Culture

Zelda Speedrunner’s New ‘World Record’ Was Actually Done With Hacking Tools

Two days ago, dragonbane0 set a new speedrun world record for The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD. It was his first time running the game outside of practice. He’s now revealed that the speedrun was achieved using WiiU modding tools that he’s releasing to the wider community. Update—11:05 p.m.: We have changed this article’s…

How Peanuts Used Peppermint Patty To Talk About Politics

Aside from Charlie Brown, Peppermint Patty is the most well-thought out, deeply characterized member of the Peanuts gang. Charles Schulz told some heartbreaking stories about unrequited love, single parenthood, gender norms, and deep-seated insecurities—themes that did not normally appear on the Sunday funnies page. With unique characterization that helped her gain the audience’s sympathy and…

Track: Ikkyu-san | Artist: Wednesday Campanella | Album: Superman Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Track: Ufomg | Artist: Blockhead | Album: Funeral Balloons Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Go Forth, Space Captain Man

Eric Gonzales is a concept artist from the Philippines who works in the games business. You can see more of Eric’s work at his personal site To see the images in their native resolution, click on the “expand” button in the top-left corner. Fine Art is a celebration of the work of video game artists,…

There’s An Invitation-Only Cosplay Show, And It’s Awesome 

Every summer for the past few years a horde of cosplayers and photographers have descended on the picturesque Polish town of Wleń in the Bóbr Valley. They’re not there for a comic con or games expo, not for any convention like you and I know it. It’s an invite-only event, just a handpicked selection of…

Whaddya Know, More Great Nier Cosplay

While Nier Automata’s 2B has been the undisputed cosplay star of 2017, she’s not the only character being featured from the game. Here’s PretzelBotwith an incredible effort recreating one of the game’s robots. Just so you can get a better idea (than standing next to a small kid) of the scale of the sui, here’s…

The Week In Games: Metroid Is Back

In the year 2017, we are blessed with a new Metroid game—kinda. Samus Returns is really more of a remake, a rekindling of the Metroid fire. I’m excited, though maybe not ecstatic. My personal love for the series began with Prime, which is possibly the most millennial statement I’ve made this week. It seems really…

Track: Accident Prone (Jawbreaker cover) | Artist: Julien Baker | Album: N/A

Podcast: What We Think Of Destiny 2 So Far

Destiny 2 has been out for a few days, and we’ve played enough to form some general impressions. Join me and Jason for a special episode of Kotaku Splitscreen that’s all about Bungie’s big sequel. Listen here: We don’t spoil anything from the story, other than to say that you should really play through the…

Sunday Comics: A New Recipe

Welcome to Kotaku’s Sunday Comics, your weekly roundup of the best webcomics that usually occurs on Sunday except when it doesn’t. The images enlarge if you click on the magnifying glass icon. Nerf NOW!! by Josué Pereira. Published September 8. Read more of Nerf NOW!! Awkward Zombie by Katie Tiedrich. Published September 4. Read more…

Track: Holy Books | Artist: Death From Above | Album: Outrage! Is Now Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

This Week In The Business: The Re-Making Of A Metroid

QUOTE | “When you deal with them at a close distance, you understand why they are who they are. I’m not going to lie to you; they are extremely demanding. They require the very best constantly, all the time, and beyond. But it’s been a great experience.” – MercurySteam studio head Enric Alvarez describes what…

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

The weekend is for watching all of Bojack Horseman with your friend and probably not crying. Or only crying a little. Or crying a lot. And then playing video games. I am super close to finishing Dishonored 2, and it’s really grown on me. I’m excited to finish it up in time for Death of…

Watching Battlegrounds Speed Hackers Get Wrecked Is Extremely Satisfying

They’ve gotta go fast. You’ve gotta be even faster to stop them. If you’ve ever joined a PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds match, only to see somebody moving so quickly that your eyes can barely keep up, you probably encountered a speed hacker. Speed hackers are a seemingly rare yet especially obnoxious breed of cheater who fight less…

Ask Dr. NerdLove: I Just Want Sex, But These Guys All Want A Relationship

Hello all you horrendous love treats, and welcome to Ask Dr. NerdLove, the only dating advice column that’s bigger than Knack II Last week, we were talking about a guy who wanted to find casual hook-ups. This week, we have an inverse of the problem: she wants some no-strings attached sex friends, but the guys…

Warriors All-Stars Is A Video Game Yard Sale

Koei Tecmo’s latest Warriors game doesn’t have any characters from Zelda or Dragon Quest. It’s got characters from other Koei Tecmo games. Now’s your chance to see imaginary 21st-century ninja Ryu Hayabusa from Ninja Gaiden and fictional 17th-century Irish samurai William from Nioh battle against (or sometimes with) the likes of 3rd-century Chinese warrior Zhao…

Track: If You Wanna | Artist: Perfume | Album: If You Wanna (single)  Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Sailor Moon Cafes Opening This Month In Japan

Like Sailor Moon? Want to eat Sailor Moon-themed food? Good news. Starting this fall, four Sailor Moon cafes are opening in Japan. Yes, four! According to Rurubu, one is opening in Tokyo on September 22, while another opens in Osaka on September 28 and yet another begins business the following day in Nagoya. These cafes…

Track: Get Like | Artist: Nosaj Thing | Album: Parallels Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.