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Stiq Figures, June 10 - 16: Reggie Crossing edition
Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. A good chunk of the Joystiq staff has been obsessed with Animal Crossing: New Leaf. It's a great game on its own, but the ability to take screenshots and share them with the world has made it even better. This week on Stiq Figures, we're spreading the love by sharing the single most important custom design QR code for the game, courtesy of Reddit user kevbaum. Granted, some of us would never delete our custom football jersey designs to make room for a portrait of Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime, but the temptation is certainly there.
Stiq Figures, June 3 - 9: Ocarina of Time edition
Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Now that another E3 is in the bag, we're taking some time this week on Stiq Figures to look back at a trailer for a game shown off at E3 1997 by Nintendo. That game is The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and the video is kind of a mess and may not be from that E3 in particular, but still captures the excitement surrounding the game's November 1998 release. Isn't it refreshing to watch a trailer that includes lots of in-game action? Those were the days.
Stiq Figures, May 27 - June 2: Super Nintencake
Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. We're a hungry bunch here on Stiq Figures, and we have a sincere appreciation for delicious, stylish cakes. That's why we're drooling over this Super Nintendo cake posted to the web by Reddit user Bessman911. The cake apparently belongs to a bride and groom, who can be seen posing with the cake at their wedding prior to smearing the sugary Super Mario World cartridge all over each others' faces.
Stiq Figures, May 20 - 26: Cake vs Zombies edition
Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. This week on Stiq Figures, we're licking our chops while ogling a delicious-looking cake brought to the Internet by Reddit user Wiltylock. The cake is for a 4-year-old's birthday, and was decorated to resemble a level from PopCap's Plants vs Zombies. We've seen many delectable cakes in our day, but we've never seen one we want to play and not eat. Who are we kidding? We want to eat it, too.
Stiq Figures, May 13 - 19: Pokemon Fusion edition
Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Web developer Alex Onsager created a nifty site called Pokemon Fusion that demands your attention. By selecting two Pokemon from drop-down menus, the site mashes them together into one creature. The created beasts are sometimes cute, other times horrific, but certainly make us wonder what really goes on at those Pokemon daycare centers in the games. Onsager said via Twitter that he's finishing up the first generation of Pokemon, and also shared an album of fan art created by folks around web based on the Poke-mashups.
Stiq Figures, May 6 - 12: Sega Saturn edition
Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. This week on Stiq Figures, we're looking back at the surprise launch of the Sega Saturn at E3 1995. Namely, we're watching this strange promotional video for the system, which features clips of launch games along with creepy people that live in your nightmares.
Stiq Figures, April 29 - May 5: Arcade cabinet edition
Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something – meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition. Reddit user mystery_smelly_feet recently posted a gallery of photos showing off the construction process for a custom arcade cabinet. The cabinet sports a classic Nintendo theme, complete with iconic grey, red and black controls that are vaguely similar to the NES game pad we all know and love. We're looking at it this week on Stiq Figures out of pure awe and jealousy. Make one for us, Mystery Smelly Feet!
Stiq Figures: April 22 - 28: Live-action Minecraft edition
Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something – meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition. We'd like to thank Joystiq reader Colin for pointing us to this week's Stiq Figures topic: a live-action Minecraft-based video. Live-action gaming-inspired videos are nothing new, and not always that noteworthy. What draws us to YouTube channel CCMegaproductions' video this week is how it ends: much more graphic and intense than it began.
Stiq Figures, April 15 - 21: Animated backgrounds edition
Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something – meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition. Reddit user RudeBootie recently offered up a collection of fighting game backgrounds as animated GIFs in an Imgur album, 125 of them to be exact, each just begging to be picked as your new desktop wallpaper.Once each game's HUD and characters are stripped away, the locales of these fighting games appears much more serene and less chaotic. Perhaps that's an artistic statement on the merits of choosing peace over war. Or maybe we've been looking at these pictures for far too long.
Stiq Figures, April 8 - 14: Gentlemon edition
Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something – meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition. Here at Stiq Figures, we haven't shied away from looking at anything and everything related to Pokemon, from Poke-pants to glitches, even to deeper topics such as cloning. So if you thought we'd avoid ooh-ing and ahh-ing at adorable pictures of Pokemon with mustaches this week, then you thought wrong.These artistic interpretations of "Gentlemon" with facial hair come from Australian digital illustrator Nicholas Poulos, as seen on his Behance portfolio. The gallery for the mustache'd minions includes eight in total, which by our count simply isn't enough.
