Kotaku: originals

Kotaku Originals: The Teen Age

Owen Good — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 08:00:00 MST

We've said goodbye to a decade that really had no name, but I haven't heard much consensus on what we're gonna call this one. The Tens? Tweens? Twenty-teens? We've got another 9 years and 364 days to figure it out.

Quick programming note: Like Christmas weekend, this too will be one of abbreviated coverage as your erstwhile weekend writer finishes his holiday observances two days behind schedule. Don't worry, the next time we have a shortened weekend will be in May. All standing features will run at their regular times, including weekend coupons.

And with that, here is the week - and the end of the year - in original coverage.

Kotaku Talk Radio

Reviews, Previews, Hands-On and Impressions
0 Day: Attack on Earth Micro-Review: Where's Will Smith When You Need Him?
N.O.V.A. Micro-Review: Say "Halo" to iPhone's New Shooter
Avatar: The Game Micro-Review: Palm-size Pandora
Need For Speed: SHIFT Micro-Review: Changing Gears

Features
The 2009 eBay Holiday Video Game Grey Market Report
A Frag Without the Fest: If Chess Was a Shooter
Can the West Cosplay with the Best of Them?

Holidays and 2009
Happy Holidays From Kotaku
Kotaku's Most Popular Posts Of 2009
Paradox Interactive's Holiday Greeting Is Certainly Majestic

Columns
Stick Jockey:The Sports Video Games of the Year
Well Played: Terror at 30,000 Feet: Game-Free Transcontinental Flights?

News
Hori's DSi Play Stand + Stylus: Why?
Something Modern Warfare 2 Got Wrong About Pakistan
New Fist of The North Star Screens/Art Already Dead
CES 2010: A Special Programming Note
Japanese Arcade Themed Like China's Back Streets
South Korea's First Person Shooting In 3D World

Sports
NCAA Football - Where My High School's Name is in the Game

Cosplay
Comiket's Sexy Pikachu Girl And Friends
The Cosplayers of Kotaku

Zelda Wedding
The Legend of Zelda: The Wedding: The Video
It's The Little Touches That Make A Legend Of Zelda Themed Wedding This Great

Contests
Win An Autographed copy of Zelda: Spirit Tracks and More

iPhone
So Now I Have My Own iPhone - What Games Should I Get?
iPhone Chart Toppers: Zombies Versus Marines in Spaaaaaace

Kotaku Originals: Boxing Day

Owen Good — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 08:00:00 MST

That's what they call the day after Christmas in more civilized parts of the world. In my household, we call it "Distended Saturday." And while you're still digesting yesterday's feast, here's a recap of our buffet of original reporting.

Small housekeeping note, in observance of the holiday, the weekend report will be shortened to posts roughly once every two hours, with some exceptions. All standing weekend features will run at their normal times, with another exception: No weekend coupons, as the orgy of consumerism has bled most major retailers dry. If you got something you hate, go trade it in for store credit, that's the best buy-none-get-one-free deal of all.

Kotaku Talk Radio

Announcement
Kotaku Contest Reminder: Are You the Biggest Zelda Fan?

Reviews, Previews, Hands-On and Impressions
Final Fantasy XIII Impressions: 15 Years Later, 25 Hours In
BioShock 2 Multiplayer Lobby Preview: Yes, The Lobby
Style Savvy Review: Dressing Miss Michael
Borderlands Mad Moxxi's Underdome Riot Preview: Eyond Underdome
Machinarium Review: Beautiful Robots
Jurassic: The Hunted Review: Punch a Velociraptor in the Face
BioShock 2 Preview: Maybe It Was Needed After All
Avatar Movie Review: The Blue Future Of Video Games

Features
What The Video Game Industry Wants For Christmas

Columns
Stick Jockey: The 2010 Video Game Bowl - and Playoff - Spectacular

2009 in Review
The Controversies
The Shows That Were
The Sports Video Game Report
The Disappointments
The Year, NSFW
The Trailers

2009 in Review: The Features
One Man's Year Making Assassin's Creed II
The Man Who Never Wanted To Make 'The Citizen Kane of Games'
The Batman-Maker Who Didn't Know The Meaning Of GOTY
Motion-Control Gaming Grabs The Spotlight

News
Batman Was Great, But Remember, Batman Was Late
Non-Blurry Look At Final Fantasy XIV Customization
Snuggle Up With Kingdom Hearts
Xbox 360 Modern Warfare 2 Patched Up, All Better
DSi Launches In China
PlayStation Store Now Selling "Premium Avatars" In Hong Kong, Europe
Assassin's Creed II Spoiler Talk With Patrice Desilets
Gran Turismo Creator Completes 25-Hour Car Race
Dragon Quest IX Breaks Dragon Quest Sales Records
iPhone Chart Toppers: N.O.V.A. Takes Down Waldo
Rumor: Big Layoffs At Heavy Iron Studios [Update]

Kotaku Originals: The Year We Make Contact

Owen Good — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 08:00:00 MST

With less than 17 shopping days till 2010, Kotaku oriented its eyes to the future and this week's report toward what you can expect from it. But we still had plenty of time for news of the present.

Kotaku Talk Radio

Columns
Well Played: A Surprise Education
Stick Jockey: Not the Bottom of the Ninth, but a Big At-Bat Coming for MLB 2K10

Feature
They Worked On The Game You Played, But Didn't Get Credit

Reviews, Previews, Hands-On and Impressions
Saitek Aviator Flight Stick Review: Do A Barrel Roll!
Dementium II Preview: A Metroid With Dread
Shiren The Wanderer: Don't Call It A Roguelike
Splinter Cell: Conviction Multiplayer Preview: Separation Anxiety Times Two
Dragon's Lair Micro-Review: Small Scenes from the Mind's Eye
Rogue Warrior Review: Wasted Warrior
Aliens Vs. Predator Multiplayer Preview: Switching Bodies, Hunting
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories Review: Daddy Issues
PixelJunk Shooter Micro-Review: Just Add Water... Or Lava
Ace Attorney Investigations Preview: More Of A Game
Mad Catz Street Fighter IV Round 2 Arcade FightStick: Tournament Edition Review: My $150 Fireball
Red Dead Redemption Impressions: Adventure In A Hard Place
Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes Review: Battling Clashing Colors
Army of Two: The 40th Day Preview: They're Better, We're Best
Rock Band Wireless Wooden Fender Stratocaster Review: No Turning Back
Fingers-On Impressions Of R.U.S.E., A Real-Time Strategy Game Playable By Touch
Heavy Rain Impressions: An Ambitious Sorrow

2010
2010: The Year of Better PC Games?
You're A Gamer In 2010 ... What Will You Do?
2010: The Year of Better Nintendo DS Games?
2010: The Year of Better Xbox 360 Games?
You're A Game Developer in 2010...What Will You Do?
2010: The Year Of Better PlayStation 3 Games?
You're A Video Game Retailer In 2010...What Will You Do?
What Won't Be Coming To Video Gaming In 2010
2010: The Year Of Better Wii Games?
You Run A Big Game Publisher In 2010...What Will You Do?

