Mike Fahey

Nine Inch Nails Adds Background Noise to The Darkness II Launch Trailer

Remember back in 1996 when Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails fame did the music for Quake? His music in the launch trailer for The Darkness II sounds pretty much just like that. I don’t think it’s that Trent Reznor hasn’t grown significantly as an artist in the past 16 years. Knowing Reznor is a…

Miles “Tails” Prowler Finally Gets His Due as a First 4 Figures Sonic Statue

Now that the collectible crafters at First 4 Figures have gotten Sonic, Super Sonic, Metal Sonic, and Knuckles out of the way they can finally focus on producing a $200 statue based on the real hero of the Sonic franchise: That mutant fox thing. Racing through Mushroom Hill Zone at whatever speed necessary to catch…

Jak and Daxter Bring More Than 100 Trophies to the PlayStation 3 February 7

Trophy hunters and platforming fans take heed! The HD-remastered Jak and Daxter Collection is coming to a store near you in a few short weeks, packed with a trio of platforming masterpieces and more trophies than you can shake a ottsel at. Ah, for the ottsel, lombax, and raccoonus-filled days of platforming paradise on the…

Is This a Handcrafted Skyrim Replica Dagger I See Before Me?

Video game replica master Bill Doran of PunishedProps turns his attentions from the stars of Mass Effect to the cold steel of Skyrim with this gorgeous PVC replica of Daedric artifact Mehrunes’ Razor. Weakened somewhat in its trip from The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion to Skyrim, Mehrunes’ Razor is still one pretty piece of pointy…

Where Have all the Skylanders Gone, Uncle Activision?

Activision’s action figure-driven Skylanders: Sypro’s Adventure was a huge holiday hit last year, with parents buying up starter kits in droves. Now, with hundreds of thousands of children demanding additional figures, empty Skylanders displays have become an all-too-frequent frustration for haggard parents. Yes, all is going according to Activision’s evil plan. The first game to…

What Was the Most Surprisingly Good Game of 2011?

Did you buy, rent, or steal a game last year expecting the worst only to be pleasantly surprised? Commenter DerpiestShazbot wants to know, and you’ll tell him in today’s Speak Up on Kotaku. Heyo Kotakuites! So which game(s) from 2011 ended up being better than you expected? Not asking which games you thought were good…

Talk Amongst Yourselves

Square off against your favorite cheetah-headed foe and talk about video games in Kotaku‘s official forum, Talk Amongst Yourselves. Pan1da7 continues to dominate the January TAYpics with this…this…I have no idea what I am looking at. Thanks? Join in the fun and submit your own TAYpic. Please do your best—or your worst—and share your own…

Finally a Strong Contender for Best Game Starring Classical Composer Frederic Chopin

For years I’ve had to deal with those insufferable Eternal Sonata fans boasting about how their game was the only one to star 18th century romantic composer Frederic Chopin as a playable character. Guess what, Sonatees? There’s a new game in town, and it makes yours look like cheap anime RPG fluff. I really have…

It’s Mario Versus Braid in the Ultimate Bar Conversation Battle of Indie Cred

Call him a sell-out. Call him a suit. Call him too mainstream. It doesn’t change the fact that Mario was jumping and saving imperiled females before it was cool. Ah yes, those young, hip fellows at the bar, sitting together exuding an aura of inapproachability. No one can get close enough to point out that…

Street Fighter X Tekken Spawns the World’s First Fighting Game-Centric Reality Show

Not content with merely streaming live matches leading up to the March release of the Street Fighter X Tekken fighting game crossover, Capcom has teamed with iPlayWinner and Team Spooky to create Cross Assault, a live week-long $25,000 tournament masquerading as an internet reality show. Cross Assault will see two fighting game veterans attempting to…

Scientists Want to Use Video Games to Help Kids’ Eyes

When I was a small child my parents would warn me that spending all day in front of the television playing video games would ruin my eyesight. Today researchers at the University of Tennessee Space Institute in Tullahoma have integrated computer games into a device that could be instrumental in saving a child’s eyesight. When…

From Ryu Hayabusa to Jeanne d’Arc, Everybody Fights in Warriors Orochi 3

The third installment of Tecmo Koei’s Dynasty Warriors / Samurai Warriors hack-and-slash crossover is coming to North America on March 20, it’s 120+ warrior roster padded with cameos from Ninja Gaiden, Warriors: Legends of Troy, Bladestorm, Trinity: Souls of Zill O’ll and Dead or Alive Warriors Orochi 3‘s expansive roster demonstrates one of the benefits…

WO Gallery

Space Combat Sim SOL: Exodus Launches on Steam January 25

Inspired by space sim classics like Wing Commander and X-Wing Vs. Tie Fighter, Seamless Entertainment’s SOL: Exodus is heading to Steam this Wednesday, giving fans of the genre plenty of time to find their old flight sticks. With several big fans of the space combat sim genre in house, we’ve written quite a bit about…

Starhawk‘s Outcasts Develop a Sweet Tooth

These long, dark years of waiting are finally over as the latest entry in the Twisted Metal series goes gold. The vehicle combat spectacular races into our hearts on February 14, and it’s bringing a love letter from multiplayer shooter Starhawk along for the ride. Pretty sweet, right? Twisted Metal mascot Sweet Tooth has never…

Average Gamers are Going To Hate BioShock Infinite‘s 1999 Mode

When you first spin up BioShock Infinite later this year don’t expect to see the recently-announced retro-difficult 1999 mode on the main menu. That’s because it’s so tough Ken Levine doesn’t want “the non old-school, hardcore gamer” stumbling into it. I spoke to Irrational Games creative director Ken Levine recently about 1999 mode, an enhanced…

Are We Too Forgiving of Video Game Developers?

We’ve gotten used to giving game developers a certain amount of leeway when it comes to glitches and bugs. In today’s Speak Up on Kotaku commenter Eatplaysleepmore wonders if we’ve taken this forgiveness too far. I think we have been really apologetic (Editor: He means forgiving) to the video game industry. We let them get…

Talk Amongst Yourselves

It’s time to gather around the official Kotaku forum, plate up some cupcakes, and discuss video games with your peers. Commenter Pokeh neatly demonstrates why we need a few more entries for this month’s TAYpic with his My Little Pony entry. Oh that Pinkie Pie, she’s crazy about cupcakes Join in the fun and submit…

When Minesweeper Met Minecraft, a Gaming App Love Story

Mine: To extract ore or minerals from the earth. Mine: An explosive device used to destroy enemy personnel, shipping, fortifications, or equipment. Minecraft Sweeper: An explosive Android app about extracting ore and minerals from the earth used to destroy any free time you might have accumulated. Developer K.Misiunas has taken two of the most beloved…

ArenaNet Rings in the Year of the Dragon With Guild Wars 2 Beta Details

We may be four weeks into 2012, but it’s the first day of the Year of the Dragon, which sounds like a perfect day to get a better idea of when we’ll get a chance to play the most anticipated, dragon-bothered massively multiplayer online game of the year, Guild Wars 2 After years of teasing…