Kotaku: Halloween

Who Says Nintendogs are Only on the DS?

Owen Good — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 15:00:00 MDT

Gizmodo is gonna think I am copying their homework but, seriously, you gotta see these two dogs dressed as a Wii and a Wiimote for Halloween, and these poor sons of bitches (literally) do not look happy about it. Looks like they are having less fun playing Nintendo hardware than this guy did.

In deference to our sister site for this great get, you can see the second one on the link.

Halloween Wii Dogs Make Us Laugh, Shed Single Tear [Gizmodo]

It's the Great Gaming Pumpkins

Brian Crecente — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 16:10:00 MDT

Halloween is upon on. Man that was quick. Last night I suddenly realized that we had forgotten to carve our pumpkin this year. That realization was followed by Tristan and I doing a tour of the local grocery stores on the hunt for large carving gourds. We finally found a GIANT pumpkin, brought it home and craved a Cyclops face into its flattest surface. That’s right, nothing gaming related. But that didn’t stop tons of you from carving up pumpkins in tribute to your favorite games.

Hit up the jump for a gallery of the ones that have been sent in to us so far.

Got your own fancy pumpkins you want to show off? Send them to tips. We'll be updating this pumpkin post throughout the day!

Vampires, Ghosts, Goblins And The Devil Hit Wii Virtual Console For Halloween

Stuart Houghton — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 18:40:00 MDT

Hey - at least it isn't another bloody Zombie epidemic stunt.

3 classic NES games with seasonally appropriate levels of supernatural 'orribleness are to make their debut on the Wii Virtual Console this week.

Vampire hunting platformer Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, controversial-in-the-80's non-Pac-Man-ripoffDevil World and Ghosts 'n Goblins are all up for grabs at 500 Wii points each in Europe (PAL).

News: Spooky NES Trio For Euro Virtual Console [N-Europe]

PotC Online Celebrates Year One With Zombie Invasion

Mike Fahey — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 10:40:00 MDT

Disney's Pirates of the Carribean Online is celebrating its one year anniversarry in much the same way all the other MMO's are celebrating this time of year, with a Halloween Spooktacular zombie invasion! Starting tomorrow the game world will fall into permanent darkenss, and when the moon reaches its fullest, players that don't take cover will be transformed into the shambling undead, forced to attack towns and one another in Jolly Roger's name.

In addition to yet another undead plague, the one year anniversary also sees the launch of a contest where players can submit a short video professing their love for the game in order to win a chance to meet the developers, complete with a three-day trip to Disneyland, a MacBook, an iPod Nano, and a visit to Walt Disney Studios. For more details, visit www.PiratesOnline.com.

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN ONLINE CELEBRATES ONE YEAR OF PIRATING AND ADVENTURES ON THE HIGH SEAS

First Anniversary Marked With Legendary In-Game Halloween Event & Contest

NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – October 30, 2008 – Disney Online today announced the one-year anniversary of Pirates of the Caribbean Online (www.PiratesOnline.com), an immersive massively multiplayer online game (MMOG), which allows players to fully experience the untamed and action-packed Pirate world captured in the popular film franchise. Pirates of the Caribbean Online provides ever-changing, open-ended adventures with thousands of other players in a unique blend of action, strategy and role playing. To celebrate, Pirates Online will bring mayhem to the Caribbean with a haunting in-game event and contest on “All Hollows Eve.” Additionally, Walt Disney Pictures recently announced that a fourth installment of the hugely successful "Pirates of the Caribbean" films is officially in development.

Since the games launch in October 2007, players have achieved many milestones in world including:

• Ships Sunk – 121,602,136
• Hands of Blackjack Played – 19,815,360
• Number of Ship Repairs Completed – 33,829,645
• Tattoos Purchased - 288,547

“It’s been a great year for Pirates Online, thanks in large part to our active, growing community,” said Steve Parkis, senior vice president, Disney Online. “The feedback from our fans continues to inspire the Pirates team to create and deliver exciting new content and features that add to the authentic, rich and engaging world.”

