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Whether you have actually seen it or not, anyone familiar with Japanese anime has no doubt encountered the term Gundam at one point or another. Japan's popular mecha series has been around for 34 years, so it's definitely got its place in Japanese culture. The series is especially popular among males, which led one woman to ask the question on Yahoo! JAPAN: Are all men Gundams? "I have a question for the men out there: Are all men Gundams? The other day, my husband was watching [a Gundam show] in the living room. I said 'You're over 30, aren't you a little old for anime?' to which he said something along the lines of, '"Gundam is anime, but it's not anime.' My husband said that, 'All men are Gundams. I'm a Gundam too.' Apparently our son (who is one year old) will eventually be a Gundam too… I asked my friends, 'are you a Gundam?' to which they all replied, 'Yes, I am a Gundam.' Is it true that All men are Gundams? Please tell me. The asker later added: Thank you for all your answers. I was surprised that my husband, who never seemed to have an interest in anime, was watching Gundam. Recently, he has started incorporating Gundam when playing with our son and every now and then our son enters something called 'Destroy Mode(?)' The question, by the time of writing, has gathered over two hundred responses, some affirmative, some negative. Here are just a select few: "Just a portion of them. I have no interest at all." -ca_taka_akahashi_akira2 "Your husband is just imitating the protagonist of a boring series called Gundam 00. From his selection, it's obvious how shallow he is. I suggest divorcing him. Or showing him a series other than 00." -ps3saikou_xbox360sine "I am Sailor Uranus." -o0z_mirei_z0o "Yes, we are all Gundams!!" -wisschoco2 "Not all of us, just some of us. I'm a 20 year old who likes Gundam. He may be in his 30's, but I'd say so long as he doesn't cause problems for you, your husband should be free to watch Gundam. However, if your point is that you don't want your son to 'be a Gundam,' then you should probably talk it over. Your son is still young and when they grow up, most men grow out of Gundam. A small percentage of Meisters see Gundam as their life's work and, like your husband and friends, will say 'we are Gundams.' Most Gundam Meisters will enjoy their fandom of Gundam without impeding on others. Perhaps you should try watching Gundam with your husband and son in order to broaden your horizons a bit?" -sarasara0083 "Is Gundam tasty?" -allcountdown "I am a woman in my 30's and I am a Gundam. My husband is a Gundam. Naturally (?) my son is a Gundam too. A lot of men over 30 like Gundam a lot. However, my brother likes cars, and my brother-in-law likes fishing and pachinko. Some people have no hobbies at all. If a parent watches a lot of TV and makes models [of Gundam], then I believe their child will become a Gundam too. Children tend to develop and interest in what their parents are interested in. My son likes Trans-Am mode…" -rie_rie_march "Ah… Yeah, there are such men. It's like girls with Disney and Hello Kitty." -manami0723mana "He must really like it. I've never really watched it and nobody around me is really fanatic about it. I suppose it's a 'birds of a feather' thing. Perhaps you should just chalk it up to being a hobby and leave him be? There are many different people out there; some grown men chase after idols or are anime otaku. I believe a lot of men like Gundam, but it's like comedy celebrities: Some people watch them, and some don't. Some people like Gundam, and some don't." -to_u_ri_su_ga_ri_no "'All men are Gundams'???????? A Gundam is a robot that people pilot, people don't become Gundams… People who like planes don't say, 'I'm a Boeing 727' do they? What a weird question." -drsatoru "Gundam otaku are only a small portion of the population. Gundam otaku are really creepy. I've seen Gundam before, but I didn't think it was very good. I think a lot of Gundam fans have a case of arrested development. I mean, 'I am a Gundam'... It sounds like he's nuts or something. It's so embarrassing it's almost painful." -zuffa_zuffa "My family are all Gundams." -orangevarus Finally, here's the answer that the thread voted as the best one: "I am a Gundam" is a line from one of the Gundam series that the main character says. The line itself is somewhat abstract and anyone who has seen that series will understand it. One the internet, "I am a Gundam" became a bit of meme, so I believe when you asked your friends "Are you a Gundam?" they took it as part of that meme and responded by saying "I am a Gundam." It's something of a custom for anyone who knows the source material. Now, I believe your question revolves around your opposition to your husband watching anime. I myself am a 20 year old who like Gundam, but I believe that people in their 30's are the ones most directly impacted by Gundam. Due to your referencing "Destroy Mode," I think your husband was watching a series called Gundam Unicorn. It is a story that leads from the original Gundam series and perhaps your husband felt nostalgia at seeing the continuation of a series that impacted him as a child. A lot of wives and mothers may see the viewing of anime as immature, but some well-made works can match the quality of live action movies or drama series. More importantly, seeing as it is just a hobby of your husband who probably works for a living, perhaps you could be a little more tolerant. Such "stress relief" helps for better productivity at daily work and if it leads to a more positive relationship with your son, then I think it's a healthy hobby for him. Maybe you should take a step back and try to understand why your husband enjoys this anime… Maybe you could sit down with your husband and son and watch it with them? It could lead your husband to try to understand one of your hobbies that you enjoy. Sound advice. And in case you're wondering, yes, I'm a Gundam too. 男性おに聞きたいのですが、男はみなガンダムなのですか？ [Yahoo!知恵袋] Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning from 4am to 8am. To contact the author of this post, write to cogitoergonihilATgmail.com or find him on Twitter @tnakamura8.

