Working through the collections provides some rather weird challenges to the discipline of library science. An entire segment of the collection is devoted to items termed as realia, basically commercial products tied to video game concepts or characters. They don't fit on shelves very well, and the exact means of how to preserve these detritus of commercial culture are fraught with an internal debate about their validity to humanity. I think everything should be remembered or recorded fastidiously, but then again I get a thrill out of looking at old Nintendo marketing crud, and I work in a library. That said, these items make my inner child awaken anew and crave some tasty morsels of the past.

I hope we can expect to see more of this sort of stuff — it's fun seeing what librarians at Stanford have decided to add to the collection. Though I would be curious to learn the acquisition backstory — was the cereal just hanging out in someone's personal collection? Two decade old overstock at Ralston Purina?

Errant Nintendo Licensing: Parties, Cereal, and School [How They Got Game]

Oh, and do check out the Apris website. They've got like Astro Boy and GeGeGe no Kitaro cans. So cool.

E缶だけは最後まで取っておく？ 「ロックマン E缶 飲料」発売 [Dengeki Online]

Think I'll be passing, but you may find this a delicious prelude to your 4th of July game cake. Thanks to Nate for the tip.

"1UP Mushroom" Mushroom Burger [Instructables]

Good to see the girl has moved on.

Eds Note: To bring everyone up to speed, Yuko Ogura was a two-time SEGA "image character" and even appeared in a SEGA produced kids' show. Ogura claimed to be from an apple-shaped star called Korin, but has since shyed away from that nutty claim realizing that people don't take seriously girls who say they're aliens. SEGA has since replaced Ogura with the more normal Satomi Ishihara.

Can we stop talking about this guy! I never even heard his name till last week when he made threats and rants. The guy is a fucking idiot, making threats to me, Clooney, Eli Roth, says he has a doctorate - but uses the word "retard" in his vocabulary, come on. When you look at his videos, what is interesting are the backgrounds. I guess his low rent offices, with 15 year old 3/4 machines, archaic computers, this is just some dumb chump trying to get some fame when he has none, so he has to make Youtube lame quality anger rants. Guy just want attention because he can't get any for the so called movies he makes. Nothing sadder when he had his screening in LA to an over half empty movie house.

He is a troubled soul — let's not waste time on talking about him please.

Bay's Blog [Shoot For The Edit]
The Pudding Show [MTV]

Now there are a few big names you might miss from my list. Bawls, for instance, was just not available in my immediate area, and if I can't drive down to the corner store to pick it up on a whim I' m not going to assume everyone else can. Mountain Dew Game Fuel is absent as well, as the stores in my area are no longer stocking it and it never really fit the energy drink profile in the first place. I chose items that contained at least two or three of the following:

Common Energy Drink Ingredients

Caffeine: Ah yes, good old caffeine. A stimulant drug and a mild diuretic, which explains why I've been in the bathroom so much during this project. The world's most widely used psychoactive substance.

Taurine: 2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, an organic acid which is a common component of - yum - bile! Taurine has been shown to alleviate muscle fatigue in rats, increasing exercise capacity. Taurine is an important part of a cat's diet, as felines cannot create it on their own. It is a requirement in U.S. cat foods. Now you know!

Ginseng: Ginseng is a plant, the roots of which are widely consumed in North America and Asia as adaptogens, aphrodisiacs, stimulants, as well as for the treatment of type II diabetes and male sexual dysfunction. After drinking all of these energy drinks, I am surely the most potent man in town, with the ardor to back it up. Woot!

Guarana: The seeds of the guarana plant is what we're talking about here, which contain about three times the caffeine of a coffee bean. In Brazil, guarana-based soft drinks commonly outsell popular cola drinks. Studies have shown that guarana has the effect of increasing memory retention and physical endurance in rats, with human studies showing that lower doses can increase memory, alertness, and mood.

