Kotaku: Cellphone

Resident Evil, All Crappy Looking

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 05:00:00 EDT

Resident Evil, All Crappy Looking" alt="Click here to read Resident Evil, All Crappy Looking" src="http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/images/9/2011/06/small_oaqvjnvssrc4ay6g482ykd4w3vq3a8c7.jpg"/>

Okay, it is a mobile phone game, but these days, that's not really an excuse! Resident Evil: Zombie Buster has RE characters Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield busting zombies. Check out Famitsu.com for more screens. [ファミ通] More »

Bungie May Also Have A Mobile Game On The Way

Mike Epstein — Thu, 12 May 2011 15:20:00 EDT

Bungie "Aerospace" filed a trademark for a new phone-based game called "Crimson" last week. The trademark is described as a "Computer game software for use on mobile and cellular phones." and "Computer game software downloadable from a global computer network." [UPSTO.GOV] More »

Gamer Kid Threatened To Kill And Kill Again

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 05:00:00 EST

After this fourteen-year-old boy's cell phone gaming site membership was canceled, he decided to get even: by threatening to murder people. More »

Mobile Phones Get Wireless Controller

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 03:00:00 EDT

Enjoy mobile phone gaming? Don't mind looking like a goob? Have I got something for you. More »

Hostesses? Ha! Hosts!

Brian Ashcraft — Sun, 16 May 2010 16:00:00 EDT

In Japan, hostesses are dolled up girls that work in bars, pour men's drinks and light their cigarettes. Hosts? More »

Korean Girl Group DSi Ads Are Not Exciting

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 09:00:00 EDT

One of South Korean's most popular girl groups, Girls' Generation, is appearing in DSi ads for Nintendo of Korea. The ads are, to put it kindly, dull. More »

Yakuza In 8-Bit

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 08:30:00 EDT

Sega's Yakuza gangster game series is not in 8-bit. But if it was, what would it look like? More »

Bernie Madoff, The Cell Phone Game

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 20 May 2009 03:00:00 EDT

Ponzi scheme mastermind Bernie Madoff is in jail for pulling off the biggest financial swindle ever. Nothing says white collar crime like a cell phone game. More »

Plastered Japanese Politician, The Cell Phone Game

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 08:00:00 EST

Japan's Finance Minister Shoichi Nakagawa showed up at the G7 meeting in Rome totally blotto earlier this month. This calls for a cell phone game. More »

Final Fantasy Cell Phone Game Reaches 2 Million Downloads

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 05:00:00 EST

How big are cell phones in Japan? If Final Fantasy IV The After is any indication, pretty damn big. An episode sequel to Final Fantasy IV, the cell phone title has been downloaded over 2 million times and is available for Japanese carrier DoCoMo's FOMA 903i and 703i series as well as for carrier AU's WIN BREW series. It was released earlier this year in February, and new "chapters" appear on a near monthly basis. More »

Professor De Marco and the Mysterious Cell Phone Part 3: The Reveal

fdemarco — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Yesterday the truth was finally revealed behind the mysterious cell phone received in the mail a few weeks back. I was still pretty unsure of exactly what was going to go down yesterday, so I sent a final text message through the phone asking what was going on. More »

Professor De Marco The Curious Cell Phone: Part 2

fdemarco — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 12:40:00 EDT

You may have read last week about a mysterious cell phone that was sent my way with no return address. A series of text messages informed me that I would hear word on the 24th on my "assignment." I checked in on the phone yesterday evening and sure enough there was another text message, this one slightly more ominous than the first... More »

CSI Game Uses Cell Phone Calls to Play

fdemarco — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EDT

Gameloft has just announced CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - The Mobile Game which they will be releasing in cooperation with CBS. In the game, players will be investigating the seedy side of Las Vegas (does it have a non-seedy side?) and will receive help and clues from the in-game characters in the form of real cell phone messages. From the press release: More »

Professor De Marco and The Curious Cell Phone

fdemarco — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 12:40:00 EDT

While I was ~~lazing about the house~~ working hard yesterday I received a Fed-Ex delivery. Not that this is anything unusual, I get Fed-Ex packages fairly regularly but upon looking at the slip I noticed that there was nothing filled in in the senders area. But it clearly said To: Flynn De Marco - Kotaku so I figured it was some kind of game thing. After getting over my initial fear that it might be the head of Gwyneth Paltrow, I opened it to discover a small Nokia phone. No note, no press release, none of the things that usually accompany such things. So I figured I'd go ahead and plugged it in and left the house for the day. Upon my return I heard an unfamiliar jangling and realized it was the phone informing me that I had a text message. I checked it to discover the following missive. More »

Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep and Final Fantasy: Dissidia Screens

fdemarco — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 10:00:00 EST

Famitsu is currently hosting some new Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep (PSP) and Final Fantasy Dissidia screens. Also available are screens for Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days (DS) and Kingdom Hearts: Coded (cell phone). I got a chance to check out trailers for all of these games at TGS and was on the whole not terribly impressed by the latter two titles although Birth By Sleep looks like it will be the best of the lot. Dissidia also looks great as far as the graphics are concerned, but for gameplay, we'll just have to wait and see. More »

