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Nintendo's DS Lite orders food, shows replays at Safeco Field
Those looking for a little more interaction at Safeco Field this season need only bring their DS Lite and a few extra bucks. This season, Nintendo is trialing the Nintendo Fan Network at the home of the Seattle Mariners, which enables onlookers to "order food and drinks, watch the live television feed of the game, access stats and scores, and play trivia from the comfort of their seat." The quietly introduced pilot program has brought several kiosks to the park, which uploads a program to the DS Lite and enables the WiFi-equipped handheld to take part in the bonus festivities. Eventually, the Big N hopes to expand the system into other stadiums, but for now, Mariners fans can get in on the action for $5 per game, or $30 for ten games.[Image courtesy of Flickr]
The TUAW tees are here
Delivered this morning by stork: the first run of our TUAW t-shirts! We'll be giving away about a dozen of these next week during WWDC (not all of which we'll give away on Monday night, so look for the prize patrol). And yes, those not attending WWDC will have a shot at winning a t-shirt later this year. We're not sure when and we're not sure how, but it'll happen.To take a gander at the full shirt, check out the gallery.
Nintendo Short Cuts: Be the hero!
It must be hard, getting your friends together, making costumes, and getting props set up in under a week, if the story posted along with this video is true. Time constraints didn't prevent these Zelda fans from getting their send-up on film in time for the contest's deadline. The costuming looks pretty good, too, but we can't help but wonder if groups like this fight over who gets to be Link. Are they hiding bruises under those robes and tunics? We'll bet yes, but judging from the choreography of the fight scenes, it's likely no one got hurt too badly. Swing those swords like men, Zelda fans (or like angry women; we're all about equal opportunity swordsmanship around here)! But props on the setting, costumes, and music -- not bad for a rush job! Check out the video for yourself after the jump.
Today's best crossover video: Fighters and shoot-'em-ups
Our latest trip down the internet's (You) Tubes leaves us basking in the mash-up glory of JudgeSpear. This videomaker's page showcases dozens of game crossovers, with characters from different titles fighting, and even non-gaming characters get inserted into the action. While a little long, we especially like one of the shoot-'em-up crossovers, where a spaceship is piloted through several fighting games and even a GameBoy version of Super Mario Bros.If you're still not convinced, let this sway you: Mike Tyson makes an appearance near the end. Watch the video after the break.
Today's montageist video: Wii60 BFF
Sure, we've covered the Wii60 meme before, but this is too good to pass up; our video pick shows a quirky Wii60 commercial where the consoles -- and their games -- are acted out in a musical montage. Anthony Barrera, Brian Camacho, and Rudolph Rosado, we salute your YouTube prowess.See the video after the break.[Thanks, Ant]
Brando stars in A Wii Stand Named Desire
Though not as psychedelically colorful as PEGA's Wii stand and remote charger, Brando's Crystal Cooler isn't without its own glitz. The USB-powered base has a built-in "high-velocity" fan to keep your console's temperature low and an LED glow that'll color your living room walls an electric blue. If you squint and straddle one of your couch's arms like a bike, it'll almost feel like you're riding through Tron on a lightcycle.We're still not convinced that the Wii needs a cooling fan, but some gamers will look for any excuse to light up their hardware. Priced at nineteen dollars though, the product doesn't even automatically turn on after detecting high temperatures. Instead, users have to manually hit an unmarked switch behind the stand. That's some ol' malarkey right there. Speed through the post break for more glamour shots of the Crystal Cooler.
Today's most musical video: Final Fantasy in Mario Paint
YouTube user TomBobBlender has built a stockpile of game music songs recreated in Mario Paint. One of his latest, the Final Fantasy IV battle theme is our pick for today's video, but browse through his YouTube page for even more selections. Game music recreated in a game -- does it get any geekier better than that?See the clip after the break.