Ginkgo: Ginkgo is a plant once thought to be long extinct - a living fossil, as the only records of the plant before being discovered growing in the Zhejiang province in Eastern China were from fossils dating back over 270 million years ago. The effects of ginkgo are in a constant state of flux, as scientists fight back and forth over study results. Blood flow and memory improvement seem to be the most prevalent suggested effects, though the amounts included in energy drinks are so negligible as to not really matter.

L Carnitine: A quaternary ammonium compound which helps with fat consumption and disposal in the body. Synthesized in the liver and kidneys, carnitine is also found in many of our foods - meats, beans, vegetables, fruits, and grains - we get this stuff everywhere.

Inositol: A nutrient that aids in regulating the central nervous system, which sounds absolutely delicious.

The Energy Drink Horde

What follows is a listing of the drinks I partook of, their manufacturers, and a few facts about their history where applicable, along with descriptions and grades given in two categories - flavor and buzz. I consumed a full can of each product, with several hours in between each drink in order to separate the effects. Of course this is not a scientifically sound test - this is strictly my opinion, but after drinking thirteen different cans of energy drinks over the course of a long weekend I am convinced that my opinion is completely awesome and I could - if needed - run completely through the living room wall into the neighboring apartment.

Red Bull

Produced by Red Bull North America, Inc.
Red Bull was created in Thailand in the 1970's, under the name 'Krating Daeng'. In 1982 an Austrian entrepreneur named Dietrich Mateschitz discovered that the drink cured him of his jet lag, and between 1984 and 1987 reformulated the beverage along with the original manufacturer, founding Red Bull alongside partner Chaleo Yoovidhya. Today Red Bull is the most successful energy drink in the world.
Ingredients: Taurine, Caffeine, Inositol
Color: Closely resembles apple juice or possibly urine.
Scent: Very sweet, flowery scent.
Taste: It tastes like it wants desperately to be cloyingly sweet and then decides against it at the very last moment, turning slightly sour and bitter while leaving a sort of flowery aftertaste behind. This is what I imagine roses would taste like if they didn't taste like plants. I used to think people mixed this with vodka to make the vodka taste better, though now I'm not so sure it isn't the other way around.
3 of 10.
Buzz: Directly after drinking I felt a few little tingles, though honestly that could have just been excitement over starting this grand project. After another ten minutes, still feeling slightly tingly. A half hour after drinking the tingly is still around. Don't exactly feel full of energy, but definitely a bit more relaxed.
5 of 10

Cocaine

Produced by Redux Beverages
The energy drink Cocaine was introduced in 2006, marketed as "The Legal Alternative To Cocaine." This went over well with the FDA, who pulled the drink from shelves in May of 2007. In June, Redux Beverages redistributed the drink as No Name, with a blank label that drinkers could write their own name on. Now in early 2008 the product has returned to the shelves under its original name.
Ingredients: Taurine, Caffeine, Inositol, L-Carnitine, Pain
Color: Candy Red...nearly a deep orange
Scent: Weak flowery scene with a hint of cherry.
Taste: OUCH. This is the sweet of Red Bull followed by what I can only explain is a hot pepper-like burn. Ow ow ow. For just a moment you taste a cloying sweetness, followed by a chemical fire in your mouth. Like hot peppers or something. How can this can not say something about peppers? Damn this burns. I hate you people. Oh god. Finished the whole thing, feel like I am going to die.
2 of 10
Buzz: Hard to tell, since my throat is burning. Drank some water to ease the pain. Man. Certainly more awake than I was after the first mouthful. Little tingly now 10 minutes in, but the burn is still there. Oh boy is the burn still there. Like a mouthful of tabasco. While I cannot recommend this drink for flavor, it will certainly kick the living crap out of your sleepiness.
9 of 10

Rooster Booster

Rooster Booster is mainly found at Quiktrip and Road Ranger stores across the US. I don't know about Road Ranger, but it can be found at the soda fountain in most Quiktrip stores, as well as in icee form.
Ingredients: Taurine, Inositol, Caffeine
Color: Ruby red with a hint of caramel color
Scent: It smells a lot like strawberry Cool-Aid
Taste: With tastes like a bubbly, melted Freeze Pop of the cherry variety, with just a slight bit of sour bitterness. Very sweet. Thankfully not burny whatsoever.
7 of 10
Buzz: Weaksauce. Barely a tingle from this stuff. Not sure where they get off calling this an energy drink, other than sharing some of the common ingredients.
1 of 10

Crunk!!!

