Brian Ashcraft

The Case for Why Bayonetta Could Be in the New Smash Bros.

The upcoming Bayonetta 2 is a Wii U exclusive. Nintendo, not Sega, is now publishing the game. You know what that means? Yep, it probably means that the character of Bayonetta will pop up in the upcoming 3DS and Wii U Smash Bros. games. This, of course, would not be the first time a “non-Nintendo”…

Tokyo Cops Stop Freaky Anime Lady

Earlier this month, cops in Tokyo’s Shibuya stopped a person dressed as an anime female (see above). The mask is called an “animegao” (アニメ顔) or “anime face”. According to Japanese publication Tokyo Sports, the police stopped the cosplayer, asking, “Why are you wearing that mask?” The anime faced cosplayer replied, “That, I cannot say.” The…

Banned Cosplayer Capitalizing on Her Game Show Infamy

This summer, cosplayer Li Ling was booted from China Joy, the country’s largest game show. She was appearing at the booth for ZQgame, who contracted the model to promote its new Saint Seiya game. Ling’s appearance and outfit was orchestrated game PR. Dressed as Athena, Ling caused quite a stir. Her revealing costume showed off…

A Peek Inside Where They Make Final Fantasy

Japanese game studios, Square Enix included, generally don’t like cameras poking around where they make games. There are obvious reasons for that, such as designs or game info leaking out. Another reason is that, you know, people are trying to work! Still, Square Enix allowed its own cameras into a Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII…

Turn Your iPhone Pics into Japanese Manga Images

Okay, this sounds cool: Sister site Kotaku Japan points to an app called Manga Camera that can make your photos look like Japanese comic book panels. If you’ve ever read manga in Japanese, you’ll be happy to know that Manga Camera has an array of onomatopoeic words with melodramatic shading. So go ahead, make your…

Hollywood’s rebooted Godzilla film will be out May 2014.

The ESRB Knows Dead or Alive Too Well

Japanese fighting game Dead or Alive features a bevy of curvy ladies punching and kicking each other in the face. For years now, the DoA‘s have been talking up two things: Fighting game mechanics and boob physics. So when the Entertainment Software Rating Board had a crack at the latest DoA, Dead or Alive 5,…

Aussie Deli Sandwich From McDonald’s Japan: The Snacktaku Review

McDonald’s Japan has decided to bring the rest of the world to Japan via fast food. Well, not the whole world. For the burger joint’s latest campaign, it’s only been France, India, and Australia. As Snacktaku’s embedded emissary in Asia, I take snack sampling very seriously. Snackology is an extremely important field, and one must…

Square Enix’s Online Shop Seems To Have Been Hacked

Tokyo-based game company Square Enix announced that it believes the third-party server, which hosts its online shop, was breached. While the landing page can be accessed, the Square Enix Online Shop is currently offline and clicking on the Japan catalog brings up a notice about the hack. Square Enix is currently assessing the extent of…

Bayonetta 2 Developers Don’t Want to “Alienate” You

Action game Bayonetta 2, the sequel to…Bayonetta 1, is headed to the Wii U. It’s an exclusive! And Nintendo is publishing the game. This has made some “fans” pissed as hell. Others are happy. But what do the game’s developers have to say? Platinum Games, the studio behind Bayonetta, released statements from staff as well…

This Pyramid Head Statue Is the Stuff of Nightmares

*shudder* Now this is frightening. You are looking at a Silent Head 2 Pyramid Head statue. You are looking at the stuff of nightmares. The 33cm figurine is priced at around US$150, and it will be out this November in Japan. レッドピラミッドシング 1/6スケール PVCスタチュー [Mamegyorai via ファミ通]

Warriors Orochi is a Wii U Launch Title in Japan

Koei’s hack and slash series Warriors Orochi is headed to the Wii U when it launches in Japan on December 8 with Musou Orochi 2 Hyper, a Wii U version of the PS3 and Xbox 360 Orochi game. Musou Orochi 2 was released in the West as Warriors Orochi 3

The Folks Behind Xenoblade Are Making a Wii U Game

Game designer Tetsuya Takahashi and his team at Monolith Soft are working on a totally new title for the Wii U. At Monolith, Takahashi designed Xenoblade Chronicles (above) and the Xenosaga games. Before founding that studio, he designed Xenogears while working at Square Enix. No word on what his current Wii U project is or…

Bayonetta 2 Is a Wii U Exclusive

Nintendo just revealed that Bayonetta 2 is coming to the Wii U. Osaka-based game studio Platinum Games, who developed the first Bayonetta, is once again bringing the character to life. Nintendo is publishing this Wii U exclusive. Atsushi Inaba of Okami fame is producing, and Yusuke Hashimoto, who produced the first Bayonetta, will be directing.…

Why Apple’s New iPod Nano Interface Isn’t So New

One of the most striking things about the new iPod Nano is its bubble interface. It’s different from the rounded squares found on people’s iPhones. For many iPhone users, the interface will seem brand new. For gamers, it might not. The bubble icon interface on the iPod Nano looks very similar to the bubble icon…

A Blurry Look at Dragon Quest X on the Wii U

While the Wii version is already out, the Wii U version of Dragon Quest X, well, ain’t. Here’s a scan of the upcoming game. WiiU版「ドラクエ10」の画像公開！これで寝ながらプレイ出来るな！！ [オタク] Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning from 4am to 8am.

The Most Beautiful Portal Gun the World Has Ever Seen

That is no lie. Sculptor Duncan Shirah uses wood and metal to create his stunning—and sometimes geeky—works of art. “I think everyone has had that ‘wouldn’t it be cool if this existed’ feeling,” the 24 year-old Shirah recently told Kotaku. “I love being able to turn those ideas into actual objects.” While studying sculpting in…

You Don’t Need To Go to Tatooine To Visit the Star Wars Slave Quarters

You do need to go to Tunisia, which doubled as Tatooine spaceport Mos Espa. It was what Anakin Skywalker called home and the locale for the podrace in Star Wars: Episode I. Real people now live on the abandoned set, but not all of Mos Espa was created by Hollywood. Ksar Hadada in Tunisia served…

Right Now, I’m Calling the Wii U’s American Price Tag

Nintendo of America’s pricing and release date reveal for the Wii U is only hours away. Kotaku already posted the game’s Japanese release date and dual pricing. But how much will it cost in U.S. dollars? I’m fairly confident my educated guess is right. In Japan, Nintendo is launching two Wii U bundles: there’s the…

Nintendo Reveals Nintendo Network Premium

Those Wii U owners who shell out for the higher end Wii U get more than added gigabytes and accessories. They also get access to Nintendo Network Premium. The Nintendo Network is the Kyoto-based game company’s online service. It’s supposed to be free, but earlier this summer Nintendo said it could not promise that the…