Super Mario 64’s Weird ‘Gay Bowser’ Line Isn’t In Super Mario 3D All-Stars

Super Mario 3D All-Stars landed on Switch today, but with that occasion comes some bad news: Mario no longer says, “So long, gay Bowser!” during the Super Mario 64 boss fights. A travesty, for sure, but there’s a good reason the iconic voice line is missing. The mystery of Mario’s dialogue that has eluded fans…

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

This weekend is for finally getting temperatures low enough that we can open the windows without instantly being incinerated, and maybe playing through what I’d say is an old favorite if it hadn’t only come out earlier this year. It doesn’t feel like Ori and the Will of the Wisps came for PC and Xbox…

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Beyond Good & Evil‘s Creator Leaves Ubisoft But The Sequel Soldiers On

As Beyond Good & Evil creator Michel Ancel departs Ubisoft to work with wildlife, Beyond Good & Evil 2 senior producer Guillaume Brunier assures fans that the sequel has been and remains in good hands, with the aim of showing actual gameplay sometime next year. Michel Ancel is going, off to work on a wildlife…

The Legend of Dragoon’s Sprawling Soundtrack Is What Every Epic JRPG Deserves

Welcome to Morning Music, Kotaku’s new, daily hangout for folks who love video games and the cool-ass sounds they make. Today’s tracks come from The Legend of Dragoon, Sony’s attempt to emulate the prestige JRPG adventures of the late ‘90s. Surprisingly, for all its faults, The Legend of Dragoon (longplay, VGMdb) nailed both depth and…

PS5 Preorders On Amazon Japan Were Also A Total Mess

When PlayStation 5 pre-orders started on Amazon Japan, the hardware sold out immediately. Then, the scalpers moved in and starting asking ridiculous prices for their pre-orders, reaching as high as 500,000 yen ($4,790). In Japan, the standard version of the console is priced at 49,980 yen ($478.70). Stores in Japan were not allowing customers to…

Sorry, The PS5 Won’t Be Backward Compatible With PS3, PS2 Or PS1 Games

As Kotaku previously reported, the PlayStation 5 will be able to play “99 percent” of the PlayStation 4’s library. But what about PS3 games? Or PS2 and PS1 ones? In an interview with Famitsu, PlayStation exec Jim Ryan was asked about PS4 compatibility, as well as that for the previous PlayStation consoles, going back to…

It’s Like Meat Buns Meet Pancakes

You know meat buns? In Japanese, they’re called nikuman (meat bun) or butaman (pork bun). There are other non-meat versions, like pizza-man and curry-man. Add yet another to that list. Behold, hottokeekiman (ホットケーキまん) or “pancake bun”, or “hotcake bun.” These fluffy buns are filled with butter-flavored paste and syrup. This brainchild is a collaboration between…

Track: Time Warp | Artist: Perfume | Album: Time Warp (single)

Hideo Kojima, Please Work With Junji Ito

Horror mangaka Junji Ito is apparently down to work with video game auteur Hideo Kojima if the opportunity presents itself. Those sounds you’re hearing are me furiously typing my demands that Kojima call Ito as soon as possible. During a recent Polygon interview, Ito was asked about his involvement with Silent Hills, the late Konami-era…

Let’s Compare Every Xbox Console’s Launch Lineup

New consoles are coming soon and that means people are starting to look at what games will actually be available at launch. Both Microsoft and Sony have finally revealed which games are launching alongside each console in November. Some are disappointed by all the ports and cross-gen games. But is this any different than previous…

Super Mario Galaxy’s Opening Is Still Terrifying

Super Mario 3D All-Stars, launching tomorrow for the Nintendo Switch, gave me the opportunity to revisit a trio of classic video games. It also brought me face to face with what is perhaps the most terrifying opening of any Mario game, wherein Bowser literally carpet bombs the Mushroom Kingdom. As with most games in the…

Transphobic Creator J.K. Rowling ‘Not Involved’ in New Harry Potter Game

Warner Brothers, publisher of the upcoming open-world Harry Potter game Hogwarts Legacy, released an FAQ on the game’s official Discord yesterday. In addition to answering questions about the game’s development and platforms, the FAQ asserts that Rowling, who’s recently drawn criticism for transphobic statements, has no involvement in the game. Teased in yesterday’s PS5 event,…

Xbox Series X, Series S Preorders Open September 22 At 11 A.M. ET

While online preorders for the PlayStation 5 appeared and disappeared sporadically after yesterday’s showcase, Microsoft has provided Kotaku with the specific time we’ll be able to drop hundreds of dollars on its upcoming consoles next Tuesday. Starting at 8 a.m. Pacific, 11 a.m. Eastern on September 22, folks will have a chance at preordering the…

Watch Dogs 2 is free on the Epic Games Store right now. In what is perhaps a mea culpa for including the wrong Watch Dogs protagonist in Watch Dogs: Legion, the Epic Games Store has Watch Dogs 2 available for free until September 24th.