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Twilight Princess cosplay leaves us agog
Okay, so the dude looking slightly lost in the background doesn't quite make this scene as convincing as it could be -- you'll have to imagine him as, we don't know, a tree, or a random Beamos or ... something. Aside from that, however, this could totally be Midna, of Twilight Princess fame.This was snapped at last year's Anime Expo in the Gerudo Desert Long Beach, California, though has only recently surfaced on the internets. We've got huge respect for cosplay when it's as well-executed as this -- just look at the craftsmanship on that headdress! For us, this ranks right up there with the Samus cosplay we posted about many moons ago on DS Fanboy (though doesn't give us the same lulz as the Dr. Kawashima example).Go past the jump to see a full-length shot, as well as another fine Twilight Princess cosplay, this time based on bug-lover/general weirdo Agitha.
The DS Life: Puppies at play
The DS Life is a weekly feature in which we scour the known world for narrative images of Nintendo's handhelds and handheld gamers. If you have a photo and a story to match it with, send both to thedslife at dsfanboy dot com.We've already seen cosplay outfits for Nintendo DS figures like Dr. Kawashima, Link, and even K.K. Slider -- it was only a matter of time before a pair of kids decided to dress themselves up as Nintendogs! Chase us past the post break for the canine costumes.See also: The DS Life: Best Friends Edition
Cosplayer gathering breaks Guinness record (where none existed)
The Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition succeeded in recording the "The Largest Gathering of Games Characters" (cosplayers) at the Millennium Bridge in London this morning. Considering there was no record before, the gathering of 80 cosplayers beat the former record by a lot. Gamespot UK braved the brisk weather to take photos of the event and even participate.Hopefully the next time Guinness decides to hold an official gathering they'll give a little more warning and hold it at any video game or cosplay convention where the meager turnout of 80 will be blown away. Might we suggest PAX for the next attempt? Oh well, nice first attempt, congrats to all who participated!
Dutch kids cosplay Kratos
To promote God of War: Chains of Olympus in the Netherlands, Sony is asking people to dress up as Kratos. The most authentic Greek warrior will be able to win prizes, we're assuming. See all of the candidates performances here. [Thanks, Jeffrey!]
'Overheard' @ SXSW: What does green mean to you?
I didn't actually need to hear anything to get the story here. The interview crew were wearing shirts featuring the title question (which I really thought would show up in the picture, but just trust me), and they cornered this Spartan from the 405th Infantry Division. What does green mean to you, guy dressed like the Master Chief? I felt very lucky to witness this convergence. Such a perfect meeting is like a lol-ar eclipse.
DS Daily: Stepping into a role
We've talked a lot about cosplay this week, and noticed some interesting discussions in the comments. Who knew people felt so strongly about cosplay? What is it about the hobby that gets such a rise out of people on both sides? Sure, some people take it to extremes, but the same can be said for just about anything from crafting, collecting, and oh, hey -- playing games. Have you ever done any cosplay? No, we're not talking about dressing up as Mario for Halloween when you were eight (but that raises a good question: do Halloween costumes count?). Any of your friends dabble in the hobby? Do you have a strong opinion about cosplay either way?
Witness the greatest Animal Crossing cosplay ever
We're a bit torn between whether the above image is horrifying or brilliant. On the one hand, someone clearly drew massive eyebrows on this poor animal, whose uncanny likeness to Animal Crossing's resident musician K. K. Slider is certainly no fault of his (or her?) own.On the other hand, someone did look at this dog, and realize that with the slightest modification they could create a most excellent cosplay. In either case, consider us in awe. Now all he/she needs is an adorable guitar, and a puppy-sized stool. But we suppose the poor thing's been through enough already.[Via DS Fanboy]
K.K. Slider cosplay is simple, massively effective
Why, we'd recognise those Norman Lamont eyebrows a mile off! This is either: The actual reason that Photoshop exists. The best use of a marker pen and a dog ever.* The cheapest (yet also the most brilliant) cosplay we've seen this side of, um, Dr. Kawashima. It could possibly be all three -- we're just not sure. Somebody get this animal a guitar already.* Don't draw on your pets, kids. It's not cool.
