The Switch’s Day One Update Adds A Spartan eShop And Dreaded Friend Codes [Update: Good News!]

The day one update is now available for the Nintendo Switch. It’s a quick download that adds some basic functionality to the system. It sets the eshop live, complete with nine listed games. And, oh no… friend codes. The biggest effect of the update is that it lets the Switch go online. That enables it…

The New Pokémon Movie Shows How Ash And Pikachu Became Friends 

Last December, we first got a look at upcoming Pokémon The Movie: I Choose You! The teaser made it seem like the flick was a reboot. The latest trailer confirms it, showing how Ash and Pikachu teamed up. Their relationship doesn’t start out so great, but Pikachu eventually warms to Ash. (That is, even after…

Ferry to Miyajima. Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. By Thomas Ito | Facebook | Instagram 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!

Celeste, A Platformer Covered In Spikes

Celeste is a game about climbing a mountain. A mountain covered in spikes. As part of a recent Nintendo showcase during GDC, I got to try out a bunch of indie games that are coming to the Switch. Of those, Celeste was my favorite. It’s from the creators of very good multiplayer archery fighting game…

Persona 5’s Tokyo Is Pretty Faithful

If you like Persona games, or just excellent video game documentaries in general, you should definitely check out the latest installment of Toco Toco TV, which focuses on Persona series boss Katsura Hashino (and plenty of talk about Persona 5). As you’ll see—and as is series tradition—while some of Persona 5’s locations are fictional, they’re…

Podcast: People Who Write (And Program) Video Games

We’re back for another Kotaku Splitscreen special from the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. Today we’re joined by storied RPG writer Chris Avellone, Double Fine senior gameplay programmer Anna Kipnis, and 80 Days writer Meg Jayanth. Jason and I talk with each guest about the games they’ve worked on, with conversation focusing on Alpha…

And Now, Some Overwatch Haiku

Here is a collection of very good Overwatch haiku. This started when reader Evan, who only plays Overwatch as Lucio, sent these in: Audio medic! Guys we really need a tank. I see. Three Genjis. Lonely Lucio Capturing the point himself Junkrat blows him up Attackers scatter Like leaves in an autumn wind Feel that…

Horizon Zero Dawn Players Are Using Photo Mode To Take Some Killer Pictures

Horizon Zero Dawn comes packed with a robust photo mode that you can access any time you pause, and boy, are people taking advantage of it. For those who haven’t tried it, Horizon’s photo mode lets you tinker with pretty much everything: angles, depth of field, aperture, brightness, color, time of day (!), and more.…

Hearthstone Developer Records A Rap About Journey to Un’Goro Expansion

The trailer for Hearthstone’s latest expansion, Journey to Un’Goro, doesn’t feature anyone bursting into song. This came as a disappointment to many fans, given that the trailers for previous expansions like Mean Streets of Gadgetzan and The League of Explorers included corny but lovable songs. The Journey to Un’Goro trailer has some epic music in…

Chinese Mei Cosplay Has Plenty Of Chill

It’s a cruel fate for our eyeballs that Mei, who is the worst, often has some of the best Overwatch cosplay. In this case, it’s home-grown (for Mei), with Chinese cosplayer Husky Surely doing a damn fine job here. Is there too much photoshop going on in the background? You bet. Does it detract from…

Nintendo Switch Cartridges Taste So Bad [Update]

The Switch is almost upon us, and while there’s still a lot to discover about Nintendo’s latest console, one pressing question has been answered. “How do the cartridges taste?” So bad. Oh god, so bad. Update—Nintendo tells us what we’re tasting. The subject of the taste of Nintendo Switch cartridges was first raised by game…

Lucasfilm Asks Fate Of Atlantis Remake To Shut Down

Indiana Jones And The Fate of Atlantis is one of the great point and click adventure games. Now, a fan remake has stopped production after being contacted by Lucasfilms. As first reported by PC Gamer, the team behind Indiana Jones And The Fate Of Atlantis Special Edition are stopping their work after an informal conversation…

Here’s What Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Looked Like In The Early Stages 

During a talk at the Game Developers Conference, Nintendo gave everyone a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of Breath of the Wild. What you’re looking at above is technically an early playable version of a game releasing in 2017. Watch it in motion: “As you can see, this is a 2D Zelda, but we used…

One Pokémon Fan’s Two Year Quest To Collect Every Ribbon

Starting with Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, you can adorn your monsters with “Ribbons” for completing certain quests and contests. One person endeavored to put all of the available Ribbons from every game on the worst Pokémon possible, recording his months-long journey in a hilarious Ribbon collecting guide. Ribbons are purely cosmetic markers that show whether…

Dell Inspiron 15 7000 Gaming Laptop Review: It Plays Games

Some gaming laptops are legendary electronic beasts, brimming with the latest in powerful mobile computing tech, built to perform and priced slightly beyond that. Then there is the Dell Inspiron 15 7000 gaming laptop. You want to play games? It can do that. Just don’t go crazy. I’ve reviewed a lot of gaming laptops in…