In celebration of NHL 94's 20 year anniversary, EA Canada has announced that NHL 14 will include a mode that brings the classic gameplay of the SNES and Genesis original to the franchise's modern engine.

"It is the NHL 14 engine driving it all - driving the gameplay and presentation. That said, we've taken as many nods as we can from NHL 94," EA Sports Producer Sean Ramjagsingh tells Joystiq.

"From the moment you start loading into the game you're going to hear some of the retro NHL 94 music. You're going to hear organs throughout the game mode. You're going to see the retro star as a player indicator with their number and position. You're also going to see retro-style art on the rinks."

The single-game mode, which will only be available for offline play Ramjagsingh says, is built to be as "over-the-top" as the classic game. Helmets pop off players after bone-crunching hits, glass regularly breaks, and goalies can be hit. "After goals and penalties, you're going to see some interesting some retro nods to NHL 94 as well. It's all part of the visuals," he adds.

"All those fun elements back in the game with modern day players and a modern day look."

Well, now you can. Yay! This is Humans Must Answer, a horizontal shoot-em-up by Sumom Games, a small indie studio home to some of the people who worked on the first S.T.A.L.K.E.R. The game, which was actually just Kickstarted this Spring, takes your crew of savage intergalactic chickens and their ship, the Golden Eagle, on a journey to eradicate the remnants of humanity filled with explosions, ship upgrades, and destructible scenery. Sounds good? Head over to GOG and give the game a look, or grab it via the Humble Store from the developers' website. Should be fun! Remember: savage intergalactic chickens. Sumom Games [Official Website] Questions? Comments? Contact the author of this post at andras-AT-kotaku-DOT-com.

North Korean ruler Kim Jong-il is long gone. But his likeness lives on in this highly realistic statue given to North Korea as a gift of gratitude. Nothing says "thank you" like a wax dictator! As China Daily (via Beijing Cream) points out, China's Great Man Wax Museum made the figure, Kim coat and all, and it was displayed at a big send-off in Beijing organized by the Chinese government. The subtext is that this figure of the late Kim Jong-il could show improving North Korean-Chinese relations. Earlier this year, when North Korea was "going rogue", their longstanding alliance apparently chilled somewhat. To mark the Korean War's 60th anniversary, the wax statue will be exhibited on July 27 at the Pyongyang’s International Friendship Exhibition, where people can take photos of the Supreme Wax Leader looking at things. Looking at me. Looking at you. Just looking. And smiling. The wax figure of deceased former top DPRK leader Kim Jong-il [China Daily via Beijing Cream] 中方向朝鲜赠送金正日蜡像 [ifeng] To contact the author of this post, write to bashcraftATkotaku.com or find him on Twitter @Brian_Ashcraft. Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning from 4am to 8am.

Team 17 has announced the latest Worms title will be coming exclusively to mobile platforms with a host of new features in tow.

A side-scrolling, cartoon-like 2D action-platformer that takes place in a world populated by animals. That's where the similarities to Dust: An Elysian Tail end—here, the world is like the Wild West, the story is about revenge, and there's guns. Lots of guns. Dusty Revenge follows Dusty, an anthropomorphized rabbit, on his quest to take revenge on the one who murdered his love. This quest, incidentally, takes him across several hand-drawn locations and has him viciously massacre hundreds of baddies with the help of his two esteemed colleagues, Rondel the heavy arms specialist and McCoy the sniper. Here's developer PD Studio's features list: Intense story: Consumed for revenge after the love of his life is killed, Dusty crosses paths with 2 unlikely allies who are each seeking out the same enemy for a different reason. As the three set out to destroy the responsible band of villains and anyone else that stands in their way, they unravel a scheme much bigger than their personal vendettas. 3 unique characters with their own weapons and mechanics: Play as Dusty, a vicious multi gun wielding madman that boasts intense melee attacks. Players can also call upon two support characters, Rondel the artillery support who tramples enemies with a massive arsenal of weaponry and beastly rocket launchers, and McCoy the sharpshooter who takes down loads of enemies stealthily with his deadly accurate rifle. 9 Gorgeously drawn environments: Venture through cavernous wastelands, western ghost towns and deadly jungle environments in your quest for blood. You never know what to expect from the each of the unique and precarious worlds! Hordes of menacing villains: A whole slew of enemies are out there ready to kill. From aggressive predatory vermin, vicious stalking felines, venomous mechanical snakes and giant armored gorillas, all run by the enigmatic leader Craven. If all that sounds good to you and you even like the trailer up top, know that Dusty Revenge is out now on PC for both Windows and Mac. Currently, it can be grabbed for a tenner at either the developer's own storefront or on Desura. Dusty Revenge [Official Site] Questions? Comments? Contact the author of this post at andras-AT-kotaku-DOT-com.

