TOKYO, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei closed lower on Wednesday, after hitting a near two-month high in the last session, as Nintendo dropped on poor earnings, with cautious investors now awaiting U.S. inflation data to gauge the Federal Reserve's future rate-hike path.

The Nikkei share average accelerated declines in the afternoon session to close down 0.56% at 27,716.43, retreating from a peak of 27,943.27 hit on Tuesday, its highest intraday level since mid-September.

The broader Topix lost 0.41% to 1,949.49.

Videogame maker Nintendo dropped 7.1% after slashing sales projections for its Switch console by 10%. It was the worst performing Nikkei stock after electric-vehicle battery manufacturer GS Yuasa, which plunged 7.42% after disappointing investors with its own financial results.

Energy shares also tumbled amid a retreat in crude prices, ranking worst among Nikkei sectors, with a 2.67% drop.

"Ahead of CPI, investors have shifted to a wait-and-see posture," said Takuro Hayashi, an head of the investment research center at IwaiCosmo Securities.

"Buying continues for chip-related shares and companies posting good earnings, so the market backdrop isn't bad."

Of the Nikkei's 225 components, 99 rose versus 121 that fell, with five flat.

Chip-making equipment maker Tokyo Electron was the best performer by index points, contributing about 23 points to the Nikkei's rise with a 1.62% advance.

Motorcycle-maker Suzuki rallied 3.52% after announcing a positive earnings surprise. (Reporting by Kevin Buckland; Additional reporting by Tokyo markets team; Editing by Rashmi Aich and Uttaresh.V)