Brain Age, Theatrhythm, and more in this week's Japanese news roundup

[Gamasutra rounds up recent reports on the Japanese games industry from local news site Andriasang.com, a leading destination for English-language news on Japan's game industry.] In our latest round-up of Japanese game industry news not previously reported on Gamasutra, we look at Nintendo's newly-announced Brain Age title, Monolith Soft's upcoming 3DS project, and Theatrhythm Final Fantasy's strong first week debut. Nintendo unveils Brain Age follow-up for 3DS It's been almost seven years since Nintendo launched the original Brain Age in Japan, and now the company has once again partnered with Dr. Ryuta Kawashima to bring a new entry to the 3DS. This new title will help users improve their "concentration" and "working memory," much like the original title, which helped players practice arithmetic, solve visual puzzles, and tackle other similar brain teasers. The original Brain Age proved incredibly popular both in Japan and overseas, and sold more than 4 million units worldwide shortly after its North American launch in 2006. Xenoblade developer staffing up for new 3DS title Monolith Soft, the developer behind the popular Wii RPG Xenoblade Chronicles, has begun hiring staff for a new project on the Nintendo 3DS. This new game will come from Monolith Soft's newly formed Kyoto branch, and the developer is currently looking for animators, modelers, and more to work in the project. Monolith Soft's most recent release, Xenoblade Chronicles, has earned critical acclaim across both Japan and Europe, earning a 92 average on Metacritic. The popular title is due for a North American release this April. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy sees 90 percent sell-through in first week On February 16, Square Enix released its Final Fantasy-based rhythm game Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, and according to Japanese publication Dengeki, the game has already sold most of its initial shipment. Dengeki reported that the new Final Fantasy title sold through more than 90 percent of its initial stock, further supporting rumors that the game's first week sales were hindered by supply constraints. As Gamasutra reported previously, the title sold 67,206 copies in its first week, giving the title a healthy debut despite any supply problems. [This story was written with permission using material from Andriasang.com, a leading destination for English-language news on Japan's game industry.]