-
CultureTotal RecallThe Man Bringing Classic Arcade Cabinets Back
The 80’s were an awesome and bizarre time for arcades. Nobody knows this better than Gary Vincent, owner and operator of the American Classic Arcade Musuem in New Hampshire. For the past 3 years, he’s been shipping 30 arcade cabinets to PAX East in an attempt to recapture the feel of those classic 1980’s arcades.…
By Chris Person -
The Kotaku Mixtape Vol 6: SimCity and Beyond
If you’re reading this, you probably wasted hours and hours of your youth on Simcity 2000. Chances are you also know the weird, off-beat soundtrack by heart. But in the 90’s, Will Wright’s Sim Franchise was massive, and SimCity 2000 was only one one game in a series that spanned subjects like healthcare reform and…
By Chris Person -
The Kotaku Mixtape Vol 5: All The Cheesy Game Music You Can Handle
There is a very sick part of me that loves cheesy music and movies. I blame it on being left alone with basic cable in the 1990’s: You couldn’t change the channel without hearing some schmaltzy song playing in the background! And so today on the Kotaku Mixtape, we’re celebrating at some of the cheesiest…
By Chris Person -
The Kotaku Mixtape Vol 4: Nobuo Uematsu
When you talk to people about game music, Nobuo Uematsu is gonna come up. It’s just going to happen, and with good reason: the guy is the John Williams of the Final Fantasy series. The sheer volume and quality of work the man has produced is pretty staggering, and I can think of a number…
By Chris Person -
The Kotaku Mixtape Vol. 3: Jazz in Games
Bombastic, orchestral soundtracks are great and all, but they’re not always what’s called for in a game. Sometimes you need something a bit more laid back – a bit more cool. Sometimes you just need a little jazz. Today on the Kotaku Mix Tape, we’re listening to some of the best jazz that gaming has…
By Chris Person -
Here’s Everything I Can’t Stand About Ninja Gaiden III
There are times in life when you shouldn’t mess with a good thing. To me, Ninja Gaiden III exemplifies this. Why are there Quick Time Events in Combat? What’s with all the cheesy British stereotypes? What the heck happened to the Ninja Gaiden I know and love? In the video above, you’ll see exactly what…
By Chris Person -
The Kotaku Mixtape Vol 2: Yuzo Koshiro
Few composers have defined game music the way Yuzo Koshiro has. A prolific musician spanning many genres, his soundtracks for games like Streets of Rage and Actraiser are almost required listening to game music nerds everywhere. Today on the Kotaku Mix Tape, we’re giving you a tiny sample of Yuzo Koshiro’s works. In the video…
By Chris Person -
The Kotaku Mixtape Vol. 1: The Neverhood Series
Doug Tenapel’s bizarre, cult, claymation adventure game The Neverhood—and its platforming sequel Skullmonkeys—is unique on many levels. Greenlit by Stephen Spielberg and developed by Dreamworks Interactive, both games are totally unlike anything made before or since. Today on Kotaku Mixtape we look at some of the music from those games. Written and performed by Terry…
By Chris Person -
At Least in the New Syndicate They Don’t Run You Over with a Car
I know a lot of people have nostalgia for the 1993 Bullfrog classic Syndicate (myself included). I also know that critical reception to the new game has been a bit mixed. But I will say one thing the new game has going for it: At least they don’t recruit agents by slamming into total strangers…
By Chris Person -
The Many Samples and Sound-Alikes of Earthbound
Few games boast soundtracks as bizarre and innovative as Earthbound‘s, but perhaps the most innovative (and legally troubling) aspect of all is its use of sampling and sound-alikes. Click the video above to see what we mean. Over the years, Earthbound‘s devoted fan base has picked apart every aspect of the SNES cult classic, tracking…
By Chris Person -
CultureTotal RecallHow Sam & Max Hit The Road Taught Me To Love Words
People who know nothing about video games like to sling mud. They’ll say that games rot your brain, waste your time and distract from your studies. I’m here to tell you that that’s a lie, and I have proof. Be sure to click the video above to see how educational this game can really be.…
By Chris Person -
What do Robocop, Washing Machines, Dilbert & Lil B have in Common?
The answer? A song. In 1989, the British developer Ocean created a tie-in video game for the movie Robocop. The game was released on many platforms and featured an eerie yet serene theme song totally unlike the Basil Poledouris theme featured in the movie Fast forward a few years: The washing machine brand Ariston needed…
By Chris Person -
Some of the Features in Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus Are… Touching
We’ve been spending some time with Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus, the Vita port of the PlayStation 3 action game that bears the same name. It’s basically just Ninja Gaiden Sigma with a few new features. Check out the video below for a brief demonstration of touchscreen-supported Ninpo powers and some of the other mechanics this…
By Chris Person -
This Dancing Bear is My Favorite Part of Street Fighter X Tekken
One of the only things better than beating a friend at a fighting game is childishly gloating about it, and no gloating is complete without an amazingly victory dance. That’s why I’m a giant fan of Kuma’s victory dance in Street Fighter X Tekken. It’s snarky, clownish and exudes a sense of “Neener-neener-neener” that’s hard…
By Chris Person -
Hate The New Silent Hill 2 Audio Tracks? Turn ‘Em Off
We reported late last year that Silent Hill 2 was getting an HD makeover. As a fan of that game, I see myself as a bit of a purist and snob. Honestly, I think it comes with the territory. So I kinda scoffed at the idea of someone re-dubbing the entire game for it’s re-release…
By Chris Person -
Transform! Ridiculous Transformations and Showboating in Games
Sailor Moon magically changing clothes. Ultraman wasting precious minutes posing before battle. Spiderman summoning a giant robot. There’s just something special about watching a Japanese superhero show off. Over the years these ridiculous, over-the-top antics have worked their way into our hearts, and from there they’ve infected our games. Here’s a video of nothing but…
By Chris Person -
America’s Next Top Model Winner: World of Warcraft “Really Dropped the Ball With the Pandas”
Yesterday we posted an interview with former America’s Next Top Model winner Adrianne Curry, in which she tried to sell Stephen Totilo on her new pheromone fragrance Erox. In the end, though, we mainly talked about armpits. Curry is an avowed gamer and fan of World of Warcraft, and so in the second part of…
By Chris Person -
Erox Is Supposed To Get Gamers Laid, But Somehow We Wound Up Discussing Armpits
In the interview above, the America’s Top Model winner and PlayStation The Tester star Adrianne Curry tries to sell our own Stephen Totilo on her new pheromone-infused fragrance aimed at gamers. Erox is supposedly what you need to spray on yourself to improve your chances with the one you lust after. Adrianne also talks about…
By Chris Person -
Did Three Japanese Guys in Afro Wigs Just Accidentally Cover the Super Mario Land Theme?
Game music can show up in the most random places. Rarely, however, does it involve rock bands in bad wigs. Japanese rock trio Tsuru recently donned afros and composed the theme to the upcoming live-action adaptation of the the manga Afro Tanaka, a bizarre romantic comedy about a 24 year old dropout sporting an intense…
By Chris Person
Chris Person
Chris Person's posts