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Adidas made a Snapchat game to drop limited, 8-bit-themed baseball cleats
Adidas is teaming up with Snapchat on a unique way to launch a product. The sportswear giant has created an 8-bit game you can play in Snapchat, called Baseball's Next Level, where you'll have the chance to buy its new 8-bit-themed baseball cleats. Produced in partnership with developer AvatarLabs, Baseball's Next Level is a home run derby, old-school style title that will let you play as some of Adidas' Major League Baseball athletes. That includes Aaron Judge (Yankees), Carlos Correa (Astros), Alex Bregman (Astros), Justin Turner (Dodgers) and Kiké Hernandez (Dodgers), all of whom have their own Adizero or Icon V cleats in the Adidas 8-bit collection, which you can buy directly from the game.
Nintendo's NES Classic Edition returns on June 29th
About a year ago, Nintendo announced that it was effectively killing the popular NES Classic Edition. Several months later, however, fans rejoiced when the company reversed itself, saying the product would once again ship in 2018. Now we know exactly when: The retro 8-bit console will arrive on June 29th, and should be available through the end of the year, according to a Nintendo tweet.
'Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon' summons 8-bit 'Castlevania' charm
Japanese developer Inti Creates has lifted the lid on Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon at this year's BitSummit -- an annual, Kyoto-based celebration of the finest indie games. Curse of the Moon is a classic 8-bit follow-up to Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, originally promised as a Kickstarter reward if certain stretch goals were met.
You're never getting an NES Classic Edition now
If you've spent the last few months trying to get your hands on a NES Classic Edition, it's time to give up. Nintendo's tiny, plug-and-play retro console is dead. Or dying, at least. The company says the last shipments to North American territories will reach stores in April, advising buyers to check with their local retailers for availability. In other words, the NES Classic Edition shortage is going away, but only because the product won't exist anymore.
Dodge Beyoncé's haterz in the 8-bit game 'Lemonade Rage'
If you've ever dreamed of being Beyoncé for a day, you're in luck. A small group of game designers created Lemonade Rage: an 8-bit adventure where you dodge haterz, bullshit and Illuminati conspiracists to smash cars, fire hydrants and good hair ads. It's basically the video game version of Beyoncé's video for the song "Hold Up" where she strolls down the street doing damage with a baseball bat. The more mayhem you cause, the more lemons you earn for lemonade.
Arcano Systems' chiptune synth offers 80s video game nostalgia
Here at Engadget, we have quite an affinity for all things that remind us of what it was like to play video games in the 80s. That includes musical instruments and gear that are capable of reproducing those iconic chiptune sounds we all know and love. Arcano Systems is no stranger to those tones and the company has taken to Kickstarter to fund yet another of its creations. The company has a knack for creating the 8-bit chiptune synths, including last year's NES Chiptune Synthesizer. This time around, it created the Obscura 8-bit Chiptune Synth 2: a MIDI synthesizer that emulates the sounds of games from Nintendo NES, Famicom and Commodore 64.
Logitech made this retro game display from 160 light-up keyboards
Because when there's VR and cosplay around the corner, a simple gaming keyboard is not going to cut it.
Tinder gets a lo-fi makeover in 'Millennial Swipe Simulator 2015'
If you've been using Tinder for long enough chances are that you've opened the app in the morning with some rather surprising matches. Brainlessly swiping right on whoever fits the bill for you in the hopes that they'll do the same and you'll potentially have a love connection is part of the experience. It's this sort of activity the web-based Millennial Swipe Sim 2015 aims to replicate. In the "game" you have to keep swiping (regardless of direction) to keep your boredom meter from filling lest you die. Seriously. Funnily enough, developer Will Herring (a Buzzfeed creative director and former GamePro (R.I.P.) editor) managed sneaking some of the app's quirks in. Like people in group photos and the same profiles that keep popping up repeatedly, for example. What's missing though are wedding shots from the altar or church steps and profiles consisting entirely of photos of one's children. Maybe in the next update?
NES makeover proves that punk is dead
Are the anti-authority stylings of Sunset Overdrive a little too hi-fi for your gaming tastes? Well friends, maybe the 8-bit aesthetic of Punktendo might be more up your alley. As the name implies, it's classic NES games by way of NOFX and more. If you're curious what type of Flash-based goodies await once you get home from work, Milo Fu is Kung Fu with The Descendents' mascot, Super Mikey Erg! is Super Mario Bros. starring The Ergs' frontman and Fat Mike's Golf, appropriately, is the Fat Wreck Chords' owner inserted into Golf. It's the latest project from Jeff Hong, a Brooklyn-based storyboard artist who's previous work includes stuff for Nickelodeon, Fox and Disney. As Vice points out, though, you might know him better from Grumpy Punk Cat or Unhappily Ever After.
