Capcom's latest teaser site, which was last showing the number 1600, was generally believed (and hoped) to be leading up to the announcement of a new Onimusha game. However, the game being teased is actually a new entry in Capcom's other action series starring fictionalized versions of real feudal Japanese warlords: Sengoku Basara, (barely) better known here as Devil Kings -- a series which features Onimusha's bad guy Oda Nobunaga as the protagonist and title character.

No platforms or really any other information were revealed about Sengoku Basara 3, other than the logo, two character silhouettes, and a 2010 date. Previous Sengoku Basara games have been released on PS2, PSP, and Wii (along with an arcade-based 2D fighting spinoff).

The series isn't that well-known in North America, but in Japan, its popularity (and the sudden popularity of actual Japanese history) is boosted by the tie-in anime series.

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 is set to hit stores on October 1 in Japan. Once an Xbox 360 exclusive, Ninja Gaiden's PS3 return combines the 2008 Xbox 360 sequel with new features, including online co-op, two new playable characters and planned fixes to a laundry list of issues found in the original game. Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 is priced at ¥7,800 ($80 US). According to Kotaku, pre-order bonuses for the game include a "starter guide book" and download code for the original Ryu Hayabusa character costume. Better get a good stain remover, getting blood out of a Gi is hellacious.

Despite being loaded with content, this week's Japanese Virtual Console and WiiWare offerings are unlikely to excite, with one major exception. Square Enix's My Life as a King follow-up arrives in Japan this week, allowing players to run the tower fortress of their dreams! It's joined by a, uh, doll game, and ... a brain training game ... for kids.

Virtual Console this week offers one really cute Namco arcade game, and another Jinguuji Saburo detective game, which we'll never see.

Virtual Console:

• Marvel Land (Arcade, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)
• Tantei Jinguuji Saburo: Toki no Sugiyuku Mama ni... (Famicom, 1 player, 500 Wii Points)
  

WiiWare:

• Right Brain Kids Okigaru Right Brain (1-4 players, 800 Wii Points)
• Licca-chan Oshare House (1 player, 1,000 Wii Points)
  
• Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a Darklord (1 player, 1,000 Wii Points)
  

Well of course it did. The original Wii Sports currently resides in like, four out of every five households on the planet -- why wouldn't the Japanese gaming populous spring to consumer action when the MotionPlus-bundled follow-up landed on store shelves?

Within the first four days of its release, Wii Sports Resort moved 353,827 copies, making it the third-fastest selling Wii title ever -- Mario Kart Wii sold 608,000 copies in a similar time period, while Super Smash Bros. Brawl moved 816,000 copies. Whether the frisbee-throwing, sword-dueling, jetski-riding simulator can come close to the 45 million mark set by its bundled forefather remains to be seen.

[Via Kotaku]

According to Siliconera, Capcom has just released Rockman Complete Works, a PS1 enhanced version of Mega Man 1 on the PlayStation Network. The problem? It's impossible for you to get. To celebrate the very-late PS3 release of Mega Man 9 in Japan, Capcom is holding a contest for those that purchase the game. Winners will be able to get either a free t-shirt, or a downloadable version of Rockman Complete Works.

We're certain Capcom won't restrict the release of Rockman to just this Japan-only contest. We wouldn't be surprised to see each and every Mega Man game released on PS1 to get its inevitable PSN re-release. Let's not forget, Capcom promised a lot of downloads this year ...

GamesIndustry.biz spoke to No More Heroes/Killer 7 creator Suda 51 at the Nordic Game Conference, and while it may seem like an odd fit to ask the Grasshopper Manufacture head -- who isn't known for big sales numbers -- about marketing, that's exactly what GI did, discussing the slowing Japanese market.

Suda approached the problem from a game design perspective. "Well, there are a lot of core gamers, and a lot of lighter users playing on platforms such as the DS," Suda said, "but there's nothing in-between. I think it's going to be very important for games to be created for that middle audience, and that will help bring the market back on-track."

