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Kotaku East
So Far, Japan Prefers the New Nintendo 3DS XL
The New Nintendo 3DS went on sale in Japan last Saturday. You could either get the regular sized one or the larger New Nintendo 3DS XL. Which did most gamers in Japan purchase? The XL, it seems. Famitsu reports that during it’s first week on sale (which is, in reality, last Saturday and Sunday), a…
By Brian Ashcraft Published October 15, 2014 -
Kotaku EastSumo School Is a Magical Place
When you think of sumo training, you probably think of large men eating lots of food and wrestling each other. You should also think of large men sitting in a classroom and learning stuff. The Sumo Training School is located at the Ryogoku Kokugikan sumo stadium in Tokyo. New sumo apprentices must enrol, and as…
By Brian Ashcraft Published October 14, 2014 -
Kotaku East
How To Import Japanese Games
Across the ocean there is a magical land where some games debut months or even years before they do in the West—or sometimes never at all. But how do you get your hands on one of these mythical games from the Land of the Rising Sun? Kotaku East is here to help. [Note: While this…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published October 14, 2014 -
Kotaku EastTesting Out the New Nintendo 3DS’s Head Tracking
One of the New Nintendo 3DS‘s most welcomed added functions is head tracking. Its purpose is to help make the 3D effect more stable, and you know what, so far, the function seems to work pretty well. In the video you below, you can see me testing the head tracking software. Keep in mind that…
By Brian Ashcraft Published October 14, 2014 -
Kotaku EastYou’ll Never See Starbucks Coffee Cups the Same Again
When I look at Starbucks coffee cups, I think of, well, Starbucks coffee. When artist Soo Min Kim looks at them, he sees something else entirely. For the past few years, Kim has been drawing on Starbucks coffee cups, turning them into works of art. During this time, his Starbucks cups have gotten more elaborate…
By Brian Ashcraft Published October 14, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Cosplaying Politician Brings League of Legends of Life
South Korean Congressman Jun Byung-hun is no stranger to cosplay. Nor is he a stranger to League of Legends. And LoL cosplay? Well, this isn’t his first rodeo. As first reported last fall, Rep. Jun has embraced the country’s gaming community and culture, and he has worked hard to promote eSports in South Korea. Websites…
By Brian Ashcraft Published October 14, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Yamato 2199 is the Worst Recap Movie I Have Ever Seen
These days, anime seems to follow a set pattern. If you have a successful series, you follow it up with a recap film. Most of the time, these films have something new in them—new footage, new characters, a new side story—but not Yamato 2199. It is completely unnecessary in every conceivable way. Last year I…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published October 14, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Manga Hair Is Spectacular in Real-Life
For those who wonder what magnificent manga hair would look like in real-life, wonder no more. Spotted by Twitter user mimineko, a model at a fashion show for designer Junya Watanabe has hair that looks incredibly similar to the ‘do character Noriaki Kakyoin sports in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Compare for yourself: This model really needs…
By Brian Ashcraft Published October 13, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Nothing Says Traditional Japanese Food like Pokémon
During the New Year’s holidays, Japanese people eat a traditional food called osechi ryouri (お節料理). This is a very important meal, so why not eat it Pokémon style? The New Year holidays are the biggest of the year in Japan. The entire country shuts down, and folks unwind with family. For well over a thousand…
By Brian Ashcraft Published October 13, 2014 -
Kotaku East
China Is Cracking Down On Imported iPhone 6s
Apple’s latest iPhones, the 6 and 6 Plus have yet to get released in China. That said, many Chinese already have purchased the phones from foreign markets—purchases where China makes no money off the sales tax. Now, Chinese customs is looking to crack down and cash in. Chinese mobile games website 97973.com, an offshoot of…
By Eric Jou Published October 13, 2014 -