Stiq Figures, April 1 - 7: Tax Evaders edition
Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something – meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition. This week on Stiq Figures, we're creeping far too close to our deadline in filing taxes. We figure the best way to spend this time without pushing papers is by playing Tax Evaders, a browser-based game in which players control an angry mob of citizens that shoot large fists at corporations that allegedly don't pay their share of taxes to the US government. The game is largely political in origin, as the Tax Evaders site lists a number of sources and allies that support the politi-game's statement.
Stiq Figures, March 25 - 31: LucasArts edition
Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something – meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition. With the recent closure of LucasArts by Disney, we're taking some time this week to watch this news report from 1990. The report by KPIX-TV in San Francisco features designers Brian Moriarty, Ron Gilbert and Hal Barwod, each listed as "Computer Games Creators" in the video's lower-thirds. The game designers talk about games such as Monkey Island and LOOM.
Stiq Figures, March 18 - 24: RBI Baseball edition
Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something – meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition. To celebrate the beginning of baseball season, we're looking at YouTube user scottimus432's amazing display of athleticism in the 1987 Namco game RBI Baseball. The video above shows one of the most impressive feats in all of baseball on display: a perfect game.
Stiq Figures, March 11 - 17: GDC 1999 edition
Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something – meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition. With GDC coming up this week, we're looking back at the keynote address of GDC 1999, delivered by Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto. Watching the talk on the GDC Vault site, it's interesting to hear the ways Miyamoto discusses the concepts of game design from nearly 14 years ago. Comparing his vision of the industry's future with the reality of today's struggles and triumphs is fascinating, and makes for a great palate cleanser heading into this week's conference.
Stiq Figures, March 4 - 10: NCAA Basketball edition
Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something – meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition. Okay, we weren't fair with last week's game trailer selection, as NCAA Final Four 99 isn't quite representative of the great college hoops games of the past. To make up for it, we're watching gameplay video this week of Nintendo's own SNES college basketball game, appropriately titled NCAA Basketball. Join us in looking back with fondness to a time when the system's Mode 7 tech would allow a rotating court in the midst of blue chaos to look so awesome.We know what you're thinking: Two weeks of NCAA basketball talk just because it's Selection Sunday? That's why it's known as "March Madness," friends. Now fill out those brackets!
Stiq Figures, February 25 - March 3: Final Four 99 edition
Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something – meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition. With Selection Sunday just one week away, we're looking back to the good old days when NCAA basketball games were still being developed. But instead of taking a look at College Hoops 2K8, we're going to watch this trailer for NCAA Final Four '99, which features multiple shots of the referee picking up the ball and bringing it to the center circle on the court.
Stiq Figures, February 18 - 24: Movie poster edition
Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something – meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition. This week on Stiq Figures, we're appreciating the work of Detroit-based artist Marinko Milosevski. Milosevski's site showcases a number of prints he's created, each celebrating a different video game in a movie poster-like style.Milosevski created quite a few based around the Legend of Zelda series, but our favorite just might be the Super Metroid one seen above. Head to Milosevski's site to see the full versions of his work.
Stiq Figures, February 11 - 17: Crime City edition
Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something – meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition. If you search the web for "Crime City," you'll find a few social games developed in recent years. But if you hopped in a time machine and set the dial to 1992, you'll be greeted with Impressions Games-developed Crime City, a point-and-click PC and Amiga adventure game that tasks players with proving their father's innocence in a murder trial.The game came with a time limit; spend too much time in your investigation (or sleeping at your desk) and your father will be declared guilty. Crime City also provided its own walkthrough in the game's "readme" file. At least that was the case with our neighbor's copy of the game.
Stiq Figures, February 4 - 10: Pathways into Darkness edition
Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something – meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition. What with all the hullabaloo today over Bungie's persistent online multiplayer FPS Destiny finally being revealed and everything, we though it'd be worth taking a look at the developer's original FPS: Pathways into Darkness.Originally released in 1993 for Mac OS, Pathways into Darkness tasks the player, a United States Special Forces operative, with the detonation of a nuclear bomb inside of an ancient pyramid in the Yucatán Peninsula, in order to stun and bury a terrible god sleeping beneath the structure. These orders, of course, come from the President, who was warned of the god's impending awakening by an alien representative of the Jjaro, who would later become part of the Marathon mythology. As goofy as it sounds, Pathways into Darkness remains a legitimately creepy gaming experience in our opinion. What's more, the game's odd blend of FPS exploration and adventure game inventory management and puzzle solving make it a unique standout from games of the period, many of which lacked Pathways' narrative sophistication.
Stiq Figures, January 28 - February 3: Jaguar edition
Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something – meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition. No, this week's Stiq Figures isn't discussing the finer points of the Jacksonville Jaguars' new and improved logo. Instead, we're using the "rational" part of our brains to contemplate the cost of video game consoles by watching this old Atari Jaguar commercial. Yes, these were the "good old days" of game advertising.
