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Kotaku East
That Sure Looks Like a Final Fantasy Logo
For the Final Fantasy role-playing games, the logos are iconic. You can spot them a mile away and immediately recognize them. Square Enix’s Final Fantasy XIII is no exception, which makes this kwinky-dink all the more noticeable. Level-5, which has developed several titles for Square Enix, is working on a new multi-platform game called Time…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 14, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Good Foreigners Doing Good and Bad Foreigners Doing Evil
It was a touching scene. A young American male sat outside of a McDonald’s in Nanjing, sharing a meal with a homeless lady. He had purchased two orders of French fries and poured water into her water bottle. A passerby snapped photos and uploaded them onto a Chinese social working site. Online, people praised the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 14, 2012 -
Kotaku EastA Chinese Girl Group Probably Copied This Addictive Korean Music Video
Last summer, the sacchrine ditty “Bubble Pop” tore up the Korean internet. The video went viral and it stuck in everybody’s brains—more so in some people’s. Korean superstar Kim Hyun-a of pop group 4Minute (and formerly of Wonder Girls) released “Bubble Pop” on her first mini album. The video was supposed to be a radical…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 11, 2012 -
Kotaku EastJapan’s Remote Controlled Cockroaches Will Invade Your Kitchen
RC cars? Been there, done that. Planes? Old hat! But cockroaches? *leans forward* These are “Gokiraji”, which is a wordplay on “gokiburi” (cockroaches) and “rajikon” (remote-controlled). Charge them via USB, and then they can be controlled via an infrared remote and make your skin crawl. Watch in the video as they scurry about, with LED-lit…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 11, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Plants vs Zombies Getting Two Chinese Editions
PopCap Games is bringing two Plants vs Zombie games to China: Plants vs Zombies Great Wall Edition and Plant vs Zombies Kingdoms. The Great Wall version takes place on the Great Wall and features Chinese zombies. [China Daily]
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 11, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Are You an Erotic Person? Find Out Right Now.
Here’s yet another optical illusion making the internet rounds. This one states that only “erotic people” will see the circles move. Can you? Actually, pretty sure everyone can! And that’s not because everybody is sexy time. Sending optical illusions like this via Twitter has been “the thing” in Japan for a while now, usually prefacing…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 11, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Why Aren’t There Official Akira LEGO?
Because, damn, there really should be. This do-it-yourself LEGO take on Kaneda’s bike from Akira was spotted by Hobby Media‘s Francesco Fondi, and it’s fantastic. The bike is the work of Ghimuretto San, a famed Japanese LEGO builder. Hobby Media‘s Fondi discovered it at the recent Treasure Festa This year, an official one-to-one scale Akira…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 11, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Cooking Rice, Old School
If you live in Japan (or, well, Asia), you have a rice cooker. If you don’t own one, get thee to a store and buy one. But, if you want something non-tech and have access to lots of firewood, there’s a work around. Last week, I went way into the mountains with some friends and…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 11, 2012 -
First Details about Rovio’s Follow Up to Angry Birds
Game studio Rovio is working on a follow up to its wildly successful Angry Birds. Today on Finnish television, Rovio honcho Mikael Hed gave the first details about his studio’s upcoming title. According to Finnish news network YLE Uutiset, the game is called Amazing Alex, and it is based on intellectual property Rovio purchased from…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 11, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Nintendo Ending Its 3D Television Service for the 3DS
Last summer, Nintendo’s 3D television service “Itsu no Ma ni Terebi” launched in Japan. It featured short two-minute 3D clips that were free and exclusive to the 3DS. Today, Nintendo announced that the service is ending in Japan on June 20. The 3DS, however, will continue intermitted distribution of 3D videos for 3DS owners—a good…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 11, 2012 -
Kotaku East
When Underwear Reflects Society
This year, like every year, the Japanese arm of underwear maker Triumph showed off its latest concept bra. The concept bras are always stunts. They’re not intended for sale—even though, some in the Western media mistakenly think they are. The bras are always themed, and usually relevant to current news or trends. This year’s concept…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 11, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Japan’s Biggest Web Forum “Facilitating” Drug Trafficking
Online in Japan, the vast majority of game news first hits 2ch. And it’s not just games—so much news is shared through 2ch threads. It’s a wealth of information. It’s a wealth of rumors. Apparently, it’s also a wealth of drugs. Last December, word broke that 2ch could be covered in illicit substances. There were…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 11, 2012 -
Nintendo Is Killing Off the Aqua Blue 3DS
Do you own an Aqua Blue Nintendo? You might own a bit of history. Nintendo Japan’s website reveals that the color will soon no longer be in production. On the Nintendo site, it clearly states: “Scheduled to end production shortly” (近日生産終了予定). No reason was given yet, but online in Japan, people are speculating that it…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 11, 2012 -
Kotaku East
New Tales Game Is Coming
Last fall, the Tales Studio died. Things were bleak. But chin up, Tales fans. There’s a new Tales game in the pipeline. The latest issue of Japanese magazine Jump has a teaser for the “next” Tales game. The article states, “Next Tales of…” and calls this a “next generation Tales“. There’s not much info, though.…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 10, 2012 -
Kotaku East
At this Cafe, Nobody Will Call You “Master”
In geek districts like Tokyo’s Akihabara and Osaka’s Den-Den Town, maids in frilly dresses serve food and drink. Maids call their patrons “master” (ご主人様). But not all girls want to wear frilly drinks. Not all of them want to call patrons “master”. Sometimes they’d rather wear ice cream hats and hit people with plastic swords.…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 10, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Don’t Hold Your Breath for a Kid Icarus: Uprising Sequel
Because, you’ll pass out. While you might be keen to play another Kid Icarus: Uprising, game designer Masahiro Sakurai isn’t keen to make one. “If by ‘lasting universe’ you mean to ask if there’s a sequel, the answer is no,” Sakurai flatly told IGN. “We pushed a lot into the game in order to let…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 10, 2012
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