Brian Ashcraft

When Polls Go Wrong: The Most Popular Monster Is…

Japanese game maker Jaleco invited the internet to submit monsters for upcoming role-playing-game WIZmans World. The creation with the most votes will be included in the game. The submissions were — well, yeah. Just have a look at them. The most popular submission has been chosen, and sadly it is not red scribble monster, but…

Discover This New Uncharted 2 Cut Scene

This isn’t game play footage, but a cinematic that helps set up Uncharted 2. It also helps set up everyone’s excitement for the game. A two-for-one deal!

300 Dollar Dual Joysticks Re-Designed

When Japanese peripheral maker Hori revealed its ¥30,000 (US$323) dual joysticks for $15 Xbox LIVE Arcade game Virtual On: Oratorio Tangram, fans of the game were not happy. Pissed, even. The beef? The layout was all wrong. Hori has re-modeled the grip and layout. As game site Insert Credit points out, “The sticks are now…

First Look At Dragon Quest IX’s Co-Op Game Play

We’ve heard about Dragon Quest IX‘s local only co-op play. Now, let’s finally watch famous Japanese celebrities play it. For those who want to get right to the action, gameplay starts at about 3 minutes in. According to this episode of Tsuruno Takeshi’s new show Joudeki!! Geinoujin Kodawari Ou Kouza Iketaku, this is also the…

Broken Street Date Or Not, Don’t Play DQIX Just Yet!

Square Enix role-playing-game Dragon Quest IX doesn’t go on sale until July 11 in Japan. That still hasn’t stopped at least one mail order retailer from breaking the street date — though, with a special request. The pictured notice thanks consumers for purchasing the title, which the shop has been able to ship a day…

Dragon Quest IX TV Ad Minus Boy Band Fishing

Japanese’s most famous boy band SMAP appeared in a much publicized commercial for Dragon Quest IX. Not everyone likes SMAP, though. For those folks, here are two SMAP-free ads. You could say they’re de-SMAPPED.

From Arcades To PlayStation 2 Back To Japanese Arcades

Game centers dead? Ha! SNK still believes in them. The King of Fighters 2002 was released back in, wait for it, 2002 in arcades. This past February, SNK released a remake of the 3-on-3 fighter called The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match for the PS2. Unlimited Match won’t only be making its way to…

Tales Of Vesperia PS3 Also Getting Skimpy Swimwear

New pirate girl character, new cut scenes and full voice. All that can’t be reason enough to buy Tales of Vesperia on the PS3. Enter beachwear. Costumes include a black bikini, an aloha shirt and shorts and an orange two piece with sunglasses. Don’t think of this as an exploitative way to get players to…

Hamburger Pictures Come Back To Haunt You

To: Crecente From: Bashcraft RE: The Number Nine I’m SERIOUS. I think there are like maybe two hamburger eating pictures floating around there internet — and one of them ends up on this media ranking site. Very embarrassing! (The burger was effing delicious, though.) ……………….which is why, that’s it, I’m done, hamburger eating pictures are…

Poll: Japanese People Thought Dragon Quest IX Would Have WiFi

This Saturday Dragon Quest IX is going on sale in Japan. Apparently, there are already 2 million pre-orders. Some of those folks might be in for a surprise! The game uses the DS’s local ad hoc wireless, but loads of gamers thought the title would use the DS’s WiFI connection so that players didn’t have…

Michael Jackson Won’t Affect Beatles Rock Band

Michael Jackson has passed away, and lawyers are currently picking through his estate. Jackson owned 267 Beatles songs, the ownership of which is at risk. Rock Band developer Harmonix has stated that the situation regarding Michael Jackson’s estate will not effect the release of Rock Band Beatles. What’s more, the game’s track list will not…

No More Heroes Designer Wants Travis Touchdown In Next Smash Bros.

The last Smash Bros. game, like the one before that, was a smorgasboard of characters. There weren’t just Nintendo developed characters, but the likes of Sonic and Snake also made an appearance. No More Heroes designer Goichi Suda is already making off-handed remarks about his desire to see NMH hero Travis Touchdown in the next…

Rhythm Heaven Producer: Hey Americans, You Have Rhythm!

By day, music producer Tsunku writes Morning Musume songs. By night, he sleeps. Sometime in between he creates Rhythm Heaven games. At a panel in Los Angeles, Tsunku talked about his music career and rhythm. “Rhythm is something that hasn’t really been valued in Japanese culture or in Japanese music,” he said. “I really wanted…

Man Arrested For Sharing Rape Game

The Kyoto Police’s High Tech Crime Unit has arrested 38-year-old Kawasaki City resident Hidetoshi Fukuzawa for illegally sharing an erotic game via the internet. “I downloaded it,” he stated. “but I didn’t leak this onto the internet.” File sharing is illegal in Japan. Using an online file sharing service called “Share”, the title was leaked…

Wii Fit Plus (And Other Nintendo Titles) Dated For Japan

Via Japanese Nintendo news website Rambling Man come a smattering of Nintendo release dates. Please keep in mind that these are unconfirmed at the moment. • August 6: Color Changing Tingle’s Love Balloon Trip • September 17: Forever Blue 2: The Call of the Sea • September 3: Sloan and MacHale’s Mysterious Story 2 •…

Hey Pirates, Beware of Fake Dragon Quest IX Hentai Boobies!

The “leaked” version of Dragon Quest IX is malware. The ROM was dumped early on to Japanese bulletin board 2chan and is actually a hentai slideshow show called “DS Owata”. Maybe download “Dragon Quest IX JPN DSi Enchanced NDS iND” if you’d like a hentai slideshow? Oh, this bricks your DS. Buying it legally does…

Kingdom Hearts Conceived With Chainsaws

That’s how Square Enix designer Tetsuya Nomura first pitched the game’s weapon to Disney. Square Enix wanted to make a game starring Mickey Mouse, he tells Japanese game mag Famitsu, and Disney wanted a game starring Donald Duck. “Meanwhile,” he says with a laugh, “I wanted neither.” What did Nomura want? “The first weapon I…

Tales of Vesperia PS3 Demo Dated

Sure, you might have already played Tales of Vesperia on the Xbox 360. Maybe you own it, maybe you don’t. We dunno! The demo for the PS3 version of Tales of Vesperia has been dated for Japan: July 13. The demo will be available on the PlayStation Store. No word whether new character, pirate girl…

Report: 2 Million Dragon Quest IX Pre-Orders

Dragon Quest IX won’t go on sale until July 11, but it already looks poised to be a huge hit in its native Japan. According to the Nikkei Marketing Journal, various retailers are apparently reporting brisk pre-orders for the game — to the tune of 2 million total pre-orders. According to Media Create, however, DQIX…

The 46-Foot Tall Paper Gundam Float

We’ve all seen the giant Gundam statue erected in Odaiba. It’s impressive! We’re impressed. Know what else is impressive? This paper Gundam float at the Tachi Neputa Festival. It’s nearly 46-feet tall and illuminated. To put things in perspective the 1/1 scale Gundam statue is 59-feet tall. See? Impressive! YouTuber RoninDave provides a nice introduction…