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UncategorizedYour Summer 2018 Anime Guide [Updated]
Summer in Japan is the worst. But you know what’s good? Anime. So let’s stay inside in watch some. Here are this summer’s anime shows. This list will be updated as more simulcast announcements are made. Which ones are you interested in watching? Let us know in the comments. Aguu: Tensai Ningyou (Aguu: Genius Dolls)…
By Brian Ashcraft Published July 5, 2018 -
UncategorizedTop Street Fighter Player Arrested For Alleged Molestation
This weekend, Street Fighter III 3rd Strike player Kenji Kuroda was arrested for allegedly committing indecent acts against a high school girl. ANN News reports the that this February 32-year-old Kuroda invited a high school girl to his home, where he allegedly started hugging her and committing what the Japanese press is referring to as…
By Brian Ashcraft Published July 5, 2018 -
Kotaku EastK-Pop Pick Of The Day: Abing Abing
One of the more interesting quirks of K-Pop is the brand endorsements. Many of these deals between brands and artists go beyond mere commercial appearances and lip service at events, blossoming into full-fledged song releases—often touting some form of fried chicken or a cell phone. When done well, brand songs can join artists’ discographies with…
By Seung Park Published July 5, 2018 - Culture
Bang
Victor Harmatiuk is an artist from Brazil who has worked in video games, animation and board games. You can see more of Victor’s work at his ArtStation page Fine Art is a celebration of the work of video game artists, showcasing the best of both their professional and personal portfolios. If you’re in the business…
By Luke Plunkett Published July 4, 2018 - Uncategorized
Some 2K Players Are Getting Sent Custom Nikes
High scores and achievements are there to make you appreciate your feats, but some 2K players are getting a more material reward for their efforts this month. The Road To 99 is a part of NBA 2K18 that encouraged folks to take their lowly-ranked custom player and work them all the way up from a…
By Luke Plunkett Published July 4, 2018 -
UncategorizedWhat’s Your Favorite Game Ending?
I finally finished Persona 5. It took us about 90 hours (I played with my wife) but it was worth every minute. Each of the characters had a compelling arc and I felt their friendship get closer with every palace infiltration. The climactic reveal in Shibuya had me cheering for them. The music was brilliant…
By Peter Tieryas Published July 4, 2018 - Uncategorized
The Brilliant Use of Fear And Scale In Batman: Arkham Asylum’s Scarecrow Levels
The Arkham games are Batman at his best, combining intense action sequences against an iconic gallery of villains with exploration elements via his detective skills. The dark knight isn’t just about brute force, but uses his intellect to gain an advantage over criminals. I loved soaring through Arkham City and reliving Batman’s past through Arkham…
By Peter Tieryas Published July 4, 2018 - Uncategorized
How Harlan Ellison’s Most Famous Short Story Became An Amazing Video Game
The first time that Cyberdreams producer David Mullich showed author Harlan Ellison a page of the dialogue he’d written for the 1995 game based on his short story “I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream,” Ellison asked, “Who wrote this shit?” When Mullich replied that he had, Ellison got visibly embarrassed and apologized. “No,…
By Peter Tieryas Published July 4, 2018 - Uncategorized
Finally Appreciating Pokémon Snap
Video game fans can be an entitled bunch. When they latch onto a popular series or genre it isn’t long before they begin demanding the next iteration meet certain criteria and levels of excellence. But game companies don’t always give fans what they want, and many times the most invested players can have a difficult…
By Ben Bertoli Published July 4, 2018 -
UncategorizedThe Story Behind Ultima’s Morality
When I think back on the games I played growing up, the Ultima series stands out as one of the most unique and compelling. These open-world fantasy RPGs helped define and establish many of the standards of the genre through nine main installments and multiple spin-offs on a variety of platforms. My first Ultima game…
By Peter Tieryas Published July 4, 2018 -
CultureThe Magic Behind 1994’s Super Mario Mac & Cheese Commercial
With the Sega Genesis edging out Super Nintendo sales in the heated 16-bit console wars of the mid ‘90s, Nintendo decided it was time to unveil their groundbreaking secret project. Of course I’m speaking about Rare’s pseudo-3D Donkey Kong Country. But the same year that brought the barrel-tossing ape back into the spotlight also featured…
By Ben Bertoli Published July 4, 2018 - Uncategorized
The Warped Expectations Surrounding Video Game Classics
It’s easy to pass over a great game. Not everybody has the time, money, or means to play every critically acclaimed title, and as the years go by, games considered to be “the best” can fall by the wayside. By the time I was old enough to afford my own consoles, I was stuck in…
By Ben Bertoli Published July 4, 2018 - Uncategorized
Splatoon 2‘s Octo Expansion Gets Surprisingly Dark
Hidden under Splatoon 2‘s fresh gear and multiplayer madness is an outrageous backstory. Nintendo has done a fantastic job of releasing free content for the games’ online offerings, but their newest DLC is all about the single player struggle and adding some ridiculous plot twists to the colorful franchise. The original Splatoon used its hidden…
By Ben Bertoli Published July 4, 2018 - Uncategorized
An Ode To Unused Items
Howdy Kotaku! Ben and Peter have returned to run Kotaku for the 4th of July. It’s a day of fireworks and rest. It’s also a day to bust out food and drinks we’ve been saving for special occasions, unlike in gaming where we always find ourselves hoarding special items that we end up never using.…
Peter Tieryas & Ben Bertoli Published July 4, 2018 - Uncategorized
K-Pop Star Unfairly Accused Of Photoshop
Singer and actress Narsha was recently accused of Photoshopping several Instagram photos, because how the telephone pole looked in the background. Below are the photos in question. The telephone on the left is bent, and the implication is that the photo has been edited to change her appearance. Some photo processing tools, such as ones…
By Brian Ashcraft Published July 4, 2018