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  Full List of Free Famicom Games for 3DS Owners

  Back in July, Nintendo announced it was dropping the 3DS’s price from US$250 to $170. To make it up to those who shelled out full price, Nintendo launched its 3DS “ambassador program”, The program offers gamers twenty free games: half of them NES (Famicom in Japan) and the other half Game Boy Advance titles. When…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published August 30, 2011
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  Hey, This Squid and I Are Going On an Adventure

  A small platformer by Jason Boyer, Jables’ Adventure will only take you around 45 minutes to finish. But it’s a charming, often funny 45 minutes! It’s got a great pixellated art style, there are bears in it, you high five kids, and you’ve got a squid on your head. It’s pretty much all you could…

  By Luke Plunkett Published August 30, 2011
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  The PS2 Controller Reborn as a Robotic Larva Controller!

  When Chiba Institute of Technology students build a radio controlled Molga from the Zoids universe, they needed something to control it. That something was a PS2 DualShock 2. During the early 1980s, Zoids mecha model kits launched in Japan and have since gone on to spawn anime, manga, and video games. Of course, game controllers…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published August 30, 2011
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  The Kid Who Kicked Ass at EVO is Going Places

  Eight-Year-Old Noah Solis was one of the stars of this year’s EVO tournament in Las Vegas, managing to beat more than one opponent who was twice or even thrice his age. Now it’s time for Noah to make bank. Since his exploits at EVO he’s been signed to a competitive gaming team called The Traveling…

  By Luke Plunkett Published August 30, 2011
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  Man Arrested for Trying To Kill Sister After She Hid His Game Console

  On August 28, in the Japanese city of Takasaki in Gunma Prefecture, 32-year-old Tsutomu Takabayashi was arrested for trying to kill his older sister. According to Sankei News, that afternoon at around 2:30pm, Takabayashi apparently screamed “I’m going to kill you” as he choked his 35-year-old sister with his bare hands. His sister suffered minor…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published August 30, 2011
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  Why Battlefield 3 Won’t Support Mods on PC (Yet)

  Sadly, like many high profile PC games these days, Battlefield 3 won’t be shipping with mod tools. Given the series’ long history with mods (developers DICE even hiring some modders back in the day), that’s disappointing. So let’s find out why that’s the case. Speaking with website Ausgamers, DICE’s Karl-Mangus Troedsson said it’s down to…

  By Luke Plunkett Published August 30, 2011
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  Panties and Long Lines, All Aboard!

  Japan loves trains. It also loves anime. What happens when you combine the two? Long lines and panties. Popular anime K-On!, which follows the adventures of a schoolgirl band, is getting a feature film this December. In the feature film, the girls go to the United Kingdom. Japanese trains are prime advertising real estate. It’s…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published August 30, 2011
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  This Fallout Web Series Is Pretty Damn Good

  Nuka Break was a surprisingly great short film based on the Fallout universe, released earlier this year. It was so great, in fact, that the film’s producers got enough cash together to go and make an entire series. And here’s the first episode. It’s called Fallout: Nuka Break The Series (catchy!), and continues the adventures…

  By Luke Plunkett Published August 30, 2011
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  Portal 2 Sold Better On PC Than On Console

  In nearly every case when a game is released on console and PC, the console versions sell a ton more copies. Like, it’s not even close. Unless we’re talking about a Valve game. While the developer, publisher and operator of Steam sadly never releases internal sales figures for its online marketplace, Valve boss Gabe Newell…

  By Luke Plunkett Published August 30, 2011
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  CultureTotal Recall

  There Were Worse Mario Cartoons Than the American One

  It has a certain nostalgic charm, yeah, but lets face it, the American Super Mario Bros. cartoons were pretty terrible. Poorly animated, poorly written, poorly voiced. Next to the Japanese Mario cartoon, though, the American version looks like it was made by Disney. Premièring around the same time as America’s The Super Mario Bros. Super…

  By Luke Plunkett Published August 30, 2011
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  Why Minecraft and Steam Don’t Mix… Yet