Responding to a follow-up question about Grasshopper's signature style, Suda named some mass market games with their own distinct styles. "For example, Call of Duty, LittleBigPlanet or BioShock -- you can feel different core elements in each of those games. Burnout Paradise is my favourite [smiles]."

This week, Japan gets two arcade games -- both of which have titles starting with the letter G, and both of which are already available on Virtual Console as ports. Galaga '88, Namco's cute, brightly colored, fireworks-filled sequel to Galaga, is definitely something we'd consider double-dipping for. Both the arcade version and the TG16 port (Galaga '90) are great, and the port includes a bit of extra content. And is it okay to like Golden Axe? Because we like Golden Axe.

On the WiiWare front, Hudson launches its second downloadable FPS for the Wii. Unfortunately, it's the dire-looking Water Warfare.

Virtual Console:

• Galaga '88 (Arcade, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)
• Golden Axe (Arcade, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)

WiiWare:

• Bang Bang Kids (1-2 players offline, 2-8 online, 800 Wii Points)

During this weekend's World Hobby Fair, both Capcom and Nintendo had booths set up, showing off the new Wii colors and accessories. Capcom's booth had the Monster Hunter 3 bundles as part of its Monster Hunter display, and Nintendo had the blue Wiimote and Nunchuk, of course, to promote Wii Sports Resort -- which, incidentally, was also the inspiration behind a very nice set of giveaway items.

The Nunchuk has always been shiny on top and matte on bottom, but it's much more noticeable, and nice-looking, on the black version. Somehow, the Wiimote jacket also looks cool in matte black, despite being a Wiimote jacket. The Classic Controller Pro, as well, looks like much more of an upgrade in shiny black plastic. Head past the break to see the blue Wii Sports controllers.

An employee of Konami in Japan is suing the company after she allegedly had her wage lowered and was demoted after returning from maternity leave, according to reports. The suit by 36-year-old Yoko Sekiguchi, who is seeking $343,000 in damages, states that she was moved to a domestic position and had her salary cut by $2,080 a month following her return.

Sekiguchi's attorneys claim that, in pre-trial meetings, Konami stated her position was changed in consideration of creating a better child-rearing environment. Sekiguchi said, "Being forced to lessen your career to raise a child is sexual discrimination." Sekiguchi's previous position had her traveling all over the world to acquire licensing deals, in particular for the Winning Eleven series. Konami had "no comment." We're not well versed in Japanese laws regarding maternity leave. But, if you are, feel free to chime in down in the comments.

[Via Kotaku, Andriasang]

According to what has been identified as a pamphlet from a McDonalds location in Japan, Nintendo is preparing to launch three new Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games -- on WiiWare.

A detail from the pamphlet shows an announcement of the WiiWare release of the three games, along with logos for Mystery Dungeon games called Susume! Hono no Boukendan, Ikuzo! Arashi no Boukendan, and Mezase! Hikari no Boukendan, which translate to Advance! Fire Adventure Team, Go! Storm Adventure Team, and Aim! Light Adventure Group!, respectively.

Since we don't even know if the pamphlet, presumably distributed as a promotion for the Mac de DS program, is real, obviously we don't have any more details about the games, like whether Mystery Dungeon series creator Chunsoft is creating them or if they are all variants of the same base game.

This week, Japanese gamers will be able to download the new multiplayer Pokemon brawler (which is such a great idea!), but they'll have to pay for it. We admit to gasping a bit when we saw the 1,500-point price tag on Ransen! Pokemon Scramble, but we suspect we'll be spending that many of our American-style Wii Points soon enough. Pokemon Scramble is joined on WiiWare by a tambourine-based music game, and a cute-looking puzzle game about rotating objects to allow little creatures to move into a goal.

