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Mama Said Knock You Out iPod speakers are jingling, baby
This definitely isn't the first time Apple's gem has been integrated into gizmos of the past, but the Mama Said Knock You Out speakers boast a retro vibe that spans all the way from the moniker to the fabric selection. Potentially able to become the perfect audio companion to your plaid-infused Lupus Sabene alarm clock, the MSKYO speaker set rolls in on dual trolleys in case you really are too feeble to toss 'em up over your shoulders, a full-range driver in each cabinet, and a reported ability to play nice with your iPod. Other details concerning RMS, aux input capabilities, or an optional eight-track player are scant, but if you're the world's biggest only remaining LL Cool J fan, and don't have the means to wrap a few DJ speakers in thrift store cloth yourself, be sure to hit up Claassen & Partner for pricing information.[Via ShinyShiny]
Today's Mario-est video: World of Warcraft Super Mario Theme
World of Warcraft meets Super Mario Bros. in a big way in this video. Frankly, we're surprised it's taken someone this long to do this. But here it is in the flesh, and it ain't looking too bad! The editing is top notch, and that underwater level is done really well. People with mad skillz like this will one day take over the world, and we'll be bowing down to these video editing overlords. Mark our words.Given that the video comes to us from The Last Boss, it's a bit ironic that the only weak moment is the boss fight at the end of the lava level. Did he just use really bad breath on him FTW?[Thanks, Tom]
The death of the game mascot
Anyone who was a gamer in the '80s and '90s remembers the days when you couldn't turn around without running into some sort of new platformer with a furry and/or cheesy mascot. These days, the selection is somewhat more limited. Sure, the Sony triumvirate of Sly, Ratchet and Jak are still going relatively strong, and occasional breakouts like Viewtiful Joe and Alien Hominid keep the 2D-platformer on life support, but it's pretty clear that platforming mascots' best days are behind them. The Age's Screen Play blog was inspired by a page of forgotten advertising mascots to post up a list of some rightly forgotten platformer mascots of the recent past. Some fans might be mad to see big names like Sonic and Mega Man alongside true hasbeens like Bubsy and Aero the Acrobat. Personally, we feel the list could use some more additions. Where are Sega's Vectorman, Kid Chameleon and Chuck D. Head? Where's gun-wielding robot B.O.B.? Where's the Saturn's extremely appropriately named Bug!? Where's the useful information that could be in our brains instead of this obscure trivia?
Ikonoskop readies new Super 8 "movie camera"
Hot on the heels of Hasselblad's latest 31-megapixel monster, rumors of Canon introducing a 1DS Mark III, and the RED camcorder getting more real everyday comes news that Ikonoskop is looking to bust out the "first new Super 8 movie camera design in over 20 years." The Swedish firm is hoping to offer up a Double Super 8 version of its "compact and affordable A-Cam SP-16 Super 16-millimeter model," and will feature a good bit of similar attire such as the same interchangeable C-Mount lenses, parallel viewfinder, 100-foot film capacity, and "microprocessor-synchronized frame rates between 6- and 37.5-frames per second." The device would utilize a "hybrid" design to use "16-millimeter wide film to capture Super 8 sized frames," and although the company boasts about its numerous advantages, the "main downside is that relatively few film stocks are available in the format." Still, things aren't off and running just yet, as Leif Bystrom has announced that the outfit needs 25 eager customers to lay down a €1,000 ($1,301) deposit ensuring that at least that many will be sold for the €5,200 ($6,764) retail price. So if you need no more introduction to convince yourself that this bad boy is worth your while (and coin), send your down payment on in so we can see this thing materialize.[Via CNET]
CUBE video takes games to "a whole new dimension"
If you're anything like us, you've been breathlessly following the development of CUBE for more than a decade now. Designed for the now-aging Monotech Game Unit, early press for the game boasted that it would "take you to a whole new dimension in computer games" and make "calculators look like a cotton gin." Then the PR went into Duke Nukem Forever levels of silence throughout the game's long development cycle. That is, until now. The new trailer for the game (embedded below the jump) shows the developers' bold decision not to update the game engine after all these years, sticking with a stark, minimalist look that distills the gameplay into its pure essence. Sure, the simple, textureless shapes on stark, single colored background might not stand up to the likes of Gears of War, but who needs fancy graphics when using the control switch to guide the "defender of the poly-verse" around the things which it can not go through looks like so much fun. The trailer even features some brief footage of the long-rumored "level red" and the battle with the dreaded cone (yes, he does exist!). We've been looking forward to this game for so long that, frankly, we were a little worried it wouldn't live up to our expectations once it finally showed up. Now that we've seen it in action, though, we can say with relative certainty that CUBE will be a contender for game of the year honors, no matter what year it eventually comes out.
