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  Trine 2 Is Beautiful (And Delayed)

  Co-operative platformer Trine 2 has been delayed until the end of Summer. Bummer! As consolation, Atlus released this new trailer for the game, which looks even prettier than the first game. And that was a pretty, pretty game.

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 22, 2011
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  The Game Name You’ll Confuse With Sony’s New Portable

  The codename for Sony’s upcoming PSP successor is “NGP”, short for “Next Generation Portable”. Japanese game company Compile Heart of Hyperdimension Neptunia infamy fame is making a new title that is called “NPG”. NGP. NPG. Geddit? Makes sense, I guess, as Hyperdimension Neptunia was about the console wars, but the consoles were anime ladies. NGP,…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 22, 2011
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  ALL GLORY TO THE HYPNOTOAD

  You can grab this shirt for $10 from Ript. See here for reference.

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 22, 2011
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  Metroid Toddlers Are…Sweet?

  Australian artist Ben Guy, who we last saw putting giant robot helmets on small boys, has a gentler side. Where he puts giant Metroid helmets on small girls instead. This is “Lucy”, a piece destined for the artist’s second “Helm” exhibition, the first of which ran in Melbourne late last year. And before you ask,…

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 22, 2011
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  There’s A Little Bit Of X-Com In This Ghost Recon Game

  The new Xcom game isn’t really X-Com at all. There’s no turns and certainly no isometric combat. For those upset about this, maybe you should look into, of all things, a Ghost Recon game for the 3DS. Why? Because Ghost Recon Shadow Wars is being made by the same man who created the X-Com series:…

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 22, 2011
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  CultureTotal Recall

  Ten Years Ago Today, The Last Game Boy Was Born

  On March 21, 2001, stores in Japan began selling the first units of the Game Boy Advance. There are few sentences that can better describe how far video games have come in the past decade than that. Ten years ago, the words “Game Boy” were still synonymous with not just Nintendo’s handheld domination, but the…

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 22, 2011
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  Beefier, Crunchier, More Insane

  Ladies and gentlemen, please take a moment in your reading of video game news to talk amongst yourselves in tonight’s open thread, where you can discuss anything that comes to mind. But please do not be upset about your Taco Bell order. It’s been a long, long time since I’ve eaten at Taco Bell. What’s…

  By Michael McWhertor Published March 21, 2011
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  Duke Nukem Forever‘s “Capture The Babe” Mode Has A Spank Button

  Duke Nukem Forever wants to push your buttons. Take the game’s “Capture the Babe” multiplayer mode, which ditches the traditional flag as object of desire for a woman, one who will “sometimes freak out” and need a gentle “reassuring slap.” That’s according to the latest issue of OXM, which describes Duke Nukem Forever’s four multiplayer…

  By Michael McWhertor Published March 21, 2011
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  Peptone, The Game That’s Controlled By Shouting

  Those years of shouting into your headset during online multiplayer games may pay off if you want to win at Peptone, a multiplayer “participative mobile phone game” that requires screaming into one’s cell phone to survive. Peptone was recently on display in Montreal, where an estimated 900 phone calls from 400 unique players—it supports up…

  By Michael McWhertor Published March 21, 2011
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  Dead Island‘s Logo Too Grisly For America’s Ratings Board

  Much hyped zombie game Dead Island has gotten the attention of the ESRB for its logo of all things. Hanging zombies are a no-no, it seems, as the game’s logo has been “censored” to remove that dangling corpse. That change affects the game’s box art in North America only, reports IGN

  By Michael McWhertor Published March 21, 2011
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  Read The Humble Beginnings of Grand Theft Auto From 16 Years Ago

  Grand Theft Auto, the controversial and violent video game series that has sold in excess of 100 million units, began its life as a simple design document in 1995, back when the game was still known as Race’n’Chase. Reading that design doc isn’t nearly as much fun as playing a Grand Theft Auto game, but…

  By Michael McWhertor Published March 21, 2011
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  The Swag of Kotaku’s Japan Earthquake Fundraiser

  I spent the past week or so going through all of the loot sent me from a variety of video game publishers and developers over the past year. As always, I collect this stuff to give away during a once-a-year fundraiser. This year’s fundraiser kicks off on Thursday here in Denver at Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom.…

  By Brian Crecente Published March 21, 2011
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  Mario, From A Goomba’s-Eye View

  The little “Jumpman” Mario looks awesome in this fan art piece by Jeffrey Cruz. Breakin’ blocks, stomping heads and taking names! Related Rampage: Enter the Mushroom Kingdom (More) Jump Jump JUMP by Jeffrey Cruz / lastscionz (deviantART) Need your daily fill of geek eye candy? If so, head over to Justin Page’s Rampaged Reality and…

  By Michael McWhertor Published March 21, 2011
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  Wall of Swag

  Free | I spent the past week going through all of the free things sent Kotaku by game companies. This is about half of that stuff. All destined for Kotaku’s fundraiser later this week. (Photo: Brian Crecente) Bedtime Stories Why 3D Isn’t the 3DS’ Greatest Achievement The window into a world where I am a…

  By Brian Crecente Published March 21, 2011
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  The Perfect Dark That (Thankfully?) Never Was

  There was another Perfect Dark game in development at one point, a follow-up to Xbox 360 launch game Perfect Dark Zero that would have been a “more realistic,” seemingly grittier version of Rare’s first-person shooter. Unseen 64 offers our first look at Perfect Dark Core, a prototype project that never really seemed to take off…

  By Michael McWhertor Published March 21, 2011
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  If Only Gundam Could Always Lend A Helping Hand

  As seen on Jean Snow

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 21, 2011
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  The FP Is A Perfectly Bizarre Blend Of The Warriors And Dance Dance Revolution

  One part futuristic gang movie, one part tribute to Konami’s hot-stepping rhythm game Dance Dance Revolution, The FP is a movie that’s goofy and gritty enough to make it a must-see. This is a movie that uses Dance Dance Revolution (renamed Beat-Beat Revolution) as a life or death contest between rival gangs. Everyone in it…

  By Michael McWhertor Published March 21, 2011
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  PC Gamers Get Black Ops First Strike Last On March 25

  PC gamer holdouts get their first Call of Duty: Black Ops map pack, “First Strike,” later this week on March 25. If fifteen bucks is a touch too steep, Steam will knock off 10% of that for those who pre-order

  By Michael McWhertor Published March 21, 2011
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  Lemmings Meets Mario In The Delightfully Puzzling Kami Retro

  Take Mario’s platforming, Lemmings’ life-saving gameplay, add a hint of urgency and colorfully pixelated 3D graphics, and you’re just scratching the surface of Kami Retro, the must-play puzzle platformer for the iPhone and iPod Touch. There are several different ways I could describe Kami Retro. You know those running games, where you have to jump…

  By Mike Fahey Published March 21, 2011
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  Watch A Hockey Arena Evolve Into A Massive Pokémon Party

  Last month, 3000 German Pokémon fans partied in an ice hockey arena in Hamburg. They did this thanks to the efforts of the G-Pro Consult company, who did their part in promoting the new Pokémon Black & White by turning that hockey rink into a party center — and filmed the whole thing so we…

  By Stephen Totilo Published March 21, 2011