Brian Ashcraft

New Super Smash Bros. 3DS Patch Will Address Balance Issues

Good news, Smash Bros. players! Nintendo announced an upcoming patch, stating it will adjust the game’s balance. Phew. According to Nintendo, the Ver. 1.0.4 update will adjust game balance as well as “fix various problems to make the game more enjoyable to play.” Nintendo hasn’t yet gone into specifics regarding what exactly will be changed…

Tetsuya Nomura’s Version of Hikaru Utada Is… Interesting

This December will see an album of Hikaru Utada songs covered by an array of famous singers. Well-known artists are also doing illustrations, drawings, and art inspired by Utada and her music. For example, this. The album is called Utada Hikaru no Uta (宇多田ヒカルのうた) or Hikaru Utada’s Songs and features covers by Ringo Sheena, Ayumi…

Neon Genesis Evangelion Turned into a Hideous Japanese Car

Just look at that. Do it! It’s called the 7-Eleven Limited Evangelion Orochi. It’s not only incredibly ugly, but incredibly rare. It’s also the most expensive item 7-Eleven has ever offered for sale. That’s right, 7-Eleven. Based on the Neon Genesis Evangelion anime, only one of these special cars will be offered. Sankei News reports…

Sleeping Totoro Plush Toy Is Somewhat Cute, But Kind of Freaky

Just look at how it breathes. And listen to how it snores. And opens its mouth. Below you can see a video of the Inemuri Totoro (Dozing Totoro) in action from nigiwaishouten. Here, have a look: Just by squeezing Totoro’s hand, you can send him into a deep slumber. This isn’t the first sleeping Totoro…

Wedding Proposal with 99 iPhones Turned into One Pricey Rejection

In case you are wondering, 99 iPhone 6s apparently costs over 500,000 yuan—or about $85,000. That’s a lot of money! That’s a lot of iPhones. QQ Games (via The Nanfang) reports that a computer programmer in Guangzhou decided to propose to his girlfriend in the middle of an iPhone 6 heart. The proposal happened right…

You Can Study DOTA at College in China

Many students might spend their free time at college playing DOTA. Why not spend your study time doing the same? Well, in China, you can. According to CQ News (via That’s), Chongqing Energy College now has a course on Defense of the Ancients, aka DOTA. (Note: The article did not specify whether the class covers…

Not Quite the Japanese Assassin’s Creed You’ve Been Hoping For

That what-if Japanese Assassin’s Creed artlooked sweet. This is not that. It is from Ubisoft Japan, though. No, really. Dubbed “Akiba Stealth,” the clip is set in Tokyo’s geek Mecca, Akihabara, and is heavy on the otaku stereotypes but features some neat chases. AKIBA STEALTH/アキバステルス [UbiJapan@YouTube] To contact the author of this post, write to…

Get Your Butt Kicked at this Maid Cafe. Literally.

For years now, maid cafes have been popular in Japan’s geek and gaming districts. Most of them are similar and staffed by frilly maids that speak in high-pitched voices. This cafe, however, has a cheeky twist. Dubbed Cafe CC Ocha and located in Osaka’s Nipponbashi, the cafe has an unusual option on the menu: Visitors…

Looking at One Piece and Declining Popularity Claims

Recently, a thread appeared on Japan’s largest net forum attempting to point out that the One Piece juggernaut was ending. Not sure about that, though. Bandai releases various items, such as plush toys, figurines, notebooks, bento boxes, cups, t-shirts, video games, etc. Those licenses include Gundam, Power Rangers, Dragon Ball, Yokai Watch, and One Piece.…

Please Don’t Be Real, Doritos Flavored Mountain Dew

Nobody asked for this. Nobody. As noted by Redditor joes_nipples, Mountain Dew was apparently doing a taste test at Kent State University in Ohio for, I guess, possible drinks. Among the flavors, that included Lemon Ginger and Mango Habanero, it seems, was “Mountain Dew Dewitos.” According to joes_nipples, the liquid Doritos drink tasted “like if…

The Majora’s Mask Comparison We’ve All Been Waiting for

So, Nintendo is remaking The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask for the Nintendo 3DS. Let’s see how it stacks up with the original Nintendo 64 version. The N64 version was originally released in 2000, while the upcoming remake, titled The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D, will be out in spring 2015. Fifteen years later,…

In This Dating Game, You Impress Ladies with Your Drifting

Car racing meets dating game. This is Drift Girls, and in it, you try to impress women with your racing—and drifting—abilities. The app is being released in South Korea and is heavy on both drifting and fan service. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a game that mixes a specific racing mechanic like this with…

How To Make Black Burgers

You’ve seen Burger King Japan’sblack cheese burger. You’ve seen McDonald’s black burger. You’ve read the review. Now, learn how to make your own. Warning: If you get squeamish around dead sea creatures, maybe sit this one out. On 2ch, Japan’s largest webforum, one net user decided to make a black burger from scratch. It doesn’t…

“I will make anime until I die,” said Hayao Miyazaki in a recent interview. “I like telling stories and drawing pictures.” However, Miyazaki stressed that he no longer has the physical strength to do feature length anime, so expect him to work on short anime and manga.

Nintendo President Responds to Worries Over His Health

Recently, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata appeared at a company shareholders meeting. He looked quite thin—something that did not go unnoticed. But Iwata wants you to know he’s recovering. Earlier this year, Iwata missed E3 on the advice of his doctor. Later, it was revealed that he had a growth removed from his bile duct. Online…

Hey Japan, Have Some Orange Coca-Cola

Well, the official name is actually ” Coca-Cola Orange.” And it tastes like, wait for it, Coke with orange. As you can see, the drink is not orange colored. That’s good. [Photo: runaebi] [Photo: ksasahar] While people in Japan are quite surprised to see orange Coke, some folks abroad may not be! Back in 2007,…

Assassin’s Creed Unity DLC Bundled with…Shaving Gel

This really exists. Downloadable content for people who buy Edge shaving gel. As noted on the Edge Shave Zone Facebook, these limited edition cans are emblazoned with Assassin’s Creed Unity, with each offering either a sword, armor, or an assassin’s hat. Assassin’s Creed Unity is out this month. Keep in mind that November is No…

Rumored Naruto Leak Might Spoil the Upcoming Movie

The Naruto manga is ending. The upcoming feature film is called The Last: Naruto the Movie. And supposed leaked images might give away some of the film’s biggest surprises. Or might be totally fake. Warning: This article contains possible spoilers, which might be complete bunk. However, if you do not want any part of The…

Star Wars Sandtroopers Do Not Need Nipples

Samurai or not, Sandtroopers don’t have nipples. Well, didn’t. This one does, it seems. Heh. Here, you can see a photo of an Imperial Sandtrooper figure. The photo was created by Rich Alot from RebelScum.com. Notice how many things are labelled? Notice how not one of those things is nipples? Er, two of those things.…

Pirate Bay Co-Founder Arrested in Thailand

Until recently, only two of the three The Pirate Bay co-founders were in police custody: Peter Sunde was arrested in Sweden this past May, while Gottfrid Svartholm was just sentenced to 3.5 years. And yesterday, a third co-founder, Fredrik Neij, was arrested while trying to cross the border into Thailand. As Tech in Asia reports,…