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Ahhh, grammar school -- there was nothing quite like trying to hide that GBA under the desk in fear of Mrs. Rosencrantz confiscating our portal into Pokémon Fire Red. Back then, handheld games were little more than an obvious distraction in the eyes of our ruler-equipped teachers, but Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto plans on changing all of that. Speaking with the Associated Press in an interview recently, the legendary game developer explained his latest devotion: bringing the Nintendo DS and Wii into schools. He said that the DS would be making its way into "junior high and elementary schools in Japan starting in the new school year" (beginning this April).

Miyamoto didn't get too specific on how his company's consoles would help Japanese students with their education, only detailing it as part of Nintendo's initiative to expand the audience for gaming consoles. We have to imagine that the kids won't be using them to decide whether or not Resident Evil 4 on Wii is the best version (besides, we all already know that it is). Thankfully for our unborn children, Miyamoto didn't mention any amorphous plans to bring gaming consoles into North American schools just yet. Presumably they'll have to play it fast and loose like we did -- keeps 'em sharp!

After almost six months, we're going to see sales for the PSP Go pick up in Japan starting tomorrow. How can we be so sure? Today, Sony announced that not only is the PSP hit Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (called Monster Hunter Freedom Unite here) being released as a download on March 18 -- a voucher for the title will also be given away with new PSP Gos. The downloadable game by itself will cost ¥1,600 ($17.69) from the PlayStation Store.

Even though over three million people already have this on UMD -- and even though Monster Hunter Portable 3 was just announced for PSP -- we still anticipate a lot of sales for this. People in Japan are just that thrilled about Monster Hunter.

[Via Andriasang]

Somehow, developer CyberConnect2 is making a game that is neither Naruto nor .hack. In fact, Solarobo for DS is a spiritual successor to CyberConnect2's 1998 PlayStation game Tail Concerto. Like Tail Concerto, Solarobo is a platforming action RPG starring anthropomorphic animals in walking mechs.

As Red Savarin, you pilot the robot DAHAK-AZI03 on bounty hunting missions. Without weapons, your only method of combat is picking up and throwing objects using the robot's arms. Solarobo is due in Japan this year from Namco Bandai. It features some kind of 1-4 player support, but the details of that have yet to be released -- as does any information about a release outside of Japan.

When Capcom woke up this morning, it decided it would like to have roughly a bajillion more dollars by this time next year. It walked over to a secret panel in its foyer, slid it open and pressed a button inside, labeled "New Monster Hunter." A press release was instantaneously launched announcing Monster Hunter Portable 3rd, the next PSP-based entry in the franchise, due out in Japan in late 2010.

The announcement heralds new monsters and areas to explore, an expanded "Felyne Comrade" system (we're pretty sure that's Russian for "cat friend") and improved co-op play. There's no word on plans for localization, but Capcom's been pretty diligent in unleashing the Monster Hunter series worldwide. You can get your first look at the outrageously large-sworded title in a trailer posted after the jump.

[Thanks Krystian!]

Now that Yakuza 3 has been out in North America for a whole week and Yakuza 4 ia due to hit Japan in two days, it's definitely time for Sega to announce another one. At least, that's what Sega seems to think. At a Yakuza 4 event in Tokyo, Sega showed a teaser trailer for a new game in the series, with concept art depicting the familiar Kamurocho district of the other games. As usual, the next iteration will be produced by series creator Toshihiro Nagoshi.

Codenamed "Project K," the new game appears to star a young man who "knew the graveness of the crimes he continued to commit," luckily, "fighting is his destiny," even if he "doesn't know the cruel fate that awaits." Powerful stuff!

The teasers calls this new project, "A new challenge for Ryu ga Gotoku [Yakuza]," suggesting that the next game could be different in some way. Perhaps this forthcoming Yakuza will leave the story of Kazuma Kiryu behind entirely in favor of a new character. Or perhaps it'll be made for a platform other than PlayStation 3.

You may think that, being born into this world, Tomonobu Itagaki escaped the womb wearing a pair of sunglasses and one bitchin' leather jacket -- and you may well be right. Back then, medical records simply did not document such phenomena. Also, if the records did, we wouldn't know because we can't read Japanese. Let's just say he did.

Moving on, it would seem Itagaki doesn't have to don the shades and treated animal skin for every picture taken, as this interview with his new outfit, Valhalla Game Studios, shows. The leather and sunglasses are more part of his press persona, which stems from his original dream of being "a pro gambler of mahjong."

"If you let someone read your eyes, you may lose many chances to win," Itagaki said. "So I came to wearing sunglasses outside. Basically." You know, it's a simple explanation, but it takes some of the magic out of it, don't you think? Regardless, head on over and give the interview a read for insight into how Valhalla set up the new office work flow and how it plans to get its upcoming not-a-fighter onto store shelves.

[Via Siliconera]

Sony may have a 10 year plan for PS3, and Microsoft may be extending the life of the 360 with Project Natal -- heck, even Nintendo has repeatedly stated it's sticking with the Wii -- but Square Enix is reading between the lines and gearing up for the next generation of gaming regardless. IGN spotted a listing over at the official Square Enix website that seeks a variety of technical positions "in anticipation of the appearance of next generation platforms."

From 3D graphics core programmers to technical artists (and pretty much everything in between), the new hires will be charged with development of a "new generation game engine development project" -- presumably the next iteration of the company's Crystal Tools game engine. Square notes the intention of this early development as "for competing beyond the level of the world's powerful developers," though we should note that you kinda sorta have to move to Tokyo if you're interested in applying for such a lofty position. Oh, yeah, and you should probably be able to speak Japanese.