These girls are more Link than you'll ever be
Is it possible that, much like the role of Peter Pan in the theater, the role of elvish man-boy Link can only be truly portrayed by a lady? These two girls, caught capturing the Hyrulian savior's less verdant side, definitely make a convincing argument. We don't know if its their pixie-like features or their horrifically deformed ears, but these ladies appear to have nailed Link better than any dude we've ever seen. Also, the results are in, and they are cute. If you're interested, our friends at DS Fanboy have an unsettling number of other pictures for you to lecherously peruse at your leisure. Gallery: Cosplaying Link Duo
Female duo sets the standard for Link cosplay
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Female_Duo_Sets_the_Standard_for_Link_Cosplay'; As far as Link cosplayers go, these two are easily the best we've come across. It's especially impressive when you consider that they're both wearing the Link's Four Swords outfits and not his traditional green garb.Why is it that women seem to find more success in mimicking the Hylian hero's image? Is it his boyish frame? His unwhiskered cheeks? His effeminate, pointy ears?Whatever it is, this pair captured it with a bug-catching net, stuck it in a bottle, and put it to work with these photos. Hit the gallery below for more action shots of the girls posing with boomerangs, miniature bows, and, uh, cell phones.%Gallery-17571%
Cosplay in Minutes a Day!
Here's a cheap, easy costume you can whip up for your next Halloween/convention/boxart-head meetup -- dress up as Dr. Kawashima's disembodied head! Here's all you need: some white posterboard a pair of scissors a sharpie marker a pair of glasses an aging Asian man Flickr user ClockworkGrue spotted this character last weekend at WonderCon 2008. Girls must have swooned over it, as there are lipstick kiss marks all around the Brain Age mascot. Why else do you think he goes around calling himself LL Cool K (Ladies Love Cool Kawashima)? Step past the break for more video game related costumers spotted at Wondercon 2008.
The best video game costumes at Katsucon '08
Sometimes it might seem like we here at Joystiq are wedded to our jobs -- that we spend every waking moment aggregating and writing about the latest video game news. Well that's just not true. We do get out occasionally, you know. To anime conventions, for instance.But even when we're supposedly "relaxing" at incredibly nerdy gatherings, like this weekend's Katsucon in Washington DC, we can't help but think of you, the reader, and how we can be serving you. With that in mind, please enjoy the below gallery, which features some of the more unique/interesting game-related costumes on display by attendees (not included: the million or so Final Fantasy/Kingdom Hearts related costumes around. Come on guys... originality counts!)%Gallery-16259%
Yet More Cosplay
We can totally get behind No More Heroes cosplay. For one thing, it's a cheap and fairly easy pastime, not unlike your mom requiring none of the intricate and potentially expensive items needed for, say, successful Metroid cosplay. For another, the end result generally looks quite good, if you have the right physique to pull it off (we don't), as well as the correct cocksure attitude (again, no).Hit the link below for more photos of Travis Touchdown and Sylvia Christel imitators that you can shake a paper-mâché WarioWare mask at.[Via GameSetWatch]
Live action Devil May Cry 4 video
Ready to bust out the cosplay? These two fellows are. This seemingly official video showcases real life renditions of Dante and Nero fighting each other in a poorly lit environment with over-the-top (and rather ineffective) moves. The low budget gives it a certain flair, we admit. We'd call it "good" -- the kind of "good" we reserve for things like PS1 Resident Evil's cutscenes and the Street Fighter movie.
Ouendan cosplay skit is unashamedly insane, and all the better for it
With its outlandish (yet easily portrayable) cast and one of the most compelling soundtracks in gaming, we're not surprised that cosplayers are so drawn to Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan. In the video above, a highly enthusiastic crowd is treated to a performance by the Singapore-based "Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan Cosplay Group" at the annual EOY '07 Event at Singapore Expo. If only the same amount of effort was ploughed into all cosplay performances.A warning before you hit play, however: as this is the last song from the second Ouendan game, consider this to be spoileriffic.[Thanks, varumin!]
