Bandai Namco announced it is teaming up with Nintendo to bring back The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild keychains. They first appeared in gashapon machines in Japan in October 2023, and now they’ll be back in capsule machines the first week of July 2025 in the country.  

The price for a try remains the same. It costs 300円 (~$2) again. The lineup remains identical too. Two of the keychains are chibi versions of Link equipped with. bow and arrow, though in one instance he’s wearing his cloak. The Master Sword will appear as one item, and so will the “Z” from the logo with the Master Sword going through it. The final design is a more traditional take on Link armed with the bow and arrow with standard proportions, though it only involves a silhouette. Of those five, only the Master Sword in the stone isn’t a keychain.

Here’s a closer look at each one of them:

At the time they originally debuted, these The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild keychains only appeared in Japan. However, Bandai Namco now has Gashapon storefront locations in the US and Canada too. This means we could end up seeing them worldwide. The past Pikmin gashapon line appeared in capsule machines in Illinois, as an example. 

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild keychains debut in Japan this week. The game is available on the Wii U and Switch, with an upgrade available for Switch 2.

The post Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Keychains Come Back appeared first on Siliconera.

Capcom revealed that it will sell a new book containing key art from games it released in the up to 40 years since its first release. The book will have the title "Capcom Key Art Catalog since 1984 to 2023," and it will be available on March 20, 2025, at 9,900 yen (~$65.20).

The A4-sized book will have a total of 376 pages. It will cover over 300 games Capcom has released on numerous platforms throughout 40 years since 1984, with explanations in Japanese and English.

The first-ever title Capcom released was the arcade shooting game Vulgus in May 1984. Since 2023 is the cutoff year, the latest games featured in this book should include the Resident Evil 4 remake, Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection, Street Fighter 6, Exoprimal, Mega Man X DiVE Offline, and Monster Hunter Now.

Here are the samples for some of the pages in the upcoming book:

The new catalog book will be available for purchase in Capcom's physical and online storefronts. The company will also sell the book at the Capcom Exhibition, which will take place at Osaka's Nakanoshima Museum of Art from March 20, 2025—the same day as the book's release date—until June 22, 2025.

The "Capcom Key Art Catalog since 1984 to 2023" book will be available for purchase in Japan on March 20, 2025.

The post Capcom Key Art Catalog Will Cover Over 300 Games appeared first on Siliconera.

The Xenoblade Chronicles series always featured plenty of exploration. So many quests take you on journeys to far-fledged corners of the map. From wandering across the severed arm of a mechanical titan or the ruins and depths of a skyscraper-filled city overgrown by a deep jungle, Monolith Soft asks you to wander, see strange things just out of reach, and wonder how to get there. Xenoblade Chronicles X featured Skells, pilotable mechs that act as a second layer for each playable character, and they help both to enhance combat and open up exploration.

To start, Xenoblade Chronicles X opens with your avatar being very small and fragile. You barely survive the crash of the White Whale shop. The things you'll notice first when wandering around Mira is how big the creatures are, how many things are out of reach, and how outmatched you are in a fight against many of the threats. Big animals and Ganglion scouts can kill you in very few hits. As Xenoblade tradition dictates, a gigantic, monkey-shaped, level 81 enemy named Hayreddin the Territorial is in the very first area you can access. So many areas are set up like this. You get exposed to dangerous environments or roadblocks you can just barely get past with your normal movement and strength or cant even traverse at all.

That's where the Skells come in.

The Skells are dangled in front of you from the moment you set foot in New LA. The units help with construction, with riding through the streets, and when standing guard across the town. However, you need to earn the license to use one. After completing chapter 6 of the main story, you can show your mastery of the things a member of the BLADE organization needs to know. Stepping into your first Skell is a major turning point that opens up the world. You can use the Skell's boosters to go faster and farther than ever before, jumping over things in its vehicle or mech state. It opens up a new layer to combat. In previous Xenoblade games, overcoming obstacles either required finding the right wall to climb, tunnel to follow, or field skill to unlock. Skells instead are both like getting a new party member as well as a mount that can carry you to places where, even if the mech might not be fully outfitted yet, your characters' skills might be able to keep you safe.

