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  Celebrate 25 Years of Final Fantasy With One Insane Free Remix Album

  I’ve heard plenty of Final Fantasy music remixes in my time, but OCRemix’s 35th free album release, Final Fantasy Random Encounter, is the first one I’ve heard that combines metal guitars with vocals in the style of “Airplanes” as made famous by Haley Williams of Paramore. Project director Brandon Strader sent us a link to…

  By Mike Fahey Published June 19, 2012
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  Zynga’s Next Arcade Game is a Riff on Bejeweled‘s Brilliant Diamond Mine

  When I’m not playing Drop7 on my subway rides through New York City, I am trying to burrow ever deeper into my second-favorite iPhone game, Bejeweled—specifically that game’s Diamond Mine mode which challenges me to match gems in order to dig ever deeper down into the dirt at the bottom of my screen, as I…

  By Stephen Totilo Published June 19, 2012
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  Kotaku East

  The Free-to-Play Square Enix Online Game You’ve Never Heard Of

  When people think of Square Enix and online games, Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV—and perhaps the upcoming Dragon Quest X—are probably the games that come to mind. But late last year, Square Enix tried its hand at a free-to-play browser game by the name of MONSTERxDRAGON. MONSTERxDRAGON is a strategy RPG/card game hybrid…

  By Richard Eisenbeis Published June 19, 2012
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  Anarchy Reigns Delayed in the West

  Platinum Games upcoming online brawler Anarchy Reigns has been pushed to early 2013 in both North American and Europe, Sega stated today. The game will be released in Japan as originally planned next month. [Twitter Thanks KingKellogg!]

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 19, 2012
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  Nothing Says “Hack And Slash” Like Toyota Taxis

  To promote upcoming 3DS game Samurai Warriors Chronicle 2nd, Koei covered a fleet of Prius taxis with the game’s title and characters—and then filmed a promotional video at Kumamoto Castle and Kato Shrine. The video is nicely shot provides a peek at some of Kumamoto’s biggest attractions. (No, not the taxis.) 戦国無双×熊本タクシー　コラボカー出陣式 [YouTube]

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 19, 2012
• Kotaku East

  This Is the Greatest Cute Bento Maker on Earth

  In Japan, parents make bento lunches for their kindergarten kids. To make a healthy lunch look as appetizing (or rather, “fun”) as possible, many parents make them as cute as possible. As a parent of two boys, I’ve tried to make cute bento lunches, with the key word being “tried”. The materials you are working…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 19, 2012
• Kotaku East

  One of China’s Biggest Game Companies Acquired a Stake in Epic Games

  Chinese gaming and internet giant Tencent announced that it’s acquired a minority stake in Epic Games. According to Tencent, the company looks forward to sharing info and innovation with Epic across various platforms.

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 19, 2012
• Reviews

  The Hori Fighting Edge is a Beast of a Stick

  Lots of people play fighting games. Many are happy to use their standard control pads. But real fighting game enthusiasts insist on playing fighting games the way they were meant to be played: on an arcade-style joystick. And no stick I’ve ever played with has felt more like sitting at an actual arcade cabinet than…

  By Richard Eisenbeis Published June 19, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Man Arrested for Selling $19 Worth of Dirty Drawings

  Japanese police recently arrested a 40 year-old illustrator for distributing “obscene material”. This past April, the artist apparently sold three drawings through his homepage for a total of ¥1,500 (US$18.96). While the original news report does not detail the drawings, it’s likely they are explicit, uncensored adult manga drawings, which are legal to own, but…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 19, 2012
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  Kotaku East

  This A-Grade Fighter is Too Good to be Released Outside Japan

  When people think of Japanese fighting games, they think of Street Fighter, Tekken, King of Fighters and BlazBlue. But would it surprise you to know that one of Japan’s most popular fighting game series hasn’t made it out of Japan since the GameCube era? The Mobile Suit Gundam VS series of games can be found…

  By Richard Eisenbeis Published June 19, 2012
• Kotaku East

  What does an Android, a Barkeeper, and a Salt Miner all Have in Common? This JRPG, of Course.

  Information for three new characters for upcoming PS3 gameAtelier Ayesha ~Alchemist of the Ground of Dusk~ has been released. Let’s have a look. The teal haired girl is Odileia, an android, or an automata, that was built from alchemy. She is the librarian of the “No. 2 Library,” and aids Ayesha by granting her access…

  By Toshitaka Tachibana Published June 19, 2012
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  Kotaku East

  There’s a New Valkyria Chronicles Game, But Don’t Get Excited Just Yet

  It’s a browser game. Yeah. But it’s still a new Valkyria Chronicles game….just one for your browser. Make that, a virtual card-based Valkyria Chronicles game for your browser. It’s called Valkyria Chronicles Duel. You can watch the game’s trailer above. Remember when people used to complain about Sega making Valkyria games for portables instead of…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 19, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Cover Yourself in iPhone as You Sleep

  When you finish playing with your Steve Jobs cards, you can snuggle up in your iPhone sheets and drift off to sleep, dreaming of apps and pretty Apple hardware. Sadly, there’s not much info about this three-piece bedding set, other than it’s apparently from China and it doesn’t need OS updates. iPhone床上四件套 你买了吗 [Baidu via…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 19, 2012
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  Kotaku East

  Blade & Soul Sure Swings a Big Sword

  Blade & Soul is out this year in South Korea on PC, and it’s eventually making its way to consoles (PS3 and Xbox 360). The good news is that it should be getting a Western release, too. The MMORPG’s open beta kicks off this week in South Korea. To mark that event, here’s Blade &…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 19, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Remastered Okami on the PS3? Not So Fast There.

  No stranger to re-releasing its games—especially Okami—Capcom was rumored to be working on an HD remastering of the game for the PS3. It’s not entirely implausible, and it actually makes sense. Thing is, the Japanese site that originally posted the rumor—Game Jouhou—quickly updated its post, stating that, well, the rumor’s source wasn’t clear and then…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 19, 2012
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  Kotaku East

  Chinese News Confuses Masturbation Toy with a Mysterious Mushroom

  It was unlike anything the villagers had ever seen. The young news reporter who arrived on the scene was quick to point out that the “mysterious mushroom” felt “meaty”. Meaty, sure, but that ain’t no mushroom. On June 17, Chinese investigative news program Xi’an Up Close reported about a “mysterious mushroom” discovered in the rural…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 19, 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 19, 2012
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  Uncategorized

  What if Game of Thrones Was a, um, Romantic Comedy?

  It’s a question whose answer I leave you with as I sign off for the night. [via Neatorama]

  By Luke Plunkett Published June 19, 2012
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  Did You Know Sony Has a S**t Umbrella?

  You rarely get to choose your nickname in life. Just ask Sony Worldwide Studios vice president Scott Rohde. His nickname isn’t, as you’d maybe guess, “Scholar”. Or “Rohde Warrior”. Or “Scottie”. Or, as Australians would assume, “Rohdesy”. It’s “the Shit Umbrella”. “It’s my job to create a giant umbrella and protect the studios from that…

  By Luke Plunkett Published June 19, 2012
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  BioWare Turns More Fan Art Into Official Mass Effect Merch

  In recognition of just how damn great they were, BioWare and EA have struck a deal that’s transformed Indonesian artist machine56’s Mass Effect t-shirt designs into actual, official merchandise. Three of his Cerberus-inspired designs are now available on the company’s store, along with a bunch of other stuff that’s either new or is coming very…

  By Luke Plunkett Published June 19, 2012