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In case you were wondering, that incredibly rare instruction manual from the Nintendo 64 video game ClayFighter: Sculptor's Cut ended up selling for $1,377.

Oculus Rift isn't even in production and the VR device already has been put to that most basic of human needs—vigilante executions. If experiencing the guillotine in full stereoscopic view isn't intense enough, feast your eyes on this week's set of 'Shop Contest winners, led by arniejolt! Acnyc2000 (This means "Will there be cake after this?") Aidil42 arniejolt Atomrocker Flawed_Logic GiantBoyDetective Herdman2402 Mayjay omegakirby Pylyp toolsoldier uscg_pa To contact the author of this post, write to owen@kotaku.com or find him on Twitter @owengood.

Valve was at work on a set of augmented reality glasses when several employees were let go back in the winter. Two of them are continuing to work on the project, with the company's blessings. The Verge has video of it in action.

New Jersey's state senate voted unanimously for a program that will print up a bunch of pamphlets about the dangers of scary, scary video games and send them home with schoolchildren. The bill, sponsored by Democrats, now moves to the state Assembly.

The totally improvised, 7 1/2 minute filibuster from an episode of NBC's Parks & Recreation last month, in which Patton Oswalt outlines his vision of Star Wars: Episode VII (with Marvel crossovers) could not possibly have been more perfect, could it? Well, yes, it could, actually ... YouTube video uploaded by iZacLess To contact the author of this post, write to owen@kotaku.com or find him on Twitter @owengood.

This gameplay video for Grid 2 shows a racer drifting around turns on a downhill course in Okutama, Tokyo in Japan. Grid 2 is coming to PS3, Xbox 360 and PC on May 28.

What's happened in the business of video games this past week ... QUOTE | "That idea of saying, 'you're not allowed.' What a bunch of elitist bullshit. Go [expletive] yourself."—David Jaffe, veteran designer, talking about consulting on a Kickstarter for Autoduel and why critics of some Kickstarters annoy him. QUOTE | "The downside didn't appear until sometime later when we found it difficult to develop the games we wanted to do."—Tony Goodman, founder of Ensemble Studios, talking about his company's acquisition by Microsoft. QUOTE | "Is the crowd really wise or just mediocre, incapable of recognizing and rewarding the new and different?"—Veteran designer Warren Spector, talking about why Metacritic should be irrelevant. QUOTE | "A lot of those big companies that were the poster children for social games are really struggling now."—Rob Small, CEO of MiniClip, talking about the difficulty of doing free-to-play games. QUOTE | "THQ was brilliant at what it did from 1991 to 2007."—Former THQ exec Danny Bilson, talking about the downfall of THQ and how he felt terrible about it. QUOTE | "The serious gamers are much more stable, and they're going to be around for a long time and will keep playing games."—Legendary designer Sid Meier, explaining why he's continuing to make games for a core audience, regardless of the platform. QUOTE | "There's also a tension between headline-grabbing creative indie mavericks and 'microstudios' like ourselves."—Paul Taylor of studio Mode 7, talking about making more traditional games on multiple platforms. STAT | $3.75 million —Amount of money mobile game Puzzle & Dragons was earning per day in April; publisher GungHo Entertainment's market cap of $15.1 billion is now greater than Nintendo's $15 billion. STAT | 25%—Drop in retail sales of games, game hardware and accessories in the US in April, versus sales in April 2012; software sales were down 17% and hardware sales dropped 42%. QUOTE | "I think people really are fairly thrilled about what we have now."—ESA senior communications VP Rich Taylor, talking about why the E3 show is still vital to the game industry. This Week in the Business courtesy of GamesIndustry International Image by Shutterstock

Helloooo Kotaku! Happy weekend to you. This has been quite the busy week, what with Stephen off at a pre-E3, week-long event. Fortunately, he was still prepared with gifts. Gifts in the form of previews of Watch Dogs, The Last of Us and Scribblenauts Unmasked, disappointing but perhaps expected news from EA, and a cute perspective from Nintendo. Check out his stories and everyone else's over on Kotaku Selects. On to what you're looking at above over there. That's Octodad—the silly game about raising a family while also trying to pretend like you're not totally obviously a friggin' octopus—combined with everyone's favorite meth show—Breaking Bad. Courtesy of the very talented Will Olthouse, and found by tigsource. Oh, and, I started my new column this week! I think it went well. Don't hesitate to send me questions for next week's edition. Have a good one, everyone. To contact the author of this post, write to tina@kotaku.com or find her on Twitter at @tinaamini.

