Kotaku: Retro

What Would Be Your Perfect VC Update?

Mike Fahey — Mon, 12 May 2008 08:40:00 MDT

I've been doing these Wii Virtual Console updates more or less every Monday since they started uploading games to it, and I'll be damned if I'll let a little thing like not actually updating the VC this week because of WiiWare stop me. Since there are no new games for the classic game service coming out this week, let's fill in the space with our imagination! What would your perfect virtual console update look like? Mine would go a little something like this...

Soul Blazer (SNES - 800 Wii Points): Developed by Quintet and published by Enix, Soul Blazer is an action RPG that places you in the shoes of an avatar sent down by a god to restore souls and rebuild towns. The spiritual successor to ActRaiser, and nearly good enough to go toe-to-toe with A Link To The Past.

Tiny Toon Adventures (NES - 600 Wii Points): They're tiny, they're toony, they're all a little loony, and this theme song will be stuck in your head for weeks.

That's all I need. Just those two and I will be set for weeks. How about you folks? Shaq-Fu, anyone?

Classical Gaming: A Roman Retrospective

mgreene — Sun, 11 May 2008 15:30:00 MDT

Rock, Paper, Shotgun linked to this nice retrospective of Roman-themed games over the years, starting with Legionnaire (1982) and ending with Rome: Total War (2004). The series of musings includes wrap ups and discussion, strengths and weaknesses. I began my academic life as a classicist with a knack for lyric poetry — while I hopped ship to history (East Asian at that), I still have many reminders hanging around of those halcyon days spent with Horace and Livy. A nostalgic look back at how and why these classically-themed games have succeeded (or not) is a welcome reminder of many games I played as a youngster:

... SimRomes stick around for a reason. As much as I loved the alien nature of the Egypt in Tilted Mill's Children of the Nile, Rome remains the most accessible ancient city. A century of movies and books have primed us for gladiators, togas, legions on the march...much moreso than, say, Sophoclean drama, chitons and peltasts.

Oh, sure, they're generally wildly historically inaccurate (what else is new?), but panem et circenses, people - who needs realistic class conflict, slavery, and rioting when you've got red-caped legions and chariot racing? The wisdom of Roman satirists still holds true today. Anyways, it's a fun look back at one popular theme if you're a closet (or not) classics geek, or just a fan of some of the titles.

A History of the Ancients Game [Flash of Steel via Rock, Paper, Shotgun]

This Coffee Table Thinks It's An NES Controller

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 09 May 2008 17:40:56 MDT

How cute! We love it when furniture has delusions of gaming hardware. Well, the joke's on us, because this particular coffee table does triple duty, storage gobs of video game paraphernalia and functioning as a working NES controller in addition to its coffee tabling duties. Creator Kyle tipped us off today to let us know the whole thing is finished, with helpful how-to posts and video of the thing in action embedded within the celebratory completion post. He even got a girl to go near it and she doesn't look scared. Nice goin, Kyle!

NES coffee table FINAL POST!! RAH!!!! [Ultra-Awesome]

The Hundreds Do Rampage

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 02 May 2008 20:40:00 MDT

California-centric label The Hundreds—which has established a rabid fanbase in its few years on the streetwear scene—riffs some Rampage with its Summer line-up. Fans of George, Lizzie and Ralph can now hang with the Fairfax and Rosewood crowd without fear of persecution. Further proof that $30 is not too much for a quality t-shirt! Digital Gravel has it now in three colorways, if you're interested, but expect other boutique retailers to get their shipments soon.

Rampage [Digital Gravel]

This Man Paid $15,000 For A NES Cartridge

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 06:00:44 MDT

After parting with US $15,000, James Baker became the proud owner of one of 26 gold-colored NES cartridges made especially for the 1990 Nintendo World Championships. Remember, it's not a gold NES cart, it's a gold-colored NES cart. Says James:

I've avoided collecting carts for a while — I always looked at them as a slippery slope, since there are just so many collectible carts out there to get. When I started, I concentrated on systems — I'm up to 130 now.

