Nintendo

Mario Deserves Better Than Knock-Off Lucky Charms

The most exciting thing about new Super Mario Cereal is the box. That’s just sad. Announced last week and showing up in stores starting December 11, Super Mario Cereal is essentially a generic Lucky Charms knock-off. It’s got star-shaped oat bits and three types of vaguely Mario-ish marshmallows. It’s not bad, it’s just not anything…

Nintendo Games Still Don’t Feel Right On Mobile

So far, Nintendo’s mobile offerings have been pretty good. They’re also frustrating. Nintendo resisted mobile games for a long time, but finally relented in 2016 when they released the app Miitomo. Though I deleted it long ago, I still have fond memories of it. You’d dress up a little Mii avatar, set a greeting, and…

Yesterday, Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth players got to play as Satoru Iwata The former head of Nintendo died in 2015. Every year since, he’s appeared in the game on December 6, his birthday. Afterbrith never made it to Wii U or 3DS, so was the first time the tribute was on a Nintendo platform.

My Splatoon 2 Match Became A Dance Party

Last night, during a match of Splatoon 2, everyone got fed up with our senseless land war. We all laid down our arms and came together for the one thing that matters most: having a kickass party. Last evening, I streamed Splatoon 2 on my personal Twitch channeland leapt into a turf war match on…

Danny DeVito Fans React To Detective Pikachu Announcement 

When it was originally announced that a Great Detective Pikachu movie got the greenlight, fans thought Danny DeVito would be the perfect choice for the character. Hollywood, however, had someone else in mind. See? DeVito is perfect! As just announced, Ryan Reynolds will play Detective Pikachu when production starts in London early next year. Some…

Here’s A Custom Satoru Iwata Amiibo

Artist GandaKris, kinda famous for her work customising Amiibo and turning them into cool and new figures Nintendo would never actually release, has set aside the fictional for a moment to commemorate Nintendo’s former President Satoru Iwata This is just lovely. The box art by @SethHay is especially nice. Today would have been Iwata’s 58th…

Time to start bringing your Switch to the grocery store. Snacktaku has confirmed that the Amiibo included on boxes of Super Mario Cereal can be scanned without opening the box, which means coins and hearts for Super Mario Odyssey will be available in the cereal aisle starting December 11.

How Super Mario Odyssey 100% Speedrunners Collect Everything, No Matter The Cost

Super Mario Odyssey has hundreds of collectables to find, including moons, coins, and trinkets. Speedrunners who wanted to 100% the game in record time had to figure out obvious things like the best possible route, while also sussing out when it’s safe to take a bathroom break. The current world record for Super Mario Odyssey’s…

The Traditional Games Nintendo Continues To Sell

On Nintendo’s Japanese website, there is a page called “Other Products” (その他の商品). It’s fascinating. This piece originally appeared 8/10/17. At the top of the page, there is an entry for Western-style playing cards: Below that, there is a mahjong set. Look at these pieces. The chips have “Nintendo” emblazoned on them. How cool is that?…

Nintendo Games Coming To The Nvidia Shield (In China)

In most places, you need to get Nintendo hardware to play Nintendo console games. Not so in China, where the upcoming launch of the Nvidia Shield has seen a number of older Nintendo games—like New Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Galaxy and Twilight Princess—made available for the set-top device. There were rumours this would be…

Three Ways Ultra Sun and Moon Is Shaking Up Competitive Pokémon

Pokémon’s new competitive rule-set goes live in January 2018, meaning that players everywhere are devising strategies based on the new monsters and movesets available in Ultra Sun and Moon. Let’s talk about some of the biggest additions that will have a major impact on the way competitors approach tournaments. Pokémon that are out of this…

A List Of Old Games That I Would Definitely Buy Again On Switch

Here I am, thinking about buying Skyrim again on Switch. Yes, Skyrim. A game I’ve played for 197 hours on Steam in addition to God knows how many on console. I’ve already made the case for why the Switch is so good for playing old games. Look no further than the impressive number of hours I’ve…

Zelda’s Story In Breath of the Wild Is Powerful, But Also A Bummer

Breath of the Wild makes you care about Zelda by making her pain palpable. By that measure, Zelda’s journey is a good story that accomplishes what it sets out to do. At the same time, the tale at the heart of the game compounds an ongoing frustration felt by some fans: Zelda isn’t allowed to…

Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp: The Kotaku Review

Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, the new sequel of Nintendo’s cute neighborhood series for cellphones, is Animal Crossing but a bit more stressful. I love it and hate it at the same time. Pocket Camp takes elements from a few different Animal Crossing games and shoves them into a mobile app that’s surprisingly robust. It has…

Watch The Makers of Pokémon Play (And Flub) ‘Who’s That Pokemon’

Pokémon fans everywhere have probably played the “who’s that Pokémon” game thanks to the anime, but what happens when the actual developers try it? Turns out, there are some Pokémon that truly defy description. Kazumasa Iwao, director of Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, is joined by the game’s producer, Shigeru Ohmori, in this goofy…

Xenoblade Chronicles 2: The Kotaku Review

Inelegant and tedious, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is the anti-Nintendo game. In a year full of triumphs for the spunky Switch, this massive role-playing game is a disappointment. I didn’t love the first Xenoblade Chronicles, a 2010 Wii game from veteran director Tetsuya Takahashi and his team at Monolith Soft. I hated the boring do-gooder Shulk…

The Pokémon TV Anime Recreated A Scene From Pokémon Sun‘s Ending

If you’ve finished Pokémon Sun, keep reading. But if not, you might want to sit this one out. During the game’s closing credits, there is a photo of Lillie affectionately embracing Solgaleo. In a neat touch, that image was recreated in this week’s Pokémon Sun Moon anime. Rather sweet, no? Kotaku East is your slice…

The Investigation Into Toad’s Head Continues 

In case you didn’t know Toad is at the center of a heated, ongoing debate. On one side are the people who think the mushroom on his head sits there like a hat. On the other side are people who think the mushroom is part of his head. Thanks to the latest Boundary Break video,…

Hi Super Nintendo Chalmers

A few years back, there was a funny Super Nintendo joke. In 2017 it has been brought back and perfected, thanks to a masterful console paintjob by zoki64 The Slovenian artist was commissioned by Picanteto create this custom console design, which isn’t just painted exquisitely, but also has fantastic detail, like the re-coluring work extending…

There’s An Amiibo On Every Box Of Super Mario Cereal

Nintendo’s back in the game cereal game. Rumored for days and now confirmed, Super Mario Cereal becomes part of this nutritious breakfast in December. Every box is an Amiibo, unlocking gold coins and hearts in Super Mario Odyssey. In stores in North America as soon as December 11, Kellogg’s Super Mario Cereal is a mixed…