That's all before flight is unlocked. Later in the story, a flight unit for the Skells is developed. If you're willing to brave some very high level creatures lurking in these out of reach areas, you can go anywhere. All the massive hanging structures and geographical formations that were out of reach are now within your grasp. You can find new, important resources and see beautiful sights. You can finally explore places that contain great gear for your characters and the Skells. In previous games, you would be hopping from fast travel point to fast travel point, walking to try and find the one location you missed or the clearest path. The ability fly flight eliminates that frustration completely.

This continues into combat, as there are some enemies and rare bosses that can only be fought inside a flying Skell. In addition, the upgrades mean enemies that once terrorized you on foot now may now be an even match. New strategic options open up with super weapons. Do you focus on the basic rifles and missiles or use a railgun the size of a building strapped to your back? Do you get up close and personal with a rocket-powered drill spear or keep the enemy stunned with a shock field emitter? Both exploration and combat are far more layered with Skells than without. This helps keep every combat encounter fresh since you experiment with different loadouts for both your Skells and characters.

The Skells are one of Xenoblade Chronicles X's most important assets. They are a prime example of Monolith Soft's desire to put exploration and adventure at the forefront of the game. It not only offered options to mix and match ranged and melee weapons on foot, but the Skells crack it and the exploration open even further. With Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition on the horizon, I'm most excited to take flight once again to uncharted areas to experience whatever dangers and wonders they hold.

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition releases for the Nintendo Switch on March 20, 2025

The post Xenoblade Chronicles X Skells Make Exploring Its Open World Better appeared first on Siliconera.

PlatinumGames has opened a new webpage on its official site to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Bayonetta. The new page is available in both Japanese and English.

Even though Sega first released Bayonetta for the PS3 and Xbox 360 in Japan in late October 2009, PlatinumGames opted to start celebrating the game's 15th anniversary in January 2025 to coincide with its global releases. Sega subsequently released Bayonetta on the same platforms in North America on January 5, 2010, in Australia on January 7, 2010, and in Europe on January 8, 2010.

The company that developed the Bayonetta video game series will use the new webpage to share new smartphone wallpapers with an optional calendar every month. The January 2025 wallpaper features Bayonetta and Jeanne with Japanese attires to symbolize the New Year festival season.

On the same webpage, PlatinumGames also shared the new Bayonetta music box, which Wayo Records will release in Q1 2025 for €220.00. The latter will design the music box after Bayonetta's Super Mirror, and it will play Masami Ueda's "Theme of Bayonetta - Mysterious Destiny" for 30 seconds with 10 loops.

The first Bayonetta is available on not only the PS3, Xbox 360, and Switch, but also PS4, Xbox One, Wii U, and PC worldwide.

The post Bayonetta 15th Anniversary Site and Merchandise Shared appeared first on Siliconera.

Composer Yasuaki Iwata revealed on his own X account in early November 2024 that he had left Nintendo in July 2023 to pursue new challenges. The Japanese video game composer is available for contact via his account's direct message and email. However, he has still yet to announce the new group he is now affiliated with.

Iwata first joined the list of Nintendo composers for the 2013 Wii U game Super Mario 3D World. He also later contributed to the soundtrack for the 2014 entry Mario Kart 8.

Yasuaki Iwata was arguably best known for his contributions as a composer to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which launched on Nintendo Switch and Wii U in 2017. Some of the tracks made by this composer were the area themes of Korok Forest, Rito Village, and Hateno Village, as well as the dungeon and Boss fight themes inside all four Divine Beasts and the Reunion themes with all four Champions.

After working on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Iwata was also spotted in the composer lists for ARMS and Super Smash Bros Ultimate. The latest title Iwata was known to work on is the 2020 title Animal Crossing: New Horizons, where he notably made the game's opening theme.

Yasuaki Iwata is still working as a game music composer even after he had left Nintendo in July 2023.

The post Legend of Zelda BOTW Composer Yasuaki Iwata Left Nintendo appeared first on Siliconera.