A slippery slope? No James. More like a fucking expensive slope.
Big Collection [Next Generation]

Pixel Bit Art Spills Onto Streets of New York

Brian Crecente — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:00:00 MDT

Gawker points out this neat bit of street art found in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, on 9th Street, earlier this week. Unfortunately, the art has since been removed or snagged by some enterprising street walker.

Flowing Pixels in the East Village [Gawker]

Download EGM #1 In Mint Condition

Mark Wilson — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:20:00 MDT

The first issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly ran back in May of 1989. But even those of us who read it probably don't still have the issue on their nearest coffee table. Now Retromags has gone back in time, stolen some poor kid's reading material and posted it out of spite. Well, that, or they paid a bit too much for an antique issue after months of searching, spent hours retouching any signs of aging in Photoshop and then made it available to us in PDF for free. You can go with whichever version of the story best reaffirms your faith in humanity and the power of the human spirit. We'll be catching up on the latest rumors about Mega Man 2.

Electronic Gaming Monthly Issue 001 (May 1989) [Retromags via GnomesLair]

The Unlicensed Harry Potter Shoot 'Em Up

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 01:00:17 MDT

Pirates have brought gaming some good things. Make that, some interesting things. Take this unlicensed Famicom Harry Potter... shmup? Yep! Young Harry rides about on his broom, shooting floating dog heads and bats. According to game site Siliconera:

Harry Potter is playable and there are some decent enemy patterns to fly through. At the start of the game Harry is sluggish. Slower than the Vic Viper without any speed power ups slow... If you shoot an entire formation you might get a weapon power-up, a speed boost or an extra life represented a by flickering Harry Potter head.

Brilliant. Bosses include a dragon and a robot. A robot? Sure! Why not? Hit the jump for a screenshot.

Harry Potter Shooter [Siliconera]

I've Wasted My Life (And Other Unreleased Atari 2600 Gems)

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:40:00 MDT

We're certainly not above giggling profusely at some retitled Atari 2600 box art. While the cover artwork on Atari published titles was nothing short of spectacular stuff—the Defender and Haunted House paintings expertly tricking my young mind—it's clear that some of these games were given unspectacular titles. I've Wasted My Life, however, is brilliant. And Tim Curry's Magic Board? I'd have played that.

These more accurately titled and described Atari 2600 classics are possibly the best box art jokes you'll see all week. Unless there's a Photoshop Phriday on the matter...

Fun From Yesterday! [MightyGodKing via Boing Boing Gadgets]

Splatterhouse Returns!

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:20:03 MDT

Splatterhouse is back! The next issue of EGM is said to have the exclusive first look at Namco Bandai's revival of the twenty year old sidescrolling hack and bludgeon classic that features a Jason Voorhees lookalike on the hunt for his missing girlfriend. In the arcade version, protagonist Rick Taylor uses the power of the Terror Mask and his expert ability to whack things into a bloody mess to track down the lovely Jennifer. The TurboGrafx 16 port is currently available via the Wii Virtual Console.

New-gen Splatterhouse details are non-existent, but EGM subscribers should start seeing their copies hit later this week.

EGM Heads to the Splatterhouse [1UP]

Where's Sonic? (Let's Find Him!)

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 22:00:14 MDT

Found in a drawer and from Sonic's mid-90's heyday comes this, Where's Sonic? It's a picture book where you, un-huh, look for Sonic. The 2D drawings are spectacular! Click through the gallery below to find Sonic. Maybe you won't. There are no guarantees, really.

Haven't gotten your fill? Click over to UK:R, where they've got more — including challenging blurry ones!

Sonic's Thrilling Return to 2D [UK:R]

Club Nintendo SNES Controller Unboxed

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 03:00:20 MDT

Feast your eyes! Here's an unboxing of the Japan-only Club Nintendo Super Famicom (SNES) controller. Like with the Classic Controller, the controller plugs directly in the bottom of the Wiimote. Cue bitching about it being Japan-only. Who hates Club Nintendo now? C'mon!

