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Kotaku East
The Devil is a Part-Timer! is Clever, Witty, and Just Plain Fun
When the spring anime season was reaching its mid-way point five weeks ago, I listed The Devil is a Part-Timer! as one of the five anime you should be watching. And while the second half of the series didn’t quite live up to the quality of the first half, it is still an anime that…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published June 28, 2013 -
Kotaku EastGhost in the Shell‘s Product Placement Pisses Me Off
This last weekend marked the Japanese premiere of Ghost in the Shell: Arise border: 1 Ghost Pain. Needless to say, I enjoyed the film. What I didn’t enjoy was the incredibly blatant and distracting product placement surrounding the film—like this three-minute commercial for the Microsoft Surface. The commercial stars the cast of Ghost in the…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published June 28, 2013 -
Kotaku East
Princess Crown is an Interesting Piece of Gaming History
With Dragon Crown’s upcoming Japanese release only a few scant weeks away, I decided to take a look back at one of its spiritual predecessors—the similarly titled Princess Crown. And while it is by no means a perfect game, it was a trail blazer for some of the most beautiful and beloved games of the…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published June 28, 2013 -
Kotaku EastCan’t Wait for Dragon’s Crown? Try its Spiritual Predecessor
In recent years, Japanese company Vanillaware has made some of the most beautiful and unique-looking games ever. But long ago, in the ancient time known as the 1990’s, before Dragon’s Crown, Muramasa: The Demon’s Blade, and Odin Sphere—before even the creation of Vanillaware itself—there was Princess Crown Princess Crown is a side-scrolling action RPG much…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published June 25, 2013 -
Kotaku East
The First Film of Ghost in the Shell: Arise is True to Its Roots
This past week saw the release of the first chapter of the newest iteration of the Ghost in the Shell franchise with Ghost in the Shell: Arise border: 1 Ghost Pain. While the changes in the character designs have caused many to worry, let me assure you, the changes are only skin deep. Ghost Pain…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published June 25, 2013 -
ReviewsRYG Thumbslip: The Kotaku Review
Last month I talked about a very personal and embarrassing problem that I have when it comes to touch screen gaming: sweaty hands. In the days and weeks after, many kind readers sent in solutions for me, ranging from surgery to gamer gloves. But the solution that really caught my eye was the RYG Thumbslip.…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published June 25, 2013 -
Kotaku EastHow Past Game Consoles Said Goodbye in Japan
Each time we approach the beginning of a new console generation, it also marks the slow and gradual ending of the previous one. Games for the previous consoles are released less frequently until they disappear altogether. But have you ever wondered what the final releases were for each major home console in Japan? We at…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published June 21, 2013 -
Kotaku East
My, My, Major. How You Have Changed.
Tomorrow will see the release of thenewest installment in the Ghost in the Shell franchise: Ghost in the Shell: Arise. But this isn’t the Ghost in the Shell you remember—not visually at least. While all the characters you know and love are recognizable—though younger as this is a prequel—fans of the two TV series and…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published June 21, 2013 -
CultureCover Your Walls with Post-it Note Pixel Art
Ever have a bare wall that is just begging to be covered? Well then, consider using post-it notes to make your very own bit of pixel art. Lasse Laursen, a resident of Tokyo, has put together a great guide on YouTube showing you how to do just that. By taking a picture of anything at…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published June 21, 2013 -
Playing Portal 2 on Oculus Rift is Almost a Religious Experience
When I was eleven years old, I convinced my mom to drive me to Blockbuster store and, despite it costing far more than my meager allowance, rent a brand new Nintendo Virtual Boy with two games: Mario Tennis and Mario Clash As I took it out of the giant padded plastic case and set it…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published June 18, 2013 -
How the iPad Made Me a Starship Captain
Since I was a child in the early 90s watching Star Trek: The Next Generation on TV, I have always dreamed of being the captain of my own starship with a crew at my command. Last weekend, I finally got my chance. Late last year, thanks to a post on i09, I learned about Artemis.…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published June 18, 2013 -
Kotaku EastThis Anime Adaptation Comes Complete With Breast Guns
Later this year, Japan will get a live action adaptation of 009-1, a cyborg-filled manga created by Shotaro Ishinomori (Cyborg 009, Kamen Rider). But while it shares many themes, its creator, and a “009” in the title with popular anime and manga Cyborg 009 (which had a brand new anime film released this past year),…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published June 18, 2013 -
Kotaku EastWatch the First 8 Minutes of the new Ghost in the Shell Right Here
Back in February, we showed you the first trailer of the newest installment of the Ghost in the Shell franchise, Ghost in the Shell: Arise. With the Japanese theater release of the first chapter, border: 1 Ghost Pain, a week away, fans are getting a special gift: The first eight minutes of the film are…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published June 14, 2013 -
Kotaku EastThe Japanese Games Kicking Ass At E3
Back in 2009 at the Tokyo Game show, Keiji Inafune, creator of Mega Man, Onimusha, and Dead Rising said the following: “Man, Japan is over. We’re done. Our game industry is finished.” But as this E3 is quick to show, this is hardly the case. Perhaps Inafune’s comment ended up being a wake-up call—a game…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published June 14, 2013 -
Kotaku East
Bakemonogatari is an Amazingly Well-Directed Anime
As we’re coming up on the summer anime season, I’ve been purusing the upcoming shows looking for what I should keep an eye on. One anime, in particular, has stood out to me as a must watch: Monogatari Series Second Season There’s just one problem, I haven’t seen either of the preceding two series, Bakemonogatari…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published June 14, 2013 -
Kotaku EastI Never Knew I Needed a Sailor Moon Brawler in My Life
As I’ve mentioned before, when I was a kid, there wasn’t much in the way of anime readily available. On TV there were only two anime programs: Sci-Fi channel’s Saturday anime, and Sailor Moon. So needless to say, I watched me a lot of Sailor Moon Yet even at that time, I didn’t pick up…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published June 14, 2013 -
Kotaku East
Shin Megami Tensei IV Is as Deep and Interesting as It Is Hard
In recent years, the Shin Megami Tensei series has found new life in the West thanks to the popularity of spinoff titles Persona 3 and Persona 4. But now, after a decade since the release of the third game in the core series, comes Shin Megami Tensei IV And while it is a game that…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published June 11, 2013 -
Kotaku East
If Playing Animal Crossing is as Boring as Watching the Movie, I’m Out
This past week saw the Western release of Animal Crossing: New Leaf for the 3DS. Despite having never played an Animal Crossing game myself—largely due to its part in the most heartbreaking gaming tale I have ever heard—I decided it would be fun to sit down and watch the 2006 Animal Crossing anime film. This…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published June 11, 2013 -
Kotaku East
This Game’s DLC Lets You Hit Level 99 In An Hour
I’ve already talked a bit about how hard Shin Megami Tensei IV was on the default difficulty—and how the game makes you humiliate yourself in order to switch to easy mode. But if even easy mode is still too much for you, you can always download the first DLC dungeon. It completely breaks the game.…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published June 11, 2013 -
Kotaku East
The Tales of The Abyss Anime Captures the Heart of the Game
This past weekend marked the yearly celebration of all things Tales with Tales of Festival 2013. I had such a good time that after coming back from the event I decided to sit down and watch the anime adaptation of my favorite game in the series: Tales of the Abyss And while it is not…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published June 7, 2013
Richard Eisenbeis
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