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Culture
The Brutal, Beautiful Video Game Art of Bjorn Hurri
Bjorn Hurri is an artist who has been working on video games for years now, having lent his skills in some way or another to projects like Dead Space 2, Viking: Battle for Asgard and the last three entries in the Total War series. He’s at his best working with people, as most of his…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 24, 2011 -
CultureTotal RecallThe Horror of Nintendo’s White Knuckle Scorin
In 1991, before the company realised it was a good idea to pay closer attention to the shit it was licensing its name and characters for, Nintendo gave its blessing for the release of a CD called White Knuckle Scorin While the name and the cover art give faint hope that this might be a…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 24, 2011 -
Culture
The Towering, Mechanical Art of Killzone 3
The Killzone series may be mired in darkness and a convoluted storyline, but one thing that always keeps me coming back to the games is their industrial design. It has such amazing weapons, vehicles and technology. They look like they’re from the future, sure, but they also look like they work, get dirty and break…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 23, 2011 -
Culture
The Dangerous Art of Tomb Raider
The new Tomb Raider game flips everything we know about Lara Croft on its head, turning one of gaming’s most dangerous superstars into a broken, vulnerable human being. Just like the rest of us. To really nail that sense that the world is a dangerous place, the game’s artists needed to make sure the landscape…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 22, 2011 -
CultureTotal Recall
A Look at Decades of Nintendo Controller Innovation
The upcoming Wii U is hoping to change the way we think of controllers forever. Whether it does that or not is anybody’s guess, but if it does, it won’t be the first time Nintendo has pulled off that coup. While Nintendo’s franchises and consoles often get all the praise for the company’s success, let’s…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 22, 2011 -
CultureTotal RecallBefore They Were Famous: id Software
Time for another “before they were famous” here on Total Recall. Last time we looked at Bungie, creators of the Halo franchise. This time? We’re looking at id Software, the team behind Wolfenstein, Doom and Quake I’m going to preface this entire thing by saying that if you’re at all interested in the history of…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 21, 2011 -
CultureTotal RecallThe Secret of Star Wars
There are plenty of theories as to why the original Star Wars trilogy has been so successful. Analysis of its “hero’s journey”, its appeal to young and old alike, its timeless tale of good vs evil. I subscribe to a lesser-known theory. That it’s been such a big hit because the original three films were…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 20, 2011 -
Culture
Song of Time
The long-awaited 3D remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is the highlight of the week, and is in stores as we speak. Other notable names include Dungeon Siege III, Shadows of the Damned, the final chapter of Back to the Future: the Game, and Double Fine’s latest Xbox Live title, Trenched Today…
By Owen Good Published June 19, 2011 -
Culture
Sunday Comics
Welcome to your Sunday read of the week’s best in web comics. Make sure to click on the expand button in the bottom right to enlarge each comic. Awkward Zombie by Katie Tiedrich published June 13. – Read more of Awkward Zombie Nerf NOW!! by Josué Pereira published June 13. – Read more of Nerf…
By Owen Good Published June 19, 2011 -
CultureShop Contest
Shield Posing Winners
Last week we asked you to consider the Wii U controller as a window to a new world. We’ll go through the looking glass with the 20 best ‘shops, but first, a public service announcement from your local Kotaku ‘Shop Contest. I want to apologize to everyone for the image uploading problem last week. Whether…
By Owen Good Published June 18, 2011 -
Culture
This Week in the Business: “Same five games over and over.”
What’s happened in the business of video games this past week… QUOTE | “Rot from the core.” – EA CEO John Riccitiello talks about the fierce Call of Duty vs. Battlefield showdown and luring the core audience away from CoD QUOTE | “Triple bump.” – Epic’s Cliff Bleszinki explains the advantages of releasing Gears 3…
By Drew Cohen Published June 17, 2011 -
CultureTotal Recall
Happy 100th Birthday, IBM!
As amazing as it may seem for a company we associate with something as modern as computers, IBM was founded on this day, June 16, all the way back in 1911 It’s had some ups and downs since then – from helping the Nazis to helping put a man on the moon – but we’re…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 17, 2011 -
Culture
The Beautiful Fighting Game Art of Stanley Lau
Stanley Lau has been asked by Capcom to provide the official artwork for the upcoming Street Fighter III 3rd Strike Online Edition. Being both an accomplished comic artist and a Street Fighter nerd, his work does not disappoint. In addition to the stuff he’s done for the game’s upcoming re-release, Lau is something of a…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 16, 2011 -
CultureTotal RecallJapan, What the Hell Did You do to This Classic PC Adventure Game?
There are few more storied franchises in adventure gaming than Sierra’s Police Quest series, which in the late 80’s and early 90’s was home to some of the grittiest, most realistic and yet most rewarding games around. Oh, I’m sorry, did I say gritty? Because that only applies to the Western version of the game.…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 16, 2011 -
CultureTotal RecallIron Chef’s Secret Ingredient Was…Pokémon!
Iron Chef, a Japanese cooking show that began in 1992, has quite the cult following in certain Western countries thanks to years of dubbed episodes and re-runs. It wound up in 1999, however, leaving talismanic host Takeshi Kaga needing a new gig. And he found one in Pokémon If you’ve never seen it, Iron Chef…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 15, 2011 -
Culture
Would This Have Been a Better Duke Nukem Forever?
While my review is forthcoming, it’s no spoiler that Duke Nukem Forever isn’t a Game of the Year contender. Question is, though, what game are we judging? Because the one we are playing clearly isn’t finished. Leaving us to wonder, what game might we have been left with were 3D Realms able to actually complete…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 14, 2011 -
CultureTotal RecallArcades Don’t Make for Good TV (But Starcades do)
Video games and TV just do not mix. Aside from a few brave attempts coming out of the UK, I’m yet to see a show about games that doesn’t come off as juvenile, stale and boring as hell. There will always, however, be a soft spot in my heart for Starcade Running from 1982 to…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 14, 2011 -
CultureTotal RecallBefore Duke Nukem Was An Asshole, He Was a Simple Man
In the latest Duke Nukem game, the titular star is an offensive asshole, much of his macho charm having given way over the past decade to dick jokes even young boys would struggle to find funny. It wasn’t always this way. Duke Nukem was once just your regular video game action hero. Before the over-use…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 13, 2011 -
Culture
Duke Nukem, At Last
Well, we’re not impressed by what we’ve seen so far of Duke Nukem: Forever, but there is something to be said for this game finally hitting shelves after a torturous 14-year development. Other titles out this week include Child of Eden and Alice: Madness Returns. Seven days from now, Ocarina of Time‘s long awaited remake…
By Owen Good Published June 12, 2011
