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  Earthquake Relief, 99 Cents At a Time

  It was like a freight train hit the building. Wil McLellan was in the boardroom of New Zealand game developers Stickmen Studios when he felt the room start to vibrate. Then it whipped to the side. “People were thrown from chairs and the rooms without windows went pitch dark as the power went out,” McLellan…

  By Brian Crecente Published March 14, 2011
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  How Can Good Triumph Over Evil When Evil Is So Awesome?

  It’s more than just blue lasers versus red lasers in our Monday installment of Speak-Up on Kotaku, when commenter KingKellogg the Waffle Haggler ponders the eternal question: Why is being evil more exciting than being good? Boredom the Path to evil!! When playing choice games where you aren’t allowed to kill random civilians I tend…

  By Mike Fahey Published March 14, 2011
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  The Joker And Harley Quinn Run Wild In The Batman: Arkham City Comic Series

  Comic artist Carlos D’Anda expertly captures the insane intensity of Gotham City’s most diabolical duo in this exclusive peek at the cover art for Batman: Arkham City issue three. Written by video game scribe and Harley Quinn creator Paul Dini, the Arkham City comic book series deals with the establishment of the new Arkham compound…

  By Mike Fahey Published March 14, 2011
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  Plants Vs. Zombies Vs. DSiWare In This Week’s Nintendo Download

  Spring is right around the corner, a time when the sun is shining, the flowers blooming, and the undead hordes are hungry for your brains. What perfect timing for the DSiWare version of Plants Vs. Zombies. It’s a rather light week for the Nintendo Download, both literally and figuratively. WiiWare only scores one new release…

  By Mike Fahey Published March 14, 2011
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  Bethesda Confirms Prey 2

  Prey 2 is set for a 2012 release on the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360, Bethesda confirmed today. Developed by Human Head Studios, the game will give gamers “the opportunity to explore a new facet of the Prey universe, one that offers fast-paced action in an open, alien world.”

  By Brian Crecente Published March 14, 2011
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  Notorious Illegal Immigration iPhone Game Tweaks Critics With Legal Immigration Mode

  If turning the plight of illegal immigrants risking their lives to sneak into the U.S. into a goofy iPhone racing game didn’t amuse critics of Smuggle Truck: Operation Immigration, maybe the game’s legal immigration mode will. That special mode makes you wait 19 years to win. Let’s not judge Smuggle Truck in the abstract. Let’s…

  By Stephen Totilo Published March 14, 2011
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  Forget therapy – you improve your mental health just by sitting at a computer

  A new therapy, called cognitive-bias modification, has allowed people to relieve anxiety and the strain of certain addictions. It doesn’t involve a doctor or medications, just a few minutes a day on a computer performing some simple tasks.… [io9]

  io9 Published March 14, 2011
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  Talk Amongst Yourselves

  Welcome back to Kotaku’s main place for you to talk about video games. Have at it. Thanks to lilmp89 for today’s pic. Submit your image to #TAYpics. Hey folks, we need more March TAYpics! Share the wealth. (Read this thread for directions on how to do a TAYpic.)

  By Stephen Totilo Published March 14, 2011
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  Lights Out!

  SNAPSHOT | KASHIMA, JAPAN: Systematic, planned blackouts for the Kanto region are an attempt to conserve energy for areas that need it most. (Photo by NHK/Gigazine) Wake Up, Kotaku Still Feeling The Aftershocks Of Japan’s Earthquake Last Friday afternoon, an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.0 rocked north-east Japan. Minutes later, the coastline was hit…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 14, 2011
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  Between Tron 3 And Tron: Legacy, There’s This

  Tron: The Next Day is a ten minute short that aims to fill in the gaps between Tron: Legacy and the upcoming Tron 3. This short sheds light on the “Flynn Lives” movement and shows what happens after Sam takes over Encom at the end of Tron: Legacy. This is supposedly just one of two…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 14, 2011
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  Putting On 3DS Protective Film Is No Easy Task

  About a week ago, I purchased the Key’s Factory 3DS protective screen. I took it out of the packaging, which reads “Easy to apply”, and after seeing the number of steps needed to appeal the screen, I promptly played my 3DS without it. This video provides a walk-through of how the 3DS screen must be…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 14, 2011
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  Gaming Giants Giving Millions For Earthquake Relief [Update]

  Countless lives were destroyed late last Friday after an earthquake and tsunami ravaged the country. The clean up process is underway, and the biggest names in gaming are doing what they can. On Sunday, Sony Corporate stated it is giving ¥300 million (US$3.6 million) as well as 30,000 radios to the earthquake relief. Today, Nintendo…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 14, 2011
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  Hope You’re Ready For More Kinect Sports

  Interested in the idea of Kinect Sports more than the rather basic game released last year? Maybe Kinect Sports 2 will do a better job. Yes, we’ve heard that – and this should really surprise none of you – a sequel to the Kinect social/sports game is currently in development. There’s no word yet on…

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 14, 2011
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  Earthquake Delays And Cancels Games

  The impact of last Friday’s earthquake and ensuing tsunami are still being felt. Those hit hardest are certainly not thinking of video games. But in an effort to be respectful, game companies are either holding back or completely canceling titles that could remind people of the recent destruction in Japan. Tokyo-based developer Irem has completely…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 14, 2011
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  Ryu Certainly Has His Work Cut Out For Him Here

  There’s shades of Hulk Hogan vs Andre The Giant in this impending showdown between Ryu and Hugo (and Poison!). By Victor Hugo Queiroz

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 14, 2011
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  Mortal Kombat‘s Aussie Release Has Its Spinal Column Ripped Out

  Publisher Warner Bros. has lost an appeal over Mortal Kombat’s “banning” in Australia. Looks like it’s time to import, Aussies!

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 14, 2011
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  “Nobody’s running around like a chicken with their heads off” In Japan

  Last Friday afternoon, an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.0 rocked north-east Japan. Minutes later, the coastline was hit with a tsunami, leaving death and destruction in its wake. Much of the foreign television media’s coverage is using words like “desperate” in describing the attempts to cool down the Fukushima reactors. “Nobody’s running around like…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 14, 2011
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  Damn, That’s A Big Virtual Mario

  Nintendo will soon be releasing “large” Augmented Reality (AR) cards for the 3DS handheld. Which is fine, but we prefer ones that are “ridiculously enormous”. Going on the basic principle that, the bigger the AR card the bigger the image the 3DS interprets, the guys at Nintendo-Master printed off one big-ass AR card replica then…

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 14, 2011
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  Keeping The Mirror’s Edge Dream Alive

  Benny Lee is an artist who does industrial design, fashion editorials and portraits. Oh, and also amazing Mirror’s Edge cosplay. Lee may just be the man taking the photos here, but it’s the extra effort that goes into turning a simple shot of some people in costume into scenes from a video game world that…

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 14, 2011
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  A Sporting Way To Help Japan

  If you’re going to donate to a charity so you can help out the people and organisations in Japan currently dealing with the effects of the earthquake and tsunami, you may as well get a great game out of it. Until March 18, all revenues raised from the sale of Sega’s Football Manager Handheld 2011…

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 14, 2011