Nippon Ichi Will Take Down CERO Z Games From PS3 and Vita Stores

Nippon Ichi Software announced that it will cease selling its CERO Z-rated games on the PlayStation 3 and Vita digital storefronts on October 26, 2021. The titles affected by this announcement are Shin Hayarigami, Shin Hayarigami 2, and Iwaihime -Matsuri–.

This move comes as a direct result of Sony Interactive Entertainment’s decision to remove credit card, debit card, and PayPal payment methods from the PS3 and Vita storefronts on October 27, 2021. While the removal will occur worldwide, it also affects titles with a CERO Z rating in Japan. Purchases of titles with that rating in Japan require a credit card for age verification. Sony’s Japanese support page confirms that PS3 and Vita owners will not be able to purchase CERO Z games after the update.

While Nippon Ichi’s aforementioned titles will disappear from the PS3 and Vita stores, they are readily available on other platforms. Shin Hayarigami 1 and 2 are available on the Nintendo Switch, while Iwaihime appears with an English localization on PC.

Shin Hayarigami 2 and Iwaihime -Matsuri– are also available on PlayStation 4, and both of them are playable on the PS5 via backward compatibility. The latest title in the horror adventure game series, Shin Hayarigami 3, is available on the PS4 and Switch. However, the first Shin Hayarigami is missing from the PS4 and instead appeared on Android and iOS mobile devices. The Nintendo Switch is the only platform with the complete Shin Hayarigami trilogy.