Nintendo

Smash Bros. Players Have Invented…’Smashketball’

Ever since Super Smash Bros. came out for the Wii U, players have been playing around with the game’s new stage builder. While many fans have focused on recreating their favorite stages from past games, one idea has stood out because of its novelty: turning Smash into a particularly silly version of…basketball? That’s right. Shortly…

Nintendo Warns Not All Amiibo Will Get A Second Run

Following a tweet over the weekend from Canadian game store Video Games Plus indicating the Marth, Wii Fit Trainer and Animal Crossing Villager Amiibo figures had been discontinued, Nintendo tells Kotaku that some figures “likely will not return to the market” once their initial shipment sells out. “Nintendo has officially discontinued Marth, Wii Fit Trainer…

Everyone’s Trying To Figure Out The New Zelda‘s Map

Nintendo’s surprise Zelda footage reveal was the highlight of the Game Awards last Friday night, and with it came a close look at what appears to be the full world map for the upcoming Wii U game. Of course, the Internet is already exploding with theories about what’s on that map and how it’s all…

Earthbound Rap Mashup Is Appropriately Odd

Earthbound might be old enough to warrant the moniker “cult classic” at this point, but Nintendo’s beloved SNES-era RPG has still managed to win over new fans ever since it came to the Wii U last year. One such player fell in love with the game so wholly that he’s now honored it with—what else?—a…

Smash Bros.’ Most Famous Moment, Explained

Six years ago, a clip of a Smash Bros. match titled “WOMBO COMBO!!!!” was uploaded to YouTube. It showed three Fox characters and one Captain Falcon in Melee—nothing that sounds out of the ordinary. Except the clip has been watched over five million times. Watching it, even if you don’t know what’s going on, it’s…

Why You Shouldn’t Battle Someone That Owns Hacked Pokémon

Things can get out of hand pretty quick when someone has hacked their Pokémon. But if it’s not against an actual person, a hacked Pokémon battle can be pretty hilarious. One of the first battles you experience in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire is against a little kid that challenges you precisely because you look…

Cash Registers in Japan Play Final Fantasy Music 

Image buying something at your local Lawson convenience store and when the clerk rings up the register, you hear a Final Fantasy Victory Fanfare. Don’t imagine it, because until Dececember 25, it’s happening. According to Inside Games, customers who purchase a copy of Final Fantasy Magazine 2014 Winter or Nintendo 3DS game Final Fantasy Explorers…

Too Many Super Smash Bros. 

It takes a lot to make a Smash Bros. crew, Kirby Ness and King Dedede too. Oh yeah, this is happening. Gamblor sends us his inevitable mash-up of Super Smash Bros. Wii U and Adult Swim’s ridiculously popular fake sitcom, Too Many Cooks. Thankfully it’s just a series of images bereft of the stupidly catchy…

Pokémon’s Other Mysterious, Unreleased Legendary

Last year, hackers found mythical Pokémon hidden inside X & Y–-Diancie, Hoopa, and Volcanion. Since then, one of these Pokémon has been released: Diancie. Two of them, however, haven’t. Here’s what we know about the most mysterious of the three. Earlier this week I wrote Hoopa, a Pokémon that has ties to the lore of…

Nintendo’s Creators Show Off Next Year’s Massive, New Wii U Zelda 

Here’s a nice surprise: Nintendo’s top developers playing their huge new open-world 2015Zelda game. Marvelous! Nintendo just showed off that new Zelda at The Game Awards via a video recorded at the company’s studios in Japan. Zelda lead producer Eiji Aonuma controlled the game while original Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto added some commentary. The game…

Smash Bros Characters Would Be Passive-Aggressive Jerks In Real Life

Smash Bros characters wouldn’t fight in real life. Instead they’d do something much worse: argue. Loudly, quietly, passive-aggressively, on Facebook, or entirely silently, in Link’s case. Prepare to watch your childhood heroes be total dicks to each other. Buzzfeed brings us this video of characters like Mario, Luigi, Link, Zelda, and Pikachu “fighting for real,”…

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker: The Kotaku Review

In a year full of multiplayer Mario Karts and Smash Bros., those of us who prefer Nintendo creations meant to be played solo finally have something new to enjoy. Well, it’s mostly something “new.” Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is basically a fresh set of 70 or so levels that expand on the design ideas of…

A Legendary Pokémon That’s Become Kind Of Overpowered

One of the coolest additions to Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire is a certain Pokémon that can mega evolve without having to hold a mega stone. It’s also a tweak that kind of breaks said Pokémon. Meet Rayquaza, a flying/dragon type Pokémon. If you’ve followed any of Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire’s marketing, you know…

The New 3DS Has A Cool Musical Easter Egg

Some gamers who’ve already picked up Nintendo’s new-and-improved 3DS have discovered a wonderfully squee-inducing secret buried inside the console. If you tap out the beginning notes of Mario’s iconic theme music when in the browser menu, the interface will turn into the classic block-breaking arcade game Breakout. Everyone knows the first bar of the Super…

How Pokémon‘s Most Unorthodox Flyers Really Work

Some Pokémon with the ability to fly, like the three-headed Dodrio above, just look too weird for us to believe they’re actually able to do it. This is where Tumblr user Cheesyturtle‘s serious scientific explanations come in, in the form of animated gifs. One Pokémon for each Gen. The first one is above, here are…

Smash Bros. Creator Doesn’t Think He’ll Make a Sequel

From the sound of it, Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai has had enough. However, that doesn’t mean there won’t be more Smash Bros. games in the future. There just might not be Masahiro Sakurai Smash Bros. games. According to CVG, Sakurai discussed his future Smash Bros. involvement in an interview with Game Informer “I can’t…

From December 9 in Japan, Nintendo 3DS owners can use digital money cards for payment while shopping with the handhelds. Simply touch e-money cards like Suica to either 3DS or 3DS XL’s bottom screen. A similar service was rolled out for the Wii U in Japan earlier this summer. [via Famitsu]

100 Year-Old Nintendo Souvenir Is An International Treasure

Erik Voskuil, who runs the excellent Before Mario, has a very special piece of Nintendo history in his personal collection. And no, it’s not badass Lego. It’s this promotional calendar, given out to advertise Nintendo’s card business. In 1915. And while the age itself is impressive, it’s the little touches reminding us of this bygone…

Capture Pokémon In A Totally New Way On The Oculus Rift

Forget about pressing buttons. In this fan-made Pokémon demo, you get to actually pick up the Pokeball with your hand, and throw it at the Pokemon you want to capture. Whoa. It’s not the most robust thing—battle animations are limited, and we only see one encounter from the same angle. And why is Magnemite hiding…

The Legendary Pokémon That Only Hackers Own

Last year, hackers discovered a handful of Pokémon hidden inside the code of Pokémon X & Y.The Pokémon were called Diancie, Volcanion, and Hoopa. They looked cool, but, unfortunately, the series’ developers at Game Freak didn’t officially release any of them at the time. All the average player could do was look at screenshots of…