Produced by Crunk LLC.
It's rapper Lil Jon's own energy drink! Pretty sure he made it all by himself too. Brilliant herbologist, that Lil Jon is.
Ingredients: Caffeine, Inositol, L-Carnitine, Horny Goat Weed, Ginkgo, Ginseng, Skull Cap, White Willow Bark, Ashwaganda Root, Milk Thistle Seed. They just threw everything in there.
Color: A cloudy sort of brownish red.
Scent: Smells like Minute Maid fruit punch, you know, the kind you get in the carton.
Taste: Taste like Minute Maid fruit punch gone bad, with a bit of an emphasis on pineapple...and the sort of enriched after taste you get when eating baby food. Bitter and sour aftertaste. Overall a kind of sweet and sour yuck.
4 of 10
Buzz: You'd think with all of these ingredients I'd be flying around the room right now, but not much going on in my body right now except for a slight hungry. After awhile I feel a tiny surge, but nothing more than a slight disturbance in the force.
2 of 10.

Monster Energy

Produced by the Monster Beverage Company
Monster first came on the scene in 2002, and was one of the first energy drinks to come in the 16 ounce can - twice the size of a Red Bull.
Ingredients: Taurine, Ginseng, L-Carnitine, Caffeine, Inositol, Guarana
Color: Deep amber.
Scent: Flower petals and bubblegum.
Taste: Oddly enough, flower petals and bubblegum. Like a slightly sour Wrigley's Juicy Fruit. I like it. Nummylicious.
9 of 10.
Buzz: Oooo, now there's a nice little tingly going on. Not quite as potent as the Cocaine, but the taste combined with the buzz makes Monster the total package thus far.
7 of 10.

AMP Tall Boy

Produced by Pepsi
AMP is a Mountain Dew based energy drink created in 2001 to compete with Red Bull. It uses a base Mountain Dew flavor with added energy drink ingredients.
Ingredients: Guarana, Caffeine, Taurine, Ginseng
Color: Neon Yellow with a hint of green. Radioactive looking.
Scent: Very, very faint scent of sweet citrus.
Taste: A lot like Mountain Dew, actually...though more concentrated and with a slightly bitter aftertaste. Being a huge fan of Mountain Dew, I definitely prefer the real thing to this version.
6 of 10
Buzz: Fair to middling. Kinda used to this stuff by now, so it doesn't hold the kick it once may have.
5 of 10.

NOS

Produced by High Performance Beverage
NOS was created in 2006 and bottled to look like a nitrous oxide cartridge. High Performance Beverage was recently purchased by Coca-Cola.
Ingredients: Taurine, L-Carnitine, Caffeine, Ginseng
Color: A cloudy yellow, sort of like a highly diluted orange juice.
Scent: Strong citrus scent...mainly grapefruit, with a hint of orange.
Taste: Ooo, this is kind of nice. Tastes like a tart citrus punch mixed with Sprite. Not too sweet, and just sour enough to begin to make your lips pucker. Very pleasant!
8 of 10.
Buzz: More refreshing than anything else. I feel somewhat invigorated and my head feels a bit more clear. Not so much a buzz as a general sharpening of my senses.
6 of 10

Red Jak

Produced by Big Red LTD.
I'm not finding too much information about Red Jak other than it was recently relaunched in a brand-new, much more stylized can.
Ingredients: Taurine, Ginseng, Inositol, L-Carnitine, Caffeine
Color: Pinkish Orange, if that makes any sense.
Scent: Just the hint of a sweet, flowery smell.
Taste: It's rather odd. It has a flowery, sweet aftertaste sort of like Red Bull, but the actual taste while the drink is in your mouth is just a burst of slightly sour sweet without any real direction. I know it's trying to be some sort of fruit, but it's not making it.
3 of 10
Buzz: I'm pretty tired when I cracked open the Red Jak, but it has enough of a kick to keep me going another two and a half hours, which is an excellent boost in my book.
8 of 10

