Nintendo Labo: The Kotaku Review

The first question you might have about Labo is: what’s so special about a box of cardboard and some mini-games? And the first thing to understand about Labo is that what’s actually in the box is only part of the appeal. What’s more valuable is what this tiny cartridge and its accompanying sheets of cardboard…

God of War Director’s Review Reaction Is A Reminder That Games Are Made By Humans

God of War releases today on the PS4, meaning that reviews for the high-profile exclusive are now on the internet. You might read one of these assessments. The developers of the game also read these reviews, and after years of hard work and toil, it’s an emotional experience. God of War director Cory Barlog uploaded…

Hooray For Games That Let You Make The Text Bigger

The most exciting update to a video game on my PS4 this week is Monster Hunter: World’s new option to increase the size of the text on the game’s busy interface. I sure could use this option in a certain other major game that is launching on PS4 today. As game developer Joe Humfrey recently…

Nioh Statue Costs Nearly $1,000

Japan’s Prime 1 Studio has crafted a 24-inch statue of Nioh hero William. It’s nice! And expensive. The deluxe version statue, which is limited to only 750 pieces, costs 105,900 yen ($984). Previously, Prime 1 released a standard version, which was only 63,900 yen ($593). Below is the newer, more expensive release. Kotaku East is…

This Isn’t Just A Cat Cafe, It’s Like A Cat Theme Park 

If you’re going to pick one cat cafe in Tokyo, this one seems nice. Last fall, a new area opened around the cafe called Kichijouji Petit Mura (“Little Village”), turning this area into a small theme park for cat lovers. The on-site cat cafe, which is called Cat Cafe Temari no Oshiro, would be right…

Nintendo Now Selling Cardboard Separately In Case You Destroy Your Nintendo Labo Creations

Before purchasing Nintendo Labo, one of my concerns was about replacement parts. What if my kids destroy the cardboard? What if I accidentally sit or step on a Toy-Con? Good news, because starting today, Nintendo’s online shop will start selling replacement cardboard. Nintendo previously addressed in this Nintendo Labo FAQ, stating, “But if you need…

Three Chairs. Ibusuki, Japan. By ShuYung Wu. 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! 

We’re streaming Overwatch’s new map, Rialto, on Twitch The map, which is a payload-pushing revamp of the map from Retribution’s PVE mode, just went up on the PTR today. We’re going in blind, so you can see if we think it’s any good in real time

New Reaper Action Figure Looks Great

Ignoring my repeated demands for a Figma Mercy, Good Smile have instead decided that the next kickass Overwatch figure is going to be Reaper. He’s out in Feb 2019. And while he doesn’t actually come with any extra gear, he does come with some pieces that simulate effects like Death Blossom and Shadow Step. Reaper…

Taxi Gang

Max Prentis is a freelance illustrator based in London. You can see more of Max’s work at his Facebook and ArtStation pages, and commission art at his store page To see the images in their native resolution, click on the “expand” button in the top-left corner. Fine Art is a celebration of the work of…

A Game Was ‘Out’ On Steam For Six Days, But Nobody Could Buy It

Game developer Nikita P. mostly made visual novel Bustories, a game about meeting travel companions for the first and last time, in his spare time. Still, he was eager to see the fruits of his year-long labor on Steam and, hopefully, make some money for his efforts. One problem: no one could buy his game.…

Young Geralt Mod Gives Me Complicated Witcher Feelings

A buddy of mine, playing The Witcher 3 for the second time, is going nuts with mods this time through. He sent me an email the other day: “Have you seen this mod that turns old-ass Geralt into young Geralt?”. No, I had not. Now I have. And I kinda wish I hadn’t. But am…

Oh, Cities: Skylines Is Now Also A Theme Park Game

I was happy enough with Cities: Skylines when it was just about building cities, but it’s now adding the ability to construct giant theme parks as well, so cool, why not. Parklife, an upcoming expansion for the game, adds a bunch of stuff like national parks and theme parks (which you can set ticket prices…

The Dumbest Things We Got Past Overwatch‘s Custom Jersey Censor

Just like in every other sports league, you can now make your own custom Overwatch League jerseys, and certain words are banned from them. They’re mostly obvious, including “butt,” “fuck,” “God,” “Satan,” “Jeffkaplan,” “bitch,” “dick,” “trans,” “XQC,” “trihard,” “sex,” “WarCraft,” “StarCraft,” “Diablo,” “kill,” “Nazi,” “Democrat,” Republican,” “ass,” “fanny,” “doggystyle,” “Pen15,” and “80085.” But there are…

Radical Heights‘ Elbows Are Still In Alpha

Today on Highlight Reel we have weird elbows, sheep glitches, sims beds and much more. Watch the video then talk about your favorite highlight in the comments below. Be sure to check out, like, and share the original videos via the links below. Subscribe to Kotaku on YouTube for more! Catch up on all the…