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OpinionAmazon’s Error Dogs, Ranked
The video game world spent a significant portion of the morning trying to score an Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S. More often than not, folks were met with error screens telling them their efforts were in vain. While certainly frustrating, at least evil megacorporation Amazon gave folks some great dogs to look at…
By Ian Walker -
CultureMorning MusicShin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey’s Music Bombards You With Ominous Chants
Welcome to Morning Music, Kotaku’s daily hangout for folks who love video games and the cool-ass sounds they make. Today we’re checking out Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey, specifically the way its soundtrack utilizes haunting, oppressive vocals to make this difficult RPG that much more distressing. Eep! 2010’s Nintendo DS SMT spin-off Strange Journey (playlist…
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CultureOdds and EndsRandom Generator Spits Out Hilarious Guilty Gear-Style Round Openings
Fighting games, especially those made by Japanese developer Arc System Works, are known for having some pretty wild start-of-round messages. Someone named ArcaneMonkey took all those lines—as well as some choice memes and other non-sequiturs—and inserted them into an online generator, which randomly spits out some really funny stuff. Here are a few of my…
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CultureKotaku Game DiaryWhipping Arrows Out Of The Air Is Still Super Satisfying In Spelunky 2
There are a lot of ways to deal with arrow traps in Spelunky 2, but the most satisfying strategy is simply whipping the arrows out of the air before they hit you. Everything in Spelunky 2 is out to kill you. Make one wrong move and you’re liable to get tossed around the level like…
By Ian Walker -
OpinionWe Still Have Questions About Spider-Man On PS5
Every generational shift in video games brings with it a lot of questions about how it will affect the people who play video games, especially as the lines between generations become blurred due to backwards compatibility and upgraded editions of past games. With PlayStation 5 waiting in the wings, there are still a lot of…
By Ian Walker -
CultureFormer Skullgirls Developers Establish New Co-Op Game Studio
Picking up the pieces of Lab Zero Games’ recent implosion, a group of former Skullgirls and Indivisible developers have established a new game studio known as Future Club. This venture will function as a co-op, allowing every employee to have a hand in the decision-making process. “We really want to make sure that everyone at the…
By Ian Walker -
CultureHow Obscure Star Fox Precursor X Got Two English Translations In One Day
While we often think of localizations as the final word in game development, the truth is that language is so fluid and malleable that there’s a good amount of subjectivity in every translation. Such is the case with a groundbreaking Game Boy game from Star Fox creators Argonaut Games, which recently saw both “official” (leaked)…
By Ian Walker -
CultureSuper Mario 64’s Weird ‘Gay Bowser’ Line Isn’t In Super Mario 3D All-Stars
Super Mario 3D All-Stars landed on Switch today, but with that occasion comes some bad news: Mario no longer says, “So long, gay Bowser!” during the Super Mario 64 boss fights. A travesty, for sure, but there’s a good reason the iconic voice line is missing. The mystery of Mario’s dialogue that has eluded fans…
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CultureOdds and EndsHideo Kojima, Please Work With Junji Ito
Horror mangaka Junji Ito is apparently down to work with video game auteur Hideo Kojima if the opportunity presents itself. Those sounds you’re hearing are me furiously typing my demands that Kojima call Ito as soon as possible. During a recent Polygon interview, Ito was asked about his involvement with Silent Hills, the late Konami-era…
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CultureOdds and EndsSuper Mario Galaxy’s Opening Is Still Terrifying
Super Mario 3D All-Stars, launching tomorrow for the Nintendo Switch, gave me the opportunity to revisit a trio of classic video games. It also brought me face to face with what is perhaps the most terrifying opening of any Mario game, wherein Bowser literally carpet bombs the Mushroom Kingdom. As with most games in the…
By Ian Walker -
CultureXbox Series X, Series S Preorders Open September 22 At 11 A.M. ET
While online preorders for the PlayStation 5 appeared and disappeared sporadically after yesterday’s showcase, Microsoft has provided Kotaku with the specific time we’ll be able to drop hundreds of dollars on its upcoming consoles next Tuesday. Starting at 8 a.m. Pacific, 11 a.m. Eastern on September 22, folks will have a chance at preordering the…
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CultureSome PS5 Games Will Cost $70
As part of today’s roll-out of PlayStation 5 details, Sony has announced that some of the console’s launch games will retail for $69.99, a ten-dollar markup from the common $59.99 price point of recent generations. Demon’s Souls, Destruction AllStars, and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales Ultimate Edition (which also includes a code for the remastered version…
By Ian Walker -
CultureSony Says Demon’s Souls Remake Isn’t Coming To PC And ‘Other Consoles’
Update—6:19 p.m. ET, 09/16/2020: Following the original publication of this story, Sony has told Kotaku that the trailer claiming Demon’s Souls would be coming to PC and “other consoles” was a mistake, attributing the incorrect information to “human error.” When we tried to further confirm that the game wasn’t coming to PC, the rep replied,…
By Ian Walker -
CultureFinal Fantasy XVI Coming To PS5 And PC
Square Enix provided a first look at Final Fantasy XVI during today’s PlayStation showcase. It’s coming to PlayStation 5 and PC. Few confirmed details were provided, but there was a lot of serious-sounding dialogue about crystals and a plethora of giant monsters. The story appears to take place over several decades, following the main character…
By Ian Walker -
CultureHere’s Every Oculus Quest 2 Game Announced During Today’s Facebook Connect
A whole slew of virtual reality games were announced as part of today’s Facebook Connect broadcast, including upcoming entries in Ubisoft’s Splinter Cell and Assassin’s Creed series that will be exclusive to Oculus. These projects will be helmed by Tom Clancy developer Red Storm with support from Ubisoft Reflections, Ubisoft Dusseldorf, and Ubisoft Mumbai. While…
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ReviewsSwitchSuper Mario 3D All-Stars: The Kotaku Review
Anyone who says “you can’t go home again” obviously never played a Mario game. My history with the Mario games isn’t a secret. As soon as I could hold a controller I was transfixed, especially when jumping. Unlike in Castlevania or Street Fighter, jumping as Mario was dynamic. You could tap the button for short…
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CultureTwitchTwitch Removes Stereotypical Emotes Meant To Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
Earlier today, Twitch announced several initiatives to kick off National Hispanic Heritage Month, a 30-day period for celebrating the “histories, cultures, and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.” As part of this, Twitch added the ability to customize emotes with accessories from those cultures,…
By Ian Walker -
OpinionImpressionsFall Guys’ New Mini-Game Variations Are Kicking My Ass
Earlier today, Fall Guys received a mid-season update meant to shake the game up before things get medieval. Mini-games that were previously a walk in the park have been remixed with new obstacles. As someone who had previously burnt out on the battle royale, this has been the perfect opportunity to step back into the…
By Ian Walker -
CultureWe Asked A Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater Master How To Combo Like A Beast
There are people out there who don’t play Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater like you and me. Where I’m happy with barely reaching the high-score goals on each level, more serious players have been pushing the limits of the series to rack up millions (and sometimes billions) of points for years. With the release of Tony…
By Ian Walker
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