When visiting South Korea, there are the traditional museums and sites to see. The country is soaked in history and culture, so there is much to do. Then, there are the more peculiar sites. You know, places like this sculpture garden dedicated to screwing. Note: This article is NSFW and has content some readers might find offensive. Behold Jeju Loveland! Located in Jeju Island, the erotic theme park is home to over 140 saucy, silly, and downright funny sculptures that all have one thing in common: sex. No wonder the park is 18-and-up only. (There is a kid-friendly recreation area where adults can drop off their young ones while they go look at giant dicks.) Loveland opened back in 2004 after art school grads began creating these interesting monuments to bumping uglies. The theme park is way over the top, which seems to invite visitors to take goofy pictures: The island itself is a favorite destination for honeymooners, thanks to its beautiful mountains and beaches. This theme park is certainly not Jeju Island's main attraction, but if you are visiting, it looks like fun. If you are interested in visiting Loveland, you can find out more about "the only sexual theme park in Korea" right here. Another unusual theme park to check out in South Korea is the toilet theme park. via ポッカNSFW Photos: OffTheBeatenPath, LonelyBob@Flickr, The Vagablond's, Avaxnews, , EnjoyYourHoliday, Taringa!, OffTheBeatenPath, Loser Back Home, Tessa's Happy Home, SelineVonna To contact the author of this post, write to bashcraftATkotaku.com or find him on Twitter @Brian_Ashcraft. Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning from 4am to 8am.

The Maker's Eden is, well, exactly what the headline suggests. Here's the brief from the developers: The Maker's Eden is a first-person slideshow style point and click adventure game in a retro-futuristic noir inspired setting, presented in the style of a motion comic. The focus is on story/narrative and you will learn about the world by talking to characters and examining your surroundings. That sounds like it could be right up some people's respective alleys. It's currently up on both Indiegogo and Steam Greenlight. If you want to try it out, there's a demo available. (via Indiegamehunt)

Paula Deen, who was a Food Network star until it turned out she was fond of the odd racial slur or two, does not have a video game based on her. She should, though. And it should look just like this. In case the style didn't give it away, this was done by Paul Robertson, whose work you'll most recently find in the very cool Mercenary Kings. Which, now that we're on the subject, will be playable on Steam later this month when it launches on the platform's early access system on July 22. SUPER SEXY BURGER TIME - "Battle Against Paula Deen" (The Seven Corrupted Burg Gods From Beyond The Veil) [Paul Robertson]

Eva Widermann is a German concept artist who now lives in Ireland. She's worked in the field for a decade now as a freelancer, and lists companies like Disney Interactive and Wizards of the Coast as clients. While some of her stuff features a wonderful use of colour, I'm showcasing only her black & white work today, because I think it's amazing. I've always preferred seeing sketches raw like this, with the linework still visible and the colours not yet there; it not only shows the craft behind it, but it leaves more to the imagination as well. You can see more of Eva's work at her personal site. To see the larger pics in all their glory (or, if they’re big enough, so you can save them as wallpaper), click on the “expand” button in the bottom-right corner. Fine Art is a celebration of the work of video game artists, showcasing the best of both their professional and personal portfolios. If you're in the business and have some concept, environment, promotional or character art you'd like to share, drop us a line!

It's been over a year since we first covered the Tex Murphy reboot, and today, we finally get our first proper trailer for the successful Kickstarter project. What you won't find is gameplay. What you will find is enough hammy FMV to make you think the 90s never ended.

