Solving a 5×5 Rubik’s Cube in Under Seven Minutes Isn’t Impressive, Unless You’re Blindfolded

Demonstrating the memorization and motor skills of some sort of humanoid robot, Hungary’s Marcell Endrey spends three and a half minutes getting to know a scrambled 5×5 Rubik’s Cube, slips on a blindfold, and solves it in just over four minutes. Not only did Endrey break the world speed record for solving a scrambled 5×5…

Final Fantasy‘s Chocobo Theme, In Glorious Acapella

The video is a little dumb, but I really enjoy this acapella cover of Final Fantasy‘s iconic chocobo theme. They’re taking requests for what to do next, so hit up the YouTube comments if you want to make a suggestion. (Aeris’s Theme, perhaps?) GEEKAPELLA #2 – Final Fantasy VII Chocobo Theme (Acapella Cover) [YouTube]

Monday Watch This, Play This

Watch! The record for solving a rubik’s cube while blind-folded has been broken. Watch! You wanted to watch something semi creepy today, right? Play! Evan enjoys retro action/strategy with Glitch Tank on his iPad. Watch! Explosions are pretty and, sometimes, useful.

The Adventures of James Vega

James Vega can be an easy character to overlook, in Mass Effect 3. He’s just another human guy, and the final game in the trilogy is the first time he appears. He hides out down in the Normandy‘s cargo bay, a little out of the way when Shepard’s just making the rounds. But James Vega,…

Sometimes Real Life Looks Just Like Skyrim

Here’s a surreal, beautiful photograph of an auroral storm over Arctic Henge in northern Iceland, featured today by NASA Looks straight out of Skyrim, doesn’t it? The Northern Lights sometimes pop up while you’re climbing Skyrim‘s frosty mountains, and that structure looks almost exactly like one of the game’s Guardian Stones. I feel like a…

Here’s The Exclusive First Look at the Max Payne 3 Comic

It’s been previously announced that Rockstar Games, Remedy Entertainment and Marvel Comics are teaming up to bring iconic cop to comics. Now, Kotaku can share an exclusive first look at the first issue’s cover, drawn by fan-favorite Greg Horn. We’re pretty sure that bottle of whisky is not standard-issue equipment for members of the NYPD.…

Epic Staircase

Swag Halls

Talk Amongst Yourselves

Welcome to Kotaku’s official forum, known affectionately as Talk Amongst Yourselves. This is the place where we gather on a daily basis to discuss all things video game and existential. Want to talk about new games, old games, games that aren’t even out yet? Knock yourselves out! Kicking Guy’s done turned into a werewolf in…

Angry Birds Space Hits 50 Million Downloads in 35 Days

Rovio’s focused assault on the casual gaming public continues to pay off big time, as Angry Birds Space surpasses 50 million downloads in 35 days, breaking all previous records and making developers of big-budget console titles feel reevaluate their careers.

Live-Action Halo 4 Web Series Will Bring Master Chief To Real Life This Fall

Microsoft may have derailed the Halo movie, but that won’t stop the publisher from bringing Master Chief to glorious live-action this year. Microsoft will launch a web-series called Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn this fall, Variety reports today The live-action series, composed of five 15-minute installments that will air on the networks Machinima and Halo…

Uncharted Lead Designer Leaves Studio

Naughty Dog lead designer Richard Lemarchand is leaving the studio to teach at the University of Southern California, where he’ll join the school’s Interactive Media Division. Lemarchand most recently served as co-designer on Uncharted 3. [Gamasutra]

A New Ultra-Compact Gaming Laptop Rises

When Alienware recently discontinued its M11x line of compact laptops, many feared the age of the 11-inch gaming machine had come to a close. Origin PC keeps the tiny dream alive with its EON11-S, so small it photographs well next to an Xbox 360 controller. A full-powered gaming PC in a tiny package, the EON11-S…

Our Titanic First Look At God Of War: Ascension‘s Multiplayer

I’m sitting in a cinema; the lights come up. The God of War: Ascension presentation is over. Amidst a hum of whispers and seat shuffles, there is a call for questions. Reluctantly I raise my hand. I’m handed a microphone. “Maybe I’m jet-lagged,” I begin, “but I’m a little bit confused…” No-one blames me. This…

Customize the Look of Your 3DS With a Whole New Midnight Purple 3DS

Evoking images of lilacs, hyacinth and GameCubes, Nintendo’s Midnight Purple 3DS launches on May 20 in North America, giving fans another way to “customize the look of their systems”. Nintendo’s official announcement of this new Midnight Purple color scheme, joining red, blue, black, and pink on the market just in time for Mario Tennis Open,…

A Paper Mario Automaton Won’t Kill its Masters

Automatons can come in many shapes and sizes. You can get giant robots, who will one day rise up and kill us all, and you can get tiny little novelties, like this Paper Mario box. It’s not the most advanced thing in the world, but there’s a simple charm to it that makes it endearing.…

When Did Video Game Characters Start Looking This Damn Good?

The correct answer, as EVE Online players already know, is last year, when an expansion to the game brought about avatars that must surely be the envy of every other video game involving human characters on the planet. The lighting helps, especially the way it reacts to their skin and hair (and the fact Dead…

In a Perfect World, We’d be Able to Buy This Zelda LEGO

Late last year, a man had an idea for a Zelda-themed LEGO set. I liked his work. But it was also a little basic. Now, a rival set has come along, with full plans for not just minifigs but playsets as well, and it is great Ragaru’s plans include large, detailed and impressive sets based…

Dropping Game Jokes Into Porn Video Names is One Way to Make a Living

Reader Samshel Darkspear has a rather interesting job. He freelances for porn sites. Not as a cameraman, or an actor, but for the actual sites. As a headline writer. It’s about the only writing you can do for a porn site these days (sorry literary fetishists!), I guess, but someone needs to do it, and…

What the Original Star Fox, Mega Man, Mother and Gradius’ Intros Would Look Like in HD

YouTube user rickonami has done a wonderful thing. He’s remade the intro to Star Fox on the SNES, only now it’s in fancy HD, and includes some nods to the N64 game. If you like it, you should check out some of his other, similar attempts, like those for Mother and Gradius, which I’ve included…