It's not everyday you see a naked man riding a scooter with giant cross. Warning: This article has content some readers might find objectionable. Last month, Kotaku brought word of a Beijing man who ran through the streets nude while carrying a sex doll. Online in China, the images soon went viral, and one Chinese blogger compared the incident to a real-life Temple Run. This month, the same gentleman returned; however, this time he was carrying a huge crucifix. According to Chinese social networking sites, he was once again spotted in Beijing's Wangjing area (which is known as the city's Koreatown) and which also houses many tech companies. The Chinese media even reported this latest incident by the "Wingjing Streaker". Besides the dash, there was also a buck-naked moped ride. Both with a giant crucifix. Last night on social networking site Sina Weibo, a man Li Binyuan admitted that he was the Wingjing Streaker. "I've done this about 10 times," Li admitted. "So far, only 6 times have been recorded and put online by spectators." Photos of the Wangjing Streaker started to go viral in China last month. Li, a graduate of the prestigious China Central Academy of Fine Arts, works as an artist in China. He's still young and is still trying to make a name for himself. But this isn't necessarily an art project per se—though, it certainly does have elements of performance art. "At first, it all started because I was bored and this seemed fun," said Li. "Later, it just became something to do." Li said that he had hit a wall with his work and was frustrated. He needed a release, and for him, streaking fulfilled that. "Every time I finish a run, I always check online to see what people online are saying about me," said Li. "The internet creates such a wonderful way to interact, and I really want to see what others think of this thing I'm doing. It makes conversation online." Li's art can break the public and private space in arresting ways. For example, in 2010, Li had himself filmed on the subway in China, as he brushed his teeth, washed his face, and then lathered up to shave his face with a razor. He even brought a bottle of water, a cup, and a bowl so he could gargle and wash up after he finished. All this occurred on a crowded subway. Onlookers either ignored Li or took digipics. While there's probably no law against brushing your teeth or shaving on a train, public nudity is a crime in China. Li doesn't think what he did was wrong, adding that when people are stressed out, they need to cut loose. A Beijing lawyer named Liu Xiaoyuan is quoted as saying this is illegal, but added that since the incidents occurred at night (and perhaps didn't disturb the peace), criminal charges are unlikely. After admitting he was the Wangjing Streaker, Li wrote online this was the last time he will run naked in public, saying, "I'm done. Bye-bye." 北京の韓国人街に「十字架を担いだ全裸の男」、深夜街を駆け回る姿が目撃される―中国報道 [新华网] 望京再现男子扛十字架裸奔 [组图] 一号线上 [东方视觉] 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.

If OKCupid was a dating site for cats, you'd probably find these types of creepy felines on there all the time. Sometimes, not so different from the creeps you might find on the site anyway.