Final Fantasy XIII
Final Fantasy XIII's First-Day Sales Numbers Are In
Square Enix Ship Nearly Two Million Copies Of FFXIII
Let's Play Final Fantasy XIII's Battle Tutorial
Final Fantasy XIII Launch Day With Our Man In Tokyo

Australians vs. Predator
Aliens vs Predator "Unbanned" In Australia
Aliens vs Predator Not Entirely Banned From Australian Consoles
Australian Government Consulting Public On Changes To Game Ratings

News
Nintendo Raises The Bar For Game Kiosks
Quantum Theory Theorizes A Release Date
Dead or Alive PSP Game Bundled With Sexy Kasumi Statue
Hasbro Sues Atari Over D&D License, Atari Responds
No Need To Import Heavy Rain In America
Mega Man 10, Debut Trailer
Korea Also Gets That Custom FFXIII PlayStation 3 Console
Get The Gran Turismo 5 Demo A Little Early
Heavy Rain To Introduce Delayed Trophies, Solve Common Achievement Problem
Tony Hawk Still Optimistic About More Ride, Future Board Support
iPhone Chart Toppers: Waldo? Where?
Sony Swag Contains Nintendo Horror
Still Waiting On Ken Levine's Next Game

Kotaku Originals: Chunk of Funk

Owen Good — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 08:00:00 MST

Bravely revisiting his childhood typecasting, Jeff B. Cohen - "Chunk" from 1985's the Goonies, and now a high powered Hollywood lawyer-mans - dispensed solid legal advice to the gaming community, going far deeper than the usual can-you-trademark-edge questions.

Totilo also took a look at EA's claims it put out the best reviewed games, we inked a big deal with the Tiffany Network on radio, and oh yeah, adult film star Raven Alexis provided valuable insight on how to land a gamer hotty. The week that was in Kotaku Originals:

Reviews, Previews, Hands-On and Impressions
Demon's Souls Review: Souls Asylum
Aliens Vs. Predator Impressions: This Time, As An Alien
Frankenreview: The Saboteur
Tekken 6 PSP Review: One Is the Loneliest Number
Call of Duty: World at War Zombies Review: Zombie Nazis!!!
The Saboteur Review: Rough Draft
Frankenreview: The Legend Of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
Yakuza 3 Impressions: In English, Partly
Gyromancer Micro-Review: Twisting The Night Away
Speedy Gran Turismo 5 Impressions: Bumper Falls Off, Heads Theoretically Turn
Flight Control Review: Strategy Vs. Scribble
PSPgo In-Ear Headset Review: A Nice Price
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks Review: Nice One
Nintendo DSi XL Review: Super Size Me
Madden NFL Arcade Micro-Review: Snacking on Football

Columns
Notebook Dump: 2010 Games, 17 For The IGF, And Where 1943 Leads EA
Well Played: No Non-Gamers Allowed
tim rogers: let's talk about jumping
Sticks Up, Lacrosse Breaks Into the Xbox 360

Kotaku's Celebrity Columns
Five Steps to Total Pwnage of a Gamer Girl's Heart
The Goonies' Chunk Answers Gaming's Tough Legal Questions'
Treading The Boards: Game Characters Vs. Movie Actors

Features
Achievement Chore: She Plays For Gamerscore, Whether It's Fun Or Not

News
New Super Mario Bros. Helps Wii Reclaim Top Spot In Japan
Are You Bad Enough To Buy A Hannah Montana PSP?
Naughty Bear Is Bringing The Pain
PlayStation Home Director Wants "Mini-MMOs" On The Service
We Played A Wii Game Without A Wii Controller
Your Guide To Nintendo's Gameplay-Helping Super Guide
Sony: "Gem" Was A Prototype Name For PS3 Motion Controller
Blazing Angels: Squadron's of WW II the Arcade Cabinet
More Dead Space 2 Art Dug Up From Beneath The Surface
WW2 Games Aren't Dead, They Just Need New Digs
Valve: Team Fortress 2 Mystery Update 'Not A New Game Mode'
EA CEO: "I Think Of Pirates As A Marketplace"
iPhone Chart Toppers: Zombies Neeeeed YUR Brainzzz
Buying A Neo Geo Pocket, From GameStop, In 2009
Sony's Motion Controller Patent Goes Attachment Crazy

Kotaku Originals; I Like This Aussie's Tabasco

Owen Good — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 08:00:00 MST

Crecente went on vacation; Totilo talked with Electronic Arts' top man, but let's not forget Luke's eloquent and comprehensive breakdown of Australia's games classification, and the political climate influencing it, in the roster of this week's biggest stories.

Kotaku Talk Radio

Australia
Hey, Stop Blaming The Australian Government/People For "Banning" Games
Aliens vs Predator "Banned" In, Yes, Australia

A Talk with EA
Fewer Games, Better Games Is EA's Stated Goal
One Of Pandemic's Biggest Problems Was Being In California
EA: Command & Conquer, RTS Genre Needs Innovation, Not Just "Cooler Graphics"
EA CEO: Mirror's Edge "Deserves To Come Back," Design At Crossroads
EA Chief Talks War: Battlefield, Medal Of Honor And Getting Ahead Of Activision

PlayStation
The 2009 PlayStation Award Winners Are...
Happy 15th Birthday, PlayStation!

Feature
Reviewing A Game On Their Terms: The Increasingly Prominent "Review Event"

Swag
This Treasure Chest Made No Sound

News
Mass Effect 2 Will Be Incredibly Emotionally Engaging
The iPhone's Online Identity Crisis
Saboteur's 11th Hour Butt Censorship
The Saboteur Offers Day-One Free Nudity DLC
Mario? There's An App For That
ECA President Blames Exploiters For Cancellation Concerns
The 10 Most Avidly-Played Wii Games In America (As Of Dec 1)
EA Executive Designs Jet-Engined Supercar
What Marketing Can And Can't Do With Microsoft's Avatars
Changing Video Game Cases Go For The Green
No Loading Time Problems For DS Sequel
An Early Look At The Warhammer 40K MMO
Japan Gets Limited Edition Pro Evo PlayStation Portable
PC Download Stores Arguing Over Who Comes After Steam
PS3 Sales Reach Weekly All Time High
Ubisoft Plans 10 Games For Natal Next Year, 4-5 For PS3 Motion Controller
Testing Out DSi XL's "Multiplayer" Aspect
iPhone Chart Toppers: All-In-1 List
How Modern Can Zelda Get?
Cover Athletes: Putting More Than a Name Into a Game

Reviews, Previews, Hands-On and Impressions
Small Worlds Micro-Review: A Fine 20 Minutes
Frankenreview: Tony Hawk Ride
Tropico 3 Review: Go Bananas For El Presidente
Geforce 3D Vision Glasses Review: I Can See Forever
Borderlands: The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned Micro-Review: Brains Optional
Tony Hawk: Ride Review: Time To Bail

Kotaku Originals: Weekend Edition

Owen Good — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 08:00:00 MST

Some Saturdays I feel like I should start my shift with NPR's Weekend Edition theme and the dulcet vocals of its host, Mr. Scott Simon (pictured). We weekend shift guys need to stick together, you know.

This weekend after Thanksgiving might find you indulging in a long breakfast or a colossal mug of overpriced coffee, which go with Weekend Edition like the Scarecrow and Mrs. King. Anyway, we've got a shortened report today and tomorrow to account for the holiday. Here's the deal: All standing weekend features will run at their normal times, beginning with this one, with the remainder of the posts spread out through the day on the hour, concluding by 8 p.m. There'll be eight items today and tomorrow.