Nintendo announced that Xenoblade Chronicles X, a former Wii U exclusive game in the series, will come to the Nintendo Switch in a Definitive Edition on March 20, 2025. This will be more than just a remaster, as the company confirmed there will be new content added to this version.

Xenoblade Chronicles X is an open-world game, with players crash landing on the planet Mira after escaping earth and helping protect and maintain New Los Angeles. Your custom character works alongside BLADE members stepping into Skell mechs to explore the environment. The Switch version will feature improved visuals, retain online multiplayer that includes exclusive missions and Global Nemesis Battles, and add new story-related segments. 

There’s already a first trailer for Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition, which shows both the existing story and gameplay elements and a tease for new elements at the 2 minute mark.

When Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition comes to the Switch, it means the every entry in the series will appear on the system. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and 3 appeared on the platform exclusively. Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition showed up there in May 2020.

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition will come to the Nintendo Switch on March 20, 2024, and the original game is on the Wii U.

The post Wii U Gam Xenoblade Chronicles X Finally Comes to Switch in 2025 appeared first on Siliconera.

Another one of the Good Smile Company announcements from New York Comic Con 2024 involves a The Binding of Isaac figure that is a Nendoroid of the main character. It is the furthest along of all of the company’s announcements at the event, as a painted prototype appeared and there are multiple photos showing the extra parts included with it.

The multiple photos tied to a gif released alongside the reveal covered many of the parts Isaac will include. His face plates always show him crying, and it seems he will have ones that feature both his eyes open and closed. He’ll come with a standard body, as well as an additional one of him curled up in a fetal position on the floor. You can arm him with Mom’s Knife, which was a passive in the original game. He also comes with a Dead Cat passive item, which can be displayed alongside him.

Here’s the official announcement gif showing some of the different The Binding of Isaac Nendoroid poses that will be possible.

While there’s no pre-order open yet, we should see that happen soon. Not only did the painted prototype appear at NYCC 2024, but there are multiple photos of its accessories and extra parts.

Many of the other NYCC 2024 Good Smile Company reveals involved games. There will be a new World of Warcraft Nendoroid and Diablo 4 Pop Up Parade figure coming from the company.  

The Binding of Isaac original game is available on PCs. The remake showed up on the 3DS, PS4, PS5, Switch, Vita, Wii U, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC, and mobile devices. There’s no release window for The Binding of Isaac Nendoroid yet.

The post The Binding of Isaac Nendoroid Includes Tons of Tears appeared first on Siliconera.

Nintendo announced via its official Japanese X account that it has updated its guidelines for sharing content from its games on online platforms.

The guideline is available in multiple languages, including English. The original Japanese version has additional update date notes on the newly revised lines on the page, which has been regularly updated since its debut in late 2018. Nintendo made three new revisions to the guidelines on September 2, 2024.

The first revision added a new line to the official guidelines list. It shows Nintendo's right to object to any infringing content and blacklist the offender from sharing content from Nintendo games in the future. The Japanese page added that the company will even use legal measures to enforce its objections.

In the second revision, the company explained the types of shared content it allows and disallows. While Nintendo forbids republishing official trailers and game assets like music or cutscenes, it also discourages players from uploading simple gameplay recordings without any edits or commentaries. The Japanese page added an exception to content produced directly from the Nintendo Switch's Share button feature, which includes videos that can only run for up to 30 seconds.

The third and last revision in this guideline had Nintendo update the list of content that it will deem unlawful or inappropriate at the bottom of the page. Usages of unauthorized methods like third-party emulator software, cheats, and data mining are part of the list. The company also included malicious acts, such as making offensive remarks or griefing another player by impeding their game progress during a multiplayer session.

The Nintendo Game Content Guidelines for Online Video & Image Sharing Platforms appeared first on November 29, 2018, as it replaced the Nintendo Creators Program. The company newly updated the guidelines on September 2, 2024.

The post Nintendo Updates Its Online Media Sharing Guidelines appeared first on Siliconera.

Nintendo has stopped accepting official repairs for the Wii U in Japan. The company found out on July 3, 2024, that it had run out of spare parts to repair the legacy consoles. It has thus added the Wii U to the official list of consoles that already had their repairs completely discontinued.