Club Nintendo Controller [iNSIDE via Boing Boing Gadgets via Giz]

Sega King of Games Shirts Go International

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 23:00:52 MDT

KING OF GAMES shirts. KING OF GAMES shirts. KING OF GAMES shirts. While these Sega threads have been available at the Japanese K.O.G. store for a while, they're now available at the international shop. You too, can buy them! Yes, you. The After Burner, Out Run and Fantasy Zone threads are available for ¥5,775, ¥5,040 and ¥5,040. Later this year more Sega shirts will hit, including NiGHTS, Space Harrier and Mega Drive 16. You can then buy those, too. Yes, you.
Sega Shirts on Sale [The King of Games via ALBOTAS]

Coin-Op NES

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 02:00:22 MDT

Want to play? Get out those coins. Here's a coin-operated Famicom that was hooked up to standard TVs in Japanese hotels and inns. One hundred yen coin got players 10~15 minutes of playtime. There's a Zapper and everything! Hit the jump for the pricier Super Famicom, which only doled out 5 minutes of playtime for a hundred yen. Well, it was "Super." Super expensive!

Business Use Home Consoles [via Danny Choo]

Ms. Pac-Man in Hustler Magazine

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 01:00:50 MDT

Joystick penis joke alert! Joystick penis joke alert! Above is a clip from a 2005 Hustler piece that featured a pantsu-less woman in a Ms. Pac-Man costume. The article includes lines like:

Is that a roll of quarters in your pocket or are you happy to see me?

So clever. Hit the jump for the full version. It's from Hustler, so NSFW should be a given. That is, unless you work at Hustler, then it's TOTALLY SAFE.

Ms. Pac-Man Whores It Up [Joystick Division via Topless Robot]

Super Mario Bros. In 14 Kilobytes Of Javascript

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 20:40:00 MDT

It may be lacking in Koopas, power ups and an underworld—not to mention the dreaded embedded MIDI soundtrack—but this Super Mario Bros. clone packed into 14 KB of Javascript is still damn impressive. Using no graphics, rendered entirely in compressed script, the exercise is definitely worth a few minutes of your time, even if the collision detection leaves a bit to be desired. It's only World 1-1, so you won't have to invest much time to get the gist, but a fantastic accomplishment regardless.

Super Mario in 14kB Javascript [nihilogic]

Zelda Manga Getting Its English On

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 03:00:52 MDT

The Legend of Zelda manga incoming! Word on the street is that English adaptations of two volumes of Zelda, written by Akira Himekawa, the pen name for two writers who wrote half a dozen Zelda manga. The books trace the Ocarina of Time story line. Release date is October 7th, 2008, and it will be published by Viz Media. Better late than never, no?
Zelda Manga [Go Nintendo via Anime News Network via Albotas]

Dual Axe Wielding Korean Shreds Zelda

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 19:40:42 MDT

Old? Painfully. We're talking 2007 here, people. Still, I'd personally never come across one of Zack Kim's dual-guitar YouTube creations, a good portion of which are video game cover tunes, so forgive this internet excavation. Above, The Legend of Zelda Overworld theme. After the break, a Chocobo ditty and Korobeiniki, which you may known better as one of the classic Tetris themes.

Not bad, not bad, but what we really want to jam to is a one man oompa band playing some Streets of Rage 2 soundtrack selections.

Atari 2600 Icing Tech Demo Proves "Normal Frosting" Textures Possible

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 08:00:00 MDT

We were pretty excited to see this Atari 2600 cake show up in our Cake Tips line, showing off a proof of concept of the icing advancements shown at the recent Cake Developers Conference. Sure, you're probably aware of our distaste for black icing, but the iced texture tech from the developers at Cakes By The Pound have made us forget about the black toothed cake party hangover that we hate so much. The team is more of a casual cake dev, but it's clear they've got hardcore appeal. Thanks to Jeff and Gabriel for the heads up!

Tetris Shelves: Modular Furniture Never Looked So Good

mgreene — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 11:30:00 MDT

We mentioned one form of Tetris shelves from New York's Brave Space Design a few years ago; but there are several options you may have missed if you saw these beauties way back when. While the regular open work shelves don't have a price listed ('Contact us for a quote!' is rarely a good sign for your wallet), you can get the colorful "flat" set for a mere $1500 per 10 blocks or the lovely bamboo version for $2000 per 10 blocks. Despite the expense and the fact that Tetris-inspired bookshelves would clash horribly with my decor, I think my books would look fabulous nestled in these creative, if pricey, shelving units.

