Kotaku: Tattoos

Now That's a Zelda Tattoo

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 08:00:00 EST

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Marian von Charlottenburg had this badass Zelda tattoo done in Hamburg, Germany. Nice to see someone take the normally-clean heraldic image and mess it up a bunch. More »

This Man's Chest is Braver Than my Chest

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EDT

This Zelda tattoo looks painful. And colourful! But so painful. Especially when you consider it's not exactly canon. More »

This Is as Classy as a Sonic the Hedgehog Tattoo Can Get

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 24 May 2011 03:30:00 EDT

How, you must think, can a Sonic tattoo ever be classy? When someone uses their imagination, that's how. More »

Check Out This NBA Star's Massive Wingspan

Owen Good — Wed, 11 May 2011 22:00:00 EDT

This full-back tat by Andrei Kirilenko, a free agent most recently with the Utah Jazz, speaks to what kind of pro athlete plays World of Warcraft. Usually, it's the iconoclast in the locker room, a guy like Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe. More »

Um, Nice Pokéballs

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 01:00:00 EST

There are people who have got Pokémon tattoos who may regret that decision in ten years time. And then there's this guy, who will have many more regrets than that, and a whole lot sooner. More »

The Fellowship Of The Zelda Tattoos

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 05:30:00 EST

And now they know for sure, there are six guys in the wolf pack. Six wolves, running around the Bay Area together, in San Francisco, looking for rupees and heart containers. So tonight, we make a toast! More »

A Tribute To Video Games In Living Flesh

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 02:30:00 EST

Yeah, we've seen amazing gaming tattoos before, but this guy's full-sleeve piece - covering a wide array of platforms, genres and characters - must surely rank up there as one of the best. More »

A Link To The Past (And This Couple's Future)

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 06:00:00 EST

This couple, married on the 4th of July, found just about the sweetest way imaginable to commemorate their anniversary: with complementary Zelda tattoos. As seen on Fuck Yeah Tattoos. More »

It's Dangerous To Go Alone! Get Inked Together!

Owen Good — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 15:00:00 EDT

Reader Tim T., perhaps taking a page from Fahey and the soon-to-be Mrs. Fahey's art, sends in these his-and-her Zelda tattoos he and his wife have. The heart containers are mirrored so that both halves form the same whole. Dawwwwwww. More »

I Choose You...Jigglypuff, For This Giant Tattoo

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 06:30:00 EDT

You hear someone has a Jigglypuff tattoo on their arm, you begin to think horrible, horrible thoughts, but Danielle White's forearm piece looks...well, it works. More »

16-Bit Boba Fett, Inked On Human Flesh

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 06:30:00 EDT

Sure, two Boba Fett tattoos on one arm may be "a bit much". But when one is a 16-bit rendition of New Zealand's finest bounty hunter, that's OK in our books. More »

Keep Your Yakuza-Style Tattoos To Yourself

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 03:30:00 EDT

Kazuma Kiryu, the hero of Sega's Yakuza series, has a back full of yakuza-style ink. But it's not only Japanese gangsters who tattoo themselves. Sometimes it's voice actors. More »

APB Transforms A Regular Guy Into A Pierced And Tatted Criminal

Mike Fahey — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 11:40:00 EDT

Cops and robbers MMO APB is world filled with grungy-looking criminals covered with tattoos and riddled with piercings. Now Realtime Worlds is letting fans vote on how they permanently disfigure a real human being with the Human Avatar Project. More »

Hold It There Soldier, That Tattoo's Not Serviceable

Owen Good — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 16:00:00 EDT

This might sound nitpicky, but it's not to veterans who game. And those who served in Vietnam might wonder why Call of Duty: Black Ops personnel in "denied" areas would want to advertise an American military unit on their forearm. More »

Meet Yakuza 3's Real Life Tattoo Artist

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 03:30:00 EDT

One of the most interesting things about Yakuza 3 is how you keep running into men with enormous, fantastic tattoos. Well, those tats are the work of one man: Kazuaki Kitamura. More »

Nothing Says I Love You Like Being Stabbed With Final Fantasy Characters

Mike Fahey — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 18:00:00 EST

Forget boxes of chocolates, flowers, and stuffed animals. Those are gifts you should be exchanging every day. No, for me, Valentine's Day is the kind of day where you and your loved one go out and get Final Fantasy tattoos. More »

That's One Way to Honor Grandma

Owen Good — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 13:00:00 EDT

As seen at F*ck Yeah, Tattoos!, which has an explanation. More »

See Patapon March Across Human Flesh

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 07:30:00 EST

Masatomo Ueda likes Patapon. A lot more than you or I like Patapon. He likes it so much he's not only got himself a Patapon tattoo, but made himself Patapon prey in the process. More »

Ms. Pac-Man Tattoo Might Limit Career Options

Owen Good — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 19:40:00 EST

Lord knows we encourage enough tatting around here, but like the mafia, we don't deliberately go for the face. More »

The 10th is the Tattoo Anniversary, Right?