Nyko's PlayStation 3 Intercooler gets reviewed
Just over a year ago, Nyko busted out a lucrative solution to the world of overheating problems that hordes of Xbox 360 users were experiencing, and even after being lambasted for causing consoles to draw an unsafe amount of electricity, the company hasn't learned a thing. Unlike Pelican's attempt at a snap-on cooling solution for the PS3, Nyko's two-piece Intercooler (larger picture after the break) holds tight to the problematic power pass-through design which could presumably put undue stress on your machine's power supply when running things in high gear. Nevertheless, IGN's review saw no scorching problems during the time it was used, and while it did manage to cool the unit down during hardcore gaming sessions, it came at a cost. The noise level experienced a noticeable increase, but they were impressed by the user-controllable fan speed knob that allowed them to ratchet things down whilst watching a Blu-ray movie. In a brief comparison between the two current options, there didn't seem to be a decisive winner, but judging by Nyko's previous mishap and its refusal to update the design, the choice should be fairly clear.
Blizzard fan art page updated
New fan art submissions have been added to the Blizzard fan art page. The two images thumbnailed here are "Cold Battle", submitted by Can Soner (Pskocan), and "I was waiting for you", submitted by Sara Forlenza (Marea). If you have artwork that you would like to enter to be shown in their gallery, read the rules here. Please be sure that you are entering your own works, as there have been reports of plagiarism in artwork submissions. Dalayur, previously of Forte, had his artwork submitted by someone else last week, but many of us had already seen his artistic endeavors and notified Blizzard of the error. This is actually the second time this has happened to Dalayur, but Blizzard has given proper credit to him for this submission.
Blow Light: the wind generated LED toy
While the message of living a greener life seems to be pounded into our ears on a regular basis, it's never too early to get your offspring in on the energy-conserving fun. The Blow Light toy from Nigel's Eco Store features a simplistic, kid-friendly design that's sure to require a lot of attention, as the miniature pinwheel doesn't light up and excite without a little effort on your youngster's behalf. The internal blue and green LED lights remain dormant until a gust of wind (or hot air) starts the spinning, subsequently lighting up the device and eliciting smiles all around. Of course, with no batteries required, the price on this uber-green toy tends to be a bit higher than the mass market alternatives, but at least your £9.99 ($20) won't be fueling the proverbial fire.[Via Inhabitat]
Wii: It's everywhere
Well, everywhere except in a store, boxed and ready for purchase. But Wii-fever continues to burn strong and bright, as evidenced by this street art captured in the wild of Illinois. We approve the clever use of crosswalk lines, but what's with that cord? Someone must be doing it wrong ... because the last time we checked, the Wiimote is wireless, and we only wish the nunchuk cable was that long.We're forced to give this an A- for lack of realism, but we applaud the effort. Just one question, though -- player 1, where are you?[Via Digg]
Spending the big bucks on Xbox 360 games
Playing on a very costly and sweet gaming setup (minus the television) velodyne_76 has invested a lot of time and money into his video game hobby addiction. With over 150 original Xbox games and his Xbox 360 library growing past 116 titles, we can't help but wonder if there are even 116 Xbox 360 games that are worth purchasing. Actually, we just noticed a copy of Pimp My Ride in his game collection, so that answers that. Not a problem though, because velodyne _76 is rocking out to Guitar Hero II, watching HD content on his HD DVD player, and playing A+ titles like Gears of War. So fanboys, can anyone one-up velodyne_76 with either their video game collection or gaming setup? Just cash out your life savings and go on a shopping spree, it'll be fun.[Thanks, laserboyjc]
Zelda, Metroid, Castlevania ... roguelikes?!
Santiago Zapata has done something horribly, horribly geeky. As if The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, and Castlevania weren't retro enough, Zapata has re-created each game as an ASCII roguelike. Now, instead of hopping across pools of lava to collect an energy tank, you press "D" to jump, then tap the arrow keys to scoot across slightly darker characters that symbolize higher ground. Despite the obvious limitations the roguelike style presents, Zapata has managed to accurately emulate the feel of each game. You know, even though Link is a purple @ symbol.All three games include a full arsenal of music and sound effects, and CastlevaniaRL packs its own graphical tileset. Very little documentation is provided at the moment (the games are still works-in-progress), so start pressing buttons and you'll get the gist of things. Fortunately they aren't nearly as complex as most roguelikes, so you don't need to remember that "Q" stands for "quaff" which means "drink".
