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Kotaku East
The Sega Genesis Returns, But Not Like You’d Hope
Remember when Sega made home consoles? I sure do. I was a Sega guy all the way when others were playing Nintendo. And now, I guess I can own Sega Genesis speakers. Hooray? This Sega emblazoned audio product comes from game hardware and peripheral company Tommo. It’s a Bluetooth compatible set of speakers with a…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 26, 2013 -
Kotaku East
“Net Head” Is the Best New Japanese Hairdo
Think you have a cool hairdo? Maybe, but it’s nowhere near as cool as “net head.” Recently, Japanese Twitter user Miya tweeted the above photo, writing, “The person two seats in front of me [has] an amazing hairdo.” The style doesn’t seem to have a name yet, but let’s call it “net head” Because the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 26, 2013 -
Kotaku East
Here’s How To Draw Real ‘Boobies’
Any aspiring artists out there? Or people who just enjoy drawing, um, breasts? Well, here’s a helpful guide. Note: This post contains content some readers might find objectionable. Artist Meghan Hetrick created this how-to a while back, but recently it’s caught a second wind online in Japan, getting retweeted a couple thousand times. “One of…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 26, 2013 -
Kotaku East
Don’t Let Your Kids Pee in Apple Stores
I have children—a whole bunch of them. And I can more than sympathize when parents have to deal with them as they cry, scream, and have to go to the bathroom. That being said, the Apple Store is not a toilet, so don’t let you kids tinkle on the showroom floor. The following photo was…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 26, 2013 -
Kotaku East
FIFA Online Spat in South Korea Leads to Developer Lawsuit
Korean game company Neowiz filed a lawsuit against EA Korea over FIFA Online, reports Korean site Gamemeca (via tipster Sang). Neowiz co-developed FIFA Online 2, which became a big hit and accounted for 15 percent of Neowiz’s total sales. However, for FIFA Online 3, Neowiz got left out in the cold: EA Korea partnered with…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 25, 2013 -
Kotaku EastWatch the New Metal Gear Solid V Demo for Yourself
Kotaku‘s impressions of the MGSV side ops demo sounded pretty darn cool. But nothing can beat eyes-on impressions with your own eyes. Nothing. The side ops demo is a little over twelve minutes and shows off MGSV‘s tagging function. It’s a bit like the system used in Far Cry 3, but minus the tigers. MGSV…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 25, 2013 -
Kotaku East
Cats Rule These Japanese Islands
Welcome to Cat Island. No, make that Cat Islands—plural! Because in Japan, there are at least two locations in Japan with that nickname. Perhaps the most well-known “neko shima” (猫島) or “cat island” is Tashirojima, an island in Miyagi Prefecture. In the 1950s, over a thousand people lived on the island. Now, there are around…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 25, 2013 -
Kotaku East
Are Peach and Mario Finally Getting Married? Eh…
Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai just released an image that could imply that Peach and Mario are tying the knot. Finally. Then again, perhaps not! “Whom is the ring for?” Sakura wrote above the image. Japanese site Inside wonders if Mario is proposing to Peach. Oh Masahiro Sakurai, you tease! If they do get married,…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 25, 2013 -
Kotaku East
A Caterpillar That People Say Looks Like Hello Kitty
This is a caterpillar. Or should I say, a cat-erpillar. Heh heh. You are looking at the Chinese Bush Brown butterfly in its caterpillar incarnation. It can be found throughout Asia—and more recently, throughout the continent’s cyberspace. Originally, these images were uploaded to animal website The Featured Creature; however, they’ve since spread to China, where…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 25, 2013 -
Kotaku East
Bangkok University Is Way Cooler Than Your School
I went to a traditional-looking university. It was pretty, sure, but like I said, traditional-looking. Bangkok University is anything but. Established in 1962, Bangkok University has been heralding itself as the “Creative University” of late. This isn’t just idle talk. Above, you can see the Landmark Complex, created by Bangkok-based Architects 49. The school has…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 25, 2013 -
Kotaku East
Seventeen Years of Pokemon in a Single Image
Has it been seventeen years? The time has just flown by. Here’s how the in-game maps have evolved. The above image was uploaded by Japanese Twitter user @Ugusyan and has been retweeted over ten thousand times. ポケモン17年の歴史 [Twitter] To contact the author of this post, write to bashcraftATkotaku.com or find him on Twitter @Brian_Ashcraft Kotaku…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 24, 2013 -
Kotaku East
Oh My Goodness, These Trees Look Like Totoro
If you’ve seen the Studio Ghibli anime, you are certainly familiar with Totoro. Did you know there are several trees in Japan that resemble the iconic character? Located in the village of Sakegawa in Yamagata Prefecture, the above tree is nicknamed “The Totoro Tree” (トトロの木 or Totoro no Ki). It’s a cedar tree that is…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 24, 2013 -
Kotaku East
Metal Gear Solid V Cosplay Kept Ya Waiting, Huh?