Warmachine, the tabletop wargame that's stealing a ton of Warhammer's thunder, is about to get its first video game adaptation. Provided its fans can raise $500,000. A Kickstarter campaign has been launched for Warmachine: Tactics, a turn-based tactical game for the PC and Mac. Here are some of the main features, straight from the project page: It's a "squad-level, turn-based tactics game featuring both a single-player campaign and online synchronous and asynchronous head-to-head multiplayer options.""Similar to the concept of creating ability combos in a trading card game, units in WARMACHINE: Tactics can combine effects and abilities that support each other’s efforts and increase one another’s effectiveness.""In WARMACHINE: Tactics, you’ll be able to save multiple squads in different configurations so that you can always pick the best load out for the mission or opponent at hand.""The campaigns will deliver an extensive, story-driven experience. Although conducting your squad during campaign battles works exactly like combat in multiplayer, you’ll also have the opportunity to choose how the central character develops her abilities through the course of her evolution.""One of the most exciting aspects of WARMACHINE: Tactics is being able to play against your friends no matter where you are or what time it is. Online multiplayer will support both synchronous and asynchronous play, so you can compete head-to-head against a live opponent on the other side of the world, or you can play the asynchronous “play-by-mail” mode, which allows both players to take turns at their leisure." With 30 days to go, the project has already raised nearly $300,000 of the $500,000 goal. You can see way more screenshots, and more game details, at the campaign page. Warmachine: Tactics [Kickstarter]

Need one more reason to get excited about Pacific Rim? How about the fact there's a poster for the movie that was done by famed Metal Gear artist Yoji Shinkawa. Done as an exclusive for the 3D release of the game, while the poster you'll see below is for the Japanese market, those in the US can still get their hands on one, albeit having been translated into English; Regal Cinemas will be giving them away as part of a promotion.

So powerful has been Sony's messaging to date with the PlayStation 4 that, despite it not even being out yet, the console already has something of a story. And a lot of that has to do with development legend and lead architect of the PlayStation 4, Mark Cerny. So reader Mark Hughes decided to get that down on paper, and made this wonderful children's story based on Cerny and the PS4. Being a children's book you kind of have to fill in the gaps yourself (use your imagination!), but if your kids need something to get them to sleep tonight, surely nothing will get the job done better than a tale of giant crabs and complex system architecture. You can see the story in full - complete with narration - here, but below is just the book by itself, if you feel like ad-libbing in the details yourself.

Okay, the song is pretty cute. But the ukulele-playing kitten? I don't even know where to begin. This is comedian/singer DeAnne Smith with a song that's as nerdy as all get out. And then, the cat enters the equation, and all bets are off. Hey, Wednesday's over! We're going to make it through this week after all, guys. Talk music, cats, games, or whatever else you please, here or at TAY. (Via Laughing Squid.)

