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Kotaku East
Toyota Just Turned the Nintendo DS into a Navigational System
If Japan uses the Nintendo DS in schools, then why not in cars? Toyota’s newest Smart Navi car navigational system enables drivers to turn the Nintendo DS into a navi remote control. No, no, no not drivers. Passengers. The system is called Kuruma de DS (loosely, “Use the DS in the Car”). It allows passengers…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 16, 2012 -
Kotaku EastWhen Plastic Surgery Goes Bad and Destroys You
You see them on TV on variety shows and in commercials. They look utterly perfect. But are they? Japanese manga Helter Skelter explores these issues. It follows Japanese superstar Ririko, whose seemingly flawless appearance is the result of extensive plastic surgery that requires constant care and attention. After the beauty clinic she frequents comes under…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 16, 2012 -
Kotaku East
That Capcom/Namco/Sega Game Is Getting Crowded with Characters
Project X Zone is an upcoming 3DS collaboration between Capcom, Namco Bandai, and Sega. The game features characters from all three! So far, we’ve seen a whole host of characters from various Sega, Namco, and Capcom games. But wait, there are more. The latest issue of Japanese game magazine Famitsu reveals new characters going the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 16, 2012 -
Kotaku East
The World Likes Japan and China Better than America. Apparently!
It’s a popularity contest. A global one. The BBC had a total of 24,090 citizens from 22 countries polled about which countries they thought were “mostly positive” or “mostly negative”. Here’s the top five: 5. China 4. UK 3. Canada 2. Germany 1. Japan The United States was number eight, being edged out by France…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 16, 2012 -
Kotaku East
First Look at the Upcoming Lost Planet Spin Off
Newly announced action shooter E.X. Troopers might not be familiar yet, but its setting should be. The Capcom game shares the same world as sci-fi game Lost Planet. However, Ex Troopers looks very different. The game has an anime look (see above) and is set against a military academy. While it looks vastly different from…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 16, 2012 -
Kotaku East
When Diablo III Doesn’t Speak Your Language
You will get online. It will happen. All these launch Diablo III troubles will vanish. But when they do, there could still be a group of players who are screwed. Diablo III, you see, does not speak their language. Meet Error 84. Blizzard decided not to allow players the ability to change their language and…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 16, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Waldo Photobombs these Bikini Ladies
Always be prepared. Always. In Japan, this Western Waldo cosplayer certainly was, and he can prove it. While this photo series isn’t brand new, it still is very much a meme in Japan, doing the internet rounds. 名無しにかわりましてVIPがお送りします [キニ速]
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 16, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Lining Up To Buy a Game for Those You Love
People line up to buy video games for various reasons. Maybe they actually want the game. Maybe they want to sell the game. And maybe they’re just being nice to the ones they love. The boxed limited edition of Diablo III was reportedly hard to come by in South Korea, but website ThisIsGame went out…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 16, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Famed Shoot’em Up Studio Just Unloaded Two PS Vita Titles
Cave, the studio behind several classic shoot’em up games, just apparently stopped development on two games: one was social game Shirotsuku and the other was an untitled shooter. [ゲーム情報！ゲームのはなし]
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 16, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Online Dating Leads to Jealous Boyfriend and Computer Wire Horror
Be careful who you meet online. On May 8 in China’s Henan province, Gao Xin (not his real name) found out the hard way after going out with a woman he met on the internet. Later, the woman’s pissed off boyfriend approached Gao. The boyfriend, along with several friends, attacked him and inserted a 1.2-meter…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 16, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Butter Your Bread with Pokémon and Hello Kitty
Toast isn’t just something you eat at breakfast. Oh no. It’s also a canvas for cute character art. Why just spread jam on your bread, when you can cover it in Pikachu? The trend first started to pick up steam in 2008, but existed before that. New Zealand artist Maurice Bennet was exhibiting toast art…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 16, 2012 -
Kotaku EastYou Want Your Final Fantasy VII HD Remaster? Well Here It Is!
One of the greatest things about PC gaming is the ability to modify games. Since Doom, fan-made sprites, levels, and even tweeks to gameplay can be found for any number of classic and modern PC titles. Recently, games like Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age have received amazingly detailed texture packs for all their characters,…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published May 15, 2012 -
Kotaku East
From Beautiful Actress to Horrible Monster In Seven Hours
As a kid, I grew up fascinated by movie make up. Even to this day, with all the CG there is in film, I still prefer good old fashioned make up effects. Above, actresses Zhou Xun and Vicki Zhao appear in a promotional still for upcoming supernatural fantasy flick, Painted Skin: The Resurrection. To achieve…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 15, 2012 -
Kotaku EastWhen Your PS3 Becomes a $400 Paperweight
The PlayStation 3 had been out for several months when I started looking into buying one. My PS2 was making loud grinding noises and I feared it was on its last legs. Moreover Sony had just announced that PS2 backward compatibility would be cut from the next model of PS3, so it seemed as if…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published May 15, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Kyoto’s Newest Cop? A Cat in Uniform
There’s a new cop on the beat in Kyoto’s Miyazu City: a four legged one. And he’s ready to help squash fraud. The cat was discovered as a two week-old stray, and the local police station eventually took the feline, named “Iemon”, in. And this past April, the cat joined the force. Iemon helps with…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 15, 2012 -
Kotaku East
No Fox News, The Entire Nation of Japan Isn’t Going Extinct
This year marked the first year in Japan that the sale of adult diapers surpassed baby nappies. The country’s population is declining. The country isn’t going gray. It already is. What it’s not doing is going extinct. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, there was a huge youth boom in Japan that reflected a baby boom.…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 15, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Hollywood + Pokémon = … Pokéwood?
The homepage for the upcoming Pokémon game for the DS, Black and White 2 has been updated with some news and new features of the game, including movie making. The starter pokémon is the same as its previous version; Snivy, Tepig, and Oshawott. But instead of Professor Juniper greeting you in the beginning, it will…
By Toshitaka Tachibana Published May 15, 2012
