Nintendo

Fire Emblem Fates had the best U.S. launch in series history, Nintendo said this morning. They sold 300,000+ copies of the game. Also noteworthy: Birthright outsold Conquest, which makes sense!

There will be a Pokémon Direct on Friday, the day before Pokémon’s 20th birthday. According to Nintendo’s official site, the five-minute presentation, which will “celebrate 20 years of Pokémon,” takes place at 7AM PT—that’s 10AM ET, or 3PM GMT.

Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright and Conquest: The Kotaku Review

Fire Emblem Fates is a soap opera strategy game. You’ll spend as much time agonizing over battlefield tactics as you will wondering which characters should, like, totally hook up. Like 2013’s Fire Emblem: Awakening, Fates is a tactical role-playing game that allows players to control an army of fantasy chess pieces. Each piece has its…

Tips For Playing Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest and Birthright

You’re going to need more than a cool dragon transformation if you want to survive out in the battlefield. Thankfully, we’re here to help. As you may have heard by now, Fates is way tougher than Awakening. I’ve had to readjust some of my thinking about how Fire Emblem should be played. I thought I’d…

The Legend Of Zelda Was Born 30 Years Ago Today On An Ugly Little Floppy Disk

On February 21, 1986, Japan got its first taste of the magical land of Hyrule, though not on the famous gold cartridge Western gamers are familiar with. In early 1986, while gamers in the U.S. were getting acquainted with the Western version of Nintendo’s Family Computer (Famicom), the Japanese original got an upgrade in the…

Now, people outside Japan can register for Nintendo’s new account system. You can sign up here. It’s super easy, but if you have questions, this FAQ might help.

Project X Zone 2 Is A Stupid Fun Party With All Of Your Friends

Say you have several groups of good friends. Work friends, neighborhood friends, online friends; each group great in their own way. You throw a shindig to get them all together. Why? It doesn’t matter, as long as everybody gets together and has a good time. That’s Project X Zone 2 Top GIF from the Japanese…

Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem: The Kotaku Import Preview

True to its title Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem is a mix of the two games, but if you expected a dark and depressing tactics title, you’re more than a bit off the mark. Like many Shin Megami Tensei games, Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem is set in modern day Tokyo. The story…

Splatoon Cosplay, Perfected

This is Japan’s Yazuki getting pretty much everything about Splatoon right.

Important Fire Emblem Fates Petting Update

The confusion around the self-censored Fire Emblem petting/touching mini-game is finally ending. We now must clarify that, while the American version of Fire Emblem Fates will not let you rub allied characters in exchange for gratitude, it will indeed let you tap your spouse in order to wake them up. We bring you this update…

Splatoon Is Lit With Players Arguing Over Pokémon Red and Blue

Splatoon players have some pretty strong opinions about one of the oldest fights in video games, Pokémon Red versus Pokémon Blue. As you might already know, Splatoon is holding a Pokémon-themed “Splatfest.” Basically, players choose a team—in this case, Pokémon Red or Pokémon Blue. After picking one, Splatoon sorts players into teams. Players then duke…

Luigi Beats New Smash Bros. DLC Characters By Doing Absolutely Nothing

It is 2016, and the Year of Luigi still hasn’t ended. Once again, Luigi finds a way to destroy the competition without so much as lifting a finger in this video by Omega Tyrant. It’s flipping hilarious to watch all the new DLC characters, from Bayonetta to Mewtwo, destroy themselves in a useless attempt to…

Fan Transforms Ganon Amiibo Into Final Fantasy VII‘s Barret

Here’s an insanely great custom Amiibo Barret from Final Fantasy VII, by artist GandaKris It’s not a 3D-printed model, but a skinned, repainted, remodelled version of the Ganon Amiibo. You can see traces of his beard in the WIP photo below, but otherwise GandaKris did an amazing job, and it’s pretty hard to recognize the…

“Wooden” N64 Is Quaint As Hell

Marshall Clark made this N64 console last year. It’s not actually made of wood, but through a careful application of paintwork (and some airbrushing), he got it looking pretty damn close. UPDATE: Looks like he also sent some pics in to Nintendo Life if you want to see things in more detail I have a…

There Are So Many More Yo-Kai Watch Toys Coming You Guys

Back in DecemberI showcased the handful of toys based on Level 5’s Pokemon-esque Yo-Kai Watch game and TV show. Judging from the new figures, plushies, watches and trading card game in Hasbro’s Yo-Kai space at Toy Fair, that was just the tip of a very large iceberg. First off we’ve got the prime collectibles, the…

What Happens When You Randomize The Legend Of Zelda

The folks at Storybundle just launched a new pay-what-you-want eBook bundle about video games. Part of it is a new book from roguelike expert John Harris, compiling his @Play columns for GameSetWatch and adding some new writing. Here’s one about an unusual version of the original Zelda. What does it really mean to be a…

Mario Maker Player Creates A Level So Dirty, He Ends Up Trolling Himself

Mario Maker’s most notorious player is back again with another devilishly difficult level. This one is a little different, though. There’s a trap at the end, and it’s a little too good. PangaeaPanga has created a new level called “Grown Man’s Garden,” and it’s about as cruel as you’d expect, coming from the guy who…

Mario Maker’s New  Pokémon Costumes Are Perfect

The original starters from Pokémon Red and Blue are now available in Mario Maker, and I think it’s safe to say Nintendo nailed them. Look at the cute sprites. The on-point animations. THE SOUND. When you get the appropriate mystery mushroom, that distinctive Pokémon jingle plays. Nevermind the usage of the original Red & Blue…

Choose Wisely

This is some excellent Pokémon fan-art by digital artist Orioto. It would be cool to play a version with graphics and colors like this. To contact the author of this post, write to: [email protected]

The Original 151 Pokémon, Ranked

For some people, the first set of Pokémon designed by Game Freak might as well be the only Pokémon that exist. Given that this year those O.G. Pokémon turn 20 years old, what better time to mercilessly judge them against one another? Here is the definite ranking of the original 151 Pokémon, from worst to…