Today's most infringing video: Pac-Man Delhaize
Today's hottest gaming video on YouTube was none other than Kyle Orland's Blu-ray sadism (we hurt 'cos we love), so let's move on to the most interesting of the bunch. This is an advertisements for Belgian grocery store Delhaize. Wonders cease to amaze how the marketing department came up with this genuinely novel idea.Enjoy the clip, embedded after the break, and know that there is a week of sales at your local Belgian grocery chain. Mamma Mia!
Choose Your Own Adventure on iPod
If you're of a certain age (which I am), you may fondly remember a little series of books called Choose Your Own Adventure. Right around the time a little game company called Infocom was really cranking out the interactive computer games, which I spent countless hours playing on my Apple ][, CYOA books were a regular staple at my house. Yeah, we'd all skip ahead to make sure we weren't about to wind up as ant food, but the books did a lot to foster reading across the country, long before Harry Potter was a gleam in Rowling's eye.Anyway, Choose Your Own Adventure books are back! Sure, you can buy dead tree versions. But you can also buy iPod versions, which use the iPod's primitive hyperlinking in the Notes. And as astute reader Amy pointed out to us, there's a free sample iPod CYOA book, The Abominable Snowman, on their website. It's neat to see the old series faithfully reproduced, but even better knowing I can carry these around in my pocket (and read them to my kids).
Clever eBayer showcases NES purse
Although the original NES has certainly cemented itself as an icon in the gaming universe, it's quickly climbing the ranks for the most frequently modified console ever. Aside from being hacked into its own controller, given a spin by Ben Heck, and used to house a Mac mini, the Nintendo Entertainment System is now going head to head with Prada, Chanel, and Marc Jacobs as a woman's handbag. A very clever entrepreneur has listed the NES purse on eBay for the world to marvel at, and aside from the handy controller strap that appears to be attached in a rather hasty manner, the innards sport a soft, grey fabric to hold makeup, cellphones, and Mario figurines, and there's even a hidden compartment on the bottom for cash, lighters, or 1-UP mushrooms. There's no word on if hitting Up, Right, Select, Start, B will hold the subway for you as you dash towards a departing train, but you can place a bid yourself and try 'er out when it arrives. Click on through for a few more shots.[Via DSFanboy]
Personalize your own Zelda "take this" scene
var digg_url = 'http://www.digg.com/gaming_news/Personalize_your_own_Zelda_take_this_scene'; No doubt inspired by mega-popular Phoenix Wright personalizer Objection!, the folks over at PhantomHourglass.org have put together a little Flash application that lets you create your own "You got an item" scene from The Legend of Zelda (or Link to the Past). Not only can you personalize what the old man tells you, but you can also change the item Link picks up from a boring old sword to any 35 x 35 pixel image (might we suggest this charming Joystiq logo). Despite the crack about free time in the image above, we can't get enough of these little, customizable internet time wasters. The first flash coder out there to make an "Our princess is in another castle" version of this will have our eternal gratitude (and maybe even a Joystiq T-shirt). And no, this doesn't count.
Rap song samples extensively from C64 demo
If you're into the ultra-niche classic console demoscene, last June's release of the Nelly Furtado single "Do It" may have sounded awfully familiar to you. Apparently, the single samples heavily from a 2000 piece originally composed for the Commodore 64 as part of the Old Skool Music Competition. What's more, a 2005 ringtone from Furtado mega-producer Timbaland uses the same sample. The similarities between Tempest's "Acid Jazzed Evening" (later remixed by demoscener GRG) and the Furtado track are apparent and extensive -- from the bass line to the melody, the songs are nearly identical, except for Furtado's addition of lyrics. Still, it's a tough call as to whether or not the sampling constitutes illegal copyright infringement -- the case law involved is long and somewhat contradictory. The legal point may be moot though -- according to some hearsay from a self-described friend on the SomethingAwful forums, original artist Tempest doesn't want to go through the "time-consuming and horrible" process of a legal suit. Still, the fact that a major record producer is taking direct inspiration from a years-old chiptune composition speaks to both the creativity of the demoscene and the dearth of originality in modern pop music.
