Kotaku East Archives - Page 493 of 501

Japanese Cops Crack Down on Darth Vader

When Darth Vader showed up in Osaka to march about and promote the 3D Star Wars flicks, it was glorious. When he did the same in Tokyo, it was glorious, too. That is, until the cops showed up. This past weekend, Darth Vader and his Imperial Stormtropper, the Japanese Garrison of the 501st Legion, strutted…

By Brian Ashcraft Published February 29, 2012

Kotaku East

Yes, Ghost and Goblins Online Really Exists. It Needs Testers, Too.

Live in Korea? Want to play Ghosts’n Goblins with a friend online? Capcom and Korean publishing partner Seed9 Games offer you Ghosts’n Goblins Online. They are looking for testers for its second closed beta test, which will run from March 6 to March 11. You have until March 4 to sign up. Capcom says that…

By Chi Lee Published February 29, 2012

Kotaku East

When You Love Games So Much, You Dress Up as Them

Ask cosplayer Motiusagi about her favorite games, and she’ll rattle off titles like Assassin’s Creed, Uncharted, Red Dead Redemption, or her favorite, Final Fantasy XII. Then there’s Persona, Catherine—the list is seemingly endless. “I’ve been playing games since I was four,” Motiusagi, a former bikini pin-up, recently told Kotaku. “My dad was a huge gamer,…

By Brian Ashcraft Published February 29, 2012

Kotaku East

They Say this Earthquake Town Is Haunted

On March 11, 2011, an earthquake and ensuing tsunami destroyed the town of Ishinomaki. Nearly a year has passed. Kids might be back at school, reconstruction might be underway, but things will never be the same—not with all those the town lost. “If you know someone who was killed, and the death was so sudden,…

By Brian Ashcraft Published February 29, 2012

Kotaku East

From Generic Bullet Fodder to Distinguished Heroes: Koreans in Video Games.

“Are you a North Korean?” I’ve been asked this question as often in America as I’ve been asked by Koreans if I own a gun, because all Americans own guns. The answer to both is “no”. The two questions are too absurd to be borne, and the answer to both questions is obvious, but if…

By Chi Lee Published February 29, 2012

Kotaku East

Every Korean Gets Wi-Fi. For Free.

On February 28, LG U+, the mobile and telecommunications subsidiary of one of Korea’s largest conglomerates, has made it possible for anybody living in South Korea to access free Wi-Fi services, regardless of carrier subscription. All you have to do is register for an ID with LG U+ and you can connect to LG U+’s…

By Chi Lee Published February 29, 2012

Kotaku East

Squid Character Recreated with Real Squid. She Is Not Cute.

Squid Girl or Ika Musume as she’s known in Japan is a popular Japanese manga and anime. The character is funny and cute. This real-life Squid Girl recreation, while funny, sure as hell ain’t cute—with her blue tentacles replaced with real tentacles. It’s the Uncanny Valley of food characters. Or something. イカめしめ作ったったwwwwwwwww [オタクニュース] (Top photo:…

By Brian Ashcraft Published February 29, 2012

Kotaku East

Man Builds One Piece Slingshot. He Shoots It, Throws It, Scares Me.

Joerg Sprave doesn’t just build slingshots, he builds them and then shoots (slings?) them. His latest creation? A slingshot that will look familiar to any One Piece fan. In One Piece, of its characters, Usopp, used a long staff called a kabuto. Joerg recreated this weapon and then tested it out. Be sure to stick…

By Brian Ashcraft Published February 29, 2012

Kotaku East

This Is The Ugliest 3DS Ever

It really, really is. It’s horrendous. And I say this as someone who thinks both the 3DS and the Dragon Quest character Slime are well designed. Starting May 31, this Ice White Nintendo 3DS is being bundled with the 3DS version of Dragon Quest Monsters, a 3D release of the 1998 Game Boy Color game.…

