Brian Ashcraft

What Are Your Gaming Resolutions?

It’s not Friday. No. It’s New Year’s Eve. Time to drink booze! Oh, and 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…

Guess You Could Say She’s Popular

A cosplayer and photographers as seen at this year’s Comiket.

Do Not Jump On This Koopa Troopa!

I repeat, do not. Even though it’s on some human’s bed, do not jump on this Koopa Troopa. Play it, that you may do. Made by a friend of internet person named Virtute, who tried to get a video fo him shredding the Mario theme, but “no cigar”. Sadness! My friend made an electric guitar…

Bullet Hell Shooter Making Leap to iPhone

Japanese developer Cave has announced it is bringing 2D arcade title Mushihime-sama to the iPhone as Mushihime-sama Gaiden: Bug Panic. The game looks quite different from the original Mushihime games. (Reco seems to be walking and not flying, for example), The object here is to blow up bugs, and chaining is possible. Cave plans to…

This Is How Final Fantasy XIII Was Launched In Hong Kong

This December, Final Fantasy XIII didn’t just go on sale in Japan, it also went on sale in Hong Kong, too. Pictures of the event are starting to make the internet rounds — ahoy! Sony Hong Kong held the FFXIII launch event in Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay, next to the Sogo department store. There were…

GOOD BYE AMERICA

To: Crecente From: Bashcraft We had a wonderful time with the Americans. Rather, Texans. Heh. T_T Bout to hop on a plane to Japan — have a feeling the kids won’t be sleeping on the flight as they slept all night. The flight should be…interesting. What you missed last night Capcom Still Burning Over Bionic…

Sengoku BASARA Warring Giant Heads

Japan loves Capcom’s series Sengoku BASARA (Devil Kings in the West). It loves it! Sengoku BASARA has spawned manga, anime and even stage productions. And now, cute Kotobukiya big-head mini figures. Because Japan loves little people with giant heads. Priced at ¥630 each, they are slated for next February and March. ［コミケ77］コトブキヤブースの小さな『戦国BASARA』の武将達（写真ギャラリー） [Kotaku Japan]

Comiket’s Sexy Pikachu Girl And Friends

It’s late December, which means one thing. No, it actually means several things — one of which is that it is Comic Market time in Japan. Cosplayers came out in droves, and Kotaku Japan has galleries up: here and here. And reader tsukasa1288 sent along photos that document some of this year’s Comic Market cosplay.…

Let’s Watch Some Fist Of The North Star Musou Game Play Footage

Why not? The game looks delightful. In March 2010, Tecmo Koei is bringing post-apocalyptic martial arts manga Fist of the North Star (Hokuto no Ken) to the PS3 and the Xbox 360 in Japan. The game has been titled Hokuto Musou, and is part of Koei’s popular “Musou” series of games. The manga Fist of…

Which Final Fantasy Game Do These FFXIII Launch Customers Love?

On December 17, Japanese game site Gpara asked the first hundred customers waiting in line for Final Fantasy XIII at Shibuya retailer TSUTAYA to name their top three favorite FF games. And today, Gpara is publishing the results. 13.) Final Fantasy II: 2 votes 12.) Final Fantasy XI: 3 votes 11.) Final Fantasy: 3 votes…

Square Enix Patents New Battle System

Square Enix designer Tetsuya Nomura recently announced that he is working on unannounced projects — one of which is a brand new title. Could this latest patent shed light onto that? It’s too early to tell; however, this patent application lists Tetsuya Nomura as the inventor of a character switching battle system for RPG/action RPG…

The Cosplayers of Kotaku

Following on the footsteps of our cosplay feature, here is a look at some of the cosplayers who read this site, featuring: ZerinaX, WoggyWooWoo, Yummy, startoonhero, Tzion, muburkit, Clarke, SHIMATTA-BAKA-NI, micahmidnight, Zanduar in AfterlifeUSEC, Natalie, Cody_Mau, Minion21g, Steffa, Anne, Shelly, Chinako, Rhys Berresford and HezaChan.

Japanese Arcade Themed Like China’s Back Streets

According to reader Landon, a game center in Kawasaki, Japan is themed like “the backstreets of China”. Tokyo-based Landon says this is the first time he’s been this blown away by an arcade in Japan. “It’s 18 years old and up, extremely dark and dirty, and basically looks like what an arcade would if it…

NSFW: A Phantasy Star Portable 2 Character Forgot Something

Panty shots of video game characters? Like the rising sun, inevitable, and we’ve seen them before. But what about this? Discerning individuals on the Japanese internet have noticed that while Phantasy Star Portable 2 offers glimpses of a wide array of under garments, there appears to be at least one character who has forgotten something.…

South Korea’s First Person Shooting In 3D World

Located in Seoul’s Yongsan Station, FPS World gives Koreans a chance to wield airsoft versions of Berettas and Desert Eagles — 3D versions of the guns they fire in shooters like Counter Strike. FPS World is a modern spin on the pop-up shooting gallery with a gaming-themed spin. “I gave it a try and for…

Just How Good Is Ice-T At Modern Warfare 2?

When rapper Ice-T plays Call of Duty multi-player, he’s rollin’, comin’ through buildings, you gonna die. Oh really? Sure as snot seems that way! Ice-T (gamertag “Lord 187X”) posted an image of the after action report for a Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 multi-player round. The report details the player’s score and Accolades —…

Square Enix Doesn’t Divide By East And West

For Square Enix, there is not East and West. It’s all about hard and easy. Just ask Final Fantasy: The Crystal Bearers producer Akitoshi Kawazu. “The presence of Japanese games is not as strong within the international market these days, and as a business that creates and sells games, the reception in the Western market…

Pac-Man Bracelet Goes Waka Waka On Your Wrist

This hand drawn, handmade bracelet features Pac-Man and Ghosts in a never ending circle. It was drawn as a vector image and then screened onto acetate and layered into durable clear resin. Neato! pac-man bracelet chomps its way around your wrist on [Technabob]

Report: Sony Working On Multi-Core Design For PS4

Just because Sony said that the PS3 would have a ten year life span, that doesn’t mean the company isn’t apparently moving forward with the PlayStation 4. According to insider info (along with some speculation!), Japanese website PC Watch is reporting that Sony is looking to alternatives to the PS3’s Cell architecture, which some developers…

Can The West Cosplay With The Best Of Them?

There is a stereotype — an unfair stereotype — that Westerners cannot cosplay. “A Japanese friend of mine told me very casually, in a totally matter-of-fact kind of way, that the difference between Japanese and American cosplay is as clear as moeru and naeru,” says Patrick Galbraith, author of The Otaku Encyclopedia, University of Tokyo…