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CultureNintendo Switch Online Adds Psycho Dream And Three Other Random-Ass Retro Games
Nintendo Switch Online’s slowly-growing Super Nintendo and NES library adds four more old games on February 17, including Doomsday Warrior, Prehistorik Man, Fire ’n Ice, and Psycho Dream, a former Japanese exclusive that scored 18 out of 40 in Famitsu. Hooray. No offense to fans of NES classic puzzler Fire ’n Ice, also known as…
By Mike Fahey Published February 10, 2021 -
CultureHackers Bring New Version Of Android To Nintendo Switch
Developers who originally got Android running on Switch back in 2019 have reportedly now managed to port a new version of the operating system to Nintendo’s hybrid console, bringing with it a slew of new features and fixes. “Now based off of Android 10 (LineageOS 17.1 with Shield TV trees) it’s faster, more responsive and…
By Ethan Gach Published February 10, 2021 -
ReviewsSwitchSuper Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury: The Kotaku Review
Super Mario 3D World would be incredible if I didn’t already know who Mario was and what he was all about. In his 2013 review of the Wii U original, Kotaku writer Luke Plunkett described Super Mario 3D World as a “greatest hits collection, bringing together all the best things Mario has already done in…
By Ian Walker Published February 10, 2021 -
CultureOdds and EndsBeavis & Butthead x The Legend Of Zelda Is Animated Perfection
You might think these two cartoons, one released in the 80s about a video game, the other in the 90s about…stuff, have little to do with each other. I am here to tell you they were made for each other This is a joke that could have worked in a 30-second clip. The fact this…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 9, 2021 -
OpinionImpressionsOver 10 Hours With Bravely Default II
Bravely Default II offers a return to a simpler time where heroes lined up on one side of the screen, fought monsters on the other side of the screen, and then rinsed and repeated until peace and tranquility were brought back to the land. I’ve spent over 10 hours with it, and while what I’ve…
By Ethan Gach Published February 9, 2021 -
CultureCactus Props At Super Nintendo World Appear To Be Based On A Fan Game
It appears someone working on the cacti props at the Super Nintendo World theme park in Universal Studios Japan might have inadvertently built them to look just like some cacti that appear in a New Super Mario Bros Wii fan mod. Whoops! As spotted by Twitter user Meatball132, the cacti in question can be clearly…
By Zack Zwiezen Published February 7, 2021 -
CultureOdds and EndsSuper Mario World Soundtrack Remaster Spoils Original’s Lo-fi Brilliance
A group of Super Mario World fans are currently remastering the SNES platformer’s soundtrack (h/t Chris Kohler) with high-quality versions of the original samples. But if you’re hoping for some grand, orchestral versions of tracks you’ve loved for decades, these really aren’t that. It started with a fan combing through files from the so-called “Gigaleak,”…
By Ian Walker Published February 5, 2021 -
CultureGuy Goes On Super Nintendo World’s Rides, Films Them
Universal Studios’ Super Nintendo World was supposed to open in Japan this week before being indefinitely delayed due to the ongoing covid-19 pandemic. That said, folks who recently had a chance to visit the park during a special preview day are apparently still allowed to share footage from their experience, giving us some nice first-person…
By Ian Walker Published February 3, 2021 -
CultureOdds and EndsI Wish My Switch Would Still Hold A Charge
The Switch was the first Nintendo console I ever bought at launch. Almost four years later, it’s clearly seen better days, which I wouldn’t mind if it could survive out of the dock for more than a couple days at a time. Two things have me thinking about the Switch’s terrible battery life again. The…
By Ethan Gach Published February 3, 2021 -
CultureApex Legends Drops Onto Switch On March 9
Titanfall spin-off Apex Legends is set to bring its online battle royale action to the Nintendo Switch on March 9, according to new details released by developer Respawn Entertainment. Apex Legends on Switch was first announced last summer for a fall release before being delayed to 2021. Panic Button, a Texas-based development studio that has…
By Ian Walker Published February 2, 2021 -
CultureA Nameless Gatekeeper Beats Marth In Fire Emblem Popularity Poll
