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Warner to finance and publish LEGO Batman due in '08
There's not much here we didn't know six months ago when CVG revealed that Traveler's Tales, the developers behind the popular LEGO Star Wars games, would be tackling the Dark Knight next ... well, not physically tackling him per se. He is Batman after all. But today, Variety reports that Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment will be financing, publishing, and handling North American distribution of the block-centric game based on their classic, caped-crusading, crime fighter.WBIE is increasingly handling the publishing duties for games based on their properties: the 300 PSP game, the now-stalled Dirty Harry project, and now LEGO Batman, due in 2008 on "multiple consoles."[Via Game Stooge]
Jin Sato describes his robotic MIBO pet on camera
Long before the NXT kits hit the mainstream, humanoid guru and robot designer Jin Sato was crafting a mechanical pet of his very own from original LEGO Mindstorm pieces -- not to mention the motors, motherboards, and gear trains to get MIBO movin'. Sure, Sato's rendition isn't nearly as smooth and sexy as Sony's AIBO, but we all know beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right? Going on six years (that's human years, by the way) now, MIBO and his five motors are still making out alright, and although a bit of expected arthritis takes its toll every now and then, it still manages to keep its owner company. So if you're interested in seeing just how MIBO was given life, or if hearing the voice of a renowned robotic genius simply makes you weep, click on through for a world-class lesson in fun.[Via Robots]
More LEGO Halo goodness -- Warthogs and Spectres, oh my!
We love gazing at Halo in LEGO form, and we're always looking for more. Enter legohaulic who, as the name suggests, loves building with LEGOs. We've seen the Warthog before, but our hats go off to this latest batch of warthog and Spectre vehicles -- complete with a stand to keep it hovering. So who's prepared to one-up these lovely LEGO vehicles?[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
Lego Warthog and Spectre built brick by brick
We're adding to our ever expanding Lego creations collection by showcasing these two Halo inspired beauties. Over on his Flickr account, legohaulic posted a few pictures of his newly created Lego Warthog and Spectre models from Halo 2. Great craftsmanship and just very well done, gold star for you legohaulic. Our favorite has to be the Spectre with its curvaceous front and perfectly framed proportions. That's not to say we don't enjoy the Warthog, but we just wish he could have made it into a a limited edition Puma.[Via Digg]
LEGO Autopilot takes to the skies autonomously
Seems like LEGO mods are gaining quite a bit of steam these days, as not only are the amount of block-based creations growing by the week, but Bosch has even unveiled a dishwasher specifically made for the hopelessly obsessed. Just in case the LEGO-based Wii concoction isn't down your alley, the self-proclaimed LEGO Autopilot could be just what the voyeuristic side of you has been yearning for. Modeled around HiTechnic's NXT Acceleration / Tilt Sensor kits, it's apparently possible to build a UAV for your personal indulgences with less than a grand in cash, and if you add on the optional webcam and Bluetooth controls, you could definitely fetch a sneak peek in faraway locales. The autopilot system reportedly "controls the rudder, which keeps the plane flying level," but manually altering the servo arm can give you a taste of manual controls if you get tired of watching. Of course, this here endeavor certainly isn't aimed at the faint of heart (or budget-minded), but be sure to hit the read link to see what you're in for if you decide to give this a go.[Via Slashdot]
Wii gets Lego-fied
All things considered, this Lego-based rendition of a Wii probably isn't the most difficult feat of Lego craftsmanship to accomplish, but still... it is a Wii made out of Lego. While obviously not functional (we'll need to get Ben Heck on the job for that), the LegoWii does at least open up, with enough space on the inside to display some less-than-faithfully recreated scenes from Wii Sports (check out one of 'em after the break). Now, if someone would just put their Lego skills and Mindstorms know-how to work to reproduce Nintendo's R.O.B. robot in brick form, we'd be all set.[Via Joystiq]
Someone builds a rectangle from Legos
But wait, that's not just any 'ol rectangle, that's ... it is! The Wii! Awesome.We were huge Lego dorks ourselves, but without those lovely step-by-step instructions, we were unable to achieve the artistic plateau that is a work such as this. How many of you guys were raised by small plastic blocks that fit together? And seriously, screw K'nex. Those things sucked.[via Joystiq]
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.
