Brian Ashcraft

Artist: Sheena Ringo | Track: Gips | Album: Shouso Strip Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

The Shenmue HD Fan Remake Still Looks Incredible

In 2014, Kotaku reportedthat a fan was remastering Shenmue in HD (because Sega, it seems, wasn’t). It’s now 2015, so let’s see how that remaster is coming along. As tipster Sang points out, YouTuber Kid Nocon once again uploaded more footage of the remaster, right as therecord-breaking Shenmue III Kickstarter was coming to a close.…

The Art of Gundam Shown in Tokyo

This week in Japan, a special exhibit titled The Art of Gundam opened at the Mori Arts Center in Tokyo. Good, because art is exactly what so much of Gundam is. Our colleagues at Gizmodo Japan were on hand to check out the exhibit, which runs until September 27. There was a giant screen installation,…

Here’s the first trailer for the anime based on popular mobile game Monster Strike. It’s an original YouTube anime and will debut on October 10.

Blowfish. Osaka, Japan. By Brian Ashcraft. 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!

The Yamamura House. Ashiya, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. By Brian Ashcraft. 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!

Odin Sphere Going HD Next Year

It’s called Odin Sphere: Leiftrasir. One of the most beautiful PlayStation 2 games ever made is going HD. The newly announced Odin Sphere: Leiftrasir not only has HD graphics, but also new enemies and new bosses as well as tweaked gameplay. The HD version does keep the 2D scrolling gameplay, and there is a “Classic…

Tomorrow Is “Hand Job Day” in Japan [Update]

No, it’s not a national holiday by any stretch. But yes, the day does have an official super hero. Good to know! Update 7/21/15 12:48am – The nearly 18 minute short clip has been uploaded and added below. Japanese company Tenga, which makes a line of masturbation toys by the same name, is dubbing July…

Chinese Employees Relieve Stress with Studio Ghibli Masks

A service company in the Chinese city Handan held “No-Face Day,” which was inspired by the character No-Face from Studio Ghibli’s anime Spirited Away [Photo by ChinaFotoPress/ChinaFotoPress via Getty Images] According to ChinaFotoPress, the PR stunt day was designed to help relieve the pressure of smiling to customers and clients. Because nothing is as relaxing…

The Ant-Man Trailer Remade with Kids and Goofy Special Effects

Ant-Man is the latest Marvel comic book to get the movie treatment. You’ve probably seen the trailer. But have you seen this no-budget parody trailer from Thailand? As Coconuts Bangkok point out, YouTubers Heeha TV, which is hosted by Thai kids, made this parody, which matches up well with the original preview. That is, minus…

Shenmue III Breaks Video Game Kickstarter Record

The long overdue Shenmue III racked up over US$6.3 million on Kickstarter. That’s a new record for video-game crowdfunding. The previous record was held by Koji Igarashi’s Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night at $5.5 million. The Kickstarter campaign was announced at Sony’s E3 press conference with a $2 million target. The game reachedthat goal in…

Track: Anti-Hero | Artist: Sekai no Owari | Album: Attack on Titan Soundtrack Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

Artist: Kyu Sakamoto | Track: Sukiyaki | Album: Sukiyaki (Single) Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

Widescreen Can Make NES Games Better

The classic 1980s baseball game Bases Loaded is coming to the PS4. And it looks like Bases Loaded! But widescreen. Via Inside, you can see in the above screenshot what the PS4 version will look like. Compare with a clip of the NES version below. Bases Loaded was originally released in arcades, but as a…

Angry Birds 2 Will Be Released This Month

Never mind that there are already fifteen Angry Birds games, Finnish developer Roviojust announced a sequel to Angry Birds. It’s called Angry Birds 2. To date, Rovio has made twelve games in the main series (including a sequel to Angry Birds Star Wars called, wait for it, Angry Birds Star Wars II) and three spin-offs…

Handsome Men, Goofy Anime

Gakuen Handsome is a silly game. Silly on purpose. The same looks true for the anime version. The Boys’s Love title, which is set in all-boys school, is getting an original anime video this August in Japan. Titled Gakuen Handsome: The Animation, the 30-minute DVD is priced at 2,980 yen (around US$25) and features the…

The Cute World of Japanese Warning Signs

Why make boring looking warning signs when you can make cute ones? Seriously. Photographer Luca Eandi has been uploading sign photos to the Tumblr blog Signs of Japan Many are adorable, and provide a nice look at Japanese graphic design and visual culture. The sign warns people not to enter because the construction site behind…

Fighting Over Senpai

What do you get when you combine martial-arts style wire work, green screens, and notice-me-senpai? This, apparently. Akihabara idol group Dempagumi.inc appears in this Mets soft drink spot, with all the members vying for their senpai’s attention. If you’re curious how this was made, watch the behind-the-scenes clip below. To contact the author of this…

Garden. Uji, Kyoto, Japan. By Brian Ashcraft. 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!

Japanese Political Protest Turned into a Photoshop Meme

Earlier today in Japan, a special security committee okayed legislation that expands the Japanese military’s role. People outside the Diet building protested as did lawmakers did inside the assembly. And folks on Twitter? They made memes. This is a serious moment in Japanese history as the bills are a reinterpretation of the country’s pacifist constitution,…