Nintendo

Get This Awesome Free Book From Nintendo

Nintendo’s Japanese website launched a big update for Super Mario Maker today, and part of includes a neat surprise: a free pdf version of the fancy little coffee table book that otherwise comes with boxed copies the game. The relevant section on the site can be found here, and once you get there, click here…

Creator of ‘Hardest Super Mario World Level Ever’ Says Copyright Crackdown Gutted His YouTube Channel

Some of the most impressive Super Mario creations took years to make—and now they’re gone, at least on YouTube. Earlier this month, speedrunner Alex “PangaeaPanga” tweeted that his YouTube channel had been “wrecked.” Taking a closer look, I noted that even the popular video titled Item Abuse 3—which was billed as the “hardest Super Mario…

Everything one needs to play Mario Kart 8 in a $299 box. Nintendo has announced a new ongoing version of the Wii U that comes bundled with its popular racing game and an eShop download card for its two DLC packs. It’s available across the U.S. starting today. Vroom.

How Mario and Luigi Were Turned into Traditional Japanese Art 

This fall, a traditional Japanese screen painting with Mario and Luigi will go on display in Kyoto. Here is how that work of art was made. Nintendo released a video interview with the artist who did the piece, Taro Yamamoto. In it, Yamamoto talks about the work, which features Mario as the Japanese god of…

Nintendo Announces Pikmin 4 In The Weirdest Way

The fourth installment of the popular strategy title is in the works and “close to completion” according to Nintendo head designer Shigeru Miyamoto in an interview that’s over a month old. In a surprising move Eurogamer has suddenly announced what could be one of the biggest upcoming Nintendo games today, though they note the interview…

The Official Hello Kitty New Nintendo 3DS

Since Hello Kitty is put on just about anything, a Hello Kitty New Nintendo 3DS was only a matter of time. The Kitty-chan 3DS is outfitted with Hello Kitty faceplates (which are also sold separately for 2,000 yen or US$17) and is priced at 17,000 yen ($143). It goes on sale on November 28 in…

Kotaku ‘Shop Contest: Don’t Need A Game To Make Mario Levels: Winner!

You can’t make this stage in Super Mario Maker. In honor of this week’s release of Nintendo Wii U Mario creation tool, last week I tasked our image-manipulation experts to demonstrate what sort of Mario we could make without a $60 game. They certainly rose to the occasion. And while the brave and valorous Hundredgunner…

The Most Powerful Hit In Smash Bros. Requires Four People

Have you ever wondered how hard you can hit a character in Smash Bros. in a single go, without actually using an item? Science can answer that question. It’s unlikely anyone would pull the ridiculous stunt shown off by Beefy Smash Doods off in a normal Smash Bros. game, given how chaotic it is—but damn…

The Best Smash Bros. Player In The World Is Feeling Burnt Out

Playing video games professionally is such a strenuous and time-consuming job that pro gamers regularly run into the problem of burnout. The latest person to succumb to this unfortunate trend is Gonzalo “Zero” Barrios, the reigning champion of the Smash Bros.’ eSports scene. Ever since the Wii U version of Smash came out and tournaments…

Take A Break From Metal Gear And Play Nova-111

Have you heard of Nova-111? I barely had, but now I must show it to you. It’s a wonderful surprise of a video game. It’s partially turn-based, partially real-time. It’s action mixed with puzzles. Its on Xbox One, PS4, PS3, Vita, PC and Mac and is coming to Wii U. It just came out. It’s…

Pokémon Look Really Cool As Giant Mechs

Japanese artist 太斗· converts Pokémon into giant Japanese robots. And not just random ones, either, but characters from the Zoids universe. It’s a franchise that’s really popular in Japan in the form of model-kits. And indeed, they all look like images of an assembled mecha from a model-kit’s instruction manual. To contact the author of…

After allegations that the 2020 Tokyo Olympics logo was a rip-off, the logo has been withdrawn. Why not use this?

Why Japanese Splatoon Players Are Feared

From the sound of it, some English-speaking Splatoon players are either afraid of or annoyed with their Japanese counterparts. A few even hate playing against them. Earlier today, several popular Japanese game sites and blogs (here, here, and here) reported that some (not all!) international players do not enjoy online multiplayer with Japanese folks. The…

One Man’s Quest To Buy Every Amiibo In 24 Hours

Most retailers are suffering a shortage of certain rare Amiibo—some figurines, you just can’t find in a shop. Unless, of course, you happen to live in very specific places. Then you might be able to find just about any Amiibo you want. Last month, Twitter user UnlistedLeaf posted this picture online: People reacted pretty strongly…

The Super Mario Maker Manual Offers Helpful Life Advice, Too

It’s been a long while since a video game manual made me laugh or feel warm inside. The Mario Maker manual is something else indeed. Not only will you find some great tips on how to build courses in the Mario Maker manual… You’ll also find stuff like this in there: Aww, Nintendo. You’re so…

Smaller New 3DS Finally Coming To North America

Word from the ongoing GameStop Expo today is that Nintendo will finally release the smaller version of its New 3DS hardware in North America, responding to consumer demand and apparently making good on a hint the company gave us at E3 in June. Nintendo rapidly followed that with a press release making it all official,…

The Pokémon Company File Stupid Lawsuit Against PAX Party

The Pokémon Company, the business devoted entirely to managing all things Pokémon, has filed one hell of a lawsuit against the organisers of a PAX party that had been scheduled to go down last week. As Motherboard reports, the Unofficial Poke’mon (sic) PAX Kickoff Party is in trouble for two things: the first is using…

Kotaku ‘Shop Contest: Don’t Need A Game To Make Mario Levels

Nintendo’s Super Mario Maker arrives in North America on the 11th of September, allowing Wii U owners to craft their own crazy creations featuring the world’s most famous plumber. Until then, we have Photoshop. Come to think of it, after that we have Photoshop (or Gimp or Paint or PSP or whatever) as well. We…

Super Mario Maker Exposes More YouTube Copyright Stupidity

Two days ago, I uploaded a video to YouTube. It featured some awesome automatic Mario Maker levels that basically play themselves. Today, I was dinged with a copyright notice for that same video. The claimant was none other than…Playboy? I’m serious. I didn’t get flagged by Nintendo. Rather, I got flagged by Hugh Hefner’s operation.…

Meet the latest Amiibo: Shovel Knight. An indie game character! Nice move, Nintendo. He’ll unlock extra stuff in the Wii U and 3DS versions of Shovel Knight.