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Kotaku East
The Anime Studio That Made Samurai Champloo and Gangsta. is No More
Well, that’s disappointing. Manglobe (マングローブ), the anime studio behind such hits as Samurai Champloo, The World God Only Knows series, and this past season’s hit, GANGSTA. is kaput. According to a report from animeanime.biz, Manglobe had started procedures for bankruptcy on the 29th after being in a state of insolvency for some time. Apparently this…
By Toshi Nakamura Published October 1, 2015 -
Kotaku East
Nintendo’s New Text Bot is Kooky
You know that red mushroom guy that hangs around with Mario? Apparently he’s got a little friend. His little friend is nuts. LINE is a free texting app that is freakishly exceedingly popular in Japan. Like Facebook, companies can have official accounts that people can friend for regular updates and bonuses and such. Some such…
By Toshi Nakamura Published October 1, 2015 -
Kotaku East
Come For the Game Show. Stick Around For the Cosplay
Tokyo Game Show this year was packed with games and fans. And cosplay. Lots of cosplay. It’s the first public day of Tokyo Game Show, and the cosplay area was packed with people dressed up as their favorite characters and the people photographing them. Here’s a sample of some of the fun and cool cosplay…
By Toshi Nakamura Published September 19, 2015 -
Kotaku East
PlayStation VR is the Only Way I’d Want to Play Final Fantasy XIV
Project Morpheus PlayStation VR may be the only way I ever want to play Final Fantasy XIV—so long as they work out some of the real world kinks. At this point, most gamers have probably heard of Project Morpheus PlayStation VR and seen what it can do. VR is nothing new. The real question is…
By Toshi Nakamura Published September 19, 2015 -
Kotaku East
Ghost in the Shell was Made for Virtual Reality
Ghost in the Shell has always been about futuristic stuff, so seeing it in 3D in a planetarium-like dome was rather fitting. At Production I.G’s booth at this year’s Tokyo Game Show is a mini theater for their upcoming virtual reality app (see below), 攻殻機動隊 Virtual Reality Diver (Ghost in the Shell Virtual Reality Diver).…
By Toshi Nakamura Published September 19, 2015 -
Kotaku East
First Hands-on With Tri-Ace and Spike Chunsoft’s New RPG
Tri-Ace and Spike Chunsoft’s new RPG, Exist Archive: The Other Side of the Sky was playable at this year’s Tokyo Game Show so I sat down and gave it a whirl. The game is your basic action RPG with you playing as the main character running and jumping around fighting stuff. The triangle button is…
By Toshi Nakamura Published September 19, 2015 -
Kotaku EastThe Biggest Game in Japan You’ve Probably Never Heard Of
Granblue Fantasy is huge in Japan. Enormous. The game is a smash hit. It’s been downloaded over five million times, and there’s a newly announced anime. Yet, you’ve probably never heard of Granblue Fantasy. Maybe you have! This free-to-play PC and mobile game has quite a pedigree. It has music from former Final Fantasy composer…
By Toshi Nakamura Published September 18, 2015 -
Kotaku East
Star Ocean V Demo Didn’t Disappoint, But it Didn’t Blow Me Away
Square Enix and developer Tri-Ace’s latest big title, Star Ocean V: Integrity and Faithlessness was playable at this year’s Tokyo Game Show, and after some quality time with the demo, despite some minor issues, it’s shaping up to look pretty solid. The Star Ocean V demo consisted of a short dungeon and a boss battle…
By Toshi Nakamura Published September 17, 2015 -
Kotaku East
Dragon Quest Builders Cannot Deny its Minecraft DNA
Dragon Quest Builders, Square Enix’s new block making RPG feels like a rebellious child—not wanting to acknowledge its heritage, even though it’s really obvious. I got a chance for some hands-on time at this year’s TGS. Asked about the game, a representative told me that the game was inspired by “other such popular open world…
By Toshi Nakamura Published September 17, 2015 -
Kotaku EastThe Newest Hatsune Miku Game is an Idol Simulator
Announced on August 31st to celebrate the 8th birthday of Japan’s iconic virtual idol, Hatsune Miku: Project Diva X is the latest addition to the Project Diva series. This time, it’s not about high scores, it’s about audience response. In addition to new songs and costumes—called “modules” in the game—Project Diva X features a new…
By Toshi Nakamura Published September 3, 2015 -
Kotaku East
You Don’t Hunt in This Monster Hunter
It’s Monster Hunter, but cute and without any of the skill-based action… And you’re not a hunter. From Capcom, creators of the series where you kill the crap out of creatures that outweigh you 50 to 1 (if you’re lucky), comes Monster Hunter Stories, an RPG that focuses on a different side of the Monster…
By Toshi Nakamura Published September 3, 2015 -
Kotaku East
Ace Attorney 6 Sounds Rather Unusual
Announced by Capcom, the newest numbered chapter to the Ace Attorney series takes our favorite lawyer, Phoenix Wright, to a land where there are no defense attorneys and the courtrooms have magic mirrors. After the prequel story featuring Phoenix’s ancestor battling wits with the world’s greatest sleuth, the stage of Ace Attorney returns to the…
By Toshi Nakamura Published September 3, 2015 -
Kotaku EastThere’s a Live-Action Attack on Titan TV Miniseries. It Sucks.
