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“Oh, You Know. I Blew Up Some Cows Today.”
Hello Kotaku. Happy weekend! I hope you’re going to have a good one. I sure am. Let’s get right to the open thread today. Here, as always, are some things from around the internet: “Forest Service may blow up frozen cows in cabin” – You need nothing but this headline. This is the greatest headline.…
By Kirk Hamilton Published April 20, 2012 -
Bubble Witch Saga Makes Me Appreciate Facebook Games’ Manufactured Limitations
Take the addictive bubble-popping gameplay of Bust-a-Move, toss in the enticing random chance of Peggle, and you’ve got Bubble Witch Saga, a Facebook game so addictive I’d be playing it right now if I hadn’t run out of lives. The last time I played a full console version of Taito’s Bust-a-Move bubble-popping puzzle game was…
By Mike Fahey Published April 20, 2012 -
The Week in Evil DLC
Downloadable content. Everyone hates it—but everyone buys it. Yes, even you in the comments, smart guy. Here’s a look at the latest package of extensions and pre-order bonuses designed to crowbar the last dollar out of your wallet. Can you still respect yourself if you buy it? LittleBigPlanet Karting: Kevin Butler Sackboy skin Available: Later…
By Owen Good Published April 20, 2012 -
Trials Evolution‘s Soundtrack Is So Bad It’s Like They’re Kidding
When a game gets as many things right as Trials Evolution, it’s all the more noticeable when it gets something wrong. And man, this game’s soundtrack is all wrong. It hits you in the face before the main menu has even loaded. This conflagration of spitty, grunted vocals, dry audio production and slightly distorted yet…
By Kirk Hamilton Published April 20, 2012 -
Ebony and Ivory: The Xbox’s Black and White Buttons, in Imperfect Harmony
Dusting off some old friends on the original Xbox I was given back in January reacquainted me with several happy memories—and the two worst features in the history of console video gaming controllers: The black and white buttons. I realize we’re more than five years removed from their reign of terror, but as the long…
By Owen Good Published April 20, 2012 -
Anger is Rising
Let’s blow off some steam. It’s time for Kotaku‘s Anger Management hour.
By Owen Good Published April 20, 2012 -
Gabe Newell’s Opinion About EA’s Steam Competitor Is Full of Awkward Pauses
Valve Software boss Gabe Newell has said kind things before about mega-publisher EA’s upstart rival to Valve’s popular PC gaming service Steam. That may have seemed charitable, given that EA’s new Origin service competes with Steam and even by EA’s own standards may not be as good as Steam for years. So, how’s Gabe liking…
By Stephen Totilo Published April 20, 2012 -
What ‘Unexpected’ Game Is Capcom Teasing Now?
Capcom will reveal an “unexpected” new game in next week’s edition of Famitsu, Andriasang reports today. We don’t know anything about it yet, but I’ve got some suggestions for the Japanese publisher: Breath of Fire V Mega Man Legends: ‘Sorry We Screwed You Guys Over’ Edition Phoenix Wright x Tekken DLC: The Experience Marvel vs.…
By Jason Schreier Published April 20, 2012 -
Cam Newton Challenges His Madden Cover Rival, But He’ll Play Anybody—Even You
News and notes from around the world of sports video gaming: • Cam Newton, the NFL’s consensus rookie of the year (and, according to Yahoo! Sports, the second-most valuable player in the entire league) is taking his final-round matchup with Calvin Johnson for the Madden NFL 13 cover very seriously. In this seven minute video…
By Owen Good Published April 20, 2012 -
Against Long Odds, a Gamer Still Relentlessly Pursues Perfection
T.J. Brida is doing just fine, thank you for asking. “I’m definitely proud of how far I went, definitely proud of myself,” he told me yesterday. After losing his bid at a perfect game, and a shot at $1 million dollars, in the most anguishing way imaginable, Brida did come back to Major League Baseball…
By Owen Good Published April 20, 2012 -
This Game Of Thrones Drinking Game Will Have You Wasted in 10 Minutes Flat
Watching Game of Thrones is fun, but you know what’s more fun? Watching Game of Thrones while totally smashed Thanks to artist Lucylle, we’ve got what might be the most comprehensive (and dangerous) Game of Thrones drinking game ever. She put this together just as the second season started, and now that I’ve seen a…
By Kirk Hamilton Published April 20, 2012 -
The Week in Gaming Apps is Gonna Make You Sweat
I turn my back for just a second and the Week in Gaming Apps goes fitness crazy, or at least two apps more fitness-centric than my restroom-based iPhone gaming sessions will allow. I mean, I guess I could run around in the restroom while playing Zombies, Run!, but there is limited space in there, and…
By Mike Fahey Published April 20, 2012 -
Here’s How Torchlight 2 Starts
The developers at Runic Games know you’ve been waiting. Their long-brewing RPG sequel was supposed to be out last year, to give even players a dose of hack-and-loot before the even longer-brewing Diablo III came out. Now, Blizzard’s game will be hitting shelves before Torchlight 2 So, the powers-that-be at Runic have offered up the…
By Evan Narcisse Published April 20, 2012 -
This Video Game Actually Treats Teenagers’ Depression
Usually when “video games” and “depression” show up in a sentence together, there’s a research team trying to prove that playing video games causes or at least correlates with depression, especially in kids and teens. This time, however, the news is much more positive: at least one video game out there, it seems, can actually…
By Kate Cox Published April 20, 2012 -
Gabriel Knight Creator’s New Game Will Have a Matrix Twist, Star the Awesomely Named ‘Malachi Rector’
Adventure games have changed a lot over the past twenty years. And now, thanks largely to Tim Schafer’s super-successful 3.4-million-dollar Kickstarter, we’re about to get a whole lot more of them. Schafer isn’t the only adventure game luminary getting into the Kickstarter business. Jane Jensen, the creator of the beloved 1990’s occult adventure series Gabriel…
By Kirk Hamilton Published April 20, 2012 -
Gabe Newell Updates Interviewer On The Status of (Wink, Wink) ‘Ricochet 2‘
After asking Valve Software boss Gabe Newell a bunch of questions about the Half-Life games on the new Seven Day Cooldown podcast, an interviewer finally cut to the chase: “My final question and the question in the back of all your fans’ minds and everyone has been waiting to ask you for a long time:…
By Stephen Totilo Published April 20, 2012 -
This Is Where You Nominate This Week’s Best Comment
Hello Kotaku. Are you aware that it is Friday? I am very aware that it is Friday. And Friday means that it’s time you all gather and vote someone onto the Island that is Best of Kotaku, which runs every Saturday morning. As always, don’t vote yourself onto the island. Only your peers have that…
By Tina Amini Published April 20, 2012 -
Earthbound, The Trippiest Game In RPG History
Today seems like the perfect day to reminisce about Earthbound, a Japanese role-playing game that is best described as a 16-bit electronic acid trip. Earthbound, which Nintendo originally unleashed upon the United States in June of 1995, is in many ways a traditional turn-based JRPG. It draws much of its inspiration from the original Dragon…
By Jason Schreier Published April 20, 2012