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  One in Three Nintendo Downloads Are Worth Checking Out This Week

  Which of this week’s three downloadable Nintendo games is worth a second glance? I’ll give you a hint: It’s not Carmen Sandiego’s latest math adventure or the poker game. That’s right, it’s… oh damn, you’ve fallen asleep. You look so peaceful when you’re sleeping. I’ll just let you rest there. Maybe tuck a blanket around…

  By Mike Fahey Published March 22, 2012
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  That Final Fantasy Music Game Is Coming To The U.S.

  The bizarrely titled Theatrhythm Final Fantasy will make its way to North America for Nintendo 3DS this summer, publisher Square Enix said today. For the uninitiated, Theatrhythm Final Fantasy is a rhythm game not unlike Elite Beat Agents or Guitar Hero. You’ll tap the touchscreen to the electric beat of Final Fantasy, rocking out to…

  By Jason Schreier Published March 22, 2012
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  The Mists of Pandaria Beta is Live, and I’ve Got the Panda to Prove It

  Remember that Mists of Pandaria beta test I told you all about yesterday? My invite came last night, and this morning I got a chance to create my first female Pandaren Monk. Watch her come to life before your very eyes! Of course this is a beta test, so anything you see in the video…

  By Mike Fahey Published March 22, 2012
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  Starhawk Lets Two Players Sign In On One PS3 for Splitscreen Mayhem

  People love their splitscreen, don’t they? When a deeply desired game releases without it, the moaning and bitching goes on for days. You won’t need to grumbles about Starhawk, though. It’s been announced that the Lightbox Interactive third-person shooter will feature co-op and competitive splitscreen play, with support for dual log-in. That means you and…

  By Evan Narcisse Published March 22, 2012
• Kotaku East

  These Japanese Gaming Facts Might Surprise You. They Might Shock You. They Might Not.

  This week, Weekly Famitsu asked its readers about their gaming habits and brought back some interesting results. For consoles owned, the responses were pretty much par for the course. The Nintendo DS and the Nintendo Wii dominate the market with nearly 50 percent of responders owning one or the other (2070 viable reader responses). A…

  By Toshi Nakamura Published March 22, 2012
• Kotaku East

  One Piece‘s Creator Doesn’t Sleep Much, Sounds Totally Burnt Out [Update]

  Since 1997, Eiichiro Oda has produced One Piece. According to a recent Japanese magazine article, he has zero days off. And every night, he gets around four hours of sleep on average. One Piece is the most popular manga in Japan. Initially, Oda planned to end One Piece sooner (after five years of serialization), but…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 22, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Online Gaming Friendship Led to Sex. Then Extortion.

  According to Chinese newspaper The People’s Daily, a 25 year-old married woman named QianQian met a man called Qinmou while gaming online (the paper doesn’t specify the game) last August. At first their relationship was innocuous, with Qinmou giving her in-game items and helping her. Eventually, they met and started a real-life affair. But by…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 22, 2012
• Kotaku East

  The Ministry of Silly Cosplay

  Sometimes cosplay is cool. Sometimes it’s sexy. Sometimes it’s just really effing strange. Like today. Here is a collection from the recent Nipponbashi Festa in Osaka’s geek district, Nipponbashi. Previously, Kotaku published photos from the event—but those were mostly either cool or attractive cosplays. These? These are downright goofy. Check out more in the links…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 22, 2012
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  Famous One Piece Fan Knows Nothing…about One Piece?

  In Japan, One Piece is huge. Everyone seems to love it. Pop star Mari Yaguchi also professed her adoration for the manga. In the above image, Yaguchi is saying that in one One Piece comic, she’ll cry in five different places while reading it. “It’s my favorite manga,” she once said. On this week’s episode…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 22, 2012
• Kotaku East

  What Color Vita Would You Like? Japan Wants…

  Ever since the days of the Game Boy Pocket, color variant models of game consoles have become the norm. In fact, very few consoles have only one color version (not including limited edition releases) Now with the latest new console, the PS Vita, Weekly Famitsu asked its readers what color variant they would like to…

  By Toshi Nakamura Published March 22, 2012
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  Don’t Let Something Like a Fake Android Store Stop You from Selling iPhones

  One small phone retailer in Zhuhai, China decided that it wouldn’t be enough to re-create an Android brand shop that aped the Androidland shop in Australia. No, this shop must also carry (real?) iPhones. Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android are rival platforms. Last summer, fake Apple Stores appeared in China. According to website TechInAsia, this…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 22, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Other Uses for Nintendo’s Most Pointless Peripheral in Years

  The official 3DS stand Nintendo is packing with Kid Icarus: Uprising and selling as a stand-alone is, simply put, pointless. Or is it? Online in Japan, someone has found other uses for it: a PS3 game stand, a PS Vita stand, and a PlayStation controller stand. Sony fanboys, take note! 3DS 『パルテナの鏡』 同梱の 「3DSスタンド」 が高機能すぎる件、PSVitaで充電しながら遊べるぞｗｗｗｗｗ…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 22, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Kingdom Hearts 3D Is Noob Friendly

  Gearing up for the release of Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, this week, part deux of Tetsuya Nomura’s interview was featured in Weekly Famitsu. Nomura discussed the latest in the Kingdom Hearts series (and added some more very vague references to Final Fantasy Versus XIII). With the latest installment to the Kingdom Hearts series,…

  By Toshi Nakamura Published March 22, 2012
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  Angry Birds Space Has Launched. Download It Now.

  Angry Birds: Space has launched on iOS (iPhone/ iPad) as well as Android (Google Play), Kindle Fire, and PC. Download it now! And while you are waiting, watch the game’s trailer

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 22, 2012
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  Bayonetta Returns (Well, Sort Of)

  Bayonetta, star of the action game…Bayonetta, is back! The character is coming as a downloadable character for the online beat ‘em up Anarchy Reigns Platinum Games, who also created Bayonetta, developed this title. The limited edition, first print run of the game comes with a download code to acquire Bayonetta. Anarchy Reigns goes on sale…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 22, 2012
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  This Chinese Girl in Shiny Armor Wants a Boyfriend

  Sometimes you just get fed up. You think there are no good guys out there. And all you’re left doing is wearing shiny armor and holding a sign, because, well, you’re looking for a boyfriend. Because that’s supposedly what one young woman in China did. Twice. The woman’s name is not currently known, but she…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 22, 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 March 22, 2012
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  Turning LEGO Into a Kick-Ass War Game

  Mobile Frame Zero: Rapid Attack sounds like a Japanese game involving giant robots and, well, that’s not terribly far off from the truth. Only it’s not a video game, it’s a tabletop game. And instead of using plastic pieces, it uses LEGO. The thinking behind the game is that, while coming with an established ruleset…

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 22, 2012
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  Giant Portal Sneakers Help You Jump From Fashion’s Greatest Heights

  Artist Jared Sellers has been toiling away on a few sets of custom video game-related sneakers for around a year now. And the centrepiece of the collection are these incredible Portal kicks. What were once knee-high Converse sneakers are now street-ready Long Fall Boots, complete with Portal Gun colour schemes and strappy straps to simulate…

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 22, 2012
• Culture

  The Sexy, Sword-Swinging Art of Yusuke Kozaki

  Yusuke Kozaki is a Japanese artist who, aside from work on comics and anime, has also done some stuff for the No More Heroes series of games. He’s also done character design on the latest Fire Emblem game, Awakening If you’ve played those games, or even been around their marketing, you’ll know their art is/was…

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 22, 2012