-
Kotaku EastIs This the Worst Video Game Laugh Ever? Maybe!
You thought Tidus from Final Fantasy X had an awful laugh? Have you heard the original Japanese version? CAWCAWCAWCAWCAWCAWCAWCAWCAWCAW In comparison, the English version is actually easy on the ears! The ten-minute remix version, though, is still utterly bonkers. Final Fantasy X was released way back in 2001. A remastered version is headed to the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 8, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Treasure These Miniature Plastic Heroines
Last weekend, the Treasure Festa was held in Tokyo, bringing a, excuse the pun, treasure trove of plastic statues. The figurines included upcoming pieces as well as second-hand and limited edition ones. Japanese website Akiba Hobby was on hand to check out the festivities. In the gallery above, have a glimpse at some of the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 8, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Touch Japan’s Most Popular Virtual Idol
One of the PlayStation Vita’s most interesting features is “rear touch“—the Vita’s backside touchpad controls. This newly announced, limited edition PlayStation Vita features virtual idol Hatsune Miku on the Vita’s back, which is prime touch real estate. Out Aug. 30 in Japan, the Hatsune Miku Vita bundle comes in two flavors: ¥39,980 (US$501) for the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 8, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Gundam Hot Pockets are Yummier Than Chewing Space Metal
Right outside Akihabara Station’s Electric Town exit is the Gundam Cafe. Every day, countless Gundam fans line up outside the small restaurant to catch a quick bite as they explore Tokyo’s otaku paradise. But with a usual wait line of 45 minutes or more, some people just can’t stop shopping for that long. Luckily, right…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published May 8, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Welcome to Kotaku East
Since 2005, Kotaku has unabashedly covered Japan from Japan, breaking news and providing a boots-on-the-ground look at the country’s gaming and geek culture. The site’s name, “Kotaku“, is even from a made-up Japanese word with “ko” (小) meaning “small” and “otaku” (オタク) meaning “geek”. Voilà, Kotaku! But Kotaku East takes that several steps further. With…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 7, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Bringing Anime Food to Life
For Chinese who grew up in the 80s and 90s, Japanese anime had a profound impact on their lives. You can walk along any Chinese university and see someone wearing a Rukawa Kaede basketball jersey from the basketball anime Slam Dunk. Walk down to some young hangout areas, and you’ll see Chinese girls wearing Arale-chan…
By Eric Jou Published May 7, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Idiot Calls in Bomb Threat to Imitate Video Game
Bomb threats are never fun; they scare the living daylights out of people and create massive delays at airports. One Chinese gamer, thought it would be fun to imitate the plot of a video game and decided to issue a false bomb threat against Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport. On the evening of April 27, the…
By Eric Jou Published May 7, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Japan’s Youngest Self-Made Billionaire Lost $700 Million Today [Update]
Think you had a bad day? Japan’s youngest self-made billionaire, Gree honcho Yoshikazu Tanaka, just lost US$700 million bucks. This weekend, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported that Japanese government could regulate social games that have players pony up extra cash for the chance to win rare in-game items, because it could be illegal. Previously, Kotaku reported…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 7, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Meet China’s Video Game Rumor Monger
As gamers, we all know that Blizzard, known notoriously for their “it’s done when it’s done,” policy, is the master of building game hype. In China, there are so many game companies filling the online space, meaning that marketing and hype has become somewhat problematic. Opting for the Blizzard method, some companies refuse to say…
By Eric Jou Published May 7, 2012 -
Kotaku EastSome of Japan’s Biggest Names Team Up for…an iOS Game
Famed role-playing game music composer Nobuo Uematsu. Scenario writer Kazushige Nojima (Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII). Art director Hideo Minaba (Final Fantasy VI and Final Fantasy IX). And character designer Nakaba Higurashi (Baten Kaitos). All are going forces for iOS role-playing game Borderwalker. In the game, your goal is to restore the world…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 7, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Study Hard with an I.V. Drip
Think you’ve got it hard at school? Ha! You could be studying your brains out for China’s Gaokao, or the country’s notoriously stressful national college entrance exam. These photos were taken at a high school in Xiaogan City, China. Seniors are getting amino acid drips so they can keep cramming for their college entrance exams,…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 7, 2012 -
Kotaku EastThe Super Moon Made Giant Gundam Even More Awesome
Did you see the Super Moon (née “SuperMoon”)? On May 5, the moon was, as NASA pointed out, 14 percent bigger and 30 percent bright than all other full moons of this year. Impressive! Even the giant Gundam in Tokyo’s Odaiba checked out it out. In this stop motion video, clever editing, smart filmmaking, and…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 7, 2012 -
Kotaku East
The Cars and Cosplay of this Party Are Dreamy
Held in both Osaka and Tokyo, Dream Party is a bi-annual event for bishoujo (beautiful young girl) computer games. This weekend, Dream Party rolled through Tokyo, filling the Tokyo Big Sight convention hall with cosplayers, figurines, computer games, and cars covered in nerdy decals. Last year, cosplayers got in the way of the crazy cars;…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 7, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Schoolgirl Hogs Subway Seats with Her Furry Friends
Japanese subways are cramped. During rush hour, you’re lucky to get a seat. Most likely, you’ll probably find yourself standing, packed in like sardines. But this isn’t rush hour. It’s comedy hour. A young schoolgirl apparently hogged an entire bench with her plush toy commuter friends. This looks to be a gag—and a very amusing…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 7, 2012 -
Kotaku East
One Day Your Grandkids Might Play Final Fantasy Versus XIII
Final Fantasy Versus XIII is a game that exists. But for players, it exists only in screenshots and trailers. And has so for many, many years. That looks like it won’t be changing anytime soon for the game. Late last week, Square Enix confirmed which games it will be bringing to E3. Big, highly anticipated…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 7, 2012 -
Kotaku East
At These Cafes, You Pay To Play with Cats
For many Tokyoites, an evening after work spent in a “neko cafe” (cat cafe) sounds purrfect. The metropolis is home to several dozen of these cafes, which charge patrons by the hour to play with cats. But new regulations threatened to put their paws all over these cafes. For regulars, the cafes offer a place…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 7, 2012 -
Kotaku East
China’s First Official Home Console Is Much Better Than Anticipated
When I first saw the Xbox Kinect, I was a GA (Game Advisor or peon) at GameStop,. I felt a sense of wonder and I thought, “This must be the future”. This morning, when I saw the finally released Eedoo CT510, I felt the same sense of wonderment that I had when I first saw…
By Eric Jou Published May 3, 2012