Kotaku East

Code Geass is a Complex Morality Play With Mecha and Super Powers

Last month, the newest in a series of midquels to critically acclaimed 2006 anime Code Geass, called Code Geass: Akito the Exiled, aired in Japanese theaters. I saw the preview and it piqued my interest, but there was one small problem: I’d never seen Code Geass. So a few weeks back, I sat about fixing…

South Korea’s StarCraft II Scene Turned into a Visual Novel

The world of eSports has been turned into a PC game. Don’t worry, the game isn’t played in 300 actions per minute! Dubbed SC2VN, this is a visual novel starring a young, foreign semi-pro player named Mach trying to make it big in South Korea playing StarCraft II. You meet other players and try to…

How Mario and Luigi Were Turned into Traditional Japanese Art 

This fall, a traditional Japanese screen painting with Mario and Luigi will go on display in Kyoto. Here is how that work of art was made. Nintendo released a video interview with the artist who did the piece, Taro Yamamoto. In it, Yamamoto talks about the work, which features Mario as the Japanese god of…

The Battle System in Ray Gigant Forces You to Think

I’m only a few hours into anime RPG Ray Gigant but there’s already one thing about it I enjoy immensely: the battle system. Like many JRPGs over the past 30 years, Ray Gigant uses a turn-based battle system—however, it’s the little things about this permutation that make it so enjoyable. At its most basic, it’s…

Blue Pond. Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. By Romell Roberts. JPGs is a photo peek into wherever gamers might find interesting. If you’re a photographer and have images you want to share, drop us a line!

Track: Magic of Love | Album: Level 3 | Artist: Perfume Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

Ubisoft Is Making a Theme Park in Malaysia

Today, Ubisoft announced that it will open a 10,000-square-meter indoor theme park in Kuala Lumpur. “Ubisoft’s intention for this park is to immerse people in reactive worlds where they can interact with each other and become the heroes of their own life-sized game,” said Jean de Rivières, senior vice president of Ubisoft Motion Pictures, on…

The Real-World Nationalities of One Piece Characters

Sadly, One Piece doesn’t take place in the real world. But if it did, have you ever wondered where the Straw Hat Pirates would be from? A while ago, One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda was asked this. Long time fans might know the answer, but a scan of Oda’s reply has recently been floating around…

The Official Hello Kitty New Nintendo 3DS

Since Hello Kitty is put on just about anything, a Hello Kitty New Nintendo 3DS was only a matter of time. The Kitty-chan 3DS is outfitted with Hello Kitty faceplates (which are also sold separately for 2,000 yen or US$17) and is priced at 17,000 yen ($143). It goes on sale on November 28 in…

The Bloody Phantom Pain Scene That Got Censored in Japan

Back in August, Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima tweeted that the violence in “only one scene” differed between The Phantom Pain’s Japanese version and the international release. This, it seems, could be that scene. Note: This article might contain spoilers! Yes, spoilers! Via Censored Gaming (and Kotaku reader Kazami), check out the differences in…

Tenryū-ji. Arashiyama, Kyoto, Japan. By Sebastiano Quaranta. JPGs is a photo peek into wherever gamers might find interesting. If you’re a photographer and have images you want to share, drop us a line!

Fushimi Inari Taisha at Night. Kyoto, Japan. By Hien Nguyen JPGs is a photo peek into wherever gamers might find interesting. If you’re a photographer and have images you want to share, drop us a line!

After allegations that the 2020 Tokyo Olympics logo was a rip-off, the logo has been withdrawn. Why not use this?

IA/VT -Colorful-: The Kotaku Import Preview

Sega has long held a stranglehold on the Vocaloid music game market with their Project Diva series. Now, to challenge Hatsune Miku’s dominance comes IA and her game IA/VT -Colorful- As a music game, the most important aspect of the game is its soundtrack. Like in the Project Diva titles, the music in IA/VT is…

The Beauty of God Eater in Animated Gifs

While video game-based anime God Eater didn’t make our list for the five must-watch anime this season, I wouldn’t hesitate to say that it is one beautiful-looking anime. I mean, just check out these gifs. God Eater, based on the Bandai Namco video game of the same name, is being made by Ufotable, the studio…

Track: Something Good | Album: Bye Bye Hello | Artist: The Telephones Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

The 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…

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…

Why Japanese Splatoon Players Are Feared

From the sound of it, some English-speaking Splatoon players are either afraid of or annoyed with their Japanese counterparts. A few even hate playing against them. Earlier today, several popular Japanese game sites and blogs (here, here, and here) reported that some (not all!) international players do not enjoy online multiplayer with Japanese folks. The…

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…