Retro? Modern? This home-brew NES game is both
Retro gaming projects on Kickstarter are pretty common, but here's one that's a bit different: a game cartridge that, when plugged into the original Nintendo Entertainment System, plays an 8-bit game, and when plugged into a Mac or PC (via USB) plays a modern version of the same game. Perhaps the coolest aspect is that the two versions will interact with each other; an ability or weapon unlocked in one is available to futz with in its cousin. That is, if the project's Kickstarter is funded, of course. As Mystic Searches' project lead Joe Granato IV tells it, the concept comes from a design document he drew up, quite literally, as a seven year-old back in the '80s.
Pocket Planes gets a trailer, looks great
I first saw Pocket Planes, Nimblebit's next freemium title, running at GDC earlier this year. Being a huge fan of both Pocket Frogs and Tiny Tower, I can't wait to see it in action on my iPhone and iPad. Unfortunately, the game's not out yet (it's still "coming soon"), but Nimblebit has released a trailer below, so you can at least see what the game is like and how it plays. The game uses the same 8-bit aesthetic and characters as Tiny Tower, but instead of building floors in a building, you're growing an empire of airplanes, flying them around the world for fun and profit. You'll need to build up both planes and airports, and different types of planes fly at different speeds and have different fuel capacities, which can limit how far they can travel. The game looks really fun. It's a little more complicated than Tiny Tower, but shouldn't be any less addictive. As soon as it's on the App Store, we'll let you know.
Google Maps 8-bit version for NES: April Fools arrives a day early in Mountain View
Well, it appears that April Fools is in full effect -- at least if you ask Google. Today the company introduced its "latest" build of Google Maps, dubbed Google Maps 8-bit version, tailored specifically for the Nintendo Entertainment System. According to Google, this Dragon Quest spoof version of Maps will come in the form of a special NES cartridge that can connect to the internet via dial-up. This apparently allows most of the heavy lifting to get done on Google's servers, where the maps are rendered to 8-bit form "in real-time." Better yet, it even supports voice search. Naturally, there's no word on a release date, but you can currently check out the "beta" by visiting Google Maps in your browser and selecting "Start Your Quest." That said, that company warns that "your system may not meet the minimum requirements for 8-bit computations" -- something tells us it'll still be less resource-intensive than Crysis, though. We've checked it out and found some goodies, including an alien at Area 51, so let us know what you come across during your journey in the comments. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Retro-themed sandbox 8BitMMO announced
Archive Entertainment is looking to get a slice of the massive Minecraft pie (which is square, not round), as the team has dived into the concept of a retro-style sandbox MMO called 8BitMMO. It may not boast the most incredible graphics, but that's kind of the point; players who recall their NES days with fondness will be right at home with the presentation on display. 8BitMMO is touted to be a "100% player-built world," where anything can be built, destroyed, and harvested for raw materials. Up to 250 players can occupy a server at the same time, and there's the option to group or go solo while you build, explore, or fight off the evil LawyerCats. There are quests, PvP engagements, and methods of protecting one's buildings from griefing. This project is the sole creation of Robby Zinchak, who was formerly a producer at Microsoft. Zinchak has been working on 8BitMMO since 2001 and is impressed with the creativity shown in the game so far: "People are creating some genuinely cool architecture - everything from towering windmills to sports arenas. One player even made a huge statue of a flying dragon. The community is very inventive, and I can't wait to see what they'll come up with next!" Currently, 8BitMMO can be played on the official website as it continues to be developed. You can watch the trailer for this interesting project after the jump. [Source: Archive Entertainment press release]
Rise and Shiny recap: Dark Ages
Some games grab you from the moment you see them. Sure, I get grabbed a lot, but I know when a game appears to be different or interesting. As I watched Adventure Mike play Nexus: Kingdom of the Winds on MassivelyTV over the last few weeks, I knew that I had to play it. But wait! Mike was playing it himself and doing a good job of exploring the game for the viewers. I couldn't just take that first impression from him and claim it as mine! So I looked up KRU Interactive, found out its cool history with Nexon games, and decided to try Dark Ages instead. It looks similar to Nexus, so I thought I would be in for a great time. The very first thing that I came across after logging into the game was a description of waking up in an inn room. It was a mysterious beginning, and I loved how the moment reminded me of how often our characters are just thrown into a world without much of a cutscene or explanation.