I know you've been worried. You've been keeping your phone in that heavily-padded case in a locked lead box under your bed. Your iPad is in a safe, and not for its own protection. You've got handcuffs for your Nexus 7, and not the kinky kind. Well do not worry, my friends. None of this week's gaming apps will kill you. That's not to say they don't want to kill you. It's not even really a want, more of a compulsion. Kind of like — what's that movie where the kids cheat death and he catches up to him? Oh yeah, it's like Footloose. Last week you were supposed to die, but I warned you, and now 80s Kevin Bacon is angry, and he's got death on speed dial. Look, I don't know what you did to piss off Kevin Bacon from several decades in the past, but I am pretty sure it had nothing to do with playing Gravity Guy 2, Grump Bears, This is Not a Ball Game or Calixa: The Code Breaker. So just relax. Leave your devices on your bedside table, unprotected. Turn on an episode of The Following, which is safe because it starts modern haggard Kevin Bacon. Leave the kitchen knives out. I am sure everything is going to be just fine. Maybe wear a kevlar tie. What We Played This Week I Am MT - iOS - Free A ridiculously popular card game all over the world North America is working to fix that. It's a card collector, but it's got a very distinctive faux-action style that keeps me tapping. ERA HD Deluxe - iOS - Free A rather pretty little defense-type game with unique units, a large variety of enemies, an endless mode, hero abilities — there's a lot here for free. Gravity Guy 2 - iOS - $.99 An endless runner with a platforming twist, sequel to a game called Gravity Guy! The character runs across a series of platforms the player can raise to fling him through the air. Takes a little getting used to. So exciting my volume control is in the screenshot. Tomb Breaker - iOS - Free A fun, free match game where you aren't limited to the gems next to each other. As long as you can trace a straight line from one of the same color to another, it's on. Wonderful bathroom game. This is Not a Ball Game - iOS - Free An achingly gorgeous psychics game with a wonderful French circus style. It would be perfect, if not for the timers and ball purchases and restrictions and replaying cinematics — it's at least worth looking at. Chuck the Muck - iOS, Android - Free A charming, friend-friendly puzzler involving goo and the uses of goo. The iOS version's had some missing file errors, but otherwise it's groovy, in a goopy sort of way. Calixa: Code Breaker - Android - Free It's safe-cracking in the form of math logic puzzles, and damn if I don't love math logic puzzles. This one's staying on my phone forever. Grumpy Bears - Android, iOS - Free Bears are coming after you with heavy military ordinance, and you're in the back of a pickup truck armed with dynamite, hammers, and a wide variety of hurty, pokey things. They want your honey. You want their skulls. a hell of a good time. App Reviews for the Week of May 13-17 If You're Into Endless Running, Might As Well Be Running With Friends With its growing focus on mobile gaming and its penchant for trying to out-popular already popular games, Zynga was going to get around to stepping on Temple Run's toes eventually, and what better way than to combine the joy of endless running with the trusted ...With Friends brand? The result is a combination I'm…Read… Screw It, I Can't Wait To Tell You How Good Bombcats Is Luke Schneider of Radiangames has created some of the coolest bite-sized shooters I've played, starting with Xbox Live Indies and then graduating to mobile platforms. Just check out theRadiangames tag here at Kotaku and see how much well-deserved love we've given him. Radiangames latest doesn't hit iOS until…Read… Space... The Final Fantasy Card Game... This Is Star Trek Rivals. If you loved Triple Triad and Tetra Master, the collectible card games included in Final Fantasy VIII and IX respectively, then you'll probably be quite annoyed by the format being utilized in this cash-hungry free-to-play movie tie-in. Read… Snails Smoke Fast And Furious In The Battle Of The Mobile Movie Racers This movie season sees not one but two different racing films hitting theaters — one aimed at a younger, less-mature audience, and the other an animated snail movie from the folks at DreamWorks Animation. One of the two scored a rather entertaining little mobile game tie-in this week. The other just adds drifting to <a…< a="">Read…

Friday is here! Put on some REO Speedwagon, your big boots, and then kick the crap out of a camera.

It's like Limbo, but with magnets! Magnetic by Nature looks pretty neat, especially for a student project. Check out the Kickstarter if you're interested.

While not a direct confirmation, during the latest Major Nelson podcast episode, Aaron Greenberg, chief of staff for interactive entertainment at Microsoft, seemed to imply that whatever is shown during the Xbox reveal will be out this holiday. The assumption, of course, being that they're going to show the next Xbox during the event, and therefore he said that the next Xbox will be out this holiday. To quote: We're really going to tell one story across two events. So we're going to start on the 21st and really that's about revealing the next Xbox platform, really our vision for the future of games, the future of entertainment. We definitely have a lot of surprises planned....at E3, I mean, if you're a gamer, it's going to be tonnes of exclusives, world premieres, and obviously even beyond that we have a lot to share between then and this holiday. Emphasis mine. We've reached out to Microsoft for confirmation about this, and will update this post if we hear back. Otherwise, here is everything we know about the next Xbox. Image credit: Shutterstock

Slow zombies may be a cliche, but I'd take them any day over having to figure out how to survive against super agile, parkour zombies—like the ones in this video by ronniestreetstunts. Though maybe they'd be too busy showing off their flippy moves to actually pose a threat? Hmm. Zombie Parkour - The Flipping Dead [ronniestreetstunts via Laughing Squid]

Can Samsung's flagship smartphone compete with the iPhone and HTC's One?

Scurvy Scallywags, the upcoming game from Ron Gilbert and DeathSpank co-creator Clayton Kauzlaric, is a little different from most match-three puzzlers. As we learned in March, players can influence the direction in which the board collapses after making a match. This, in turn, can move their character around the board and allow them to engage in combat with other characters.

The concept is a bit difficult to put down on paper, so thankfully there's a new trailer! Take note of the end of the video, as we're fairly certain this is the first sea shanty in history to feature a theremin.

