Nintendo

An Ode to Link’s Hat

You probably don’t think very much about Link’s headgear when playing through or hoping for a Legend of Zelda title. But, no matter how things change from game to game, that pointy, green cap is a beacon that says ‘all are welcome here.’ A new illustrated essay at The A.V. Club covers the evolution of…

The Mother Brain is just as intimidating as a Mayan God on Sita-Cardenas Navas‘ reimagination of the classic scene from Super Metroid. Finally, an ancient stone carving that might be evidence for extraterrestrial life! Samus vs Mother Brain (Maya style) by Sita-Cardenas Navas [Etsy, via Dorkly] Dayshot is an image-based feature that runs every morning,…

The Best Games of 2014 So Far

So far, 2014 has felt like a year of surprises. Some of them have been good while others—like the growing crop of games that have been pushed to next year—are bummers. But, there’ve been standouts among the games that have come out. Let’s talk about them, shall we? This has been the year where the…

Eight Rainbow Road Theme Songs In One Glorious Mashup

Rainbow Road is the final track in the final cup of Mario Kart 8. It’s been that way for Mario Kart’s entire history. Each version of the circuit track has been loopy, insanely colorful, and disorienting—with music to match. YouTuber TheEternalSushi has combined eight of the title songs from past and current versions of Rainbow…

We Love Lilly’s Amazingly Terribad Pokémon Art

Pokémon just wouldn’t be Pokémon without a rival to constantly challenge you. Thus, even drawing game Pokémon Art Academy has a rival—a girl named Lilly. But while I thought I was the worst artist in the world, Lilly proved me wrong. Her art is terrible—so terrible, it loops all the way back around to wonderful.…

A Week with Pokémon Art Academy Actually Improved My Drawing Skills

When I first sat down with Pokémon Art Academy over a week ago, I decided to do a little experiment. I drew the first three drawings of the game freehand on a notepad as I came across them. Then today, I tried again—and I’m truly surprised at the improvement. It’s funny, as I was drawing…

​Which Mario Kart 8 Track Is The Best?

With each new Mario Kart game, it’s the same deal: Some tracks are good. Some tracks aren’t that exciting. And some tracks are amazing. Mario Kart 8 is no different. Some of us on staff at Kotaku have been talking/arguing about which track is the best and why, and we thought we’d see what you…

Oh Good, The New Ninja Turtles Movie Is Getting A 3DS Game

I was really hoping there wouldn’t be an official physical video game product based on the upcoming live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, if only to avoid seeing these ugly mugs on store shelves. Coming in August from Activision, the company that’s made a name for itself for releasing average Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles video…

Shigeru Miyamoto, We Have An Answer To Your Question

Mr. Miyamoto, you recently asked me to ask Kotaku‘s readers to say which games they’d like you to make for the Wii U. Your question was extremely popular and I got a lot of replies—more than 3,000. And a lot of them involved a particular word: Metroid It’s not quite that simple, though. There were…

The New Super Smash Bros. Theme On Eight Kazoos

Delightful childhood memories, or your brain being devoured by incredibly dramatic bees? The theme music for Super Smash Bros. Wii U and 3DS on kazoo delivers a different gift to every listener. Having already recreated the Isaac battle theme from Golden Sun and “Big Blue” from F-Zero on the kazoo, YouTube artist Tsuko G. sets…

The Best Smash Bros. Mod Around Just Keeps Getting Better

Six years after its release, Super Smash Bros. Brawl is kept alive by hardcore fans that mod the game. In particular, fan-made Project M continues to add stuff that keeps the aging game feeling fresh. Here’s a trailer for Project M’s new upcoming “All Star” mode, which allows you to switch characters every time you…

The Most Unlucky Mario Kart Player

This, folks, is the very essence of “get wrecked.” Watch as Daisy is completely unable to catch a break in this video by HowBoutGaming: I think my favorite part is at the end, when she clearly just stops trying to move forward. I don’t blame you, Daisy. Confession: I have an absolutely irrational and intense…

Watch As I Attempt to Draw Pokémon

I may be the single worst artist on the face of the planet. So let’s see if Pokémon can teach me to draw in Pokémon Art Academy Pokémon Art Academy was released in Japan for the Nintendo 3DS on June 19, 2014. It will be released in Europe on July 4, 2014; Australia and New…

Ash From Pokémon Has The Body Of A Greek God

Seems like running around the Kanto Region paid off or Ash simply knows the secret of the perfect six-pack. I hope he’s not on some special Pokémon diet. This is the figurine in question that goes into Pokémon territory where no trainer has been before. via TheRandomInMyHead [Tumblr] To contact the author of this post,…

Nintendo’s Student-made Wii U Games are Full of Imagination

The Nintendo Games Seminar is an annual program where teams of college students are given weekly classes on game development from Nintendo. Over the course of eight months, the groups design and build their own game. And now, last year’s four games are available for free on the Japanese Wii U’s eShop. The first game…

Super Mario Bros. Beaten In Under Five Minutes, A New World Record

You’ve gotta watch this impressive Super Mario Bros. playthrough by speedrunner “Blubbler.” Blubbler beats the game in a bewildering 4:57.69. Previously, the world record for an “any percentage” completion run was held by andrewg, according to the SMB Leaderboards Wiki. The time? 4:58:09. A second can make all the difference in a speedrun! Here, the…

​A Great Reminder of Why We Need to Keep Classic Games Alive

Almost everything we love about modern video game owes a huge debt to Another World. So, it’s a boon that people playing on the Xbox Ones and PS4s of today can experience what made this proto-indie adventure a classic. Elegant world-building. Storytelling quirks unique to the medium. Beautifully naturalistic animation. Proper use of cinematic influences.…

The Weirdest Things My Miis Are Saying To Me

One thing people have always loved about The Sims is its quirky made-up language. It’s become so popular since the series debuted that fans now affectionately refer to it as “Simlish.” It doesn’t make much sense, but half the fun comes from deciphering what sims are trying to tell you by the tone of their…

Shovel Knight: The Kotaku Review

Shovel Knight is a video game about a knight who carries a shovel. It’s an NES game released 25 years too late. It’s the type of platformer that a whole lot of people have been craving for a very long time. There is no way to talk about Shovel Knight without talking about the games…

The Moon from Majora’s Mask looks 100% crazier in Hyrule Warriors, just like all the characters that have been revealed so far. We’ve already seen Link, Impa and Queen Zelda (she’s a queen now!) in action in Hyrule Warriors and fresh screenshots introduce two more playable characters. Here’s Agitha, the bug collector girl from Twilight…