The Year in NSFW

It’s been a long, hard year. But 2012 is coming to an end, climaxing in the end of year holidays. There’s been a plethora of game posts here on Kotaku. Some of them have been breaking, some of them have been enlightening, and some of them have not exactly been safe for work. So, let’s…

This Game Will Randomly Generate Dozens Of Other Games

Ever feel like the games you’re playing are a bit too formulaic? Wish you had a machine that could combine elements of each one into something new and exciting? Well, if the folks behind GameTron 1000 have their way, you’ll get exactly that. The concept is a bit batty: It’s a PC/Smartphone game that spins…

The Smartest and Dumbest Things Microsoft Did in 2012

As the year winds to a close, it’s becoming possible to get some perspective on just what happened in gaming this year. If promises were kept, expectations met, games loved, or trends followed. What exactly were the major companies up to in 2012? One company managed to stay busy while avoiding perhaps the one thing…

You Can Buy Every Super Nintendo Game For Just $25,000

Just look at that list. This eBay user says he’s got all 721 Super Nintendo games ever released in the U.S., and he wants to sell them to you at the bargain-bin price of $25,000. “You are bidding on a complete set of every North American Super Nintendo (SNES) game ever released,” he writes. “This…

Get A Peek At The Wintersday Festivities That Await In Guild Wars 2

The folks at ArenaNet keep on adding new content to Guild Wars 2, from seasonal updates to new instances, group events and other tweaks that will live on past any holiday. The latest season is upon us as Wintersday arrives in Tyria. The video above gives a taste of what’s in store, and has a…

Check out this harsh but well-argued critique of Far Cry 3 by noted Far Cry 2 expert Ben Abraham.

The Creators of Dark Souls II Want to Make The Series More “Understandable.” What Should They Do?

In an interview in the December issue of Edge Magazine, one of the new directors for Dark Souls II says that the sequel will be more “understandable.” In Edge’s comments section, initial reaction to that word has not been kind. Here’s one commenter: Ugh. No, we do not want to see Dark Souls become The…

Old Fashioned Pecan Roll: The Snacktaku Review

You might not remember the fifth time you had a Hershey’s Kiss or the eighth time you bit into a Twinkie, but there’s a 50 percent chance you remember every Old Fashioned Pecan Log you’ve ever eaten. That’s because there are only two spots in the entire space-time continuum where one purchases and consumes a…

Now You Can Memorialize Your Fallen XCOM Soldiers On Facebook

One of the neater (and sadder) aspects of the new XCOM: Enemy Unknown is the fact that your base comes with a built-in memorial wall for your fallen soldiers. It’s a great idea, though the execution is only okay: You don’t get to post a picture of the soldier, nor any info beyond their name…

You can get ‘80s-centric GTA Vice City merch—money clips! Rubik’s Cubes!—over at Rockstar Games’ online store

The Dorkly Weekly: Pokemon Rusty Learns EV Training with a Special Musical Guest

EV Training is a special way to play Pokemon that utilizes math to maximize each of your pocket monster’s statistics. Pokemon Rusty doesn’t get it, even after the amazing Mr. Brentalfloss expertly summarizes it in song. “You’re sucking the fun out.” I’ve never been much of a min-maxer myself, preferring to enjoy my games without…

See the Difference a Year Makes for Anomaly: Korea

Last year, developer 11 bit studios released a scaled-down version of its reverse tower defense PC game, Anomaly Warzone Earth for the iPad, and it was wonderful. Look how far they’ve come with the soon-to-be-released sequel, Anomaly Korea Warzone Earth was the product of a team learning the mobile development ropes. 11 bit studios was…

Space Hulk—the classic strategy board game from Games Workshop—gets a new adaptation for PC/Mac and iOS in 2013.

Internal Squabbles Made Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance Better

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is a fascinating game, a frenetic hybrid between Metal Gear and Bayonetta that trades in the cardboard box for a cyborg katana. It’s also gone through some serious trials and tribulations. For Rising, or Revengeance, or Raiden’s Rad Rampage or whatever you want to call it, development has not been easy.…

Nintendo: Wii U’s Weird European Store Restrictions Due To German Law

Last week, it was revealed that European Wii U owners can only purchase 18+ rated games from the Wii U eShop during certain hours of the night. It seemed like a curious decision by Nintendo of Europe. As it turns out, the policy exists in order to comply with German law, which requires that any…

Maybe The Phantom Pain Is the Sequel to Something Else

The leading hypothesis as of this weekend is that mystery game The Phantom Pain is really a smokescreen for Metal Gear Solid V But, over on NeoGAF, a new theory has emerged. Looks kinda like GIRP, doesn’t it? It would be great to see a AAA game try to incorporate the fumbly body movement mechanics…

You Don’t Know Jack Hops from Facebook to Mobile, and It’s So Much Better For It

One of the greatest reasons to play a game on Facebook, the irreverent video game quiz show You Don’t Know Jack expands to iOS and Android on Thursday, and once you’ve gone mobile Jack there’s no going back. I first played You Don’t Know Jack in 1995, back when games came on CD-ROM discs. Twelve…

Every Video Game Would Benefit From A Cat Protagonist

Everyone knows that cats are the kings of the Internet. Put a cat on top of anything and BAM. Instant view-count increase. So here’s a friendly suggestion from the Cat Brothers to game developers: let them put cats in all your things. It will raise their popularity exponentially. Plus, look at that amazing production quality.…

Where Did Devil May Cry‘s Old Look Go? Right into This Fan Film Trailer.

This isn’t the Son of Sparda at his wise-cracking, sword-swinging best. Instead, Steve Darling’s teaser clip for his fan movie about the hero of Capcom’s Devil May Cry franchise looks in what the original Dante is doing in his downtime. The old version of the DMC protagonist mainly just walks around and hangs out in…

SimCity Social ‘Snow Time’ Quests: Everything you need to know

The Winter and Christmas season has come to SimCity Social via the launch of a lengthy “Snow Time” quest series, which will see players being rewarded with a Giant Holiday Tree if they can complete the entire event before it expires. We’re here with a complete guide to finishing all three portions of this Snow…