Silent Hill Ringtones From Verizon

fdemarco — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 10:00:00 EST

I've been playing quite a bit of Silent Hill: Origins lately and was lucky enough to have met Yamaoke himself at E for All, so when Kotakuite Jesterhead369 dropped me this note in my inbox it piqued my interest. If you have a Verizon phone, you can download several Silent Hill ringtones including the popular Theme of Laura. Each ring will set you back $2.99 for the privilege of carrying a bit of creepy town with you. Unfortunately , I don't have a Verizon phone, but hopefully with the iPhone I hope to get for Christmas and my SH2 soundtrack CD (autographed even!), I can cobble together my own SH ringtone to disturb passers by. More »

Cellphone Gaming Down, Probably Not Out

Mark Wilson — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 13:40:16 EST

We all know cellphone games are near worthless, but apparently the mass market is starting to agree. Because a recent M:Metrics (research company) report shows that the number of cellphone subscribers playing games has peaked, plateauing at 5.7 million subscribers in December 2006 and dropping to 5.4 million by last June. More »

Use Your Windows Mobile Cell Phone To Host a LAN party

fdemarco — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 14:00:00 EST

Let's face it, not everyone on the planet has access to high speed internet. Some people living out in remote areas just can't get the kinds of service us fancy, city dwelling folk do. Such was the problem for D15AV0W3D over at The Hushed Casket. After exhausting every available resource to get a high speed connection, he thought he was doomed to dial-up for the rest of his life, never being able to catch up with our rapidly changing modern world. But, with some ingenuity and the help of a Samsung i607 Blackjack phone with AT&T's Edge connection he was able to accomplish the seemingly impossible. More »

Cellphone ZeeMote Is A Wii Like Nunchuk

Mark Wilson — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 14:40:50 EDT

What is the number one problem with cellphone gaming? If you answered "the cellphone," you'd be wrong. If you answered "the cellphone's keyboard," you just might want to plan a purchase today. The ZeeMote is essentially a Bluetooth joystick, a nunchuk-like peripheral for your mobile devices. We're highly interested in both the ZeeMote more peripherals for cellphone gaming. And as soon as those peripherals include completely integrated PSP and DS controls, screens and libraries, we'll be happy little cellphone gamers. The ZeeMote is currently priceless and due out next year. More »

Docomo Cellphone Exercise Game, Dominated

Mark Wilson — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 14:00:26 EDT

Japan's Cell Phone Obsession

fdemarco — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 11:00:00 EDT

I always thought the phenomenon of cell phones had reached monumental proportions in the U.S., but it's nothing compared to what it's like here in Japan. A ride on the train will have you seeing at least ten to fifteen people on each car with phones out presumably texting or playing games on them. The there's the cell phone charms. They are HUGE over here. Practically everyone has one or two or thirty dangling off their phone. Some are so large they are bigger than the phones. For example, one gal I saw had no less than three small plush animals attached making it impossible to put in a pocket or the tiny purse she was carrying. More »

Raise Babies On Your Cell Phone

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 06:00:04 EDT

Raising children is easy. If I can do it — Better yet, if Crecente can do it, anyone can. Even Tiffany! Come On Baby, which is hitting UK cell phones soon-ish, is Cooking Mama, but with children and no knifes. The game stars buxom Tiffany, who has just started up her own nursery. Players must change diapers, feed babies and boiling milk to turn her nursery into a "five star baby motel." The game's publisher Ozura proclaims it is: More »

The Mario Rip-Off Phone Game

Brian Ashcraft — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 01:00:12 EST

Description of new cell phone game: More »

I-Play Boss Predicts Mobile Domination

Mike Fahey — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 11:20:43 EST

I'm just going to hit you with the quote here right off the bat. More »

You Call This A Nintendo Cell Phone?

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 08:40:33 EST

A patent has popped up that Nintendo filed back in November 2001. It is for a "mobile phone type electronic apparatus" that contains a CPU for a phone and a CPU for game related process. In a sentence: It's a cell phone that pauses gameplay when there's an incoming call. That button placement, though, looks extremely uncomfortable! But Yoshi to that patent drawing? Cute. Brian Ashcraft More »

Hello Kitty Invaders

Mike Fahey — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 14:40:38 EST

In the seedy world of cellphone straps, normal physical and licensing laws do not apply, paving the way for some of the most glorious creations man has ever witnessed. Case in point, the Hello Kitty Space Invaders cellphone strap. This rendition of a pixellated Hello Kitty riding atop a Space Invaders spaceship can be yours from StrapYa for the low low price of $5.70. A small price to pay for neatly summing up your disturbing fondness for pink cuteness and love of retro gaming in one compact package. If I were inclined at all to fits of flinging my cellphone wildly about, this would be what I used to protect myself and the innocents around me. Michael Fahey More »

Halo Mobile: Lawsuit Evolved

Mike Fahey — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 15:40:33 EST

Way back in 2005 Kotaku reported that Halo was on its way to a cell phone near you, thanks to an agreement between mobile game publisher In-Fusio and Microsoft. Over a year later and finally the end result of the agreement has arrived. Unfortunately it's not a game, but a lawsuit. Claiming that Microsoft has either refused to approve or ignored their game designs entirely, In-Fusio refused to make its second payment on the $2 million deal. Microsoft in turn used that as grounds for breaking the deal entirely. Now the cell game publisher is seeking damages. More »

