For fans of Japanese culture, summer is synonymous with an unmissable event in France: the Japan Expo. An event centered on Japan and its pop culture, which has not ceased to gain momentum in our country to resonate throughout Europe to the distant borders of the land of the Rising Sun, even inviting many guests. of the archipelago. Over time, the event has even gone so far as to open up to Asian pop culture, in general and in the West. Then a certain pandemic suspended the organization of this annual event. It is after 2 years of absence that the Japan Expo has returned with its various partners, in order to once again promote Japan through manga, animation, its atypical culture, its gastronomy, and many other things including the video game. Nintendo was present at the meeting, and we had the mission to cover a little the event as well as the stand in question.
A shy return to video games
From what we were able to test very quickly, One Piece Odyssey is a traditional turn-based JRPG with the cast of One Piece and a new storyline. Colorful and pretty without being a showcase of the genre, dare we say that it could very well, with a few concessions and a little will, land on our Switchs. We won’t dwell on it too much, but fans will certainly be delighted by the experience and the chance to try it out at the Bandai Namco booth, taking some photos of the booth decor and the few cosplayers around.
Continuing our route towards the huge Nintendo stand that we can see from quite a distance, we come across the small space shared by Capcom and Sega/Atlus. The offer of playable game terminals is also quite limited, with only Street Fighter 6 at Capcom, Hatsune Miku and Demon Slayer for Sega, and Persona 4 Arena Ultimax at Atlus. Some photo opportunities with nice decorative elements in the colors of Street Fighter, Sonic Frontiers, and Soul Hackers 2, in the absence of playable terminals for the last two. There was also a presentation of items related to 25 years of Persona at Atlus.
We take the time to do some nice parts of Street Fighter 6 to see that it will certainly be a very good opus that will please fans, but also to point out that it is not planned for our good Nintendo Switch. We continue on Demon Slayer, to hit people in a more Japan Expo atmosphere and a license that is absolutely everywhere around us, with many cosplays featuring characters from the manga/anime series. Then a brief passage on Hatsune Miku, without being real fans of this virtual idol, equipped with his green Japanese leek. Note also the total absence of Square Enix, which will only shine with a few manga adapting the license on a few stands of manga publishers. After this parenthesis, we finally arrive at the entrance to the space dedicated to Nintendo.
Let’s say bluntly that Nintendo had the largest stand dedicated to video games among the representatives of the genre. A gigantic, well-arranged space, like a sort of mini district with fairly wide but still narrow aisles faced with the monstrous crowds of fans or visitors to the Japan Expo. A layout with a large stage in the center equipped with a gigantic screen dedicated to tournaments and events organized by Nintendo, broadcast live on Nintendo France’s Youtube channel. The broadcast certainly also allowed you to admire the surroundings of the stand from time to time.
So, maybe you could see that a good big quarter of it was dedicated to Nintendo Switch Sports. A portal with the effigy of Spocco Square at the entrance, large decorative elements like the different events of the game, and several hosts on ten terminals just waiting to liven up your games alone or with your friends. On the other hand, if this diversity of sports and gyroscopic movements doesn’t appeal to you, a whole quarter dedicated to Mario Strikers: Battle League Football awaits you. Nintendo thus dedicates a good half of its stand to sporting activities. Hectic sport or traditional controller, your choice.
The setting was perhaps just slightly more subdued on the Mario Strikers side. In front of it stood a small space peacefully arranged with a few deckchairs and terminals with Animal Crossing: New Horizons Happy Home Paradise. Separated by a wall, a nice set with various Animal Crossing tools was at your disposal to stage yourself and ask the booth host to take your picture. Next to it, a space with several game terminals was available. Visitors had access to Two Point Campus, or Demon Slayer among others. As a first, only the independent game Blossom Tales 2 was available on a single remote terminal. There was also next to another game whose name we don’t even remember.
As for Blossom Tales 2, it goes without saying that it seems to offer an improved experience in all respects to the previous opus. The game will no doubt appeal to fans of the first game or old-school 2D Zelda lovers. In our opinion, it was very good news for the title to have its place on the stand. Hoping that this presence will be beneficial in terms of promotion and future sales. Near the stage, there was also a space with terminals dedicated to Mario kart 8 Deluxe, Super Smash Bros Ultimate, and Splatoon 2 tournaments.
Close to this space, another succession of terminals with a few varieties of games already all released, and which were above all there to allow a final presentation for visitors who were not informed. Terminals with: Pokémon Legends Arceus, Kirby and the Forgotten World, Fire Emblem Warriors Three Hopes, Lego Star Wars the Skywaker Saga, and Cerebral Academy. Finally, another small space dedicated to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and its additional circuits. We will immediately calm your expectations: the circuits were those of the first pass, already available since March 2022. Once again, Nintendo’s stand was the largest among the various video game players present this year.
A very beautiful stand that was worth the visit, even for a few photos without trying out the different titles. It just lacked a few little surprises or experiences straight from Japan, as the manufacturer liked to do every year in the past. If your concern is video games and you want something new, going to Capcom on Street Fighter 6 or Bandai Namco on One Piece Odyssey are certainly the only occupations waiting for you. We also forgot to mention a large presence of miHoyo, with a large stand on Genshin Impact, but also terminals of Honkai: Star Rail to allow everyone to try their hand at the studio’s new production. If you’re looking for simple fun, Nintendo has a huge and efficient stand. Otherwise, on a delirium that some will call “boomer” on the sidelines of the big guys, some offered retro gaming to entertain you.
Beyond the video game, the lounge looked slightly better laid out with better guidance on the different spaces it offered. Publishers and animation specialists in France were also all concentrated in the same pole. The opportunity to take advantage of it to make your manga purchases easily, whether at Ki-oon, Pika Edition, and many others. Some authors and artists were also present for the lucky few who managed to meet them and have their dedications, sometimes after long hours of waiting in sweat. For fans of Japanese music, artists and guests from Japan were also present on stage to enchant your ears.
You can also take advantage of a few karaoke stands to give your support. A tourism space was also dedicated to the discovery of Japan in some of the country’s prefectures. You can shop for Japanese products, useful if you come from places that do not allow you to buy these products. On the sidelines of all this, the various stands offer food at very high prices if you haven’t prepared anything on you to snack on. Stands presenting some sports and board games typical of the country. Then also a space focused on many Japanese artists offering their creations. Without forgetting the independent French or foreign artists scattered here and there in the fair.
We can only wish a good return to Japan Expo, to its partners and all the fans who responded to this great comeback after two years of absence. A return still under the summer heat of summer, but loaded with a rather rich schedule and accompanied by numerous activities to entertain you throughout the duration of the event. Going into the comparison, we must point out that the return still seemed timid at all levels, with fewer guests and exhibitors who did not respond to the call of this edition. In the video game as we have stated, only Nintendo takes care of effectively entertaining visitors, failing to have something new. Unless you are a big fan of Street Fighter and One Piece, if you were expecting new surprises, you could be a player who will come out of this new edition of Japan Expo frustrated. Let’s bet that the fans present give enough of their energy to motivate those absent to join the next edition, whether for more video games, but also for more representatives in all the cultural fields of Japan and beyond!
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