Ben Bertoli

These Food-Based Pokémon Concepts Are Simply Delectable

Developer and illustrator PaperBeatsScissors has prepared an entire menu of tasty Pokémon creations over the past few weeks. The Pokémon series is well known for turning anything and everything into a collectible monster. Keys? Yep. Chandelier? Absolutely. Steaming pile of garbage? You better believe it. But despite there being over 700 Pokémon in the current…

How Originality And A Shaky Launch Crippled One Of 2017’s Best Games

DropMix is fantastic. With the holiday season coming to a close, it’s a darn shame more folks aren’t talking about Harmonix and Hasbro’s new musical card game. As the creator of the original Guitar Hero franchise, as well as its expanded-instrument successor Rock Band, Harmonix is no stranger to the world of risky rhythm endeavors.…

What Goes Into Picking The 101 Video Games Kids Must Play

As a sixth grade teacher, my students ask me a lot of questions, and I have a lot of influence on them based on how I reply. My new book, 101 Video Games to Play Before You Grow Up, is my response to every student who has ever asked, “What games should I try?” Outside…

That’s all from us, Kotaku readers. We would like to thank the regular editorial staff and everyone who stopped by for letting us entertain you this fine Labor Day. We hope to see you all again soon. Until then you should check out Kotaku’s reader-run TAY blog (where we can always be found) and give…

The Fake Sega CD Exclusives We Never Knew We Needed

Anyone up for a game of Cool Spot Buries the Bodies or Don’t Make the Dog Happy? The Sega CD is often cited as one of Sega’s first big missteps on their slow spiral out of the console market. The system was criticized for featuring far too many Genesis ports and Full Motion Video (FMV)…

Gaming’s Weirdest Mashups That Worked Surprising Well

Titles like Puyo Puyo Tetris and Street Fighter X Tekken prove that bringing two successful franchises together can yield a match made in heaven. But every now and then two brazenly different intellectual properties form an unholy union that manages to get things right. The somewhat surprising success ofMario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle for the Nintendo…

Splatoon 2‘s Salmon Run Is More Fun With Ridiculous Enemy Nicknames

Though the hype surrounding the sequel to everyone’s favorite squid fighting simulator has died down a bit, players are still flocking to the games ever-changing horde mode. Salmon Run drops a team of four inkings onto a small map with a host of possible challenges. Water levels rise and fall, waves of fog creep in,…

OK K.O.! Is Charmingly Imperfect

With Regular Show officially out of production and Adventure Time in the midst of its final season, the head honchos at Cartoon Network are hoping audiences will tune in to witness the goofy antics of their newest show — OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes. Featuring an overly optimistic lead and a super powered supporting cast,…

Ben And Narelle Are Here To Take Over Your Lazy Labor Day

Kick back, relax, and join us for some interesting articles and general silliness. The regular Kotaku staff has the day off and we’ve been tasked with filling the site with pictures of cats hard hitting pieces that cover important topics such as cartoons, No More Heroes, Final Fantasy families, Salmon Run nicknames, and more. So…

Well, Kotaku readers, it’s been fun. We would like to thank the regular editorial staff and everyone who stopped by for letting us entertain you this fine weekend in June. We hope to see you all again soon. Until then you should check out Kotaku’s reader-run TAY blog (where we can always be found) and…

The Week In Games: The Morrowind Waker

June holds the bizarre distinction of being one of both the most and least exciting months in gaming. Players may be thrilled to discover all the news and details for upcoming games via E3, but chances are they won’t actually see many AAA titles launching. Not that there aren’t some notable games dropping in the…

What’s Your E3 Dream Announcement?

With E3 less than a week away it’s hard to stop one’s mind from fantasizing about what lies in store. Every major developer and publisher probably has a surprise up their sleeve, but what’s the one E3 announcement you’ve always dreamed of? Will we finally see the reveal of a true Metroid title? Federation Force…

That Time Nintendo and Sega Introduced 3D Gaming, In 1987

Years before Sega did what Nintendon’t the two gaming giants briefly went head to head in the newly discovered market of 3D gaming. It didn’t go very well for either of them. In the late ‘80s both Nintendo and Sega had put their main focus on expanding their brand to North America. Nintendo’s Famicom had…

A Tale Of Two Totoro

My Neighbor Totoro, known in Japan as Tonari no Totoro, is often regarded as one of the best animated family films of all time. Little do many Western fans realize that two versions of the English dubbed movie exist. One made by Fox Studios and the other through Disney. Since the movie’s initial Japanese release in…

Sunday Comics: Completely Avoidable

Welcome to Kotaku’s Sunday Comics, your weekly roundup of the best webcomics that usually occurs on Sunday except when it doesn’t. The images enlarge if you click on the magnifying glass icon. Nerf NOW!! by Josué Pereira. Published May 29. Read more of Nerf NOW!! Awkward Zombie by Katie Tiedrich. Published May 29. Read more…

The Influence And Legacy Of Lego Island

Far out in a digital ocean of blue bricks sits the often-forgotten Lego Island. It represents the true beginning of a silly and customizable universe that has brought enjoyment to millions of players around the globe. Lego sets have been entertaining children and adults since 1949, when the Danish company began to mass produce their…

Ana Is A Sleep-Inducing Monster In Overwatch’s Total Mayhem Mode

Total Mayhem is nothing new to veterans of Blizzard’s stylized team-based shooter. The mode has been featured in Overwatch’s Arcade selection on a few occasions in the past, but with the Overwatch anniversary event in full swing it has become an aggravatingly enjoyable focus for many new players. To understand the pure madness that is…

The Super Nintendo’s Most Valuable Games

The Super Nintendo is certainly a contender for the world’s most beloved console. The 16-bit juggernaut has a library brimming with first and third party classics that are known for their tight gameplay and pretty pixels. Unsurprisingly, some of those games are worth some serious cash. With over 700 titles in the SNES catalog, players…

A Weekend To Surpass Metal Gear

Kotaku has changed. For a couple of days… because Ben and Narelle are in charge. Ok, that intro may have been a bit too serious. We’re really here to cover for the wonderful Ethan Gach and have some fun with you lovely folks. While you may still see some thrilling eSports reports from the Compete…

Twelve Of The Best Gaming Episodes In Cartoons

The worlds of gaming and animation have been living in harmony for over 30 years. There have been plenty of shows based on gaming’s greatest icons and plenty of games based on classic cartoon characters. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn’t. This post originally appeared 9/7/15. Animated programs that were modeled after specific games…