Over the past year, a myriad of new features have been added to the game that expand the world and the overall game experience, including:
• Privateering (Player vs. Player Ship Combat) - In the quest to become a Privateer, players chose a side – French or Spanish – and assemble a crew for Pirate vs. Pirate ship combat on the high seas. Pirate "Lords" on both sides challenge players with quests to prove their worth. Completing these tasks earns gold and reputation points and a tattoo that will brand survivors as Privateering veterans.
• New Customization Options - Adding to the millions of possible player combinations available at launch – gender, body type, face, hair, clothing and names – several new customizations options have been added including tattoos, jewelry, additional clothing items (new pants, hats, coats and coats inspired by members of the Brethren Court), and new hairstyles.
• Shops - Tattoo parlors, jewelry stores, and tailor shops have been added to the game.
• Enhanced Lookout System - An in-game system was added to match players up with others looking to engage in the same activity. Players can now instantly see their percentage of finding a match (high, medium, or low) to help determine how long it will take before a match is found. Players can also now get more closely matched with other players that are at the same notoriety level as themselves.
• Emotes - With the addition of emotes, players can communicate with others through actions such as dancing, laughing, clapping, celebrating, crying, flexing, waving, and more.
• New Quests & Enhanced Quest Tracking System - A number of new quests for Unlimited Access Pirates have been added, including Pirate’s Life Quest, Clothing for a Pirate Quest, and Adoria’s Family. Each outfit is available for Pirates of varying Notoriety levels. In addition, enhancements to the Quest Tracking System were made so that when players are in the “return to townsperson” stage of completing a Quest, they simply follow the ray of light and the yellow arrow at their feet to return to their townsperson.
• Ghost Ships - Nightmarish forces of evil and danger, players must keep their eyes out for these ill-fated vessels that are sure to challenge skills and nerves. The undead sailors are doomed to skulk around the waters of Isla Cangrejos and Cutthroat Island in their ominous ships – Shadow Crow, Cerberus, and Blood Scourge.
• “Looking for Crew” Feature - Allows players to tell other Pirates that they are interested in crewing up by placing a “Looking for Crew” message above their avatar’s head.
• New Weapons – New level four and five weapons have been added, including different types and styles of voodoo dolls, daggers, voodoo staffs and pistols, which deliver more damage, faster reload rates and special effects.

To help celebrate the first anniversary and “All Hallows Eve,” Jolly Roger will cast a wicked curse on the populace of the Caribbean and stir up an epic in-game event. Starting October 31, the Pirates of the Caribbean Online world will permanently turn to night, and when the moon is at its fullest, any Pirate that doesn’t take cover will become cursed and turn into an undead skeleton. Chaos will ensue, and all of the cursed Pirates will be forced to attack the towns, and one another, all in the name of Jolly Roger.

In addition, a special anniversary contest will be held for all Basic Players and Unlimited Access members. The contest asks players to submit a short video documenting how much they love Pirates Online and demonstrating how they “Live the Pirates Life.” The contest will commence today and run through December 19, and the finalists’ videos will be posted on www.PiratesOnline.com. Players will have the chance to win exciting prizes including one grand prize: a chance to meet the Pirates Online crew and lead developer for a one-on-one Q&A and a lunch at Walt Disney Studios to see where the films are made. The winner will also receive a three-day trip to Disneyland and two nights stay at the Disneyland Hotel, with one night in the Pirates of the Caribbean Suite. A $100 shopping spree in the Pieces of Eight shop, MacBook and iPod Nano are also part of the loot.

WAR Launches In-Game Halloween Spooktacular

Mike Fahey — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 13:00:00 MDT

Even a brand-spanking new MMO like Warhammer Online can't resist holding their own Halloween Spooktacular in-game events. Beginning today, October 29th, Witching Night descends upon on the lands of WAR, bringing with it four new public quests and a live in-game event that pits players from both realms against ancient evil forces. Of course any Halloween event wouldn't be complete without special goodies, and Mythic tons of special items, exclusive titles, and special event-only cloaks lined up. As a special Warhammer Online twist, some items can only be looted from other players in Realm vs. Realm play, so don't get so caught up in the festivities that you forget who the enemy are.

Hit up the event page over at the Warhammer Online website for more details, along with screenshots of some of the event rewards, only available for a limited time!

WAR Live Event: The Witching Night [Warhammer Online]

Fun Ways to Torture Your Pets: Katamari Damacy Costume

Maggie Greene — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 12:30:00 MDT

Have a dog that embarrasses easily? Still looking for a way to humiliate them this Halloween? This Katamari Damacy Prince costume may be just the ticket. I wish my dog were smaller, because I'd totally be ordering her one — and she thinks the height of humiliation is being forced to wear her light up, blinking reindeer horns during the Christmas season (little does she know what smaller dogs get forced to wear!). At a mere $30 for a custom-made outfit, it's certainly more reasonably priced than a lot of niche gamer gear — and oh-so-cute! The Etsy seller also has a few wee Nintendo controller necklaces for sale if you don't have a canine gracing your daily life.

Halloween - Small Dog Costume - Katamari Damacy Style - Katamari Prince [Etsy via Wonderland]

Your Master Chief Costume Is Here, $629.99 And It's Yours

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 15:40:06 MDT

If you're ready to phone in this year's Halloween costume, Costumes Inc. and Rubie's Costume Company got your back. This Master Chief "Collector's Costume" will be the talk of whatever shindig you find yourself at over the next week. "You paid how much for this thing?" they'll ask. "It was marked down from $850!" you'll proudly announce, all the while sweating profusely, your speech muffled to near indecipherable levels.

Gotta admit though, the thing looks pretty sharp as a 72dpi JPEG on the internet. It even has realistic battle damage, our favorite gimmick.

Master Chief Collector's Costume - Licensed Halo 3 Men's Costume [Costumes Inc - thanks, Roy!]

