Brian Ashcraft

You Gotta Catch All These Pokémon Trainers! (No, Really, You Do)

Pocket Monsters isn’t only about monsters. It’s also about those Monster Ball packing characters. You know, trainers Over the generations, there have been a host of Pokémon trainers. Some of them have become iconic—such as Ash Ketchum, Misty, and Hilda. Being iconic in gaming means there are countless numbers of folks who enjoy dressing up…

PS Vita Rip-Off Appears at China’s Biggest Gaming Expo

Even though the actual PS Vita was at the recent China Joy gaming convention in Shanghai, a Vita inspired copy was there, too. From iReadyGo, the Much 3G is an Android-powered handheld that sure looks like the PS Vita (though, it seems to be missing rear-touch and proper analog sticks). Tech company iReadyGo even had…

An upcoming patch will enable gamers to play Dragon’s Dogma on a new Easy mode. How about a patch for the boring bits?

Hanging Out with Darth Vader Sure Seems Fun

Camping. Skateboarding. Getting your hair done. If you’re a looking for a buddy, Darth Vader is the Sith Lord you want. Vader appears in the Samsung Galaxy spots for Japanese mobile carrier Docomo. Debuting last fall, the commercial is part of the “Walk with You” series of commercials that turns celebrities in personified cell phones…

Naruto, All Freakishly Tall and with Breasts

Nana-chan ningyou (“Nana-chan doll”) is a huge female mannequin in front of Nagoya’s Meitetsu Department Store. Since 1973, she’s towered over shoppers in a variety of seasonal and promotional outfits. Recently, Nana-chan donned Naruto gear as part of a campaign for the new Naruto animated film, Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie, giving Nagoya the…

The Upcoming Final Fantasy XIII Lightning Title Will Be Revealed Next Month

As previously hinted, Square Enix will be revealing the latest entry in its Final Fantasy XIII “Lightning Saga” at the upcoming Final Fantasy anniversary event in Tokyo’s Shibuya on September 1. Square Enix’s Yoshinori Kitase confirmed to Famitsu that work on the latest entry in the Lightning Saga has “just begun”. At the Final Fantasy…

A Chinese Arcade Cabinet Built for RPGs

Side-scrolling role-playing game Zhan Hun (roughly, “Soul Decapitation”) made an appearance at the recent China Joy gaming convention in arcade form. The wuxia game is a single player role-playing title set in ancient China, and its arcade demo cabinet was outfitted with buttons and a joystick for those who like arcade controls as well as…

This Is Not Fried Chicken. You Cannot Eat It.

Your mouth might water. Your stomach might growl. You might want to reach out and shove these chicken wings into your mouth. But you cannot for two reasons: One, they exist on the internet, and two, they’re not actually fried chicken. They’re fake. In Japan, plastic food is called “shokuhin sample” (食品サンプル) or “food sample”.…

HD Games Are Like Putting on Tons of Make-Up. Wait, What?

While I can appreciate the skill and art that goes into make up, I find this Sony teaser to be baffling. It’s comparing HD editions of video games to a woman being made up. The central point is that a woman whose face is covered in make up is the same woman underneath. But the…

All Female Theater Group Bringing Ace Attorney To Life (Again!)

The Takarazuka Revue has twice done productions based on Ace Attorney. Those went so well that the troupe is planning on doing a third next January. It will center around Miles Edgeworth. Takarazuka actress Hiro Yuumi will play Miles—hopefully not in that Louis Vuitton raincoat. She’ll be reviving her Edgeworth role from previous productions 宝塚歌劇『逆転裁判』第3弾、2013年1月に公演決定！　今回の主役は検事マイルズ・エッジワース（御剣怜侍）！！…

Man Declares Love to Booth Babe and Is Taken Away by Security

At the recent China Joy gaming expo in Shanghai, a young man in mirrored sunglasses stormed the stage with a bouquet of roses that were made from 100 yuan bills. He presented the roses to a booth companion and confessed his love to her. She didn’t exactly seem pleased and neither did show security. The…

Final Fantasy III Is Totally Coming to Ouya

Square Enix is bringing its Android version of Final Fantasy III to Ouya. Sure, FFIII is a game you’ve played—and bought—a million times. And you can buy it again when it hits Ouya in March 2013! [Square Enix]

3DS XL Forced on the Circle Pad Pro

While you probably wouldn’t want to do this yourself (it certainly doesn’t look comfortable!), one Japanese gamer apparently forced the recently released 3DS XL on the Circle Pad Pro and got it to recognize the larger 3DS—which makes sense! Nintendo will release a Circle Pad Pro for the larger 3DS. If you don’t like destroying…

Japanese Cosplayers Turn Up the Summer Heat

Holy crap summer in Japan is hot. That doesn’t keep the country’s cosplayers from wearing full body costumes, such as Godzilla or Jin Roh outfits. It also certainly doesn’t discourage them from wearing skimpy ones, either. At the recent Wonder Festival, a slew of cosplayers turned up to show off their costume creations. Sister site…

Kids, Stop Sticking Your Fists in Pikachu’s Mouth

This is a thing, I guess. Children in Japan continue to cram their hands in Pikachu’s open mouth—most recently, at a Pokémon event in Kyoto with celebrity Shoko Nakagawa. STOP IT, KIDS, JUST STOP IT. ピカチュウ、ギザカワユス♪　中川翔子さんが京都駅の一日駅長 [産経]

Indecent Cosplayer Banned for Being…Indecent

Late last week, unknown Chinese model Li Ling made a name for herself after causing a ruckus. She appeared at the China Joy gaming expo in a highly revealing cosplay. Dressed as Athena, Ling caused quite a stir. Her revealing costume showed off more than her underpants—way more. Online in China, some heralded Ling’s arrival,…

Persona Fighting Game Patch Incoming!

Xbox 360 owners dealing with Persona 4: The Ultimate in Mayonaka Arena lag issue, take heart! The game’s developer, Arc System Works, is readying a patch, which will be released sooner, hopefully, than later. [Atlus]

Tearing the 3DS XL’s Guts Open

Japan’s Nikkei tore a Nintendo 3DS XL apart to see what is inside. What did Nikkei find? Parts. Lots and lots of parts. Nikkei showed off the handheld’s main board, which reveals Samsung memory and a wireless LAN module from Hon Hai. For more nitty gritty, check out the report in the link below. 3DS…

There Is a Correct Way to Play the PS Vita. This Isn’t It.

PS Vita owners, you probably play your machine on the train or the bus. Maybe you play it when you are out and about—or perhaps at home. You might even play it at the beach, like Polish model Natalia Siwiec. There really isn’t a “correct” place to game. There is a correct way to hold…

Can You Handle All This Collectible Nerd Plastic?

The real question isn’t how many figures and toys are at the bi-annual Wonder Festival, but rather, can you process all the stunning plastic chaos? Well, can you? Dubbed “Wonfes”, the Wonder Festival is a Japanese model figurine event that brings together professional model makers, figure companies, and collectors in a big event to celebrate…