Zelda cartoon retro blast
So you've beat the latest Zelda and you're still jonesing for more of the pointy-eared boy-hero in green tights? TV Links compiled this handy link listing pointing to 13 episodes of the series that originally aired in 1989 and 1990. 1. The Ringer part 1, part 22. Cold Spells part 1, part 23. The White Knight part 1, part 24. Kiss n Tell part 1, part 25. Sing for the Unicorn part 1, part 26. That Sinking Feeling part 1, part 27. Doppelganger part 1, part 28. Underworld Connections part 1, part 29. Stinging the Stinger part 1, part 210. A Hitch in the Works part 1, part 211. Fairies in the Spring part 1, part 212. The Missing Link part 1, part 213. Moblins are Revolting part 1, part 2 [Via Plusmail]
Today's most geometric game video: Geometry Wars PC 'Vista'
Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved has had its own little evolution, going from minigame, to full-fledged console game, and now it'll be dropping onto PCs everywhere and we've got the video to prove it. Yes, it's retro gaming action that takes you back to the land of arcade quarter-eaters like Tempest and Qix ... and it's incredibly addictive fun. Check out the Vista version in action after the jump. It looks pretty spiffy on that monitor, or else the brightness levels are just kicked up to 11. Either way, PC users can finally toss Minesweeper and Solitaire away, because this will be the new king of the timesuck in cubicle-land.
Dreamcast: the system that won't die [update 1]
Remember way back in January 2001 when Sega quit the hardware race and put their last system, the Dreamcast, out to pasture? Apparently no one told Japan, because now, six years later, they're still coming out with new games for the system over in the land of the rising sun. Sega Nerds has some details on three top-down shooters being released for the Dreamcast in the next few months: Last Hope, Trigger Heart Excelica and Karous. Casual importers should be particularly interested in the region-free Last Hope, which can be played on any Dreamcast without modification. Retro importers can pre-order all three games from Play-asia. Between these official releases for the Dreamcast, recent homebrew releases for the Genesis and Atari 2600 and the increasing prevalence of top-loading Famiclones, we may be entering a new era of support for classic consoles. As long as someone out there is willing to play, the market will find them. I know I'm personally clamoring for some new 3DO games. [Update: Fixed a link and the characterization as "top down" shooters. Thanks Brandon] [Thanks Keldon]
Art exhibit brings analog tech to digital games
We Make Money Not Art has an interesting interview with David Pfluger, one of the artists behind the "Game Arcade" art exhibit currently touring around Germany. The exhibit transforms digital video game concepts using analog components like slide projectors, super-8 film and mechanical buttons and switches. The examples sound more like Dadaist installations than games: Racer features a cardboard car that runs over a variable speed film of a road, and High Noon (pictured) uses a rotary dial phone to control film projections of old west duelists. More than just interesting gameplay experiments, Pfluger says the exhibit is a statement on the game industry's myopic focus on the latest and "best" technology. "Each technology has its own characteristics which makes it artistically unique.... Painters still use oil painting even though there is Photoshop." It raises an interesting question: Is the game industry sop focused on new technology and graphical "realism" that it's forgetting the unique aesthetic influences of the past?
Retro Review: Tekken 2
File Size: 534MBPrice: $5.99Developed By: NamcoPublished By: NamcoOriginal Release Date: September 15, 1996Short ReviewNot Recommended. Tekken 2 unfortunately shows its age. There's a great deal of gameplay to be discovered in this treasured arcade classic, but the advances made by Tekken: Dark Resurrection are so significant that it's difficult to appreciate the technical shortcomings of Tekken 2. Gamers will have to choose if they'd rather spend $6 for a great classic game, or $40 for an even better modern one.PSP Fanboy Retro Review: 5.5 out of 10See all Retro Reviews.
