Here’s a few more awesome game-related prints for your perusal: David Anthony Wood recently posted 3 prints featuring some cool NES-inspired work, but with a little more dimension added to them. I’m sure something like this has been done before, but David did it simply and well. Boiling it down to the most iconic elements – I can appreciate that. You can find them on his Society6 page for order if you’re interested. Read more…
While the real Doomerhammer would probably be a little too heavy to wield normally, you can still settle for the next best thing with ThinkGeek’s Foam Doomerhammer Replica, now on sale at their website. It’s made from polyurethane and PVC piping, which ThinkGeek claims makes it “strong, yet lightweight.” It’s also 22 inches long, so you’re sure to be the envy of everyone at your next LARP. You can pick it up for $149.99, here. Read more…
Now this is a pretty great looking tie, and it’s gaming-related. How often do those cross? It’s not too overdone, but still geeky in the right ways. Maya Pixelskaya recently posted this fantastic Duck Hunt-themed tie on her web site as well as Ebay for sale. Sadly, this tie is one-of-a-kind so you’ll have to out-bid everyone else if you really want it. Only 2 days left to bid! That said, this tie looks good enough for mass-production, so let’s get that rolling – please? Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jan 18, 2012 in Videogames
On January 18, 1982 the cover of Time magazine proudly proclaimed “GRONK! FLASH! ZAP! Video Games are Blitzing the World”. The article went on to give an interesting picture of a new industry that was coming of age: Read more…
Released only for the Japanese Sharp X68000 computer in 1991 from MNM Software, here’s a unique adaptation of the classic Star Wars arcade game rendered in vector graphics: Read more…
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Jan 16, 2012 in Tech, Videogames
I love the concept of tablet gaming, I really do, but like many of you, I find the touch controls absolutely maddening at times. This is especially true for any game or app that requires the use of a directional pad. Thankfully, the chaps at Ten One Design could read my mind. Introducing the Fling Joystick and Fling mini — a simple analog nub that sticks to your tablet, or smartphone and holds in place via small translucent suction cups. Read more…
I’ve always loved the design of Isaac Clarke’s suit from Dead Space. It has a strong, iconic look to it that you don’t see very often. Maybe it’s just because he slightly resembles a cranky old grandpa of the Daft Punk guys… In any case, Sideshow Collectibles agrees on the awesomeness of Isaac Clark and is releasing a 16″ high statue of him, ready to take on whatever alien menace he might encounter next. Read more…
If you’re a Persona fan, Bandai’s D-Arts series probably just made your day: take a look at this stellar figure of Thanatos from Persona 3. They did a great job replicating him in plastic, especially the coffins and chains above him. There’s not a whole lot of extra features listed for it, but when the figure looks this good, I’m sure I need them. If you’re looking to pre-order him, be sure to do so soon. Read more…
Now this is really neat: a Mario Question Mark Block lamp! This stylish lamp was made by Pete Betcher in his TheBackPackShoppe on Etsy and is probably the coolest thing I’ve seen today. This lamp looks like an official product, and is probably the best thing to put on your end table since… well, anything! You can pick it up for $60 on their Etsy page. I’d recommend checking out their other neat products, like Pokeball coasters or a Tetris-themed drinking glass. Fantastic stuff! Read more…
Some things never change. The internet will always create parody videos of pop culture, and some of them end up being funny, too! And in this video, Skyrim is still the same in the year 2012. Sure, technology has advanced, but pickpocketing and placing baskets on people’s heads are still the preferred way of doing business, apparently. I’ll let the the Gro Pro Bros explain. Read more…
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Jan 12, 2012 in Tech, Videogames
This is kind of cool news for those of you like me who can’t stand heavy handhelds. Nintendo’s Masahiro Sakurai recently revealed that the upcoming 3DS title Kid Icarus Uprising will come packed with a special stand to help keep the system steady while you play. Truth is, I love the concept behind Nintendo’s 3DS, even if I don’t really own too many games for it, but unfortunately, the system is a bit hefty, especially when I want to play for any extended period of time. Although I wasn’t looking forward to Kid Icarus Uprising so much, having played a demo at last year’s San Diego Comic Con International, this little addition might just change my mind. Keeping the system balanced could potentially improve the gameplay, and I’m sure I’ll be making use of the stand for future titles.