Deadspin How To Give A Best Man Toast That Doesn't Suck | io9 Game of Thrones will end with season 7: Producer | Kotaku How To Turn Your Android Phone Into A Gaming Powerhouse | Jezebel How to Wear A&F While Fat, as Demonstrated by Jerry From 'Parks & Rec' | Valleywag Tumblr: Still Full of Porn and Self-Mutilation

“We have to go back.”

Six years ago, I moved from Chicago to San Francisco. Six years later, I’m headed back.

One of the last conversations I had with my father before he passed was telling him we were coming home. This was more than a year ago. At the time, we figured it would happen in a few years. My wife and I had started talking about the future, and we were concerned about the logistics of raising a family in the Bay Area. It’s expensive, and our families are in the midwest. When my father passed, the gut reaction was to panic, and sprint towards what’s comforting.

During my extended stay in the midwest last summer, I considered not coming back. But life cannot be defined by crisis, and I'd have regretting pulling the trigger so quickly. I loved the life I’d built in San Francisco, and I loved my job. Around the time of our wedding, we committed. The plan was to move back for the first anniversary of my father’s passing, and that date is rapidly approaching. A year moves fast.

You might have gotten a sense that change was coming when I started experimenting with streaming from my apartment using a MacBook Air. Man, that was dumb! It was around then I was mulling the logistics of no longer being in the office, and how that impacts the work I’ve come to value while being part of Giant Bomb. I came to this place as a wordsmith, but have since spent most of my time in front of a camera. When I move, the extra time means I’ll naturally gravitate back towards more writing and reporting, but I don’t want to lose the connection I’ve built up with Giant Bomb’s incredible audience.

I’m actually excited about what’s possible being disconnected from the office. Alex and I have been talking about doing a live morning show, since we'll both be in earlier time zones. Perhaps most importantly, I haven't had time to break any big stories. Now, I will. It’s very frustrating to sit around and watch other reporters file stories that I’ve known about for weeks or months, knowing I could have easily done that. Now, I can. Besides more frequent Encylopedia Bombastica entries and Spookin’ With Scoops episodes, you can look forward to much more thoughtful, in-depth reporting from me. I’ve really missed it.

June 21 will be the last day I’m in the office, but I’ll continue to be your news editor at Giant Bomb.

We’ll leave the teary goodbye for another day.

Hey, You Should Play This

• Among the Sleep by Krillbite Studio (PC/Mac/Linux, Free) -- www.krillbite.com/ats

Besides Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs, there’s not another horror game I’m looking forward to as much as Among The Sleep. It's comforting to have my enthusiasm justified. On paper, Among The Sleep is a winner. You’re a two-year-old trying to find your parents in a house where things are going very, very wrong. I’d play that game, even if it turned out awful. As part of its Kickstarter funding, the developers released a playable version of the game. They are very much on the right path with this one.

And You Should Read This, Too

• "Thoughts on Slender: The Arrival" by Thomas Grip

Speaking of horror games, Frictional Games co-founder Thomas Grip sat down with Slender: The Arrival and wrote a thoughtful analysis of what does and doesn’t work. Scaring people seems like one of the most difficult task for a creator, whether we’re talking about games, books, movies--whatever. Horror is incredibly subjective, and requires participation by the player/viewer/reader in a way other genres do not. Grip’s methodically breaks down and articulates why Slender: The Arrival can get under your skin.

"Most of the creepiness comes from the game featuring perfectly normal situations and locations. It is easy to draw parallels between the game's scenery and your own life experience. There is no need to figure out the world and your place in it, all that comes automatically. This makes it possible to become immersed in the atmosphere almost instantly. It also makes the game leave a certain amount of dread behind after you have finished playing."

• "Metro: Last Light is the triumph of an underdog" by Jason Rubin for GamesIndustry.biz

Apparently we’re keeping it morbid on Worth Reading this week. Former THQ president Jason Rubin has penned a stunning editorial about the unfortunate working conditions at Metro: Last Light developer 4A Games. It’ll have you reaching for the buy button on Steam by the end, and only makes what 4A Games has pulled off with both the Metro games all the more impressive. It makes you wonder what 4A Games would be capable of with better support. You know, like proper chairs.