The company made the confirmation via a follow-up tweet to the initial announcement in May 2023. The Japanese tweet is available to read right below:

Besides the Wii U, Nintendo is also gradually phasing out repairs for the 3DS family of consoles. The company has already stopped accepting repairs for the original 3DS and its LL/XL variant. In February 2024, it started the countdown for the spare parts for the New 3DS, its LL/XL variant, and 2DS to run out. Only the New 2DS LL/XL is still serviceable for the foreseeable future.

The cessation of official repairs for the Wii U in Japan marked a total closure to the saga of the Wii's direct successor. Nintendo launched the console first in the West in November 2012, with Japan following suit the month after in December 2012. The company stopped production of the console at the end of January 2017. It had also completely shut down all online functions of the console in April 2024, after previously closing the eShop in March 2023.

The post Wii U Repairs Are No Longer Available Formally in Japan appeared first on Siliconera.

Masahiro Sakurai has revealed on his X account that he has finished recording the final episode for his YouTube channel "Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games." However, it will still take quite some time until this episode comes out, as Sakurai still has other regular episodes coming beforehand.

Sakurai's plan to end the video series has been known for quite a while. He first announced it in early January 2024. 2024 will thus be the final year for him to publish new episodes on the channel.

The original Japanese tweet is available to view right below:

And our translation of this tweet is as follows:

I have finished recording the final episode for the channel.
I think it will still take a while until it's published, so until then, please enjoy the regular episodes...

Masahiro Sakurai

Masahiro Sakurai established the YouTube channel in late August 2022. He has since published new episodes simultaneously in Japanese and English. As of June 2024, the channel has a combined total of almost 1.18 million subscribers, with around 580,000 from the English channel and almost 600,000 from the Japanese channel.

The channel has also received acclaim from the gaming industry. In August 2023, Sakurai received two awards at the CEDEC Awards 2023 for running the YouTube channel. The awards in question were the Game Design award and the Visual Arts award.

The "Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games" YouTube channel is available in Japanese and English languages, and its final episode will appear sometime in 2024.

The post Masahiro Sakurai Recorded His Final YouTube Channel Episode appeared first on Siliconera.

Nintendo announced that as of April 8, 2024, it will no longer support online services for the 3DS or the Wii U. This will include online co-op or multiplayer, internet rankings, and data distribution.

You will still be able to play offline games, and Pokemon Bank and Poke Transporter will still be available as well. Nintendo does note that support for Pokemon Bank and Poke Transporter may end in the future though. StreetPass will be available too, because it uses local communication between 3DS systems. However, you won’t be able to use SpotPass. Finally, it will be possible to download update date, as well as redownload games and DLC you own from the eShop.

Nintendo has been phasing out both the 3DS and the Wii U for a while now. The eShop for both consoles closed down in March 2023. Nintendo also announced that it would close down online services for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U back in October 2023. This is not a surprise considering how old these consoles are. The 3DS first came out in 2011 and the Wii U launched in 2012.

You will no longer be able to access online services on the 3DS or the Wii U after April 8, 2024. However, you will still be able to access StreetPass, as well as download games and DLC you previously purchased.

The post Reminder: Online Services For 3DS and Wii U Will End in April 2024 appeared first on Siliconera.

Nintendo joined the list of Japanese companies that offer support following the Noto earthquake. It revealed on its Japanese corporate account on X that it is donating 50 million yen (~$341,380) to the Japanese Red Cross. In addition, the company also announced that it will offer free repairs of its products belonging to people who reside in the affected area, regardless of their warranty status for six months since the earthquake occurred on the 2024 New Year's Day.

All Nintendo Switch models released to date are eligible. Most units in the 3DS and 2DS families, except the original 3DS [CTR-001] and 3DS LL (XL) [SPR-001] models, are also available for repairs. And even though Nintendo is on the verge of running out of Wii U spare parts, the legacy console is still eligible as the company has yet to add it to the list of completely discontinued platforms as of mid-January 2024.