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Jan 10, 2012 in Videogames
To be fair, I’m not sure what to think of Cyanide Studio’s upcoming Game of Thrones RPG. Seeing as A Song of Fire and Ice is a bit of a hot commodity right now, we would expect the license to land in the hands of an experienced developer. However, that didn’t happen. Instead, in what I can only imagine was a stroke of luck on their part, Cynaide Studios will be delivering several games based on the popular series, the first of which will be a third-person roleplaying adventure. Entitled simply Game of Thrones, the plot follows two survivors of Robert’s Rebellion as their decisions lead them on separate paths throughout the land, only to once again unite them against common enemies in an attempt to save the kingdom. Read more…
The back of my mind is screaming out, “No, no, this isn’t real!” But if it’s fake it’s the best fake I’ve seen in a long time. And let’s face it, I don’t think any of us are that surprised here: Sonic is featured in a Progressive Car Insurance commercial. I love the guy, so it’s kind of sad to see this… and yet, amusing. Read more…
What have you been doing for the past 6 months? Working? Saving? Well Sven Junga has been building an enormous replica of the Hyperion battle cruiser from Starcraft II. In my opinion? Totally worth it. It’s incredibly detailed, all the way down to the small windows on the front. Tons of “greebles” (the LEGO builder term for the small technical details all over the surface of the ship) cover the body of the vessel to help make it look authentic. Amazing job, Sven. Read more…
A little bit of pop-art never hurt anyone, especially not these great-looking prints from BiscottoCotto, featuring tons of different systems, from the Dreamcast to the Gameboy. These look like great additions for an arcade room or any place you’re trying to brighten up a bit. They allow for some customization as well, so you can pick your background color if you wish. They’re going for $15 for a single print on BiscottoCotto’s Etsy page. Read more…
Here’s just a quick little video to make you smile: Gary Oldman recently went on Conan (in a rather dapper bowtie, I might add) and was asked about his work in the Call of Duty series. He mentions one of the most time- and voice-intensive parts of video game voice acting, which is recording for all possible player choice. And yelling. A lot. Read more…
Introducing Retrode, a USB adapter for 16-bit retrogaming. I’m not sure if there’s a simple term for what Retrode does, but I certainly dig its purpose, so I’ll try to describe it. The adapter delivers an authentic retrogaming experience by allowing you to use your own cartridges and controllers with the emulators you download. With ports for both the SNES and Sega Genesis/Mega Drive , Retrode gives you driverless emulation, complete with data access and the ability to save to sram, without the need to obtain your roms via the net. Of course, you can still use the controllers with one you’ve downloaded, but its nice to know you’ll have options. Read more…
This has got to be the most fashionable handheld to date — Konami’s upcoming limited edition Metal Gear Solid 3DS. There’s been no official word on the pricing or availability just yet, but those details will be announced later this month. Hideo Kojima has, however, confirmed via twitter that the unit will feature the embossed snakeskin pattern pictured above, and that it isn’t just a removable skin, or case. It might be worth mentioning that the last Konami 3DS bundle to be sold never made it stateside, so there’s a good chance you’ll have to import one.
Every year so many people attempt to categorize and rank every video game title that came out that year. While I’m sure we all enjoy our Skyrims, Assassin’s Creeds, Zeldas, and Modern Warfare 3s, the glut of November games simply drowns out so many other good choices. Tim made an excellent choice with Deus Ex: Human Revolution, one I might’ve picked myself. But mainly: forgotten are all the excellent games that came out at the beginning of the year. My example? Ghost Trick. Read more…
King of Games has made some pretty amazing shirts over the years, but this is one of my favorites. Up for pre-order from now until February 20th, King of Games will be releasing a special 25th Anniversary Zelda t-shirt featuring the iconic Hyrule family crest, Triforce, and all of Link’s weapons and items. It’s a really great design, up to KoG’s usual standards. If you want one, be sure to put your order in soon, as only one printing run will be done, ever, according to their site. Sounds pretty rare to me! Read more…
Let me preface this post with with a note: I really enjoy Skyrim. I think it’s an incredibly fun game, weighed down by poor optimisation and tons of bugs. The fact that an entire version of the game (PS3) becomes virtually unplayable after a length of time is ridiculous. That said, it’s good to laugh, and Mega64’s recent Skyrim-themed “fan film” (and I’m using those quotes heavily) is pretty funny, if one-note. Read more…
Given that it’s Metroid’s 25th anniversary this year (poor Samus gets overshadowed by Zelda), it’s great to see somebody else giving our favorite video game bounty hunter some love. If you’re more in the mood for something sexy, Good Smile is releasing a 1/6 PVC of Zero Suit Samus in June 2012. More interested in functional? Max Factory is bringing a figma of Samus in her trademark outfit sometime in 2012. Both of these figures are fantastic, so no matter which one you get (or both!) you can’t go wrong. Read more…
I’m not a big Dragon Age fan, but even I can tell that fans probably won’t be happy with this latest trailer for the Dragon Age anime film by Oxybot. Let’s face it: the CGI is terrible. The only things passable are the dragons, and even then that’s pushing it. It’s almost humorous when they’re treating it so seriously and the animation fails to help that in any way. Also, to help add legitimacy to the whole affair, GACKT is doing the theme song. Yup. Read more…
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Dec 28, 2011 in Videogames
With so many games on the market, and so little time to play them all, deciding which was best can be a difficult task. Some writers look at the review scores, or sales figures, while others may take a more personal approach. For me, it’s definitely more personal, but I also understand that labeling something “Game of the Year,” would be a tad pretentious if it weren’t truly worthy. Read more…