Rise and Shiny recap: Dungeon Fighter Online
I'm glad that over the last week I found the time to finally get me some Dungeon Fighter Online by Nexon. I knew that it has quite the following, and I knew that it's supposed to be a blast, sort of like an 8bit Vindictus, but I was still surprised at a few things while I played. The game isn't what I thought it would be in several ways. NPCs have voices and hand out actual quests, the world is more open than I thought it would be, and the graphics feel snappy and fluid despite their primitive nature. Don't get me wrong -- there is plenty that needs to be tweaked or fixed before the game smells of anything near perfection. Much of it is beyond the ability of the developers, but many of the problems with the game could be fixed relatively easy. Click past the cut and I'll tell you what I thought during my time fighting in dungeons... online!
Jack Eisenmann's DUO Adept: a homebrew 8-bit computer built by a high-schooler (video)
We've seen some impressive case mods and some wildly inventive DIY projects, but rarely have we seen a homemade, 8-bit computer housed in what looks like a Tupperware container. Meet the DUO Adept: a project begun last summer by programmer, hardware hacker, and recent high-school graduate Jack Eisenmann. Lovingly crafted from a television, an old keyboard, 100 chips (not a single one more), and lots of wire, the system has 64K of memory and outputs a 240 × 208 black and white image. Eisenmann designed his own operating system and even wrote several games, including the Donkey Kong-esque "Get Muffin." Hit the source link for a gallery (including circuit diagrams!) and see the video below for a demonstration, complete with 8-bit era music.
Chiptunes documentary "Reformat the Planet" now available to watch in its entirety on Hulu
You may or may not know that chiptunes have a very special place in our hearts. Regardless, the documentary about the people behind this intriguing genre, Reformat the Planet is an enthralling watch for music fans and nerds alike -- it's a film we seriously really enjoyed. Well, now you can watch it on the internet -- Hulu, to be specific -- where it belongs. In fact, we're so crazy, we've embedded it after the break. Woohoo!
Rise and Shiny recap: Neverdaunt:8Bit
I have a buddy who creates all types of music, and recently he decided to experiment with 8-bit. We've talked about it, and at first I think he was worried about how I would feel about it. After all, I've been playing in heavy rock bands since I was around 13 years old, so my disdain for most things electronica or artificial is pretty well-known. For the record, I do not hate all sounds that are created by a computer -- I just haven't found much that I like. So, as I watched 8-bit become a slightly hipper and hipper form of music, my tolerance has had time to adjust. True 8-bit art and design is about reduction, if you ask me -- it's about breaking down everything into single blocks of color or sound, and then rearranging those bits in an attempt to recreate something beautiful. When done well, 8-bit can be fun and exciting. Neverdaunt:8Bit is done well, for sure. While it is still only in "early" testing, it shows a ton of promise -- even if it is only made up of a few basic blocks of noise and color.
3D printed Steve Jobs pixel bust for sale
For the Apple fan who has everything, here's a blockhead bust of Steve Jobs. It's been 3D printed by Dutch artist Metin Seven, and if the urge so hits you, you can buy your own online for just under $120. I'm not entirely sure what the bust is made out of, but 3D printing usually requires a mixture of molding powder and resin that hardens into a kind of brittle claylike material, but of course for display this thing looks fine. It's not too tall, either -- 14x10x6 cm or so. Sounds perfect for displaying on a desk -- you can have your very own "one more thing" anytime you want. [via Super Punch]
TUAW's Daily App: Squareball
Squareball is a weird one; it's probably best described as a platforming game, except that you move the platforms rather than the jumper. The main character is a little white ball (or square in this case -- the game has a retro blocky pixel aesthetic) that constantly floats from top to bottom on the screen, and you can slide (or tilt, according to whatever option you choose) the actual stage around the ball, moving it through various nooks and crannies while trying to "collect" colored blocks. The concept is tough to explain, but once you see it in action, you'll understand right away. The goal is to move the stage at the right time in order to keep the ball bouncing around where you want it. It's actually really fun, despite the simplicity, and over the 20 various stages, there are some pretty clever puzzles. The game also has OpenFeint integration, and the 8-bit music is pretty catchy as well. It's a good deal for only 99 cents. There's also a lite version to try out if you just want to see how it works. I can't see anyone really disliking the game, but it is fairly simple. Still, at just a buck, it's worth a purchase just to have it to pick up and play when you need a mindless little reflex game.
