- Culture
Which Game(s) Defined Your Childhood?
Observing my almost 10 year old nephew’s gaming interests these last few years has been interesting. Minecraft, Undertale and Pokémon are going to be the games he’ll think fondly of when he gets older. I’d say times have changed but have they really? Stay with me while I have a Get Off My Lawn moment…
By Narelle Ho Sang Published August 21, 2016 -
UncategorizedIco‘s Graveyard Was More Than Nightmare Fuel
In video games, graveyards usually spell trouble. Ico didn’t disappoint. This year, part of my backlog clearing strategy is to play games in series before their sequels or marginally related entries come out. In the case of 2001’s Ico and 2005’s Shadow of Colossus, I figured that I should at least play Fumito Ueda’s two…
By Narelle Ho Sang Published August 21, 2016 - Uncategorized
Apparent PS4 Slim Leaks On Auction Site
Apparent images of a slimmer, sleeker version of the PlayStation 4 have popped up on the UK auction site Gumtree (h/t NeoGAF), where a British seller claims to have obtained an unannounced model of Sony’s latest console. It’s going for only £295. We don’t know if this machine is real, but the pictures are compelling.…
By Jason Schreier Published August 21, 2016 - Uncategorized
When Your Pokemon Go Playing Friends Think They’re So Hilarious
You know what they say: who needs enemies when you can have frenemies. I apparently have many. It’s nice to keep them around sometimes. They do just enough to keep you entertained (you know, when they’re not insulting you): …Well, actually: Not really. They’re just plain old awful. If you have frenemies of your own,…
By Narelle Ho Sang Published August 21, 2016 - Culture
Sunday Comics: Release Dates
Welcome to Kotaku’s Sunday Comics, your weekly roundup of the best webcomics. The images enlarge if you click on the magnifying glass icon. Nerf NOW!! by Josué Pereira. Published August 19. Read more of Nerf NOW!! Awkward Zombie by Katie Tiedrich. Published August 15. Read more of Awkward Zombie Penny Arcade by Jerry Holkins and…
By Riley MacLeod Published August 21, 2016 - Uncategorized
I’m Struggling With No Man’s Sky
All of this freedom to explore in No Man’s Sky is giving me a headache. Landing on plant life is one way I’ve been utilizing my time in Hello Games’ space exploration game. As a person who primarily plays linear, story-driven games in the form of JRPGs, the open world of No Man’s Sky has…
By Narelle Ho Sang Published August 21, 2016 -
UncategorizedCartman Renames You, And Other Fun Name Prompt Screens In Gaming
Some adventures cannot begin without naming your character. It’s when Final Fantasy Clouds can be Squalls. Or Freds. Some games provide the option to change your character’s name at the start screen. Others integrate protagonists’ intros and renaming prompts in clever ways. These five games do the latter. It’s Always A Trap, Wild Arms In…
By Narelle Ho Sang Published August 21, 2016 -
UncategorizedDanganronpa 3 Is Killing It So Far
Before the first episode ended, the killing game began anew. Should we have anticipated anything less? No, it’s the Danganronpa series, after all. Spoilers for the Danganronpa series to follow The stylish, ultra-violent visual novel game series Danganronpa, is currently airing an anime, Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope’s Peak High School, which picks up…
By Narelle Ho Sang Published August 21, 2016 - Uncategorized
Pokémon Go Player Tries Getting A Million XP In A Day, Gets Treated Like Cheater
As far as Pokémon Go is concerned, only cheaters should be able to get massive amounts of XP in a short amount of time. Well, about that… Jimmy Derocher is a hardcore Pokémon Go player who has spent the last couple of weeks devising an ingenious plan to accrue as much XP as humanly possible.…
By Patricia Hernandez Published August 21, 2016 -
UncategorizedFive Games, Five Songs
The last few games I played couldn’t be any more different from one another. The same goes for their varied, gorgeous soundtracks. Monolith, No Man’s Sky I managed to survive my crash landing on Planet Urrkundarfjord, somehow. I say ‘somehow’ because it’s the first survival game I’ve invested any real time in. I thought I’d…
By Narelle Ho Sang Published August 20, 2016 - Culture
What Is Your Favorite Open World Game?
