I forgot today was Leap Day. But the folks over at Rockstar Games didn’t and decided to have some fun by making all the daily challenges in Red Dead Online about jumping.
Saturday, 29 February 2020
To Celebrate Leap Day, All The Daily Challenges In Red Dead Online Involve Jumping
Malamar Has The Strongest Hypnotic Powers Of Any Pokemon (And Might Be Evil)
Every Pokemon is interesting and worth talking about. I don’t play a ton of Pokemon, but I do enjoy the universe and I love learning more about the creatures in it. So, Here’s Another Pokemon! It’s Malamar!
Smoosh
Hello! This week we fall asleep while playing games, learn about all the companies skipping GDC, ask how Greninja won Pokemon Of The Year, check out the new GTA Online DLC, fight some Ewoks and crush a Furby.
The 10 Mustards In My Fridge, Ranked
It’s a running gag in my household that we have too many dipping sauces. Specifically mustards. To me, there’s no such thing. But to my partner, well, let’s just say the words, “More mustard!?” come out of her mouth like a catchphrase.
Game Developers Conference Has Been 'Postponed' To Summer
Following the exit of several major exhibitors, the organizers of the Game Developers Conference said Friday that the show, originally scheduled to take place from March 16 to 20 in San Francisco, will be postponed until the summer due to concerns over the spread of coronavirus.
NZXT's New Mini Case Makes A Fine Little Gaming PC
Vertically-aligned boxes are beautiful. That’s the first thing I learned from NZXT’s H1 Mini PC, a new pre-configured gaming PC sporting the elegantly monolithic H1 mini-ITX case on the outside and impressive space economy on the inside.
The Best Kirby Game For Non-Kirby Fans
How can anyone not like Kirby? For this week’s episode of Kotaku Splitscreen, I got my two cohosts to try out Kirby: Planet Robobot because I won a bet. Kirk has never played a Kirby game before, whereas Jason is just a skeptic. By the time they’ve beaten this game, they’ll both be dedicated Kirby fans, just like me.
Overwatch's New Experimental Card Turns Tanks Into Powerhouses
It’s a longtime dream of mine to be extremely large and basically unkillable. I’ve yet to accomplish my goal in real life, but I will—mark my words. Until then, I’ve at least got Overwatch’s new experimental card, which turns tanks into nigh-unstoppable meat walls, to help me imagine a better world.
Can't Decide What To Play In Dreams? Try These
It’s not an exaggeration to say the possibilities in Dreams are endless. Media Molecule’s creativity game, which officially came out for PS4 a few weeks back, puts the tools of a developer in the hands of a gamer. It’s not the Frostbite Engine or iD Tech 4, but, on the other hand, you don’t need advanced training to…
Should I Share Internet Service With My Neighbor?
Great broadband internet costs a small fortune unless you’re blessed to live in a location that has a decent Fiber service for sub-$100 prices. (If so, do you need a roommate?)
EVE Online's Annual Fanfest Canceled Due To Coronavirus
EVE Online’s annual Fanfest event is the latest in a string of video game-related events to be negatively impacted by the spread of COVID-19, or coronavirus. EVE developer CCP Games announced today that the event, scheduled to take place April 2 through 4, would be canceled due to concerns of the spread of the virus.
Friday, 28 February 2020
The First Monster Hunter Movie Posters Are Here, and Giant Sword Giant Sword Giant Sword Giant Sword
Look: this movie is probably gonna be a hot mess. It’s Paul W.S. Anderson taking on a Capcom video game again, and we’ve just gotta hope it’s a Resident Evil: Retribution hot mess rather than a Resident Evil: The Final Chapter hot mess. But, I will say this: that sword continues to look great.
What Are You Playing This Weekend?
Who can play video games while Kotaku’s Riley MacLeod is off running his first half-marathon? I sure can. The weekend is for sitting comfortably inside a climate-controlled home playing video games while other people run.
Friday's Best Deals: Epson Home Cinema Projector, Kyoku Chef's Knife, Mario Party Switch Bundle, and More
A $550 Epson ful HD home cinema projector, a $33 Kyoku paring knife, and a Mario Party Switch bundle at Kohls head up Friday’s deals of the day. TGIF indeed.