"When 4A needed another dev kit, or high-end PC, or whatever, someone from 4A had to fly to the States and sneak it back to the Ukraine in a backpack lest it be "seized" at the border by thieving customs officials. After visiting the team I wanted to buy them Aeron office chairs, considered a fundamental human right in the west. There were no outlets in the Ukraine, and our only option was to pack a truck in Poland and try to find an "expediter" to help bribe its way down to Kiev. We gave up not because this tripled the cost, but because we realized that the wider Aeron chairs would require spreading out people and computers, which would lead to extra desks, and that ultimately would have required bigger offices. Yes, really."

If You Click It, It Will PlayCrowdfunding Has Promise, Hopefully Developers Don't Screw It Up

• I love games with two people on a journey together. Hopefully The Realm tuns out well.
• Boon Hill is a graveyard simulator. Game, you had me at graveyard.
• Remember that dinosaur video game from last week? It's The Stomping Land.

Tweets That Make You Go "Hmmmmmm"

If I wanted to ensure that smart people do not want to come work at my company, I'd make the slogan something like, "Level up those badges!"

— Jonathan Blow (@Jonathan_Blow) May 16, 2013

Lastly, PDZ Fact #5: Every level in Perfect Dark Zero contains a hidden rat. That's what happens when you leave all that cheese around...

— Chris Allcock (@taskbaarchitect) May 17, 2013

Comment on our greenlight page: "you dont have the balls to take money for this when black mesa is and will be free"

— Davey Wreden (@HelloCakebread) May 17, 2013Oh, And This Other Stuff

• Digital Foundry applies its spot-on, super interesting technical analysis to Killzone: Shadow Fall.
• I suspect D doesn't hold up very well, but god damn was that an interesting game.
• Leigh Alexander and Shawn Elliott have an in-depth discussion about games, sexism, and representation.
• Thoughts on the consequences of disruption in a post-LucasArts world.
• Wait, is it surprising there aren't more violent games?
• Some folks are putting together an alternate E3 press conference. This has me excited.
• The madness that lies beyond playing more than 100 hours of Monster Hunter.
• Some of the reasons people enjoy watching Let's Plays.

Remember when local news channels across the country discovered that HOLY SHIT WOMEN PLAY VIDEO GAMES??? Today they've had another revelation: HIGH-INTENSITY EXER-GAMING!!! Brought to you by the same trite, recycled local news press release copy that brought you this fantastic report about the world of girl gamers, check out our supercut of local news reporters saying things like "HIGH-INTENSITY EXER-GAMING!!!" Video above.

Marawa is the "world conquering hoola hoop master"—according to her website. She can hoop up to 133 hoola hoops at the same time, and is basically kind of amazing with hoola hoops. She also likes Street Fighter. Hence...this kind of absurd video. Dat mega hoop combo at about a minute in. Wow. Wow. And hey. She says she wants to conquer the world with hoops. Entering the Street Fighter tournament is a good way of doing that, I think! Hoop fighter 2 !! [marawacu]

The Daily Dota does not stop until the Big W is in hand.