Owen Good — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 16:00:00 EDT

The 10th is actually the aluminum or tin anniversary. But rather than give each other cookie cutters or Reynolds wrap, reader mlazy and his wife got inked. With his n' hers Pac-Tattoos. (He gives a shout-out to his artist, Skin Deep Ink, and we'll oblige). Yes that's hers on the left and his on the right. (Arm hair: Dead giveaway) Congratulations mlazy and Ms. mlazy! Remember, on the 20th, you have to get shoulderblade-to-shoulderblade tattoos of Chun Li and Ryu. So start saving up now! More »

Reader's Tattoo Update

Stuart Houghton — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 15:20:00 EDT

Well, we did ask. Our heavily inked readers have sent in a plethora of pictures detailing the game-related tattoos with which they have adorned themselves. As expected, they run the gamut from impressive to slightly baffling. Magnet Genocide wears Chun Li on his arm, Rob Thrift has matching mega man and heat man, Melissa Stiltner sent us her impressive Master Sword back piece - she has Okami piece on the way. Nick Purdy sent us pics of his girlfriend Robyn's Super Mario Galaxy star, Sebastian Zethraeus wears a foxy MGS 4 insignia, An anonymous reader has the Sith code in UV ink. More »

Show Us Your Tats

Stuart Houghton — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:40:00 EDT

Two more readers have decided to permanently mark their bodies to show how much they love gaming (and wearing sleeves for job interviews). More »

Tattoos: Area Man Hoping Fallout 3 WIll Be Critical Success

Stuart Houghton — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 19:20:00 EDT

You are doing it wrong! You are supposed to wait until AFTER a game is lauded as a bona fide classic before you get its iconography indelibly etched into your flesh. More »

A Serious, Permanent Metal Gear Solid 3 Fan

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 21:00:27 EDT

Kotaku reader and Philadelphian "daeeatsall" is not what you might call a "casual" fan of Metal Gear. This pair of Metal Gear Solid 3-inspired tattoos that have effectively eliminated him from the regular workforce are a testament to that, with a "Zombie" facepainted Snake on his right and an Eva on his left. We'll just sit back and admire tattoo artist Bird's work on his hands, keeping our opinions to ourselves. We'd hate for any misconstrued words to be misinterpreted and to be on the receiving end of those meaty fists. Yikes! More »

Oh Dear...Sega Fans...

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 16 May 2008 06:30:00 EDT

Yeah, you love Sonic, OK? We all do. But there's a point where you can love Sonic too much. Enjoying Sonic making out with human chicks, for example, is enjoying Sonic too much. As is walking into a tattoo parlour, sitting down, saying "cover the arm with Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and a Sega logo, will you?" and thinking it's a good idea. More »

My Second Gaming Tattoo - Reader's Choice

Mike Fahey — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 12:20:00 EDT

Well here it is folks. The gaming tattoo those of you who didn't want me to brand Crecente's face onto my body for all time voted for. I think Justin over at Psycho Tattoo II in Sandy Springs did an excellent job this time around, matching the colors rather well and getting the whole thing done quickly and painlessly. He comes highly recommended if you're in the Atlanta area and need someone with a steady hand to get your pixels done right. Now comes two weeks or so of scabbing, itching, and peeling, but Black Mage finally has someone to ~~stab in the head~~ play with. Thanks everyone for helping me make up my mind, and being a part of my body art. Check out the gallery for some bloody good fun, all in the name of community interaction! More »

And The Winning Tattoo Is...

Mike Fahey — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT

Earlier this week I asked you, the Kotaku voting public, to pick which character would be gracing my arm come this Sunday's appointment at my local purveyor of fine body art. You have spoken, and the winner by an overwhelming margin was Brian Crecente...who doesn't count. Which it would be a great response to the companies at E3 who ask me where Brian is ("Right here on my arm!*), the odds of me one day getting angry at him and taking a flathead screwdriver to my arm are too great. In his stead I have chosen the runner-up, Fighter. The burly Yin to Black Mage's delicate but deadly Yang, Fighter received 1269 votes to Crecente's 1808, with the next closest being Red Mage with only 918. Come back Monday for a look at the finished product, and thank you for helping me decide what to have drawn on myself! More »

Choose My Next Gaming Tattoo

Mike Fahey — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 21:00:00 EDT

Well now you've seen my first, so I am letting you guys choose my next. I've narrowed it down to a few choices, sticking with the Final Fantasy I theme of things. Black Mage is lonely, and he needs a friend. The thing to keep in mind here is that white ink does not do well in a tattoo. Some people take to it well, depending on pH balances and such, but for the most part white won't last. This means that what might have been the most popular choice - White Mage - wouldn't end up looking all that great. In the end I'd like to get a full party of four going, and then maybe do enemies on the upper arms. This one is going on the same spot on my right wrist, so I can pretend to be praying while making them talk to each other. My appointment is Sunday, so you'll see the results come Monday. Hit the jump to see the choices and have your say in the mostly permanent modification of my skin. Voting shall end on Friday! More »