NCSoft's Multi-MMO Halloween Plans

Mike Fahey — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 10:40:00 MDT

The best thing about MMOs is that they are constantly updated, making way for fun, holiday themed events. The best thing about Halloween is the fact that I get to use the word spooktacular, and so I present NCsoft's multi-MMO Halloween Spooktacular of Values! Okay, no actual values, but events are running across all NCsoft massively-multiplayer titles, whether people play them or not. Guild Wars' event kicks off on October 24th with the return of Mad King Thorn, with mini-games, jokes, riddles, and prizes, in what many people have told me is the best MMO-Halloween celebration available. City of Heroes players will be fighting off zombies and collecting classic costumes for badges and trick or treating fun. Tabula Rasa has some quests. Poor Tabula Rasa.

Hit the jump for more details, including what's in store for Lineage II, and Exteel players. Did someone say free giant mech paint jobs?

Guild Wars

On Friday, October 24, Mad King Thorn makes his return to Guild Wars in yet another ghoulish Halloween season in Tyria. Players can take on the king and his maniacal mini-games, jokes and riddles at their own risk. But the rewards will be worth the effort. Winners will earn fabulous prizes. Losers will be killed. But like any good Halloween event, you can always come back to try again. Other events for this Halloween season include a costume brawl in a newly designed area of Guild Wars, dreadful Halloween peddlers located in Lion’s Arch and Kamadan who will barter for their creepy items and photo ops where you can take your character’s picture amongst some of the holiday props and settings. More information on all the frightful happenings in Guild Wars can be found here, http://www.guildwars.com/events/ingame/halloween2008/.

City of Heroes

City of Heroes’ annual Halloween event is back again with even more evil twists. This season, gruesome zombies are on the prowl and they’re after all heroes and villains. In addition to fighting off the dead guys, City of Heroes’ Halloween event has a familiar look with Classical Costumes. Badges will be awarded to those who collect the most costumes. But don’t stop there. Wear your costumes and go out trick or treating in Paragon City. Check out http://www.cityofheroes.com/news/archives/2008/10/halloween_event.html for more info.

Lineage II

Lineage II players will be celebrating Halloween along with the launch of the latest update to the game, Gracia – Part 2. On Tuesday, October 28th, the day Gracia – Part 2 launches, all players level 20 and above who go to their warehouse will receive a Pumpkin Transformation Stick which will change the player into a pumpkin ghost. Additionally there will be a surprise gift, but we can’t tell you what this is until next week when the event starts. All the details about Lineage II’s special Halloween Haunt can be found here, http://www.lineage2.com/archive/2008/10/halloween_haunt.html.

Tabula Rasa

For the next two weeks players can participate in special Halloween missions scattered throughout Tabula Rasa’s expansive world. Complete them and you’ll get a trick or treat emote and one of nine masks. If you played trick or treat in Tabula Rasa last year, you may recognize some of the masks but some will be brand new. For more information visit http://www.rgtr.com/news/latest_news/trick_or_treat.html.

Exteel

Starting Wednesday, October 29, Exteel will be celebrating its first Halloween by giving all of its players the opportunity to paint their robotic Mechanaughts orange and black at no extra cost. They’ll also be able to enjoy their new Halloween-themed paint schemes while earning 50% more credits and experience for every match played in the game. Be sure to take advantage of it quickly—Exteeloween ends on November 5! For more information about Exteel go to http://www.exteel.com.

These Pacman Costumes Will Make You The Life Of The Party

Jim Reilly — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 10:00:00 MDT

Trying to think of a last minute Halloween outfit? Craigslist has all sorts of costumes, including these one size fits all Pacman ghost costumes, featuring Inky, Pinky, and Clyde. Pacman, Ms. Pacman, and Blinky do not exist, however. Made out of foamcore and paint, these costumes are light-weight and customizable, complete with arm holes. They're $30 each, which isn't too bad. There's just one catch. You have to live near Bushwick, NY (it's somewhere in Brookyln, I think). Bigger pics after the jump!

Pacman Ghosts Halloween Costumes (Thanks, Bill!)

SOE's Multi-Game Halloween Celebration

Mike Fahey — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 09:20:00 MDT

Sony Online Entertainment loves Halloween, and they never fail to do the spooktacular holiday up right, even in games that I didn't think anyone was still playing. The Matrix Online, for example. Not only are people still playing, but they get Halloween goodies, as do the folks playing Everquest, Vanguard, Star Wars Galaxies, and even the Legends of Norrath trading card game. Nice, but what about the poor PlanetSide fans? We know...oh oh, but do they know it's Halloween?

Retro Gaming's Best Halloween Costume Ideas

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 20:00:16 MDT

Stumped for a solid Halloween costume idea? Vintage Computing & Gaming's Benj Edward got your back, with eleven new outfits that will this Halloween one to remember. Overly aggressive Wii granddad? Easy. All you need is a polo shirt, Wii remote, khakis and a "do not resuscitate" sign. Oh, you'll also need an insanely creepy grimace and lifestyle photography posing skills.

