Kevin Wong

The Most Nightmarish Peanuts Special Ever Made

The first time I watched the 1978 Peanuts special What A Nightmare, Charlie Brown, I was eight and a little scared. The cartoon made a significant impression on me. It was unnerving to see Snoopy whipped, starved, pelted with produce, and drowned. Dream sequence or not, that’s heavy shit. There have been many Peanuts specials…

Super Paper Mario Is A Role-Playing Game About Nintendo

Super Paper Mario has the typical hallmarks of a 2D Mario platformer—stomp on enemies, jump over pits, and avoid obstacles—but failing carries minuscule stakes. If you fall into a pit, you only lose a single health point. The enemies are weak, by and large, and powerups and Shroom Shakes are plentiful. That it’s nearly impossible…

I Wish I’d Found This Donkey Kong Country Secret As A Kid

Recently, I learned a well-kept secret about Mine Cart Carnage, the eighth level of Donkey Kong Country for the SNES. My childhood memories of playing this particular level are all negative, nothing but frustration and endless, wasted hours. When I found out what the secret was, I wanted to kick myself. It would have saved…

Track: Déjà Vu (All Over Again) | Artist: John Fogerty | Album: Déjà Vu All Over Again Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

The WWE 2K Commercials Are Loaded With Easter Eggs

Whatever 2K Sports is paying their marketing department employees, it’s not enough. The WWE 2K games get mixed to positive reviews, but the promotion of those games is consistent, first-rate, and exemplary. Whoever makes the games’ commercials has a masterful grasp on why fans love the WWE. A huge part of the abiding love that…

Should Tekken Keep Its Ridiculous Joke Characters?

Kuma is a veteran fighter in the King of the Iron Fist Tournament. For six official tournaments, two non-canon tag tournaments, and one crossover tournament, he’s been an aggressive force. But now, it seems that Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harada is hesitant to let the bear compete in Tekken 7. In an interview with Siliconera that…

The Last Of Us Has The Most Horrifying Death Scenes

I am an intermediate player; it takes practice and time for me to complete a single player campaign, and inevitably, I die a lot during that journey. And out of all the video games death scenes I’ve witnessed, The Last of Us’s are still in a disturbing class of their own. I’ve been replaying this…

Yogurtland Has Mario-Themed Flavors, And I Will Eat Them All

Were you were outside today, barbecuing hot dogs in the sweltering heat, and thinking, “Gee, I wonder where I can get some Nintendo-themed frozen yogurt?” If that’s the case, have I got some fantastic news for you. Yogurtland is teaming up with Nintendo to offer yogurts based on the characters from the Mario franchise. So…

In Hitman, It Pays To Plan Out A Kill

I love the Elusive Targets in Hitman. There have been five Elusive Contracts since the game’s launch, and after failing the fourth one, I decided to do extensive reconnaissance work and pre-planning for the fifth target. This time, I would be ready for anything. Here are the results. Elusive Targets are IO’s attempt to make…

Hi Kotaku! I’m Your Guest Editor For Today.

Good morning! My name is Kevin Wong, and I’ll be editing Kotaku today. The last time I did this was a year ago, and I’m excited to be doing it again. Usually, I’m an AP English Language teacher. But a few days ago, I wrapped up my school year, and that gives me more time…

The Future of WWE Is A Women’s Wrestler Named Bayley

The future of the WWE is a 26-year-old woman who wears a side ponytail in a scrunchie and snap bracelets on her wrists. She’s an athletic hero to little girls and jaded, older male fans alike, and she wrestled in what may have been the WWE’s best match of 2015. Her name is Bayley, real…

The Surprising Success Of Xavier Woods, The WWE’s Ultimate Gamer

WWE tag team champion Xavier Woods does not fit people’s stereotypical preconceptions of what a professional wrestler is. He’s got a Master’s degree in psychology and is currently working towards earning his PhD. He’s really into comic books and cosplay. And he spends hours playing video games on the road, in hotel rooms and at…

A Pro Fighter’s Best Friend Is The Guy Who Stops The Bleeding

The cutman is indispensable to combat sports. A good one adds a veneer of civility to a brutal affair by reducing swells and stopping blood. He can extend a fight for an extra round or more, armed with nothing but vaseline, a cold piece of metal called an enswell, and a chemically soaked Q-Tip. But…

The 15 Most Twisted Video Game Achievements

My favorite trophies and achievements in video games are the gimmick-based ones. They’re not about finishing a level or getting a certain amount of headshots. They’re about doing something specific, often something outlandish, silly, deliberately provocative, or plain screwed up. They can add levity to a sober gaming experience, provide a diversion from a linear…

Behind The Scenes At A Difficult Cosplay Shoot

Jason Laboy was getting ready for his next shot, in the alleyway he had specifically chosen for this occasion. He had his subjects—an impressive looking Batman, Nightwing, and Spider-Man, to name a few. Just then, a passerby walked into the shot, undid his pants, and started taking a piss on the alley wall. Laboy was…

How Snoopy Killed Peanuts

By the end of its run in 2000, Peanuts was an institution. It had become an omnipresent part of American culture, and that’s not a compliment. (Note: this piece originally ran on August 20, 2015.) The general response to reading the average Peanuts strip in the 80s and 90s was a ‘meh’ half-smile — a…

That concludes my weekend run. As a longtime reader, who’s admired the Kotaku staff from afar, I have a greater appreciation for what they do on a daily basis. Thank you so much to the readers for your opinions, praise, and respectful disagreements. Some exclusive, behind the scenes information: Tina is incredibly patient. And Evan…

Track: Gone (feat. Cam’ron & Consequence) | Artist: Kanye West | Album: Late Registration Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

WWE Finishers Used To Look Better

I used to think that it was just nostalgia, screwing with my memory. But when I did a side-by-side comparison, there was no comparison at all. I’ve been playing WWE games for close to 15 years now, and although the graphics have gotten crisper and more realistic (they actually do motion capture on the wrestlers…

The Most Depressing Theories On What Limbo Means

Limbo isn’t a straightforward adventure. It’s confusing. But it’s a good kind of confusing that inspires people to band together and try to solve its mysteries. It was first released in 2010 for Xbox Live, and since then, it’s been ported to nearly every platform imaginable. This month, the folks at Sony made Limbo free…