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Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 Makes A Jill Sandwich
Following on the heels of She-Hulk and Zero, another pair of characters are headed to upcoming fighting game Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Hungry for more? According to retailer GameStop, Resident Evil’s Jill and Marvel’s Shuma-Gorath are bundled as DLC characters for Marvel vs. Capcom 3’s Collector’s Edition. The characters will be widely available to those…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 16, 2010 -
What Do Harry Potter, Toy Story And Final Fantasy Have In Common?
Voice actors are more than just minor celebrities: they are so essential to a character that they become inseparable. Like with Japanese gaming, Western gaming has characters that cannot be separated from their voice actor. Take David Hayter, for example, the English-language voice of Metal Gear Solid’s Snake. Or Nolan North, the voice of Uncharted’s…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 16, 2010 -
The Lancia You Want Is In Another Garage
To: Crecente From: Bashcraft I’ve said it before, but Mini-Bash and I like to go to car dealerships for fun. It’s a great way to spend an afternoon! A car dealership in North Osaka is importing the newish Lancia Delta from Italy. I don’t *believe* the Delta is sold in the UK — hence the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 15, 2010 -
Drumroll Please, Japan’s Top Ten Dragon Quest Games
Square Enix polled Japanese gamers about which Dragon Quest titles they liked the best. Those gamers replied, the votes were tallied, and now, we have the results. They are, along with the preferred platform, where applicable: 10. Dragon Quest VI (Super Famicom) 9. Dragon Monsters Joker 2 8. Dragon Quest IV (DS) 7. Dragon Quest…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 15, 2010 -
Pushing Forty In A Maid Outfit
Aya Brea, protagonist of the forthcoming 3rd Birthday, is 39 years old. And she gets her jeans blown off, her stockings ripped up and even squeezed by a tentacle. Her latest fan service humiliation? A maid costume. The latest issue of Japanese magazine Jump Festa shows Aya’s maid costume. This isn’t an old granny maid…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 15, 2010 -
Do You Take This Avatar To Be Your Wife?
By day, 27-year-old Paul Turner was a computer programmer. By night, he played Final Fantasy XI as a Hume, hanging out with a Tarutaru named Branwen. Paul left his girlfriend for that Tarutaru and married the woman behind the avatar. When Turner stopped playing FFXI, Vicky Teather realized how much she cared for him. “It…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 15, 2010 -
Mafia Boobs Censored In Japan
In the Western version of crime game Mafia II, there are vintage copies of Playboy as collectible items. The game even tracks how long players stare at the centerfolds. Cut that time in half for Japan. The first image is from the Western version of Mafia II and is free of nudity. Other centerfolds, however,…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 15, 2010 -
No, This Isn’t Wii Fit For Babies
Those babies might be fat, but this Wii Fit Plus campaign isn’t for them. It’s for their moms. Nintendo is targeting new mothers with Wii Fit Plus and has a load of data. According to Nintendo’s data, 78 percent of new mothers do not exercise, with the two most popular reasons being that they must…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 15, 2010 -
Japan: We Love Cars, Kinect, Notsomuch
PS3 exclusive Gran Turismo 5 might be released a week after Kinect hits Japan on November 20, but the game already looks set to run over Microsoft’s motion control system this holiday season. The following photos were taken at the Bic Camera in Tokyo’s Yurakucho. This one of the largest electronics stores in the country.…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 15, 2010 -
What Do You Think Of Kinect?
Hello, it’s Friday. Doh. No it’s not, it’s Monday. Still, let’s talk. Here’s how it works: We ask a question, you answer it. Simple and no strings attached! This isn’t some marketing survey or whatever. It’s an emotional investment in you. Yes, we’re interested in knowing you, Kotaku reader person. You probably know oodles about…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 15, 2010 -
Don’t Know Your Noir From Your L.A. Noire?
Crime game L.A. Noire is Rockstar’s take on 1940s-era Los Angeles, complete with guys in hats, guns and big, fancy cars. But what is noir? There is disagreement among film scholars regarding what exactly “noir” is. Some say it is a genre, others disagree. There are elements of noir, sure, such as femme fatales, detectives,…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 15, 2010 -
Consider This A Bra Clarification
To: Crecente From: Bashcraft RE: Turkey, Attorneys and Some Lovely Bruschetta In my typical Night Notes, I take pictures of silly things and talk about my daily life. I did not take this photo, even though it’s slightly silly. Japanese underwear maker Triumph recently held a press conference for this “Welcome To Japan bra”. It’s…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 12, 2010 -
November? No, Perhaps, You Mean Movember
This month, grow a Mario stache. C’mon on. Do it. The Singapore Prostate Cancer Research Fund has a website full of famous faces without their trademark staches. We’ve seen a facial hair free Mario before, but the site has clean-shaven images of other personalities like Hulk Hogan. While this moustache mania is for a good…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 12, 2010 -
Hrm, These iPhone Games Seem Familiar…Hrm… [Update]
There is a flood of content in the Apple App Store. It’s hard for games to stand out and find an audience. Why do that when you can ski in the wake of others? While retail game charts ebb and flow on a weekly basis, with new titles entering and old titles leaving, the App…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 12, 2010 -
A PS3 Game For Gamblers
Those looking to drop some money on pachinko can head to their neighborhood parlor in the hope of winning some extra scratch. Those looking to spend ¥7,000 (US$85) and win nothing but satisfaction, get this. CR Neon Genesis Evangelion are a series of pachinko games based on, of course, the popular Japanese franchise Neon Genesis…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 12, 2010 -
No Full Body Protective Suits For You, Kinect Players!
When the Wii was launched, gamers got hurt. They whacked their TVs, their friends and themselves with the Wii Remote, which prompted Nintendo to make a protective jacket for the remotes. Likewise, Kinect players are getting hurt Is Microsoft giving out protective body suits? Well, no. Sadly, it doesn’t not look like Microsoft will be…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 12, 2010 -
Would You Like Some Curry With Your Tales Of Graces?
Tales of Graces, the buggy Wii game, is getting a PS3 port and its own curry. When originally released on the Wii, the game also got its own curry. When people think of curry, do they imagine Tales of Graces? They do now. Starting this December, the Tales of Graces F branded “mabo curry” will…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 12, 2010 -
Super Mario Wii Bundle Is Not Japanese Internet Gold
To mark the 25th anniversary of Super Mario Bros., a special Wii bundle that includes a “hacked” version of the game was released in Japan on November 11. It’s November 12, and the bundles are flooding online auction sites. The bundle is retailing for ¥20,000 (US$244) and the few bids that are being placed are…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 12, 2010 -
New Valkyria Chronicles 3 Trailer Prepares For Battle!
As with Valkyria Chronicles 2, Valkyria Chronicles 3 is headed for the PSP. And like the other games in the series it is set in an alternative World War II. This clip is essentially the demo’s opening and is heavy on the anime theatrics — much like the Tokyo Game Show trailer. Good thing they’re…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 12, 2010 -
Ice-T: From Cop Killer To COD Killer
When I was thirteen, Ice-T was the baddest dude on the planet, rapping about pushing dope and killing cops. There were no musicians who seemed as hard as him. The guy was scary. Now? Even as he eases into middle age, Ice-T still seems like someone you wouldn’t want to set off, but over the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 12, 2010
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