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Kotaku East
Smash Bros. Creator Reviews the PS4
As creator of tent-pole franchises like Kirby or Super Smash Bros. you might think Masahiro Sakurai is a pure bred Nintendo loyalist. So what do you think he has to say about Sony’s newest console? “First off, the console looks cool.” Sakurai wrote in his semi-weekly column in Weekly Famitsu. “As hardware evolves, people tend…
By Toshi Nakamura Published March 13, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Things You Probably Don’t Know About Tetsuya Nomura
The first time you ever heard of him may have been from his character designs in Final Fantasy VII, but Tetsuya Nomura doesn’t consider Square Enix’s biggest hit to be his turning point in the video game industry. Nomura is currently the director for the latest installments of two of Square Enix’s major franchises –…
By Toshi Nakamura Published March 13, 2014 -
Kotaku East
McDonald’s New Cherry Blossom Burger Has Pink Buns
Every spring in Japan, cherry blossoms bloom, giving the country a pink hue. This is why pink is seen as a spring color. It’s also why this McDonald’s hamburger has pink buns. In the past, McDonald’s has released special sakura, or “cherry blossom,” teriyaki egg burgers that are slathered in a special sakura sauce (a…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 13, 2014 -
Kotaku East
League of Legends Pro Attempted Suicide After Tournament Scandal
League of Legends player Cheon “Promise” Min-Ki is in serious condition today after reportedly jumping from a twelve-story building and ending up in a coma. According to several Korean news reports, this comes after he revealed alleged eSports match-fixing. Promise played for South Korea’s AHQ eSports team. But according to him, the whole thing was…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 13, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Why You Shouldn’t Kiss a Snapping Turtle
Do not kiss snapping turtles. I repeat. Do. Not. Because kissing snapping turtles will end in tears. Don’t believe me? Well, ask this dude. Note: This article contains content some readers might find objectionable. Recently, a gentleman in suit reportedly tried to give a goodbye kiss to what’s apparently an alligator snapping turtle As noted…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 13, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Sexy Japanese Kentucky Fried Chickens
Japan loves KFC. There’s the Kentucky Fried Chicken traditionally eaten at Christmas, the KFC airplane food, the potato chips, and the KFCs that are unlike any you’ve probably ever seen. Today, it was announced that a new “Adult Kentucky Fried Chicken” will soon open in the The Yomiuri Shimbun Building in Tokyo’s Otemachi. Via IT…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 12, 2014 -
Kotaku East
One Man’s “Terrible” Cosplay Makes the Internet a Better Place
If we go by the typical standard metrics by which cosplay is judged, you might say this cosplay isn’t very good. That it’s bad. Or even terrible. But those standards don’t matter. This is totally wonderful, incredibly creative, and utterly brilliant. Meet Anucha “Cha” Saengchart. By day, he works as a caretaker for the elderly.…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 12, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Puzzle & Dragons Character Reveal Called “Inappropriate”
Yesterday, two new characters were revealed for popular game Puzzle & Dragons: Gaia and Kraken. And for some in Japan, the reveal came at the worst time. March 11 was the third anniversary of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami that ravaged the country’s northeast, leaving scores dead and changing people’s lives forever. And that same…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 12, 2014 -
Kotaku EastToasting Kit Kats at Home Sure Looks Dangerous and Delicious
Remember those gourmet baked Kit Kats? The ones available at the world’s only Kit Kat boutique? Well, you can do that at home. You always could! Above you can see “Delicious When Baked Pudding Flavored Kit Kats,” which are going on sale in Japan later this month. Besides the flavor, the difference between these Kit…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 12, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Public Toilet in Japan Accidentally Exposes Your Most Private Moments
A “transparency toilet” was recently rolled out in the Japanese city of Oita. When in use, the transparent window goes opaque. However, according to reports, the toilet can inadvertently expose those inside for all to see. As soon as someone steps inside the public toilet, a sensor causes the window to go opaque, creating privacy.…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 12, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Small Dogs Cosplaying as Sailor Moon Characters
If you think Sailor Moon is really cute, if you adore small dogs, and if you are into cosplay, well, you might want to sit down. Japanese Instagram user Mayama_ya has been making small Sailor Moon outfits for small dogs. She uses t-shirt-like fabric for these custom creations. Adorable, right? Oh, and they’re currently not…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 11, 2014 -
Kotaku EastDeception IV Will Make You into a Sadistic Monster
In Deception IV: Blood Ties, the latest game in the Deception series, you play as a demon princess whose castle is constantly being invaded by various groups of heroes. Fighting them off requires the careful placement of brutally violent traps that will have you feeling like a sadistic monster in no time flat. Good –…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published March 11, 2014 -
Kotaku EastFilmed Footage That Can Be Controlled Like a Video Game
“Panomovie” is a 360-degree interactive panorama movie that allows viewers to look around via mouse or other interfaces. Kind of like a video game. Here, you can see a concept reel with clips of the Panamovie in action. Or, better yet, you can test some of the samples yourself (here and here). As TechInAsia points…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 11, 2014 -
Kotaku East
White Album 2 is One of Last Season’s Hidden Gems
Every season, despite my best efforts, there is a great anime that slips beneath my radar. Last fall, that anime was White Album 2—an excellently told romantic drama that isn’t afraid to stab you right in the emotions and then twist the knife just to be sure. [*Note: Despite being “White Album 2,” this is…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published March 11, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Does This Japanese Television Network Even Give a F**k?
Today is the third anniversary of Japan’s devastating earthquake and tsunami. At the moment the earthquake hit, at 2:46pm, Japanese television networks paused to remember the deceased. That is, all except one, which showed Alien: Resurrection, instead. Over 15,800 died in the earthquake and ensuing tsunami. Over 2,600 went unaccounted for. Areas impacted are still…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 11, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Super Mario Bros. on Four Computer Monitors
Here is a full-screen version of Super Mario Bros. World 1-1 on several computer monitors. Just look at it all scrolled out before you. Do it! And here is World 1-2, complete with the exposed Warp Zone. These images come from Twitter user Morikuma_Works, who, when not unraveling Mario Bros., works as an engineer in…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 11, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Oh Goodness, Japan Is Getting Spaghetti Popsicles
You might be asking, why? Why spaghetti popsicles? But let’s ask another question: Why the heck not? Actually, no. Let’s just stay with why? Japan is no stranger to unusual ice cream flavors. Even Häagen-Dazs has unique flavors just for the country. And the brand in question (Gari-Gari Kun or, loosely, “Crunchy-Crunchy Boy”) is also…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 11, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Robots, Modern Art, Star Wars Collide in Beijing’s Glass Pyramid
By now, with all the press about China, you’ve probably have some idea in your heads that certain Chinese cities are like the real life version of the dystopian cyberpunk worlds of Blade Runner and Star Wars. Sadly, China isn’t all that advanced, but one building in Beijing definitely is. Located on the border between…
By Eric Jou Published March 10, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Man Builds Huge Gundam to Delight Grandchild, Kid Isn’t Impressed
In Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, 66 year-old Kenichi Okada began building a 2 meter tall Z Gundam statue for his grandchild. He spent eight months working on the statue, which weighs 40 kilograms. According to Yahoo! Japan, the child didn’t show much interest in the result. Okada built the Gundam out of wood, which made creating…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 10, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Chinese Politicians Ordered To Stop Playing With Their Phones
It’s that time of year again. The time when the Chinese Communist Party holds its annual meeting of the nation’s big wigs. However unlike previous years, the communist party has put out a warning to the attendees: pay attention or you may lose your job. The annual meeting of the National People’s Congress of China…
By Eric Jou Published March 10, 2014