The Father Of The Fitness Video Game Passes Away

Jack LaLanne, who appeared in a fitness video game long before Nintendo and EA made millions off the genre, has sadly passed away over the weekend at the age of 96. A noted health club pioneer and TV salesman, LaLanne lent his name (and likeness!) to 1979’s Intellivision title Jack LaLanne’s Physical Conditioning, which you…

Ballet Is For Girls (Who Love Nintendo)

Super Mario Bros. made the leap to the big screen, and that didn’t work. What about the leap to ballet? One school in Brazil tested out Mario’s twinkle toes. School plays are great. Handmade backdrops and colorful costumes. The kids at Brazil’s Maria Imaculada de Porto Alegre recently gave their ballet recital, titled “Super Mario…

These Children Need To Calm The Eff Down

You think new Pokémon Happy Meal figures get Japanese kids in television ads excited? You are wrong. They do not. A new McDonalds ad features three children, a sheepish mother and SpongeBob toys. SpongeBob is popular in Japan, where he’s translated into Japanese. But the kids in the commercial are way too excited. In fact,…

No More Heroes 2 Artwork

Silent Hill: Downpour Screens

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Artwork

Mass Effect 2 Artwork

PSP2 Will Have 3G Connectivity And A Very Fancy Screen

Sony is widely expected to formally unveil the PlayStation Portable 2 later this week, but ahead of this a major Japanese newspaper has spilled the beans on some of the new handheld’s specs and capabilities. According to a report on Nikkei, the portable will in Japan be able to link up with the NTT DoCoMo…

Ten-Year Anniversary

To: Luke From: Owen Re: Game of the Year Readers’ Choice Looks Like a Real Horserace Some highlights of the weekend. A Comeback Player Takes To The Field In MLB 2K11 Tennis, Everyone Is The Name Of Top Spin’s Latest Game Kotaku ‘Shop Contest: Your Mom Hates ‘Shops Kotaku ‘Shop Contest: Facebook Games From Hell…

The Week In Games: Dead Week

Dead Space, the 2008 survival horror hit, repressurizes your living room environment with a widely anticipated sequel entering orbit this Tuesday. Other major drops include Monday Night Combat over Steam and Breach, the team-based downloadable FPS. Monday (Jan. 24) Jam City Rollergirls (Wii) Monday Night Combat (PC) Rocks N’ Rockets (DS) Tuesday (Jan. 25) Dead…

Kotaku’s Top Five List of Top 10 Lists

Each week throws off several new video game lists ranging from the humorous to the trivial. What’s better? A list of those. Here’s a roundup of the rundowns out there. •10 Musician Video Game Vanity Projects [Joystick Division] Neither Green Day, the Beatles, Aerosmith nor Metallica show up here, mostly because those games weren’t ridiculous.…

A Comeback Player Takes To The Field In MLB 2K11

Major League Baseball 2K10 got many big-picture details right, but still left me with a laundry list of demands for MLB 2K11, which I happily ticked off before getting a preview of the game this week. More demanding pitching accuracy, for starters. Last year’s control set was a delight – I preferred pitching with it…

With Kinect, You Are The Epic Controller

The mods and uses developed for Kinect off open-source drivers keep outdoing one another. If I could, I would start every day this way. Except I’d substitute the roar of a sports crowd for the THX introduction. Motion Emotions [Gerry Chu, via Giant Mecha]

Tennis, Everyone Is The Name Of Top Spin’s Latest Game

Well regarded as a series, Top Spin’s last entry in 2008 took some risks that were, in hindsight, inadvisable for an American-published game simulating a sport that has lacked a dominant American men’s professional for several years. 2K Sports’ Top Spin 4 puts a focus back on playability, aligned to a sport that’s seen growth…

Warcraft Helped Them Through The Pain Of Divorce

The mainstream stereotype of video games, especially MMORPG’s, as antisocial diversions that rip up relationships is well known. That makes Wanda Kirk’s recollection, of how playing World of Warcraft with her son helped her through her divorce, heartwarming indeed. Kirk, a mother nearing 50, writes that she ordinarily would have refused her nine-year-old son’s request…

Kotaku ‘Shop Contest: Your Mom Hates ‘Shops

Dead Space 2’s campaign to appall mothers has been deemed a success. Rather than dismiss the moms from their focus grouping, lets keep ’em around to work on some other games we like – or find equally hideous. As with most challenges, I’ll stay hands off here, but your ingredients today are one of these…

Sunday Comics

Awkward Zombie by Katie Tiedrich published Jan. 17 – Read more of Awkward Zombie Nerf NOW!! by Josué Pereira published Jan. 18 – Read more of Nerf NOW!! Penny Arcade by Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik published Jan. 21 – Read more of Penny Arcade Manly Guys Doing Manly Things by Kelly Turnbull published Jan.…

Kotaku ‘Shop Contest Source Images

Weekend Talk Amongst Yourselves

Is your overconfidence your weakness? Or is it your faith in your friends? Find the answer inside Kotaku’s official space for discussing all things video games. Hisilarn is the weekend winner of the #taypics derby. There are six chances each week to get your handiwork featured. Just shop up this image and submit it to…

Kotaku ‘Shop Contest: Facebook Games From Hell Winners

Facebook games’ lack of a soul and ability to steal yours was the subject for last week’s ‘Shop Contest. Not as many people entered this week’s showdown as the last making it appropriately, a more casual affair. On with the finalists! Action Fitz (1) and ARYXANDRE (2) had two of the better takes on modern…