Then, we're back to normal when Luke and Bash resume their regular shifts Sunday night our time. On Monday, I'll show up in the evening with my Kai Ryssdal voice. I swear, that guy reads the news like he's hitting on someone. And by the way, Simon looks nothing like I expected him to. Nor does Cory Flintoff, who I imagined as a cross between Willem Dafoe and Crecente's old ~~nemesis~~ assignment editor at the Rocky Mountain News. OK, now I'm just rambling. Here's the week in original coverage:

Kotaku Talk Radio

News
Red Dead Redemption Gets A Proper Release Date
Zelda Developer Was Stumped By New Zelda Game's Puzzles
Nintendo Boasts 9 Million Player Advantage Among Female Console Gamers
Is The DSi LL Bigger Than Uncharted 2, Nolan Ryan's Autograph, A Can of Beer?
DSi LL Unboxing
LittleBigPlanet PSP Now Available Digitally
Beat A Man Into A Urinal, Consider Buying Deodorant
iPhone Chart Toppers: Monopoly Times Two

Features
Turning The Beautiful Game Into A Video Game

Sports
Tampa Bay's Longoria is - Officially - MLB 2K10's Cover Man

Columns
Well Played: Gaming For Good
Hindsight: Seeking A Game That Can Trick Me
Well Played: Wii Fitness Shares Store With Dumbbells, Treadmills
Stick Jockey: No Less of a Memory - The Human Drama of Video Game Sports

Gift Guides
The PlayStation 3 Buyer's Guide
The Xbox 360 Buyer's Guide
The PC Buyer's Guide
The Wii Buyer's Guide
The PlayStation Portable Buyer's Guide
The iPhone Gamer's Gift Guide
What Games You Should Give and Get For the Holidays

Warcraft Turns Five
The MMOs That Rose Or Fell During World of Warcraft's Reign
Why I Don't Play World of Warcraft
Why I Play World of Warcraft

Reviews, Previews, Hands-On and Impressions
Sound Blaster Arena Surround Gaming Headset Review: Who's That Sneaking Up On Me?
Assassin's Creed Bloodlines Review: Thicker Than Water?
PSPgo Cradle Review: Dock and Go
Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles Review: Three's A Welcome Trend
Excitebike: World Rally Micro-Review: Race back to 1985
Astro Gaming A40 Audio System Review: Sound Advice
Wii Energizer 4X Charging Station Review: Induction Into the Hall of Fame
NCAA Basketball 10 Review: Some Shining Moments

Outreach
We Came, We Partied, We Raised ...

Kotaku Originals: Review to a Thrill

Owen Good — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:00:00 MST

The releases of Assassin's Creed II and Left 4 Dead 2 dominated this week's news cycle, with McWhertor and Totilo supplying immediate reviews of what both offer. The end of Pandemic, as a studio anyway, was the big headline.

Kotaku Talk Radio

Reviews, Previews, Hands-On and Impressions
Assassin's Creed II Review: A Season For Masterpieces
Left 4 Dead 2 Review: We Don't Care How You Did It Up North
LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues Review: Nuke The Mini-fig
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers Impressions: The Day After Christmas
Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron Review: Deja Vu in Space
Phoenix Wright WiiWare Preview: Throwing Out Objections
Torchlight Review: The Fate Of DiabloCraft
Frankenreview: Left 4 Dead 2
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks Multiplayer Preview: Spreading The Phantom
Art Style Digidrive Micro-Review: The Superiority Of Video Games
Frankenreview: New Super Mario Bros. Wii

News
Turbo: The Struggle To Make A Better Video Game Movie
Hey, It's The World's Fastest Graphics Card
iPhone Chart Toppers: Asphalt 5 Takes Second
Firmware 3.10 Update Is Live
How 2010 Is Actually Christmas 2009 (In Disguise)
Jersey GameStops Break Street for Assassin's Creed II, L4D2
Testing Ubisoft's "Frequent Flyer" Rewards Program With Assassin's Creed II
EA Talks Command & Conquer's "New Digital Model," Medal of Honor "Re-invention"
What Left 4 Dead 2 Boycotters Are Playing
Sports Authority Fitness Retailer Inks Deal to Sell Wii
New Kingdom Hearts PSP Fit For Japan

Features
In College, the Party Never Stops - for LAN

Sports
Leaked Survey Tips Off MLB 2K10 Cover Athlete - Updated

Columns
Well Played: All Out War (Games)
Stick Jockey: Maybe the Greatest of All Time, but not In Its Time
Notebook Dump: Excuse Time
Old News '90: Nintendo Says NES Final Fantasy Is Geared To Adults

Kotaku Talks to Reggie
Reggie: Wii 2 Theories Miss Key Point
Nintendo Talks Mario Multiplayer And Keeping Zelda's Secrets
Nintendo Dissatisfied With Sales Of Some Games, Dates Vitality Sensor Showcase

New Super Mario Bros. Wii
New Super Mario Bros. Wii In-Game Tips
Nintendo's Temporary Mario Museum, The Video Tour
Mario Vs. Bowser, Waged Through Chess

Outreach
A Room Full of Loot
Win Ryu in LEGO

Kotaku Originals: News that's Hot, Spot or Not

Owen Good — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 08:00:00 MST

Modern Warfare 2's release was the big news everyone could see coming; a bloodbath at Electronic Arts, and GameStop deliberately breaking a major street date, was not. Huge developments marked an unusually newsy week, even for this time of year.

Features
Head In The Clouds: Flying In Video Games

Columns
Notebook Dump: XIII Discs, Reggie's DS, And A Drone Update
NCAA Football, and the Science of Subjectivity

Reviews, Previews, Impressions and Hands-On
New Super Mario Bros. Wii Review: Go Buy A Wii
Modern Warfare 2 PS3 Controller Faceplate Review: Cheap, But Does The Job
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Reflex Review: Looks Aren't Everything
LEGO Rock Band Review: Redefining The Rock Block
MW2 PS3 Combat Wireless Headset Review: Pain in Your Ear
LocoRoco Midnight Carnival Review: Up All Night
Star Trek Online Preview: Ignoring Regulation
Bright Eyes: MW2 Night Vision Goggle Impressions
Modern Warfare 2 Xbox 360 Combat Controller Review: Plugged In
Frankenreview: Modern Warfare 2
Modern Warfare 2 Throat Communicator Micro-Review: Comfy and Quiet
Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 Review: You Only Sing When You're Winning
PSPgo Traveler Case Micro Review: Stylish and Sleek

News
Thank You Mario, But Our Princess Is In Another Game, Getting Kidnapped Again
Nintendo Explains The Red Box, Dashes Hope For Yellow Ones
Was Modern Warfare 2 Really The "Biggest Launch In History"?
More Bang For Your Buck
Wii Price Drop Puts Nintendo Back On Top In U.S.
What The Captains Of The Industry Said Today
Take-Two: Retail Stores Will Be Here For Awhile
Guess What Made Time's 50 Best Inventions Of 2009 List
Care for a Ubisoft fighting game or RPG? They're coming
Ubisoft: Prince of Persia Movie Could Outperform Pirates of the Caribbean
StarCraft II Expansions, Diablo III Coming in "Next Few Years"
The Mario Suits That Were, Are And Should Be
New Zune Game Revue, Coming Right At You
You Came, You Saw, You Critiqued
Brütal Legend Forges Unholy Union With Mishka For Brutally Metal Tees
Dragon Quest VI DS Dated For Japan
Can You Spot The Game Peripheral In This Lady Gaga Video?
Measuring The Hype: Modern Warfare 2
Something To Make Up For The DOA Gears' Snuggie
New Super Mario Bros. Wii Already Standing Out Here
Terrifying Clown Army Invades New York Best Buy
Malaysia's Wall of Modern Warfare 2
Nintendo Thanks People For Ratting Out R4 Retailers
Modern Warfare 2 Locked Until Thursday For Steam Customers
The Dangerous Video Game You Weren't Supposed To Play
Mad Catz Modern Warfare 2 Range Unboxed
iPhone Chart Toppers: Jelly Car 2 Rocks the List

Reminder
Write a Walk-Through, Maybe Win Stuff

Kotaku Originals: Dog Gone

Owen Good — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 08:00:00 MST

The old dog-ate-my-controller excuse got a guy out of a 5,000 Microsoft Point purchase, plus Gamertag immortality for the scape-pooch, in the No. 1 story of a news-packed week delivered by your humble editors.