The latest official Fire Emblem Heroes popularity poll wasn’t won by Marth or Chrom or any of the other pretty-boy main characters from the franchise’s history. No, fans overwhelmingly voted for the unnamed Gatekeeper that guards the entrance to Garreg Mach Monastery in 2019’s Fire Emblem: Three Houses Nintendo revealed the full results of the…
By Ian Walker Published February 2, 2021 -
CultureNintendo Canned Netflix’s Live-Action Zelda TV Show Due To Leak
In 2015 The Wall Street Journal reported that Nintendo and Netflix had joined forces for a live-action The Legend of Zelda TV series. What happened with that? According to comedian Adam Conover, Nintendo canceled both the live-action Zelda and an unannounced claymation Star Fox show because someone at Netflix spilled the beans. Nintendo likes to…
By Mike Fahey Published February 2, 2021 -
CultureReport: Nintendo Gives Non-Answer When Asked About New Switch Model
Despite years of rumors and reports indicating that upgraded Switch hardware is in the works for 2021, Nintendo continues to dance around the question of a Switch Pro. During a quarterly earnings report Q&A earlier today, company president Shuntaro Furukawa said there were no plans to announce a new Switch model anytime soon. Nintendo had…
By Mike Fahey Published February 1, 2021 -
CultureWell, Nintendo Is Still Doing Incredible
Today, Nintendo released its financials for the nine-month period ending December 31, 2019. Once again, the company posted some truly staggering figures. Net sales were up 37.3 percent year on year, while operating profit increased an eye-watering 98.2 percent, doubling last year’s results and reaching nearly $5 billion. During the same period, Nintendo sold 24.1…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 1, 2021 -
CultureMorning MusicTetris On CD-i Plays Like Crap But Sounds Like John Tesh
Welcome to Morning Music, Kotaku’s ongoing hangout for folks who love video games and the cool-ass sounds they make. Today we look back to 1992, when, according to Philips, a classic became a legend. You can call it…Teshtris. The Philips CD-i was a disaster of a games platform, so outside of strangely enduring enthusiast circles,…
By Alexandra Hall Published January 29, 2021 -
CultureMobile Monster Strategy Dragon Quest Tact Launches Worldwide
Dragon Quest Tact is a big hit in Japan, with more than 10 million downloads since its 2020 release. It’s now available worldwide for iOS and Android devices, giving fans everywhere a chance to collect cartoony monsters and make them kill each other. Yay! No, Dragon Quest Tact is not a game that teaches you…
By Mike Fahey Published January 28, 2021 -
CultureTencent Buys Stake In Life Is Strange’s Creators
Tencent continued its massive expansion in the gaming world today after acquiring a minority stake in French developer Dontnod, maker of Life is Strange, Vampyr, and Tell Me Why. The Chinese conglomerate has been busy since the start of 2021, recently buying a majority stake in Klei Entertainment, which makes the indie survival game Don’t…
By Lisa Marie Segarra Published January 27, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanJapan Now Has A Super Nintendo World Train
Starting today, the JR Yumesaki train line in Osaka is covered in Mario and friends to celebrate Super Nintendo World, which was supposed to open February 4. However, it has since been delayed. Again. Universal Studios Japan visitors will ride the train line to the theme park. Japan is currently under a state of emergency…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 27, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanIn Japan, The Nintendo Switch Covers Itself In Monster Hunter
To mark the release of Monster Hunter Rise this March, Nintendo is releasing a special emblazoned Switch in Japan. Update January 27 – 7:08 AM: Nintendo UK has also announced this bundle. The hardware is tastefully covered in Monster Hunter motifs. Priced at 38,400 yen ($370), it also comes with Monster Hunter Rise preinstalled and…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 27, 2021 -
CultureOdds and EndsJapanese-Inspired Nintendo Switch Is A Work Of Art
When Canadian artist Carmina Castillo isn’t making cool stuff like this, she’s turning a Nintendo Switch into something so exquisite I would never play it, but simply put it on a shelf and look at it for the rest of my days. It’s made by applying some wood-style Joy-Con covers and a piece of very fancy…
By Luke Plunkett Published January 26, 2021