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Japan’s Badass Heroes, Robots, and Monsters Live On
When you think of Japanese pop culture today, schoolgirls with big eyes probably come to mind. It wasn’t always that way. Japanese pop culture used to be giant monsters, badass superheroes, and robots. They still exist—today’s kids still love super sentai shows and Kamen Rider—but the moé aesthetic dominates anime, manga, and video games. Thank…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 11, 2012 -
UncategorizedI Am Alive Gameplay Footage Climbs Out
Those familiar with adventure game Uncharted will notice something familiar about I Am Alive— it’s climbing gameplay. Kotaku‘s I Am Alive preview should shed more light on what to expect when Ubisoft releases the game sometime early this year. Until then, enjoy this brown gameplay footage from CES. I Am Alive – Climbing Gameplay (CES…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 11, 2012 -
UncategorizedAs Some Guy Beats an Old Game, This Band Plays the Soundtrack. Live.
In this video, you will see a man sit down to play some Mega Man II. You’ll also see a band. What you should then notice is everything getting kind of awesome. The player is Noah McCarthy, and he can beat anything you put in front of him. The band is Bit Brigade, who while…
By Luke Plunkett Published January 11, 2012 - Uncategorized
Don’t Store Owners Know Anakin Skywalker Killed Children?
Game developer Ross Mills noticed something he found, tongue planted firmly in cheek, appalling: a British retailer specializing in educational toys had the gall to sell Anakin Skywalker stuff. Mills did what any responsible Padawan would: he wrote an email. “Now, I didn’t really mind,” Mills blogged. “I merely thought it amusing that the murderer…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 11, 2012 - Culture
This Game Art Wages Total War On Robots, Dragons and Fast Cars
Swedish artist Andrée Wallin has quite the resume. Since getting into the business in 2008, he’s provided concept art for games like Oblivion, Dirt 3, DJ Hero, Napoleon: Total War, MotorStorm and Split Second. Right now, he’s working with 343 Industries on Halo 4 He’s also worked with clients like Universal Pictures and the Jim…
By Luke Plunkett Published January 11, 2012 - Uncategorized
A Mass Effect Commander Shepherd Unlike Any You’ve Ever Seen
Male Commander Shepherd. Female Commander Shepherd. Good Shepherd. Dickwad Shepherd. The main character of BioWare’s space opus Mass Effect can be played a bunch of different ways. But Lieutenant Commander Ferret Shepherd? Hunting, rather, ferreting out the evil Geth across the universe, no doubt. This is the work of Amales, and check more of the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 11, 2012 - Uncategorized
Just how Last-Minute was Nintendo’s Circle Pad Pro?
Nintendo’s Circle Pad Pro attachment for the 3DS seemed, when it was first revealed, to be something of a panic move, made in response to the handheld’s then-poor sales and the positive reception received by the competing PlayStation Vita (much of which centred around its two wonderful thumbsticks). But just how last-minute was the peripheral?…
By Luke Plunkett Published January 11, 2012 -
UncategorizedChinese Phone Game Throws Red Shell at Mario Kart
Watch this from across the room, or squinting, and you’ll think it’s Mario Kart. From the effects to the course design, it is literally Mario Kart Wii Only, it’s not. This is a Chinese game called Mole Kart, and as far as shameless Chinese knock-offs go, it’s right up there with Final Combat. Maybe even…
By Luke Plunkett Published January 10, 2012 - Uncategorized
No, There Won’t be a PlayStation 4 at E3
Last week, trade site MCV reported that the PlayStation 4 would make an appearance at this year’s E3 in Los Angeles. Sony begs to differ. Both Sony Computer Entertainment and Sony Corp. have come out in denial of the report, with SCE’s Andrew House telling CVG “I don’t think we’re contemplating talking about anything to…
By Luke Plunkett Published January 10, 2012 -
CultureTotal RecallLet’s Watch the Kick-Ass Dragon Quest Anime!
A few video games have had the honour of being turned into animated series. Zelda and Mario are two of the most prominent, if terrible examples, while Wing Commander is a rarity that got it right Another that got it right, and in a big, big way, were the anime series based on blockbuster role-playing…
By Luke Plunkett Published January 10, 2012 - Uncategorized
Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater 3D Out Next Month (or March!)
Konami’s latest in a never-ending line of Metal Gear Solid remakes, Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater 3D, will be out on the Nintendo 3DS in the US on February 21. Those living in Europe or Australia, there’s a slight delay, and you’ll be getting the game on March 8. I played the game at the…
By Luke Plunkett Published January 10, 2012 - Uncategorized
Next Skyrim Patch Might Fix PS3 “Lag” Issue
If you bought Skyrim on PS3, you’ve likely experienced one of the most frustrating technical hiccups of 2011: a gradually increasing “lag” which slows your game the longer you play it It’s been weeks since the game was first released and developers Bethesda have said little on the critical issue, but a fix might finally…
By Luke Plunkett Published January 10, 2012 - Uncategorized
A Better Mousetrap: Building Bundles Of Joy
Republished from Rock, Paper Shotgun Bundles here, bundles there, bundles bally everywhere. Indie bundles are bloody fantastic: they help bedroom developers achieve the funding and awareness necessary to pull off truly great things, and they contribute to presenting gamers with a stronger alternative to heavily-marketed mainstream fodder. They’ve changed indie devs’ lives and they’ve brought…
Alec Meer | Rock Paper Shotgun Published January 10, 2012 - Uncategorized
Choplifter HD, Asura’s Wrath Demo New This Week on the PlayStation Store
Plenty of updates as usual to the PlayStation online store, with full downloadable games Choplifter HD, Crazy Machines Elements, Toy Story 3: The Video Game (There’s a Toy Story 3 video game? Hmm.), as well as the earlier-than-expected demo for Capcom’s Asura’s Wrath That’s all well and good, but none of those games can hold…
By Kirk Hamilton Published January 10, 2012 - Uncategorized
With Great Power Comes a Great View
With Great Power Comes a Great View | Why, look, it’s new concept art for next summer’s Amazing Spider-Man video game! The 10 Most Bogus Entries in the Guinness World Records 2012 Gamer’s Edition Growing up in the 1970s and 1980s, I remember being awed at when the TV specials based on the Guinness Book…
By Stephen Totilo Published January 10, 2012 - Uncategorized
Efforts Intensify to Save Game Developer Who Was Sentenced to Death in Iran
A day after news broke that U.S. citizen and former game developer Amir Hekmati was sentenced to death by the Iranian government, a glimmer of hope emerged that the 28-eight-year old’s life might be spared. “The news is not positive, but we try to reassure [his family] that it is not over,” Pierre Prosper a…
By Stephen Totilo Published January 10, 2012 -
UncategorizedSteam-Powered Dustforce Keeps Your Whole PC Clean January 17
What if Mario were a janitor instead of a plumber? Find out January 17, when Hitbox Games’ 2D sweep-em-up Dustforce hits Steam. We checked in with Dustforce earlier in its development cycle and couldn’t be more excited that the finished product is finally seeing the light of day. Only $9.99 scores you more than 50…
By Mike Fahey Published January 10, 2012