2D Ocarina of Time creator dies in car accident [update 1]
The creator of a 2D fan remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time recently passed away in a fatal car accident. Dampe (as he was known on the forums) devoted himself to the OoT2D project for months. With his death, the game, the official OoT2D webpage as well as the forums are closed forever. A video from late last year shows the game in action.Thanks for your dedication. Thousands of people you never even knew appreciate your hard work.[Thanks, Christian][Update: Identity confusion corrected]
Friday video: Compare and contrast
One game, two very different videos -- that's what we're looking at in this week's video spotlight. Lunar Knights has had a great run of ads, and thanks to a Konami fan site's trailer contest, there are all new takes on the game. It's interesting to look at the impact music can have on a story. We've seen the footage in this trailer in other videos, but now the music is more dramatic, and it shapes a wholly different story. Lunar Knights has always come across as a little campy, but now those same images are painted with a more melancholy brush. We offer this (actual) trailer for comparison to the fan-made trailer after the jump.
Lego my Wii
There is no truer, geekier homage than reconstructing an object of desire in Lego form, so we weren't surprised to find Brickshelf member, "suu" recreating a Wii with Legos. We especially like how the Lego Wii opens up to reveal scenes from Wii sports, although we don't remember the option of using a gun in Wii Tennis. That could be fun.Brickshelf hosts submissions representing most consoles, from a fantastic, accurate PS2 by Blue Star Media to more artistic interpretations of the 360 and PS3 by "johnsocal" and "mista-noodles." We wish bricking a console could always be this much fun.
On drinking the Apple KoolAid
WFAA has posted an article about the fundamental dualities of the world: Ford vs. Chevy. Coke vs. Pepsi. Mac vs Windows. It's not a very deep article or a long-one, but several quotes (particularly those from WFAA's online operations manager--and Mac aficionado--Doug Boehner) made me laugh out loud. "It's strange and cult-like...Once you kind of drink the Kool-Aid of the Apple product you realize: Oh my gosh, this is what a computer should have been doing all along." I personally didn't know that retailer JC Penney was switching from Windows to Mac. Good for them!
Bizarre PSP mod adds a cooling fan, utility in question
The overheating syndrome has struck just about every area of consumer electronics possible, and while spinning that UMD might get your fingertips ever-so-toasty, we haven't heard any mass outcries of PSPs getting hot enough to cook breakfast on, but apparently none of that matters. In a rare case of besting an already questionable mod just days ago, this DIY installation is a real head scratcher, as Acidmods details how to install an actual cooling fan onto the rear of your Sony handheld. Your guess is as good as ours as to why this hack-job is actually beneifical, but if your only alternative is obliterating your PSP with a sword, we guess we'll have to recommend you hop on over and get your hot gluing on -- but only after you've mastered the art of stuffing three AAA cells into its battery pack, cool?[Via Joystiq]
If you want it: the PSP cooling fan
The fine folks of Acid Mods have done it again: they've created yet another impressive modification for the PSP. But this one will make you spin your head a bit. It's a cooling fan. Yes, a cooling fan.While it's true that the system may get a little bit warm when connected via wi-fi, the portable doesn't seem to suffer from overheating issues like its console cousins. However, if you need to play your PSP on a hot summer day, you may want to check this out. Regardless of its practicality, it's certainly an ingenious piece of work.[Via PSP GadgetZ]See also:Coming soon: Chotto Shot night vision
A Wii bit lazy
Months ago, Penny Arcade outlined the dangers of playing the Wii with small, controlled movements -- namely, looking like a total toolbox. As if this wasn't enough warning, the guys at Dog Rodeo have put together a humorous look at just how slothful you can be while still playing a decent game of Wii Sports. Personally, we find it hard to believe that a ceiling fan could be such an able tennis player, but the humans will have the last laugh when the fan is taken out by an errant remote. [Via TechFresh]
