How Manga Characters Change and Evolve

Previously, Kotaku published an explainer on how anime art has changed in Japan over the decades. Now, let’s have a look at how some manga characters have evolved. It’s only natural for characters to evolve, and it happens any and everywhere. Heck, just compare Steamboat Willie and Mickey Mouse. What is interesting is to see…

The Least Surprising Japanese Game Delay Announcement of 2017

Between 2010 and 2011, war game Daisenryaku Perfect: Ruler of the Battlefield, which is made by a real Japanese game studio, was delayed eight times. Eight! So it’s no surprise that the PS4 version of the latest Daisenryaku Perfect game just got a new release date. Daisenryaku Perfect 4.0 was slated for a December 21…

Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Gets Inevitable Fan Art

It’s like clockwork. If people are playing a game, then you better believe there is fan art. Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp is no exception. Here is a selection of work safe (of course there is NSFW stuff!) Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp fan art.

Tokyo’s Secret, Members-Only Nintendo-Themed Bar

To get into the private Nintendo-themed bar “84,” you gotta either be a member or know someone. Its address isn’t listed, and the establishment is strictly card-carrying members only. No wonder the door makes a Zelda secret sound when opened. Website Tofugu recently profiled 84, which is read as “Hashi.” The name is a wordplay…

A Wild Pikachu Appeared. Seoul, South Korea. By Lexi Santos 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!   

This is Waypoint’s excellent documentary on Angela “Overkill” Hill, the MMA fighter who is also an avid cosplayer

A Very Good Read, That

Ken Niimura is a comics artist based in Japan, one of the co-creators of the excellent I Kill Giants His latest work, Umami, about an unlikely duo of chefs, is available now through Panel Syndicate You can see more of Ken’s work at his personal site To see the images in their native resolution, click…

Civilization VI’s First Expansion Sounds Great, And Is Coming Just At The Right Time

Civilization VI had a strong launch and reviewed very well, but in November 2017, Civilization V—a 2010 video game—is more popular on Steam than its more modern successor. That’s as much a testament to Civ V’s excellence as any shortcomings to be found in Civ VI, but the fact remains that once the initial buzz…

Resident Evil Revelations’ Switch Motion Controls Are Really Good

This week, 2012’s Resident Evil Revelations and its 2015 sequel come to the Nintendo Switch. Both remasters are largely similar their console counterparts, with one big difference: motion controls. If you’ve played a Resident Evil game, you know how important aiming is. Ammo is limited, and the monsters you’re fighting take a lot of hits…

Fan Merch Poses Problems For Indie Developers

Fan artists exist in a legal grey area. In order to make a living, they often sell items that bear the image of characters they don’t own the rights to. Many times they slide under the radar—I own bootleg Harry Potter and Dragon Age merch that I’ve bought at conventions. But making and selling these…

New Evidence Suggests Super Meat Boy Speedrunners Cheated

Super Meat Boy’s challenging platforming and hidden secrets have turned it into a popular game for speedrunning. A new method for detecting cheaters now suggests that some famous runs might not be what they appear to be. There are two kinds of Super Meat Boy speedruns: real-time attacks, which show the entire game without interruption,…

Bungie Cancels Destiny 2: Curse of Osiris Stream To Address Fan Anger

In the wake of widespread anger over the state of Destiny 2, Bungie said today that it is canceling tomorrow’s livestream, which was meant to be the third of three streams promoting the game’s upcoming expansion, Curse of Osiris. Instead, Bungie said, it will address the overall state of the game tomorrow in a blog…

New Switch Game Was Once A Free-To-Play Mobile Game, But It Got Better

Gear Club Unlimited, released last week for the Switch, is a popular free-to-play mobile racing game transformed into a premium game. It’s amazing the difference removing elements like microtransactions, arbitrary timers and social sharing incentives makes. The original Gear Club has been raking in that in-app purchase cash on iOS and Android for over a…

Fans Put A Battle Royale Mode Into GTA: San Andreas, And It Works Really Well

After the huge success of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, many big games have incorporated battle royale modes. But even older games are receiving battle royale-style updates thanks to the wonders of fan-made mods. GTA: San Andreas has a surprisingly active community for a 13-year-old game, most of it revolving around fan-created online multiplayer servers. Shortly after PlayerUnknown’s…

Street Fighter V Champion NuckleDu Pulls Out Of Capcom Cup A Week Before Annual Event

As the Capcom Cup 2016 champion, Du “NuckleDu” Dang was automatically granted a spot at the 2017 event to defend his Street Fighter V title. But a recent announcement has thrown a wrench in that storyline, shaking up the established competitor lineup for the most important Street Fighter event of the year. Dang took to…

Beau Is The Best Villager In Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp

Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp players have been getting really attached to their villagers. They love Apollo, the surly eagle and Goldie, the cute dog. Which villager is the best of all? I can definitively say it’s Beau. Beau is a kindly deer in a sweater, and also my son who I would die to protect.…

Fans Relive Final Fantasy XI‘s Punishing Past On Private Servers

Back in the early 2000s, Final Fantasy XI was famous for completely disrespecting players’ time. Masochistic and convoluted, the MMO  drew in thousands of dedicated players who traded hours upon hours of grinding for the sweet feeling of accomplishment. 15 years later, more player-friendly MMOs monopolize the genre. And yet, there are still hundreds of…

Nazi Death Dog Is Having Some Stomach Issues

Today on Highlight Reel we have robot stomach issues, Napoleonic headshots, psychedelic Battlefront II loot boxes, 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…