I had to laugh when, in the high school preamble to NCAA Football 14's Road to Glory career mode, I audibled to a draw and watched this skinny white kid slice the defense like Sonic the Hedgehog. "36 YARD TD BY ALEX HOWELL," said the game. Huh? Alex Howell? He was a walk-on at Auburn. He's also an EA Sports designer. Ben Haumiller, the game's producer, laughed too. "Alex Howell runs better in this game than he ever wished he could in real life." Howell is one of several names familiar to me in the high school phase of NCAA 14's Road to Glory—a mode he designed. In it you create yourself as a blue chip quarterback, or linebacker, or running back, and embark upon a big-man-on-campus career that begins with earning a scholarship from your favorite school. For the past two years the high school rosters you play with and against in Road To Glory have been stocked with the EA Tiburon development team. You might have sensed it this week when your running back peeled off a 41-yard catch-and-run from a pass from Steve Merka. That is a highly specific name, conspicuous enough to seem like it's an Easter egg. It is, sorta. Merka is also a designer on NCAA Football 14. Since 2011, Road to Glory players have been able to create and import team names and uniform designs from the game's TeamBuilder web application to build out a high school schedule involving their alma maters and all their local rivals. But since last year's version, the rosters have been stocked by an on-disc data file. And all of your teammates—and nearly a quarter of everyone you face—are named for someone who helped make the game. It's one of the coolest and most subtle credit sequences in video gaming, sports or otherwise. First of all, it comes at the beginning of your campaign, and it also presents the names to you in a situation where you're likely to actually remember them, rather than as a text scroll from the game's "Extras" menu that you're unlikely ever to read. Once NCAA Football added a regular season to Road to Glory's career mode, Haumiller explained, there needed to be a continuity to go along with it. A favorite receiver for your quarterback. A free safety to assist your hard-hitting cornerback. And the guys you played against couldn't repeat their names, either. The surest way to pull this off was to create a roster file that, spread across the dozen or so high school games you may play, looked like it was populated by real people. So, real people were drafted. "It's open to anybody on the game's development team, and also to anyone who has worked on any aspect of NCAA—like an artist in central [development]," Haumiller explained. "It's a chance for some folks to see their name in lights a little more than they would, normally." Once the core design team made the decision to stock the roster with real names, they circulated an internal memo: Hey, if you want to be in the game, see us and give us a preferred position. A bunch of guys asked in with their high school or college position and number. Rodney Washington in QA, for example, was a defensive tackle at Western Kentucky, and is a real ballbreaker in this game. Clint Oldenburg, who came to EA Sports from Colorado State, is a former lineman who designed the new blocking intelligence. He plays his same college position, too: left tackle. "Larry Legend is one of the quarterbacks in the game," Haumiller chuckled, referring to Larry Richart, a gameplay designer on the core team serving both Madden and NCAA. Richart played quarterback at Florida under Steve Spurrier. Yeah, mmhm, that's real nice. In Road to Glory, he's my garbage-time backup. PS, I never played a down in real high school. "You had to be smart about which position you took," Haumiller said. "Oh, you want to be a quarterback? Yeah, well, guess what: nine out of ten users in Road to Glory are creating themselves as quarterbacks." What about Haumiller? He was a high school lineman who fielded attention from Texas A&M but went to Florida State, where he chose not to walk on and get the hell beat out of himself in two-a-days. "Oh, no," groaned Haumiller, with a tone that implied the "hell". "I get blamed enough for the problems of the game. I don't need to be the receiver who drops the touchdown pass that causes you to lose the state championship." But he's right in that you do form a connection to your teammates. Howell, for example, I know I can hand that guy the ball on any down and distance and get my ass out of a crack. Alex, thank you, I promise we are going to go to Auburn together. Or maybe not. "We've talked about it, the idea that you can be recruited with your teammates to the same college, or play against them when you get to college, but it hasn't happened yet," Haumiller said. For now, the high school roster is discrete. Any position not occupied by an EA Sports developer is populated by two names from the random roster library. Once you get to college, though, that's it. You won't see any of the Tiburon guys in your lineup. With this kind of fungible immortality at stake, I asked Haumiller if people lobbied to have their ratings changed. "You do have people who are like, 'Oh come on,' I want to be this or that." he said. "Some of it is in good natured fun. It's a competitive atmosphere, we're sports guys. You have people asking, 'Wait, why am I second string? What do you mean?'" That still doesn't account for the superhuman ability of Howell, Road to Glory's top designer, in that mode. I'm not kidding. You have to be playing quarterback or wide receiver to see it, because Howell is hardwired to the user's high school team in Road to Glory. At running back, Alex Howell is a greater destructive force than fellow Auburn alumnus Vincent Edward "Bo" Jackson. Haumiller said he didn't think Howell had any direct authority over the high school roster's ratings in Road to Glory. "But, would I be shocked or angered if I found out he went in and said, 'You know what, I'm gonna make this guy just a little bit better'?" Haumiller said. "No." Here is the entire roster of NCAA Football 14 development team members who appear in the game's "Road to Glory" mode: Peter Arisman, RE (Core Graphics Supervisor)Joshua Bandy, LOLB (Audio Artist)Damion Banks, LT (Dev Director )Maurice Bennett, TE (Animator)Frank Breen, LOLB (Software Engineer)Christian Buhl, C (Technical Director)Nick Bullock, CB (Software Engineer)Andrew Burch, ROLB (QA)Daniel Caldwell, DT (Software Engineer)Andres Cantor, FB (Dev Manager)'Telly Concepcion, CB (Designer Intern)Paul Connors, DT (Software Engineer)Rex Dickson, ROLB (Gameplay Creative Director)Eddie Dorsey, QB (Dev Director )Brian Engel, SS (Software Engineer)Brandon Ferwerda, WR (Designer)Kyle Freeborg, MLB (QA Project Manager)Narayan Glick, FB (QA)Hector Gonzalez, HB (QA)Thomas Green, CB (Dev Director)Malcolm Gruber, LT (Software Engineer)Rex Harris, DT (QA)Roy Harvey, K (Executive Producer)Andrew Hayford, HB (Software Engineer)Alex Howell, HB (Designer)Chris Husein, WR (UI Artist)Seth Jacobson, LE (Software Engineer)Nathan Jansen, RE (Software Engineer)Michael Jonstone, RT (Software Engineer)Rob Kyle, TE (QA)Kolbe Launchbaugh, LE (Creative Director)Jen Liston, P (Software Engineer)Brian Manson, CB (Software Engineer)Michael Masterson, SS (Software Engineer)Christian McLeod, FS (Designer)Steve Merka, QB (Designer)Sam Mirabal, RT (QA)James Mirvil, LG (QA)Donny Moore, CB (Ratings Czar)Matt Murphy, WR (Software Engineer)Thien Nguyen, WR (Software Engineer)Clint Oldenburg, LT (Designer)Jeff Ostergaard, CB (Art Director)Craig Ostrander, WR (Sr. Producer)James Pestrak, LE (Business Analyst)Jordan Peterson, RE (Designer)Ben Ramsour, ROLB (Dev Manager)Larry Richart, QB (Gameplay Designer)Rowdy Riemer, RG (Software Engineer)Felix Rivero, WR (Software Engineer)Leo Rodriguez, FS (Dev Manager)Justin Rogers, DT (Animator)Glen Royer, LG (Animator)Geo Sarria, WR (QA Project Lead)Eric Saunder, RG (Producer)Brandon Smith, MLB (Software Engineer)Dale Stump, MLB (Sr. Audio Artist)Mark Taylor, SS (Dev Director)Adam Thompson, C (Designer)Andrew Tremblay, WR (Software Engineer)Mike VanDerMeulen, QB (Software Engineer)Kamau Vassall, WR (Software Engineer)Rodney Washington, DT (QA)David Webster, DT (Animator)Michael Weisbecker, TE (Designer)Bill Wilson, HB (Dev Manager)Darren Wilson, HB (Software Engineer)Joel Young, DT (Development Director) To contact the author of this post, write to owen@kotaku.com or find him on Twitter @owengood.

