Brian Ashcraft

Square Enix Announces Final Fantasy XV: Royal Edition for PS4 and Xbox One [Update]

On March 6, Square Enix is releasing Final Fantasy XV: Royal Edition for Xbox One and PS4. It’s filled with new features, including a new dungeon, a first-person mode and the ability to control the game’s royal boat. Update January 17 – 7:30pm: An earlier version of this story stated that the Final Fantasy XV…

So Far, The Most Inventive-Looking Nintendo 3DS Game Of 2018

This is Baku Tsuri Bar Hunter. It’s for the Nintendo 3DS, and it looks wonderfully peculiar. In English, the title means “Burst of Laughter Fishing Bar Hunter.” If the fishing reel peripheral that encases the Nintendo 3DS wasn’t self-explanatory enough, this is a fishing game. But here’s the catch: You are fishing for barcodes—not, you…

According to Gamemeca (via tipster Sang), during the Nintendo Switch’s first three days on sale in South Korea, over 55,000 units were sold. Sure, PC gaming rules the country, but that three-day number is better than the first month for any Nintendo system ever released in South Korea.

Fire And Smoke. Punta Bianca, Liguria, Italy. By Daniele Pauletto | Flickr  JPGs is a photo peek into wherever gamers might find interesting. If you’re a photographer and have images you want to share, drop us a line! 

Track: Pop Team Epic | Artist: Sumire Uesaka | Album: Pop Team Epic (single)  Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

The Nintendo Switch Had An Incredible Year In Japan

It’s January. A good time to take stock and reflect on 2017. And for the Nintendo Switch in Japan, what a year it was. Throughout 2017, the Switch drew long (and sometimes hellish) lines. Even by the year’s end, when the Switch became more available, it still continued to post strong sales numbers. But, really,…

Level-5 announced it’s porting 3DS game The Snack World:TreJarers to the Nintendo Switch. The exact release date is still TBA, and no word yet if it will get an international release. 

The Arcade Performance That’s Tearing Up Twitter

Twitter user Hiro spotted this masked-wearing, blind-folded Taiko no Tatsujin player at an arcade in Japan. The uploaded clip has racked up over three million views on Twitter. He’s not simply playing, but performing. Have a look for yourself. Amazing, no?  Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking…

Memorial Service For Bulma’s Voice Actress Hiromi Tsuru 

Last fall, Dragon Ball voice actress Hiromi Tsuru suddenly passed away. Recently, a memorial service was held in Tokyo. While the funeral was private, this was an owakare-kai (お別れ会) or “farewell gathering” that was open to the public. It was a way for colleagues and fans to grieve and celebrate her life. Sports Hochi reports…

House of the Dead is back! Starting this Friday, There is a location test in Akihabara for House of the Dead: Scarlet Dawn, which Arcade Heroes points out is the latest House of the Dead after a 12-year wait. 

Twins. Mt. Fuji, Japan. By Charlez Chong. JPGs is a photo peek into wherever gamers might find interesting. If you’re a photographer and have images you want to share, drop us a line! 

Track: Let Forever Be | Artist: The Chemical Brothers | Album: Surrender Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Tips for Drawing Backgrounds

Thomas Romain is a terrific artist working in the anime industry in Tokyo. Previously, he showed how to draw detailed buildings. This time, we’re going to learn from him how to draw backgrounds. Romain has an impressive resume, including art direction on Symphogear and mecha design for Space Dandy. Over numerous months, he’s been kind…

Your Winter 2018 Anime Guide [Updated]

When it gets cold outside, there’s only one thing to do: stay indoors and watch anime. So let’s do exactly that! Here the winter 2018 anime shows to watch during these frigid months. Below are the shows that are currently airing, along with where they’re being simulcast to the outside world. Have a look and…

The Time When Nintendo Employees Went On A Hunger Strike

These days, people might be thrilled to work for Nintendo. But in the 1950s, when things got dire, employees took extreme measures to show their dissatisfaction. The photo below dates from May 25, 1955. The banner reads, “On A Hunger Strike.” Below that, it reads, “Nintendo Labor Union.” At that time, Nintendo was still mainly…

Pink. Tokyo, Japan. By Vincenzo Spina | Instagram  JPGs is a photo peek into wherever gamers might find interesting. If you’re a photographer and have images you want to share, drop us a line! 

Track: Follow The Leader | Artist: Eric B. & Rakim | Album: Follow the Leader Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

The New Anime Everyone Is Talking About

Even though it’s only one episode in, this season’s breakout anime looks like it could be Pop Team Epic Originally a web manga, Pop Team Epic follows the surreal adventures of two mouthy schoolgirls. Since the original manga was filled with absurdist humor, pop culture references, and memes, you can bet the anime version is,…

Free-to-play mecha battle game Border Break kicks off its open beta test next month in Japan (no word yet about outside the country). Developed by Sega, it’s a PlayStation 4 exclusive. Have a look at the game’s new trailer. 

The “Don’t Forgive Nintendo” Hashtag Has Turned Into Shitposting

Nintendo is suing Japanese mobile game company Colopl for $40 million dollars, alleging the game Shiro Neko Project infringes on its patents. Initially, a Twitter hashtag appeared to be supporting the mobile studio, but it’s now turned into Nintendo shitposting. Colopl is a major smart device developer, making titles like TsumTsum Land for Disney. It…