Final Fantasy X-2 Sure Looks Pretty In High Definition

I’ve always thought Final Fantasy X-2 was rather underrated by the Internet At Large. Square’s FFX sequel always got a bad rap because of the whole “pop group” thing, but the class-based combat system was actually kind of brilliant, and I dug revisiting the minigame-filled world of Spira to see how things had changed. Of…

The Wonderful, Rare Sloppiness Of The Monaco Soundtrack

Of all the terms one could use to describe a video game soundtrack—exhilarating, emotional, sad, uplifting, lonesome, boisterous—the word “sloppy” almost never comes up. Seriously, pause for a minute and name a video game with a sloppy soundtrack. Unless you’re talking about a poorly-played Rock Band track or a bar pianist in Red Dead Redemption,…

Super-Serious Sci-Fi Eye Contact Is My Favorite Comics Panel This Week

In the near-future of Brian Vaughan and Marcos Martin’s The Private Eye, there’s been a meltdown of social networking. Imagine anyone anywhere being able to see everyone else’s addresses, banking information or browser history. People zealously hide their real faces and personal details after this cataclysmic breakdown of virtual privacy. You would, too. So, when…

See The Legend of Korra Come to Life in This Gorgeous New Art Book

Fans of the next chapter of the Airbender saga got a look at the series’ next printed installment earlier this year. Now, you can take a look inside the upcoming Legend of Korra art book coming from Dark Horse Comics and see how the characters’ designs and world changed during the creative process. THE LEGEND…

Rockstar’s Most Notorious Game (No, Not That One) Hits PSN Next Week

Rockstar North’s decade-old Manhunt game—the game that made their Grand Theft Auto series seem tame—will be downloadable on the PS3’s PlayStation Network for $10, according to the Rockstar Newswire In this game, you’re a death row inmate who is being cajoled to kill people in the most grisly ways possible. Sounds a bit much, yeah?…

Watch our own Kirk Hamilton chat about Tomb Raider (expect tons of spoilers) and Lara Croft with Revision 3’s Adam Sessler and Tara Long.

Only One Batman Movie Can Surpass Nolan. Here’s The First Clip.

What’s LEGO Batman: The Movie – DC Superheroes Unite got that Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight triology doesn’t? How about the entire DC Universe? See how many character you can spot in this all-too-brief clip of May 21 direct-to-video feature. Then scroll down for some fresh screens!

Behold, The Horrible Apocalypse of Next-Gen Game Consoles!

What if our worst fears about the coming wave of video game hardware come true? What if it means the death of gaming as we know it?! Never fear, this newest strip by artist Zac Gorman delivers unto us a hero—nay, a savior—who will warn us of the fearful future that’s around the corner. Don’t…

The Moneysaver: Hitman, Sleeping Dogs, iTunes Credit, Churros

‘Tis better to have bought and saved than never to have bought at all. Update: Amazon is undercutting their own low prices. Hitman: Absolution is now $5, Pro. Edition is $9. Today’s PC, 360, and PC sections are filled with great deals on some of the biggest releases of the past two years, including Hitman:…

The New Way to Play Chess Is Insane

It seems like the ideal game of chess is supposed to take hours, right? I seem to remember hearing stories of matches between grandmasters taking days. But indie game designer Bennett Foddy—best known the fun, impossible-to-play running simulator QWOP—doesn’t have time for all of that. His video game remix of the quintessential strategy game finishes…

The Studio Behind Aliens: Colonial Marines Just Laid Off Its Staff

TimeGate, best known for developing Section 8 and Aliens: Colonial Marines, may be no more. Kotaku has learned from two sources that the troubled studio laid off its staff today. Everyone was sent home early, according to one source. TimeGate had been facing financial issues for quite some time now. The company filed for bankruptcy…

You Probably Wouldn’t Be Able To Afford Hyrule Castle In Real Life

Let’s say you were in the market for something grandiose and fictional—like maybe The Legend of Zelda’s Hyrule Castle. How much money, hypothetically speaking, would you have to drop for a pad like that? Real estate blog Movoto took the time to calculate how much a property like Hyrule castle would cost if it were…

Sexy Professor Layton Is Always Right, Never Wrong

When you get puzzles right in Level-5’s brain teaser series, you get a short animation of Professor Layton thinking as a little reward. But, if the game really wanted make you feel victorious, it’d give you these flashes of the Prof’s beefcake alter ego. You all remember him from this year’s PAX East, right? This…

Here’s How Assassin’s Creed IV Looks On The PS4

Developers for the next installment of Ubisoft’s hit historical adventure series talk about what Sony’s upcoming console lets them accomplish. The question that they don’t answer, of course, are when we’ll be able to hold all this next-gen excellence in our hands. Assassin’s Creed 4 on PS4: Conversations with Creators [Official PlayStation Blog]

Super Mario World: The Kotaku Review

Super Mario World, which is a game about a plumber riding a dinosaur, is filled with rules that make absolutely no sense. For example, if you—and by “you” I mean the character you inhabit, Mario the plumber—jump on something dangerous, it will kill you, unless you are big, or wearing a costume, or riding a…

It Only Took A Legendary Developer To Make Strategic Air Battles Fun

When I’m in the cockpit of a fighter aircraft, the last thing I want to do is slow down — I certainly don’t want to wait my turn. I need a joystick in my hand, a first-person view and buttons for machine guns and/or missiles. I was pretty sure Sid Meier of Civilization and Pirates!…

Nerd King Stabs Link and Steals Zelda Away

So, here’s Nathan Fillion stabbing Link and stealing Zelda away. Because he is Nerd King. (via Reddit) And here it is in its full glory:

Moneysaver One-Shot: The Dark Knight Returns

Vigilante: What gives you the right? What’s the difference between you and me? Batman: I’ve got 802.11ac Looking for the current Moneysaver roundup? Click here Update: The router is now $170, not $150, apparently that deal was very limited time. It’s still a great deal that we highly recommend. If you prefer Amazon, get it…

Mario & Donkey Kong: Minis on the Moveleads the march of digital offerings for Nintendo hardware this week. The line-up also includes old-school games like Xevious and Solomon’s Key. Here’s the full list

Witness The Destructive Power Of Dubstep In Saints Row IV

During PAX East earlier this year, Tina Amini told us that we could unleash the true power of the dubstep plague in the upcoming Saints Row IV. I did not believe her. I quietly denounced her as a liar. I may have thrown stones from a safe distance. Now I feel mildly bad about it,…