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Kotaku EastJapanOsaka Getting Massive Esports-Themed Hotel
Next April, an esports-themed hotel will open in Osaka’s geek district Nipponbashi. Called Esports Hotel E-Zone Cyberspace in English, it is the first of its kind in Japan. Including the basement’s shower area, the hotel is nine stories. Fashion Snap reports that floors one to three are the gaming floors, with over 70 high-spec, streaming-ready…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 16, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapanThe Cosplay Of The 2019 Tokyo Game Show
This year’s Tokyo Game Show has come to a close. But these cosplay images will live on! Cosplayers came out in droves during the show’s two public days. Those wanting photos must line up to take snaps, which means a good chunk of time needs to be dedicated to cosplay. The highlight clip below was…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 16, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapanFinal Fantasy VII Remake Seems Popular At The Tokyo Game Show
In what should surprise absolutely no one, Final Fantasy VII Remake is drawing long lines at the Tokyo Game Show. I think people in Japan might be excited about this game. Call it a hunch! Today is the first public date for the 2019 Tokyo Game Show. As soon as the general public started being…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 13, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapanThe Merchandise Of The 2019 Tokyo Game Show
When you go to the Tokyo Game Show, you can play games. But if the lines are too long, you can buy stuff. Your choice! As in years’ past, TGS has a dedicated merchandise area. Certain things sell out, so if you are planning on going (and know what you want to buy), do your…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 13, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapanThe Neo Geo Arcade Stick Pro Is Massive In-Person
The images SNK have released do not convey the actual size of the Neo Geo Arcade Stick Pro. It’s humongous. The stick comes packaged with 20 games and can be connected directly to the TV or PC, plug-and-play style. Huge arcade sticks aren’t uncommon, but this one seems especially jumbo. It seems that SNK also…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 13, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapanWhy It’s Taken So Long For A New Space Channel 5 Game
It was at 1999 that the first Space Channel 5 debuted at the Tokyo Game Show. Now twenty years later, the classic music game is back. Following the success of the original Space Channel 5, Sega released a GBA version and a sequel called Space Channel 5 Part 2. While the main character Ulala had…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 13, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapanThe Persona 5 PlayStation 4 Looks Beautiful
To mark the release of Persona 5: The Royal, Sony is releasing a special Persona 5 themed PlayStation 4 Pro. It looks quite nice! The Persona 5: The Royal PS4 Pro Limited Edition will be on sale between September 12 and December 25 in Japan
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 13, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapanHands-On With Death Stranding: The Umbrella
Hideo Kojima’s upcoming release Death Stranding isn’t playable at the Tokyo Game Show. But you can demo Death Stranding: The Umbrella. Full disclosure: Even though it’s overcast here today at the Tokyo Game Show, I was not able to test this demo umbrella outside in the rain. While Death Stranding: The Video Game is a…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 13, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapanThe New Resident Evil Is Good (So Far)
I’ll be honest. When Project Resistance was announced, I was skeptical. A multiplayer Resident Evil? Surely, that cannot work, I thought. At the Tokyo Game Show, I got hands-on with Project Resistance, and from what I played, I realized that, yes, yes it can. Project Resistance is a four-on-one asymmetrical co-op multiplayer game. Four players…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 13, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapanThe Motorcycles Of The Tokyo Game Show
I’ve been coming to the Tokyo Game Show since 2004, but this is the first year I remember seeing bikes of any sort at the booths. While they’re not road-ready, they are prime for picture taking. Makes sense! Both Cyberpunk 2077 and Final Fantasy VII Remake feature motorcycles. Neither of these bikes actually move. They’re props…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 12, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapanSurely, This Has To Be The Biggest Arcade Cabinet In The World
Towering over the Taito booth at this year’s Tokyo Game Show is an enormous Space Invaders cabinet. Just look. It’s huge! The cabinet isn’t open for demos. I asked a representative at the booth if it’s possible to play the cabinet, and he told me that while it’s not open for demos because its height…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 12, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapanThe Sights Of The Tokyo Game Show
Today is the first press day for this year’s Tokyo Game Show (the four-day expo won’t be open to the public until Saturday). Let’s have a look inside. Neither Nintendo nor Microsoft attends the show. Traditionally, Sony has dominated, but this year, Sega (and Atlus), Konami, and Square Enix all have booths of roughly equal…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 11, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapanThe One Punch Man Fighting Game Handles Its Overpowered Hero In A Quirky Way [Update]
Saitama is called “One Punch Man” because that’s all it takes for him to level foes. How the heck does that work in a three-on-three fighting game? Interestingly. Yesterday I checked out the upcoming One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows at Bandai Namco headquarters. It’s yet another fighting game adaptation of an anime, but…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 11, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapanStranded Pro Gamer Criticized For Using Airport’s Electricity
Earlier this week, a typhoon hit Japan. According to reports, nearly seventeen thousand people were stranded at Narita Airport, outside Tokyo. Flights were canceled, and it was difficult to get trains and taxis. Pro fighting game player Naoki “Moke” Nakayama was among those who were stuck Travelers had to wait overnight for the trains to…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 11, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapanSome of Akihabara’s Most Expensive Games
This afternoon, I hit the streets of Akihabara. I wasn’t looking for the best deals, but the most expensive games I could find. No doubt there are other expensive games and hardware, but here are the pricest ones I found at Beep, Mandarake Complex, Retro Game Camp, Super Potato, and Surugaya Specialty Store (note: Friends…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 10, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapanSmash Bros. Creator Just Made “Xbox” Trend On Twitter In Japan
During a special Nintendo Direct for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Masahiro Sakurai introduced the Banjo-Kazooie DLC. Not only does he want you to get that, but he would also like you to play the original game on Xbox. The original Banjo-Kazooie games were released on Nintendo hardware, but as Sakurai explained, Microsoft now owns the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 5, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapanEiichiro Oda Wants To Finish One Piece In Five Years
YouTube comedy group Fischer’s recently visited Eiichiro Oda’s home studio. While there, they asked the famed manga creator how much longer One Piece was going to run. In the clip, which you can see below, Oda’s face was blurred out. In the past few years, Oda has ceased showing his face on camera—probably so he…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 3, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapanThat’s A Nice-Looking Arcade Stick, SNK
SNK has announced a new arcade stick for Japan. Dubbed the Neo Geo Arcade Stick Pro, its design was influenced by the Neo Geo CD’s Controller Pad stick. Currently, the stick has no announced release date. Nor are there any details about which buttons SNK is sourcing for the Arcade Stick Pro. More details will…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 3, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapanFour Years Later, Star Wars Fan Isn’t Done With His Death Star II Diorama
On July 5, 2015, Star Wars fan and Twitter user C3poC3 started working on his Death Star II diorama. Now in 2019, he’s not done. As you can see, he is currently painting the Death Star II’s northern hemisphere. The level of detail is staggering. The model measures 50 centimeters in diameter. Here are some…
By Brian Ashcraft Published August 22, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapanA Complicated-Looking Way To Hold PlayStation Controllers
Years back, Kotaku reported on an inventive way to hold a DualShock and play From Software’s mecha game Armored Core. Now in 2019, it’s back. In Japanese, this grip style is called densetsu no AC mochi (伝説のAC持ち) or “legendary Armored Core grip.” This grip style is so legendary in Japan that it’s even made a…
By Brian Ashcraft Published August 20, 2019