- Kotaku East
Is Fatal Frame 4 Horrifying or Just Horrible?
While Fatal Frame spin-off, Spirit Camera: The Hidden Memoir will be coming to 3DS next month, one major iteration of the series remains a Japan-only title. Fatal Frame IV: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse was released on the Wii back in 2008 and shows no signs of ever leaving its haunted homeland even now. But…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published March 20, 2012 - Kotaku East
Why Lunchtime in Japan is Cute Time
It is for little kids. Above is a lunch my eldest son ate late last year. And it was pretty cute! My eldest son is eight, and his lunches usually are not this cute. This was made cute out of nostalgia, really. My wife and her sister wanted to make a cute lunch for him.…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 20, 2012 - Kotaku East
What Is This? A Monster? A Seal?
On March 18 in Kosai City in Japan’s Shizuoka Prefecture, eyewitnesses apparently spotted something unusual. A “large creature about four to five meters long” was supposedly seen swimming near the shore. The creature is light brown in color. A similar creature was seen further offshore, and it is possible that this is a seal that’s…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 20, 2012 - Kotaku East
Hideo Kojima Will Make Games Until He Dies. But, His Next One Isn’t Wii U.
Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima is about to turn fifty. Hard at work on a new game and a new game engine, he sure doesn’t seem like he’s slowing down. Kojima’s next game is currently titled Project Ogre. In it, Kojima said he will “deal quite a few issues that are pretty delicate and taboo.”…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 20, 2012 - Kotaku East
Pokémon Is Not Entirely Historically Accurate (Well, Duh)
Pokémon + Nobunaga’s Ambition is no doubt one of the strangest crossovers we’ve ever seen. This is not only because it’s crossing a feudal Japanese war strategy game with Pokémon, but also because all the characters in Nobunaga’s Ambition are based on real people. So let’s take a look and see how these real historical…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published March 20, 2012 - Kotaku East
Imperial Warships Made from Sushi Will Make You Fat
When you look at Japanese rice, seaweed, and ikura, you probably think sushi. Art school grad Mayuka Nakamura saw something different. She saw warships. Using rice with vinegar, nori (seaweed), ikura, and uni (sea urchin), Nakamura re-created the eleven different warships—such as the Imperial Japanese Navy ship Kongo, Imperial aircraft carrier Hosho, and Imperial destroyer…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 20, 2012 - Kotaku East
This Isn’t Madness. It’s Wonderful and Legendary.
Chinese cosplay photographer Mengjie Luan is back with another set of spectacular pics. In the above gallery, there are Alice: Madness Returns photos with cosplayer Jill. “There were some problems and headaches during the Alice shoot—but in the end it worked out great,” Meng told Kotaku. “I also finally learned the meaning of ‘苦逼造就牛片’ or…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 20, 2012 -
Kotaku EastSee the Strangest Pokémon Game in Action!
Pokémon + Nobunaga’s Ambition is the strangest crossover this side of Kingdom Hearts. Not only does it mix a historically-inspired series with a monster-catching one, it also mixes a team-centric strategy game with a one-versus-one traditional RPG. And how does this odd combination work out? Pretty well, actually. As you can see in the game’s…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published March 20, 2012 - Kotaku East
Creepy Fun with a Hug Pillow Cover
Hug pillows aren’t only for hugging, but hijinks. Though, I’m inclined to recommend not putting a pillowcase on your head—Dream Club hug pillow, included! Also not recommended? Walking around Las Vegas wearing a hug pillow. The above dakimakura photos are from the folks at Japanese game site Dengeki Online 『ドリームクラブ』魔璃抱き枕カバーは本日23：59に予約締切！ サンプルが届いたから被ってみた……よ？ [Dengeki]
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 20, 2012 - Uncategorized
Which Looks Better? New iPad, PS Vita, or the 3DS?
This is hardly scientific—and honestly, something I have yet to confirm myself. However, this set of photos apparently compares the new iPad to the PS Vita and the 3DS. The 3DS stacks up to both, well, like one would expect. That’s not a dig on the 3DS or Nintendo, but the handheld’s screen simply isn’t…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 20, 2012 -
Kotaku EastThis Beatboxing Cat Was Made for the Internet
Her name is Nao. And today, she rules the internet—and our hearts. The woman beatboxing is named Aibo, and she’s been beatboxing for about two years. You can catch more of her videos, such as this cool beatboxing in Shinjuku vid, on her YouTube channel JAPANESE MPC CAT NAO [YouTube Thanks, Luke!]
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 20, 2012 - Kotaku East
Octopus Tentacle Fantasies Brought To Life with Fishing
You see them in anime. You see them in manga. And yes, you see them in video games. Octopus tentacles are, and have been for centuries, common tropes. But in Japan, octopus are not just creatures that pop up in popular culture, they are creatures that pop up on the dinner table. Japanese fishermen catch…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 20, 2012 - Uncategorized
God, I Wish I Could Buy This Mass Effect Omni Tool
Cosplay specialist Chris “ammnra” Myles, who knows a thing or two about amazing Mass Effect costumes and props, has commemorated the release of Mass Effect 3 with another piece of incredible craftsmanship. This Omni Tool is made from laser-cut acrylic, which was then heated and manually shaped until it resembled something you could slide onto…
By Luke Plunkett Published March 20, 2012 -
UncategorizedAwww, Nintendo Made a Horror Movie
How cute. It’s not at all scary, of course, but then, the 3DS game its promoting – Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir – doesn’t look terribly terrifying either Still, it’s a neat idea for Nintendo of America, even if it is nowhere near as cool as the company’s Japanese equivalent for the same game, which…
By Luke Plunkett Published March 20, 2012 - Uncategorized
The 18 Games That Actually Use the iPad’s Fancy New Screen
The new iPad is faster than its predecessor, sure, but the main selling point is its glorious retina display. Problem is, nearly every game on the App Store was designed for the previous models, meaning they’re not exactly making the most of that 2048 x 1536 resolution. Some developers, though, were either ready for the…
By Luke Plunkett Published March 20, 2012 - Uncategorized
Dude, Why is Link’s Horse Called Ian?
Remember back to 2010, dear readers, and you may remember a cute little comic about Link and Epona by British writer and artist Louis Roskosch Well, the book that comic was due to appear in is now finished, and it looks just lovely. It’s not all about Zelda, but there’s a lot of video game…
By Luke Plunkett Published March 20, 2012 - Culture
The Battlefields, Hangar Bays and Future Guns of Mass Effect 3
Brian Sum is a concept artist who has worked for Canadian developers BioWare since 2007. Before that, he’d been at Sierra and Microsoft’s FASA Studio. As a senior concept artist working on Mass Effect 3, Sum has produced some stunning vistas for many of the game’s galactic locations, ranging from the inside of alien starships…
By Luke Plunkett Published March 20, 2012 -
UncategorizedCapcom, Street Fighter, KONY 2012, Angelina Jolie’s Leg, Together
What happens when the team at Taiwanese animation house NMA and Capcom get together for what looks like a little marketing? Street Fighter X Tekken becomes Angelina Jolie X KONY 2012. And the world is a better place for it.
By Luke Plunkett Published March 20, 2012
