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CultureNintendo Announces New Joy-Con Colors, Which Look Pretty Damn Nice
This morning, in addition to a new Switch with longer battery life, Nintendo announced some fresh new Joy-Cons. As a plebeian stuck with drab grey controllers, these neon wonder-cons have literally brightened my day. The new Joy-Cons will come in two colors: the somewhat less impressive Blue/Neon Yellow combo and the actually super great Neon…
By Heather Alexandra Published July 17, 2019 -
CulturePlaying As Luigi In Super Mario Maker 2 Probably Won’t Help You Complete Levels Faster
Last week, after a few individual level records were broken in Super Mario Maker 2 using Luigi, a question began to form: Was Mario’s lanky brother somehow faster? Was playing as the Big L essential for getting records? After some investigating, there’s now an answer: probably not. Questions about Luigi’s efficacy started after Mario speedrunner…
By Heather Alexandra Published July 17, 2019 -
CultureNintendo Releasing New Switch Model With Better Battery Life
This August, Nintendo is releasing a new Switch model with a longer battery life. It will be priced the same as the current model and, aside from the improved battery, feature the same specs. The new model’s battery life will last between 4.5 and 9 hours, depending on the game. For Breath of the Wild,…
By Brian Ashcraft Published July 17, 2019 -
New Picross Game Announced, Is An Anime Crossover
There’s a new Picross game coming to the Switch! Rather than just stick to numbers and puzzles, though, this one’s a crossover with, of all things, the anime Overlord. Famitsu reports there’ll be 519 puzzles in all, and you can progress through a simple story by unlocking images that play out at the completion of…
By Luke Plunkett Published July 17, 2019 -
Tips & GuidesHow To Use Mario Maker 2‘s Tricky ‘Scroll-Stop’ Feature
How’s your Super Mario Maker 2 going? Making some Marios? Trying out some of the cool new features? One of the most subtle but powerful new tricks you can do with the Switch version of Nintendo’s brilliant creation game can really change how you build your Mario levels, but it can be tricky to use.…
By Chris Kohler Published July 16, 2019 -
CultureJoy-Con Drift Is Becoming A Real Problem On The Switch
For months, Nintendo Switch users have been plagued by what’s become known as “Joy-Con drift.” Although they’re not touching the joystick on their Nintendo Switch controller, the console still thinks it’s moving. With no permanent fix being offered by Nintendo, they’re just sick of it. Recently I’ve been doing nothing but playing the upcoming Switch…
By Gita Jackson Published July 16, 2019 -
CultureDéjà Poo: Nintendo Deletes Another Mario Maker Level By Popular Speedrunner
A popular Mario speedrunner and Mario Maker level creator said Tuesday morning that Nintendo is once again deleting his Mario Maker levels, this time targeting his popular Super Expert course in Super Mario Maker 2 for the Switch, called “Pile of Poo: Kai-Zero G.” “I am at a loss for words and extremely sad about…
By Ethan Gach Published July 16, 2019 -
Kotaku EastJapanJapan Polled Over Nintendo Switch Lite Interest
Are folks in Japan interested in buying a Nintendo Switch Lite? Let’s see what a new poll on Japanese site Inside reveals. The poll asked Switch owners and non-owners whether or not they planned to purchase a Nintendo Switch Lite. There were over 3,000 replies (3,780 to be exact). Update: July 16 – 8 pm:…
By Brian Ashcraft Published July 16, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsThe Fire Emblem: Three Houses Battle System Is Elegant In Its Complexity
At its best, combat in Fire Emblem games is like an elegant game of chess. At its worst, it’s a morass of numbers that don’t feel like they mean anything. Three Houses leans more closely to the former than the latter, though it’s also easy to get lost in statistics and variables. Allow me to…
By Gita Jackson Published July 15, 2019 -
CultureFour-Year Effort To Beat Ocarina Of Time In Under 17 Minutes Finally Succeeds
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is well-known for impressive speedruns, even among casual players. Every time it seems there are no improvements left to make, a new glitch or intense session of play shaves seconds off the best time. Last week, the fastest completion time slipped under 17 minutes, marking the culmination of…