Savage Energy

Produced by Caroline Beverage Corp.
Savage Energy comes in a black plastic bottle, giving it a unique shelf presence that immediately caught my eye. It's by the same company that makes Cheerwine, so you know it has to be good!
Ingredients: Taurine, Caffeine, Ginseng, Inositol
Color: Savage is a pale gold, sort of like a nice whiskey.
Scent: Fruity Bubblegum smell...like a bubblegum flavored lollipop.
Flavor: Mmmmmm. It tastes like a bubblegum lollipop too, with just a hint of undefinable citrus flavor. This stuff tastes awesome. Has me licking my lips after every swallow. I could drink this all day long.
10 of 10
Buzz: Unfortunately I have noticed that the better these drinks taste, the less effect they have buzz-wise, and Savage is the poster child for this observation. Tastes amazing, barely has any effect on me otherwise.
1 of 10

Sobe No Fear

Produced by South Beach Beverage Company
The energy drink of the clothing brand!
Ingredients: Taurine, Inositol, Ginseng, Guarana, L-Carnitine, Caffeine
Color: Dark orange, almost brownish.
Scent: Indeterminate fruity smell.
Taste: No Fear tastes like a really weak Guava juice. Slightly tropical. It is pretty much a Sobe fruit juice drink with a little bit of carbonation added. Not too fond of the taste.
2 of 10
Buzz: No Fear does have a nice little kick to it, despite how bad it tastes. Almost makes you wonder if these energy drinks rely on shock to your palate to get your energy up rather than all these fancy ingredients.
7 of 10

Full Throttle

Produced by Coca-Cola
Full Throttle was created in 2004 by Coca-Cola, and is one of the easiest to find energy drinks, available in 78% of convenience stores across the US as of 2005.
Ingredients: Taurine, Ginseng, Caffeine
Color: Cloudy yellow, like diluted orange juice.
Scent: O.o This smells like a margarita. Almost exactly like a margarita.
Taste: Strange. I have tasted this before but I cannot quite place it. It really tastes like a virgin margarita to me, which is completely delicious. I like. A lot.
9 of 10
Buzz: Dammit. Once again the taste versus buzz theory stands. Hardly any buzz whatsoever. Sadness!
1 of 10

...Lost Perfect

Produced by Lost Beverage Company
Lost is based off of Monster Energy, as the two smaller beverage companies are both owned by the larger Hansen Beverage Company.
Ingredients: Ginkgo, Ginseng, Caffeine, Guarana, L-Carnitine
Color: Clear amber...looks a lot like a glass of beer.
Scent: Oh, this is another one of those bubblegum lollipop smelling drinks!
Taste: Definitely bubblegum lollipop, with a strong burst of artificial fruit flavor at the end. A slight artificial aftertaste.
7 of 10
Buzz: While Lost is modeled after Monster, it seems to lack the kick of its fellow drink, with only a mild buzz kicking in shortly after drinking it.
3 of 10

Rockstar Energy Drink

Produced by Rockstar Inc.
Rockstar was created in 2001 by Russ Weiner, the son of national radio talk show host and complete nutball, Michael Savage. In Canada there are alcoholic versions - "Rockstar + Vodka", and "Rockstar + Vodka/Pomegranate". Sadly, this is not Canada.
Ingredients: Taurine, Ginkgo Biloba, Caffeine, Guarana, Inositol, L-Carnitine, Ginseng
Color: Clear amber, like beer or apple juice.
Scent: Sweet fruit scent.
Flavor: Rockstar combines the flowery taste of Red Bull with the fruity bubblegum taste of several of the other varieties for a flavor somewhere in between. It left me craving more sweetness., though not too bad.
6 of 10
Buzz: A nice, mild buzz from this one. Didn't have me bouncing off of the walls, but I certainly wasn't ready for nappytime.
5 of 10

The Verdict

The end result all depends on what you are looking for. If you are going purely on taste, you probably shouldn't be shopping for energy drinks, though if for some reason you are you can't beat the taste of Savage Energy in my book, garnering the only perfect score in the category. For the biggest jolt, the agonizing pain of Cocaine wins out hand-down, scoring a nine. If you are searching for something that packs a nice kick and doesn't taste like death, however, Monster Energy is the all-round winner, with an average of eight between the two categories. Congratulations!