Heartbreak is stumbling on a planet, entering its atmosphere to see lush green hills and island chains surrounded by gorgeous blue oceans below—only to land and find out it’s too toxic to withstand for extended periods of time. Damn it, No Man’s Sky! This is just one planet that dashed my hopes so far. I’m…
By Narelle Ho Sang Published August 20, 2016 -
UncategorizedApe Escape 2 Is Better Than I Remember
Oh how I long to relive those days chasing danger, and launching stealthy attacks on those damned dirty apes of Ape Escape on the PSN. Sadly, I’m still waiting for that release. In the meanwhile, the primates of Ape Escape 2 can terrorize me instead. I hold the first Ape Escape in high regards. Until…
By Narelle Ho Sang Published August 20, 2016 -
UncategorizedI Am Setsuna‘s Charm Is Also Its Weakness
The ever-present snow in I Am Setsuna gives life to cute snowmen with askew smiles. They may be found tucked away in corners of quiet villages, near wells or behind NPCs’ houses. The snowy scenery is just one charming aspect of its world. But the game’s not all a wonderland. During my first few hours…
By Narelle Ho Sang Published August 20, 2016 - Uncategorized
Doodle Fruit Games Are Less Scandalous Than Rio’s Olympics. Maybe.
One of the biggest scandals to hit the 2016 Google Doodle Fruit Games was the realization that I can’t ride a tricycle. But it’s far from the only one. My career as a Fruitlympian is over. The 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio are coming to a close, after two weeks of the world’s best athletes…
By Narelle Ho Sang Published August 20, 2016 - Uncategorized
Gravity Falls‘ “Summerween” Is An Excellent, Spooky Adventure
Lately, I’ve become enamored with cultural experiences associated with Summer—namely, the spookiness of ghost stories and myths, where wild imaginations help whittle away the hot days. Re-watching Gravity Falls fuels my interest, and its “Summerween” episode is a perfect nightmare—with a twist. It’s difficult to talk about a single episode of Gravity Falls being a…
By Narelle Ho Sang Published August 20, 2016 - Uncategorized
Helllooo, Kotaku!
My name’s Narelle, and I’ve crawled my way from the Upside Down known as TAY to be your Guest Weekend Editor. Wait…is TAY the Upside Down, or is it the other way around…? Puzzling life questions aside, I’m a freelance writer, and an admin over on Kotaku’s wonderful Reader-run community blog, TAY. You may already…
By Narelle Ho Sang Published August 20, 2016 - Culture
This Week In The Business: Pokemon Stop!
QUOTE | “Nobody gets sleep anymore. How is this acceptable? … They hang out on our lawns, trample landscaping, look in vehicles… We don’t feel safe… I don’t feel safe sitting on our porch.” – A lawsuit filed by a Detroit-area couple because Pokemon Go put Pokestops and gyms near their property and players had…
Brendan Sinclair Published August 20, 2016 -
UncategorizedUFC 202 Isn’t Conor McGregor’s Show, It’s Nate Diaz’s
This weekend at UFC 202, Conor McGregor takes on Nate Diaz in a rematch of their first slobberknocker, which McGregor lost in dramatic fashion even though Diaz took the fight on extremely short notice. Last time, the lead-up was all McGregor. This time around, it couldn’t be any more different. This fight is a strange…
By Nathan Grayson Published August 19, 2016 -
UncategorizedThe New Sandcastle Pokémon Is Terrifying
It is 2016 and official Pokémon art now depicts Pikachu DYING. What a time to be alive (or not, in this case!) We’d already heard that Pokémon Sun and Moon would include a haunted sandcastle Pokémon, but today The Pokémon Company unveiled footage showing the critter in action: The official Pokémon website also updated with…
By Patricia Hernandez Published August 19, 2016 -
UncategorizedGame Freak’s Latest Non-Pokémon Joint Is This Odd Early Access Puzzle Platformer
Releasedyesterday via Steam’s Early Access program, Giga Wrecker is a messy little puzzle platforming game with messy dialogue, questionable physics and some strange design decisions. Other than all that, it shows promise. Every once in a while the folks at Game Freak, known primarily for those pocket monsters, likes to flex its creative muscle and…
By Mike Fahey Published August 19, 2016