Blizz gallery highlights fun WoW Halloween costumes
Oh, Halloween -- that one time of the year when it's almost completely socially acceptable in most circles for grown men and women to dress up as goofy fantasy characters. We're not knocking cosplay or LARPing, we're just saying ... if you're gonna do it, October 31st is the best time.And a lot of World of Warcraft fans seized the day. Blizzard's Nethaera requested that fans of the game send in photographs of their WoW-themed Halloween costumes, and they responded. Now the pictures have been added to the official World of Warcraft gallery.It's a delightful collection of Warcraft geekery, but we've got to say, our favorites are the here-pictured quest NPC hats!
Make your own FFXI dungeons, Fan Fest recap
Writing for Gamastura, freelance writer Emily Balistrieri has a lengthy run-down on the biggest party of the year for Final Fantasy XI fans: Fan Fest. She offers up two features for the price of one. The first is an interview with some folks from the development team, including Hiromichi Tanaka, and Global Online Producer Sage Sundi. The second is a breakdown of the events of the Fest itself, from the introductory speech to the obligatory game music concert. Another very popular event returning from last year was held Friday at 3:00 PM: The Tarutaru Marathon. Registered players were each assigned one tiny, adorable, level one Tarutaru character to send hurtling through a perilous dungeon. Monsters there could smite these wimpy Tarutaru into dust with just one hit, so stealth -- well, more so just running like hell -- played a big part in advancing the furthest. No one actually managed to cure the goal Galka character before the 20 minutes was over, but the closest three were awarded pretty sweet tech prizes. In fact, the top prize for many of the contests was a new PC.One additional element not covered in her writeup, but touched on in an update to the official site: the prospect of player-created dungeons! This idea is so out there that the language on the site sounds especially cautious:The development team hinted at the possibility of a function that would allow players to design their own dungeons. These adventurer-created dungeons could then be attempted by and traded between friends. However,this idea is still in the early planning stages, and there is a chance it may not come to fruition.If this was of interest, don't forget to check out our own Jason Dobson's gallery of photos from the event, and his own chat with the dev team.
Rad keyblade auction also benefits Child's Play
We love helping sick kids as much as the next staff of surly bloggers, but even our moral compass is being tested by this eBay listing for an incredible Keyblade replica. We'd like to say the best part is that 35% [Update: In their FAQ, the seller says 100%] of the funds raised are going to Child's Play. But alas, we're pretty sure that the best part is the above video from the listing that features one of our favorite things: Cosplayers who've just lost the game of Chicken they've been playing with e-infamy and insanity and have ended up splattered all over the internet. Happy holidays, kids.Of all the images the video, we're especially terrified of Pikachu holding a sword. Because, you see, even if you're properly grounded and insulated against electricity -- he's still got a sword.[Thanks everyone who sent this in.]
No More Heroes: more gameplay, more PLAYSYLVIA
A new week means a new model dressed up as Sylvia Christel and presented in a playing-card-inspired Flash interface! Whether or not the PLAYSYLVIA cosplay is your thing, we can all agree on this: it's an excuse to talk about No More Heroes every week.But cosplay wasn't the only update made to the No More Heroes site. An anomalously awesome video was added to the "Special" page as well. Why is it so anomalous? For one, it's longer than 10 seconds -- it's almost one whole minute of uninterrupted gameplay. Also, today is not Friday at all.We're a little awed by how fast-paced the combat in No More Heroes is, and how well-placed the motion-controlled flourishes seem. Even without the humor and the style, this is an action game we would be dying to play.
Against all odds, Samus cosplay looks surprisingly good
In recent times, we've shone the Fanboy spotlight on cosplay experiments that have ranged from adorable to slightly surreal. This Samus number effortlessly trumps the lot, however.For starters, it's Samus. Samus cosplay is not a walk in the park, kids. We can only begin to imagine the sheer frustration involved in accurately recreating the Power Suit, with all of its peculiar angles and ridges (not to mention those awkward shoulder spheres). Which makes this effort, featuring Swedish student Jenni Källberg, all the more admirable.More pictures after the jump.