There are group get ups, a Dude Huge recipe, and even some for the ladies — Computer Space Robot Bimbo is a can't lose costume. Thank you, Benj, for reminding us of our costume-rich past and making us laugh at love again.

VC&G’s Halloween Video Game Costume Ideas (2008) [VC&G]

Stay Classy This Halloween With Ms Pac-man Lingerie

Stuart Houghton — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 16:20:00 MDT

Ah, Halloween. You Americans really have the right idea. While we Brits are bobbing for apples and being angrily told that there will be neither trick nor treat, thank you very much, you lot are going full on with the mainstream cosplay - pirates, vampires, pop-culture icons - and for the ladies.. the same, but with a Sexy prefix.

That said, it might be a bit cold for this particular outfit. While recent weeks have seen Pac-Man iconography take the world of high fashion by storm the lower-rent, novelty end of the rag trade was not to be left out.

This tasteful little number from 'lingerie and sexy costumes' outlet 3Wishes.com goes by the lawyer-friendly moniker "Miss Video Game". They do a Chun Li outfit too. Just sayin'.

Actually, it is possible that this isn't one of their 'Sexy Halloween' costumes at all but rather falls under the "Lingerie and sexy costumes for an enchanted evening of romance and make believe" category - in which case, what the hell are you making believe?

Only At 3Wishes [3Wishes.com via Joystick Division]

The First Gamepumpkins of the Year

Owen Good — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 10:00:00 MDT

And we've received our first game pumpkin submission — Mega Man firing on Mr. Game & Watch from Super Smash Brothers. Reader Nathan G. carved it, about three weeks before Halloween, so, it should be good and slimy and rotted out by Oct. 31. Every year about this time we get hit with game pumpkins (not literally) so, if you're cravin' a carvin', get after it, snap it and send it to us. Check out last year's punkin roundup to see if your idea has been done before.

Update: We got two more submissions. Here's JAS none with his Metal Gear Solid pumpkin.

and Ignited_Impulse, with DMC's Dante and Trish:

Pumpkin Roundup!! [Oct. 31, 2007]

How To Make a Sackboy Costume

Brian Crecente — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:00:00 MDT

English web designer Adam made himself a pretty damn cool Sackboy costume. Better still, he wrote up how exactly you can make one too on his website. The 13-step process, which includes buying a plastic bin, bubble wrap, sweat shirts and duct tape, seems fairly doable by even the most spastic of costume creators. Namely me.

I have serious thoughts about doing one of these for Halloween. Pirate Sackboy!!!

How to Make Your Own Sackboy Costume

Keep Humanity Under Heel This Halloween With A Combine Costume

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 22:30:00 MDT

Couple weeks back, we posted a creepy, creepy Half-Life 2/Tom Cruise video. Also absolutely brilliant, but still, creepy. Well, this week, as promised, the clip's creator has put the Combine Metro Cop costume up for sale on eBay, and boy, is it great. It's referenced wherever possible from Valve's own designs (eg they used a Russian gas mask for concept art? This uses a Russian gas mask), and is loaded with incidental details, right down to a Combine ID tag and a fully-functioning voice-changer, for that authentic, garbled Combine radio chatter.

Half life 2 COMBINE Metrocop costume (working voicebox) [eBay]

Dress Your Baby In Murloc

Michael McWhertor — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 18:00:47 MDT

Still don't know what to dress up your littlest spawn as this Halloween? Want to impress the other mommies at BlizzCon? How about a setting them off on the wrong foot by starting their World of Warcraft cosplay habit early — really early — with this handmade Baby Murloc costume? This apparent one of a kind beastly get up is going for a song on eBay right now, with less than a day left.

According to the seller, the Baby Murloc outfit comes with a "zippered front, snapped leg opening, hooded top, and reinforced spikes" as well as hands and feet. Pictures are limited, but from what we've seen it looks razor sharp (in a design way, not a baby hurting way) and should probably be going for much, much more.

We don't think Child Protection Services will say word one about it, either.

Baby Murloc Halloween costume World of Warcraft [eBay via Wonderland]

Yet Another Group Team Fortess 2 Cosplay

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 02:00:09 MST

It. Just. Won't. Stop. Sure, Halloween is so last month, but Team Fortress 2 company cosplays are still cool. That up there is how PC Gamer and Maximum PC Magazine spent their All Hallows Eve — in, you guessed it, matching Team Fortress 2 outfits. Well, at least four of them did. The others worn things like flannel. For those who missed our Team Fortress 2 group cosplay fever mode, here's a round-up: Volition, Blizzard, NCSoft, Bioware, EA and Nihilistic Celebrated. Hey, Gaming Industry, next year send us the memo, dammit!
Perfect Line-up [Flickr, Thanks Norm!]

