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Portal goes portable with homebrew DS game Aperture Science
Ever wish Portal was a little more portable? Well wish no longer - GBATemp forum-goers Smealum and Lobo are crafting Aperture Science, a homebrew Portal game that can be played on a Nintendo DS. You can download a playable build right off Smealum's website now, but keep in mind that Aperture Science isn't complete, and the game requires a flash cart to play it. The game's story centers on Doug Rattman, the Aperture scientist responsible for the infamous "The cake is a lie" scribbling, as well as the man who saved main protagonist Chell from death between the events of Portal and Portal 2. There's also a level editor, should you be feeling creative.
Miniature Portal gun replica now available at Think Geek
Think Geek now sells a somewhat downsized version of the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device, which is good news for people that work in super cramped cubicles, as well as tiny baby children looking to perfectly accessorize a Halloween costume that was obviously their parents' idea.At $60, the bite-sized gun features accurately colored lighting effects, portal-specific sounds and articulating zero-point energy manipulator claws, just like the bigger, sold-out versions. It also includes a display stand, which will be helpful if you're the first type of person we mentioned above. At just 12-inches, however, its cosplay potential is limited to children, as a standard ASHPD measures 30-inches long.But hey, you know what they say: "It ain't the length of you Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device, it's the momentum cancelling abilities of your Advanced Knee Replacements." Or something.
Valve taunts us with prospect of official Portal 2 sentry turret replica (video)
A Holy Grail of gamer memorabilia is the Portal turret replica -- as much a tech toy as proof that you can sing "Want You Gone" from memory. It's already been coveted when made in small batches by fans, so you can imagine the hysteria when Valve Software itself posts a teaser video (found after the break) at its store's Facebook page showing what looks to be a near life-size, computer-linked version of Aperture Science's typical sentry from Portal 2, minus the laser targeting and live machine guns. After that, however, we're left to guess whether or not it's just a decoration for Valve's offices or a commercial product to buy alongside a Companion Cube plushie. We've asked Valve about providing more details in the near future and will let you know if the developer is any more talkative than its robot guards.
Licensed Portal 2 turret replica to arrive later this year, leave ammo at home
If an enthusiast-built Portal 2 turret piques your interest, Gaming Heads' Valve-licensed miniature replica may very well force your wallet open. Modeled using Portal 2's in-game assets and cast in "high quality poly-stone," these mini-turrets aim to intimidate intruders with a motion activated light-up eye. In addition to the stoic and silent basic model, the company's offering an exclusive edition, which plays sounds and voice samples from the game. Only 1,100 of these hand-painted facsimiles will be produced (350 with sound, 750 without), but the company notes that other figures based on the adorable death machines are in the works. Pre-orders have already begun, so collectors will want to act fast -- provided they're ready to pony up $300-325, of course.
Avoid murdering all of your test subjects with this Aperture Science gas mask
One of the only downsides associated with flooding your test facility with a deadly neurotoxin is that everything dies. That may sound like the obvious and desired result, but what if you, in your capacity as a malevolent and cunning artificial intelligence, want to keep a single test subject alive while the rest asphyxiate horribly?Costume artist Two Horns United may have found a solution to this classic scientific dilemma with his custom built Aperture Science Portal Gun Gas Mask. While the inner workings of the mask's machinations are not fully explained, we assume it uses portal technology to funnel clean, breathable air into your squishy human test subject's dreadfully inefficient lungs. AIs interested in integrating post-traumatic stress disorder into their testing regiments can get on the waiting list by messaging Two Horns United on his DeviantArt page.
Custom-made Aperture Science gas mask will make sure you're still alive, won't open portals
Valve's Portal series has been used as the pretext for many achievements outside of puzzle gaming, including getting hitched. Keeping you from shuffling off this mortal coil, however, is still new. Two Horns United has given a gas mask a decidedly nerdy visual upgrade that resembles the game's iconic Aperture Science Portable Quantum Tunneling Device, right down to the light-up energy chambers. Best of all, unlike some homebrew projects, you'll have a (probably limited) chance at buying one yourself after June. Coworkers might look at you oddly as you strap a portal gun to your face during a safety drill, but you'll have the quiet satisfaction of knowing you're truly ready for a neurotoxin attack, not to mention taking the title of a Jonathan Coulton song very literally.