By Brian Ashcraft Published February 29, 2012

Kotaku East

Where Japanese Thugs Meet and Date Online

You are not alone. If you’re into video games, I bet you can easily find a companion who is, too. What if you are in to getting into fights and acting tough? Sure, if you are a Japanese hooligan, you can find others with similar hard nosed interests. And now that’s just gotten a whole…

By Brian Ashcraft Published February 29, 2012

Kotaku East

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By Brian Ashcraft Published February 29, 2012

Kotaku East

Well Designed Tongue Cleaners

I’ve actually never thought that I needed an instrument to clean my tongue. I thought regular tooth brushing (and occasional tongue brushing) would handle that. I guess I was wrong. This morning, I spotted this as the store. The fact that there was a tongue cleaner—well, a whole rack of them—was not interesting per se.…

By Brian Ashcraft Published February 28, 2012

Kotaku East

A Starbucks Unlike Any You’ve Seen

If you’ve been to one Starbucks, you’ve been to them all, right? No! You have not been to this Starbucks in Fukuoka, Japan. Designed by Kengo Kuma, this Starbucks is near Dazaifu Tenmangu, one of the country’s most important shrines. Explained Kengo Kuma and Associates: Established in 919 A.D., the shrine has been worshiped as…

By Brian Ashcraft Published February 28, 2012

Kotaku East

This Might Be the Worst Beatles Cover Ever

　You might know Aki Toyosaki from her voice acting in games like Final Fantasy Type-O. Or maybe you know her from her role as Yui Hirasawa in anime K-On! After this clip, you’ll know her as the woman who massacred “Hey Jude”. Toyosaki covered The Beatles tune in concert, and her rendition is a hot…

By Brian Ashcraft Published February 28, 2012

Kotaku East

A Total Waste of Paint. Sumioni: Demon Arts Impressions.

Sumioni: Demon Arts is a 2D action/platformer for the PlayStation Vita inspired by the traditional Japanese painting style, “sumie.” But is this title an artistic masterpiece or does it simply fail to paint a pretty picture? Good — Progression Through Skill If there’s one good thing to say about Sumioni: Demon Arts—and I stress the…

By Richard Eisenbeis Published February 28, 2012

Kotaku East

The First 20 Minutes of The Last Story in English

The Last Story, the latest game from Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, made its Western debut last Friday when it was released in PAL territories. We’ve already covered the combat system and multiplayer modes from our Japanese copy of the game, so now it’s time to show you what it’s like in English—British English to…

By Richard Eisenbeis Published February 28, 2012

Kotaku East

When Russian Hotels Have Anime Walls

The Red Stars Hotel is one of St. Petersburg’s more unusual lodges. Unusual in that its walls are not only covered in graffiti, but graffiti inspired by various countries, including the UK, the US, Brazil, and…Japan. If you’ve ever been to Japan, you’ll know that, yes, there is graffiti in Japan. Though, I’ve never seen…

By Brian Ashcraft Published February 28, 2012

Kotaku East

Neglected Regions Carve Out Their Own Home in The Old Republic

When Star Wars: The Old Republic launched last December across Europe and America, players on the other side of the world were told they would have to wait until some time in the indeterminate future before they would be allowed to join Bioware’s first MMORPG. But gamers—not to mention Star Wars fans—are a determined lot.…

By Richard Eisenbeis Published February 28, 2012

Kotaku East

Three Women Got the Same Plastic Surgery. Wait, What?

You know in video games, how you see the same enemy characters over and over and over again. Real life isn’t like that. Even if people are dressed in similar outfits, people look different. Except these three ladies. Japanese blogs have dug up this photo from Chinese site TT.Mop, even going as far as saying…

By Brian Ashcraft Published February 28, 2012

Kotaku East

Saluting Japan’s Computer Graphics Pioneers

There was a revolution in the 1980s. It started in the military and the space industry, but it didn’t use rockets or weapons. Instead, it used computers and floppy disks. The revolution was the proliferation of computer graphics, and it soon spread to entertainment. “Japanese institutions were just as avid as its American and European…

By Brian Ashcraft Published February 28, 2012