Brian Ashcraft

Over the two business days and the two public days, here’s the total attendance tally for this year’s Tokyo Game Show: 262,076 people. That’s down from the 298,690 people who attended last year but more than the 254,311 people who attended in 2017.

Osaka Getting Massive Esports-Themed Hotel

Next April, an esports-themed hotel will open in Osaka’s geek district Nipponbashi. Called Esports Hotel E-Zone Cyberspace in English, it is the first of its kind in Japan. Including the basement’s shower area, the hotel is nine stories. Fashion Snap reports that floors one to three are the gaming floors, with over 70 high-spec, streaming-ready…

Starting September 20, sixteen Slowpoke themed manholes will be installed at locations across Kagawa Prefecture. This is just one of several spots where Pokémon-manholes can be spotted in Japan 

The Cosplay Of The 2019 Tokyo Game Show

This year’s Tokyo Game Show has come to a close. But these cosplay images will live on! Cosplayers came out in droves during the show’s two public days. Those wanting photos must line up to take snaps, which means a good chunk of time needs to be dedicated to cosplay. The highlight clip below was…

September Heat. Kyoto, Japan. By Brian Ashcraft | Twitter JPGs is a photo peek into wherever gamers might find interesting. If you’re a photographer and have images you want to share, drop us a line!

Ash Just Won A Pokémon League In The Anime

Perennial loser Ash Ketchum is now a winner. In the most recent episode of the Pokémon Sun Moon anime, Ash broke his losing streak with a championship trophy. For decades, Ash has lost in pivotal league championship matches. In 2016, he lost in a heartbreaker during the Kalos League finals in the Pokémon XYZ anime.…

Final Fantasy VII Remake Seems Popular At The Tokyo Game Show

In what should surprise absolutely no one, Final Fantasy VII Remake is drawing long lines at the Tokyo Game Show. I think people in Japan might be excited about this game. Call it a hunch! Today is the first public date for the 2019 Tokyo Game Show. As soon as the general public started being…

The Merchandise Of The 2019 Tokyo Game Show

When you go to the Tokyo Game Show, you can play games. But if the lines are too long, you can buy stuff. Your choice! As in years’ past, TGS has a dedicated merchandise area. Certain things sell out, so if you are planning on going (and know what you want to buy), do your…

The Neo Geo Arcade Stick Pro Is Massive In-Person

The images SNK have released do not convey the actual size of the Neo Geo Arcade Stick Pro. It’s humongous. The stick comes packaged with 20 games and can be connected directly to the TV or PC, plug-and-play style. Huge arcade sticks aren’t uncommon, but this one seems especially jumbo. It seems that SNK also…

Why It’s Taken So Long For A New Space Channel 5 Game

It was at 1999 that the first Space Channel 5 debuted at the Tokyo Game Show. Now twenty years later, the classic music game is back. Following the success of the original Space Channel 5, Sega released a GBA version and a sequel called Space Channel 5 Part 2. While the main character Ulala had…

The Persona 5 PlayStation 4 Looks Beautiful

To mark the release of Persona 5: The Royal, Sony is releasing a special Persona 5 themed PlayStation 4 Pro. It looks quite nice! The Persona 5: The Royal PS4 Pro Limited Edition will be on sale between September 12 and December 25 in Japan 

Hands-On With Death Stranding: The Umbrella

Hideo Kojima’s upcoming release Death Stranding isn’t playable at the Tokyo Game Show. But you can demo Death Stranding: The Umbrella. Full disclosure: Even though it’s overcast here today at the Tokyo Game Show, I was not able to test this demo umbrella outside in the rain. While Death Stranding: The Video Game is a…

The New Resident Evil Is Good (So Far)

I’ll be honest. When Project Resistance was announced, I was skeptical. A multiplayer Resident Evil? Surely, that cannot work, I thought. At the Tokyo Game Show, I got hands-on with Project Resistance, and from what I played, I realized that, yes, yes it can. Project Resistance is a four-on-one asymmetrical co-op multiplayer game. Four players…

The Motorcycles Of The Tokyo Game Show

I’ve been coming to the Tokyo Game Show since 2004, but this is the first year I remember seeing bikes of any sort at the booths. While they’re not road-ready, they are prime for picture taking. Makes sense! Both Cyberpunk 2077 and Final Fantasy VII Remake feature motorcycles. Neither of these bikes actually move. They’re props…

Yakuza 7‘s Big Changes Are Looking Good

Since 2005, Sega has been churning out Yakuza games. They’ve pretty much all followed the same formula: beat-’em-up action, mini-games, some silliness, and riveting drama. Yakuza 7 is different, trading button mashing for role-playing-game-style commands. Gameplay-wise, this is a significant departure for the series. It stars new series protagonist Ichiban Kasuga. This is not his…

Surely, This Has To Be The Biggest Arcade Cabinet In The World

Towering over the Taito booth at this year’s Tokyo Game Show is an enormous Space Invaders cabinet. Just look. It’s huge! The cabinet isn’t open for demos. I asked a representative at the booth if it’s possible to play the cabinet, and he told me that while it’s not open for demos because its height…

The Sights Of The Tokyo Game Show

Today is the first press day for this year’s Tokyo Game Show (the four-day expo won’t be open to the public until Saturday). Let’s have a look inside. Neither Nintendo nor Microsoft attends the show. Traditionally, Sony has dominated, but this year, Sega (and Atlus), Konami, and Square Enix all have booths of roughly equal…

The One Punch Man Fighting Game Handles Its Overpowered Hero In A Quirky Way [Update]

Saitama is called “One Punch Man” because that’s all it takes for him to level foes. How the heck does that work in a three-on-three fighting game? Interestingly. Yesterday I checked out the upcoming One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows at Bandai Namco headquarters. It’s yet another fighting game adaptation of an anime, but…

Track: Street Spirit (Fade Out) | Artist: Radiohead | Album: The Bends

Stranded Pro Gamer Criticized For Using Airport’s Electricity

Earlier this week, a typhoon hit Japan. According to reports, nearly seventeen thousand people were stranded at Narita Airport, outside Tokyo. Flights were canceled, and it was difficult to get trains and taxis. Pro fighting game player Naoki “Moke” Nakayama was among those who were stuck  Travelers had to wait overnight for the trains to…