The Aftermath

So how do I honestly feel after having spent the weekend drinking nothing but energy drinks out of cans? Despite the nutrients and claimed benefits of the various ingredients commonly used in their manaufacture, there is nothing really healthy about relying on artificial energy to push yourself. The times I did crash over the weekend I crashed *hard*, as if my body finally realized what I was trying to do and wanted nothing to do with it. Our physiology is deisgned with built-in safeguards that tell us when we are hungry, or thirsty, or tired - and bypassing that on a regular basis is not a great idea. I know you want to get in as much gaming as possible, but the games will still be there when you wake up. Energy drinks are great for a once in a while boost, but if you rely on them to get you through your day, you might be living wrong. That's just my two cents.

Teaching DDR [Joystiq]

And in complete honesty, on a freezing winter afternoon with only bits of diffused sunlight shining in my home, there's nothing in the world that sounds better than living up to every gamer and Midwestern stereotype, chowing down on this heavily modded sugar rush and loading some UT3. Personal sponsorships welcome.

Snickers Charged [Candyblog via BoingBoingGadgets]

Pacman Cupcakes [Hello Naomi, via BoingBoing]

"I don't know who is to blame," Mr Easterbrook says. "The issue of obesity is complex and is absolutely one our society is facing, there's no denial about that, but if you break it down I think there's an education piece: how can we better communicate to individuals the importance of a balanced diet and taking care of themselves? Then there's a lifestyle element: there's fewer green spaces and kids are sat home playing computer games on the TV when in the past they'd have been burning off energy outside.

Plus the people are eating complete shit. Added that last bit myself. Of course he does have a point. I haven't participated in any organized outdoor activities since I learned to forge my mother's name back in high school. Eating completely worthless McDonald's crap constantly can only be countered by arduous physical activity, and despite reports to the contrary, playing with your Wii doesn't count.

When it comes to the question of obesity, here is my opinion. You can eat right and play video games all day long and still be relatively slim. You can eat horrible, grease-soaked garbage and exercise regularly and still maintain a nice figure. You can't do both.

Big Macs and healthy profits - how the fast food giant fought back [Times Online via MCV]

GamingAngels.com reports that Rockstar has entered a piece in the annual Lunchbox Auction to benefit the Food Bank For New York City and The Lunchbox Fund of South Africa. According to GA, Rockstar is the only game company to have donated to the auction that boasts lunchbox creations from celebrities including Joaquin Phoenix who's piece currently holds the highest bid at $3,500.00. The Rockstar piece is still going for a reasonable $180 with the auction closing on Dec. 21. Click through here to place your bid. It even comes with free replacement bulbs so how can you lose?

Spyro the Dragon to Scorch Wendy's Restaurants This Fall

Popular Sierra Entertainment Franchise Featured in Nationwide Kid's Meal Promotion

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 12 /PRNewswire/ — Sierra Entertainment, a division of Vivendi Games, today announced a nationwide promotion with Wendy's, coinciding with the launch of The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night.

Beginning October 8, 2007, the four-week promotion features one of five Spyro premium items and a coupon with each purchase of a Wendy's Kids' Meal at participating Wendy's restaurants nationwide, while supplies last.

"Not only are we offering a variety of nutritious Kids' Meal options — from low-fat milk and yogurt to mandarin oranges and turkey sandwiches — we're focusing on promotional extensions that bring families together in entertaining, engaging ways," said Ana Hernandez, Wendy's diversity marketing director.

