Brian Ashcraft

Confusion Over Whether Nintendo Will Offer Paid DLC For Smash Bros.

That Mewtwo downloadable character for Super Smash Bros.? It’s supposed to be a freebie to those who buy both the 3DS and Wii U versions of the game. It’s supposed to be. But one day, Nintendo says, you might be able to purchase the character. Maybe. This Smash Bros. page lists that the game’s soundtrack…

Manga and Anime Characters Made Beautiful

Canadian digital artist Sakimichan does stunning portraits of famous manga and anime characters—often bending their genders and making them very, very beautiful. This isn’t to say the the characters aren’t originally attractive. They are! But whether the characters are male or female, Sakimichan just makes them pretty Kotaku profiledSakimichan’s lovely portraits back in 2012. Recently,…

Here It Is, the Official Persona Cheeseburger

It was inevitable. This was bound to happen. Behold, an official Persona burger. Called a “Bear Meat Burger,” it features cheese that’s been sliced and layered to look like Persona 4’s Teddy. And no, the meat isn’t actually bear meat. The burger is being served at the Lil’Rire Cafe in Tokyo’s Shibuya. As Famitsu reports,…

This Might Be The Ghost in the Shell FPS You’ve Been Waiting For

South Korea’s Nexon just released a trailer for its upcoming Ghost in the Shell first-person shooter. The online title is for PC and looks like it could be a good time. According to an Inven interview, the game is slated for the first half of next year. Locations from Ghost in the Shell have been…

Attack on Titan Movie Stars Versus the Anime and Manga Characters

Well, they’re making an Attack on Titan movie. Good for them. We now know what the actors look like in their Survey Corps uniforms. Let’s see how they compare with their anime and manga counterparts. The manga debuted in 2009, and the anime incarnation began in 2012. Personally, I don’t think the manga and anime…

The New Dragon Ball Movie’s Title Is Inspired by Heavy Metal

As Kotaku previously reported, the movie is called Dragon Ball Z: The Resurrection of F. And that title was inspired by the best heavy metal song ever written about Frieza. No, really. Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama recently confirmed that, yes, “F is Frieza.” In an article via Twitter user dbhJoho, Toriyama added, “When I…

In Ten Years, You Can Become an Incredible Artist

That is, if you have talent and a relentless work ethic. Don’t believe me? Ask Kouji Tajima. Just look at his work. Fantastic stuff. But Tajima wasn’t always this good. He’s worked as a character artist, concept artist, and matte painter on an array of projects, including big Hollywood productions like 2014 Godzilla movie. (You…

When Superheroes Fight Game Characters, Things Get Painful

Ever wonder what it would be like if Captain America beat the crap outta Ash from Pokemon? Or what if Thor fought Master Chief? This comes from YouTuber CorridorDigital and features some neat special effects and amusing performances. Super Heroes vs Game Heroes [CorridorDigital@YouTube] To contact the author of this post, write to bashcraftATkotaku.com or…

The Hello Kitty Facepack Is for Beauty, Not Terror

Oh, the lengths we go to be beautiful—not frightening. Beautiful. This is an official Hello Kitty beauty mask. In Japanese, it’s called “Hello Kitty Narikiri Facepack” (HELLO KITTY なりきりフェイスパック) with “narikiri” (なりきり) meaning “to turn into completely.” Makes sense. According to Livedoor News, the beauty mask has skin care supplements like hyaluronic acid and collagen…

How Resident Evil HD Remaster Stacks Up Visually

The game isn’t called “HD Remaster” for nothing, you know! The upcoming hi-def version of the 2002 GameCube remake features some really polished graphics. Below, in images from Capcom Unity, you can compare to see how they stack up! According to Capcom Unity, the original images were grabbed via component cables and then cropped to…

Former Japanese Pop Queen Sure Looks Familiar…

In late 1990s, Ayumi Hamasaki became one of Japan’s biggest pop stars. She set style trends and was famous for constantly changing her appearance. But, maybe, she was doing something else constantly. Gamers might know Hamasaki as her songs have been used in games like Tales of Xillia and Onimusha: Dawn Of Dreams. One of…

Mecha Punching Sure Is Intense

This is Project Hon. It’s a mecha game with machines that shoot, transform, and smack the crap outta each other. From NCSoft, Project Hon has been in development since 2011. It is slated for PC and cloud gaming-type services in South Korea. 엔씨소프트 – 프로젝트혼 하이라이트 [InvenMovieA@YouTube Thanks, Sang!] To contact the author of this…

Resident Evil: The Official Curry

And it’s called “Curry of the Biohazard.” Clever, that. Of course, in Japan, where this is sold, Resident Evil is known as Biohazard This “green herb healing curry” is made from coconut milk, chicken, beans, and green curry spices. The box says, “Have the Biohazard Green Herb Curry and survive” and “THEY ARE GOING TO…

Some Truly Unusual Japanese Pizzas

Who loves pizza? I love pizza! Pizza is the BEST. I also really love unusual pizza. You know, ones shaped like cars, Jack-o-lanterns, or made with chocolate bars. Welcome to the world of Aoki’s Pizza. Based in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, the local pizza maker has launched a series of, well, interesting pies over the years.…

When You’re a Cat, Serious Television Can Be Tricky

Meet Nyaanya. This four-month-old kitten just made her Japanese TV debut. Better yet, her Japanese TV news debut. And as this four-legged friend is finding out, television sure ain’t easy! There are cameras you are supposed to pretend don’t exist. That’s hard. Previously, Kotaku introduced Shuukan News Shinsho (or, loosely, Weekly News Digest), a current…

We last heard of Ni-Oh! in 2012. The game, based on an Akira Kurosawa script, was announced in 2005. “I heard that it’s been stopped, but it’s actually very much in development,” Tecmo Koei’s Yosuke Hayashi told Venture Beat. “We still need a little time before showing it off, but it is starting to come…

The Return of Dragon Ball Z‘s Greatest Villain

Frieza died. The Dragon Ball bad guy is supposed to be in hell. But, by the look of this upcoming Dragon Ball Z anime movie poster, Frieza is coming back. Note that this isn’t the first time Frieza has returned to Dragon Ball, but this does look like it could be his most dramatic return.…

Big Hero 6 Makes for Touching Flipbook Animation

Tekken, the Japanese comedian named after the fighting game, is back with another flipbook animation. This time, it’s for Disney’s Big Hero 6 The spot is part of the movie’s promotional campaign. But, like Tekken’s other work, it’s surprisingly touching and sweet. 『ベイマックス』鉄拳「パラパラ漫画」オリジナルPV [Disney@YouTUbe] To contact the author of this post, write to bashcraftATkotaku.com or…

Creepy Anime Face Gets Its Own Photoshop Meme

If you’ve seen the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime, you are probably aware of Joey‘s chin. The character, known as Katsuya Jonouchi in Japan, has an infamous grin. And it’s recently spawned a Photoshop meme. This is what Joey Wheeler’s creepy chin looks like in the anime. And this. Online, his chin is called “creepy.” Under the tag…

Burger King’s Berry Hamburger Sounds Awful

You know, like raspberries, cranberries, and blueberries. And the burger is called the “Premium Berry.” According to Ameba, the berries are cooked in red wine for a sweet-and-sour “BK Mixed Berry Sauce.” The hamburger also has actual blueberries on it, giving Premium Berry a very berry-y texture. Which is exactly what you want from a…