• Kotaku East

  Final Fantasy Creator’s Surfing Game Almost Done

  Hot off The Last Story, Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of Final Fantasy, is working on a new game called Party Wave. It’s an iOS game. With surfing. And rainbows. And sky. Finally the surfing game ‘Party Wave’ with iOS is nearly completion [Twitter]

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 18, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Even Mario Gets Stuck in Traffic

  These Mario Kart racers were apparently spotted in Japan, all dressed up and stuck in traffic. Sure hope they didn’t kill time by throwing banana peels, turtle shells, or squid ink. I hate the squid ink—haaaaaate it. なんか16号でマリオ達が渋滞ひっかかってた [Twitter via Turbo Bee]

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 18, 2012
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  Kotaku East

  Final Fantasy Airships Go Well with Japanese Businessmen

  A new series of Final Fantasy ads feature big name Japanese actors Eita and Kenichi Endo and a tagline that asks if you’ll board an airship. The spots are for a Final Fantasy social game called Final Fantasy Brigade, which might not be the most exciting thing in the world for FF diehards. However, the…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 18, 2012
• Kotaku East

  This Communist Propaganda Game Is No Shining Sword. It’s More Like A Rusty Stick.

  Normally when I see a game like Shining Sword 2 with its mediocre graphics and Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) inspired characters, I immediately snub it and walk away. This is especially true now that I’ve started Diablo III. Alas, it is my job to play games, even ones that turn me off like Shining Sword…

  By Eric Jou Published June 18, 2012
• Kotaku East

  What Do Steve Jobs, Brutal Dictators, and Japanese Porn Stars Have in Common? Playing Cards.

  That’s because the folks at Chinese playing card company HCG churn out an array of cards featuring, not only the movers and shakers of modern history, but also those who move and shake in Japanese skin flicks. The company’s most recent decks include Steve Jobs, Muammar Gaddafi, Osama Bin Laden, and Japanese porn stars like…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 18, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Persona Stage Show Returns!

  Earlier this yar, Persona 4 was turned into a stage show called Visualive Persona 4. Well this October, that show is getting a sequel: Visualive Persona 4: The Evolution. [Famitsu]

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 18, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Madoka Is Flicking You Off All in Good Fun

  At the recent AK-Garden hobby show in Japan, the figurine of Puella Magi Madoka Magica‘s Madoka Kaname got an array of customized (and amusing) accesories. Have a look. Puella Magi Madoka Magica is a magical girl anime that has spun off into manga and video games. And now, she’s giving you the bird. How…magical. 小物パーツ系使用例がまどか率高すぎかつ「MADか☆マギカ」状態な件…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 18, 2012
• Kotaku East

  The Red Campaign in HD…Well Not Really.

  Last week when I was on the subway, I saw a young Chinese boy with thick glasses playing a game on a shiny white iPad. To my surprise and dismay he wasn’t playing Infinity Blade, Grand Theft Auto III or even Angry Birds. Instead he was playing a simple Chinese side scroller. Intrigued, I totally…

  By Eric Jou Published June 18, 2012
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  Kotaku East

  If This Is the Future of Gaming, Then We’re All Gonna Look So Stupid

  If you thought you looked like a goober while playing plastic guitars, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Mocap Games promises players a full immersive experience that puts them directly in the game. That isn’t necessarily a good thing. It is a good thing for those who like looking like goobers. Recently, Mocap Games shows off…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 18, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Meet The Most Fashionable Badass Mecha on Earth

  Louis Vuitton evokes images of pricy brand name goods, durable bags, and high fashion. It does not evoke images of giant mecha, wielding giant swords. That, however, might change. You are looking at a Gundam Astray Louis Vuitton mod. I never thought the LV monogram would work on a blade sheath. It does. It really,…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 18, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Can You Spot the Real Chinese Apple Shop?

  In China, there are honest-to-goodness Apple Stores. There are also authorized Apple resellers. But there are also many unauthorized ones. Of course, official Apple Stores in big Chinese cities like Beijing look like official Apple Stores anywhere in the world. The authorized resellers, however, are easier to fake, which is why they’ve popped up all…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 18, 2012
• Kotaku East

  In This Tokyo Toy Heaven, Kids Are Not Allowed

  “Toique” is a new Tokyo space that offers a place to play with toys. The shelves are stacked with playthings. There are colorful tubs packed with toys. Big tables invite you to sit down and solve puzzles or play with blocks. However, this isn’t kid’s play. In fact, those under the age of 15 are…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 18, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Kotaku East Starts Now!

  Kotaku East runs from 4am to 8am Eastern. For more info about Kotaku East click here

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 18, 2012
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  Uncategorized

  The Legend of Zelda Nursery Welcomes a Brand New Hero

  Cole Bradburn is expecting a son. And when his new, little hero arrives, he’ll have a Legend of Zelda nursery waiting for him. Make that, a hand-painted Zelda nursery. Bradburn and his friend Wes of Yoshi’s Island nursery fame both spent over 150 hours (over the course of 3 months) to paint the nursery; Wes…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 18, 2012
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  Nintendo, PLEASE, Make This Zelda Box Set a Reality

  Last year, Zelda’s 25th anniversary came and went with little fanfare from Nintendo. What people wanted was a nice big commemorative box set. What we got was…a concert tour and a 3DS. Designer Jason Nowak knows what we wanted, though, and took a crack at designing it. The results are…beautiful. A wooden box, a little…

  By Luke Plunkett Published June 18, 2012
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  Start Your Day With This Incredible Blade Runner Animation

  Swedish reader Anders Ramsell has uploaded this clip that recreates the opening sequence of classic sci-fi flick Blade Runner as an animation. That uses over 3000 paintings To be exact, it employs 3285 watercolour images to show the film’s famous intro scene that begins with talk of turtles and ends with a bit of the…

  By Luke Plunkett Published June 18, 2012
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  The Return of the World’s Nuttiest Arcade Gamer

  This guy impressed the pants (and socks) off us last year with his arcade game role-playing, getting so into Ghost Squad that he became Ghost Squad. Well, Sega’s replacing the older title with a new one, Operation Ghost. Which means, yup, he gets to try out an all-new routine. GHOST Squad Guy Meets Operation GHOST…

  By Luke Plunkett Published June 18, 2012
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  Ever Wonder What Happened to all the Street Fighters?

  We’ve got one interpretation. And it’s a funny one. But it’s not terribly realistic. Which is why, in some ways, I like this version of “what happened after” for the Street Fighter series a little more. Canadian artist Arman Akopian has done these great images of some of the central characters in the franchise, depicting…

  By Luke Plunkett Published June 18, 2012
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  Avengers Action Figure Looks Just Like a Tiny Scarlett Johansson

  When we first showed off Hot Toys’ amazing Avengers figures, there were two pieces notable in their absence. One was The Hulk, the other, Black Widow. Well, here’s Black Widow. She was worth the wait. While Hot Toys have made a figure based on the character before, that one was, let’s just say, a little…

  By Luke Plunkett Published June 18, 2012
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  Adventure Time, Meet Studio Ghibli. Studio Ghibli, Adventure Time.

  You know that wonderful feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when two of your favourite things come together unexpectedly? Like tiny butterflies covered in honey, fluttering around down there? Yeah, I’ve got that now. Feels pretty great. Artist David has combined cartoon series Adventure Time (well, mostly the fabulous gender-bending episode) with…

  By Luke Plunkett Published June 18, 2012