Your Android phone isn't just for widgets, talking, Google Now and photos. It can also be one of the world's best gaming platforms, if you're willing to spend a little time on it. Once the domain of tinkerers and super-nerds, Android devices have exploded in popularity over the last couple of years, spurred on by the emergence of superphones like the Samsung Galaxy S 4, HTC One and Google's own Nexus 4. Despite this increase, there remains the perception that - at least in terms of gaming - Android phones are somehow a step behind the iPhone. That things like piracy, a lack of apps and convoluted system specs are hindering the development of games on the platform. I'm here to tell you this is bullshit. Chances are that if you own an Android phone, and picked it up within the last 18 months, you've got in your pocket a silent killer in terms of portable gaming. Below you'll find four steps you can follow to turn that humble little smartphone into something a little more gamey. 1. USE GOOGLE PLAY Well, duh. But if you're a new user, or someone contemplating making the switch, this is important. Android users have a bad reputation for pirating software, including games, and in many ways that's a fair assumption. Pirating games for the platform is way too easy. Don't be that guy. Be the guy that visits the newly-redesigned Google Play Store (Android's equivalent of Apple App Store) and sees that, hey, nearly every big (and small) iPhone game is there too. Just as cheap. Just as plentiful. To get you started, here are ten of the best games available in the store. You'll even find some hot exclusives. Kairosoft's entire catalogue of addictive-as-hell management games is on the Play Store, for example, while only a handful have ever made it to the App Store. Seriously, there are enough quality games on there already that we could end the guide right here and you'd be set. Luckily, we're not ending the guide here. Those remaining developers who either delay bringing their games to Android, or don't do it at all, usually cite piracy as one of the big concerns. The more people actually pay for apps and games on Android, the more of these developers will be encouraged to bring their wares to the platform. So do it. 2. GO RETRO Let's say you want to play something more substantial than most mobile titles can offer. Or a classic game from your childhood that, for better or worse, isn't available on the Play Store. The great thing about Android phones is that you can still play these games, and it's a lot easier - and more legal - than you might think. Two of the most popular means of running old PC games on modern systems - DOSBox (for old DOS games) and ScummVM (for old adventure games) - both have versions available for Android devices. Before we go any further, then, you're going to need install these three applications: ScummVM for AndroidDOSBox Turbo for AndroidDOSBox Manager While that last link isn't necessary, you're really going to want it. What DOSBox Manager does is let you create a quicklaunch screen for the games, so instead of having to enter command prompts every time you want to play a game (which is normally how DOSBox works), you just tap some box art, same as a regular app/game. The quickest, easiest and most legal way to get hold of old PC games is to visit a site like Good Old Games. Many titles there are supported by DOSBox, so all you need to do is download the game to your PC and copy the files over to your phone. Tom DuPont has written a great in-depth guide to this process which you can read here. If you need help using DOSBox Turbo and/or getting your games running, the best place to start is the app's site, which has helpful (and easy to understand) walkthroughs and guides. ScummVM is an easier proposition, but if you have trouble setting it up, the official guide gives you a great walkthrough on getting set up. A word of caution, though: be careful which games you bring over. Your phone has limited inputs, most likely just a touchscreen, so trying to play a fast-paced RTS or shooter might not be the best idea. Slower, mouse-driven genres like adventure and turn-based strategy are a good place to start. Unless, that is, you want to... 3. GET A CONTROLLER (OR USE A MOUSE) It sounds crazy, I know. Buying an external controller for your phone defeats the entire point of playing games on a portable device. But the fact of the matter is, as phones become more powerful, phone games become more powerful, and it's a tragedy that people try to play something like Real Racing using touchscreen or tilt controls. Stick a pad on there and some of these newer games will feel like a console game, instead of just looking like one. There's also the benefit it brings to the retro games you'll be playing. Use a gamepad and suddenly all those amazing old shooters are playable. Connect a bluetooth mouse to your phone and anything you can't play with a pad, you can probably play with it. Doing this is pretty simple; provided they don't need drivers, Android natively supports bluetooth peripherals, including keyboards, mice and control pads. It'll even display a mouse cursor if it detects one. Just find your phone's bluetooth settings and pair it up. To save you buying a gamepad, there's an app that lets you connect a PS3 pad to an Android device. If you don't have a spare controller or mouse already lying around, or are looking for something a little more tailored, you can always try dedicated controller solutions like the MOGA Pro. Again, this might sound crazy since you can do this a lot more easily on a regular computer, but consider this: old PC games weren't designed to run on giant 23" desktop monitors. You either stretch their visuals until they look like garbage, or run them in a window. Phone screens, though, are at the cutting edge. Relatively tiny yet packing amazing colours and now sometimes even 1080p resolution, they breathe new life into your old games. Trust me, fire up something like Colonization or X-Com on a contemporary phone and it'll look better than ever. 4. GET A BIGGER BATTERY (OR BATTERY PACK) The one major downside to the crop of modern Android smartphones is that, almost to the last, they've got terrible battery life. Most can barely last a single day, even with infrequent use. If you're planning on playing a game at home, that's not a problem, but let's be honest, how often will you be playing a phone game at home? Running 3D graphics - or even just leaving a big bright screen on for long stretches - will kill your battery. So if you're serious about gaming on your Android phone, you should think about getting a bigger battery (if your phone supports removable batteries) or an external battery case/charging pack (if it doesn't). —- That should about cover it! There's enough here to get you started on turning your Android phone into a go-to games platform. If you've got something to add, though, let us know below! Howtu is Kotaku's guide on how to get the most out of your gaming.

