Kotaku East

The Worst Mega Man Box Art Makes for the Best Action Figure

Seriously, what were they thinking with that box art? In case you’re not aware of the original NES Mega Man’s infamous North American box art from 1987, here it is in all its glory, courtesy of GameFAQs: The bizarrely redesigned Mega Man and the completely random scenery catapulted it into the bad box art hall…

Tsukimonogatari is 2014’s Last Good Anime

After the fall iteration of the Monogatari franchise, I must admit to being a bit worried. Luckily, on New Year’s Eve, Tsukimonogatari quelled my fear with a story all about consequences, character building, and storytelling—all in the beautiful art style the series is known for. [Note: Tsukimonogatari is the sixth iteration of the Monogatari series.…

How One Piece Characters Have Evolved

Ch-ch-ch-changes! Nothing stays the same—people, places, and manga characters, included. Let’s see how the likes of One Piece have evolved over the years. The appearance of characters changing is not new, nor is it unique to One Piece. Previously, Kotaku showed how an array of manga characters had evolved over the years. Now, via Japanese…

The Apple Store Line That Could Kill You. Literally. 

I will never complain about waiting in line ever again. Earlier this month, stores across Japan offered “lucky bags” (福袋 or fukubukuro), which typically contain an array of items at a discounted price. In the past, you didn’t know what the fukubukuro contained, but more recently, at many stores, you do. The Apple Store lucky…

The New Attack on Titan 3DS Game Is a Solid Upgrade of the Last One

Attack on Titan: The Last Wings of Mankind -Chain- is an update of last year’s similarly titled Attack on Titan: The Last Wings of Mankind. And while it has only one major new feature, it is one that changes the entire game for the better. Good – Harder Than It Looks When it comes down…

In Japan, The Vita Has More Upcoming Games Than Any Other Console

Overseas, the PS Vita continues to struggle, but in Japan, things are looking better for Sony’s handheld. Things have not been easy for the little portable console ever since its launch over 3 years ago. One of the biggest complaints early on after the Vita’s release was the lackluster library of games. However, since then,…

The PS4 and the Vita were originally slated for a January 11 launch in China. But now, Famitsu is reporting that the release for both has been delayed. The new launch is TBA.

If Call of Duty Was Made with Anime Memes [Update]

While Call of Duty does have a hardcore following here in Japan, the game isn’t nearly as big as it is in the West. Well, here’s one way to change that. Or not. UPDATE – Kotaku reader Derek points out that the Call of Duty mock up originally appeared on the Nepnep Facebook page. Originally…

Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire Get Official Cafe

Tokyo is home to a new Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire cafe. It serves up an array of Pikachu-themed treats. Gotta eat ’em all! The cafe, dubbed Pokémon Cafe Ω Ruby & α Sapphire, opens this Friday in Tokyo’s Shibuya. As website Sibch.tv points out, the cafe is opened only for a limited time,…

Anime Movie Ad “Arrests” and “Kills” Pedestrians

In the world of Psycho-Pass I’d be shot, arrested, and shut away from society. Thank goodness I don’t live there. Psycho-Pass, the anime about a utopian/dystopian future where the human psyche can be digitally measured and people with even the potential for criminal acts are captured or killed, is getting a new movie out tomorrow.…

The First Japanese Sales Numbers of 2015 Are Not Surprising

We’re in 2015. Last year is last year. It’s over. The past! But let’s take a look at which games dominated the Japanese sales so far this year. Brace yourself for games that… also dominated last year. Japanese website 4Gamer published a list of the country’s top selling games from the first sales week of…

McDonald’s Is Having a Crappy Week in Japan

Lovin’ it? Oh no, McDonald’s must be hatin’ it. This week has gone from worst to worst for the fast food giant as people are claiming to find all sorts of horrible things in their meals: from bugs to human teeth. Here’s how McDonald’s week is shaping up. So far. Monday [Photo: Kininaru] The week…

Mario in Puzzle & Dragons is a License to Print Money

How do you make even more money off of one of the most popular game franchises? Add a dash of gaming’s most iconic character, that’s how. GungHo Online Entertainment just announced today an upcoming collaborative game on the Nintendo 3DS, Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition. While it looks like Puzzle & Dragons with…

The Gibberish Korean of The Interview

In what should surprise no one, The Interview features Korean that really doesn’t make that much sense. Yes, yes, the movie is satire. And yes, yes, it’s aimed at the English-speaking world, but with linguistic errors peppered throughout the flick, one has to wonder: Couldn’t Sony Pictures hire a proper Korean language translator to, you…

Super Robots and Giant Mecha Sized Up 

For your viewing pleasure, see how iconic mecha and robots compare. Because sometimes, size does matter. Recently on 2ch, one net user mentioned how Gundam was “too shabby,” uploading the image below to show that the RX-78-2 Mobile Suit Gundam isn’t that huge. Other net users uploaded super robot and mecha size charts—which many diehard…

Cosplay superstar Alodia Gosiengfiao brings Final Fantasy VII tune “J-E-N-O-V-A” to life on a Yamaha piano, with her pops on synth. We’ve seen cosplayers show off their musical skills before, but this might be the first dad collab.

Cats Make Playing League of Legends So Tricky

Between the “no no nos” and the “ahhhhs,” one thing is for sure: Cats add a new level of difficulty to League of Legends But hey, they also add a furry cute factor. See for yourself in this video from YouTuber The World of Dave To contact the author of this post, write to bashcraftATkotaku.com…

Playing Tennis with a Wooden Sword is Like Something Out of an Anime

Nissin Cup Noodle – best friend of college students everywhere – has released its latest commercial that features Japanese pro tennis player Kei Nishikori, playing tennis with a wooden sword. I’d say this is crazy if it didn’t actually look pretty awesome. Nishikori, dressed as historical Japanese sword master Miyamoto Musashi, and wielding a wooden…

The Solid Snake You Never Knew

Solid Snake: Badass agent. Special ops legend. Unsuccessful illustrator – wait, what? For fans of the Metal Gear Solid games, Solid Snake is an iconic hero with a background steeped in legend. The clone of Big Boss who thwarted multiple potential nuclear catastrophes, the chiseled, bandana-wearing agent is a hardened hero. But back in his…

Giving Money as a Gift, Turned into an Art Form

One of the many New Years’ customs in Japan is the handing out of “Otoshidama” (お年玉) – something of a New Years’ allowance where elders give money to their younger relatives. But this being a custom doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to make it entertaining. See for yourself. Part of the custom of Otoshidama is…