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Kotaku Melodic Starts Here
And welcome to Kotaku Melodic, your Thursday night spot for all things musical and video gamey. We’re going to get to listen to a lot of good stuff, so plug in your stereo or headphones. Two-drink minimum, please no flash-photography during the show.
By Kirk Hamilton Published February 16, 2012 -
Futurama, Street Fighter and Last Airbender Leap onto SoulCalibur V‘s Stage of History
We already knew that SoulCalibur V‘s character creator is powerful enough to allow you to create all sorts of messes, but this ups the ante one notch more. From recognizable characters of other famous fighting franchises to completely random (but equally recognizable) characters like Zoidberg or the cast of Community, the gallery of characters fans…
By Tina Amini Published February 16, 2012 -
Penny Arcade’s Game Ratings PSAs Make Learning Fun
You come to Kotaku every day, right? So it stands to reason that you know all about the E through M ratings that grace the boxes of video games in America. But if you’re not a regular reader of this fine site—say, one who buys video games for a younger lifeform—you may not even know…
By Evan Narcisse Published February 16, 2012 -
Why a Former Nintendo Developer Loves the Vita
One of the most interesting parts of reaching one’s thirties is seeing how impermanent, flexible, and downright unexpected someone’s career path can end up being. Such is the case with Motoi Okamoto Previously having worked on a decade’s worth of Nintendo titles, including Pikmin, Super Mario Sunshine, and Wii Play, Okamoto left Nintendo in 2008…
By Kate Cox Published February 16, 2012 -
Activision Boss Bobby Kotick Has a Coca-Cola Board of Directors Position and a Smile
President and CEO of Activision Bobby Kotick joins the board of directors of The Coca-Cola Company today, applying his business talents to the makers of the most popular carbonated beverage in the world. Can flavor-based DLC be far behind? [Coca-Cola – Thanks, Tal!]
By Mike Fahey Published February 16, 2012 -
This Teaser Probably Means That a New MechAssault Game’s on the Way
Day 1 Studio’s currently running a 30-second clip on their site with a giant robot foot stomping into the ground. Odds are that this presages an announcement about a new giant-robot-suit combat game, since they’re touting this as a return to their roots. The Chicago-based collective last turned out the well-regarded FEAR 3 for Warner…
By Evan Narcisse Published February 16, 2012 -
Sazh, Card Games, and Bikinis All To Be Final Fantasy XIII-2 DLC
Square Enix is continuing to keep the ball rolling on Final Fantasy XIII-2 DLC. Their previous entry brought Lightning and Master Sergeant Amodar to the game; the next will bring Sazh. The downloadable episode, called “Sazh: Heads or Tails?” allows players to take the title character through a story of his own that runs in…
By Kate Cox Published February 16, 2012 -
Mortal Kombat Vita Trailer Has Me Craving Augmented Fatalities
In an attempt to demonstrate how Mortal Kombat on the PS Vita can be played anywhere, anytime, Warner Bros. and NetherRealm Studios get augmented reality fans all excited for nothing. Unfortunately we won’t be recreating the epic battle between Sub-Zero and Scorpion on our city streets any time soon, at least not on the Vita.…
By Mike Fahey Published February 16, 2012 -
Some of the Features in Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus Are… Touching
We’ve been spending some time with Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus, the Vita port of the PlayStation 3 action game that bears the same name. It’s basically just Ninja Gaiden Sigma with a few new features. Check out the video below for a brief demonstration of touchscreen-supported Ninpo powers and some of the other mechanics this…
By Chris Person Published February 16, 2012 -
They’re Sending Copies of Mass Effect 3 Into Space Next Week
The people behind Mass Effect 3 will hoist copies of the sci-fi game into space via weather balloons next week. Gamers in Berlin, Las Vegas, London, New York, Paris and San Francisco can track (via MassEffect.com), catch and play them.
By Stephen Totilo Published February 16, 2012 -
Here’s Why Master Chief’s Going to Look Different in Halo 4
343 Industries, you so sneaky. We’ve already noticed that the Microsoft division tasked with the future of all things Halo debuted the new look of the sci-fi shooter series’ hero at Toy Fair 2012. And the Chief’s new duds are quite different. Leaner, meaner and perhaps more aerodynamic. Since we’ve gotten a good look at…
By Evan Narcisse Published February 16, 2012 -
Zelda Just Keeps Getting Worse. But It Isn’t Beyond Saving
Late in the original Zelda’s second quest, I got stuck. I couldn’t find the relocated and very well-hidden eighth dungeon. Then one night I had a dream in which I took a map of Hyrule and drew large circles around the other seven dungeons. Somehow I had figured that dungeons were probably not right beside…
Tevis Thompson Published February 16, 2012 -
Razer Arms the Earth with Mass Effect 3 Gaming Gear
Did you think dropping $60 on a copy of Mass Effect 3 next month would be enough to save the Earth from the impending Reaper invasion? Is the Earth truly safe if you don’t buy a Mass Effect branded keyboard, mouse, Xbox 360 controller, or iPhone case? Of course it is. This is reality, and…
By Mike Fahey Published February 16, 2012 -
Prototype 2 Makes You a Meaner, Blacker and More Powerful Weapon of Destruction
The first Prototype made me feel ugly. Radical’s open-world action game tore through the city I love and live in, having me eat people—some of them innocent civilians—and destroy city blocks in the name of its plot. Prototype 2‘s probably going to make me feel worse. I’m immediately struck by how much better Radical’s return…
By Evan Narcisse Published February 16, 2012 -
Canabalt Creator Diving into The Hunger Games for iOS
Adam Saltsman, the man behind games like Canabalt and Gravity Hook, has signed on to develop an action game based on the popular Hunger Games book series. It will “go along with” the film, which releases this March. [Adam Saltsman]
By Jason Schreier Published February 16, 2012 -
WTPT: A New Max Payne 3 Trailer to Watch and an Addictive Platformer to Play
It’s Thursday, which means it’s almost Friday, which means it’s almost the weekend! That’s a reason to celebrate, right? Let’s celebrate with some games and videos. I think we’d all like that. WATCH: Feast your eyes on this short film, entitled Project S.E.R.A., depicting a woman forced to watch her father turn into a zombie…
By Tina Amini Published February 16, 2012 -
The Minecraft Studio Is Building A New Game. In One Weekend
Minecraft developer Mojang will design a new game this weekend and live stream the entire process. All of the proceeds will go to charity. Fans can vote on the game’s genre on Mojang’s website, where real-time strategy is currently winning
By Jason Schreier Published February 16, 2012 -
Blow Things Up and Then Contemplate Your Actions in Unmanned
Today’s Play This features the flash game we covered yesterday that puts you in the shoes of a UAV pilot. From Evan’s hands-on: As you shave the character’s face, sit at the controls of a drone plane flying over the Middle East and play parodies of Call of Duty and Battlefield-style first-person shooters with his…
By Tina Amini Published February 16, 2012 -
iPhone Platforming Actually Doesn’t Suck in League of Evil 2
It’s no secret that controls for games on the iOS platform are often wonky and uncomfortable. We tend to forgive developers for this more than we’d ideally like to when it comes to our iPhones and iPads, if only to appreciate the game in question for its other qualities. The first League of Evil proved…
By Tina Amini Published February 16, 2012