Track: Children’s Story | Album: The Great Adventures of Slick Rick | Artist: Slick Rick Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

PSN Having Problems, Sony Disables Features

Seems some people are having trouble accessing the PlayStation Network right now, being either unable to sign in or finding their ability to stay connected being “disrupted”. So Sony is trying to lighten the network’s load. The company has disabled the “redeem voucher” function on the PSN while they “investigate further“. Given the timing of…

Hi folks! No Random Encounters today—I’m off for Thanksgiving—but you can talk about all things JRPG right here. I’ll start things off with a poll: What’s the best Dragon Quest? I think DQVIII gets my vote.

New Barbie Game Is The Stuff Of Nightmares

This is gameplay footage of Barbie’s Dreamhouse Party, recorded by Rock, Paper, Shotgun. It terrified me. I showed it to my three year-old daughter. She stared blankly at it for a minute before softly walking away. By all accounts the game is equal parts condescending and horrific, and yet…so much so that I kinda want…

Famous Actors Are Stealing Kid’s Animal Crossing Crops

This new Nintendo Europe commercial starts out harmless enough. There are celebrities, there’s some Animal Crossing, there’s some 3DS. Then the crimes kick in. Hey, ladies, just because you’re rich and famous doesn’t mean you can go around stealing Animal Crossing cash crops off small kids.

Here’s what’s going on Talk Amongst Yourselves, our reader-written blog: as TAYizens share and compare their Black friday hauls, PyramidHeadcrab asks what people would play as in a hypothetical Pokémon MMO. Meanwhile, azureguy spots a very clever easter egg in the Steam Autumn Sale’s background. Don’t forget that you can always go join the voices…

Nintendo Just Released A Region-Free 3DS Title

About the only thing really wrong with the 3DS is that, unlike its predecessor, it’s region-locked. Though it appears not as region-locked as once thought. Nintendo 3DS Guide: Louvre has both a downloadable and a retail version, and Nintendo has confirmed with Kotaku that the Western edition of the game – available in North America,…

Watch Us Play Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII was released last week in Japan. As we’ve noted before, Lightning Returns is a massive departure from the previous games in the XIII series with fast-paced action and an open world to explore. But how does it work in action? Check out our video to find out. Lightning Returns: Final…

For a Limited Time, This Cafe Will Kick Hentai Customers

Some cafes serve good coffee. Others have delicious sweets. For the next three days, this cafe will dish out pervert attacks. Located in Akihabara, Tokyo’s geek district, Cure Maid Cafe is being converted into Punishment Cafe (おしおきカフェ or oshioki kafe) for the next three days. This is part of a promotion for iOS game Punishment…

Five More Fall 2013 Anime That Are Totally Worth a Watch

With the winter holidays coming up, you may find yourself with a little free time and no anime to watch. Luckily, this season has several excellent anime you should already be watching. But what if you’ve already watched those? Well, luckily those aren’t the only great anime to come out this season. Outbreak Company Currently…

Perhaps The Cutest Pokémon Goods I’ve Ever Seen

In Japan, there are loads of Pokémon-branded goods. Some of them look fine, some of them don’t. These, however, are something special. The Pokemon Center, a chain of Pocket Monster shops in Japan, is collaborating with Shinzi Katoh, a designer who does all sorts of goods. In his thirty-year career, he’s apparently designed over ten…

Oh Come On, Russia’s Freaky Mutant Looks So Fake

But that doesn’t mean it’s not scary! Last month, an “unknown creature” filmed climbing up an apartment building in Russia appeared on YouTube channel papotimes. You can watch the clip below. If you dare. And earlier this week, the video got a second wind, reappearing on another YouTube channel and website Before It’s News as…

Playstation Plus 1 Year Membership With Bonus Video Credit For $30

Never one to be outdone, Amazon has thrown in $5 instant video credit to make their version of the $30 Playstation Plus membership just slightly sweeter. Enjoy. [Amazon] The Best Black Friday Gaming Deals The Best Black Friday Deals Follow Kotaku Deals on Twitter to never miss a deal. Get in touch with Shane Roberts…