[Via IGN]

Capcom has announced the Japanese release date for Ace Attorney creator Shu Takumi's supernatural puzzle adventure game, Ghost Trick. Japan will be able to put Sissel's spirit into a bicycle on June 24. Capcom has yet to offer a date for North American or European releases beyond simply 2010, but if the game is in a complete state by June, that bodes well for localization sometime in the fall.

However, if you can't wait that long, and you don't mind clicking through a bunch of Japanese text, you can play the TGS demo right now! Capcom posted a flash demo to the Ghost Trick site.

[Via Andriasang]

Those of you who have Japanese PSN accounts will have your own private paradise on the PlayStation Network this week. Sony announced that a demo of Tecmo's Dead or Alive Paradise -- which is precisely the kind of game you'd want to try out by downloading, without having to make eye contact with anyone -- will be available for download in Japan this Friday, March 12.

We're now on the edge of our seats to find out which girls we'll get to interact with in the demo. Will it be the supposed martial artist with the ridiculous proportions, or the other one?

Attendees of Tokyo Game Show 2010 will have more to see and do -- or, perhaps, more to wish they could see and do while they're in line for a Final Fantasy demo. CESA announced several new additions to the show, which takes place September 16-19.

New segments of the show floor will be devoted to PC hardware, gadgets, and mobile. An International Career Pavilion will help companies recruit foreign talent, and a PC Online Game Business area will "provide opportunities to present and discuss licensing, sales, and partnership regarding PC online games." Also toward the goal of boosting business, TGS will host an Asian Game Business Summit.

Publishers will now be able to sell games in the Merchandise Sales Area, in addition to swag. The Kids' Area will be expanded into a Family Area, with no restrictions on the number of games on display. Some of the additions seem to be focused on promoting Japan in general: tours will now be available for foreign visitors, along with an Asian Culture Hub.

Though there's a lot of content on DSiWare in Japan today, it's almost entirely training stuff. So, it would seem that DSiWare stepped aside to let WiiWare's single release shine this week. (That's probably not what really happened -- but it's a nice thought.)

In any case, Mega Man 10 is up on WiiWare in Japan today, and it's likely to overshadow anything else available this week, including the ancient Moon Cresta:

• Mega Man 10 (WiiWare, 1 player, 1,000 Wii Points)
• Moon Cresta (VC Arcade, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points)

• G.G. Series Throw Out (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points)
• Renjuku Kanji: Shougaku 4-nensei (DSiWare, 1 player, 500 DSi Points)
• Renjuku Kanji: Shougaku 5-nensei (DSiWare, 1 player, 500 DSi Points)
• Brain Challenge (DSiWare, 1 player, 500 DSi Points)
• Let's Golf (DSiWare, 1 player, 800 DSi Points)

Now that Sega's Condemned has been added to the Xbox Live Games on Demand service (for $19.99), you can get started with the suspense even before you play it! Turn the lights off, curl up on the couch with some popcorn and just watch it download. When will it be finished? No one knows!

Condemned is available everywhere but Australia, India, Japan and New Zealand. Instead, in Japan -- and Japan only -- Guilty Gear 2: Overture has been added to Games On Demand for ¥2,940 ($32.75). Additionally, in Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan, Ridge Racer 6 is now available -- also for ¥2,940 in Japan, with prices varying by region.

Shortcut: Add Condemned to your download queue [via Xbox.com]

If you don't already have Mega Man 3 on the NES, the Wii Virtual Console or in the Mega Man Anniversary Collection, and if you have a Japanese PSN account, you'll be able to purchase the classic run-and-gun for your PlayStation systems next month.

Capcom announced that the Rockman Complete Works PS1 port of Mega Man 3 will be added to the Japanese PlayStation Store in April. But some Japanese Mega Man 10 buyers will be able to get it early -- Capcom is giving away 50 copies to random PSN users who buy Mega Man 10 in the first two weeks of its availability.

[Via Siliconera]

Well, this is about as far from how we wanted to start out the week as humanly possible -- a Japanese news site called Data-Max reports that Cing, developer of precious gems such as Hotel Dusk and Little King's Story, has filed for bankruptcy, suffering liabilities of 256 million yen.

It really sucks when a developer has to take such desperate measures to deal with its economic hardships, but it double-sucks when one of said developer's games -- in this case, Hotel Dusk sequel Last Window -- is still due for an American localization. Here's hoping Cing can recover from what's proven to be one of the most painfully slow sales seasons for the company to date.

[Via NeoGAF]

As listed in the most recent issue of Famitsu (and translated by Andriasang), Platinum Games' fourth effort for Sega, Vanquish, is headed to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 this winter. The game's director, the acclaimed Shinji Mikami, spoke with the Japanese mag recently about how the game is taking shape.

Apparently, Atsushi Inaba (ex-CEO of Clover Studios) will be serving as producer on what Mikami calls a "shooter that places importance on the good tempo and feeling of rhythm you get from playing an action game." The game's said to be set in a near future where US/Russian Cold War relations have resulted in a standoff. "There are lots of games where you shoot and kill people, so this time we wanted to try and see how we could convey the good feeling of shooting robots." Truer words, Mr. Mikami. Truer words.

Allegedly the game is around 80 percent done at this point, with only "annoying" work left to be done -- Mikami's not a fan of enemy and ally AI development, it seems. Will we see Vanquish on North American shores this winter as well? We're not sure yet, but with the game "developed with overseas markets in its sights," we have to imagine Platinum Games would like its latest title to land in our trigger-happy hands as soon as possible.