Piplup From Pokémon Turned Into Internet Nightmares

Nagoya-based YouTuber and Twitter user Pocha has an interesting speciality. Namely, taking Piplup and creating CG dance animations like this. Or this. And this. Thank you, Pocha. I think. Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning from…

Another Black Panther Statue Destroyed In South Korea

This past March, a Black Panther statue was destroyed in South Korea by an inebriated passerby. Now, another statue has been wrecked, also by someone who had too much to drink. According to Korean news reports (via tipster Sang), the statue was destroyed on April 21 at around 4:50 pm. Unlike the previous incident, which…

Come Fly With Me. Dauin, Philippines. By Martin Tan. JPGs is a photo peek into wherever gamers might find interesting. If you’re a photographer and have images you want to share, drop us a line! 

Rest In Peace, Green Axe

Suzanne Helmigh is an artist who has worked on stuff like Magic: The Gathering and Horizon Zero Dawn She’s currently got a personal project, the illustrated fantasy novel Caldyra (which she’s been working on since 2012!), up on Kickstarter. Below you’ll see a bunch of art from the book, along with some of Helmigh’s other…

In BEACON, You Become The Enemies Who Kill You

BEACON is a “science fiction-themed action roguelite that plays like a top-down shooter.” The game involves running around an alien world collecting DNA from everything you kill. When you inevitably die, you’re able to splice that DNA into your own, inheriting some of the skills and traits of your foes. I wrote about the game…

Sick Teenager Meets Sporting Heroes Using A Virtual Reality Robot

A 14 year-old boy who is unable to leave his house due to multiple health issues has been able to meet some of his favourite football players (and watch a game) by controlling a robot that was carried out onto the pitch. Jack McLinden, a fan of Everton (in England’s Premier League), lives just two…

How NBA Jam Was Made

At GDC last month, there was a fantastic talk given by the game’s creators on how the arcade classic NBA Jam came to be. That talk is now online, and is definitely worth watching if you like video games, basketball and/or 90s haircuts. Most of the talk is given by lead designer and programmer Mark…

Let’s Just Appreciate God of War‘s Snow For A Second

God of War’s combat is exciting but it’s the little things that really leave an impression. A snow-covered walkway is making people freak out thanks to some crunchy sounds and dusty footprints. Kratos wants to do one thing in God of War: get to the top of the land’s highest mountain and scatter the ashes…

StarCraft II Gets Paid Custom Maps

Way back in 2009, Blizzard announced that StarCraft II would include a map marketplace with options to buy and sell custom maps. Years later, the StarCraft II team is finally following through. StarCraft II’s arcade, which allows players to create and play custom maps at no extra charge, will add premium fan-made maps alongside the…

Even In A Fursuit, SonicFox Keeps Winning Fighting Game Tournaments

Keeping his promise from two weeks ago, Dominique “SonicFox” McLean showed up to the Clutch 2018 fighting game tournament last weekend in a custom-made fursuit. Naturally, he continued to kick everyone’s asses. As a member of the furry community—a broad subculture built on a common interest in anthropomorphized animals—SonicFox’s attire served as the ultimate representation…

God Of War’s Optional Stuff Is Extremely Worth Doing

God of War has a lot of stuff in it, and some of that stuff isn’t strictly necessary if you just want to see the story. However, all of it is very good. First of all, spoilers! This post will talk about the three major optional challenges in the game, but it won’t spoil anything…

The Time Snoopy’s Iconic Doghouse Burned Down

Snoopy’s doghouse is so well-known and recognizable that even when there are no Peanuts characters in the frame, it is impossible to mistake it for anything else. The red, wooden structure has a distinctive mushroom profile, with three slats on the top and three slats on the bottom. When it burned to the ground in…

Westworld Season Two Is Off To A Frustrating Start

HBO’s wild west androidapalooza Westworld is back for its second season, and we’re here to talk about it. Jason and I weren’t in love with the Season 2 premiere, for reasons we got into on a special bonus episode of Kotaku Splitscreen. You can listen to our whole chat here: You can download an MP3…

Sea of Thieves Players Compete To See Who Can Find The Most Treasure

Finding a single treasure chest in the Xbox One pirate game Sea of Thieves can involve up to 30 minutes of sailing and riddle-solving. Sail longer, and players can stack their ship with loot. Some intrepid pirate crews are doing that, waging a treasure “arms” race as they cover their decks with hundreds of chests…

13 Cool Things People Have Built With The Nintendo Labo

As people got their hands on Nintendo Labo over the weekend, they’ve been making some really cool, and really funny, creations. They’ve made everything from rhythm games to functioning clocks to cat toys. Here’s a few I really liked. Nintendo Labo not only allows you to make a handful of cool cardboard toys that you…

The Smash Masters League Is The Latest And Greatest Attempt At Organizing Competitive Smash

In a dominating performance, Nairoby “Nairo” Quezada’s Zero Suit Samus had Leonardo “MkLeo” Perez’s Bayonetta on the edge, knocking him down to just one stock. Shortly after, Quezada finished the job by sending Perez flying immediately after respawning; he won the gold at the Battle for Vegas and now both he and Perez lead the…

The Sims Developers Quietly Rename The Game’s ‘Insane’ Trait

The April 17 Sims 4 patch made a host of changes, among them fixing a bug that caused parents to check toddlers over and over. One change that wasn’t noted involved the “Insane” trait that we recently criticized as discordant with the series’ whimsical tone. It is now called “Erratic.” This trait allows sims to…

I Thought Yakuza’s Hero Wasn’t A Killer, But He Keeps Stabbing People With Samurai Swords

Yakuza 6: The Song of Life is the final chapter of Kazuma Kiryu’s story, a deeply personal tale of family and fatherhood. He’s a quiet ex-yakuza who reminds people not to kinkshame and helps manage cat cafes. Which is why it’s so strange to watch him stab and shoot dudes in random fights. Murder is…

Detroit Developer Quantic Dream Sues French Media Over Articles On Toxic Work Conditions

Last week, Quantic Dream founder and CEO David Cage flew to New York City to show demos of his dramatic new PS4 game, Detroit: Become Human, to press. In his home city of Paris, meanwhile, a different type of drama was unfolding: French journalists were defending themselves against Cage’s legal charges. Quantic Dream has sued…