Brian Ashcraft

Konami Is Pulling 31 Mobile Gaming Apps in Japan

Today, health club company Konami announced that it will be removing thirty-one iOS gaming apps on September 10. According to Inside Games (via Dr. Serkan Toto’s blog), the apps will not be updated to support iOS 9 or later. Some of the apps have English versions, such as Metal Gear Solid Touch (above), but Konami…

The New Lupin the Third Anime Series Looks Terrific

For the first time in thirty years, there’s a new Lupin the Third animated television series. So far, the show certainly seems promising. A few years back, we got a Lupin the Third spin-off anime which centered on Fujiko. But this latest one, which debuts this October in Japan, is classic Lupin the Third. It’s…

A stroll in Yanaka Cemetery. Tokyo, Japan.By Armand Ghedira. 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!

Dragon Ball Family Portraits

I have family portraits. You probably do, too. So, why shouldn’t Dragon Ball characters? Thanks to Alberto Cubatas over on Deviant Art (via JeFusion), they do! Cubatas went one step further than the big Dragon Ball family image (above) and has been breaking them down into their individual families. [Image: Alberto Cubatas] [Image: Alberto Cubatas]…

Unusual Japanese Wedding Plan: Get Married with an Alpaca

Not married to an alpaca, but married with one. Like, you can have the animal show up at your wedding. In a bow-tie. According to Sankei News (and Twitter user Mulboyne), Japanese resort hotel Epinard Nasu— located in the Nasu Highlands, a summer retreat for the country’s royal family—is offering a special “Alpaca Wedding” package.…

Theory: Mortal Kombat and Enter the Dragon Are the Same Movie

Here’s undeniable proof that Mortal Kombat and Enter the Dragon are indeed one in the same. Or, as previously pointed out, maybe it shows how Mortal Kombat borrowed heavily from Enter the Dragon? This clip is from YouTuber J. Matthew Turner, who recently showed how Ralph Macchio’s character is an unhinged sociopath in The Karate…

The Hello Kitty-Meets-Child’s Play Doll You’ve Always Wanted

It’s August, which is not Halloween. It’s summer. But that won’t stop the marketing machine from unveiling products like this: A Child’s Play themed Hello Kitty plush toy. As pointed out by Twitter user marii_3198z, Hello Chucky will go on sale at Universal Studios Japan next month as part of the theme park’s annual Halloween…

This year’s Sony Computer Entertainment Japan Asia press conferencewill be heldon Tuesday, September 15 and streamed online. The presser is right before this year’s Tokyo Game Show. Be sure to check back for Kotaku’s coverage.

Fushimi Inari Shrine. Kyoto, Japan. By Greg Penet. 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: Chiisana Koi no Uta | Album: Message | Artist: Mongol800 Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

That’s One Way To Handle Anime Complaints

The latest episode of the PriPara (Prism Paradise) anime has raised eyebrows in Japan for the way the show changed its ending sequence. PriPara started out as a kiddy arcade game in Japan and went on to spawn a manga and an anime. According to IT Media, one possible explanation is a complaint from last…

Mario and Luigi as Japanese Gods

Mario is Raijin (雷神), the Japanese god of thunder and storms. Luigi is Fujin (風神), the Japanese god of wind. And this is one incredibly cool piece of art. In Japanese art, Raijin and Fujin are traditionally paired, and in Japanese video games, the same is true of Mario and Luigi. This screen painting, done…

The Longest Hug Pillow in the World (Apparently!)

If anyone can find one that measures over seven meters (22.96 feet), then, yes, this is the longest hug pillow on Earth. Note: One of the images below *might* be NSFW. The hug pillow features the human-snake lady Miia from Monster Musume, a manga and anime about monster girls. The pillow is one-to-one scale with…

Odd Meme: Comparing Anime Cards with Magic the Gathering

This isn’t the first comparison I would make, but it looks like enough other people are doing so. On Twitter in Japan, people are comparing similar poses in Idolmaster: Cinderella Girls and Magic the Gathering. As noted on Togetter, there’s even a hashtag for the comparisons: #モバマスの画像をアップすると近い構図のmtgのカードが送られてくる (loosely, “If I/you upload a mobile Idolmaster game…

If Star Wars Took Place in Northern England

The Star Wars movies are filmed at Pinewood Studios in England, but take place in a galaxy far, far away. Imagine if they took place in the U.K. and if Ken Loach directed them. British filmmaker Ken Loach is known for his gritty, naturalistic films, such as My Name is Joe and Riff-Raff. He should…

Rakan statues. Itsukushima, Japan. By Cliff Ward. 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: Behind the Mask | Album: Solid State Survivor | Artist: Yellow Magic Orchestra Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

In China, Women Hired To Motivate Computer Programmers

Because they cannot motivate themselves? Who knows! But according to Trending in China(via Tech in Asia), “programming cheerleaders” apparently exist. Here’s Trending in China explaining what’s going on: Internet companies across China are embracing programming cheerleaders, pretty, talented girls that help create a fun work environment. Their job includes buying programmers breakfast, chitchatting and playing…

A pond at Kouyasan. Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. By Adrien Métivet. 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!

From August 30, Nintendo 2DS will get cheaper in North America. The console will be priced at $99.99, which is thirty bucks less expensive than it’s current $129.99 price tag. And yes, the handheld will still come with the digital version of Mario Kart 7.