What Was Kotaku‘s 2012 Game of the Year? We’ll Know… Soon

On Monday, January 7, you will know what Kotaku‘s 2012 Game of the Year is. But before then, you’re going to see us try to figure it all out. Starting today and running over the course of the next three days, nine Kotaku writers will publish a total of nine essays nominating their favorite game…

Got the post-holiday blahs? There’s still something to look forward to. Fire Emblem: Awakening arrives Feb. 4.

Fake Online Romance Leads To Real-Life Manhunt

Online games in China are a big business—so much so that every now and then a company will put out lavish rewards to get gamers to either register for a game, or to play a game for a certain period. These gifts range from limited items to use in-game to sometimes pretty good real world…

A GI Joe Action Figure To Make Your Inner Eight Year-Old Squeal

Yeah, it’s based on the upcoming movie sequel, but the design is close enough to the original that I’m going to view this as an all-purpose figure. And what a figure it is. Due from Hot Toys in Q2 2013, the 1/6 scale figure has a ton of weapons, five pairs of interchangable hands and…

Father Hires In-Game “Hitmen” To Deter Son From Playing

Sick and tired of his son playing video games and not listening to him, a father in China decided to take matters into his own hands… well, sort of. Instead of sending his son off to addiction camp or stripping him of internet and gaming rights, Mr. Feng (冯先生) chose to hire an online “hitman”…

DayZ Stalker Psycho Screams IM GONNA WEAR YOUR HAIR

The first one of these videos went up the other day. This is the third, in the continuing saga of a dude who is being stalked by a psycho in DayZ All I ask is that you give it about 40 seconds. Once you hit talk of balls being eaten, you’re in psycho town, and…

151 Pokémon, Transported Back In Time To 1986

Welsh student Chelsea Saunders has gone and rendered all 151 original Pokémon in a super-pixelated style, showing us what the pocket monsters would have looked like if they’d been released on the NES. Or… Commodore 64. pixelated Pokémon [PIXELATED COWBOY]

We’re Ditching The Guns Today For Some Pastels & High Fashion

Véronique Meignaud is a French artist who has worked for clients such as EA, Gameloft, Dontnod (Remember Me) and Massive Black. In addition to those, she’s also done work for Nike, and also for Wizards of the Coast, where she’s responsible for some of the best Magic: The Gathering cards of all time. The images…

For One Day, Alice: Madness Returns Comes To Life

The world moved on from the game pretty quickly, but thanks to its vivid art style Alice: Madness Returns lives on in the hearts of cosplayers, few of which have quite nailed the game as much as michivvya and her friends. The Chinese cosplayers have recreated many of the games biggest characters (so, not just…

Playing As Bayonetta In Street Fighter

It’s a move you’d only see in fan fiction or mods for the PC version of Street Fighter, so… the fact this is a mod for the PC version of Street Fighter x Tekken probably explains things. It’s just one of a series of great mods that have been under the spotlight this past week,…

You Don’t Often Get A Chance To Own An Xbox As Cool As This

Howard Phillips may be a Nintendo legend, but after he left that company in the early 90’s he would eventually find his way to Microsoft in time to play a key role in the launch of the original Xbox. Which explains why he’s now selling one of the coolest Xbox lots I’ve ever seen on…

If Nintendo Made Another Mario Movie… For The Call Of Duty Generation

Here’s the second episode of fan series Mario Warfare, which turns the Mushroom Kingdom into something a little more Call of Duty Like the first episode, it can get a little hammy, but like the first one it’s also looks shockingly pretty. MARIO WARFARE – Part 2 [beatdownboogie]

This 90s Arcade Game Starring A Watermelon-Smashing Comedian Had The Most Insane Cutscenes Ever

If you came of age in the 1990s, you probably saw Mad Dog McCree at your local arcade. What you probably didn’t see was a game made by the same company called Gallagher’s Gallery, starring the psychotic, watermelon-smashing nutjob of the same name. I never got to play Gallager’s Gallery but by all accounts, it…

The Best Video Game Tips Of 2012

It’s fun to discover a video game on your own, but every so often, you need a helping hand. We’re here to be that hand. This year, Kotaku made a regular habit out of publishing “Before you start” guides to give players spoiler-free tips on how to get the most out of a given video…

A Mod That Turns Minecraft Creepers Into Anime Girls Like The Ones In Visual Novels (For Some Reason)

Here is a mod by Minecraft forum user Flammarilva which allows you to talk to Minecraft creepers/mobs… because the mod turns them into anime girls much like the ones you’d find in a Japanese visual novel. You can defeat (or befriend!) the mobs by speaking to them. There are multiple dialogue options and everything. Watch…

Ubisoft has a plan to keep the Assassin’s Creed, Splinter Cell movies from sucking. Also: they want a Ghost Recon flick.

Hey, Game Developers: Please Steal These Ideas In 2013

Whether it’s a quick save option, fast travel, the ability to skip cutscenes, or something totally random but life-saving, some games in 2012 have experimented with what seem to be really small ideas, but contribute to an overall greater experience. They may not have been the creators of these ideas, but they’ve got the right…

On Second Thought, Play The Walking Dead On Anything But an iPhone

Happy new year. I’d like to start the year by helping you avoid a mistake I made in 2012. But let’s rewind one more year, first, ok? In 2011 I had the good fortune of playing The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on a machine that wasn’t the PlayStation 3. I played it on an Xbox…

This Indie Puzzler Looks Pretty Damn Cool

It’s called Full Bore, and it’s an interesting-looking indie puzzler that’s slated for release on PC next year. Also it’s adorable. A-boar-able? No? Okay. The tiny team behind Full Bore says they’ve completed about a third of it—and there’s a demo available on their website—and they’ve started a Kickstarter to finish it off. They’re hoping…

Get a First Glimpse of Gameplay in That The Walking Dead FPS

News of an Activision-published Walking Dead FPS first shambled out over the summer, but all we’ve had so far is a few screenshots and art pieces to set the mood. This trailer gives a first look at the gameplay in The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct, which is being developed by Terminal Reality. Seems like some…