Not content to let the console fade away without one last Ratchet & Clank game, Insomniac have announced Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus, which will be out in the Fall and will cost $30. Insomniac are pitching it as a traditional Ratchet & Clank game, while a Vita version is yet to be confirmed. More at IGN's preview below. Traditional Ratchet and Clank Is Back With Into the Nexus [IGN]

Let's say you made up a religion based on Pokemon—such an undertaking would probably require you to look at the lore of the game. As far as the Pokemon world is concerned, Arceus is the Pokemon that (possibly) created the universe. A legendary god, if you will. The "Mewsus" Twitter account takes that lore and runs with it—the result being pretty funny for those of you who know a thing or two about the Pokemon games. Just pretend Mew is like a Pokemon Jesus and go from there: [View the story "Mewsus Christ, son of Arceus" on Storify]

Check out this lovely tribute to Superbrothers Sword & Sworcery EP by artist Elizabeth Simins. (It's full of spoilers, if you haven't played the game yet.) You might remember Simins from Manic Pixel Dream Girl, the excellent 4-part series about growing up with video games.

In 2008, a lawsuit alleged EA violated antitrust laws by holding exclusive licenses with the NFL, NCAA and AFL, and in 2012, EA admitted no wrongdoing and settled for $27 million. That money was, in part, to be distributed among people who bought Madden NFL, NCAA Football or Arena Football games for Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, GameCube or Wii between January 1, 2005, and June 21, 2012. Those applicable could fill out an online form to claim their damages, and in April the form deadline was extended because so few people applied; individual payouts tripled from the initial estimate.

Now, people who followed the case and filled out the form have to wait to receive their payout, following an objection from an invested person named Aaron Miller, Kotaku reports. Miller objects to the size of the attorneys' fees, and while his initial movement was dismissed, his subsequent appeal is in San Francisco's US Court of Appeals for the Ninth District. While the appeal is in process, payouts are on hold.

Miller's brief is due on October 7 and the response to his filing is due one month later, the site says. Payouts will remain in limbo until the end of the year. Stay strong - there's no real "bad time" for free, surprise money.

Despite their many cultural and linguistic differences, Let's Make A Deal host Wayne Brady and a man in a sombrero bonded over their mutual love of video games. Isn't that wonderful? It warms the cockles of my heart just thinking about it.(via Let's Make a Deal)

Click for a visual tale. via Brave little princess

You can't please everyone, I guess. The red-headed one has watched the trailer for Pacific Rim, and he was none too impressed. Particularly with the robo-bulges.

Microsoft is saying some pricing changes seen by U.K. Xbox Live customers trying out the new Xbox Live beta—in which Microsoft Points are converted to local currency—are an error, and these users will be compensated for the difference. The pricing changes, as currently implemented to beta users in Great Britain and elsewhere, amounted to an effective increase ranging from 11 to 25 percent depending on what the item's original Microsoft Point cost was. For example, a game or piece of DLC costing 1,600 points was made £14.99 in the U.K. But a 1,600 point card there had cost £13.33 before. (A 400 point item now runs £4.49, where 400 Microsoft Points are £3.33.) Users in the beta, which began rolling out yesterday, complained about this over Reddit and through other social media. Kotaku reached out to Microsoft for a response, particularly with regard to its final plans for currency conversion in the United States, where the conversion works in the other direction: 1,600 Microsoft Points cost $19.99. Microsoft called the disparity in U.K. and European pricing "an unintended error that we are in the process of fixing. "We’ll be reimbursing impacted beta participants for the difference in what was paid and what the price will be after the update is available to all members," a Microsoft representative said. "Beta programs give us a chance to test, fix and correct issues like this. As with all betas, we take the learnings from our program and make corrections and adjustments prior to the update being available to all members." The news then, meantime, is be careful what you pay for now if you're in the Xbox Live beta. If it's too much, you'll have to wait until the public launch to be refunded the difference. To contact the author of this post, write to owen@kotaku.com or find him on Twitter @owengood.