Star Wars' Dee Bradley Baker Tells Us What He Loves About Ahsoka, Rex, and Clone Wars' Enduring Legacy
The Clone Wars is back, which can only mean a few things: One, some of our favorite Star Wars characters in the galaxy have returned. Two? It’s all about to end rather tragically for most of them. But Rex and Ahsoka will come out of the Clone War...mostly unscathed, and for the voice behind the former, their…
Crossy Road Castle Is Out For Apple Arcade, And It Is Splendid
I guess we finally know what Crossy Road’s blocky little animals were trying to get. Hipster Whale, the developers behind the most compelling road-crossing game since Frogger, have turned their technicolor talent towards multiplayer platforming in Crossy Road Castle, out now for Apple Arcade.
This Mechanical Key Switch Sampler May Be the Ultimate Fidget Toy
Griarrac Cherry MX Switch Tester Mechanical Keyboards 9-Key Switch Testing Tool | $15 | Amazon | Promo code 23KINJA9K
Original Art From Iconic Namco Game Artist Reportedly Stolen
Hiroshi Ono, aka Mr. Dotman, created some of gaming’s most famous pixels while working at Namco. He was a graphic designer on iconic games including Pac-Man, Xevious, Dig Dug and Galaga. The designs were originally drawn by hand and according to Japanese retro game researcher Zek, they’ve been stolen.
Toilet Paper Panic Buying In Japan Because Of Coronavirus
Earlier this week, toilet paper was widely available nearly everywhere in Japan. Now, it’s selling out at places throughout the country because of coronavirus. Here’s how this happened.
Oh Hell Yeah More Isometric Landscapes
Manuel Vormwald is a concept and background artist from Germany who has worked on games like The Pillars of the Earth and A Year of Rain.
In addition to Homeworld 3, the classic RTS series is also coming to phones in the form of Homeworld
In addition to Homeworld 3, the classic RTS series is also coming to phones in the form of Homeworld Mobile. Considering how frantic the desktop version can get, it’ll be interesting to see how everything is handled on a much smaller screen.
Artists Create Beautiful Tributes To Your Favorite Board Games
For a few years now, some very talented artists have been coming up with posters for some some of the most popular board games on the planet, all thanks to BoardGameGeek’s Artist Series.
The Five Best Dipping Sauces, According to Our Readers
Earlier this week, we asked our readers one of the most contentious questions you can ask a bunch of people just waiting to be pissed off: What’s the best dipping sauce? In response, the comments were expectedly heated. While some outright attacked me for my staunch anti-ranch position, others raised the fair…
Dota Underlords Is Out Of Early Access And Better Than Ever
For a handful of weeks last year, Dota Underlords devoured my entire life. Then, abruptly, I stopped playing. At the time, Valve’s entry into the suddenly-crowded auto battler arena suffered from the same issue as its competition: Its bones, though they formed a sturdy spinal scaffolding, had no meat on them.
You Can't Catch Dynamax Mewtwo, So Why Bother?
Two decades ago, Ash, Pikachu, and friends sent Mewtwo packing. Now, the weirdo psychic feline is back for revenge—not on late-’90s moviegoers but on 21st-century Pokémon players. This weekend, in celebration of Pokémon Day, Sword and Shield players have the chance to partake in a doozy of a Max Raid Battle against …
How Is the U.S. Going to Fight the Conoravirus?
This week, the other shoe dropped for people living in the U.S. worried about the spread of the new coronavirus. Officials have reported the first local cases of the respiratory illness, COVID-19, in California. The virus is here—and has probably been here for some time—and the U.S. is almost certain to face the sort…
Microsoft Drops Out Of GDC, Too [Update: And Epic]
Following in the footsteps of several other major tech firms including Sony and Facebook, Microsoft and Epic both said today that they will no longer be attending this year’s Game Developers Conference due to the growing health risks posed by COVID-19, better known as the coronavirus.
Thursday, 27 February 2020
Iris And The Giant Is A Card Game, But It’s Really About Fighting Your Inner Demons
Iris and the Giant is a collectable card game that blends in a nice amount of role-playing and strategy elements, wrapped up into an experience that encourages you to push past the fear of failure. It uses a beautiful primary color palette and cubist-like art style to illustrate its sincere tale of a young woman…
China Pulls Plague Inc. From App Store
The creators of the popular plague simulator say it was taken down by China’s Cyberspace Administration over “illegal” content.
Thursday's Best Deals: Vizio 65" QLED TV, Dyson Cordless Vacuum, Tacklife 1200A Car Jump Starter, and More
A 65" Vizio M-Series 4K HDR QLED TV for $500, a $190 refurbished Dyson cordless vacuum, and a heavily discounted Tacklife 1200A car jump starter kick off Thursday’s best deals of the day.
