Kotaku East

Popular Plastic Surgery Apps Cause Concern in South Korea

Plastic surgery? That’s an app for that! In South Korea, there are apparently many apps for that. And according to Korean newspaper Kyunghyang Shinmun, their popularity is making some individuals worry. As The Economist (via KoreaBang) pointed out last year, South Korea is the most surgically enhanced nation on Earth, passing countries like Greece, Brazil,…

Tales of Symphonia is Coming to the PS3

In celebration of its 10th anniversary, Tales of Symphonia is getting re-released on the PlayStation 3. Titled Tales of Symphonia Unisonant Pack, the game will include both Tales of Symphonia and its sequel, Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World Tales producer Hideo Baba made the announcement today to a cheering crowd of 12,000…

Got a Thousand Bucks? Buy This Rare Nintendo Cartridge…Test

The Famicom Test Cart was used to, well, test Nintendo’s Family Computer. It might be rare, but it’s certainly not exciting. But it is somewhat interesting! And probably more so for hardcore collectors. As Famicom World explains, there were test cartridges for the console itself as well as ones for the controllers. Have a look…

How Band Nerds Hijacked Japan’s Biggest Photo Meme

Earlier this spring, a group of Japanese schoolgirls uploaded photos of themselves imitating anime style attacks. The photos spawned numerous imitators, ended up on television, and spread beyond the country’s borders. And now? Now, band nerds are involved. The original meme initially referred to Dragon Ball and, later, Street Fighter attacks. When it reached Western…

Project Diva F on the PS3 is Even Better Than the Vita Version

Let’s be clear right from the start. Project Diva f on the Vita is an enjoyable music game. It has great music, stunning visuals, and a staggering amount of unlockable items to customize how you play. But as good as it is, the PlayStation 3 version, Project Diva F (now with a capital “F”), is…

Internet Helps Desperate Mother Save Son

Chinese Internet Cafes aren’t the best place for minors; so much so that legally they’re not allowed to let them in. Unfortunately for Chinese parents, there are a few “black” Internet cafes that operate unscrupulously. Luckily, one mother was able to win her fight against a conscienceless net cafe. On Thursday, the Guangzhou Daily reported…

“Sweaty Hands” or “Why I Hate Touch Screen Gaming”

Time to level with all of you. I have an embarrassing secret. My hands sweat… a lot. This condition (hyperhidrosis, if you want the fancy medical name) has been a part of me ever since I was a little kid. Luckily, aside from being cripplingly embarrassed whenever I had to hold someone else’s hands (something…

You Fight A Guy Riding A Tiger On A Motorcycle. That’s Killer is Dead.

Famitsu has released two trailers showcasing Killer7 mastermind Goichi Suda’s upcoming crazy violent, crazy… crazy action game, Killer is Dead The first video gives us an impression of what combat will look like; very stylized, very colorful, and very fast. Protagonist Mondo Zappa slices, dices, and drills his way through baddies monstrous and humanoid alike.…

Did One Piece‘s Creator Rip Off This Japanese Art? Or Is It an Homage?

One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has been accused of copying others before. So please don’t be surprised that people online in Japan are doing that today. Above you can see the cover for One Piece Chapter 526, which was titled “Adventure in the Great Prison” and released in 2008. 2008? Goodness. And now years later,…

In Project Diva F, the Dreamcast Controller Controls People Too!

Project Diva F is an enjoyable music game starring popular virtual idol Hatsune Miku. And like most games these days, there are more than a few Easter eggs for those paying attention. Moreover, as Project Diva F is a game made by Sega, many of these Easter eggs are callbacks to other Sega-related products. My…

El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron‘s director and character designer, Sawaki Takeyasu, has secured the rights to the game’s IP. Takeyasu’s studio Crim, which he founded in 2007, just announced it negotiated the El Shaddai IP from Ignition Entertainment. “This acquisition entails prequel, sequel and all other derivative rights of the existing game,” the official…

First Look at the Kiki’s Delivery Service Movie

In Japan, they’re making a live-action Kiki’s Delivery Service movie. Today in Japan, a photo of Fuka Koshiba, the actress playing Kiki, was released online. The photo was taken on the first day of the movie’s principal photography in front of Kiki’s house in the movie. So, I guess, that means this is the final…

Belgian Man Made His Own Samurai Armor

When Danny was sixteen, he started collecting Japanese swords. But after he saw The Last Samurai as an adult, he knew swords weren’t enough. He wanted his own suit of samurai armor. So, he spent two years of his life making one. Danny, now 42, is getting a great deal of attention online in Japan…

The Lineup for This Tactical Simulation Is Insane

Banpresto’s Super Robot Wars games are famous for having a mish-mash of characters from all kinds of different mecha games and anime. Not only are multiple different series placed in the same game together with an amalgamated storyline that can be surprisingly cohesive, but the characters will interact and share events in a way that…

On July 13, Nintendo is releasing a “quick charge” Wii Remote battery set. Priced at 4,200 yen (US$42), it comes with a charging cradle and a battery pack that apparently last longer than standard batteries and charges way faster. A ninety minute charge, for example, gives you 13 hours of play, while a nine minute…

XBlaze Isn’t Just For BlazBlue Fans

Arc System Works is well known for their fighting game series – in particular, the Guilty Gear series and the BlazBlue series. Now, they’re releasing a new adventure game that is linked to the BlazBlue games. XBlaze: Code Embryo is a visual novel set to come out in Japan this upcoming July. As stated above,…

Woman Shows How To Kick Ass at Work

This is Nao Nagasawa. She’s here to unleash fists of fury. And do so at the office, apparently! With Wong Kar-Wai’s Grandmaster coming out in Japan, website Movie Enter! thought it would be a good idea for Nao Nagasawa to show off how Chinese martial arts can be used in your daily life—whether that’s dealing…

Devil’s Third Isn’t Coming Out Soon

It’s been nearly 3 years since Devil’s Third was announced. From Tomonobu Itagaki, creator of Ninja Gaiden and Jiggly Ninja Girls Galore – I mean – Dead or Alive, and his studio, Valhalla Game Studios, the apparently hyper-violent action shooter has had a rocky time getting made. So where is it now? Japanese gaming magazine…

When Japanese Twitter Users Don’t Know Why They Drew Pictures

For the past few months, there’s been a cool Twitter hashtag circulating among the Japanese language Twitterverse. The tag is #なぜ描いたかわからないイラスト晒せ (Naze Kaita ka Wakaranai Irasuto Sarase), which translates to “Exposé of Illustrations I Don’t Know Why I Drew”. The hashtag is rather interesting because people continue to add to it, keeping things fresh and…

The Wii U Premium Set Is Now in White

One of the ways you could differentiate the Wii U Basic and the Wii U Premium bundles was their colors. Not any more. Until now, Nintendo has made the Wii U Premium Set available only in black (the Basic Set was white). But on July 13 in Japan, Nintendo is releasing the 32 GB Premium…