Goodbye Again

To: Ash From: Crecente We lost a second dog today: Ellie, our greyhound. She was 12. It’s been six days since we put Lucy down. Yesterday they discovered she had a rare disease that was attacking her kidneys. They also said that it was a zoonosis, a disease that can pass to humans. This morning…

Wife or Six-Foot Orc Statue? Warcraft Fan Forced to Choose

The Scottish Sun – “Scottish Newspaper of the Year” mind you – reports that a woman gave her 42-year-old husband an ultimatum: Ditch that six-foot-tall World of Warcraft orc statue, or I move to Canada. Who did he choose? Surprise! This is actually a story about rational people. He put the orc, which he’d owned…

Sign Up For The LEGO Universe Beta At CES

The LEGO Universe expands at CES 2010 this week, with hands-on demos, the first official gameplay trailer, and beta sign ups available for visitors to the annual trade show in Las Vegas. CES announced LEGO Universe’s presence at the show’s Gaming Showcase back in October, but it wasn’t clear to what extent NetDevil would be…

Bayonetta Review: To Infinite Climax Action And Beyond

Platinum Games has concocted a new brand of action hero in Bayonetta, an angel-slaying witch with long legs, long hair and a long list of heavenly creatures who want her dead. The action game directed by Devil May Cry creator Hideki Kamiya offers a new alternative, but a familiar gameplay style for the fan of…

Being a parent of a small child, I have to say she’s missing the mark in her harsh assessment of what “games” can bring to her son. My daughter who is 2 1/2 years old has a leapster hand held. Even though its above her age category she’s gotten the hang of it and plays…

This Thing With Many Buttons… Explained

What is this? Where’s the joystick? Why so many buttons? Give up? Website GameSetWatch explains: Designed as a 16-button USB MIDI Board and controller, Dj TechTools’s Midi-Fighter is a DIY arcade-style kit that will surely stand out from most DJing equipment Still confused? Go read the full article and watch a video demonstration. And/or you…

Trauma Team Gameplay Trailer Has Great Hair, Better Premise

You’ve never seen motion controlled surgery on the Wii this dramatic or with costumes and hair quite this fashionable. And you may not yet have seen what Atlus’ Trauma Team has to offer new and veteran Trauma Center fans. This first gameplay video of Trauma Team clearly lays out the “major enhancements” made to the…

Would You Like To Know Some Guinness-Certified Gaming World Records?

Waiting for me in the office upon my return from vacation this week was a copy of the Guinness World Records 2010 Gamer’s Edition. So many records in there. So let’s randomly highlight a few feats. Ah, but let’s have some fun with this. The book’s about 200 pages long. So, write a page number…

Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts & On Demand

Rare’s 2008 platformer meets vehicle builder Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts is the latest addition to the Xbox 360 Games on Demand library, a perfect opportunity to see what all the genre fuss was about by way of digital download. Pricing for me, in these here United States, is $19.99 USD and the downloadable version…

Parent: Nintendo DS Would Have Distracted Newton From Discovering Gravity

I just discovered a hullabaloo over at the Orange County Register’s Mom Blog that began when blogger/mom Marla Jo Fisher explained why she keeps her household gaming free. Part of the attraction for this story are the new ways Fisher demonizes games, which she thinks would hold her son back from growing up smart and…

Here’s The Exploring Strange New Worlds Part Of Star Trek Online

Star Trek Online isn’t all phaser shootouts and epic space battles. You’ll spend plenty of time exploring strange new worlds, seeking out new life and new civilizations, and boldly so. I’ve spent a dozen hours in the Star Trek Online beta, and while I’ve spent more time firing at enemy ships than poking about the…

Modern Warfare On Wii Hooks Players, If Not Big Sales… Yet

Modern Warfare usually is discussed as a major franchise for the Xbox 360 and PS3 and is subject for debate on the PC. By at least one measure, it’s significant on the Wii too. Those who follow our monthly tally of Wii playing time (the so-called “measure of pleasure,” as I’ve dubbed it) know that…

Strap On Your Jet Pack For The Dark Void Demo

Capcom is releasing a demo for Dark Void on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live this week, giving players an early taste of what awaits them on the other side come January 19th. The demo, available tomorrow on Xbox Live and Thursday on PSN, features a teaser level that will see players participating in aerial…

Fallout 3 And Oblivion’s Todd Howard Takes Your Calls During This Week’s Podcast

As we prepare for our transition to CBS Radio, we’re still forging ahead with Kotaku’s weekly live podcast. You can call in on Wednesday to talk to me (yawn), Todd Howard (yay!) and a surprise bonus guest (wha?). Howard, oft-quoted by Kotaku writers, will now finally be able to answer questions asked by Kotaku readers.…

Nintendo Had A Very Happy Holiday

In advance of next week’s December NPD results, Nintendo is calling the holiday season a huge success, with U.S. huge Wii sales numbers in December and the DS lineup setting a record for most consoles sold during a calendar year. While the numbers aren’t official until the NPD Group sings, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata proudly…

Metal Slug XX Runs And Guns In February

Atlus is bringing the latest installment of SNK’s classic run and gun shooter series to the PSP next month, with tons of extra content, downloadable Leona, and a chance to win a pair of Metal Slug boxers. Metal Slug boxers! An alert sent through the Atlus Faithful mailing list heralded the coming of Metal Slug…

Unofficial 8-Bit Left 4 Dead Now Available

In November, we reported that Eric Ruth Games was creating a Nintendo Entertainment System-style Left 4 Dead “de-make” for January. Guess what? It’s January. And the game is now available for free download for PCs. Here’s a description of the game from Eric Ruth’s official site: Pixel Force: Left 4 Dead is a retro de-make…

Majesco Brings 3D Movies To The Wii, Sort Of

Majesco puts players in the movies this Spring with Attack of the Movies 3D, a 3D shooter for the Wii that drops players into classic action movie environments armed with four sets of 3D glasses. Attack of the Movies 3D is a game with a gimmick. Up to four players take on six different movie-themed…

Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom Stick Now Available For Preorder

The Mad Catz Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom FightStick mock-up from the San Diego Comic Con just got real, with the Wii arcade controller now available for purchase at the GameShark Store. Mad Catz first displayed the Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom fight stick in San Diego, gauging fan reaction to the design. Apparently fans reacted well, as it’s…

The 40th Day Multiplayer: All Co-Op, All The Time

Army of Two: The 40th Day might seem like a violent game, but as this multiplayer trailer shows, it’s all about caring for your fellow man. I’m not sure how well I’ll be able to handle multiplayer in EA’s Army of Two sequel. I prefer online multiplayer shooters where no one realizes I am doing…