Jan 03, 2026
3 min read
Navinosuke: The io-ko image is set for the 2026 SWISCHITIFICATION.The Khachi Store is a poor reminder to implement a lot of pilot development and balance.
Kohachi Studio has opened the new year with a development update for Navinosuke: The Yo-Kai Buster, confirming that the modern revival of the long-lost GBA RPG is still on track for the 2026 release for the Nintendo Switch.The team also shared that they are fully working on the core version of the game.
In the post, the developer talked about the progress of BFJ and Navinosuke over the past year, but Navinosuke is now moving to the next stage of the renovation.The message paints a picture of how busy 2025 has been for the studio, and sets expectations for what's left to release.
Here is the official English translation of the Kohachi Studio statement included in today's update:
“Happy New Year, everyone!
Last year we worked on both "BFJ" and "Navinosuke". This year is finally planned to be the release year of Navinosuke: The Yo-Kai Buster, which will be Kohachi Studio's first official game.
We originally planned to finish the main story at the end of last year, but before we knew it, the year was over.
Just a short time ago, we successfully completed the execution of the entire main scenario.
2025 was an unusually long year with almost no holidays.I'm tired!From now on, I will focus on adjusting combat balance and improving the overall feel of the game.
Oh... and we still need to work on multilingual support. Revenue from Nevinosuke will be used as a development fund to further improve BFJ.
We greatly appreciate your support. Thank you again for supporting Kohachi Studio this year!”
For those who recently caught up, Nabinosuke: Yokai Buster was originally a Game Boy Advance project developed by the same guys who worked on Metal Slug 20 years ago. The game was completed in a modified form after an experimental GPS-based concept fell apart, but never released. Kohachi Studio is currently remaking the title for the Switch with modern features and English support. You can read more about the project's unusual history and new developments in our previous article.
Kohachi Studio said the next steps include work on combat tuning, general improvements, and multilingual support before the game ships later this year.
How do you feel about this update?Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned to Noisy Pixel for more coverage.