How Volition Celebrated Halloween

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 17:40:53 MDT

Yes. This again. Just because Halloween is now a full two days expired doesn't mean our tips inbox has engaged it's costume and pumpkin filter. For those keeping score, we've got Blizzard, NCSoft, Bioware, EA and Nihilistic in the running for best Western developer in Team Fortress 2 cosplay. Tired of this schtick? I can understand, but I really need some more blue teams to restore order to the Kotaku force. Plus, I'm pretty sure that's The Office's Steve Carrell as The Medic.

Thanks, Mike!

How Bioware Celebrated Halloween

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 16:40:03 MDT

What's good enough for NCSoft is good enough for Bioware, I suppose, as these shots of game developers getting their Team Fortress 2 cosplay on also landed in our inbox this morning. That both teams opted for opposing color choices was what made the "This Is A Post-ometer" ping and ping hard. I'm hoping for some dev-to-dev LARPing in our future. Plenty of action scenes and Spy beatdown shots at the Flickr photostream.

Warning: scary, shirtless, Ultimate Warrior-dressed Canadian may make this gallery NSFW!

Halloween 2007 [Flickr]

How NCSoft Celebrated Halloween

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 16:20:00 MDT

The gang at NCSoft held its annual Halloween costume contest recently, and it appears that at least eight of the employees—but probably nine—are big fans of Valve's Team Fortress 2, an extremely popular group costume choice. Sorry, tipsters, we might not get around to posting everyone's fabulous video game-themed costume, but I'm pretty sure we're going to do at least one more. More pics of the team in fabulous costumes and the new official Richard Garriott photo at the Tabula Rasa site.

NCSoft Halloween Contest [Tabula Rasa]

Dementium's Halloween Warning - Oops

Mike Fahey — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 09:20:08 MDT

Quick! Before you send your children out trick or treating, watch this special report! It could save lives! Wait...what day is it? *winces, drawing in air through gritted teeth* Awkward. Um, well it really was common sense anyway. It's a parent's job to teach their children to avoid zombies, monsters, and improptu medical examinations on Halloween night. I'm sure your remaining children will be much more prepared next year.

Mario Once More Invades W. Hollywood Carnival

Brian Crecente — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 09:00:55 MDT

The annual West Hollywood Carnival has become the traditional stomping ground (get it) for many a Mario... and Luigi, and Princess Peach. This year the upcoming Mario Galaxy seemed to bring out the Nintendo in force.

Pumpkin Roundup!!!

Mark Wilson — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 12:40:30 MDT

BREAKING: Kotaku readers are the greatest pumpkin carvers in the entire world. We don't know if it's something in the writing or those pills we've been slipping in your food, but seriously, we are blown away by your incredible talent we've seen since we quasi-intentionally called you to arms.

As you can see, my wife and I didn't even attempt gaming pumpkins after seeing your brilliance, but hit the jump for a complete list of our exclusive gaming pumpkin coverage.

And Now, A Megaman Pumpkin

Mario Pumpkin Might "Win"

Day Of The Pumpkin!

Pac-Man, Dots and Clyde

Metroid Pumpkin Glows, Might Eat Your Head

Sonic-o'-lantern

Okami Pumpkin

Pumpkins Go Next-Gen

The Halo-Ween Pumpkin

WoW Pumpkin

Pac-Man Gourds (Not Pumpkins, Which Are Lame)

Mario's Towering Pumpkin Inferno

RRoD Is Truly Frightening

Smashing Xbox 360 Pumpkin Stencils

Another Awesome Zelda Pumpkin

Bad Guys Need Pumpkins Too

Hallow-Wind Waker

Alien Hominid Pumpkin

Probably The Best Mario Pumpkin

Pumpkichu Gives Us Nightmares

Space Invaders Immortalized In Pumpkin

Wario Scares Us

Big Daddy from BioShock

Mario Pumpkin

Pac-Man Pugs

Mike Fahey — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 09:40:15 MDT

While I honestly believe that dressing up your dog in a costume is just two steps away from tying them up in a burlap sack and tossing them in a river on the dog cruelty scale, I have to admit that this gathering of pugs dressed up as Pac-Man characters is kind of entertaining. If I had a dog and wished to dress him up in a costume for Halloween, these would be the designs they found on my drawing table next to my dead body, my brain having exploded to save me from the embarrassment of actually dressing up my pet. Everyone knows I am a cat person anyway, and cats are just begging to be fitted with samurai armor. Thanks, Long Le, for the vid!

The Whispered World

Mike Fahey — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 08:40:40 MDT

On this most spooky of spooky days, nothing gets my attention on a new game announcement more than dressing your video game characters up in Halloween garb. It also helps if your title is an adventure game, a genre I like to think I champion at every turn. German developer Daedalic Entertainment has both these bases covered as they announce The Whispered World, an new adventure game for the PC, heading our way next year. Toss in phrases like "hand-painted backgrounds" and "lovingly crafter characters" and you've pretty much got my undivided attention.

"The Whispered World is a project carried by a strong creative vision. The story about courage, sacrifice and the search for yourself is expressed with the help of unique visuals. We look forward to revealing more of the game's fantastic world in the coming months", added Creative Director Jan Mueller-Michaelis.

