Brian Ashcraft

Satoru Iwata recently apologized for long Wii U load times and updates and promised future improvement. Hooray!

These Hamburger Wrappers Are Madness and Nightmares

Freshness Burger is a Japanese burger chain. They make good burgers! “Organic & natural” is the Freshness motto. But with these new burger wrappers, it should be something else. In the past, Freshness Burger has wrapped its burgers in unusual designs, such as Jack-o’-lanterns. These latest wrappers are highly unusual. “The hell is this, it’s…

This Game Was Developed in North Korea. Play It Right Now.

There’s a first for everything. Until checking out Pyongyang Racer, I’d never played a North Korean developed game. It’s not as bad as I thought it would be. It’s also not very good. To be fair, it is a browser game developed for a British owned travel agency that takes tourists to North Korea. The…

Heads up! Final Fantasy IV is now out on iOS. Yours for US$16 at the Apple Store

Dick Flashing Comedian, in Action Figure Form

When not promoting Patapon 3 or helping people, Japanese comedian Egashira 2:50 has another hobby: whipping out his dick. Now you can bring Egashira’s antics to your desktop or bookshelf with this upcoming posable figure. Part of the Figma line, this Egashira 2:50 action figure is slated for next June and priced at ¥3,800. (Amazon…

Japanese Internet Mogul Hit with Drug Accusations

In the West, Reddit says it’s the front page of the internet. But in Japan, it’s not. The internet in Japan is dominated by 2channel. It’s where news—whether that’s political or video game news—disseminates. It’s the center of online culture. And apparently, drugs. That’s perhaps why today drug charges were brought against Hiroyuki Nishimura, 2ch’s…

These Aren’t New Metal Gear Screens, But Man, They’re Sure Wonderfully Bizarre

Remember that insane Metal Gear bento? Well, game creator Hideo Kojima decided to use his new game engine, the Fox Engine, to capture the bento, and then have Big Boss hold it. Because if you could, you’d do it, too. Above is the result, courtesy of Kojima’s Twitter Perhaps you think this is a huge…

Jackie Chan Is in Trouble for Claims Over Guns and Grenades (Grenades?)

Hong Kong police are investigating Jackie Chan for saying his life is like something out of, dare I say, an action flick. While speaking with Guangzhou-based magazine Southern People Weekly, Chan recalled how he did something most Hong Kong actors were afraid to: stand up to gangsters by carrying guns and grenades. In that interview…

A Look Inside the Brand New Square Enix Cafe

Famed Japanese game maker Square Enix recently launched a new establishment called Artnia. Inside, there are figurines on display, plush toys and accessories to buy, as well as CDs, t-shirts, pricey souvenir chocolate and cookies. This isn’t just a gift shop. There’s also a cafe that serves parfait, pancakes, sandwiches, coffee, and original non-alcoholic “potions”…

War Z Developer on Steam Debacle: You Misread The Description.

The roll out of zombie shooter The War Z is one hot mess. Yesterday, gamers on Reddit were pissed about the game’s misleading description on Steam. And now, the game’s maker, Hammerpoint Interactive, is saying it wasn’t the description’s fault. Oh, no, it was yours. “I’m sure that a few players may be upset, but…

This Isn’t Just a Japanese Arcade, It’s Someone’s Home

Recently on NicoNico Douga (via Kotaku Japan), one user showed how a storage room had been converted into a retro Japanese arcade, complete with refurbished cabinets, old game mags, a drink machine, a change machine, and even those crappy metal ashtrays you find in Japanese game centers. The recreation even uses black lighting for that…

Your Circuit Board Cannot Be This Cute

By default circuit boards are nerdy. But this circuit board is not just nerdy. It’s cute. Don’t believe me? Check out the other side. Bam! See? Cute. This is the AZPR EvBoard, aka the “Circuit Board Shojo”. Shown earlier this year (check Kotaku Japan), this is a programmable board for hobbyists. Recently, the board is…

Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers for the 3DS is headed to North America next spring, Atlus announced today.

All the Final Fantasy You Can Eat

Yesterday, Kotaku showed off the special (and totally bonkers) Metal Gear bento Sony created to mark the series’ anniversary. That wasn’t the only special bento. There was a Final Fantasy bento, too. Looks good, huh? Literally. Ham was used for the characters’ skin, while eggs were used for the blond hair. And those blue pupils?…

Naruto Shows Ninja Look Good in Orange

Naruto is iconic. It’s a hugely popular manga, anime, and video game series. And its fans sure adore the Nine-Tails ninja hero. No wonder there are so many Naruto cosplayers! But thanks to Naruto’s “sexy technique”, the Naruto fandom is also filled with female Naruto characters, which are dubbed “Naruko”. Here is a small sampling…

3DS title Monster Hunter 4 has been delayed in Japan from March to “summer” to improve quality, Capcom announced today.

British Tabloids Are Blaming Call of Duty and… Dynasty Warriors

Initially, Mass Effect incorrectly (and embarrassingly) got the blame for the tragic Sandy Hook school shooting. Now, British tabloids are picking up the “played video games” angle to single out Call of Duty and Dynasty Warriors Today’s morning edition of The Sun carries this headline: “KILLER’S CALL OF DUTY OBSESSION”. The sub headline reads “Massacre…

North Korea Totally Trolled by 4chan

Doh! First China was fooled by The Onion into thinking Kim Jong Un was the “Sexiest Man Alive”, and now North Korea actually thinks that he’s Time magazine’s Man of the Year. According to The Wall Street Journal, the Korean Central News Agency reported Tuesday that Mr. Kim was selected by Time subscribers, “including politicians,…

The Metal Gear Bento Is Truly Insane

When Hideo Kojima isn’t making Metal Gear games, he’s taking photos of his food. And today, those two things—games and food pics—congeal into one amazing lunch box. Kojima was at Sony’s Tokyo headquarters to check out the special PlayStation 3 bento boxes. They’re actually Metal Gear and Final Fantasy “character bento” to mark both franchise’s…

Here, Have Some Kid Icarus Action Figures

Masahiro Sakurai, who helmed Kid Icarus: Uprising, recently showed off these two new Figma Kid Icarus figures of the characters Pit and Dark Pit. Pretty nice! No word on when they’ll be released. These are the latest in Figma’s line of Nintendo figures. Previously, Kotaku reviewed the Figma Link. Figma [@Sora_Sakurai] Kotaku East is your…