Rumor
Rumor: Kane & Lynch 2 Has A Very NSFW Level
Xbox 360 with $100 Card for $200 This Weekend?

Features
I Clothe Gamers
KFC Madden NFL Box Unboxing and Review
Kotaku's Super Huge Pumpkin Patch
Using Trophies to Deliver Big Game

Reviews, Previews, Hands-On and Impressions
Review Round-Up: Dragon Age, Drawn To Life, NBA And More
Calling Preview: Ju-on, Take Two
Rooms Preview: Sliding Under The Fun Fence
Rabbids Go Home Review: Strip-Platforming
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Impressions: Modern Warfare, Too
Skate 3 Preview: Peer Pressure Is On
Mass Effect 2 Impressions: Looks Better, Shoots Differently, Doesn't Overheat
League of Legends Review: Free, Addictive, Worthy
Domo Games Micro-Review: No Thanks, Nintendo
Dragon Age: Origins Review: Tripping The Blight Fantastic
Fairytale Fights Review: The Tragic Kingdom
WWE Smackdown Vs. Raw 2010 Review: A Game For Smart People
NBA Live Micro-Review: More than Pick-Up Hoops

Columns
Notebook Dump: Mass Effect 2's New Helpers, A Failed Quest And More
Well Played: Modern Warfare 2 Navigates A Sea Of Second-Guessers
Stick Jockey: With NCAA 10, EA Guns for Two Shining Moments

News
NetFlix In Action on the Playstation 3
Halo Waypoint Will Be What You Make Of It
Band Hero Track Edits Are Ridiculous
Carmack: Working With Apple Is a Rollercoaster Ride
2010 Will Bring Us More Call Of Duty, More Guitar Hero
Online Retailers Refusing To Sell Modern Warfare 2
Drawn To Life: The Next Chapter Review: Hero We Go Again
PS3 Greatest Hits Get A Facelift
PS3 Netflix Streaming Discs Are In The Mail
Carmack on iPhone Fallout, Quake Live and Elves and Orcs
Darksiders Is "Akin to Zelda" But Way Bloodier
Dragon Age: Origins - PlayStation 3 Versus PC
How Many Hours People Play EA And Activision's Wii Games
Walmart Confirms 360 Sale, More Cuts Coming
PSPgo on Your TV
So How Many Boss Fights Will Prince of Persia Have?
Final Fantasy XIII Soundtrack CD Dated For Japan
Five New PSP Bundles For Japan
$25 Million In Left 4 Dead 2 Ads Gets You At Least Two Trucks
Rabbids Developers Remembered Wii's Neglected Features
Is Konami Going To "ReBirth" Jackal On Wii?
The 10 Most Avidly-Played Wii Games In America (As Of Nov 1)
Three Categories of Xbox LIVE Rewards Pilot
The PlayStation Network Expands To Clone Wars, Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Behold The Single-Player Fighting Game
iPhone Chart Toppers: Rock Band Retains Top Spot
Dragon Age Girls Do It With Their Undies On

Outreach
Announcing The Return Of Kotaku's Game Club, For Modern Warfare 2
Giant Wine, Autographed Items, Vinyl, At Upcoming Charity
Console Arcade, DJ Hero, Rock Band Set for Colorado Child's Play Fundraiser

Kotaku Originals: T&A

Owen Good — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 08:00:00 MDT

That would be Terrorism and Alexis. Modern Warfare 2 stirred up plenty of controversy, and then came Crecente's interview of gamer pornstar Raven Alexis. Afterwards, we still found room for more than 60 original headlines over the past week.

Kotaku Talk Radio

News
Bayonetta Xbox 360 Selling Out?
But PlayStation Home Is A Priority Now, Says SCEA Exec
Iwata: DSi XL Not Just For Seniors, It's For Watching Others Play Too
Our Tour Of Halo Waypoint, Including Surprise Avatar Awards
No Other Platforms Planned For Disney Epic Mickey... Anymore
Kotaku's Denver Fundraiser: Silent Auction Items
Here Are Your Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Fortune Hunter Edition Finalists
So, Shigeru Miyamoto Got A Cat
PS3 Sales Up, PSP Sales, PS2 Sales Down
Wii And DS Games From Non-Nintendo Companies
Xbox LIVE Features Kratos Head, It Seems
Nintendo Announces Its Upcoming Wii Games
Nintendo Announces Its Upcoming Nintendo DS Games
DSi XL Coming To America in Early 2010
Disney Considering Movie, Comics for Epic Mickey
Nintendo DS Sales Reach 113 Million, Wii Sales 56 Million
Nintendo Profits Plunge
How Does The DSi LL Compare To The DSi And DS Lite
First Look At New DSi Colors
Today's Pumpkin Post Brought To You By Cuteness
Resident Evil, Defaced With Lego
Spector Tells Us How Disney Epic Mickey Will Challenge Gamers
Left 4 Dead 2 Getting Avatar Awards? [Update]
Left 4 Dead 2 Demo Out Now On Xbox 360
New Super Mario Bros. Wii Dated For North America
Netflix On PS3 Getting Embedded Solution "Late Next Year"
The Mark Of A DJ Hero Player: One Gamer Point
Microsoft: Football Toss Is Not A Prototype For Xbox Live Adver-Gaming
BioWare Reveals Dragon Age's "Massively Single-Player" Details
Hands On With Garters & Ghouls
New Xbox/PS3 Madden Was Born On The Wii
Mecho Wars Team Working on SteamPirates For iPhone, PSP
Extra Life Raises $150,000 And Counting
Modern Warfare 2's Third Person Mode Is No Rumor
Kotaku's Denver Fundraiser: Why You Should Come
Surprise Football Game Pops Up On Xbox Live
Win One of Five Copies of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Fortune Hunter Edition
iPhone Chart Toppers: Rock Band
The World Ends With Batman, Brando And The Spy
DJ Hero Launch Party Turntable Swag
Capcom's New York Fight Club In Motion
iPhone Game Sells Extra Lives Through In-App Store
Video Game Speakeasy Slips Into Soho for a Night of Raucous Fun

Reviews, Previews, Impressions and Hands-On
LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias Micro Review: A Pleasant Gust of Fun
Dawn of War II: Chaos Rising Preview: The Darker Side Of Dawn
Frankenreview: Tekken 6
MAG Preview: Come Back Here With My Tank!
Saw Review: Do You Want to Play This Game?
Tekken 6 Review: The Lag of Iron Fist
A Peek At Bioshock 2: Where Good Ideas Turn Monstrous
Prince of Persia Trailer Impressions - Please, Ben Kingsley, Don't Mess This Up
Dementium II Preview: A Mature DS Game With "Hell Moments"
Hands-On With Ace Combat Xi
GTA: The Ballad Of Gay Tony Review: Out With A Bang
DJ Hero Review: You Spin Me Right Round
Forza Motorsport 3 Review: Definitively Maybe
Rock Band Micro Review: iPhone Joins the Band.
Frankenreview: Ratchet & Clank: A Crack In Time
Avatar Wii Preview: Environmentalism Commando
Dungeon Hunter Review: Pocketful of Diablo

Columns
Notebook Dump: My First DSi-Only Cartridge, Gears And More
Well Played: Can Bigger Screens Save a Shrinking Market?
Old News '01: "Star Fox Adventures... Should Keep Adventure Enthusiasts More Than Happy"

Features
In Praise Of Hard Games
I Can Kick Your Butt, Wanna Bet?

