The Wii U Stumbles in Japan (But Don’t Count Nintendo Out)

If Japan is anything to go by, the Wii U hasn’t proven to be the smash hit Nintendo hoped it would be. Granted, hardware launches are tough. The 3DS had a difficult time getting off the ground. Now, it’s doing gangbusters. In Japan, the Wii U, however, is having a hard time lately. To put…

These Pikachu and Mario Skin Suits Cover You From Head to Toe

You thought the full body tights stopped at Totoro? That’s just the tip of the iceberg. There are more nightmares to be had. Many more. This post contains imagery and a subject matter not suitable for all readers. However, it is free of GIFs. In Japanese, these outfits are called “zenshin tights” (全身タイツ), with “zenshin”…

I Pity The Fool Who Doesn’t Enjoy This LEGO A-Team Van (That Actually Moves)

It wouldn’t be enough for a replica A-Team van to simply sit there. The A-Team drove around real fast smashing into stuff, so damn it, replica LEGO models should too. Hats off to LEGO builder vmln8, then, who has done just that, building the team’s van and sticking fully-functioning remote controls inside it, which can…

Final Fantasy: All the Bravest‘s special brand of insanity is now available on U.S. iTunes for a down payment of $3.99.

New Bill Wants To Turn Game Labels, Sale Restrictions Into Law

Democratic congressman Jim Matheson has introduced a bill known as “H.R. 287″, which is the latest attempt to introduce tighter controls on the way video games are sold in the United States. Despite the presence of ESRB labels on games sold in the US, and retailer policy to forbid the sale of adult-only games to…

The World’s Most Popular Endless Runner Returns to Show the Clones How It’s Done

The success of Temple Run, a simple 3D endless runner created by the husband and wife team of Keith Shepherd and Natalia Luckyanova, has been nothing short of astounding. Since its 2011 release the game has grown into a casual gaming phenomenon, as definitive a mobile entertainment experience as Angry Birds or more Angry Birds…

Early Far Cry 3 Concept Art Shows Scrapped Ideas, Luxury Resorts And… Fun Parks

When a game is in its infancy, a lot of ideas get kicked around. Here are some from the very earliest stages of Far Cry 3 development, when the team had settled on a tropical island setting and… little else. While we can see some areas and ideas that made it into the final game,…

Apple’s Stance On Controversial Games Is A Little Insulting

Apple has had some problems recently with “serious” titles on its iOS store, which have been falling foul of some rather tight restrictions of what can and can’t be represented in a game. We’ve seen a Second World War game barred for using historically-accurate Japanese flags, and more recently, a game about Syria knocked back…

A Wii U Commercial Was Pulled Because A Single Person Complained

In Britain, the Advertising Standards Authority operates under a fairly simple rule. If even a single person complains about a commercial, they take a look at it, and if they agree, they can pull the ad from the airwaves. Which is exactly what happened recently with a Wii U commercial. You may have actually seen…

Boy, These Nintendo Consoles Are Gorgeous

Slovenian artist Zoki64 paints old video game consoles, turning the old into things that look brand new. Anyone can paint on a console, that’s the easy part. What’s so good about Zoki64’s work is that he pays attention to the finish, and not just the paint, giving his consoles a gloss that makes them look…

Report: Microsoft Replacing Xbox Chat With Skype For Next Console

According to “A person familiar with the matter”, website CVG is reporting that, as part of Microsoft’s continuing efforts to consolidate Skype (which it now owns) as the standard communications platform for the company’s products, it’ll “become the default chat service on the next generation Xbox console”. What would this mean, exactly? Who knows, the…

Oh God, It’s A Bad Lip-Reading Of The Entire NFL

At this point, I feel like I don’t have to introduce “Bad Lip-Reading,” the mega genius works of music and misinterpretation whose ranks include Twilight ‘s gummi bear and Michael Bublé’s “Russian Unicorn,” that second one better known as my Actual Favorite Thing On The Entire Internet. Now, he’s turned his attention on the National…

I Have A Complicated Relationship With Sleep, But That’s Not Uncommon If You Like Games or Tech

I can tell you exactly when it all started—two years ago, on a December night, at the behest of an online pal who was surprised that I’d never stayed up all night before. That was the night that I ruined whatever semblance of a normal sleeping schedule I had before, instead adopting something that includes…

Microsoft Has A New, Real Warthog To Drive Around In

A few years back, Microsoft had special effects wizards WETA build a replica Warthog vehicle from the Halo universe. It was awesome, but with the ol’ jalopy undergoing a subtle redesign for 343’s new Halo games, I guess they needed a new one. So they had a new one built. Aria Group, who make replica…

Aeria Delivers the Mighty Immortalis Unto the Collectible Card-Craving Masses

While Aeria Mobile’s latest entry in the engorged collectible card game market isn’t nearly as pretty as Pirate Maidens, it makes up for it by having a name that sounds suspiciously like the ancient mouthwash of power. Behold Immortalis, more than 650 cards and 70 quest zones’ worth of minty fresh fantasy battles. Like a…

Let’s Play Devil’s Advocate And Consider Dead Island’s Severed Torso As A Piece Of Art

Anytime something shocking or awful is done by the video game industry, you’ll have people chiming in that we should leave it alone because it’s actually art and so it has a right to exist (because apparently being art means the ability to exist without criticism and any criticism is actually the equivalent of censorship!)…

How To Bake Myst‘s Delicious Mushroom Bread

It’s hard work, solving puzzles. Sometimes, a gal or guy might get hungry. Good thing there’s Daniella Zelli’s Gourmet Gaming, there to tell us how to make all of our favorite video game dishes, from Konami Wall-Turkey to the Grand Theft Auto burger to Dishonored‘s apricot tartlet. And now, she’s tackled the venerable puzzle/exploration series…

If you liked the soundtrack to the amazing Catzilla, the artist responsible is offering an EP of the stuff

Midweek Moneysaver: Devil May Combo

This Wednesday edition of Kotaku’s The Moneysaver catches all the offers, promotions and bargains that can’t wait until the weekend. The Midweek Moneysaver is brought to you by Dealzon. Software Best Buy • DMC: Devil May Cry (360, PS3) is $59.99, free shipping but can be combo’d with Resident Evil 6 for $9.99 extra (separately…

This Game Pits Players Against The Fiercest Foe Of All: An Improvising Cellist

Beware the cellist. Beware. CELLOS ARE DANGEROUS. If you’re playing Cello Fortress, don’t say I didn’t warn you. The new game pits one controller-holding player against a cellist. It’s something of a tower defense game, with the player controlling the attacking tanks, and the cellist controlling the base defenses. Fast notes activate flame throwers. High…