Replica Portal gun coming from NECA in late spring/early summer
Portal has been around for about five years at this point, and over the years we've suffered countless fits of unreasonable jealousy due to the multitudes of homemade, replica Aperture Science Handheld Portal Devices floating around the Internet. Many a night have been spent fantasizing about somehow owning our own without taking out a second mortgage, and now the dream can finally become a reality.Well, not now now, but in a few months. NECA Toys is developing a line of licensed Valve products that include Team Fortress 2, Half Life and Left 4 Dead 2 action figures, but the crowning jewel of the series is NECA's one-to-one scale ASHPD replica. It lights up and everything. The device should be available somewhere around May or June of this year and retail for $130, according a brief video interview with NECA's Randy Falk at The Verge. We predict a mad rush on Repulsion, Propulsion and Conversion gel and Long Fall socks as soon as these things hit the shelves.%Gallery-148349%
'This is Aperture' music video channels The Nightmare Before Christmas
This past holiday, while we were busy sipping eggnog and chorusing the neighbors with classic holiday tunes, a group of dedicated Steam forum members were creating an incredible Christmas music album featuring Valve characters. "Goodbye Christmas Caroline" spawned more than an album, though, as one especially holiday spirit-filled member then crafted an entire music video around one particular track."This is Aperture" takes the characters we've come to know and love fear from the world of Aperture Science and recasts them as singers in a magnificently dorky rendition of The Nightmare Before Christmas' "This is Halloween." Take a look at the rather impressive re-creation above and then compare it against the original just after the break! Consider it a late holiday gift from us to you, but, ya know, one that we totally didn't make.
ThinkGeek and Aperture Science do what they must, intro more Portal-themed goods because they can
Been yearning for more Portal 2-inspired goods from ThinkGeek? Fret not, dear test subject, the company's got some products ways that should satiate your desire for Cave Johnson-approved chachkas. Newly up for grabs are a $15 Aperture Science shower curtain, a $35 motion-sensing plush turret and a $40 Cave Johnson talking portrait -- think Billy Bass, but with a Portal twist. ThinkGeek's also announced a $30 Companion Cube cookie jar (the perfect companion for its Portal cookie cutters) and a $30 PotatOS Science Kit, complete with an insult-spewing "talking GLaDOS module." Sadly, the latter duo don't have an official release date just yet, and are merely listed as "coming soon." Of course, like the cake, they could just be lie. For the sake of science, portal past the break to find a press release with more details.
Portal turret replica has real laser, insatiable bloodlust
You might not remember Ryan Palser by name, but you'll surely recall the good gent's homemade Fallout 3 plasma rifle. He has since stepped his game up to bigger and badder video game weapon replicas, and has just completed the construction of the first of his forthcoming army of Portal laser turrets. Thankfully, Ryan has been sporting enough to build the older version of these human eviscerators (not the upgraded Portal 2 turrets, phew!), giving us at least a small chance of survival -- provided we have the right gear, of course. See the laser-equipped, GLaDOS-approved, 38-inch tall turret next to its maker after the break, or hit up the source link for some gorgeous photos of its construction.
Super Mario gets a Portal gun, you monster (video)
Before Portal 2 there was Portal, and before Portal there was Super Mario Bros. Bring these together and you get a mushroom-chomping Italian plumber ruling the 2D world -- outside the cold confines of Aperture Science -- with the infamous Portal gun. The next logical step? Turn this into a first-person game. Go on, Reggie, make it happen.
See why Portal 2's panels are the 'planks of the future'
In this first of four Portal 2 clips promoting Aperture Laboratories science, we get a look at the motorized floor, ceiling and wall panels that "assist test subjects every step of the way," according to company founder Cave Johnson. And by that, he means "impede and/or kill them."
Portal 2 Achievement invites Half-Life 2: Ep 3 conspiracy theory
All fifty of Portal 2's Achievements have been uncovered by Xbox360Achievements.org. In typical Valve fashion, there are some comedic gems in the list, like "The Part Where He Kills You," and some in-jokes, including "Narbacular Drop" and, yes, "Still Alive." But one Achievement is generating some real buzz: "Ship Overboard" has players discovering "the missing experiment." Some have suggested that this Achievement is a possible reference to the Borealis, an Aperture Science vessel first mentioned in Half-Life 2: Episode Two. In the brief scene (embedded after the break), Isaac Kleiner notes that the Borealis contains some kind of technology that can help humanity. Could Portal 2 tie into the final Half-Life 2 episode? Or are overeager fans simply grasping at nothing? April 20 can't come soon enough.
Hyperspace Beacon: Homage to we hope this never makes it into SWTOR, but knowing our luck, it probably will
One of the best compliments you can give a creator is to make an homage to his work. The title of one of the Hyperspace Beacons was an homage to TOROCast articles. It's a way to tell the creator, "You're doing a good job. Keep up the good work." Not to mention, homages are a lot of fun. In fact, my first published work was an homage to the work of Charles Dickens. I wrote a story about what happened to the Cratchit children. But what happens when an homage goes too far? Every once in a while, the Hyperspace Beacon takes a side track and asks about ideas that should end up on the cutting room floor. We all know games have concepts that just don't work. Star Wars: The Old Republic will be no exception. This little humorous segment is called We hope this never makes it into SWTOR, but knowing our luck, it probably will -- or WHTNMIISWTORBKOLIPW, for short. Follow me after the break to see what "homageneous" ideas should never make it into the release of SWTOR, but knowing our luck, they will anyway.