Kotaku East
World of Warcraft Super Fan Re-creates Goblin Copter
After all these years, World of Warcraft is still incredibly popular in China, so it’s no surprise that there are some super dedicated fans. Like the gentleman who made this. Posted on the Chinese gaming forum NGA, self-described WoW fan wq241332496 built himself a Goblin gyrocopter. For the unfamiliar, here’s what the copter looks like:…
By Eric Jou Published October 13, 2014 -
Kotaku EastChanging the New Nintendo 3DS Faceplates Is a Snap
When Nintendo announced the New Nintendo 3DS would be getting faceplates, honestly, I rolled my eyes. Like, actually rolled them. But you know what? The faceplates seem like they could be pretty neat. In the video below, I do a quick explainer on how to remove the faceplates. It is surprisingly easy. (Apologies for the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published October 13, 2014 -
Kotaku East
As Far as Anime Censorship Goes, This Is Pretty Ridiculous
Terra Formars follows the struggle between humans and roaches for supremacy on Mars. Originally a manga, the anime’s first three episodes have been censored to the point that it’s distracting. In the anime, there are black bars and dots cover parts deemed unsuitable—like bad Photoshops. Here, have a look: [Photo: 2ch] [Photo: miangraham] [Photo: 2ch]…
By Brian Ashcraft Published October 13, 2014 -
Kotaku East
The Pikachu Bed of Your Dreams
Pikachu is so cute that you might just want to snuggle up with the Pocket Monster and go to sleep. Well, now you can. Available via Mercari, this is the Pikachu Bed. It weighs 15 kilograms (33 pounds) and has a washable cover. Oh, and it looks like everyone’s favorite electric rodent. While this might…
By Brian Ashcraft Published October 13, 2014 -
Kotaku East
The Up All Night Stream Plays Fatal Frame V [Game Completed!]
Zero: Nuregarasu no Miko, the fifth game in the iconic Fatal Frame horror series came out in Japan a few weeks back. So who is up for getting the living crap scared out of them alongside me? Update: The game is now complete. You can see the full playthrough through the links below. Will we…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published October 11, 2014 -
Kotaku East
How the New Nintendo 3DS Stacks Up to the Original 3DS
Today in Japan, Nintendo released a new Nintendo 3DS—er, make that, the New Nintendo 3DS. I bought one for Kotaku, so let’s see how it sizes up to its predecessor. At last month’s Tokyo Game Show, I checked out the New Nintendo 3DS XL and was quite impressed with what I saw. While I’ve only…
By Brian Ashcraft Published October 11, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Sword Art Online Returns Strong as a Cyberpunk Murder Mystery
Fourteen episodes in, Sword Art Online II has finished its first arc; and if you were let down after the first anime’s second half, let me assure you, Sword Art Online is back and in grand style. Good – Reinventing the Wheel The strongest aspect of Sword Art Online as a franchise is the freedom…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published October 10, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Why Fatal Frame is My Favorite Horror Series
There are more than a few popular horror game series out there—from classics like Resident Evil and Silent Hill to more modern hits like Dead Space and Amnesia. But for me, one series stands tall above those: Fatal Frame Let’s be clear from the start: I do not like horror in general—neither in games nor…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published October 10, 2014 -
Kotaku EastUsing the Wii U GamePad as a Ghost-Killing Camera
As a long-time fan of the Fatal Frame series, I can see the perceived appeal of having the Wii U’s GamePad with its gyro sensor and dedicated screen acting as a proxy for the game’s ghost-killing camera. But while it works in Zero: Nuregarasu no Miko (Fatal Frame V), I’d rather just use my big…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published October 10, 2014 -
Kotaku East
The Best Black Widow Figure You Can Get
Yeah, I already had one Black Widow figure, but this one is from a different movie. Hong Kong collectible toy company Hot Toys has released other figures since my last review, but as anyone familiar with their Movie Masterpiece line knows, they cost a pretty penny, and as much as I would like to have…
By Toshi Nakamura Published October 9, 2014