Well, you know how things are out in the road. Sometimes you just, uh, really need to catch them all? ... Listen. Having an Ultraball for a gear shifter on your car is awesome, okay? And Redditor browner87 made one for his car by a modifying a cue ball and aluminum. You can see the steps involved in making the gear shift here, but here are a few pictures: Pretty good when compared to the source material, yeah? And let's be honest, while some Pokeball shifters float around in the web, this is an effin' Ultraball. You just can't compare—not even the Masterball. The purple looks goofy, whereas the Ultraball is classy. Finally finished my own Pokeball gear shifter. What does r/Pokemon think? [browner87]

The Bombcats explode, snails go racing with turbo speed and new Pudding Monsters levels have gone live in today's ASU.

Sorry - no Random Encounters today! I've been ill and bed-ridden and haven't had a chance to put together a column this week. But please feel free to talk JRPGs right here.

Less than a month after launching the Galaxy S4, Samsung claims the device is selling even faster than its predecesor.

Pretty sure I just had a heart attack. Coming exclusively to Transformers Botcon in San Diego from June 27 - 30, this variant cover for issue five of IDW's My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic micro-series is artist artist Tony Fleecs' way of reaching into my chest and grabbing hold of my heart with his ink-stained fingers. Here's a tiny look at the full cover, for Comic Book Resources has the exclusive and I do not wish to steal anyone's thunder. Besides, seeing it full-size in one sitting might kill you. What, you've seen a better comic book cover? Then share it. I can almost guarantee I will not agree.

You can have all the fancy future weaponry you want, but nothing beats a good old fashioned knife to the jugular.

This movie season sees not one but two different racing films hitting theaters — one aimed at a younger, less-mature audience, and the other an animated snail movie from the folks at DreamWorks Animation. One of the two scored a rather entertaining little mobile game tie-in this week. The other just adds drifting to CSR Racing. Borrowing most of the pages from one of the kings of casual mobile street racing isn't necessarily a bad thing. Fast & Furious 6: The Game looks lovely, plays quite well (at least when it works — user reviews are divided), and adds a little bit of drifting to the shifting gameplay established in its obvious inspiration. It's still about tapping at just the right time, only with drifting you have to tap, hold and release at just the right time as well. The cars are sexy, collectible and customizable, and I get to ride in a 1972 Ford Gran Torino, which is pretty much all I ever want to do. The downside here is that not only does Fast & Furious 6: The Game copy the best bits of CSR Racing, it also snagged the worst. A slowly-replenishing fuel gauge restricts your racing to a handful of events in one sitting (unless you pay). Car upgrades past the first time are tagged with arbitrary timers you have to wait out (unless you pay). What's worse, the pay wall arrives fast and furious. Once you get past the first few races in any of the available events, you'll suddenly stop winning. You'll be told to upgrade your car to be more competitive. You'll try that, but earning prize money is really tough when you never win a race. So I stopped playing Fast & Furious 6: The Game, as I have no time for this crap anymore. Either let me play or don't. This dance is getting really old. On the plus side, stopping gave me time to play Turbo Racing League, a charming little racing title from PikPok. Based on the snail-racing blockbuster Turbo, coming in July, this cute and colorful little racer manage to feature actual racing, and it's not horrible at all. Yes, you're a cartoon snail, but you're a cartoon snail that handles incredibly well as it grinds rails, drifts around corners and stunts off jumps in a variety of different racing events. Of all the 3D racing games I've played with my fingers, Turbo Racing League is easily one of the easiest to control, with four different configurations to choose from (I prefer tapping the sides of the screen to turn). Players compete events alone or against AI rivals to win stars. Earn enough stars and they'll progress to the next racing class. To prepare for the tougher challenges, players spend tomatoes collected from the track or earned through winning to customize their racer. She's no 1972 Ford Gran Torino, but she'll do. There are still annoyances, as there will be with free games. There's the Verizon sponsorship, for one. Every race track features a Verizon phone taped about the starting line, and there's an ongoing $1 million contest that's you see advertised incessantly throughout the game. The action is regularly interrupted by despicable ads, which shouldn't be necessary, what with the big Verizon deal, yet there they are. But at least Turbo Racing League is vaguely original and immensely playable. I never imagined a day would come where I'd choose a CG mollusk over Vin Diesel, but that's what it's come down to. We'll always have Riddick. Turbo Racing League Genre: RacingDeveloper: PikPokPlatform: iOS, AndroidPrice: Free Get Turbo Racing League in iTunes — Get Turbo Racing League on Google Play Fast & Furious 6: The Game Genre: Racing, sort of. Developer: KabamPlatform: iOS, Android (soon — beware the fake one)Price: Free Get Fast and Furious 6: The Game in iTunes