Tetrad Shelving [Brave Space Design]

151 Pokemons (Let Me Show Them To You)

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 05:00:12 MDT

We don't like posting auctions here. Because some other asshole makes money, and not us assholes. But for this we'll make an exception. Over at Yahoo! Auctions, one individual is auctions off 151 Game Boy Pokémon Red, Pokémon Blue, Pokémon Yellow: Special Pikachu Edition and Japan only Pokémon Green. These are the first generation Pokeé+mon. And 151 cartridges, that's a whole Pokeédex worth! The seller points out that the non-mint cartridges don't have instruction booklets or boxes, are grimy and scribbled on and make good dominos.
Pokémon Auction [Yahoo! Auctions]

ROM CHECK FAIL Is The Opposite Of Fail

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:40:00 MDT

Farbs' excellent ROM CHECK FAIL is a WarioWare-style retro mash up featuring the gameplay, music and graphics from gaming's best arcade and console classics. The freeware PC game (a wee download) borrows from Defender, The Legend of Zelda, Pac-Man, Super Mario Bros., Spy Hunter, Qix, Buster Bros. and others to create a quirky, fun race against the clock for high scores. One second Link is stabbing away at asteroids, the next Pac-Man is biting his way through an Arkanoid level.

It may not hold your attention for more than twenty minutes, and may frustrate as Gauntlet ghosts are bearing down on your Space Invaders ship, leaving you helpless, but it's so worth checking out.

Freeware Game Pick: Rom Check Fail (Farbs) [Indie Games]

VC Update - Not Basketball Edition

Mike Fahey — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 10:00:54 MDT

Sometimes the VC Update press releases are more entertaining than the games themselves, especially when they are desperately scrabbling for some relevant comment for the opening hook.

It's a mad season for basketball lovers, but even the most hardcore hoops fan needs a break from the action this time of year. While they're a far cry from basketball, the latest additions to the Wii Shop Channel offer plenty of fast-moving fun and high-scoring thrills of their own.

It's Final Four time! Here's a couple of games that have nothing to do with that! I could so handle that gig. Cows do a lot of processing the food they eat into nourishing milk! While these games don't feature milk at all, they are just as wholesome and delicious! Gravy. Anyway, this week's VC releases are King's Knight for the NES (500 points), a vertical fantasy shooter by Square, and Powerball for the Genesis (800 points), the fantasy sport that combines football, rugby, and not basketball. Woot.

WII-KLY UPDATE: TWO NEW CLASSIC GAMES ADDED TO WII SHOP CHANNEL
March 24, 2008

It's a mad season for basketball lovers, but even the most hardcore hoops fan needs a break from the action this time of year. While they're a far cry from basketball, the latest additions to the Wii Shop Channel offer plenty of fast-moving fun and high-scoring thrills of their own. Check them out and get a fresh taste of gaming excitement that can last well into April and beyond.

Nintendo adds new games to the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points� to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week's new games are:

KING'S KNIGHT� (NES�, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone - Mild Fantasy Violence, 500 Wii Points): In the kingdom of Izander, the fair Princess Claire has been kidnapped by a foul and insidious dragon, and it is the mission of four brave fighters to save her. Through five thrilling, fast-action stages, our gallant heroes-a knight, a wizard, a monster and a thief-will take on an army of incredible enemies. You must help them reach their goal, as you are now part of the team that will fight to free the princess from her imprisonment. Keep your wits about you, plan your strategy and set off on an exciting adventure.

POWERBALL� (Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone - Mild Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points): Eight different teams representing various nations are vying to become the POWERBALL champions, and you control one of the eight in your quest for the championship. A hybrid of games like rugby and football, POWERBALL is played on a 100-yard field. Try to score by either carrying the ball into your opponent's end zone or kicking it into your opponent's net for points. This one- or two-player game offers both exhibition and league play. Jump into a game of POWERBALL and try a brand new sport.

For more information about Wii, please visit wii.com.