And there you have it, a game announced in seasonably spooky fashion. Now we wait.

The Whispered World: Daedalic reveals fantastic adventure game
Hamburg/Germany: October 31, 2007. Trick or treat! Daedalic Entertainment today announced The Whispered World - a new adventure game, sure to capture the imaginations of PC gamers with its fantastic story and breathtaking graphics at the end of 2008.

The gorgeous point & click title takes players to a fascinating fantasy world. Hand-painted backgrounds filled with animated detail and lovingly crafted characters bring the fairy-tale story of The Whispered World to life. In a first artwork, the central characters have donned Halloween garb to wish gamers a happy Halloween.

"Telling stories is our passion at Daedalic - and the story of The Whispered World took hold of us from the very first time the project came to our attention. The Whispered World is a modern fairy tale, an innovative narrative rendered in breathtaking beauty", enthused Carsten Fichtelmann, Managing Director of Daedalic Entertainment.

"The Whispered World is a project carried by a strong creative vision. The story about courage, sacrifice and the search for yourself is expressed with the help of unique visuals. We look forward to revealing more of the game's fantastic world in the coming months", added Creative Director Jan Mueller-Michaelis.

http://www.the-whispered-world.com

Metroid Pumpkin Glows, Might Eat Your Head

Mark Wilson — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 13:40:03 MDT

I know, some of you are getting sick of the pumpkins, but just remember, in one more day they'll be gone forever. Reader Christopher sent in his beautiful Metroid pumpkin along with several pics of the construction process. While we would never question the talents of such an Artist, what's the general consensus on power tool use in pumpkin carving? Is harnessing electricity considered, dare we say, cheating, in some circles?

Team Fortess 2 Group Cosplay Kicks Ass

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 23:00:00 MDT

Granted, dressing up in funny costumes by yourself is fun. But it's so lonely and bittersweet. But cosplaying in a group, now that's almost as fun as a tickle party (and tickle parties are totally fun). Above, the Team Fortress 2 Halloween cosplay. It's an orgy of amazing costumes! We're in awe.
Costumes this Halloween [Steam via Rock, Paper, Shotgun]

MTV FINALLY Makes Their Halo Helmet

Brian Crecente — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 17:00:56 MDT

I know I promised, super-duper promised, pinky-swore in fact, that I wouldn't post another Halo Helmet story... but I am, apparently, a big, fat liar.

I had to, just had to post this because MTV was calling us names, and I can't let that go by without pointing my finger and mocking them. While I know Totilo's post about how we "stole" their Halo helmet idea is a joke, I feel it necessary to point out that we actually were working on the idea first. And besides, it's not my fault you couldn't get your intern on the ball to make the helmet already!

To be fair, Totilo forced his poor intern to not only create a helmet with Krazy glue, assuring that she will spend Halloween in a glue-huffing haze, but he also made her document the 27-step process using a camera that actually focuses on things.

Oh and she removed the gold visor, something that obviously she realized she had to do by totally watching our tutorial.

More 'Halo' Costume Drama — The Helmet Is Conquered In 27 Photographed Steps [Multiplayer]

Virtual Console Spooktacular

Mike Fahey — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 08:20:19 MDT

Halloween is two days away, and you know what that means! Two more days of Halloween-themed crap until we can start associating everything with Turkeys for the better part of the month of November. What better way to associate with a spooky holiday than with a little classic Castlevania action? Castlevania II Simon's Quest for the NES (500 points) headlines this week's Virtual Console update on the Wii, slowly adding in the RPG elements we've come to know and love into the series. The only good samurai is a dead samurai, and Samurai Ghost for the TurboGrafx 16 (600 points) is a classic example of this age-old ninja adage. Finally, we have the NEOGEO masterpiece Magician Lord (900 points), possibly my favorite non-fighting NEOGEO game of all time. Magic, martial arts, and good old vampire ass-whipping. Three excellent ways to distract your children from the fact that you're spending the 31st huddled in your house with all the doors locked, fearing for their lives.

WII-KLY UPDATE: THREE NEW CLASSIC GAMES ANNOUNCED FOR WII SHOP CHANNEL
Oct. 29, 2007

This Halloween, you needn't leave your own living room to encounter spooky spirits and creepy creatures from mysterious otherworlds. The Wii Shop Channel is celebrating the year's most frightfully fun holiday by offering a mix of eerie games that'll keep players' spines tingling. Mash with monsters in a classic Castlevania sequel, tangle with supernatural samurai or battle as a powerful magician-you're bound to discover cool tricks and visual treats no matter which titles you choose. Happy Hallo-Wii!