Featured premium item characters from the new video game include the Sparx Flyer, Flapping Spyro, a Spyro Keychain, Spyro Checkers and Ruby Reveal. The panel of each Kids' Meal bag also will feature a $5 off coupon from GameStop for any platform of The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night.

"The Spyro the Dragon franchise has reached families all over the world," said Al Simone, senior vice president of Global Marketing, Sierra Entertainment. "After millions and millions of video games sold, it's great to be able to extend the brand by offering fun toys and games to Wendy's customers."

The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night is the latest installment in the 20 million-unit-selling Spyro franchise and a continuation of the new The Legend of Spyro trilogy of video games. The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night is currently available for the PlayStation(R)2 computer entertainment system, Wii(TM), Game Boy(R) Advance, Nintendo DS(TM) and available in early November for mobile phones. The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night will carry an MSRP of $39.99 for the PlayStation(R)2 system, $49.99 Wii(R), $29.99 Game Boy Advance and $29.99 for Nintendo DS.

Now, I'm not a gamer... it would be an insult to real gamers to call me one. However, I do enjoy playing Wii Sports and Legend of Zelda on the Wii, and if it didn't require so much time or money, I probably would play WoW for a while...

My attempt at a Nintendo Wii cake and you can eat it Martha Stewart

I just received this little two-can box set of Mountain Dew's upcoming Halo 3 Game Fuel. According to the box, the drinks will be available in stores for 12 weeks only starting on Aug. 13. Mountain Dew's Game Fuel, the box writes, has the same flavor of Mountain Dew but with a citrus cherry flavor and more caffeine. Too bad this doesn't come in, I don't know, brute or spartan flavors. The special stuff does come in both the 20-ounce and 12-ounce variety.

I think the PS3 is the Surf 'n Turf. You want the lobster and steak and you're going to give yourself the treat of getting the best thing on the menu. The PS2 is your favorite burger restaurant — you go there for comfort food and it's just always good and is a good value.

[As for the other two consoles], one [Wii] is a lollipop, and I'm too old for lollipops. The other one [Xbox 360] I get sick from once in a while because the cook isn't always reliable.

You know what, Jack? This is one of those times where you should've deferred to Hideo Kojima's expertise on the subject matter. I realize GamePro unfairly backed you into a corner here, but the dude knows analogy and metaphor on a whole different level. Seriously. Kojima's legendary comparison between the Atari Lynx and a thousand year egg might just blow your Dockers off.

Feature: Sony's Jack Tretton: Wii is a "lollipop", 360 an "unreliable cook" [GamePro]

What's better than retro games? Retro gaming food! Over at website UK:RESISTANCE, where all the cool kids get their SEGA news, they've posted pics of Daddies Tomato Ketchup featuring Sonic the Hedgehog. The pics are recent, but the bottle dates from 1991, back when Sonic was HUGE. What's in a bottle of Sonic ketchup? Tomatoes, sugar, spirit vinegar, salt, modified starch, spices, pectin, minimum tomato solids 7 percent. I gotta agree with the UK:R commenters on this one; I am very disappointed that "attitude" was not an ingredient. Glorious pics after the jump. Brian Ashcraft

Daddies Tomato Ketchup [UK:R]

For a while, it seemed like we were posting game cakes every damn day. It actually got so bad that I begged for a game cake ban. Didn't happen, but eventually, the game cakes kinda petered out. We haven't posted a cake in a while, so here goes...

This was done at a baker in Mumbai. Over at game site GameGuru, Ratnaraaj Parekh blogs, "She [the baker] was a little bit skeptical about making it. Yeah, it is understood as she mostly gets orders for cakes that are in shapes of wrestlers, sports stars or animated characters like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. We literally had to explain, what Gears of War was, to her." Nice cake, but that logo keeps making me say "Eat shit and die" over and over again. Saying it right now, actually! Brian Ashcraft

Gears Cake [GameGuru]

Also being marketed towards paintball enthusiasts and the night club industry, Headshot is trying to get a whole audience of hipsters to stay awake on a 100mg of Guarana garnished with a set of non-Atkins ingredients. It's like taking tea leaves and shoving them into a Heath bar and then just waiting around for the heart attack. I'll stick with the equally potent Girl Scout cookies, thanks. Kim Phu

