A new Crank-in! interview with Shigeru Miyamoto and Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri reveals the inside story of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie: how Miyamoto personally lobbied Nintendo's internal teams to break the company's long-standing rule against mixing IPs to put Fox McCloud in the film, Glen Powell's passionate cold call begging to voice Fox, similar approaches from Brie Larson and Donald Glover, and why the Japanese version's script was rewritten from scratch rather than localized.
Kenichi Sugino, who designed the Game Boy Color, Advance, DS and 3DS over 37 years at Nintendo, and Goro Abe, who directed all 12 WarioWare titles, have joined Osaka Electro-Communication University as professors. We explore Japan's distinctive game education model, how it compares to DigiPen and USC, and the wave of generational change at Nintendo.
TYPE-MOON, French-Bread and Aniplex announced Melty Blood: TWI-LUMINA at EVO Japan 2026 for an early 2027 launch. The teaser confirms Black Len's long-awaited playable debut, refined battle mechanics, and a story by Kinoko Nasu. Here's what FGC players abroad are debating: rollback netcode, EVO 2027 chances, and Switch 2 day-one parity.
On May 1, 2026, Epic Games Store and Fortnite finally returned to iPhone in Japan, ending nearly six years of exile. The launch follows Japan's Mobile Software Competition Act, but Epic accuses Apple of leaving 'barriers everywhere'—a 9-step install flow, a 5% Core Technology Commission, and transaction-monitoring rules that scared off third-party developers. Here's what it means for one of the world's largest mobile gaming markets, the global Epic vs Apple battle, and the future of iOS sideloading.
On April 27, 2026, SEGA signed an MOU with Thailand's largest conglomerate, the C.P. Group, to jointly develop entertainment business across ASEAN. With Sonic and Angry Birds at the core, the deal targets a $14B+ Southeast Asian gaming market. We unpack who the CP Group is, what SEGA stands to gain, and the real risks behind Japanese gaming's biggest ASEAN bet yet.
Sony Pictures has set Resident Evil for September 18, 2026, with WEAPONS director Zach Cregger helming a 90-minute original story starring Austin Abrams as a medical courier. Test screening reactions hail it as a 'horror version of Fury Road' — a lean, brutal reboot streaming-skipping fans have waited a decade for.
Mizuno — Japan's 119-year-old sports giant best known for baseball gloves and golf clubs — enters esports with a Street Fighter 6 collaboration. The Juri-themed leverless controller (~$623) and ergonomic gaming chair go on Makuake May 1, 2026. We compare it to Hit Box, Razer Kitsune and the global FGC's reaction.
While the world watches Inoue vs Nakatani and Daigo vs MenaRD, Japan's Golden Week 2026 packs 8 more events into the same eight days—including a single Saturday (May 2) where Tokyo Dome, Ryogoku Kokugikan, and Tokyo Big Sight all run major events at once. From EVO Japan to centuries-old folk festivals, here's what else is happening.
Blaze Entertainment has confirmed that Evercade's NEOGEO support will continue into 2027, sharpening the contrast with PLAION's faithful-recreation NEOGEO AES+. With six games per cartridge at roughly $5 per title versus AES+ cartridges at $89.99 each, the two officially-licensed approaches to SNK's legendary console couldn't be more different — and Japanese media is calling it the 'Reiwa NEOGEO War.'
Toei, the studio behind Dragon Ball and Sailor Moon, just announced the first 3 games from its new publishing label Toei Games: KILLA, HINO, and DEBUG NEPHEMEE. All are original indie titles, not legacy IP. Here's a deep dive into why Japan's film giants are betting on fresh creators.
PS5 exclusive SAROS launches April 30. In a Japan-exclusive Game*Spark interview, Housemarque's Gregory Louden (Creative Director) and Matti Häkli (Associate Design Director) discuss their 'gameplay first' philosophy, how DualSense haptics convey the weight of the eclipse, and why they designed protagonist Arjun Devraj as a flawed, imperfect human, not a hero.
