Ben Bertoli
Kotaku
Indianapolis, IN, United States
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Discover and connect with journalists and influencers around the world, save time on email research, monitor the news, and more.
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Past articles by Ben:
The Week In Games: Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This
Media Molecule’s ambitious game-building system, Dreams, is officially launching this week, which means we can all finally experience the immense pressure of being an indie game developer. → Read More
The Famicom’s Built-In Microphone Was Wonderfully Weird
There have always been slight regional differences between consoles, but when the Nintendo Entertainment System hit store shelves in the fall of 1985 it had been stripped of nearly all the form and charm of its Japanese counterpart. It was clear that Nintendo didn’t want the NES to be seen as a cheery “family computer,” but rather a hulking grey gaming VCR from the not-so-distant future. → Read More
I Finally Got My First Xbox
I’ve never wanted to own an Xbox console, if I’m being completely honest. → Read More
Sunday Comics: You Stupid Idiot
Hello! It’s time for Kotaku’s Sunday Comics, your weekly roundup of the best webcomics. The images enlarge if you click on the magnifying glass icon. → Read More
I Tried More Weird Cereals So You Don't Have To
The world of breakfast cereal is an ever-changing battle ground, ruled by dependable classics and littered with the broken boxes of sugar-coated newcomers. Only you, the consumer, can shape the outcome of this century-long struggle to rule “the most important meal of the day.” → Read More
The Owl House Is Off To An Enchanting Start
While animated shows often cater to specific age groups, there are many that strive for a mix of humor, action, and emotional weight that can appeal to all audiences. The cartoons that manage this feat always seem to draw a devoted following overnight. The Owl House, which premiered on Disney Channel this past month, appears to be the newest addition to this magical middle ground. → Read More
The Week In Games: Off The Chain!
It’s almost September, and you know what that means. It’s time to ride the cybernetic battle cat of your dreams into the alien frey. Huzzah! → Read More
The Original Tony Hawk's Pro Skater Soundtrack Is Still A Blast
Gaming series known for their superior soundtracks often have one thing in common — a wide array of powerful or catchy music orchestrated to fit a specific environment. Though plenty of games (mostly annual sports series) have used popular prerecorded tunes as part of their soundtrack in the past, they rarely stand out from the crowd. But Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater did, and two decades later it… → Read More
That Time Nintendo Took the Game Boy (and Pokémon) Online
When it comes to online play and digital distribution, Nintendo always seem two steps behind its competitors. But things weren’t always like this, at least in Japan. → Read More
Looking Back on Dragon Ball Z's Best Filler Episode
When the Dragon Ball Z anime premiered in April of 1989, it was a mere six months behind its Dragon Ball manga source material. For a show that aired every single weekday without fail, this wasn’t much of a gap to fill. It was important to the Dragon Ball Z showrunners that the anime storyline never surpass the manga, for fear of spoiling the ongoing plot for dedicated fans. Thus, those in… → Read More
Sunday Comics: That's Kinda Dumb
Hello! It’s time for Kotaku’s Sunday Comics, your weekly roundup of the best webcomics. The images enlarge if you click on the magnifying glass icon. → Read More
7 Classic Cartoons That Deserve A TV Special
With a wide variety of animated movies and TV series accessible around the clock, it’s easy for viewers to fall into the bottomless pit of nostalgia that is streaming classic cartoons. → Read More
Dr. Mario World is Fun, But Flawed
Does the latest Nintendo mobile game get a clean bill of health, or has it sold out to Big PharMario? → Read More
First Impressions: Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey in Labo VR
Can cardboard make Switch’s two first-party masterpieces even better? Well... → Read More
The Week In Games: Might As Well Jump
Everyone’s favorite uncomfortably detailed manga dream team leads a powerful and stylish week of new games. I mean, just look at that hair. → Read More
20 Years Later, Snowboard Kids 2 Remains a Hidden Gem
While the Nintendo 64 wasn’t the most revolutionary home console, the clunky cartridge-based system still managed to house some of the best games of the mid-to-late ‘90s. Quite a few N64 classics, including Super Smash Bros., Donkey Kong 64, and Pokemon Snap, will celebrate their 20th anniversaries in 2019. Joining these memorable 64-bit outings is a wonderfully quirky snowboard racer that the… → Read More
Lights, Camera, Action Figures!
It’s not often one sees a picture of a stormtrooper shopping for sugary sweet cereal or the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles duking it out in a heated game of Mario Kart 64. And yet it’s this type of nostalgic crossover imagery that keeps amateur toy photographer Duane Perera working late into the night. → Read More
Sunday Comics: Horrific Slime Farms
Hey there! It’s time for Kotaku’s Sunday Comics, your weekly roundup of the best webcomics. The images enlarge if you click on the magnifying glass icon. → Read More
I Tried These Weird New Cereals So You Don't Have To
If you’ve walked down the breakfast aisle of your local supermarket in the last few months you’re likely aware that some sort of bizarre cereal apocalypse is upon us. → Read More
A Look Behind TV's Most Relatable Gaming Story In Ages
Writing an episode of a TV show that revolves around video games can be a tricky endeavor. It’s all too easy for showrunners to gravitate towards common tropes such as being sucked into a digital world or becoming overly obsessed with a flashy new game. Stories like these have been overused in the decades since gaming was introduced, and while they make for an enjoyable adventure, they rarely… → Read More