Today Nintendo adds three new classic games to the popular Wii� video game system's Wii Shop Channel. The games go live at 9 a.m. Pacific time. Nintendo adds new games to the channel every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points� to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week's new games are:

Castlevania II Simon's Quest (NES, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone - Mild Fantasy Violence, 500 Wii Points): In this one-player adventure, you'll take on the role of Simon Belmont once again and duel to the death with Count Dracula. Grab your legendary whip, Vampire Killer, and roam freely through Transylvania on a quest to find the count's missing body parts-these are the key to breaking an evil curse. This quest won't be easy, though, for you must battle hideous fiends who stalk the land. In addition to the intense action and tight control the Castlevania series is known for, this sequel also introduced several unique game-play elements into the fold. Build experience the longer you play, buy weapons and items from merchants, or talk with villagers to get clues (some of which are false). Watch as day turns to night and then back again. Take a deep breath, steady your nerves, and help Simon end his curse and defeat the count once and for all.

SAMURAI-GHOST (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older - Animated Blood and Violence, 600 Wii Points): This action platformer features a samurai ghost from the depths of the underworld. In a past war, Kagekiyo managed to defeat the shogun Yoritomo and his clan. However, their evil spirits were not completely destroyed, and now, in the world known as Dark Side, they seek the time of their rebirth. In order to shatter those ambitions, Kagekiyo must make his way across seven zones and head for "The Heart of the Darkside" where Yoritomo lies in wait. Use spirit weapons to power up your sword, or other items, such as candles to recover health, and defeat the endless hordes of enemies. Each zone is not only protected by a boss but also includes demons as well as real samurai from 12th-century Japan. Get ready for some intense one-on-one combat action.

MAGICIAN LORD (NEOGEO, 1-2 players, Rated T for Teen - Blood and Fantasy Violence, 900 Wii Points): Released in 1990 and regarded as one of the NEOGEO's earliest signature games, this side-scrolling platformer mixes action with the mystical world of fantasy. A magician named Elta, last descendant of the famed Magician Lord, takes on an epic adventure to save the world from the evil Gul-Agieze. Elta must battle through eight stages, collecting the eight tomes of power that are key to defeating Gul-Agieze and his evil plans. By obtaining orbs in one of three colors (elements) that appear during the game, Elta's offensive powers and jumping abilities can be strengthened. The effect varies considerably depending on the combination of elements, though, and Elta can transform into six different forms: Waterman, Dragon Warrior, Shinobi, Samurai, Raijin or Poseidon. Can you help Elta to become the new Magician Lord?

Halo Halloween Hijinks Coming

Brian Crecente — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 08:00:07 MDT

Frankie doesn't spill much over at Bungie, but he does mention that the multiplayer design team is cooking up a special Halloween treat for Halo 3 players.

Our multiplayer design teams are hard at work on a couple of things. One of them is a fun, seasonal addition to the matchmaking playlist which should keep you entertained for about 27 hours around Halloween. No specifics yet, but suffice it to say that if you want to spend your witchy holiday playing Halo 3, we'll give you some spooktacular reasons to do so.

Frankie then commences to tease us again with little detail about the first downloadable map pack that will be coming to the game, talking about how he first hated a map he nicknamed Purple Reign because of its symmetry and now he loves it. Bah!

On a bright note he did hand out two sets of Recon Armor to gamers who suffered particularly embarrassing deaths in the game. The Rubber Bullet guy and the guy who managed to shoot himself in the head with his own Sniper Rifle both got a set.

Bungie Weekly Update

The Halo-Ween Pumpkin

fdemarco — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 14:00:00 MDT

Kotakuite Dennis R. sends in this Halo themed pumpkin with a terribly clever play on words included. It was a father/son project and apparently Dennis is really excited by this particular pumpkin. Says Dennis:

Waking up to this is about as entertaining as waking up to Angliena Jolie in your room, asking you what you would want to have for breakfast, whilst wearing an insy winsy yellow polka dot bikini. Think about it for a second.... now look at the pumpkin.... see where I'm going with this?

Now, I might not be into women or bikinis, but even I would rather be faced with Angelina in the morning than a pumpkin since a pumpkin can't bring you breakfast, but that's just me. Still, cool jack o' lantern and a fine addition to our collection.

WoW Pumpkin Makes Us Say WOW!

fdemarco — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 17:00:00 MDT

It wouldn't be an October day on Kotaku without a game pumpkin. So to that end I bring you this amazing World of Warcraft inspired pumpkin brought to you courtesy our friends at Wired. You know, I was starting to get pretty jaded with the whole Jack O' Lantern thing given the avalanche of pictures we've been getting lately, but this one is quite impressive. Wow, indeed!

Mario Pumpkin Might "Win"

Mark Wilson — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 13:20:54 MDT

In less than 24 hours, the great pumpkin vs. gourd war has come to an end. The reason? ~~A lack of followers.~~ Mario. Lovable Mario, his face carved from pumpkin, has served as a symbol of peace and prosperity in these turbulent times. Sent in by our reader Cory, we're impressed by the precision of carving as Mario's face is holding on by but a few thin strands of pumpkin tendon. Hit the jump for a bonus shot while I head to the patch to bastardize the great tradition of Kotaku pumpkin carving.