"Headshot," Energy Bar For Gamers, Now Available [Game|Life]

Uncommon Loot Lets You "Power Up" with the
Launch of The Headshot Bar©
The First of its kind, Headshot bar uses Guarana to give gamers, paintballers, and young adults an energy boost like never before

Plainfield, IN, June 11, 2007—Young adults have a lot of options these days on choosing how they will get their energy boost. With the energy drink industry saturated with all sorts of choices, teens need something truly new and innovative to take their game to the next level.

Enter The Headshot Guarana Infused Energy Bar©.

The Headshot Guarana Infused Energy bar (better known as "Headshot"), is the new and innovative energy bar from Uncommon Loot, Inc. Its unique chewy, chocolately, toffee flavor and its 100mg of Guarana make it a perfect pick-me-up for the generation that plays well into the night.

What Makes Headshot Different:
· Guarana: The guarana berry is a highly caffeinated berry native to the Amazonian rainforest. This natural caffeine is believed to be gentle on your system and less likely to produce headaches that are more common with other sources of caffeine.
· Rice Crisp: The candy bar market has a lot of choices. Uncommon Loot is all about bringing something new and unique to the industry. Rice crisp was chosen because of its consistency, texture, and health benefits.
· Toffee Flavor: The bold toffee flavor is very evident as soon as you open the wrapper. It will keep you coming back for more.

Marketing Avenues:

· Gaming Industry: Initial distribution of Headshot will be through PC and console gaming centers around the country. LanLizards Game Cafe President Jonathan Zook (Mishawaka, IN) says, "The combination of chocolate, toffee and chewy crisps makes this a deliciously irresistable snack, and the punch of caffeine makes it that much more desirable." The tournament and competition atmosphere of gaming centers truly make them the perfect locations to launch Headshot. We also plan to sponsor LAN parties and eSporting events.

· Paintball / Airsoft Industry: This industry is trying very hard to get its own niche in the world and we plan on helping it. Their competitions are held on a worldwide stage. And our plan is to be there with them side by side.

· Night Club Industry: Currently there is nothing on the market other than beverages that have kept this market awake. Now Headshot and the flavors following it will be front and center to help bring more profit streams to night clubs, and to keep their customers awake through the night.

For additional product information, as well as individual purchasing, wholesale purchasing, and fundraising purchasing options, please visit: www.UncommonLoot.com

Samples and marketing materials for press review and usage are available by contacting Uncommon Loot at press@uncommonloot.com

About Uncommon Loot
Uncommon Loot exclusively produces the Headshot candy bar out of their Plainfield, Indiana offices. The founders of Uncommon Loot have a solid insight into the PC and console gaming mindset through their years of running a PC Gaming center (also located in Plainfield) called Mission Control.

What is it about ice cream trucks and copy right infringement? Previously, we've seen Donkey Kong and Sonic selling ice cream. This time? That famous Italian plumber. Just over the pineapples and lemons, there it is: New York City's Mister Mario ice cream truck. Just look how that man has stopped dead in his tracks! Writes Kotakuite cybereality:

Sorry for the crappy quality cell phone pic. I was in a store and didnt have enough time to run out and get a better shot.

This morning, Mini Bash ingested the above "pizza bread." Pokémon bread isn't so unusual here in Japan, but this was the first time that I'd seen Pokémon pizza bread. And it didn't disappoint — it had the standard Japanese pizza topping: corn. What is it with pizzas here and corn? And mayo? Brian Ashcraft

Pizza Hut, Glico ice cream, Monster Hunter Frontier. The MMORPG opens to play later this month, and Capcom's promoting it with real food. Order a pie from Pizza Hut and get an in-game quest item. Ditto for buying Glico ice cream. Don't MMORPGs make people fat enough without the added pizza pie and ice cream? Guess not! Brian Ashcraft

Pizza Hut and Glico</> [via My News Flash]

Team Ninja's chief ninja and Dead or Alive mastermind Tomonobu Itagaki is one competitive dude. He says that the projects he's currently working aren't just good, but good. So much so that they'll destroy the hopes and dreams of other developers. Itagaki explains:

I'd like to show everybody some of the new stuff that we've been working on in the near future. The only problem with that is that when the other developers see what we're doing, they're going to lose all of their motivation to create any game in the same genre, because there's no way they can beat it.