Kotaku Originals: Tough Love

Brian Crecente — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 08:00:00 MDT

With Owen, your favorite uncle, on vacation I'm afraid you're going to be stuck with cranky Crecente these next couple of days.

Let that sink in as you peruse our stories on topics as varied as Capcom, Modern Warfare 2 and reviews. Where are the categories you ask? No reader of mine is going to rely on categories to find their stories!

Re-Creating a Stadium Before Its First Pitch is Thrown
Guitar Hero, Madden, Eliminate Play The Monetization Game
Talking Points Brought To You (Mostly) By Peter Moore
And Now For A Left 4 Dead Jack-o-Lantern
Borderlands Review: Guns! Guns! Guns!
iPhone Chart Toppers: Revenge Of Bejeweled 2
Xbox 360 Update Hands-On: Facebook And Twitter
Xbox 360 Update Hands-On: The Stuff That Didn't Work, For Me [UPDATE]
Windows 7: What Happened to Gaming?
Xbox 360 Update Hands-on: Last.FM In Action
You Can Play Dragon Age: Origins Sort Of Like Four Other Games
I Kept Playing - The Costs Of My Gaming Addiction
Critter Crunch Micro Review: Gross In a Cute Way
Good Advice: Don't Work Out Like A Programmer
PS3 Price Drop Makes It September's Top Console
Kratos In Jack-o-Lantern Form
Japan Gets New "Value" Elite Xbox 360 Bundle
Don't Expect More PixelJunk PSP Ports Just Yet
Microsoft Explores Xbox Live Rewards Program
Capcom: Seth Will Be Cheaper In Super Street Fighter IV
Halo Waypoint Still Evolving, May Eventually Have Gameplay
Bakugan Battle Brawlers Review: Almost There
Global Agenda: Two Ways To Pay; Two Ways To Play
Accidentally, A Preview Of SimAnimals Africa
How About A Spore Fighting Game?
A Boy And His Blob Review: The Zero Nostalgia Version
A Reason To Exclude Motion Controls From Your Flying Game
I Kept Playing - Reader Response
A Patch Of Gaming Pumpkins
Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep Wakes Up To Japanese Release Date'
Hands-On With Frank West And His Zombie Horde
What Don't We Know about Dead Rising 2's Multiplayer?
For Little Money And In Many Words, These Gamers Help You
Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles Impressions: EA Vs. Capcom
Frankenreview: Borderlands
Write a Walk-Through Maybe Win Kick-Ass Stuffs
PS3 PAIN Developers Hit With Lay-Offs?
Microsoft Confirms They Are Testing Live Reward Program
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games Review: Going Through the Motions
The Good, Bad and Ugly of The Modern Warfare 2 Server Decision
The Gears of War Snuggie
Capcom Pondering Super Street Fighter IV In Arcades
Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack In Time Review: The Leap, At Last
Army of Two: The 40th Day Multiplayer Preview: Extract Some Fun
3GS iPhone Games Get Special Code
Borderlands' Creative Boss Lives Up to His Loot Promises
Dark Void Jack-o-Lantern Lights It Up
Uncover These Covered Bayonetta Ads
Dog Bites Man's Live Account?

Kotaku Originals: Straight, No Chaser

Owen Good — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 08:00:00 MDT

This week, Totilo introduced the concept of a chaser, a fantastic idea. Follow an intense game with a 30 minute decompression of something light. Similarly, here's a week's news, soon to be followed by 48 hours of good times. Enjoy.

Reviews, Previews, Impressions and Hands-On
The Saboteur Impressions: It's Not Just Black And White
Axel & Pixel Micro-Review: A Puzzling Combination
No-Fail DJ Hero Is Easier And Harder Than Expected
Zombie Apocalypse Micro-Review: Paint the Town Red
Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron Preview: I'm A Total Space Case
Ju-on: The Grudge Review: Curse Of The Movie Game
Frankenreview: Brutal Legend
Divinity II: Ego Draconis Impressions: Morality Is For Lesser Mortals
Dark Void Preview: Learning To Fall With Style
Brutal Legend Review: Testing Its Metal
Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising Review: Boom Headshot!
NBA Live 10 Review: Amen for a Revival
NBA 2K10 Review: Ball, You - Man!

News
Romero's Slipgate Ironworks Hammered Down, MMO Project Still On
Come Party for Child's Play in Denver
Early Play on Illegit Forza, Borderlands Resulting in Permabans
Solution To Ubisoft Mystery Less Thrilling Than Surmised
Castlevania's Igarashi Involved In WiiWare Rebirth, Secret Stuff
Here's Why LEGO Indiana Jones 2 Needs Your Attention
Half-Minute Hero Review: A Good Risk
Who You Can Kill, Who You Can't [UPDATE]
Online Status Check: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Five Things To Fill In Your Dark Void
What's Inside the Blood and Hair Pasted Box?
Take the National Guard on in Laser Tag at Modern Warfare 2 Premiere
Tecmo Koei Bringing Fist of North Star To PS3/Xbox 360
In PixelJunk Home, A Mix Of Flirting, Innuendo And... Success?
Rogue Warrior Gets A Different Kind Of Gaming Ad
The Awards We Don't Give
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories Enters Fog Of Delay
Brutal Legends' Riggs Up Close and In Ceramic
iPhone Chart Toppers: Tap Tap Surprise

Features
What Makes A Video Game Scary
Go Play Games With Earthquakes In Them
The Xbox Massage-Makers: Money, Sex Toys & Indie Backlash
Virtual Fashion: What They're Wearing In Uncharted 2

Columns
Notebook Dump: Missing High School
Old News '96: Nintendo Also Increasing Storage Capacity, Hopefully, Maybe
Stick Jockey: It's Not in the Game - Should it Be?

Kotaku Originals: Porn

Owen Good — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 08:00:00 MDT

Porn, porn porn porn. Porn porn. Porn. Porn, porn porn porn - porn porn ~~pr0n~~ porn porn porn? (Porn porn.) "Porn porn porn," porn porn, "porn porn porn porn porn." Porn porn porn; porn porn porn ... porn porn porn.

The week that was in Kotaku originals:

Porn
So About Those Porn Stars And That Trailer…

Kotaku Talk Radio
Chat Live With the Man Behind Tony Hawk: Ride Next Week

Columns
Well Played: Why Everyone Should Be Watching the PSPgo
Notebook Dump: The Lack Of Zelda
Stick Jockey: A Virtual Golfer Looks Back On - and Ahead to - His Tournament Career
Tim Rogers: i've been shot!