By Heather Alexandra Published July 15, 2019 -
Everything We Know About The Viruses In Dr. Mario World, Including Their Lethality
Dr. Mario World was released recently and I’ve been playing a lot of it. The latest game in the series, Dr. Mario World is the first built for mobile phones and features new and old viruses. But how deadly are these differently colored viruses and where did they come from? And how many different types…
By Zack Zwiezen Published July 14, 2019 -
Previously Japan-Only Iwata Asks Series Is Being Translated Into English
While Nintendo has an archive section where fans can revisit old installments of the popular Iwata Asks series, not every Q&A the former Nintendo president ever sat down for is there, because not all of them were translated into English by the company. One such example of that is an interview about Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles:…
By Luke Plunkett Published July 11, 2019 -
Xenoblade Developer Once Pitched An EarthBound Sequel For GameCube
The EarthBound, or Mother, series took a lengthy hiatus between the releases of Mother 2 and 3, but that didn’t mean Nintendo wasn’t interested in keeping the series going. In fact, at one point, the developer that would eventually create Xenoblade was asked to pitch Nintendo on a sequel to the beloved role-playing game series…
By Ethan Gach Published July 11, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsA Mario Maker Level Where Mario Has Post-War PTSD
Oh, you’ve been playing nearly impossible kaizo levels or 20-second speedruns? Sounds great. Me, I just played a Super Mario Maker 2 level where Mario comes back from the army with PTSD. Mario Maker is not the best storytelling medium. In fact, Nintendo goes out of its way to make it difficult to create a…
By Chris Kohler Published July 11, 2019 -
CultureSplitscreenThe Nintendo Switch Lite Has Sealed The 3DS’s Coffin
Remember the Nintendo 3DS? Enjoy that while you can, because after the Nintendo Switch Lite comes out, the 3DS will be erased from all of our collective memories. Okay, not really, but the Switch Lite does look nifty. On this week’s Kotaku Splitscreen, we talk about playing Switch games while lying in a hammock and…
By Maddy Myers Published July 11, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsDragon Quest Builders 2 Is Even Better Than The First
The first Dragon Quest Builders was an underrated gem, a delightful game that proved that Dragon Quest and Minecraft go together as nicely as peanut butter and pickles. The second game, which comes out Friday, is even better. I’ve played a couple dozen hours of Dragon Quest Builders 2 on Switch so far thanks to…
By Jason Schreier Published July 11, 2019 -
CultureLegendary Mario Player Is Building Some Of The Hardest Mario Maker 2 Levels You’ll Ever See
It’s a good thing you have to beat a level before uploading it in Super Mario Maker 2, or else who knows what kind of twisted horrors longtime player PangeaPanga would be coming up with? Panga is a member of the Kaizo community, a group of bafflingly skilled Mario players who make and speedrun through…
By Jason Schreier Published July 10, 2019 -
CultureThe Nintendo Switch Lite Is Getting A Lovely Pokémon Sword and Shield Edition
If you’re able to hold off a few weeks on buying the new Nintendo Switch Lite when it releases September 20, you’ll have the chance to get a pretty slick version of Nintendo’s latest Switch: the Pokémon Sword and Shield-themed Zacian and Zamazenta edition. As you can see, it’s an elegant light gray with cyan…
By Joshua Rivera Published July 10, 2019 -
CultureThe Nintendo Switch Lite Will Be Released On September 20
The Nintendo Switch Lite is a smaller handheld-only portable that will be released this fall. It is being described as a Nintendo Switch for those who just want to play on the go. The Lite will come in three colors: yellow, gray, and turquoise. Priced at $199.99, the Switch Lite is cheaper than the standard-issue…
By Brian Ashcraft Published July 10, 2019 -
CultureWhy Pokémon Fans Are So Mad About Sword And Shield
For a game series as long running as Pokémon, which debuted in 1996, it’s surprising how much goodwill many fans of the franchise still have as they enter their 30s and 40s. Nintendo and Game Freak continue to appeal to children new to the series as well. But after a harsh and sustained negative reaction…
By Gita Jackson Published July 9, 2019