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  Baby-Proofing Tips for Gamers: Turn the Gate Around

  Meet Seamus. Seamus wants to eat my delicious PlayStation 3 while strangling himself with the network cables coming out of my internet router. But Seamus has been thwarted by the power of the reverse baby gate. Every day Americans spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on items meant to protect their tiny sex by-products from…

  By Mike Fahey Published March 16, 2012
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  The Next Marvel Pinball Update Sounds Like Doctor Doom, Says It’ll “Rewrite Videogame Pinball History!”

  Zen Studios’ Marvel Pinball games have brought members of the publisher’s pantheon to noisy, flashing life. There’ve been tables based on Thor, Spider-Man, even Moon Knight and Ghost Rider. But the developer’s newest batch of ball-and-flipper action tries to break new ground by centering its themes around actual storylines. And, hey, we’ve liked this stuff…

  By Evan Narcisse Published March 16, 2012
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  Pac-Man with David Bowie or Mega Man in His Underwear? Tough Choice!

  Some days it’s just not safe to surf one-a-day online t-shirt shops. Between Ript’s brilliant Pac-Man / Labyrinth combo and TeeFury’s Mega Man morning routine… well, I am buying two t-shirts. Technically three t-shirts, as I couldn’t resist picking up one of the Mega Man shirts, designed by artist Michael Myers Jr., for the mother…

  By Mike Fahey Published March 16, 2012
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  An Adorable Argument Against Underage Mature Game Sales

  Even though many video games are rated Mature, they end up in children’s hands. One youngster totally cannot believe that! “While I was at work today we received this letter from what I assume is a grade school student writing a persuasive essay,” a GameStop employee told Kotaku. “I thought you all would enjoy.” Oh,…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 16, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Mr. Honda. The Comic Book.

  So my eldest son, who is 8, loves reading biographies. But most of the biographies he checks out from the library are in manga form. He’s read about John F. Kennedy, Babe Ruth, and Honda founder Soichiro Honda—all in manga form. Since he loves cars, he really, really liked reading about Soichiro Honda. The manga…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 16, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Why You Don’t Want Realistic Anime Characters. Ever.

  Cosplayers are often criticized for using too much Photoshop for studio pics. Eyes are made slightly bigger, waistlines are made smaller, and the end result doesn’t reflect reality. Yet, they do—just an idealized human reality. Then, there’s cosplayer Hiiro, who’s been going bananas with Photoshop and mixing human features with anime ones. In the photos,…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 16, 2012
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  Kotaku East

  Fourteen Minutes in a Terrifying Mental Ward

  Written and directed by No More Heroes mastermind Goichi Suda and part of a popular horror series, it’s still a mystery why Fatal Frame 4: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse was never released outside of Japan. Maybe it’s because it didn’t fit the Wii’s family friendly image, or maybe Fatal Frame III didn’t sell as…

  By Richard Eisenbeis Published March 16, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Silly 3DS Stand Is All Alone

  On March 22 in Japan, Nintendo is launching that goofy 3DS stand it is bundling with Kid Icarus: Uprising. Yours for ¥800 (US$9.50). [Inside]

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 16, 2012
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  Kotaku East

  Does this Sony Game Look Better or Worse?

  Sony’s Gravity Rush is one of the PS Vita’s most interesting titles. But like most games, it wasn’t made overnight. These things take time! Above is a 2008 concept trailer from when the game was called Gravité I love looking at concept trailers to see how the final product stacks up. Sometimes the games end…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 16, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Does this RPG Carry Its Own Weight?

  When one great RPG was released only in Japan, people were annoyed. When two great RPGs were released only in Japan, they became legitimately upset. But when three great RPGs were denied to them, they got organized. This was the birth of Operation Rainfall, a public—and as it turns out completely successful—petition to get these…

  By Richard Eisenbeis Published March 16, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Foreigners Come for the Giant Wooden Dick

  This past weekend, there was another Shinto fertility festival in Japan. This one, the Honen Matsuri (Harvest Festival), was just north of Nagoya at the Tagata Shrine. These festivals do have religious connotations, and recently, more and more foreigners are showing up. According to Chukyo TV, the Honen Matsuri has been getting more coverage abroad,…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 16, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Japan’s Craziest Religious Game to Ascend Again

  In El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron you are guided by a pre-fall Lucifer who carries a cell phone with God on his speed dial. Inspired by the Old Testament’s Book of Enoch, you star as Enoch himself, a human called to heaven in order to help God round up seven fallen angels in order…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 16, 2012
• Kotaku East

  When NBA 2K Online Isn’t About Basketball, But Girls

  China loves basketball. Fans stay up all night to watch NBA games. They adore the sport. So you’d think NBA 2K Online, the online version of NBA 2K, would be an easy sell. So why the ladies? The game’s Chinese operator, Tencent, aggressively promoting the game with girls in the bikinis, thigh-high socks, and hats.…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 16, 2012
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  Kotaku East

  Pretty Girl Eats “Disgusting Meat”

  The Wii has a family friendly image to the point where you almost expect every Wii game to be appropriate for all ages. Sure there are games like House of the Dead: Overkill and MadWorld, but they are rarities. Who would expect any kind of questionable content in a Zelda-esque adventure game? And then Pandora’s…

  By Richard Eisenbeis Published March 16, 2012
• Kotaku East

  When a Normal Lady Chases After Nerds

  There are single male geeks. There are female geeks. They’d probably make good couples. But what about when a non-nerd chases after geeks? A recent news program on TV Asahi’s Super J Channel detailed just that. In it, Kayo Tanaka, 31, said she was keen to get married. All her friends have been getting married,…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 16, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Kotaku East Starts Right Now!

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

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 16, 2012
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  I Didn’t Know LA Noire Involved Smashing Zombies With Paddles

  But apparently it does. Poor Cole. His suit looks a little worse for wear. At least he’s kept his hat in tip-top shape! I noticed something today [Reddit]

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 16, 2012
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  Command & Conquer Looks Very Sad as a Browser Game

  Those with faint stomachs may want to avoid clicking on this, lest they look upon what has become of this once-mighty franchise and despair. Unveiled late last year, Command & Conquer Tiberium Alliances is a browser-based take on the old real-time strategy series, which manages to combine the terms “massively multiplayer”, “browser-based” and “free-to-play” in…

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 16, 2012
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  Here, Have Some Kickass Kotaku Wallpaper

  Artist Michael Myers, whose work we’ve featured once or twice here previously, is the man to thank for this wonderful Kotaku banner image, which in the gallery you’ll find in a variety of wallpaper-ish sizes, both for desktops as well as phones. You can see more of Michael’s work at his personal site. You can…

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 16, 2012
• Culture

  The Boardroom Battlefields of the New Syndicate

  Say what you will about the game’s departure from both the look and feel of the original, there were sections of the latest Syndicate that looked just great. Mostly anything involving an office from the future. Or anything that flew. Those looked awesome as well. This environment and vehicle art from the game is the…

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 16, 2012