Many other Japanese companies related to gaming and other subcultures have also donated money for relief following the Noto Peninsula earthquake that occurred on January 1, 2024. Square Enix, Capcom, and Cover of Hololive fame are some of the companies that have done so. The Pokemon Company, which is affiliated with Nintendo, had also donated 50 million yen on its own.

Nintendo will offer free repairs for its products with available spare parts affected by the Noto earthquake that arrive at its service centers by July 1, 2024.

The post Nintendo Offers Free Repairs to Users Affected by the Noto Earthquake appeared first on Siliconera.

Nintendo will put yet another nail in the coffins of the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U as it announced online play and other functions that use online communications will end in April 2024. According to the official website, this includes online multiplayer modes, internet rankings, and data distribution. More information on a specific date will come out closer to the shutdown.

The only online service that will be available after April 2024 will be Pokemon Bank. However, Nintendo warned that it may also end Pokemon Bank support sometime in the future. It also stated that there’s a chance it will end online functionality earlier than April 2024 if difficulties crop up between then and now. As a side note, you’ll still be able to use StreetPass (since it’s local communication) and access the Nintendo eShop to download purchased software and DLC.

The Nintendo 3DS first came out in 2010 and the Wii U came out in late 2012. The 3DS was massively popular (with Nintendo reporting over 75.77 million lifetime sales in 2020). Nintendo closed down the eShops for the 3DS and the Wii U in March 2023. While both the 3DS and the Wii U had its time in the sun, and with the Switch starting to head out as well, Nintendo seems like it’s preparing to take the next step towards the future.

Nintendo will close down online functionality for the 3DS and Wii U sometime in April 2024.

The post Nintendo Will Discontinue 3DS and Wii U Online Functions in 2024 appeared first on Siliconera.

Square Enix announced that service for Dragon Quest X Online on the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U will end on March 20, 2024. However, more support is coming for the MMO. A new version 7.0 expansion is coming. The expansion is titled Dragon Quest X Online: The Door to the Future and the Sleeping Girl, and more information about it will appear after the plot of version 6.0 wraps up. The expansion is set to release in 2024.

Square Enix decided to terminate services for both the 3DS and Wii U versions of the game due to difficulties in continuing to support them. Additionally, Nintendo discontinued the hardware for both platforms, and other online services for both platforms have ceased service as well. It will regularly provide new information, and update the schedule until end of service for both the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U versions of Dragon Quest X Online.

Dragon Quest X Online originally launched on 2012 for the Wii. The game later launched for the Wii U on March 30, 2013. The 3DS version followed that on September 4, 2014, and it runs using cloud technology. Online service for the Wii version ended back in 2017.

Dragon Quest X Online is available only in Japan for the Nintendo Switch, PS4, Windows PC, and mobile devices. Service for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U versions will end on March 20, 2024. The new Dragon Quest X Online expansion updating the game to 7.0 will appear on 2024.

The post Dragon Quest X Online 3DS & Wii U Service Ends, New Expansion Revealed appeared first on Siliconera.

The ongoing maintenance for the Wii U versions of Mario Kart 8 and the original Splatoon will end on August 3, 2023. This will allow players to access online multiplayer once again. Nintendo previously paused network features for the games in March 2023 in order to fix a vulnerability found in the online systems.

Before resuming online play, Wii U owners will need to download an update for each game after the maintenance ends. While Nintendo said the vulnerability is fixed, if more issues arise it may discontinue online support for both Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon on the Wii U at short notice. If that happens, offline play will remain available as usual.

While the Wii U version experienced issues, the fifth wave of DLC for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Nintendo Switch appeared on July 12, 2023. This new content included new courses and characters like Petey Piranha and Wiggler.

Meanwhile Splatoon 3 is active on the Switch. Nintendo announced that the game's August Splatfest would be fought over Fame, Money and Love.

Maintenance for online services in Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon is scheduled to end on August 3, 2023. Players will have to download updates for their games before resuming online play. While the Wii U eShop ended service in March, 2023, those who have physical copies or the games registered to their accounts will still be able to re-download and update them.

The post Splatoon and Mario Kart 8 Wii U Maintenance Finally Ending appeared first on Siliconera.