The Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure Cycle is Complete

All good and terrifically frustrating things must come to an end, and for countless parents, children, and collectors the release of the final three Skylanders figures marks the end of an era, to be followed later this year by the beginning of another. Prepare to plug those last three holes in your Skylanders roster as…

The Beautiful Side of a Fighting Game Tournament

Passionate. Sweaty. Loud. Excited. There’s a lot of words you can use to describe a fighting game tournament, but can you use the word beautiful? Sometimes. Especially when Richard Li and his camera are involved. Li, who has a habit of making very pretty videos about fighting game tournaments, was at the recent NorCal Regionals.…

The Shadowrun Video Game You’ve Always Wanted

For more than two decades pen-and-paper role-players have been losing themselves in the dirty streets and glimmering megacorps of Shadowrun, yet only four largely forgettable video games have explored the setting’s unique mix of cyberpunk and urban fantasy. Series creator Jordan Weisman would like to fix this oversight. Weisman and his team at Harebrained Schemes…

Pokémon Conquest Brings Hit Japanese Game To America… For the DS

America is getting a Pokémon strategy game this June. It’s called Pokémon Conquest, a name-change from Pokémon + Nobunaga’s Ambition, which is what it’s been called in Japan. It’s not made by Nintendo. It’s made by Tecmo Koei. Our guy in Japan has played it and declared it… “a decent foray into the strategy RPG…

Sky Gallery

There’s A New Siren In Borderlands 2, And She Kicks Fierce Robot Ass

What do you do with a sequel to a game that has a huge roster of weapons, quirky characters, and awesome 4-player co-op? You add more weapons, of course. And more quirky characters. And you might as well keep the 4-player co-op. That’s the tactic that Gearbox Software seems to be using in the follow-up…

Don’t Let the Chewing Gum Penis Distract You

This is singer Kaela Kimura. She’s from Tokyo. The dialects throughout Japan are different—something Kotaku has covered before. In a recent series of chewing gum commercials, Kaela speaks in the Osaka dialect, instead of her usual Tokyo dialect. Her accent is overblown, and its all for comic effect. It’s pretty funny! But goodness, forget her…

This Might Be the Greatest Box Art of 2012

Okay, yes. It’s only April. I know. But damn, the boxart for the upcoming Tokyo Jungle is glorious. Be sure to check out Kotaku‘s previous Tokyo Jungle coverage.

Chinese Netizens Totally Heart the American Ambassador

The American ambassador to China has usually been an enigmatic figure to the Chinese people. Sure John Huntsman “speaks” Chinese (he really does just not often in public), and has Chinese daughters, he remained a mystery to the Chinese public during his tenure as ambassador. Gary Locke on the other hand, has captivated the attention…

So Who Was Making Crap Up: Nintendo or a Japanese Newspaper?

Last month, an article appeared in Japanese newspaper Nikkei. In it, Nikkei stated that Nintendo was targeting Asia. Moreover, the paper gave a specific example of this tactic—namely that Nintendo was launching the 3DS in South Korea on April 28. Nintendo aggressively refuted the article, releasing a statement that the article “isn’t anything our company…

Ancient Chinese Graveyard Ritual Goes Online

Tomb-sweeping is usually a very somber affair, usually. Now in a surge to promote eco-friendly “burials” and body disposals, China has gamified the tradition. Due to growing concerns about property ownership (you can only own land for 70 years in China) to the cost of funeral plots, China has been urging its people to conduct…

Chinese Farmers Become Gigolos To Pay for Online Gaming Addiction

Online gaming addiction is a serious thing, and in China where they limit gaming time and access, it’s no laughing matter. But what happens when you’re addicted to gaming but you don’t have the money? Tecent recently reported a disturbing trend happening to China’s “Second Generation Farmers (农二代)” and their addiction to online gaming. “Second…

Where There’s Hardware in China, There’s This Lady

Xia Xiaowei is one of China’s most famous “tech models”. Whenever big hardware is released, the 20-something year-old Xia Xiaowei, who goes by Vivihoney in English, is there to pose with it. Chinese tech models like Vivihoney pretty much exclusively pose with hardware, combining glossy gadget pics with pin-up photos. Vivihoney is actually signed with…

New Game Killer Is Dead Isn’t a Sequel to Cult Hit Killer7

Goichi Suda, the man behind No More Heroes and Killer 7 (above), is working on a new game called Killer Is Dead. According to the upcoming issue of Famitsu, Suda is directing this assassin title. The game apparently takes its cues from both Killer 7 and No More Heroes. Killer Is Dead, however, is an…

China’s Angry Birds Sausage Is a Cruel Reminder

Ever wonder what happens to the pigs in Angry Birds after they’re toppled? In the game, they go “poof” into a cloud of smoke. In real life, they end up on dinner tables. Chinese food maker Joycome is running a promotion with Angry Birds—the game is huge throughout Asia. Buy 800 grams worth of Joycome…

Final Fantasy Characters Are Now Modeling Italian Clothes

Final Fantasy characters sure are stylish. Maybe it’s their razor thin body types. Or the hair. But they look like models. And now, they don’t only look like them, they are. The latest issue of Japanese men’s fashion mag Arena Homme Plus features Final Fantasy XIII-2 characters modeling Prada’s summer collection. These are clothes for…

“Not Scary” North Korea Wants You To Visit

North Korea seems rough. It might be a wonderful place to visit. I’ve never been, so I honestly do not know. The Vice documentary on visiting the secretive country didn’t exactly make it seem like a good time. This video, however, does its best to get you packing your bags and ready for a trip…

Leggy Robot Girls Release Motion Capture Data for Your Pleasure

It’s springtime. And when you say “spring” in Japan, images of cherry blossoms and picnics leap to mind. Screw that. You should be thinking about illuminated, dancing robot girls. Japanese pop group Perfume, whom Kotaku has featured before, is releasing a new single called “Spring of Life”. The video turns the leggy trio into dancing…

Kotaku East Starts Right Now

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

The $700 Mega Man Movie

Olan Rogers wants to make three movies before he dies. One is a Star Trek flick. Another is a Samurai Jack movie. The third is a Mega Man film. Well, that’s one down! Shot for $700 and with the help of some unpaid actor volunteers, it won’t win any Oscars. But for fans of Mega…