Akai MPC-1000 drum machine drops a beat, plays Pong
Cram any sort of retro game onto a machine clearly not designed to play it and you'll probably color us impressed, and just as the off the wall Doom installations, MIDI hacks, and Wolfenstein ports have gone down, Japan's own JJ has struck a cord with vintage folk everywhere with his latest tweak. Reportedly, the hacker / entertainer re-wrote the actual operating system for a $999 Akai MPC-1000 drum machine, added a few features from the more expensive MPC-2500, and got the MIDI all setup precisely like he wanted -- all to play a little musical Pong. Aside from the snazzy custom loading screen, the game itself looks to work fairly well, and also triggers samples of your choice to loop in the background while gaming. The good news is that the Pong upgrade will only set you back $30, but the bad news is that would require you to actually already own the Akai machine, and just in case your wallet can't handle anymore abuse whatsoever after this past Monday, just click on through for a (gratis) YouTube demonstration.[Via Joystiq]
$1000 music sequencer can play Pong
Of course, to get Pong, you have to add a $30 upgrade, but hey ... retro gaming action on your $1k machine! It may seem a bit like overkill, but at least when you play Pong it does trigger different sequences and effects. No word yet on if you can get the original 'dit dit' sounds of Pong or not, but you can trigger a nice little drum riff and scratch if you want. Think Moby has one of these?Next up: $250k Ferrari can play Duck Hunt.[Thanks, Tom]
Retro Review: Syphon Filter
File Size: 384MBPrice: $5.99Developed By: EideticPublished By: 989 StudiosOriginal Release Date: January 31, 1999Short ReviewNot Recommended. Syphon Filter's impressive PSP outing, Dark Mirror, deserves all the accolades it has been earning over the past few months. Gamers should not expect the original Syphon Filter to match the Dark Mirror's quality: the game suffers from lackluster graphics, horrendous controls, and presentation values that simply don't work well on the modern palette. Avoid this one.
Street Fighter's Blanka: an electrical oompa loompa
This and other gems are what you get out of the third installment of Street Fighter: The Later Years. It's a brilliant ongoing series at CollegeHumor.com that follows the lives of everyone's favorite Street Fighter characters, years after the game has come and gone. This is the sort of thing we'd like to see on G4, or any sort of video gaming channel. Toss in this, some Red vs. Blue, some in-game feed, game guides, This Spartan Life, a World of Warcraft show, and some Major League Gaming, and you've got yourself something people will watch.Of course, we need to cram a Joystiq show in there somewhere. Video is after the jump. Give it a whirl, and brace yourself for Christmas. Note, if the video isn't embedded for some reason, like CollegeHumor.com's code not being up to snuff, then click the image above or here for the vid.
Free VC games for Christmas? Keep dreaming
There's been a surprising amount of chatter recently about some sort of "Christmas surprise" coming out of Nintendo on Monday, Dec. 25. The source of all this speculation, as far as we can figure it, is a Nov. 30 post on RumorReporter.com that coyly suggests "you might want to keep an eye on your Wii's WiiConnect24 service leading up to this Christmas. Nintendo's sending a nifty gift... a surprise."The only cited source for this information? "A friend of mine from Germany, who works for a very legitimate gaming production and publication." And really, if you can't trust some guy's unnamed German friend who works for an unnamed "legitimate" gaming company, who can you trust?The extreme sketchiness of this tip hasn't stopped the 'net from rampant speculation on what the big surprise might be. The current leading contender seems to be free Virtual Console games. As GamersReports notes, a little Firefox hacking can turn up Wii Shop pages for upcoming games Super Mario Bros., ToeJam & Earl and R-Type that list the price as "0 points / Free." The report is careful to note this as a rumor, but still holds out hope for "a real Christmas miracle, though."We don't buy it. As noted on the original hacking guide on Following Revolution, "any unreleased game says free for now, as it's just a placeholder for price" which will be set later. Some might say that the "free" message where the "download" button usually appears proves that the games are indeed going to be offered gratis, but it would be a relatively simple process for Nintendo to set that message as the default for any page with an unset price. At best, this proves that the virtual console has the functionality to offer products for free -- something we've long known was planned for the system's Opera browser.But the greatest argument against this Christmas surprise is that it's bad business. Giving away Super Mario Bros., a title that is likely to be one of the Virtual Console's biggest sellers, is not a smart move for a company that obviously values profits. The positive PR for the move likely wouldn't offset the hundreds of thousands of dollars lost to the free downloads.We suppose we could be wrong here, and that some huge surprise could show up on our systems come Christmas morning. Just don't get your hopes up, is all.
