Brian Ashcraft

This Epic “Last Boss” Isn’t a Video Game Character, But a Japanese Singer

In video games, whether they’re shooting games or role-playing games, there’s always a last boss. And according to convention, the last boss is typically large. Make that, enormous However, this isn’t a video game character. It’s Japanese singer Sachiko Kobayashi. Online in Japan, though, she’s dubbed “the last boss”. And for good reason. Kobayashi is…

Hackers Are Targeting High-Profile Employees, Says Microsoft

Microsoft has revealed that a “handful” of accounts held by current and former high-profile Microsoft employees have been hacking targets. In a statement issued to The Verge, Microsoft stated that a “group of hackers are using several stringed social engineering techniques to compromise the accounts.” While Xbox Live doesn’t ask for social security numbers for…

Marvel at How Japanese Anime Has Changed and Evolved

While Japanese anime first appeared as early as 1917, it began to flourish in the 1960s with the spread of television throughout Japan. And over the years, its styles have changed. This isn’t new, and it’s something Kotaku has touched on previously (here). However, below you can see images from 2ch that catalogue anime styles…

Rumor: Final Fantasy X HD Comes With Final Fantasy X-2 HD on the PS3

According to what looks like a Jump Magazine leak (below), the HD remaster of Final Fantasy X is coming to the PlayStation with a Final Fantasy X-2 remaster on the same disc. Both the Final Fantasy X and X-2 HD versions are also supposedly packed with the “international version” content. Originally, that consisted of bonus…

How Japanese Schoolgirl Uniforms Are Getting Pervert-Proof

For some in Japan, schoolgirls are an object of fetish. That can manifest itself in their appearance in mainstream media, whether that’s cartoons or video games, or in far more unsettling and immediate ways, such as creeps trying to take photos up female students’ skirts. To combat these sorts of unsavory actions and to protect…

Final Fantasy V on Smartphones? Nineteen Bucks in Japan.

As first revealed last December, Square Enix is bringing Final Fantasy V and “other games” to iOS. A leaked Japanese magazine scan shows how much Japanese gamers can expect to pay for this: Final Fantasy V, which is listed for iOS and Android, is priced at ¥1,800 or close to US$19. That’s a lot! But,…

This Skyrim Cosplay Will Make You Shout “Fus Ro Dah”!

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was one of the best games of 2011. 2011? It’s 2013! No matter, Skyrim lives on, thanks in part to its fancy outfits. The game continues to get downloadable content. Last month, the PS3 and PC versions of Dragonborn were released. It had been released on Xbox 360 last December…

Hey Foreigners, Make Whatever Sushi You Like

Over the years, I’ve had some truly delicious sushi in Japan. Ditto for outside of Japan. Of course, there are the types of sushi created abroad, such as the California roll. Good stuff! Recently, a thread popped up on 2ch, Japan’s largest online forum, showing a collection of “foreigner made sushi.” The original source, a…

Japanese Subway Stations Totally Look Like Role-Playing Game Dungeons

As any longtime resident can attest, Japan’s subway is punctual, clean, and convenient. Its stations, however, can get elaborate and confusing. Train stations, by their very nature, with those staircases and escalators, look like labyrinths or dungeons. Some stations just look a little more like them. Recently, a Japanese net user posted a photo of…

Nintendo Bossman Has One of the Coolest Video Game Jackets Ever

Fun fact: Nintendo honcho Satoru Iwata was one of the main programmers on Mother 2 (aka Earthbound) for the SNES. Today on Twitter, Iwata uploaded this photo of a badass Mother 2 sukajan. The jacket, Iwata noted, was given out to the game’s staff, and it was the thing he treasures most. Heck, I would,…

Acquire is apparently working on a new RPG for the Vita called Mind Zero. Here’s a first look. [オタク]

Woman Flees North Korea And Is Shocked By Freedom and… Cosplay

In 2000, an 18 year-old Hana Lee fled North Korea on foot. For five years, she hid in China, and after five long, difficult years, she arrived at Kansai International Airport, located outside Osaka City. Japan and the freedom it enjoys, to say the least, surprised her. Hana Lee (a pseudonym) is currently living in…

An Even Wilder Theory: Is This the Real Joakim Mogren?

This is Ludvig Forssell. He might look more familiar when he’s covered with bandages and pretending to be a Swedish game designer named Joakim Mogren. Or maybe we’ve just been staring at his picture too long. We’re tossing this one to you readers to decide. Why might Ludvig Forssell be the bandaged, supposedly-Swedish developer “Joakim…

Japanese arcade game Gunslinger Stratos got a special anime promo. No word if this will be a TV series. Yet.

Why Cats Love Sitting on Keyboards

Any cat owner will tell you: those felines love keyboards. They love sitting on them. They love walking on them. They adore them! Over on Yahoo! Answers, the top answers state the obvious: cats want your attention. That’s no doubt true. Recently, Japanese site My Navi examined this issue that has confronted cat owners as…

Marvel at this Japanese Nerd Dancing

If you’ve ever been to an idol (virtual or real!) concert, you are familiar with Japanese nerd dancing. It’s called “otagei” (オタ芸) or “wotagei” (ヲタ芸), which is short for “otaku” (geek) and “gei” (芸), which can mean “performance” in Japanese. In short, it’s a bunch of geeks dancing! Above, you can see some truly impressive…

Here’s a look at the newest entry in the Atelier series. It’s currently dubbed “Project A15”.

Final Fantasy Versus XIII Turned into FFXV by a Fashion Label’s Mistake

Ah, the world of fashion! The clothes. The models. The typos? According to Japanese clothing brand Roen, that’s exactly what caused a recent kerfuffle. Back in 2008, Roen announced that it would be making Final Fantasy Versus XIII threads like the game’s protagonists wear. Recently, however, something peculiar was spotted while surfing Roen’s website. On…

This Year’s Craziest Video Game Conspiracy Theory, the Uncanny Valley, and, Oh Yeah, Metal Gear

The next generation is around the corner. And with it, video gamers will get wrinkles, hair follicles, and pores like they’ve never seen before. Before we know it, the Uncanny Valley will become the new normal. But, as some are wondering online, is it already here? And did we just watch a digital game developer…

Civilization V‘s Newest Expansion Pack Will Take You to a Brave New World

Civilization V‘s second expansion pack, dubbed Brave New World, brings a sharper focus on culture and diplomacy, with new civilizations, wonders, and more. Yes, more! Civilization V: Brave New World features nine new civilizations with new leaders, such as Casimir III of Poland. It also includes new game scenarios, such as a “Scramble for Africa”…