The conversations between the villagers in Animal Crossing: New Leaf never cease to amaze me. Without exception they’re all mildly insane. What’s the weirdest thing an Animal Crossing townsfolk has said to you?

This Giant Crustacean Cuddly Toy Is a Hot Seller in Japan

This is life-sized pillow of a giant isopod. A deep-sea dweller, the insect-looking giant isopod can grow between 7.5 and 14 inches long. One aquarium in Japan decided they’d sell a cool plush toy. Turns out, that was a good idea. The Numazu Deep Sea Aquarium in the city of Numazu, Japan, launched a life-sized…

The Creators of Shenmue and Heavy Rain Have a Chat About Storytelling

Yu Suzuki and David Cage walk into a room. This isn’t the setup of a joke, but rather what ends up being a thoughtful session of comparing notes over the methods of storytelling in Shenmue, Indigo Prophecy and the upcoming Beyond: Two Souls. Take a look—the relevant bit starts 22 minutes in. David Cage Talks…

New PS3 Models Could Surface Soon

In South Korea, Sony just filed for certification for two new PS3 models: CECH-4205B and CECH-4205C. As tipster Sang points out, these could be slightly modified versions of the “Super Slim PS3s” (model number CECH-4000, image above) with smaller nanometer architecture, less power consumption, and better cooling. Earlier this month, new PS3 models also surfaced…

How Past Game Consoles Said Goodbye in Japan

Each time we approach the beginning of a new console generation, it also marks the slow and gradual ending of the previous one. Games for the previous consoles are released less frequently until they disappear altogether. But have you ever wondered what the final releases were for each major home console in Japan? We at…

The Solution to the Wii U’s Third-Party Drought? More Nintendo Games.

The Wii U isn’t doing all that well when it comes to third-party support. Many games skipped the console early this year, the latest Rayman got delayed, and the new Call of Duty isn’t guaranteed to be on there, either. Now, Nintendo says they need to strengthen their own Wii U lineup to turn this…

My, My, Major. How You Have Changed.

Tomorrow will see the release of thenewest installment in the Ghost in the Shell franchise: Ghost in the Shell: Arise. But this isn’t the Ghost in the Shell you remember—not visually at least. While all the characters you know and love are recognizable—though younger as this is a prequel—fans of the two TV series and…

Behold! Some of Internet’s Scariest Pikachus

Pikachu sure is cute. Well, save for the times that the yellow Pocket Monster is utterly terrifying. Over the years, numerous scary Pikachus have popped up on the internet—this and this, for instance. There are many more examples, but here’s a quick look at some, not all, of the standouts that have been spotted around…

Gaming With Your Mom Can Be Awkward, But It’s Mostly Just Hilarious

Here’s the result of Jimmy Fallon’s last week call to arms, urging gamers around America to film themselves as they play video games with their moms. Was the one-week campaign worth it? Oh yes. Definitely.

How Do You Get Anime DVDs Back from an Elderly Grandma?

It’s never too late to start a new hobby. Just as one Japanese reader of website My Navi, whose 89 year-old grandma only somewhat recently became a huge anime fan. And now, she won’t return the grandchild’s anime DVDs. The nerve! In My Navi‘s advice column, one reader wrote about grandma and her new anime…

Time to See Those $40,000 Superhero Suits In Action

It’s summer, and that means the live-action Gatchaman movie is right around the corner. To celebrate, Toho published two trailers. They’re suitably epic Not only do we get to know the members of the Science Ninja Team, we also finally see what thoseincredibly expensive superhero costumes look like in motion. Not very bird-like, but sleek,…

Former Kotaku cohort Brendan Koerner has a new book out called The Skies Belong to Us. It’s about airplane hijackings during the 1970s and sounds great. Get it.

Cover Your Walls with Post-it Note Pixel Art

Ever have a bare wall that is just begging to be covered? Well then, consider using post-it notes to make your very own bit of pixel art. Lasse Laursen, a resident of Tokyo, has put together a great guide on YouTube showing you how to do just that. By taking a picture of anything at…

This Creepy Pervert’s Mind Was in the Gutter. Literally.

Creepy perverts are bad news! That definitely goes for ones out on the street. Or, rather, in the streets. Recently, one man in Japan was arrested for hiding in a drainage sewer, hoping to look up women’s skirts. Twenty-six year old Yasuomi Hirai was arrested in Kobe, and he admitted to his creepy peeping crime.…

Children’s Cake Smuggled Aboard Corellian Corvette, May Contain Plans

Well, Marc Freilich’s six year-old son just got about the coolest birthday cake on the planet. Sure, the cake itself is a near-sighted scrap pile that’ll be malfunctioning within a day, but with hungry boys around, it won’t need to last that long. Hope he made his wish before sticking the knife in. Also hope…

Pokemon Cosplay Wins At The…Brazilian Protests

There are massive protests going down in Brazil right now, mostly over corruption and – remember this – the cost of public transport. The demonstrations are causing embarrassment for the government while a major international football tournament is taking place, but one who is not causing embarassment is this chap here. Who’s taken the protests…

In Destiny’s Bleak Future, Scarves Need Mending

Today we’re looking at the art of Bungie’s Ryan DeMita. So, yeah, time for more Destiny Art. But not just Destiny art! Some Halo: Reach stuff as well, which you’ll see below along with some personal stuff. To see more of Ryan’s art, check out his personal site and CGHub page To see the larger…

Assassin’s Creed Delayed On PC. Again. But This Time It’s OK.

If you thought the annual release schedule for the Assassin’s Creed series was tiring, spare a thought for fans of the series who prefer the PC version. Every year, as regular as the series sees a release, the PC version of the game is delayed by a few weeks. And this year is no different.…

Hope You Weren’t Expecting A New F-Zero Game Anytime Soon

As Nintendo cycles through its back catalogue, we’ve seen the return of everything from Kid Icarus to Donkey Kong. One series that’s remained dormant for a while, though, is F-Zero, and sadly, it seems it’s going to stay that way. “I certainly understand that people want a new F-Zero game,” Nintendo designer Shigeru Miyamoto told…

What Happens When You Scrub A Female Co-Star From A Magazine Cover

Here’s a weird thing. The cover of the latest issue of Scandinavian mag GameReactor features, as many covers will this month, The Last Of Us. What’s different about this one, though, is that it’s caught the attention of developers Naughty Dog, as the image has been altered from its original form. The piece, by Naughty…