Previews, Reviews, Hands-On and Impressions
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days Review: Crisis Hearts
South Park Let's Go Tower Defense Play! Review: Throwing Snowballs
Jam Sessions 2 Preview: I Fought The Law And Nobody Won
Katamari Forever Review: Nothing More, Nothing Less
Frankenreview: Wii Fit Plus
Left 4 Dead 2 Scavenge Mode Preview: Giving Multiplayer The Gas
FATALE Preview: Alluring, Alarming and Totally Ambiguous
MotorStorm: Arctic Edge Review: Big Game, Big Fun
Global Conflicts: Child Soldiers Preview: Show Me, Don't Tell Me
Live Test of Facebook on the Xbox 360
Frankenreview: Dead Space Extraction
Wii Fit Plus Review: Now I'm A Believer
Gran Turismo PSP Review: Steady As A Pace Car
Spyborgs Review: Not-So-Heavy Metal
New Super Mario Bros. Wii Preview: All The Modes, All The Chaos
NHL 2K10 Review: Thin-Ice Capades
MySims Agents Review: Sherlock Holmes Didn't Have To Deal With This $#@%

Features
The Rare Art Of Not Explaining Everything
Is Single-Player Gaming In Danger Of Extinction?
The Role of Music Games

News
A Light-Gun Shooter Built For Romance
Ratchet & Clank, Uncharted 2 Coming Home
So Now I Have A PSPgo
Show Us Your Wii History
No, That's Not a 32-Foot-Tall Big Daddy Stalking Berlin
Computer Classic Archon Returning to PC
Koei's Sengoku Musou 3 Bundles
Sengoku BASARA Character For Governor!
Possible Innovation: Continues That Count Up
Christian Science Monitor Wrings Hands Over Modern Warfare 2's D.C.
Game Journalist Shake-Up Shifts Personnel At Several Outlets
iPhone Chart Toppers: Attack of the Diablo Clone
Ready To Rat Out R4 Sellers? Nintendo Is Here To Help

Numbers and Trends
Your Amazing, Disturbing Wii Play Times
Sony: PSP/PSPgo Sales Triple at Some Retailers
The Ten Most Avidly-Played Wii Games In America (As Of Oct 1)

Kotaku Originals: Post-Nuptial Agreements

Owen Good — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 08:00:00 MDT

If it's Saturday morning in October here, that means, what, it's a Tuesday evening in March for Australia? I kid, I keeeeed! But it's definitely past the magic hour when Luke and his bride have said "I do."

Yes, Mr. Plunkett, Kotaku's editor for Oceania, got hitched today, and congrats and best wishes to him and his bride and to their families, and for their new lives together. Luke tying the knot was easily the biggest of big news for Kotakopolis this week, no mean ~~feet~~ feat considering the PSPgo launched and the team returned from Japan with a cartload of TGS09 copy.

So, like a big wedge of wedding cake that we're lovingly smushing into your face, as the DJ cues up the Chicken Dance, here's the week that was in Kotaku Originals.

Kotaku's TGS09 Coverage

Kotaku Talk Radio

Reviews, Previews, Hands-On and Impressions
FIFA 10 Review: 30-Yard Screamer
Heroes Over Europe Review: A Flying Shame
Eliminate Preview: Transitive Verbs Are Cooler Than Nouns
Dead Space Extraction Review: Frighteningly Good
Madden iPhone Micro-Review: The Biggest Small-Time Football
Frankenreview: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Review: Fortune Shines on Drake
Frankenreview: Gran Turismo PSP
DJ Hero Preview: Gonna Need A Bigger Lap
Zuma's Revenge Micro-Review: Bridging The Mom And Son Gap

News
Capcom Objects To Tax Issue
Gladiator Begins Won't Begin Until January 2010
Classy Furniture For Gamers, For $1000 And Up
Cosplay Shodown: Gamescom, Blizzcon, PAX and TGS
Japanese Version of Fat Princess Will Have Blood
Professor Layton Animated Movie Stills
iPhone Chart Toppers: Monopoly Boots Dexter

Features
Where Are All The "Next Gen" Games?
Why We Love To Hate Activision - And Might Be Wrong

Columns
Well Played: Tokyo Game Show Slump Casts Shadow Across Industry
Stick Jockey: What Makes a "Real" Sport in an Unreal World?

PSPgo
The PSPgo Launch Guide: It's a Go
PSP: Attack of the Minis

Kotaku Approval Ratings:
Approval Ratings: No Motivation for Motion Control
Kotaku Approval Ratings: Issues of the Day

Kotaku Originals: No Show-Stopper

Owen Good — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 08:00:00 MDT

Tokyo Games Show dominated this week but it didn't account for all the news. Just like this week won't account for all our TGS coverage. We'll have plenty more when the team returns to the States. Well, except for Bash.

Please do hit that first link to peer at the voluminous report put together by Crecente, Totilo, Bash and McWhertor, with more coming. And check out the eight reviews and previews that ran stateside while Kotaku was in Japan, reporting on the games to be reviewed and previewed in the months to come.

The week in originals:

Kotaku's TGS 2009 Coverage

Kotaku Talk Radio

Previews, Reviews, Impressions and Hands-On
Wii Fit Plus Preview: One Fat Slice Of Cheese
Need for Speed Shift Review: Switching Gears
Muramasa: The Demon Blade Review: Hot Springs Eternal
Star Wars The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes Preview: Split Personality Gameplay
LEGO Indiana Jones 2 Driving Segment Preview: Smash! Crash! Rehash!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up Review: Heroes And A Half-Smash-Bros.
Halo 3: ODST Review: The More Vulnerable Edition
Mini Ninjas Review: Hitman: Lunch Money
Persona PSP Review: This Time It's Persona
Frankenreview: Halo 3: O.D.S.T.

Columns
Well Played: Bakugan: Contender to the Pokemon Throne?
Stick Jockey: Where Madden Plugs a Gap, Another Sees a Running Lane
Top Stories
Wii Price Drop Timed to Wii Fit Plus Release
Sony Nixes Plans For UMD Conversion Program For PSPGo

News
The Voice Of A Master: James Arnold Taylor
Tsumuji Bring Ninja Sneaking To The DS
Hope On The Horizon For Aion's Server Woes
Asia's Other Game Convention: Singapore Shines in September
Left 4 Dead 2 Demo Coming Next Month
The Lusty Screenshots of Dante's Inferno
A Development Studio That Doesn't Put Out Many Games Might Be Busy
Justify Your Giant Bakugan Truck
Bakugan: The Truck
Metroid Prime Team Discusses Their Decade Of Samus, Ponders Series' Future
Aion's Early Start So Far
iPhone Chart Toppers: Dexter Arrives

Ruh Roh
Why We Moved Our Party, And Can't Recommend Trump House

Kotaku Originals: Bundles of Joy

Owen Good — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 08:00:00 MDT

'Twas the week for console news. Modern Warfare 2 and ODST are both doing 360 bundles, MW2's with a super-size drive. The PS3's 250 gig flavor continues to tease from overseas. And the Wii might be in for a haircut.

Elsewhere, Crecente reviewed Scribblenauts and WET; Totilo spent some quality time with Assassin's Creed 2's creative director, and everyone is gearing up for Tokyo Game Show. The week that was in Kotaku original programming:

Previews, Reviews, Impressions and Hands-On
WET Review: Swords, Guns and Flawed Fun
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 Review: It Takes Two, Baby
Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising Multiplayer Preview: War Is Hell. And Mostly Colorless.
Frankenreview: Scribblenauts
Trine Micro-Review: The Fat Knight
GTA IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony Preview: Crimes For The Crazy Rich
Modern Warfare 2 Multiplayer Hands-On Impressions: No Buzzkills
Scribblenauts Review: Embrace Your Inner Geek
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story Review: A Fawful Good Time
The Warriors: Street Brawl Preview: Go Home To Play
Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack In Time Preview: Floor Of The Year

Console Price Drops and Bundles
Europe Getting Four More Bundles For The 250GB PS3
Microsoft Releasing 250GB Xbox 360 For Modern Warfare 2 [Update]
Toys R Us Ad Points To $199 Wii Price Drop This Month
Halo 3: ODST Gets A 360 Bundle

News
Capcom Assembles Super Team For PSP Role-Playing Game
Oh, So There IS A Singstar: Beatles...Sort Of...
All Things BioWare: Answers From The RPG Powerhouse About Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Star Wars And More
Don't Worry About Missing Assassin's Creed II Retailer-Tied Bonus Levels
Samurai Shodown: Edge of Destiny Dated For Japan
Modern Warfare 2 Conference: Call Of Liveblog
Consider, BioWare, The Non-Epic RPG
A Referendum On Bottomless Pits
The Lessons Learned - Or Resisted - While Making Assassin's Creed II
iPhone Chart Toppers
PlayStation 3 Firmware 3.01 Is Live
Adventures in Scribblenauts
Nintendo's Unusual 2009 Wii Strategy: Publishing The Oldies
Can 'Patrice Mode' Solve Gaming's Back Problem?
Crime Rates Drop in 08, Video Game Sales Increase
Justify Your Game: Brutal Legend
A Final Look Inside GRIN's "Fortress"

Feature
Minority Report: The Non-White Gamer's Experience

Columns
Stick Jockey: So I Went to a Fight, and a Video Game Broke Out ...