Why It's Hard, But Not Impossible, to Make a Board Game About Climate Change
Game designer Elizabeth Hargrave helped jumpstart a tabletop revolution with Wingspan, an environmental board game about creating habitats for birds. Her upcoming release, Mariposas, has players guiding monarch butterflies on their migration. But there’s something unsettling lurking beneath the table.
Carmen Sandiego Is Getting Back to Its Gaming Roots With Netflix's Next Choose Your Own Adventure-Style Special
Yes, we all loved the Carmen Sandiego show as kids, but the master thief’s true edutainment legacy lied in the computer video game series that kicked it all off in the first place. Now Netflix’s latest animated iteration of the heroine is leaning a little into that gamified history with a new special that puts you…
Jalopnik At $4,800, Could This 1998 Porsche Boxster Be A Square Deal? |Jezebel Mike Pence, Who Enabled a Massive HIV Outbreak As Governor, Is Handling U.S. Coronavirus Response |The Root Preparing for Outbreaks Like Coronavirus Is Always Difficult. For Marginalized Communities, It’s Crucial |The A.V. Club Stephen Colbert grills Elizabeth Warren on billionaires, Trump, South Carolina cuisine |
That’s One Monstrous Mythical Monkey, Pokémon Sword & Shield
After weeks of teasing, the Pokémon Company reveals Zarude, the rogue monkey Pokémon, the latest Mythical Pokémon for Pokémon Sword and Shield. Look at its claws. Check out its teeth. It’s amazing anyone in the Galar region is still alive.
PopCap Soft Launches Plants Vs. Zombies 3
The third installment of PopCap legendary flower defense game series has gone live on iOS and Android devices in the Philippines, with more regions rolling out in the coming weeks. Plants Vs. Zombies 3 is vertical instead of horizontal and 3D instead of 2D, but the basic idea is the same.
Oh Hey, Granblue Fantasy Versus Is Coming To Steam March 13
Granblue Fantasy Versus, the gorgeous Arc System Works fighting game based on the popular mobile role-playing game, isn’t just for PlayStation 4 players anymore. Cygames has announced a Steam version of the anime brawler is dropping March 13, a mere 10 days after its North American PS4 debut. Surprise?
These Commemorative Final Fantasy VII Remake Figures Don't Look So Good
Square Enix has revealed a whole host of official merchandise to commemorate the upcoming Final Fantasy VII Remake in Japan. Some of it looks excellent. These, however, do not.
Today’s selection of articles from Kotaku’s reader-run community: Beating The Backlog - Bloodstained
Today’s selection of articles from Kotaku’s reader-run community: Beating The Backlog - Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon • The Creepiness Of Home Alone 2 (game) • TAY Retro: Famicom - Buggy Popper (Bump ‘n Jump) [TV Commercial, JP]
Pokémon Was Born 24 Years Ago Today
Can you believe it? Today is Pokémon’s birthday. On February 27, 1996, Pokémon Red and Green were released in Japan. The world has never been the same.
Welcome To City 27
Josef Anton is a freelance concept artist who has worked on games like the Anno series and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.
Diablo IV Will Let Players Use Controllers On PC And Rebind Practically Everything
Diablo IV will feature an array of expanded control options for PC users, Blizzard revealed today in the first of its new developer blogs. These will include the ability to use controllers on PC, as well as rebinding the primary skill from left mouse click to the keyboard.
New Modern Warfare Mode Offers Large-Scale Battles With No Pesky Tanks
New limited-time modes are giving players more options for large-scale warfare in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.
Our Favorite Photos From Katsucon 2020, One Of The Biggest Cosplay Shows On The Planet
Katsucon, held at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, may not be as big as shows like Comic-Con, PAX or Anime Expo for the general attendee, but for cosplayers this is one of the absolute highlights of the year.
Five Clever Ways to Store and Display an Eyewear Collection
I should not admit this, but I’m going to admit this: I, personally, have way too many pairs of sunglasses. The problem is that I love and wear them all and I have no intention of reducing my collection. I do, however need to admit that some organization is in order (Clean Person, tidy thyself!) and so, to serve my…
Twitch Apologizes For Suspending Debate Streamers Over Fake Copyright Claims
Yesterday evening, Twitch suspended a slew of high-profile streamers who, whether occasionally or full-time, cover politics. Those caught up in the snare included speedrunner Mychal “Trihex” Jefferson, lefty podcasters Chapo Traphouse, and political pundit David Pakman. This happened after an organization claiming to…
