Nintendo

Pokémon Candy Comes with an Important Warning

In the Pokémon game, Rare Candy can be used to increase the level of a Pocket Monster. In Japan, you can buy Rare Candy (“fushigi na ame” or ふしぎなアメ) at Pokémon Centers across the country. But, bad news… As the candy’s label clearly states, “Even if you eat the candy, you will not raise your…

A Tribute To Fire Emblem‘s Most Gloriously Overpowered Character

The opening hours of Fire Emblem: Awakening can be harrowing. As with most role-playing games, your characters all start out pretty weak. It’s a long road to mastery—you’ll have to win many battles, earn enough money to afford better gear, and plunder treasure chests for rare spells before it starts to feel like your a-team…

It’s Super Mario As An Endless Runner, With Rabbits.

If Nintendo made games for mobile phones, an endless running Super Mario platformer would be a no-brainer. Since Nintendo does not make games for mobile phones, HeiGames is making Super Bunny Land, which is close enough. Don’t worry Nintendo, we’ve got this. That’s the message indie developers are sending with games like Banana Kong and…

This Legend of Zelda Vocal Arrangement Gave Me Chills

I’m sure it has something to do with the fact that lately, “Fi’s Theme” from Skyward Sword has sort of become my favorite piece of Zelda music. So, I very much enjoyed this vocal performance from Laura Shigihara. Shigihara is perhaps best known as the composer of the music for Plants vs. Zombies, though she’s…

What People Used To Say About The Game Boy

3D without glasses? No thanks. I’ll take my monochrome sprites and go and have some real fun. The Game Boy was kind of a big deal. Revolutionary, even. Console-quality games on the go? Great Scott. Let’s look at what people thought of that. “Game Boy promises ‘any game, anywhere.’ It has a 2 1/2-inch LCD…

Download title Pokémon Scramble U allows 100 Pokémon to fight at once. It’s slated for this spring in Japan.

Naming Your Son “Pikachu” Will Get Him Girls. Wait, What?

Selecting names ain’t easy—especially in Japan. Some Japanese parents consult with fortune tellers in hopes of picking a name that will bring their child good luck. One soothsayer has one. That name is Pikachu. Kotaku previously covered why Pikachu is a terrible name for Japanese children. Today, a fortune teller tells us why it’s a…

A Beautiful GIF Of My Most Hated Video Game Enemy

Look, I know if there was a list of the top 100 toughest bosses in video gaming, Minish Cap’s Vaati wouldn’t make the cut. There are NES games, or games that end in “Souls”, that are way harder than any handheld adventure Nintendo has ever conjured for Link. But for me, for some reason, I…

The Heroes And Villains Of Fire Emblem Wish You Happy Valentine’s Day

It’s Valentine’s Day, and so lots of video game companies are putting out goofy cards to celebrate. But what about Fire Emblem: Awakening, one of the most romantic games in recent memory? What would Fire Emblem Valentines look like? Cute, it turns out. The Nintendo 3DS Facebook Page has shared some fun Valentines based on…

Nintendo Keeps Trying To Be My Mom. It’s Weird, But Maybe More Developers Should Try It, Too.

It’s 4am. I’m lying down in bed, barely holding up my 3DS. By that point, I’ve been playing Fire Emblem: Awakening all night—long enough that I wouldn’t blame anyone for wondering if I’m sharp enough to keep pretending I’m still a competent tactician. But, I don’t care. The game has me wired; it’s that good.…

This Week’s Nintendo Download Takes You Out into the Streets and Gives You Rabbids

I’ve never, ever seen a Google Street View truck out in the wild. And now that I think about it, I don’t know that I want to. It’d be a little creepy, knowing that its magic penetrating cameras are sucking all the data out of my pores without my permission. But if you want to…

Don’t Look Now, But The 3DS Has Become The Best Gaming Machine Out There

Two years ago, Nintendo was in trouble. The House of Mario had just released a brand new handheld system with impressive 3D graphics, but nobody seemed to care. Sales were sluggish and reception wasn’t great. So they did something drastic: just six months after releasing the 3DS, Nintendo slashed the system’s price from $250 to…

For Those Unmoved by 3DS Mario Sequels, Nintendo Has New Downloadable Alternatives

Nintendo has been so busy announcing sequels to every Mario sub-franchise that you can think of—new sidescrollers, new 3D platformers, new Golf, and Mario & Luigi—that you’d think they don’t have anything else. Well, other than Zeldas. Not quite. As they’ve quietly been doing, Nintendo is continuing to create and add to new franchises through…

Animal Crossing: New Leaf Gets A Relaxing New Trailer

Ain’t no dubstep here! The new trailer for Animal Crossing: New Leaf, which will be out on 3DS June 9, is calm and relaxing, just like the popular game series.

Watch This Morning’s Entire Nintendo Direct Right Here

This morning’s Nintendo Direct presentation was packed with announcements and trailers for new games on the 3DS and Wii U. You can watch all 37 minutes right here.

Donkey Kong Country Returns Is… Returning and Heading to the 3DS

Nintendo is bringing Donkey Kong Country Returns to the 3DS. The remake is currently in development and will take advantage of the 3DS’ glasses-free 3D feature. It is slated for a summer release in Japan and North America. Known as Donkey Kong Returns in Japan, the game, the game was originally out on the Nintendo…

Animal Crossing: New Leaf will be out for 3DS on June 9, Nintendo said today.

New Mario & Luigi RPG Will Take Place In Luigi’s Dreams

Nintendo just announced a new installment in the Mario & Luigi role-playing game series, and it looks absolutely insane. The new game is set in Luigi’s dreams, and it lets you rub Luigi’s face on the bottom screen as you adventure with both plumbers on the top screen. This is the fourth entry in the…

New Nintendo Direct coming your way at 9am Eastern. Watch it live here, or check Kotaku for news as it happens.

So The Wii U’s Touchscreen Can Do Amazing Zelda Sketches

As you’ve seen in our regular Miiverse Moments feature, Nintendo’s online community is a place where people don’t just chat, but doodle. Like their lives depended on it. I’ve seen some good sketches over the weeks turning up on various game pages, but nothing like this epic Zelda image, which spans four panels and has…