Tokyo Game Show>
What Games Are Sega Bringing To Tokyo Game Show?
What Is Microsoft Bringing To Tokyo Game Show?
Square Enix Bringing More Dragon Quest To Tokyo Game Show

Approval Ratings
Approval Ratings: Multiplayer and Online Services
Kotaku Approval Ratings: Taking it Online

Looking Back
Old News '00: Maybe Games Can Be Made In Four Months And Maybe Bungie Can Make Them
This Week In Video Game Comics [UPDATE]

Weird
Pissed Off Tea Table Flipping, The Arcade Game

Screen Grabs
The Game Looms, The Beard Thickens
This Is The Underwear Department, Honest
A Guitar Hero Too Far?

Announcements
Calling All Readers: Kotaku Party In Tokyo

Kotaku Originals: SafeSearch is ON

Owen Good — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 08:00:00 MDT

I wanna know how long (and where) Crecente looked for the right "safe" pic to illustrate his porn/PS3 post. Yes, I know of "SFW Porn" but I don't think that fits. I'm also not linking it, because it's still NSFW.

Alright, enough of that. From PAX Flu to Courtney Love, this week was the Emerald City's time to hog the news cycle. We also had a ton of other original coverage, which you may peruse below.

Kotaku's PAX 2009 Coverage

Kotaku Talk Radio

Previews, Reviews, Impressions and Hands-On
Contra ReBirth Micro-Review: The ReBirth Of Challenge
Movie Frankenreview: Gamer
DJ Hero In-House Impressions
The Misadventures Of P.B. Winterbottom Preview: Me, Myself And Pie
Halo 3: ODST Campaign Impressions: The Tension Bungie Built
Madden iPhone Impressions: Thank You For Slow-Mo
Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box Review: My Cup of Tea
Gamer Movie Review: More Second Life Than Counter-Strike
Nostalgia Preview: The Winds Of Staying The Same
Defense Grid Micro-Review: Mmmmm... Raspberries
The Beatles: Rock Band Frankenreview
Guitar Hero 5 Review: Do The Evolution

News
Tim Schafer Finally Gets His Date With Fallon
What PS3 And PSP Games Are Playable At Tokyo Game Show?
NPD Instant Analysis: Things You Should Note
The Secret World Revealed: Factions, Progression, And PVP
Taking Army of Two: The 40th Day To The Zoo
New GTA: Ballad Of Gay Tony Trailer Shows Modern Gay Life Can Be...Difficult
New, Free Content Coming to Batman Next Week
Can Blur Bring Split Screen Back?

Features
Kotaku's Fall Fashion Special

Columns
Well Played: The Problem with Reality
Stick Jockey: In the Preseason, 2K Sports Reports First
Notebook Dump: Halo Bible Height, Cave Story And Xbox Champagne
Stop Telling Me What To Do!

Final Fantasy XIII
The Sounds of The Final Fantasy XIII Premiere Party
Final Fantasy XIII Controls Detailed
The News And Impressions Of The Final Fantasy XIII Premiere Party
Tokyo Game Show Final Fantasy XIII Demo Impressions
You Can't Watch The New FFXIII Trailer Yet, Let Me Describe It
Yup, There Will Be A Final Fantasy XIII PS3 Bundle
Final Fantasy XIII Aiming For Western Release In Spring 2010
Final Fantasy XIII Release Date Confirmed
Final Fantasy Premiere Party Liveblog

Dreamcast
10 Years Of Dreamcast: What Might Have Been

Kotaku Goes to Microsoft
Kotaku Commenters Hang At Microsoft HQ
A Reward For Doing Good Xbox Work
Who Lurks In Microsoft's Xbox Hallways?

Kotaku Originals: Is a Man Not Entitled to the Sweat of His Brow?

Owen Good — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 08:00:00 MDT

No, says the man in Seattle. It belongs to PAX. Labor Day might be the working person's holiday, but persons such as Fahey, Totilo and Adam will be working there this weekend.

Otherwise, we'll be having an abbreviated holiday weekend. Here's your programming guide. My posts will run every two hours beginning with this one. Approval Ratings, Talk Amongst Yourselves and the Top 5 List will return next week. All other features will proceed at their normal times except Sunday Comics, which will run at 8 a.m. instead of its usual 9 a.m. slot.

Got all that? Good, here is the week in original reporting and writing on Kotaku:

Kotaku's PAX Coverage

Kotaku Talk Radio

Previews, Reviews, Hands-On and Impressions
Earth Eternal Impressions: Dispelling Furry Worries
NBA 10: The Inside Impressions: It Gets Weirder
Beaterator Impressions: Can Rockstar Make You A Music Star?
GTA: Chinatown Wars PSP Impressions: Minus The Stylus Strain
Dreamkiller Preview: What Dreams May Die
Fighting Fantasy Follow-Up Preview: Fear My Stylus
Order Of War Preview: Almost Everything Is In Order
Red Faction: Guerrilla PC Preview: PC Gamers Get Best Version (If Their Rigs Can Handle It)
Champions Online: A Tale Of Four Heroes

News
The Spectacular, Halo-Filled Bungie Studios Lobby
Krazy Kart Racing Hits iPhone With Issues
Sony Thanks Its Customers With PSN Ads
The Ten Most Avidly-Played Wii Games In America (As Of September 1)
Ex-Splatterhouse Developer BottleRocket Closes Its Doors
Samurai Warriors Unsheathes Wii Classic Controller
Asking Publishers About Other PS2-To-Blu-Ray Releases
Wii Internet Channel Is Free, Free, Free [UPDATE]
How Hard Will It Be To Get A PS3 Slim In Japan At Launch?
What Square Enix Games Are Playable At Tokyo Game Show?
The King of Fighters XII Patched Up For PS3
Wii Fit Plus Will Be Out On October 4
Two New DSi Colors For America
America Gets Black Wii Controller, New Bundle, No Console
A Snapshot Of The World's PC Gaming Rigs
PS3 Firmware 3.0 Is Live
Tim Langdell Resigns from IGDA Board [Updated]
First DSi-only Games Hit Stores This Fall With Distinct Look
Metal Gear Solid, Castlevania, Silent Hill: Konami Talks Games
Red, Blue DualShock 3 Pads Already Available

Sports
The People That Play One Game For 200-300 Hours A Year
Terms That Are, and Are Not, in NHL 2K10

Columns
Hindsight: What Godfather II Did Better Than GTA
Stick Jockey: The Art of Calling an Unseen Game

Disney and Marvel
The Disney Marvel Team-Ups We'd Like To See
Disney Will Reexamine Marvel Video Game Deals As They Expire

Approval Ratings
Approval Ratings: Readers Like the RPG, but Hold the MMO

Art
All Of Borderlands, On One Wall
Lost: One Giant PSP [UPDATE]
Crysis 2's Nanosuit 2: Up Close and Personal

Kotaku Originals: Follow That

Owen Good — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 08:00:00 MDT

Meaty news week here in Kotakopolis. Last week's PS3 Slim announcement fairly forced Microsoft to do two things: 1) Declare there's no 360 Slim following suit and 2) announce a comparable price cut is on the way.

