Japan begins to support the Xbox 360

A number of Japan-only Xbox 360 titles demonstrate that the country is starting to take the console seriously.

The previously arcade only shoot 'em up, Mamonoro (or Mamoru-kun wa Norowarete Shimatta!), has been announced for the Xbox 360 in Japan.

The question is, should you be excited? Well Mamonoro, which originally ran on Sega's Arcade Naomi board, is developed by G.rev in conjunction with Gulti. It's a top-down, ground-based shooting game featuring "cute" women fighting fantastical creatures.

Perhaps more interesting than the game itself, is the fact that it's only been announced for the Xbox 360 in Japanese magazine Famitsu.

This is perhaps a sign that Japanese developers now view Microsoft's console as a viable platform: the Xbox 360 is now approaching 1 million units sold in the country.

Another game announced for the Xbox 360 in the latest Famitsu magazine is BlazBlue, a 2D fighter from Arc System (the creators of the incredibly popular Guilty Gear series) originally thought to be a PlayStation 3 console exclusive.

Unlike Street Fighter IV, which has upgraded its characters to 2.5D, BlazBlue retains classic 2D fighters whilst seamlessly integrating them with high-definition cell-shaded backdrops.

The game doesn't exhibit signs of pixelation or petrifaction, meaning that it'll make the perfect transition from arcades to the high definition consoles. You can watch a trailer of BlazBlue below.

These Japanese Xbox 360 releases follow Capcom's Inafune stating that the "Xbox was the only way to break into overseas markets." It now looks like the platform is a legitimate platform at home also.

This fact can also be seen in Square Enix's tactics to release their titles as timed exclusives on the console. Star Ocean: The Last Hope was able to top Japan's software charts, as well as pushing Xbox 360 hardware in the country.