Brian Ashcraft

The Most Amazing Train Game To Hit Japanese Arcades This Year

Japan makes amazing train simulators. Densha de Go!, released in Japanese arcades this week, is no exception. The game was announced last year, and it’s packaged in a train-like cabinet. Inside, there are realistic controls, a touch screen and multiple monitors. It’s a simulator, so the point is to conduct the train from one station…

Japan Is Getting Yet Another Cool Starbucks

Does Japan have a monopoly on cool Starbucks? It can seem that way. Later this year, the country is getting yet another neat-looking one. But first, let’s review! Fukuoka already has this cool one. A very nice Starbucks in Hirosaki. And check out this Starbucks in Hiroshima.  And in Kamakura. A Starbucks in a historic…

Ishigaki Lighthouse. Ishigaki, Okinawa, Japan. By Dan Ring. 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! 

First Look At Rebooted Version Of Long-Delayed Lineage Game

Originallyannounced in 2011 as Lineage Eternal, this years-in-development massively multiplayer online role-playing game gets a new trailer and a new name. Called Project TL (“TL” means The Lineage), the game is now being developed on Unreal Engine 4. I’m assuming the title is a temporary one. The game is supposed to be a sequel to…

The Best Dragon Ball Cosplayer In The World

This is Sosenka. Previously, Kotaku introduced her amazing Majin Buu. But that’s not the only incredible Dragon Ball cosplay she’s done. There are more. What makes Sosenka’s work so great is its range. She does all sorts of Dragon Ball characters, typically showing off her impressive special effects and make-up skills.  But why stop at…

Cake-Flavored Pepsi Coming To Japan

In Japan, Christmas is typically celebrated with a cake. Pepsi is celebrating it with a limited edition release called “Christmas Cola.” Japanese Christmas cakes are sponge cakes covered with whipped cream and filled with strawberries. They are good. A few years back, Pepsi released a white Pepsi, but this latest one is cake flavored.  According…

Man Sells Valuable Yu-Gi-Oh! Cards For His Daughter’s Future

Raising kids ain’t cheap. Neither are rare Yu-Gi-Oh! cards. Twitter user KnightMiyabi decided to sell his super rare ones to pay for his daughter’s pre-school. These are Blue-Eyes White Dragon cards, but not the standard issue. These are the highly rare promos given out at the Jump Festa in Japan in the year 2000. As…

The Reason Why The Xbox One X Is Selling Out In Japan 

Early this morning, a sign went up in front of the Yodobashi Camera in Tokyo’s Akihabara. It read 完売 (kanbai), which means “sold out.” This is just one of several stores across Japan that have sold through their stock. There is a reason for that, and that reason is that they’re only selling preorders. As…

The Bridges. Yanaizu, Japan. By Casey Holtz. 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: We Didn’t Start the Fire | Artist: Billy Joel | Album: Storm Front  Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Delicious Recreations of Studio Ghibli Food

One of the things that makes Studio Ghibli movies so great is that they’re filled with delicious-looking food. But you can eat animated food! That’s why Instagram user En93 has been making them real.  Not only does she recreate the food, but she also does her best to make the dishes and the tableware. Her…

This Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Character’s Voice Is Complete WTF 

Musubi is a rare Blade in Xenoblade Chronicles 2. She looks like an angel, but certainly doesn’t sound like one. Her voice is a total mismatch.  Have a listen for yourself. Redditor WildToeFu put it best: “I was expecting some angelic lady voice, but then I was hit with a little sister voice.” Kotaku East…

A New Version Of The Classic Pokémon Theme Song

When the English-language version of Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! opens, the movie will get a new version of the iconic theme. The “Pokémon Theme” debuted in 1999 and is also known as “Gotta Catch ‘Em All.” Here is how the theme will sound when Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! comes out in…

In Japan, Call of Duty: WWII Ads Are Being Called “Dorky”

Call of Duty: WWII’s Japanese poster campaign sure looks different. Instead of battle hardened troops, it features young folks in dark clothing, holding controllers and saying things like “I’ll do anything for my team.” The posters look like they’re promoting anything but a WWII game. In English, the Japanese ad campaign’s slogan translates to “You…

Harmonica Kitchen. Tokyo, Japan. By Richard Fuentes. 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: Moanin’ (Live) | Artist: Lee Morgan with Oscar Peterson, Ed Thigpen and Ray Brown | Album: Moanin’ (Original Version) Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Tokyo’s Best Souvenir Snack Just Got Better

When people who know go to Tokyo, they buy one souvenir. Make that, the best souvenir. They buy Tokyo Banana. And that snack just got better because it’s getting a Kit Kat version. Or maybe Japanese Kit Kats just got better because they’re getting a Tokyo Banana flavor. Whichever. The point is, Tokyo Banana are…

Danganronpa producer Yuichiro Saito announced that October was his last month at Spike Chunsoft. This isn’t the last of Saito, who said he’ll be producing a game console game in a new locale. 

Battlegrounds‘ Hackers Getting Roughed Up In Net Cafes

Hackers can really ruin the experience for everyone. Recently, clips have been surfacing of people not exactly pleased when they see fellow players using speed hacks in PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. Warning: The clips below contain physical violence. Speed hacks make it possible for cheaters to move so quickly that they’re impossible to track. The clips below…

The Pokémon Anime’s 1,000th Episode Is Next Week 

The first episode of the Pokémon television anime aired on April 1, 1997 in Japan. Next week, the show will reach the 1,000th episode milestone. The name of the 1,000th episode is “Lilie and Silvady, the Resurrected Memory!” and will feature Silvady’s TV anime debut. Broadcasting on November 9, the episode looks like a tearjerker…