My First Gaming Tattoo

Mike Fahey — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 13:20:00 EDT

Since I started writing for Kotaku I've been exposed to sides of gaming culture I was never really aware of. Game cakes, game crochet, papercraft...all ways for the more creative and skilled of us to express their dedication to our great passion, but what about those of us without mad crafting skills? I could probably pull off a game cake of the Adventure hero sans arrow sword, or fold up some origami throwing stars and toss them at my cats, pretending I am Ryu Hayabusa, but it wouldn't be the same. Luckily for the unskilled (and perhaps slightly unbalanced) of us, there is another way. The gaming tattoo. Armed with the knowledge provided me by Flynn's excellent feature back in January of this year, I decided it was time to make long sleeve shirts a requirement for job interviews for the rest of my life and get inked. More »

Man Gets PlayStation 3 Tattoo For Some Bizarre Reason

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 20:20:00 EST

A man who goes by the handle MobileTone, a reader of Sony's semi-official blog ThreeSpeech, has decided that permanently tattooing "PS3" on his right forearm was a good idea. Odd that he didn't go with the official typeface for the "world's first PS3 tattoo", but also quite understandable. I'm sure that PS3 text can be gracefully re-inked into something else, should he grow tired of it. The tattooed man says "I doubt i'll ever regret it" but speaking from the experience of having a 3DO tattoo on your left calf and never knowing the comfort of shorts for fear of ridicule, I'm fairly certain a tinge of regret will hit one day. More »

Ink Meets Flesh: A Gaming Tattoo Primer

fdemarco — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 14:00:16 EST

Years ago, tattoos were considered quite the taboo for normal folk. They were usually reserved for the likes of bikers, thugs, sailors and circus sideshow performers. In the last ten to fifteen years, tattooing has become de rigueur amongst the alternative set, slowly spreading its inky wings to a larger part of the general populous. Even more recently, a certain subset of the gaming community has gotten on board the tattoo train and begun immortalizing their favorite video game icons on their skin, permanently embedding their love of the medium into their skin. More »

Another Legendary (?) Halo Tattoo

Maggie Greene — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 12:30:25 EDT

A few months ago, we posted about a Legendary(?) Halo tattoo. Well, here's another one: same theme, different stretch of skin (and this one appears to be half finished), sent in by Ryan C., who says the lucky tattooee is a 'friend's older brother.' We've actually mentioned this one before while it was still in the linework phase, filed under 'Just say NO to Halo tattoos.' I've flirted with the idea of adding a game related tattoo to my collection, but never been quite comfortable with having something that fleeting permanently inked on my body. Still, this one seems to be shaping up quite nicely if you're into that sort of thing. More »

Leave Luck To Heaven tattoo

ataylor — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 17:57:10 EDT

Dan sent this to me, sent in to him by the proud, female owner of this amazing back. More »

Colossus Tattoo Trumped

Mike Fahey — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 20:00:49 EDT

Seems that Jason's friend from Monday wasn't the first person to have a Shadow of the Colossus 'kill me here' symbol tattooed on their body. Brooke here sees his SotC tattoo and raises him an Ico tat.

That young whippersnapper isn't the first to get such a mark; I had this done in Edinburgh in the year of our Lord 2005, shortly after finishing the game. As far as I know, I was the first bold dumbass to go ahead and do it. I've also attached a photo of my Ico tattoo as well, because ... well how many other people are there with Ico tattoos, I ask you?

Oh it's on now. More »

Colossus Tattoo - Very Bad Idea

Mike Fahey — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 18:00:42 EDT

Kotakuite Jason sends in this picture of his friend, who is just begging to have a tiny guy shimmy his way up his body to plunge a sword into his abdomen. The gods of irony are watching your friend's weak point tattoo very closely Jason. More »

Three More Msoft Tattoos

Brian Crecente — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 14:00:09 EST

Hmmm, I'm starting to think that the whole tattoo thing is getting a little out of hand over at Microsoft. More »

The Top 25 Video Game Tattoos

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 21:00:57 EST

When we post someone's permanently inked dedication to gaming, the tattoos seem to come out of the woodwork, exposing us to reader flesh we'd sometimes rather not see. Now, someone's put together a list of what they consider the best game tattoos "EVER!", so send your colored nakedness in that direction. More »

The Temple Of Mario Stars Tattoo

fdemarco — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 16:00:51 EST

There have been many great (and not so great) video game tattoos that have passed through the hallowed halls of Kotaku Tower. There was the awesome Okami tattoo and the terrifying Castlevania tattoo, even a warm and fuzzy Mario tattoo "just between friends". This one, however, takes the cake for in your face visibility. In fact it has ON your face visibility. More »

One Insane Sony Fan's Plea For A PS3 Premiere Ticket!

kotaku.com — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 10:40:42 EDT

To prove with a slavering, self-mutilating Sony sycophant he was, thus securing tickets to Sony's Playstation 3 premier party, this inky gamer decided to get a Triangle, a Circle, an X and a Square tatooed over his entire arm. It's good work, but it makes me wonder if the entire disestablishmentarianist point of a tattoo is lost when you're basically branding yourself with a corporate trademark. Florian Eckhardt More »

The Triforce Adonis

egauger — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 17:20:36 EDT

This classic portrait is from the BMEzine blog, ModBlog, which is home to all manner of grotesque and exciting specimens and womens. More »