Latest sign of our coming robot overlords? Yet another A.I. playing a video game. Lots of us here in Kotaku-land like Drop7, the randomized number puzzle game that we think is one of the best iPhone games. So we just had to share Daniel Walton’s video of his Lego Mindstorms NXT robot running up a ridiculous score of 5,205,955. We’ve never seen the video before, even though it’s from earlier this year. Even if you’ve never played Drop7, watching a machine do it is hypnotic and amazing. Scary, too.

The good news is that First Blood gets its due. We knew this when Fahey showed us screens of Hope, Wash. The bad news is that Rambo: The Video Game looks like something for the PlayStation 2. It just looks terrible. Which, of course, means day-one purchase for me. Make no mistake, I'm a big Rambo fan. First Blood is one of my ten favorite movies, and despite what the name has come to stand for since, it was a critical success, too. Roger Ebert gave it three stars. Stallone's tirade to Richard Crenna, laying out the futility of his existence post-Vietnam, legitimately shaped my very young understanding of what war did to people, and what that one did in particular. But then it devolved from an action flick with a real point to a self-parodying symbol of Reagan-era belligerence. Still, the second and third films, I gotta admit, were entertaining as hell in their own way. As I said about Ride to Hell, this game will definitely fill a void—playing as John Rambo versus the weekend warriors up in the soggy forest outside town. Kicking the deputies' asses looks like a cutscene; that'll probably be followed by the game's obligatory stealth level as you escape from jail. (But then, actively killing the cops? That's quite a departure.) But if you're going for consistency, pretty much all of whatever stands for First Blood Part II should be stealth kills. Making that interesting for a brand so closely identified with empty-the-belt action is a near insurmountable challenge. Reef Entertainment has been working on this since 2011. Unfortunately, looks count for a lot, and what we see here suggests a game that didn't end up with a budget to match its ambition, or name recognition. I don't see Rambo nailing a guy to a tree with an arrow through the forehead or sewing a wound shut. The most iconic badass shit Rambo does in this trailer, the mud camo, gets my Joe Bob Drive-In Academy Award for most unintentionally hilarious trailer highlight of 2013. Anyway, this game is out in August, PS3, 360 and PC. To contact the author of this post, write to owen@kotaku.com or find him on Twitter @owengood.

I raved about the game when it launched on PlayStation Mobile, so I recommend any non-PSM gamers who are equipped with iOS or other Android devices set aside $4 for July 25. That's when you can buy and enjoy the minimalist real-time strategy game Rymdkapsel on those other mobile platforms. For now, study up on why it's worth your time and cash. The video at that link should get make it clear. To contact the author of this post, write to stephentotilo@kotaku.com or find him on Twitter @stephentotilo.