  Much ado was made about one of the year’s biggest games, Battlefield 3, skipping Valve’s Steam platform. Publisher EA has its reasons. Minecraft creator Notch has a similar-sounding explanation for not releasing his game, which “officially” releases in November, on Steam. Now, Notch (aka Marcus Persson) does write that he thinks Steam is “awesome” and…

  By Michael McWhertor Published August 29, 2011
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  The Art of Trolling

  Woah, Kotaku readers! Long time no speak. How about we remedy that with a little off-topic conversation, as we’re wont to do semi-nightly… when I’m not traveling internationally… and I’m not on vacation. How about an open thread, is what I’m sayin’? It was a relaxing week for yours truly, full of relaxed video game…

  By Michael McWhertor Published August 29, 2011
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  Another Round of Super Monday Night Combat Teasing, Now With More Gameplay

  Here’s just a little bit more of Super Monday Night Combat, the recently announced, free-to-play sort-of-sequel to Uber Entertainment’s Xbox 360 and PC game that (this time) draws a lot more influence from DotA-style gameplay. There’s more actual gameplay in this clip than Super Monday Night Combat‘s debut teaser. There’s also some concept artwork strewn…

  By Michael McWhertor Published August 29, 2011
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  The New SSX Has A Familiar Groove and Some Amazing New Tricks

  I was as worried as any SSX fan when Electronic Arts unveiled the darker, grittier SSX: Deadly Descents late last year. I like my outlandish snowboarding video games to be, well, outlandish, silly, colorful. So I’m happy to have played SSX with my own two hands, walking away from the experience more excited than ever.…

  By Michael McWhertor Published August 29, 2011
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  Reviews

  Madden‘s Low-Magnitude “Superstar” Isn’t Much to Gaze At

  Simulation-quality sports video games all now ship with some kind of solo career mode, in which you create or control one player throughout his entire career. By far, this fantasy experience is most underserved by the football games. NCAA Football 12 made a substantial effort to upgrade its career this year, and although Madden NFL…

  By Owen Good Published August 29, 2011
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  Mari0 Is What Happens When Mario Gets a Portal Gun

  Saving the Princess looks almost too easy armed with an Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device. But that doesn’t mean we’re not overly excited to play Mari0, a side-scrolling that jams Valve’s brand of teleportation into Nintendo’s NES classic. Developers at the ominous sounding Stabyourself.net are responsible for Mari0, a mash-up of Super Mario Bros. and…

  By Michael McWhertor Published August 29, 2011
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  Chainsword Trumps Chainsaw Bayonet

  Chainsword – A life-sized Chainsword showed up from the Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine folks today. Spy Mouse Infuses Metal Gear Stealth with Flight Control Control The stealth of Metal Gear, from its top-down days, meets the path-drawing mechanics of Flight Control in Spy Mouse for iPhone and iPod touch. How well do stealth and touchscreen…

  By Brian Crecente Published August 29, 2011
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  You Can Dance If You Want To in Deus Ex: Human Revolution

  Deus Ex: Human Revolution is all about choice, and that includes the choice to dance. Will you dance, and leave their friends behind? What if they don’t dance? Does that disqualify them from being your friend as well? So many questions, one brilliant answer. While I was busy playing a rousing game of “No Refrigerator…

  By Mike Fahey Published August 29, 2011
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  Chaotic Indie Shoot ’em Up Super Crate Box Hits iPhone, iPad Soon

  Vlambeer’s Super Crate Box—which you can play now, for free—is coming to Apple’s iPhone, iPod touch and iPad next month, thanks to the porting prowess of Halfbot (developer of The Blocks Cometh, FYI). Watch and see why it might be worth your dollar(s). News of the iOS port of the very challenging Super Crate Box…

  By Michael McWhertor Published August 29, 2011
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  If Anyone Needs Me I’ll Be Growing and Selling Pot on Facebook

  While there are several Facebook games that involve growing and distributing marijuana, only one is the official game of the Showtime original series Weeds. It’s okay to grow and sell pot when Mary Louise Parker is involved! Just about everything is okay as long as Mary Louise Parker is involved, especially when she’s playing the…

  By Mike Fahey Published August 29, 2011