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Solving The Mystery Of LA Noire’s Gameplay
LA Noire’s facial animations have gotten a great deal of attention, but Rockstar’s gritty crime thriller is more than just a pretty face. Check out the first in a series of videos investigating the gameplay of LA Noire. LA Noire mixes action and adventure gaming in a way I never knew I wanted. I was…
By Mike Fahey Published February 9, 2011 -
Duke Nukem Forever Is A Tawdry, Sometimes Gratifying, Spectacle
Viewed as the fulfillment of a nearly 14-year-old promise, Duke Nukem Forever delivers on all fronts. But held up to the polish, the technical marvels and the intricacies of the modern day shooter, this game – so belated it is almost mythical – is spectacularly underwhelming. That doesn’t mean Duke Nukem Forever isn’t fun to…
By Brian Crecente Published February 9, 2011 -
Only One Man Can Bring Angry Birds And Pigs Together
Angry birds and thieving pigs are mortal enemies, but if they would just take the time to compare each other to a kiss from a rose maybe everything would be okay. I’ve played a lot of Angry Birds, and I’ve often wondered what goes through the minds of my troops in the moments between landing…
By Mike Fahey Published February 9, 2011 -
How Do You Break Out Of A Gaming Funk?
Today in Speak-Up on Kotaku, commenter Wocalax needs your help breaking out of a two month long gaming funk. How do you rekindle the love in your relationship with video games? I haven’t been hooked on game for about two months and it really bums me out. I tried to res-park my love for FIFA…
By Mike Fahey Published February 9, 2011 -
New Batman Arkham City Comic Has Downloadable Content, Oddly Enough
Fans of Detective Comics, Batman, Batman & Robin, Gotham City Sirens, Streets of Gotham, Batman Inc., Batman: Dark Knight, and Superman/Batman can soon celebrate the launch of another Batman comic: Batman: Arkham City. This one’s based on the video game. The new comic also has downloadable content. How weird is that? Batman: Arkham City (the…
By Stephen Totilo Published February 9, 2011 -
Follicle Follies, From The Atari Age Until Now
There are approximately 100,000 hair follicles on the human head. Over the past three decades, video game developers have valiantly attempted to render them all. We’ve charted those attempts in one massively hairy infographic. Hair is one of the most difficult features of the human body to render accurately. Not only are there 100,000 pieces…
By Mike Fahey Published February 9, 2011 -
Talk Amongst Yourselves
This is the official Kotaku forum, a place for you to discuss video games. Today’s image comes from OrbitofGlass who bravely defied our 640×360 image size requirements. OrbitofGlass also bravely submitted an image even though we currently don’t support image uploads (only link-sharing) over at #TAYpics. Tech tells me image uploading will be back at…
By Stephen Totilo Published February 9, 2011 -
Pick Up The Original, Pick Up The Pace
Headed over to Costco in Hyogo Prefecture to get Pace Picante sauce. Mmmmmmm. Costco is really popular in Japan, and folks seem to dig buying large jars of mayonaise. As they should! Really love Pace Picante sauce. It’s so great. Sony Doesn’t Know Who It’s Taking To Court As part of its crusade to crush…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 9, 2011 -
Sing Like Low-Life Thugs
Never one to shy away from real world cross promotions, Japanese crime game Yakuza: Of The End lets gamers belt out tunes that feature two of the game’s characters in the cheesy sing-a-long music video. Main character Kiryu Kazuma will appear and sing along to MachineGun Kiss, a tune he sang in Yakuza 4 as…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 9, 2011 -
Make Quick Cash On The Nintendo 3DS By Unloading It
On February 26, the Nintendo 3DS is going on sale in Japan. Demand for the product is reaching close to the fever pitch that the DS Lite experienced when it released in Japan in 2006. So those looking to turn a quick buck, er yen, can. A photo snapped apparently outside Japanese retail chain Mandai…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 9, 2011 -
So Many Japanese People Desire The NGP
Sony’s upcoming portable, codenamed Next Generation Portable or NGP, looks great and seems to play great, too. Japanese gamers were asked if they want it, and, oh yes, they do. In a reader poll in the latest issue of game mag Famitsu, 76.2 percent of Japanese gamers stated that they wanted the NGP. Only 7.9…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 9, 2011 -
This Man Wants Violent Games (And Halloween!) Banned In Panama
Panamanian politician Alcibiades Vasquez Velasquez is a man on a mission. A mission to save the children of Panama from the horrors of the modern world. Velasquez has put his name on a bill – Proposal 111 – in Panama’s National Assembly that wants to ban the sale and distribution of all violent video games.…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 9, 2011 -
Is The End Of Gaming Handhelds Near?
Video game handhelds are getting a run for their money, and they’re getting it from smartphones. But are they good enough as dedicated handheld game machines? Most serious games would offer a curt “no”. As Doom programmer John Carmack points, it is possible to create game for platforms like the iPhone that look as good…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 9, 2011 -
Germany Cuts Bulletstorm’s Legs Off
Upcoming shooter Bulletstorm, which is revelling in its violent trimmings, has had to face a reckoning of sorts in Germany, with much of the game’s trademark content cut just so it could be released. In order to get even a USK18+ rating — one which prohibits sale of the game to those under the age…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 9, 2011 -
The World’s Most Delicious StarCraft II Player Offers You Tasty Fruit
Twenty-five year-old StarCraft II player Kim Won Gi took the South Korean gaming world by storm last year. Some might know him by his pro-gaming handle “Cool”, but to many, he’s “FruitDealer”, one of the best StarCraft II players there is. Kim earned the “FruitDealer” moniker because he helps his mother run a food stall.…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 9, 2011 -
Could This Be The Future Of Typing On A Control Pad?
Having to enter letters and numbers via a control pad sucks, as anyone typing out credit card numbers or download codes on an Xbox 360 or PS3 will attest. If only there was a way to make this necessary evil easier… Maybe there us! This is called the “Circboard”, and going by the explanation provided…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 9, 2011 -
This Child Sleeps In A Mario Paradise
Casey Fleser and his wife thought it would be cool to paint their son’s room in a Super Mario Bros. theme. So they did. And the end result makes the word “theme” sell it a little short. The room doesn’t just have a few bits of Mario-related stuff thrown up on the wall. No, this…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 9, 2011 -
Can Somebody Please Help This Lady Find Her Monsters?
This past weekend, collectible figurine event Wonder Festival was held in Chiba, Japan. Collectors and cosplayers gathered for the festivities. Voice actress Haruna Ikezawa was in attendance, and she ended up having a rotten time. Haruna Ikezawa lost her PSP. Known for her roles voicing Athena in The King of Fighters games and Momoka in…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 9, 2011 -
The Xbox 360 Experiences A Mid-Life Crisis In Japan
The Wii is easy to peg — family-friendly and fun. The PS3 is also easy to categorize — slick and high-tech. But in Japan, the Xbox 360 has a category of its own. And that’s starting to change. It was former Dead or Alive designer Tomonobu Itagaki who is quoted as saying that nobody buys…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 9, 2011