Reviews of Wolfenstein and Batman helped you decide if you want to play 'em. Ditto the news about Halo 3: ODST's waaaaaaaay early sales in France. In other words, don't, if you want to keep your Xbox Live account. And we wrapped our coverage of two major game conventions, with PAX coming up next week. So, there's no such thing as a refractory period around here.

The week in originals:

Kotaku's Blizzcon Coverage

Kotaku's Gamescom Coverage

Kotaku Talk Radio

News
No More Heroes 2 Playable At PAX 09
New Demon Souls Screens Arrive Just In Time
This Time, The Video Game Announcer Won't Repeat Himself So Much
The PS3 "Ultimate Blu-Ray Movie Kit"
You Could Try To Turn Rock Band Into Rap Band (Or Klezmer Band)
Mass Effect, Joker DLC Asterisks: Play Before You Play
Power To The People: How Rock Band Network Expands The Game, Gets Any Song Online
Devil Kings In Snack Food Form
Do You Know Who's Doing The Japanese TV Theme For Bayonetta? We Do
How To Hype A PS3 Game Advantage
Ryu Ga Gotoku 4 Bar Hostess Voting Has Ended
Their Tweets Are Not Real, Neither Are They
Professor Layton And The Diabolical F Train
John Carmack And The Hideo Kojima Sunset

Reviews, Previews, Hands-On and Impressions
Mass Effect: Pinnacle Station Micro-Review: A Curious Experiment
The Wizard of Oz: Beyond The Yellow Brick Road – A Second Look
Valhalla Knights: Eldar Saga Preview: Making The Jump To Home Consoles
Ju-on: The Grudge Preview: Hide All But One Of Your Wiimotes
The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces Preview: Guileless, But Not Innocent
Frankenreview: Batman: Arkham Asylum
Wolfenstein Review: Occult Following
Batman: Arkham Asylum Review: The Dark Knight Is A Bright Light
Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing Preview: Better Than A Blue Shell
Resident Evil 4 Mobile Edition Micro-Review: Learning to Read With Zombies
Elemental: War of Magic Impressions: There's More To Might Than Magic

Rumor
Is EA Holding Back PS3 Cross-Game Voice Chat?
Best Buy Offering Free Games To Prevent PS3 Slim Trade-Ins
Best Buy Ad Also Confirms 360 Price Drops

Features
In Defence Of Sports Games

Columns
Well Played: A Reignited Console War Means A Happy Holiday For Gamers
Well Played: Video Gamers Get Their Woodstock
Stick Jockey: In a League of Your Own, Where Your Word is Law
Notebook Dump: The Wii's Missing Arkham, NBA 2K10, More

Roundups
Old News '97: Sony Forces Nintendo Game Prices Down
This Week In Video Game Comics

Numbers
Charting The Growth Of Nintendo's Hardware Sales
Wii Sports Resort Sells A Million in America, Ditto for Europe
Wii Sports Resort Sells A Million In Japan

Approval Ratings
Approval Ratings: Batman Positive, by 2-to-1
Kotaku Approval Ratings: Batman and Your Game Platforms

The Greatest Depression
Raven Hit By Layoffs, Some Point to Lackluster Wolfenstein Sales

Art
The Mario Scape Pepsi Built

Kotaku Originals: Slim Goodbody

Owen Good — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 08:00:00 MDT

No doubt about it, this was Sony's week, as the PS3 Slim's arrival dominated the news out of Gamescom - one of three expositions on two continents where we have or had writers in the past week.

Totilo went to QuakeCon, Fahey's now at BlizzCon, and though Gamescom is wrapping up in Cologne, by no means is that end of our coverage there. Look for more reporting on Gamescom in the coming week, for now, take a look back on what Kotaku delivered in this one.

And for those who weren't seven years old in 1980, here's what the picture's all about.

Kotaku's Gamescom Coverage
Kotaku's Blizzcon Coverage
Kotaku's Quakecon Coverage

Kotaku Talk Radio

News
Wait, Square Enix Are Sending Cheques To People?
Can A Bunch Of Names Sell A Game?
World of Warcraft: The Magazine
Dark Void Release Void Filled, Launch Date Announced
MTV: SingStar Beatles False, All-Singing Beatles: Rock Band Mode True
What Do You Mean It's Not Worth Localising Yakuza 3?
Elite 360 No Longer Ships With HD Cables
Hey Capcom, What Did You Think Of Bionic Commando?

Sports
Kotaku Theater: The Madden 10 Glitch Collection
Chad Ocho Cinco Wishes to be Called "The Black Mexican" on Xbox Live
Yes, Brett Favre will be in Madden NFL 10

Features
Halo 3 ODST Multiplayer Tour: Bungie Will Be Your Guide Today
$40 For That Old Thing? How Used Games Are Priced
Bayonetta Still Turning On Game Reporters

Columns
Well Played: QuakeCon Faces a Crossroads
Stick Jockey: Madden Launch Returns to Its Roots - for One Weekend Only?

Previews, Reviews, Hands On and Impressions
Wet Preview: It All Happened So Slowly
Red Faction: Demons Of The Badland Micro-Review: British Girls On Mars Go Wild
Fairytale Fights Preview: The Brothers Grimm Never Looked So Gory
Super Monkey Ball Step And Roll Wii Impressions: Not Popsicles
NFL 2010 Micro-Review: Season on the Shrink
Shadow Complex Review: Genre Upgrade

Approval Ratings
Kotaku Approval Ratings Delivers 56% Negative for Wolfenstein

PS3 Slim
Sony, GameStop Indicate PS3 Slim Available In U.S. Before September
PS3 Slim: The Five Senses Tests
Photographer: PS3 Slim Campaign "Happily Ripped Me Off"
PS3 Slim Standing Test
Looking Back: Our Verdicts On PS3 Slim Rumors
The PS3 Slim Has An Adorable Little Kickstand
PS3 Slim Already Has A Bundle Deal
PS3 Slim: RIP Linux OS
Sony Explain Why The PS3 Slim Has No Backwards Compatibility
Is There A 250GB PS3 Slim As Well?
Sony: Market-Boosting Slim PS3 Will Phase Out Old Models
PlayStation 3 Slim: The Unboxing, The Up-Close Examination
PS3 Slimpocalypse Countdown: FYE Price-Cuts

Sony
Sony: PSP Minis Not An iPhone App Store, No PSPgo UMD Transfer Update
Europe, You Are Officially Getting Pre-Paid PSN Cards
Sony Completely Rebrands The PlayStation 3
Sony Talk PlayStation Lifetime Sales, PSN Revenue
Did You Get Into The MAG Beta?

StarCraft II
First StarCraft II Single Player Campaign Hands-On (With Spoilers)
First StarCraft II Single Player Campaign Hands-On (Now Spoiler-Free!)
StarCraft II: The Unit Upgrades That Make Single-player Shine

Office Pics
Gearbox's Amazing Offices, The Sights We're Allowed To Show
A Peek At Bungie's Office and One Really Big Halo ODST Map