Metal Gear Solid V isn’t out yet. Heck, there wasn’t even a playable demo at this year’s Tokyo Game Show. Until we get our hands on it, all we can do is wait. Good thing there are talented cosplayers to help pass the time. At this year’s Tokyo Game Show, Metal Gear cosplay queen Omi…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 24, 2013 -
Kotaku East
These Japanese Wii U Bundles Are a Good Deal
Nintendo is releasing a Wii U Family Premium set. And hey, it looks like a bargain. The 32GB Wii U comes packed with New Super Mario Bros. U, Wii Party U, a Wii Remote Plus, a thirty day pass for Wii Karaoke U, and a Sensor Bar. The bundle is available in white or black,…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 24, 2013 -
Kotaku East
The Most Blatant Utada Hikaru Ripoff I’ve Ever Seen
Stealing from Utada Hikaru is not cool. But, I guess, if you are going to do it, then dammit, be incredibly obvious like one Korean singer was. Obvious is funny! Back in March 1999, Utada Hikaru released her debut album First Love. It was a smash hit, selling over ten million copies worldwide and spawning…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 24, 2013 -
Kotaku East
How Microsoft Could Be Jumping Over China’s Console Ban
In China, video game consoles are banned. Recently, there’s been chatter than the ban will be lifted. But who needs home consoles when there’s already a workaround: Ditch the game machines completely. This week, Microsoft announced (via WSJ.com) that it was partnering with China’s BesTV to create “family games and related services.” According to Reuters,…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 24, 2013 -
Kotaku East
Dragon Ball Z in the Best Hair Wax Promotion Ever
One of the most iconic elements of Dragon Ball Z are the orange Dragon Balls. The other is unruly hair. Now you can have both. Japanese cosmetics company Creer Beaute is rolling out Dragon Ball Z Hair Wax in three styles: Natural, Hard, Super Hard. How hard is Super Hard? Over 9000, no doubt! Each…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 24, 2013 -
Keiji Inafune Is Taking Your Questions Right Now [Q&A Is Finished]
Mega Man. Onimusha. Dead Rising. These are just a small sample of games from Keiji Inafune. Now, he’s working on a new title, Mighty No. 9. Oh, he’s also answering your questions, right here! For the next hour, Inafune will be on hand for a reader Q&A, with Tokyo-based game localizer 8-4 doing realtime translations.…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 23, 2013 -
Kotaku East
Consider This Your Cosplay Cure
This weekend at the Tokyo Game Show, some of the best cosplay in Asia was on display. There were those at the TGS event halls, but some of the most talented cosplayers graced the stage at Cosplay Collection Night. Japan’s biggest cosplay social-networking site Cure presented Cosplay Collection Night at TGS, with Cure members strutting…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 23, 2013 -
Kotaku East
Westerners Want PS Vita TV More than Sony Thought
That PS Vita TV sure is a neat little device, huh? The device is hitting Japan this November and will be released elsewhere in Asia next January. But what about the West? In a recent roundtable Kotaku attended at Sony’s Tokyo headquarters, Masayasu Ito said, “Western gamers want [the PS Vita TV] more than we…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 23, 2013
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