Cory, you get at least 1up. Maybe so many as 2 or 3.

Beware The Mummy Chief

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 14:40:00 MDT

This isn't a submission for our now expired Dementium: The Ward contest, simply photographic evidence that Samba de Amigo for the Wii won't make its ship date because the gang at Gearbox Software is too busy mummifying Master Chief instead of finishing the note charts for the latest Ricky Martin tune. It's a good effort and I'm quite sure that the Chief will make his journey to the afterlife safely, but please, Gearbox staffers, get thee to a Wii development station and make with the samba already.

Starring Master Chief as "The Mummy" [Gearbox Software Forums]

Pac-Man Gourds (Not Pumpkins, Which Are Lame)

Mark Wilson — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 13:20:17 MDT

Are you all still fascinated with pumpkins? That's a pity. Pumpkins are so yesterday. The new trend? Gourds. Yup, gourds are where it's at. Specifically, gourds that resemble Pac-Man and said mythology.

Hit the link for advice on making your own. But know by clicking it, you are picking a side in a war as important as the fabled "wwwwwwwwww vs. lol" chronicles. Oh yes, this will get messy. Because pumpkins bleed and get all sticky on your hands and stuff.

Easy halloween project: 8-bit gourds! [via playgadgets]

RRoD Is Truly Frightening

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 00:00:00 MDT

This, yes this, is what we've been waiting for: The Red Ring of Death jack-o'-lantern. According to reader Zhao:

Every gamer's worst nightmare... the center fell out and had to be taped *cries due to lack of skill*

It's like the mouth of Hell.

Another Awesome Zelda Pumpkin

Mark Wilson — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 12:40:11 MDT

Our own Luke Plunkett will be so jealous when he sees that the day shift got to post this beautiful pumpkin of his beloved cel-shaded Link. There's something about combining the pure act of pumpkin carving with the innocent Zelda storyline that warms our hearts almost enough to see in color and believe in miracles. Almost. Reader Nick writes:

This is how my girlfriend and I started out the Halloween season, with two of our favorite characters Jack and Link.

Hit the jump for the slightly less game related but still amazing, Jack.

I Get My Own Straitjacket (Finally)

Brian Crecente — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 11:00:20 MDT

It's about time. Someone finally sent me that straitjacket that my frequent outbursts and bizarre behavior have been crying out for, for years. Granted, it's meant to be just a bit of Manhunt 2 schwag from Rockstar, but I think I can put it to good use... now to go convert our spare bedroom into a quiet room.

Pyramid Head Pumpkin

fdemarco — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 13:00:00 MDT

Kotakuites, Silent Hill fans and rockin' rockers Brookhaven Hospital decided to have a good old fashioned pumpkin slaughtering and this was the result. A Pyramid Head pumpkin that reeks of pure awesomeness. I know we've had some good jack o' lanterns here in the past week, but this one really speaks to me. It says "Kill everyone now."

HowTo Wear Your Halo Helmet

Brian Crecente — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 17:20:56 MDT

After reading of the MTV intern's plight to create a Master Chief costume earlier this week I remembered that some reader had sent me a picture showing a pal of his wearing the helmet from the Legendary version of the game on his head.

I had asked him to email me the details on how it was achieved and then never heard back. So I decided to do it myself... big mistake.

Before I walk you through this let me point out two things: I had to use a glue gun to put my helmet back together. That's because the center black piece that takes up all of the headroom is in fact also the frame that holds the whole thing together. The second reason? I'll leave that no-brainer till the end.

Instead of detailing the 25 steps necessary to do this, I'll sort of summarize. All you really need to do is unscrew all of the pieces. Unfortunately, the thing is put together like a puzzle, or an onion, or a puzzle of an onion. All said, I had to remove about 50 screws just to remove the big black piece of plastic that sheathes the copy of the game when the helmet is on its stand. I also ended up breaking a couple of tabs, though really they aren't necessary to create the finished helmet.

Once you've taken the whole thing apart, what you're left with is a pile of Master Chief colored plastic scraps. Fortunately, with the help of the mighty glue gun, it's not that hard to put them back together again.

While it took me a good hour or two to dismantle the helmet. Gluing it all back together again only took me a half hour or so. And I was quite happy with the end results, with one exception: You can't see out of it.

Now you'd think that I would have thought this through, before spending a big chunk of my time tearing the thing down, but I didn't . No sireee. It crossed my mind, but I figured I'd come up with a solution. As far as I can tell there really isn't a good one. I could cut holes in the visor, but that would ruin the effect. I even thought of covering the wholes with pieces of like-colored sunglasses, but that's just stupid.

I think the best idea might be to not do this, and instead work on building out shoulder and then mounting that on your head, with this helmet on top. That way you'd be about 7-feet tall. But that's a really bad idea too.

For now I guess I'll just amuse myself, roaming blindly around the house, scaring the dogs until i flip over the railing of my second-story loft and plummet to my death.