I wouldn't want to go into a cabbage field with a big knife or a scythe or something and just start cutting down thousands and thousands of heads of cabbage. That's not something I would find fun. I do think there are probably some people out there who want that kind of experience when playing a game. That's why, when it comes down to the number of enemies on-screen, I'd rather have good enemies than just a lot of enemies. That's why I don't buy into the philosophy of, "Look! We have a thousand heads of cabbage on screen at once, isn't this great?!"

Itagaki Interview [Game Informer]

In Japan, parents spend meticulous amounts of time making "cute" or "interesting" bento lunches for their young children. There are numerous books that provide step-by-step instructions on how to do things like turn a sausage into an octopus and whatnot. The reason: By making lunch fun, parents think kids will clean their plates. Over at Danish-based website Bento Challenge, they set a theme each week, and folks create original bento lunches in that theme. Last week, it was pirates. This week? Games! They've only got a few up (hey, it's still Tuesday), but the ones so far are pretty impressive like that Bowser bento. No, wait. Really impressive. Brian Ashcraft

Bowser Challenge [LiveJournal, Thanks JL!]

What did you have for lunch today? This is what Mini-Bash ate. (I had soba.) Mrs. Bashcraft wakes up early to make his lunch. And in Japan, parents try to make lunch fun and cute so that children will eat it. See that moppet below? That's Mini-Bash in his pilgrim-style school uniform. And that pink Anpanman thingy? That's an award for eating his lunch (boxed and school) everyday this past month. As much as I loathe Pokémon, it can't be *that* bad, can it? Yes, yes it can. Brian Ashcraft

Can you feel the excitement?! This Sunday, the Xbox 360 Elite goes on sale in the States. Via retail moles, here's what you need to know:

• Gamestop: Xbox 360 Elite accessories are NOT street dated, apparently. Today, a big shipment of them came in, along with 120GB HDD's, and they sold out pretty quick. Quantities are extremely limited, but employees are prohibited from purchasing, so that should ease things up a bit.
• Best Buy: Many stores are getting somewhere between 20-25 Elites for launch day. The retailer isn't expecting long lines and won't be rolling out as many extra cashiers as with previous system launches. The ticket system will be used *if* there is a line, though. Employees won't be able to purchase the console "until further notice." Black accessories are hitting some stores, but most likely won't be on shelves until Sunday.

There probably will be lines come Sunday, but we're willing to bet dollars to donuts that it'll be eBay profiteers waiting. Though, the fact that Gamestop isn't street dating accessories, that's hot. Would love to snag a black controller, 'cause the standard one hates Cheetos.

We'll keep you updated on any new developments. Brian Ashcraft

So far, I can spot some kind of wii-mote shootin' pog thing, a mario on a shell (that is controlled with a wii-mote?), a set of boxes (wheeee!), a mini baseball game, and an excite truck. All of that, plus sweet, delicious fat for only $2.99? Let's go get us some burgers! Kim Phu

Wendy's Wii Toy Line Up [Go Nintendo]

After a few weeks of lengthy lists of new games, this week is rather slim pickings. Thankfully, we have a jewel in the crown in the form of Super Paper Mario. The couple of minutes I spent playing it at GDC was enough to convince me of it's awesomeness and I'll be picking it up this week for sure. Flynn De Marco

• Super Paper Mario (WII) It's-a him, Super Paper Mario!
• The Ship (PC)
  The former Half-Life mod is now available in disc form.
• Whirlwind Over Vietnam (PC)
  Fly high over the fracas in Vietnam.
• Hot Dog King: A Fast Food Empire (PC)
  Be a wiener wrangler!