On the Virtual Console, Square Enix delivers the second Final Fantasy game in as many months. Final Fantasy II was designed by Akitoshi Kawazu, who we just happen to have spoken to at E3! The other VC game is Wonder Momo, a cutesy side-scrolling brawler from Namco that presents itself as a stage play. We're a little embarrassed about liking it.

Virtual Console

• Final Fantasy II (Famicom, 1 player, 500 Wii Points)
• Wonder Momo (Arcade, 1 player, 800 Wii Points)

WiiWare

• Fantagic Tambourine (1 player, 800 Wii Points)
• Anata ga Mawashite Sukuu Puzzle Mochi Mochi Q (1 player, 800 Wii Points)
• Melee! Pokemon Scramble (1-4 players, 1,500 Wii Points)

Last year, Nintendo and McDonald's introduced the "Nintendo Spot" service, through which special downloadable content and Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection access was made available at a few Tokyo-area McDonalds locations. This week, Nintendo and McDonalds announced that they will offer the service nationwide, with new exclusive content. Train stations on Tokyo's Tsukuba Express line will also have the service, with different exclusive content.

The Mac de DS service allows users to access DSiWare, to play online using the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, and to download special demos and other content. Current material includes a Pokemon stamp rally in which you unlock coupons for McDonalds products by visiting stores and "collecting" Pokemon. There are also quiz games and downloadable comics.

We'd say this kind of commercial cross-promotion is despicable, but, really, this has to be designed more with Nintendo's context-sensitive DS download initiative than with marketing -- because neither Mickey D's nor Nintendo really needs to do anything to become more popular.

[Via Famitsu]

It seems that the door is beginning to creak open for alternate-color Wii systems and accessories. First, Nintendo finally announces a Wii in a new color scheme (black), and now, less than two weeks later, the company has announced another color for the Wiimote and Nunchuk -- and the first new color for the MotionPlus. However, this is going to be a little harder to come by.

From June 25 to August 31, Nintendo will give away exclusive light blue Wiimotes, MotionPlus attachments and Nunchuks (and a matching jacket, of course) to five thousand Japanese Club Nintendo members who register copies of Wii Sports Resort. Not that Nintendo needed to offer any kind of incentive to sell Wii Sports Resort.

[Via GoNintendo]

Capcom's Japanese site for Lost Planet 2 has been updated with estimated release periods for both the Xbox 360 and newly-announced PlayStation 3 versions. The Xbox 360 version is listed as coming out this winter, but the PlayStation 3 version has an undetermined date. It appears, then, that Lost Planet 2 will be a timed exclusive for the 360, at least in Japan. Unless Capcom's unnanounced PS3 release window turns out the same as the 360 release window.

Unofficial sources (by which we mean gamestop.com) show the same North American release date, February 23, for both versions, but that could be a placeholder. We're currently inquiring with both Capcom and Microsoft to determine the timing of the North American releases.

We're more apt to believe, by the way, that the delay in Japan is due to starting the PS3 version later, and not due to any agreements -- because why on earth would Capcom agree to make something Xbox 360 exclusive in Japan for any period of time?

Update: Capcom has confirmed plans for a simultaneous PS3/360 release of Lost Planet 2. Read all about it here.


[Via Siliconera]

Japanese schools have integrated the Nintendo DS into their curricula before, but now there is a program specifically designed for that use. Demonstrating its commitment to make the DS a multifunctional lifestyle device, Nintendo announced a new educational program being made in collaboration with Sharp System Products. The DS Kyoushitsu ("DS Classroom") program allows a teacher to use a PC to interface over local wireless with up to 50 DS systems in a classroom.

The system can be used for problem sets, with the answers checked automatically and sent to the teacher's PC, surveys, tests, and other multiple-choice activities. In addition, non-multiple-choice questions can be answered by writing or drawing on the DS's touch screen, with screen images sent to the teacher.

The program can be used with any DS, so presumably it's up to schools whether or not they need to provide hardware. We're pretty sure Japanese school kids have easy access to DS systems already.

[Via Andriasang]