overseas users like Kan-Colle?

4.23.2014

King established a Japanese branch in Tokyo at last

King.com established Japanese branch King Japan in Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo. General Manager is Ken Edahiro(枝廣憲). He was CMO of gloops of the Japanese mobile game developer. They start a job offer of CTO, CMO and producer in Tokyo at once.

via https://www.bizreach.jp/content/executive/king_japan_candy/

Candy Crush Saga is popular in Japan. Therefore King broadcasts Japan's original TVCM.



They promote Japan's original ad development more triggered by having established King Japan. They opened a Japanese page of Candy Crush Saga, Twitter account and Facebook page in the beginning.

Supercell attacks in Shibuya

Finland's mobile game developer Supercell was purchased by Japan's GungHo and SoftBank last year. Since then they were active for a Web ad and mobile ad of Clash of Clans and Hay Day in Japan. However, they began the notice of the real ad at Shibuya Station, Tokyo at last. You can watch this in Yamanote Line area of Shibuya Station until April 27.

"Build, Guard, Battle, Addict!"

In addition, they install a special booth in SoftBank Shop Shibuya from April 25 - May 30.

Visitors can play Clash of Clans and Hay Day, and get those stickers here. Furthermore, various goods are presented to the people who changed a mobile model at here during this period.

By the way, game conference OGC 2014 is held tomorrow in Akihabara, and Supercell CEO Ilkka Paananen performs a commemorative speech of the 10th anniversary of OGC.