Portal 2 E3 event cancelled and replaced by a 'surprise'
In one of the most entertaining PR missives we've received recently, an Aperture Science memo (via Valve) has revealed that the Portal 2 event originally scheduled during E3 at Los Angeles' Regal Theater has been canceled. The game itself will still be showcased at Valve's booth, but whatever shenanigans that may have been planned for the event have been put on the back burner. Of course, E3 won't be completely devoid of Portal 2-themed monkeyshines. The memo promises, "the event will be replaced by a surprise," adding, "the cancellation of the event is not THE surprise," and furthermore insisting, "the time, date and content of the actual surprise will only become available as you experience the surprise." After a build-up like that, whatever this surprise might be, it better be awfully surprising.
Portal 2 coming to E3; Valve hosting event Monday, June 14
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Portal_2_coming_to_E3_Valve_hosting_event_June_14'; The hints were all there, but a recent invitation from Valve confirms it: Portal 2 will be at E3. Hosting a press event at the Regal Theater in the LA Live Event Center the night of June 14th, Valve will give those lucky enough to have that press card in their wallet (attend 12 events and you get a free sandwich!) a look at the game. No word on what parts of the game we'll get to see, but anything at this point is welcome ... mostly because we haven't seen anything yet.
The long and storied history of Aperture Science
Most of us only know Aperture Science for that, erm, unfortunate happening with the "deadly" neurotoxins (most of the details of which are still suppressed by court order, but of course that "deadly" was surrounded by massive sarcasm quotes -- you could take a bath in the stuff). But did you know that its great facility has tested many products long before the rumored ongoing "Portal" initiative? Since the early '50s, Aperture Science has been working hard on some pretty impressive shower curtain technology, perfecting something called the "Heimlich Counter-Maneuver" (designed to interrupt the commonly known first-aid action) and setting up the Take-a-Wish Foundation, a charity to "redistribute wishes" from terminally ill children. After all, how many do they really need, anyway? All that and more can be found in this informative history of the company founded by Cave Johnson, posted over on the Game Informer site. Of course, we haven't heard much about the latest Aperture project since all of the chaos at the Black Mesa Research Facility and the arrival of the Vortigaunts and the Combine in our world, but we presume that, even with the Aperture Science lab in lockdown since 1998, the GLaDOS AI is carrying on tests as usual. Because, as we're sure she'd agree, there's still science to do.
How to make a Portal gun replica (hint: it's not easy)
Harrison Krix describes himself as a "dork," but we consider him very, very cool. He's the graphic designer who created the astonishingly accurate ASHPD (Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device) we first showed you a couple weeks back. Krix built the mock Portal gun for his cosplayer girlfriend -- if that's not devotion, we don't know what is -- and has now revealed the entire process to GameDaily. The build is detailed in more than 100 steps, should you, ya know, want to try it yourself. There's even a gallery of a very happy Emily (above) showing off the finished gun. Speaking of which, our pals at Engadget recently posted a hands-on video of this most drool-worthy creation. You can check it out here. %Gallery-43765%
Video: Portal gun replica hands-on
You didn't think we'd let this one go without a followup, did you? Portal gun replica creator Harrison Krix was gracious enough to invite us to his workshop and get some hands-on time with it. Let's get the two most common inquiries out of the way first: no, it's not photoshopped and no, it doesn't actually "work" (as in, it doesn't create portals). The armament weighs between five or ten pounds, and all color shifting is done via a switch inside the back end. The middle tube, interestingly enough, is an acrylic plunger handle with a clear matte. The 26-year old graphic designer and graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design estimates he spent 150 hours and $350 in parts, although later models should take much less time. He's had offers to create more iterations from employees at Bungie and Infinity Ward, and he's thinking of making one to give to the Penny Arcade crew for their Child's Play charity. For a look at it both in action and disassembled, check out the video after the break. Next up? A BioShock Big Daddy costume, with arm extensions and a working drill, just in time for next August's Dragon Con in Atlanta. Galleries Hands-on with the Portal gun replica Portal gun replica (work in progress) Portal gun replica build images and wiring
Replica Portal gun is an absolute triumph
We've seen some Portal-inspired gadgets before, but this one takes the cake, as it were. The Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device is made from florist foam, and wonderflex, among other parts, and uses a 9V battery to power blue and orange LEDs around the nozzle. On the back of the gun is a bit of splattered blood -- y'know, since we're not all quick enough to avoid the turrets. Hit up the read link for more pictures. Can somebody please throw in some Wiimote circuitry so we can use this thing to play the actual game? [Thanks, everyone!] Read - Notes from the creator Read - Hi-res Flickr gallery
