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  Reviews

  The Amazing Spider-Man: The Kotaku Review

  There probably hasn’t ever been a superhero who hasn’t gone through the cycle of losing his/her powers, getting them back and becoming more powerful than ever. It’s been the same for video game series devoted to costumed crimefighters. With Rocksteady Studios’ Arkham Asylum and Arkham City, Batman’s currently enjoying the best titles ever made in…

  By Evan Narcisse Published June 29, 2012
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  Uncategorized

  Flinging Cute Fuzzy Things to Their Doom is Kind of More Fun than Rescuing Them

  I spent a not-insignificant amount of time in middle school and early in high school playing Lemmings games with my friend who lived next door. It was, of course, satisfying to guide the mindless little morons through perils to safety. And it was more satisfying still to misplace a beam intentionally and watch them all…

  By Kate Cox Published June 29, 2012
• Uncategorized

  Kotaku Rough Draft: Day Two

  Yesterday, we launched an experiment called Kotaku Rough Draft. And today we’re back. Well, I’m back, at least. The idea here is that Rough Draft—or whatever we’re going to finally call it—will be a place on the site where we drop in a lot of the material that Kotaku editors are sharing with each other…

  By Stephen Totilo Published June 29, 2012
• Uncategorized

  Talk Amongst Yourselves Is Changing

  This will still be the place where we gather on a daily basis to discuss all things video game and existential. But the way TAY looks will be different. Say good-bye to TAYpics, folks With the new commenting changes, there’s also going to be changes to TAY. There won’t be any fancy artwork to modify…

  By Evan Narcisse Published June 29, 2012
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  Hero Academy Coming to Steam on August 8

  The popular iOS game is getting a PC version with bonus Team Fortress 2-themed content included. Players of both versions will be able to compete cross-platform; owners of both versions will have unlocked content from one available on both.

  By Kate Cox Published June 29, 2012
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  They Couldn’t Kill Salman Rushdie in Real Life, So They’re Making a Video Game

  On February 14, 1989, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwā against Salman Rushdie, calling for the assassination of the British Indian author of The Satanic Verses. Seeing as Rushdie is still alive, it didn’t go so well. Now a state-sponsored Iranian student organization plans on correcting that oversight with The Stressful Life of Salman Rushdie…

  By Mike Fahey Published June 29, 2012
• Reviews

  Skyrim: Dawnguard: The Kotaku Review

  I had very high expectations for Skyrim: Dawnguard How could I not? Creator Bethesda touted it as the type of DLC that would feel like an expansion pack, a nice chunk of crazy new content for RPG fans to dig their dragon-weary paws into. And of course, Skyrim was one of last year’s best video…

  By Jason Schreier Published June 29, 2012
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  The Amazing Spider-Man Marketing Team Has it So Easy

  I bet the folks that do public relations and marketing for innovative and thoughtful games like From Dust and Journey spend days and days brainstorming inventive ways to communicate complex ideas in ways that appeal to the consumer. Meanwhile The Amazing Spider-Man UK marketing team nipped off early after putting in an order for footy…

  By Mike Fahey Published June 29, 2012
• Kotaku East

  The Second Berserk Movie is Better Than The First

  This last weekend Berserk Golden Age Arc II: The Battle for Doldrey was released in theaters across Japan. It is the second film in a trilogy planned to adapt the first story arc of popular Japanese manga Berserk I previously reviewed the first film in the series Berserk Golden Age Arc I: The Egg of…

  By Richard Eisenbeis Published June 29, 2012
• Kotaku East

  This Is a Chinese Gatling Gun. For, Um, Cops.

