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Kotaku East
Reverse Eating Is Totally Gross
Watching people eat normally might make you hungry. But watching them “reverse eat?” That might make you lose your appetite. You might say, oh, reverse eating, that’s just a fancy way to say, “barfing.” Then, I would say, “Sorry, friend. You are incorrect.” Reverse eating is simply regular eating but played in reverse. So, there’s…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 29, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Snorlax Makes an Excellent Pillow
Snorlax. Sleeping. Pillows. It makes sense, doesn’t it? That was likely the thought process behind this actual Snorlax pillow. As spotted by Tomopop, the Snorlax cushion has been recently put up for pre-order by ToysLogic, a US-based online toy shop. Manufactured by Banpresto, a Namco Bandai subsidiary which specializes in toys, the cushion weighs just…
By András Neltz Published January 29, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Japanese Cult Classic Revived as New Game and Anime
27 years after her original debut, Wonder Momo, one of Namco Bandai’s older IPs, is getting a franchise. Wonder Momo was originally an arcade game released in 1987. A fairly simplistic (by today’s standards) side-scrolling beat ’em up game, featuring a transforming, hoop-wielding heroine. Since its release, the game has been ported to the PC-Engine…
By Toshi Nakamura Published January 29, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Thief with Shoe Fetish Allegedly Stole 458 High Heels
Shou Satou apparently likes women’s shoes. A lot. According to Japanese news reports, the 28 year-old was arrested and over 450 high heels were found in his possession. That’s quite a feat. Allegedly, Satou stole the shoes, which belonged to hostesses, from night clubs and bars in the greater Tokyo area. Kyoto News said that…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 29, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Burgers with Chocolate Sauce Coming to Japan
Chocolate? I love chocolate. Honey mustard? Ditto. And burgers? Boy, I love burgers. I adore all of these—just not at the same time, thank you. That’s exactly what’s happening next month with burger chain Lotteria is releasing the “Chocolate and Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken Burger.” It goes on sale February 6 for 390 yen (US$3.77)—just…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 29, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Nintendo Boss Is Taking a Huge Pay Cut (Because of the Wii U)
The Wii U isn’t doing as well as Nintendo had hoped. Someone must take responsibility! That someone is Nintendo president Satoru Iwata—as well as other Nintendo execs. According to Nikkei, Iwata is having his pay cut in half due to Nintendo’s poor performance. Other company directors will get pay cuts between 20 and 30 percent.…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 29, 2014 -
Kotaku EastFive Reasons to Be Excited for Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster
This March will see the re-release of Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2 remastered in HD. But as this collection has already come out in Japan, I am here to tell you why you should be excited to get your hands on it. More Content in Both Games If you love the original versions…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published January 28, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Cats Are the Cutest Guides to Japan
Ever dream of visiting Japan? Wonder what it’s like in spring? Or fall? Here, let these cats show you. These cats are the “image characters” for Jalan, a travel site in Japan. The older cat is “Nyalan” (“nya” is “meow” in Japanese), and his apprentice is “Deshi.” They’ve appeared in commercials for a while now…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 28, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Monogatari Second Season is Entertaining But Has its Ups and Downs
I love the Monogatari franchise, I think it is one of the most entertainingly-written and well-directed anime of the past few years. However, in some parts of Monogatari Second Season, the storytelling wears a bit thin. As Monogatari Second Season is a collection of largely unrelated character follow-up stories of the cast explored in Bakemonogatari,…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published January 28, 2014 -
Kotaku East
China Is Getting a Brand New Video Game Console
Chinese television company TCL Corp is ready to throw its hat into the home console arena. But is the Chinese government ready? The company, which is based is in Guangdong, said it plans to release its first home console in China later this year. China Daily reports that the company said it will release a…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 28, 2014 -
Kotaku EastWatch Kirby Suck Like He Has Never Sucked Before
The coolest thing about Kirby has always been his ability to suck in his enemies and absorb their powers. And the newest game in the series, Kirby: Triple Deluxe, definitely has plenty of that. In Triple Deluxe Kirby now has five new copy abilities: sniper, beetle, circus, bell, and, my personal favorite, hypernova. And that’s…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published January 28, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Let Japan Amuse You with GIFs
Yes, there are your typical GIFs: You know, the ones from anime, movies, and viral videos. But beyond those, there are some creative GIFs coming out of Japan. Japanese website Daily Portal Z holds annual “Domestic GIF Anime Award,” asking readers to submit their GIF creations in various categories. The submissions are something else. Some…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 28, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Buying Japanese Arcade Cabinets Isn’t for the Weak, Feeble or Cheap
Perhaps you have dreams of owning your own Japanese arcade game cabinet. Heck, maybe you already do. But if you are in the market for one (especially a Konami music game cabinet), just know what you are getting yourself into. Recently, Japanese Twitter user Ronzu uploaded photos of setting up a Beatmania IIDX 21: Spada…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 28, 2014 -
Kotaku East
The Colbert Report Was Ripped Off By a Chinese TV Show
A Chinese show called The Banquet is being accused of ripping off The Colbert Report‘s opening. For good reason! As The Atlantic pointed out late last week, the show is called The Banquet and broadcasts on Ningxia Satellite TV, so it’s more of a local production. However, The Colbert Report does have a sizeable following…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 28, 2014 -
Kotaku EastGamers Walk Over a Thousand Miles with Their Online Friends’ Help
The year of the Snake is winding down and the year of the Horse is dawning upon us. In China, this means the beginning of the annual “Spring Festival Rush” known as “Chun Yun,” where millions upon millions of Chinese travel home to celebrate the lunar new year with their families. While the rest of…
By Eric Jou Published January 27, 2014 -
Kotaku East
These Gamers Are Not Little Girls
Aikatsu! is a popular collectible card arcade game in Japan. The cabinet is smaller, because it’s aimed at children—little girls. And yet, there are a handful of grown men who play it. They are not little girls! Not the target audience! And some are hogging the game, preventing children from playing. So mean. Aikatsu! centers…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 27, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Man Arrested for Poisoning Was Known for One Piece Cosplay
Police arrested 49 year-old food factory worker Toshiki Abe for lacing food with pesticide, reports Yomiuri Online. Prior to his arrest, the suspect was apparently known for something else: One Piece cosplay. After the poisoning was discovered, food company Maruha Nichiro Holdings recalled over six million packages of food late last month, notes News.Com.Au. As…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 27, 2014 -
Kotaku East
The Death of a Taiwanese Game Shop
Shopkeeper Ms. Wang has run a video games shop in Taipei for well over 10 years. Located in the underground Taipei City Mall, Wang’s shop is one of two mom and pop stores that specialise in selling retro games. Now, after more than a decade, she’s talking about calling it quits and moving on towards…
By Eric Jou Published January 27, 2014 -
Kotaku East
Taiwan’s Military Scouts Recruits at Game Expo
The Taipei Game Show, that “other” TGS, is like every other video game show out there. Lots of pretty people, lots of gamers, and games games games galore. However, this year’s Taipei Game Show has something not so normal: within the depths of the game show convention is a recruitment base for Taiwan’s military. Taiwan…
By Eric Jou Published January 27, 2014 -
Kotaku EastDoes This Anime’s Opening Look Unintentionally Sexual?
Or maybe, it’s intentional? Or maybe it’s nothing at all? Who knows. But what is certain is that some think Future BuddyFight’s opening credits get hot and heavy—but only for a few seconds. Blink and you’ll miss it! Note: This article has content some readers might find objectionable. Based on a card game, Future BuddyFight…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 27, 2014