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Zelda: Breath of the Wild Is The Perfect Game For Non-Gamers
Breath of the Wild might be the hardest Zelda since the NES days, teaching players how to progress through its puzzles by killing them frequently and without remorse. Yet, paradoxically, it’s also one of the best games for people who don’t play a lot of video games. Last week, having spent the past month raving about…
By Jason Schreier Published March 24, 2017 -
Kotaku East
Reminder! The Nintendo DSi Shop ends on March 31. In Japan, there’s a program to move unused DSi points to the Nintendo eShop or even convert them to a cash refund. The Japanese program starts April 3 and ends September 29. No word yet for Nintendo’s plans in the West.
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 24, 2017 -
The Sweet Taste Of Zelda Revenge
Well, would you look who it is. Remember me, motherfucker? I’m that kid you callously wasted back when I had three hearts, a pair of pants, and a stick for a weapon. Hey, check this out. Was that fun for you? It was fun for me. Now to grab these spare parts out of the…
By Kirk Hamilton Published March 23, 2017 -
Players Looking For Shiny Magikarp Are Getting Trolled By Pokémon Go
Right now, most people playing Pokémon Go are hunting for one thing: a golden shiny Magikarp. Oh, they’re finding shiny Magikarp alright. It’s just not turning out how they’d expect. Last year, Pokémon Go introduced Ditto, a shapeshifting creature who always appears as something else. You might capture a Sentret, for example, only for it…
By Patricia Hernandez Published March 23, 2017 -
Switch Controller Cosplays As GameCube Pad
Boss Fight Props, normally in the business of making cosplay gear, decided to take his Switch controller and dress it up like a GameCube pad. I would buy this, if only for the colour-coded buttons. I would buy multiples if it was the GameCube’s old “spice” colour scheme While the images look like renders, it’s…
By Luke Plunkett Published March 22, 2017 -
Super Mario Run Is Now Available On Android
Better late than…never? Despite coming out on iOS in December, it’s taken until today for Android owners to get their hands on Mario’s side-scrolling mobile adventure. But hey, despite the long wait, it’s here now. The game’s pretty good, even if it does have some very weird ideas about how mobile users should pay for…
By Luke Plunkett Published March 22, 2017 -
Nintendo Says JoyCon Wireless Issues Were Caused By ‘Manufacturing Variation’
If you, like me and several other Kotaku staff, have run into a consistent left Switch JoyCon signal issue, don’t worry: Nintendo says it’s not in fact a hardware problem, but a “manufacturing variation.” The company also says to contact them for a fix if you’re running into the problem. Here’s Nintendo of America’s full…
By Jason Schreier Published March 22, 2017 -
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night Is Now A Nintendo Switch Game
The Wii U version is no more. It’s been canned! Instead, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is coming to the Nintendo Switch. “During our Kickstarter campaign, the Wii U was at the height of its popularity, but the situation has drastically changed after the release of Nintendo Switch,” states Bloodstained designer Koji Igarashi on the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 22, 2017 -
Nintendo Switch Is Getting Seiken Densetsu Collection in Japan
Following up on yesterday’s teaser, Square Enix has announced a Mana collection for the Switch. Slated for a June 1 release in Japan, it will feature Final Fantasy Adventure, Secret of Mana, and Seiken Densetsu 3. You know, the first three Seiken Densetsu games. According to Famitsu, new to the Switch release is a quick…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 21, 2017 -
Why Is It So Hard To Make Video Games For Kids?
“Daddy? DADDY!” I look up from my laptop. This video game was supposed to give me a precious 15 minute respite from the endless drudgery of parenthood. What the hell’s gone wrong now? “DADDY WHAT I DO? “WHAT I DOOOOOO?” It must be really hard to make a good video game for kids. I know…
Mark Serrels Published March 20, 2017 -
A Soft Way To Fix The Switch’s Screen Scratching Issue
Where there’s a hardware flaw, there’s a cottage industry to take advantage of it, and the Switch dock’s propensity to scratch console screens is no different. There’s still no confirmation if the scratches are being caused by sloppy owners or the odd bent dock, but whatever, if you’re concerned that a cheap piece of plastic…
By Luke Plunkett Published March 19, 2017 -
The Binding Of Isaac On Nintendo Switch Has A Gorgeous Instruction Booklet
In a world of big, empty video game cases devoid of instructions or interesting art, one game is fighting back in a small but beautiful way. The Binding of Isaac first came out back in September of 2011. Since that time, however, Edmund McMillen and his development team have been releasing expansions and add-ons for…
By Ethan Gach Published March 19, 2017 -
American Says In 2007 It’s His Dream To Work At Nintendo, Winds Up In Credits For Breath Of The Wild
Everyone has a dream. Corey Bunnell’s was to one day work for Nintendo. But he wasn’t sure how to make that happen so he asked for advice one day on a forum. That was ten years ago. This month, Nintendo shipped The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild with his name in the credits…
By Ethan Gach Published March 18, 2017 -
Esports
Breath of the Wild Speedrunner Gets Minutes Away From World Record, Watches Game Freeze
The race to rush through Breath of the Wild has produced blistering speedruns. A run on track for a new world record came to a sudden end yesterday due to a deadly foe: technical issues. The current world record for Breath of the Wild is well under an hour. Currently, Orcastraw hold the top spot…
By Heather Alexandra Published March 17, 2017 -
How To Build An Airship In Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Move over, Final Fantasy—the newest Zelda has its own airship, and it won’t kill you every time you try to land. The only catch is that you have to build it yourself. Here’s how to make your very own artisanal Breath of the Wild airship: Step 1) Get lots of Octo Balloons (by killing Octoroks).…
By Jason Schreier Published March 17, 2017 -
The BestsThe 12 Best Games for the Wii U
Hail, ye Nintendo faithful! Loyal folk that you are, a Wii U rests beneath your TV. The console never quite hit its stride and has now been replaced by the Nintendo Switch, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still some good games for it. Check out the list below for the games that make the…
Kotaku Staff Published March 16, 2017 -
Culture
Tell Us About Your Video Game Pets
We often get attached to animals in video games. Yesterday I wrote about my sweetest, most darling friend: Raincloud, my horse in Breath of the Wild. She’s precious, I love her, and if anything bad ever happens to her I will murder everyone in Hyrule. You all seem just as obsessed with your horses as…
By Gita Jackson Published March 16, 2017 -
Fire Emblem Heroes Gives Me The Structure I Need Right Now
Mobile gaming is a pitfall of crude monetizations and flash in the pan games. Most people I know have moved on from Fire Emblem Heroes. But it’s become a crucial part of my day to day. Initially, Fire Emblem Heroes provided a gateway to the other games. The bright characters and their brash personas ignited a…
By Heather Alexandra Published March 16, 2017 -
Four Indie Games Launch On Nintendo Switch
For all of the hullabaloo about the Switch having a minuscule launch lineup, Nintendo’s hybrid system has actually come out stronger than most new consoles. That’s mostly thanks to Zelda, of course, but there’s also Specter Knight and now a bunch of indies coming to the Switch this week. Next time Nintendo updates the Switch…
By Jason Schreier Published March 16, 2017