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The Year In Video Game Skies, 2017
Games love to pummel you with lists of things to collect, places to get to, and enemies to beat. Sometimes you just need to take a moment to pause, catch your breath, and look up at the beauty above. What follows is a list of some of the year’s most memorable games and the skies…
By Ethan Gach -
There’s A New Mod Designed To Make Smash Bros. 4 Play Just Like Melee
A new mod promising to make Super Smash Bros. 4 play more like Super Smash Bros. Melee now has a playable beta, as well as a new trailer. Smash 4 Melee HD (at least until they come up with something better) is a Wii U mod that includes wavedashing, crouch cancelling, and other techniques unique…
By Ethan Gach -
CultureGoldenEye 007 Player Beats His Own World Record Twice In One Day
It was a Christmas miracle of sorts. On December 25 Ryan Gibbs beat his previous world record speedrun for the Runway level in GoldenEye 007 with a time of 30 seconds. Hours later he did it again, this time in 29 seconds. Gibbs’ feat is one of the most stunning achievements for an N64 game…
By Ethan Gach -
Culture
The Week In Games: Style Savvy New Year
2018’s just around the corner. Fortunately, you can end the year in style with a new 3DS game. Style Savvy: Styling Star comes out on the 25th meaning a whole new generation of 3DS and 2DS owners will know the power of color coordinated outfits. Other than that it’s the end of the year, so…
By Ethan Gach -
Culture
What Are Your Favorite Games To Play During The Holidays?
There was a period of time when every December I’d start up another playthrough of Mega Man Legends. It’s not a Christmas-y game by any stretch. And it’s not something I originally got as a present either. For whatever reason it just seemed to fit, helping me take a step back and appreciate the end…
By Ethan Gach -
Hackers Say Nintendo Switch’s Latest Firmware Update Removes Secret Golf Game
A few months ago Switch hackers showed the handheld had a hidden emulator designed to play NES Golf but only on July 11th, the date Satoru Iwata, former President of Nintendo and the game’s programmer, died. Now they say the company has overwritten the code as of the 4.0.0 firmware update. According to Switchbrew.org, these…
By Ethan Gach -
Thousands Of People Are Watching Overwatch‘s Jeff Kaplan Sit Motionless In Front Of A Yule Log [UPDATE]
He’s been this way for over an hour, and as word’s gotten out the audience has swelled to over 30,000. As Overwatch’s creative director, Jeff Kaplan has spoken in the past about how dedicated the team is to supporting the game and engaging with the community, even if that means working holidays. The Twitch stream…
By Ethan Gach -
Revisit one of the best role-playing games of all time with the Chrono Trigger Holiday Challenge. It runs from now through March and the rules are simple: register, get assigned three characters, and then go beat the game with them and upload a pic of your victory. More details can be found at the Four…
By Ethan Gach -
Culture
Sunday Comics: Naughty Or NiceÂ
Welcome to Kotaku’s Sunday Comics, your weekly roundup of the best webcomics that usually occurs on Sunday except when it doesn’t. The images enlarge if you click on the magnifying glass icon. Nerf NOW!! by JosuĂ© Pereira. Published December 23. Read more of Nerf NOW!! Awkward Zombie by Katie Tiedrich. Published December 18. Read more…
By Ethan Gach -
A Bunch Of Different Star Wars Games You Can Go Play Right Now
Whether you’re just looking for something to play over your days-off in the coming weeks or desperate to escape back into the world of Star Wars following The Last Jedi, there are plenty of options. The list that follows isn’t necessarily of the best Star Wars games overall. No series has had more licensed video…
By Ethan Gach -
Limbo Could Become The Commodore 64’s Best GameÂ
When it came out in 2010, Playdead’s Limbo showed the puzzle platforming formula could be turned inside out to reveal something minimalist and haunting. A side-project by one of the studio’s developers is currently trying to push that experiment even further with a version of the game built specifically for a 35-year old system. Søren…
By Ethan Gach -
Risk Of Rain 2‘s Developers Discuss The Game’s Shift To 3D
Hopoo Games gave the world its first good look at their upcoming game last spring in a post over at the studio’s development blog. Surprisingly, the sequel broke with the original Risk of Rain’s 2D side-scrolling layout and the developers have explained why in a recent interview. Speaking at length with PC Gamer, Paul Morse…
By Ethan Gach -
Fortnite Battle Royale got a holiday update today that adds grenades which force enemies to dance after exploding. Yes you read that right. “When boogie dancing, you are prevented from building, firing weapons, or using items,” the rest of the description explains. A “High Explosives” event begins on December 28.
By Ethan Gach -
Fan Shows What Donkey Kong Country 2 In HD Could Look LikeÂ
What would Donkey Kong Country 2 look like in HD? About as beautiful as you’d expect it turns out. YouTuber BlobVanDam posted a video of the game’s Bramble Blast level with cleaned up visuals recently (thanks Resetera). While it doesn’t necessarily capture all the jaggy depth of the original, it looks fresh and polished. It…
By Ethan Gach -
Gwent Players Aren’t Happy With The Game’s Big New Update
This week the Midwinter Update for Gwent, CD Projeckt Red’s card game based off The Witcher 3, finally went live. Gwent, which is still in beta, gets patched pretty regularly, but not like this. Popular cards have seen their abilities simplified and weakened, and text descriptions that added flavor to the game have now been…
By Ethan Gach -
The World’s Top Tetris Player’s Secret To Success Is Learning To Embrace Chaos
Of the eight Classic Tetris World Championships that have ever been held, Jonas Neubauer has won seven. The 36-year-old Neubauer, a microbrewery manager from Redondo Beach outside LA, bought the Nintendo Entertainment System version of Tetris after seeing it on the front cover of Nintendo Power magazine in November 1990 when he was eight, and…
By Ethan Gach -
Nintendo Power Comes Back In Podcast Form
Nintendo Power magazine ceased publishing at the end of 2012. It was a nostalgic time full of sad goodbyes and fond memories. Its last cover was even a call-back to the first issue, where Mario pounds his fist triumphantly into the air while standing on a mushroom. But today, on the five-year anniversary of its…
By Ethan Gach -
Culture
One Man Is Trying To Speedrun Three Final Fantasy Games–At The Same Time
Speedrunning a long role-playing game requires both concentration and stamina. There are endless menus to navigate and character builds to optimize, and doing everything fast means knowing the game’s secrets like the back of your hand. Speedrunning an RPG can be grueling for even the most accomplished player. So naturally, one guy wants to speedrun…
By Ethan Gach
Ethan Gach
I'm a senior reporter who's been writing about games and internet culture at Kotaku for almost 10 years. I cover everything from company earnings and player boycotts to emerging trends in gaming like AI, creator economies, and the changing console landscape. You can share story and news tips securely and anonymously at [email protected] or over Signal at +12673263042.
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