I don’t know why I expected otherwise… As part of the live-action adaptation of the immensely popular people vs. giants series, Attack on Titan, there is a three-part TV mini-series currently available in Japan on demand. Titled Attack on Titan: Signal of the Counterattack (進撃の巨人 反撃の狼煙), the series acts as something of a supplemental side…
By Toshi Nakamura Published August 31, 2015 -
Kotaku East
So, I Fought the Boss with a Trillion Hit Points
I’ll admit, when I first heard the concept of a game where you fight a boss with a trillion hit points, I expected a fun tactical game with cutesy anime girls. What I didn’t expect was an emotional fist to the gut. Makaishin Trillion is a new game for the PS Vita from Compile Heart…
By Toshi Nakamura Published August 27, 2015 -
Kotaku East
Square Enix and SNK Playmore Drop Their Lawsuits Against Each Other
I guess we can all be friends now. It started with a copyright infringement allegation—Square Enix published manga, High Score Girl, was using characters owned by SNK Playmore without permission. Then things got heated with a counter-suit from Square Enix. Now, nearly a year later, it looks like the two companies are ready to kiss…
By Toshi Nakamura Published August 27, 2015 -
Kotaku East
I Made a Cooling Shirt to Survive Comic Market
Surviving the summer Comiket (Comic Market) isn’t just about rules and manners—sometimes it’s about beating the unbearable heat. This past weekend was the 88th Comiket, the bi-annual indie comic convention that showcases self-published manga and magazines as well as plenty of cosplay The Summer Comiket can be one of the more severe experiences in terms…
By Toshi Nakamura Published August 21, 2015 -
Kotaku East
Defeating Enemies Increases Your Bust Size in This Game
D3 Publisher hasn’t always been the most subtle developer with games like the Dream Club series and Metal Gear Panty-er I mean Summer-Colored High School. Their new upcoming game for the PS Vita, Omega Labyrinth carries on the D3 Publisher traditional unhindged libido wackiness with an unhealthy obsession with boobs. Omega Labyrinth (see the visual…
By Toshi Nakamura Published August 20, 2015 -
Kotaku East
Dead or Alive Xtreme Volleyball Returns for More Volleyball
Because, of course it will. Though, don’t hold your breath just yet for a Western release. Announced at the Dead or Alive Festival held earlier this month, Koei Tecmo is revisiting their jiggly beach volleyball game, Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball for current gen systems as Dead or Alive Xtreme 3: Fortune for the…
By Toshi Nakamura Published August 20, 2015 -
Kotaku East
Koei Tecmo’s Attack on Titan Won’t be Another Dynasty Warriors Game
Announced last week, Koei Tecmo is making an Attack on Titan game. It’s being developed by Omega-Force, the developers of all the Dynasty Warriors games. But it won’t be a Warriors game. And they want you to know that. In an interview with Dengeki Online, producer Hisashi Koinuma talked about the conception of the game.…
By Toshi Nakamura Published August 13, 2015 -
Kotaku East
Five Must-Watch Anime for Summer 2015
Having reached the halfway point of the Summer anime season, most series currently airing have settled into their groove. For those out there for whom forty-seven new shows are a bit too much to stomach, we at Kotaku East are here to offer our recommendations for what we feel are the cream of the crop.…
By Toshi Nakamura Published August 13, 2015
Toshi Nakamura
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