  Earlier this week, workers rioted in China’s Shaxi, a manufacturing town in Guangdong province. Before that, there were reports of riots at a Foxconn plant in Chengdu. Make no mistake, China doesn’t appear to be near a tipping point; however, there seems to be something in the air. While certainly not widespread, some people do…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 29, 2012
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  Kotaku East

  If Minecraft Were a Gooey Cute Japanese Anime

  With the Xbox Live version of Minecraft, anime fans thought now would be as good a time as any for this. What’s this? This is anime Haiyore! Nyaruko-san mashed with Minecraft. The original light novel and anime stars a Cthulhu deity named Nyaruko and the title refers to “crawling” or “creeping”. Fittingly, the mash-up is…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 29, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Guild01 is a Game Made For Gamers

  Guild01 isn’t like Professor Layton, Dragon Quest IX or any other of Level-5’s recent big-named titles. Rather it’s a budget anthology title sporting not one but four different—and completely unrelated—games by three famous developers (and one comedian). But despite that selling point, Guild01 has completely failed to capture the interest of the Japanese market, selling…

  By Richard Eisenbeis Published June 29, 2012
• Kotaku East

  When You Have the Mario Bros. for Fans, You Cannot Lose at Euro Soccer

  In the wake of this week’s Germany vs. Italy Euro 2012 match-up, there’s one image that’s making the rounds online in Japan: two of Italy’s biggest fans cheering on their team. Italy defeated Germany 2-1, and we’re left mesmerized by the GIF below, courtesy of SB Nation Pipe Dream: Super Mario Bros. Fans Rally Italy…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 29, 2012
• Kotaku East

  If You’re Going to Do a Power Rangers Parody, You Need a Porn Star

  This year, a Super Sentai (aka Power Rangers) parody series called Unofficial Sentai Akibaranger launched in Japan along with the new “official” series Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters. For decades now, young Japanese boys have grown up with Power Rangers, which gets a new incarnation every year. Unofficial Sentai Akibaranger is from the folks who make the…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 29, 2012
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  Kotaku East

  You Got Your Trading Cards in My Arcade Game!

  Earlier this month, we took an in-depth look at Square Enix’s trading card-based, RTS arcade game, Lord of Vermillion. While arguably the most popular game of this type, it is far from the only one—or the first one, for that matter. Collectible trading card arcade games have covered everything from real world sports to Gundam…

  By Richard Eisenbeis Published June 29, 2012
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  Kotaku East

  Step inside the Glorious Gundam Hotel

  Starting today, Tokyo’s Grand Pacific Le Daiba hotel has three Gundam themed hotel rooms for the Amuro Ray in all of us. Earlier this year, a life-sized Gundam was erected in Tokyo’s Odaiba (again!), and the hotel is hoping to capitalize on the increased Gundam tourism. Rates start at ¥27,000 (US$340), and the above video…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 29, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Face-Eater Attack in China

  Late last month, a naked man in Miami was fatally shot after he wouldn’t stop chewing on another man’s face. This wasn’t the start of a zombie apocalypse (but, rather, as sister site Jezebel pointed out, mentally ill people without a safety net). And it’s not only something that happened in the US. Yesterday, it…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 29, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Gay Manga Kissing Puts the Energy in These Energy Drinks

  In Japan, they’re called “fujoshi” (腐女子) or “rotten girls”, and they are into homoerotic “boys love” manga. The trend has spread to neighboring China, where “fujoshi” are called “funu” (腐女). Much of the appeal of boys love in both Japan and China is that the genre allows women to freely explore various roles—whether that is…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 29, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Report: Why Square Enix Average Salaries Are Sky High

  According to online research site Nensyu Labo, here is a list of the mean yearly income for the game industry with numbers crunched from public reports filed by the companies: Square Enix Holdings: ¥21,680,000 (US$272,988) Sony: ¥9,230,000 ($116,189) Nintendo: ¥9,140,000 ($115,032) Sega Sammy: ¥8,220,000 ($103,486) Konami: ¥6,780,000 ($85,371) Namco Bandai: ¥6,400,000 ($80,577) Tecmo Koei: ¥6,150,000…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 29, 2012
• Kotaku East

  How Japan Can Churn Out Game Machines for the Next…Two Hundred Years

  Our glittering game machines and our shiny gadgets aren’t made possible by merely fancy tech and electricity. They are here because minerals called rare earths, which are found in rich sludge and mud. Currently, China controls over 90 percent of the world’s current supply of rare earths. That, however, could change. China’s current dominance is,…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 29, 2012