The fifteenth Final Fantasy doesn't have a release date yet, nor does it even have a release year, but there's still plenty of information floating around about the next entry in Square Enix's titanic flagship series. What used to be called Final Fantasy Versus XIII has been in development for over seven years now, and it will be out for Xbox One and PS4 at some indeterminate point in the future. Let's look at everything we know about the game so far. (We'll be updating this post every so often as we learn more about Final Fantasy XV, so stay tuned.) The Trailers Let's start things off with some video footage. First there was the Versus reveal in 2006: A big Versus trailer came out in 2011: Then there was the re-reveal: in 2013, Versus morphed into Final Fantasy XV, now slated for Xbox One and PS4. Finally, here's some recent gameplay footage, also from 2013. Sure is pretty. The Cast There are five main party members in Final Fantasy XV, and if you think they look like a boy band, you're not alone. Here are their official descriptions, via Square Enix: Noctis Lucis Caelum: A childhood affliction endowed Noctis, heir apparent to the throne of Lucis, with the mystical power to see a heavenly light, through which he could sense others' deaths. Noctis rejects rigid royal conventions and acts as somewhat of a renegade, much to the dismay of those who tend to him. Yet while "Noct" may act brash at times, he does so in defense of those loyal to him. Gladiolus Amicitia: As lord of the noble House Amicitia, Gladiolus continues a line sworn to protect the crown. "Gladio" shares a friendship with Noctis that transcends birth and title, and his loyalty to his liege is born not of duty, but of brotherhood. Ignis Scientia: Ever the unwavering voice of reason, Ignis was weaned on shrewd logic and a classical education from boyhood so that he might one day counsel the would-be king, Noctis. He applies the deep mutual understanding and trust they have built over time to help smooth over Noctis's brusqueness with others. Prompto Argentum: The puckish playboy Prompto befriended Noctis in his school days. He wears a chip on his shoulder as an outsider to the royal circle, but remains eager to do all he can for the cause. Cor Leonis: A living legend of Lucian lore, Lord Commander Cor Leonis's devotion to the art of war is surpassed only by that to his king. Little love is lost between the ill-starred stalwart and Noctis's retinue, yet honor binds him to keep watch over the group all the same. No women? We've seen a few appearances from a woman named Stella, who appears to play a pivotal role in the plot—like Noctis, she has a strange power related to the spirits of the dead—but Square Enix has stayed quiet about whether she, or any other women, will be playable in Final Fantasy XV. We also know a little bit about a couple of the villains. There's this guy, who doesn't have a name but really wants to beat up Noctis's dad (and steal his crystal). And then there's pink-haired umbrella man, who seems like one of those badass honorable villains that will eventually join and/or help out your party. Oh, and there's hair. Lots of hair. "Sometimes I wish we had the easiness Western FPS (first-person shooters) have, to make everyone bald," director Tetsuya Nomura told NBC. "We're a company that's known for unique hairstyles, but in a way we're running out of ideas." The Story Noctis n' crew have got some struggles to overcome. Here's Square's story synopsis: The only crystal left to the world lies in the Kingdom of Lucis. Upon striking a peace with the garrison state of Niflheim, Lucis rejoices in having at last brought the cold war to a close. Their celebrations, however, are premature. Under the guise of amity, Niflheim dispels the anti-armament runewall and launches a full-scale invasion of the kingdom. The peaceful lives Crown Prince Noctis and his entourage once knew are consumed by the flames of war as they struggle to mount a resistance. Some other facts: This one is going to be darker than previous Final Fantasys. In a 2007 interview with Edge, Nomura specified: "In Versus XIII we want to elaborate more on the world and the human side of the characters, their way of thinking and how and why they behave like they do. This might take the game conception to a darker level than the other games in the FF series."We'll likely see at least one flashback to young Noctis—you can see him talking to his dad and eating nasty soup in the most recent trailer. No word yet whether we'll be able to control Flashback Noctis.That Noctis you see in the E3 trailers, by the way, is super high-leveled. You won't be able to use all those cool abilities from the getgo.Nomura: "I don't like the extreme cases of tech or magic. If I choose, I choose a modern setting — but that's not a good setting for a game. So if you look at "FFXV," it starts in a very modern world similar to Shinjuku (in downtown Tokyo), but when the story starts, you go to the medieval world — but the weapons they are using are high tech-weapons; that kind of combo is what I like." The Combat Yes, it's all in real time. You dash around the battlefield and attack baddies instantly.According to Nomura, Noctis can use a lot of different weapons: small swords, big swords, axes, lances, guns, etc.Noctis can warp short distances, proving my theory that Blink makes everything better.So far we know that Noctis's buddies can join him in combat—and in the E3 gameplay trailer above, we see the main character's friends assisting him against a giant monster—but we don't know which of your party members' actions are plot-driven and which you'll get to control.Three people per party.Nomura: "The starting point will have a sense of control that is similar to that of Kingdom Hearts’ ‘easy and refreshing action,’ so it won’t be difficult. Most of it will come pretty naturally to you. We’re currently testing out different operational methods with each hardware. Regarding allies, in addition to cooperative attacks, there will also be situational actions, which will be part of various scenarios in battles." The World There are five major cities: Accordo, Lucis, Solheim, Tenebrae, and Niflheim. Niflheim is the evil one. Lucis is inspired by Tokyo, and governed by Noctis's dad. Accordo is very much like Venice.Airships will return, according to Nomura. "You can fly across the world in an airship," he said in a 2010 interview. Seems like there's a world map!You can also control and ride a car and Magitek armor, a high-tech mech suit first introduced in Final Fantasy VI. Chocobos will be in at some point, too.In the E3 trailer, we see two familiar Final Fantasy monsters: the Iron Giant and the Behemoth. The summon Leviathan also makes an appearance.You'll have to defeat each summon monster before it joins your team, similar to many older Final Fantasy games. Oh, and Nomura has already started talking about a potential sequel. He thinks it'll be tough to wrap up all of his vision for Final Fantasy XV in just one game.

T-Mobile is named the exclusive U.S. carrier of Sony's new flagship smartphone, with pre-orders starting July 16.

In case you didn't know... you can read condensed Kotaku reviews of new games in the New York Times every month. The Arts section in today's paper includes short versions of our reviews of Game & Wario, Deadpool, Color Zen, The Swapper and Company of Heroes 2. New round-ups monthly. Viva print! (And the Internet, too.)