Hangman Gets EXTREME

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 22:23:25 EDT

It's not just hangman. It's EXTREME HANGMAN (all caps). How extreme is this mobile phone? According to the website: More »

Bob Marley's Smoking Mobile Phone Game

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 06:24:02 EDT

Via the lovely Alice, comes this dope cell phone game: More »

Smart Phones Gets Smart Game Controller

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 14:22:23 EDT

One of the big problems with cell phone gaming is that the buttons aren't designed for gaming, but for, well, cell phones. Called the "Zeta," this Korean-made smart phone accessory is definitely a step in the right direction. It supports Nintendo emulator E2-SNES, has seven programmable buttons and can jive with Hewlett Packard and LG handsets. Very tasteful as well! Brian Ashcraft More »

Lava Croft: Copyrighted Character Raider

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 03 Aug 2006 11:22:21 EDT

With cell phone game Lave Kroft, unscrupulously ballsy Singaporean publisher Ozura Mobile has drawn the legal eye of Lara Kroft maker Eidos. More »

Like A Zombie, The Commodore Is Back From The Dead

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 03:22:26 EDT

Around the time old man Crecente got his first gray hair (1982), the Commodore 64 was released. The gaming PC eventually died out in 1993, but Crecente's gray hairs kept coming (hence, his mysterious trip "abroad"). More »

Want to Dine with Malaysian Beauty Queen?

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 09 Jun 2006 11:22:05 EDT

Cue that Right Said Fred song, it's time to strut that catwalk with Beauty Queen Catwalk. Starring Miss Malaysia 2004, Gloria Ting, the cell phone game lets players be a beauty queen—minus the backstage infighting and bitchy remarks (dang). Guide Gloria along the catwalk and earn points by keeping her steady. Best of all, there's a contest, and we just love contests. At the end of the game, folks upload their scores, and the Malaysian with the highest score wins cash and dinner with Miss Ting! Brian Ashcraft More »

E306: Gameloft's The OC Mobile Game

kotaku.com — Thu, 11 May 2006 16:25:11 EDT

It's more than a little embarassing to admit this, because we're not twelve and we don't watch The OC, but we sort of kind of liked playing Gameloft's demo of their OC mobile game at their booth this morning. You can play as one of the four main characters or as a new character you create, and your goal is to make yourself the most popular teenager in Newport Beach. We played for a few minutes as Ryan, in his room and in the Cohen's Kitchen, and were amused to discover that choosing to read a comic book improves your attitude but reduces your coolness. So really The OC game is just like real life high school—except of course that unlike our pixelized hero, most of you reading this never had the nerve to talk to girls back then, let alone make out with any. More »

Photographer, Models And Bad, Bad Dialogue

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 27 Apr 2006 13:22:50 EDT

Taking a page from a Three's Company script, Bandai Namco's cell phone dating sim Koi no Shutter Chance puts players as newbie photographer, living with two foxy idols. The story ~~undresses~~ unfolds through conversations with the ladies. Chit-chat like (see above): More »

Massively Hormonal Online Game

kotaku.com — Wed, 05 Apr 2006 18:40:00 EDT

Digital Chocolate ("With a Name Like That, We've Got to Be Vaguely Distasteful") has announced a dating video game aimed at teens and their cell phones. With "The Hook Up: AvaFlirting," you can create a little cell-phone avatar and flirt with other peoples' cell phone avatars in a cruel, deformed mockery of human relations. Details are scant, but apparently the game will be part virtual pet, part virtual dating, and all PG-13. While parents' groups may end up being worried about the implications on semi-anonymous virtual "dating," linguists will be more concerned about the mind-boggling awkwardness of the word "AvaFlirting." More »

Ninety-Nine Nights: The Cell Phone Version

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 11:22:26 EDT

Microsoft Japan is launching a mobile content site for the upcoming RPG Ninety-Nine Nights, which goes on sale April 20th. Fans can sign up at the Vodafone site for 315 yen (approx. US $2.80) and download keitai wallpaper, ringtones and read the adventure novel. How exciting. More »

Game Designing Jack Bauer Style

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 14 Mar 2006 21:29:51 EST

Over the weekend, MTV's Stephen Totilo checked out the "Mobile Game Mosh" at New York's Parsons School of Design. The Glu Mobile and Atari-sponsored design contest challenged college and grad students to churn out a Nokia compatible cell phone game in 24 hours. Contracts, Totilo reports, signed by the participants forfitted game rights to Atari and Glu Mobile. Yuck. More »

Phoenix Wright on American Cell Phones

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 20 Feb 2006 10:22:10 EST

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is coming to American cell phones. The popular DS title was a remake of the Japanese Game Boy Advance title Gyakuten Saiban and only one of the three-part series to get official an English translation. Gyakuten Saiban 2 and 3 are now being localized for the US as downloadable content. A post over at GAF says there's no word yet concerning DS or GBA ports. More »