Lego Mindstorms NXTway-G much cooler than Segway
Since kits became available last year, there certainly hasn't been a shortage of clever robots over at the Lego Mindstorms NXT community, but Roy Watanabe's NXTway-G caught our collective eye. He took direct inspiration from similar self-balancing bots, the Legway and NXTway (basically NXT brick-controlled mini-Segways), but took it to the next level by using a gyroscopic sensor -- and from the looks of the video, it's a smooth operator. NXTway-G can stand in place, climb a slope, and take a modest shove. We say modest because of its one downfall -- if knocked flat, it'll find itself in one of those "I've fallen and I can't get up" situations -- and nobody wants a whiny bot on their hands. Read - Mindstorms NXTlogRead - NXTway-G in action
LEGO MMO in the works by indie dev NetDevil
Independent game developer NetDevil (Auto Assault) announced today a partnership with The LEGO Group to develop a MMOG based on the colorful little building blocks. Few details apart from the brief announcement were given, but a representative from LEGO told Gamasutra the game would merge social interaction with physical play. A virtual community where you can build things with LEGO blocks? Yes, please.The game will likely be aimed at children, but that won't stop us kids who have jobs from giving it a try. After all, everybody loves LEGOs.[Thanks, Phillip]
Even Lego guys love the Wii
No one can resist the power of the Wii! Don't question it!What do you think of this cute little recreation of Wii time? We've only got one issue with it -- is the Wii on the floor? Man, if your friends are anything like the crazy boxing guy, that's probably not a good set up. Just sayin.' No one likes a crushed Wii.There's a whole series of these Lego recreations -- go check 'em out![Via Infendo]
Gears of War gets the Lego treatment
Gears of War in Lego form, built by Dunemaster ... how cool is that? These little guys were created by Dunemaster who loves building video game characters out of Legos and posting them on Flickr. He has previously made a bunch of minifigs from various video games, but we think the above Gears Lego creations are his best work to date. Now only if we could get some Locusts for our mini COG army to disassemble. Dunemaster, you've been challenged and have some work to do.[Via Wonderland]
Versatile Palm Treo cradle crafted from LEGOs
While we've seen various forms of Treo docks come and go, there's just something magical about those those colorful, timeless blocks, and although we've caught a LEGO-lovin' DS fortress acting the part before, this time it's a Palm getting the homegrown docking station. Envisioned after simply not wanting to shell out the $30 to $50 required to purchase a ho hum dock that didn't exactly fit every need, the LEGO Palm cradle is a true sight to behold, and can at least handle both the 650 and 680 with ease. Although it doesn't sport features that are too far out of the ordinary -- besides the handy earpiece hook and "solar powered WiFi tower," of course -- at least the onboard watchman walks softly and carries a big stick Sony Clie stlyus. Best of all, the project owner took a few snapshots along the way to give us a bit of insight in replicating his masterpiece, so if you've got an estimated 45 minutes and a whole stash of unused blocks, be sure to hit the read link for your next DIY endeavor.
Make your own iPhone, out of cake or LEGO
It would seem that some people just can't want to get their fingers on an iPhone (I'm looking at you, Dan). If you are a little crafty you can make yourself a placeholder iPhone to get you over the hump. Try this iPhone cake, which I am sure is much more delicious than Apple's iPhone (and I have it on good authority that the cake does not require a 2 year Cingular contract).If you aren't a baker, why not whip up a LEGO iPhone? You know you want to (well, I know I want to and I assume we have similar interests).[LEGO iPhone via brilliantdays]
Legos put to good use in Sumo Robotic Championship
We've seen a whole lot of good things come from the creative minds of Lego builders and those Mindstorm kits that fuel them, but we can't say anything has been quite as visceral as this 2007 DivX Lego Sumo Robotic Championship. Bots compete head to head, ramming each other out of the ring -- or more often than not, blindly searching for an opponent to ram. Seven bots competed in the second round of the fights, and "No Screwdriver Needed" was on the scene with play-by-play video and snarky commentary. Our personal fave? "The Bird," which attempts to fool its opponents into climbing over its deployed wings. Who knew Legos and subterfuge mixed so well?
Lego CakeBot lives to serve, envies your digestive system
Look at it serving diligently, not even a whimper or a grumble. Sure, you'll be sorry a few years from now as it bakes a cake from the remains of human civilization, but isn't it so cute in the fleeting present? The Lego CakeBot was built by Niclas and Isak for a birthday party and does its job well -- if only those kids knew the far reaching destruction that will soon be caused by their innocent little creation. Peep the video after the break.[Via Hack-A-Day]
The bottom of the barrel
What's this -- a list? Cue the frothing fanboys! But this latest list of the top ten worst DS games, as decided by the folks at Pocket Gamer, is definitely filled with some of the poorest examples of DS gaming. We're not sure if they're really the ten worst ever, though. Let's call them the "Ten Worst Titles Masquerading as Games You Might Almost Want to Play." Well, except for Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy. We actually did want to play that, but y'know, we need it to function.Check out the full list after the jump.
German robotics group crafts LEGO factory to build... LEGO cars
It's one thing to craft something remarkable all by your lonesome, but constructing an entire factory to handle all the dirty work for you is really doing something. A robotics group assembled (ahem) at a German "grammar school" (VHG) in lower Bavaria has fabricated a feat that even Toys R Us would marvel over, as the group's expansive LEGO Mindstorm factory was built entirely out of LEGO blocks, and moreover, programmed to assemble LEGO-based vehicles. Taking a note from every other major assembly plant in the world, this automated construction site feeds blocks from one end to the other, carefully pushing, pulling, and connecting pieces as necessary to completely assemble a LEGO car. While we've no idea how you'd even begin concocting this same masterpiece at your own domicile, nor how tough it is to be admitted into this apparently incredulous university, you'll reportedly need at least 2,000 man hours and €3,000 ($3,937) just to get started, but feel free to click on through for a lengthy video demonstration.[Via MetaFilter]
LEGO Halo: the complete collection
It turns out Mandalore's LEGO Elite was only the tip of the iceberg. We've just unearthed a massive collection of LEGO Halo projects. Everything from the Pelican Dropship to the Flood Infection form is featured at this bounteous portal, maintained by Justin "Saber-Scorpion" Stebbins. Mr. Stebbins, whose Warthog model is displayed above, is a self-proclaimed LEGO Halo veteran -- and also a fledgling novelist. Just shy of his twentieth birthday, Stebbins looks poised for a successful career in brick building. So is Lego Group hiring?[Thanks, Mr. Noodles]
LEGO Halo: building an Elite
Brick builder Mandalore has snapped together a surprisingly accurate depiction of one of Halo's Elites. He was even kind enough to put together a guide so that we can assemble them on our own. Nice work.Think Bungie and Lego Group would ever consider collaborating?[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