A Tardis That Travels Back In Arcade Time

Mike Fahey — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 09:40:10 MDT

What better way to transport yourself back to the time of arcade dominance than an actual time machine? Simon Jansen obviously has too much time on his hands, being the man behind the ASCII recreation of the original Star Wars film, and now we know where he's been getting all of that time. Not only did he build his own version of Doctor Who's Tardis, he stuffed it with a folding MAME cabinet so he could play games from the past! Jansen has painstakingly documented the entire process, including a picture of his lizard, which I am positive was integral to the project. If I lived in a bizarro world where I didn't need to work and sleep in order to survive, I would have two of these.

Building a MAME console inside a TARDIS [ASCIIMATION via Wired Gadgets]

The Last Supper (With Added Robocop)

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 02:00:12 MDT

Easter might be drawing to close, but our memories of Donkey Kong Jesus live on! Here are some more gaming related Last Suppers. The above one is called The Last Supper and features Hollywood thespian and GTA: San Andreas and Kingdom Hearts II voice actor James Woods. According to artist Brandon Bird:

This was a commission for Rich Kyanka, back when I did commissions. We are both well aware that James Woods did not play Robocop.

More below. Eat them up!

PHOTO
[アート] 任天堂キャラで再現された [Jyouhouya]

Neon Xbox 360 Arcade Controller

Brian Crecente — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 16:00:50 MDT

If you're going to go to the trouble of getting an old-school arcade controller for your Xbox 360 it might as well have neon in it right? Right? ShaolinDrunkard, built just such a beast. His hand-built arcade controller uses parts from Sanwa and Seimitsu and then knocks things straight back to 1977 with LED backlighting behind each button and the knob. The whole thing is housed in a chunky oak box that screams arcade culture.

the ultimate xbox 360 arcade controller [Technabob, via Gizmodo]

A Great and Most Pointless GBA Accessory

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 18:20:00 MDT

Reader Brian, inspired by the pointlessness of these cardboard PSP arcade cabinet stands, wanted to share a similar project he'd worked on many years ago. His stab at completely unnecessary miniature arcade cabinets is definitely of questionable value—and usability, since the shoulder buttons are inaccessible—but of much higher quality and far, far cooler.

Built of foam core, plastic and decals, the mini-cab prototype featured back door access for Game Boy Advance SP placement, making for a hunched over arcade authentic experience. It even had a working light up marquee! He also shared with us a cocktail table protoype, which is after the jump.

Merely a digital prototype, sadly, but clever and adorable just the same. Thanks for the tip, Brian!

A Donkey Kong Jesus Fit For Christina Aguilera Spawn

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 21:00:36 MDT

This isn't just some regular old Donkey-Kong-as-Jesus painting. Oh, no. It's much more. Dubbed "The Last Supper" and painted by artist Misha, the piece was originally shown at the 2006 I Am 8-Bit show. Hang on, like I said, there's more! The painting is apparently now hanging in Christina Aguilera's baby nursery. If that wasn't enough (it's not), Kotaku's Associate Editor Flynn De Marco has a Misha original tattooed on his bodice. There, all done!
Amazingly Coincidental Donkey Kong [Gay Gamer]

R-Type Of Virtual Console Update

Mike Fahey — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 08:40:42 MDT

This week's update for the Nintendo Wii virtual console delves into the dark places, whether they are deep within the earth or in the icy depths of space. Go digging in the dirt with Spelunker (500 Wii points), the NES version of the classic computer game that puts you in the muddy boots of an archaeologist hell-bent on disturbing ancient spirits in his quest for valuable cash and prizes. If Indiana Jones and Mario had a baby, he'd be spelunker's protagonist. Ew. Get rid of that disturbing mental image with thoughts of the only thing stronger than R-Type...Super R-Type! Pretty much a port of R-Type and R-Type II mashed together, the original game was fraught with slowdown, and the lack of mid-level checkpoints made it a real bitch of a shmup. If the Virtual Console release fixes the slowdown issue it could very well be worth picking up. Just don't look at me to try it first. I used to have nightmares about this game.

WII-KLY UPDATE: TWO NEW CLASSIC GAMES ADDED TO WII SHOP CHANNEL
March 17, 2008
Are you afraid of the dark? If so, this is a great week to face your fears with a pair of eerie new game offerings on Nintendo's Virtual Console�. One will plunge you deep underground to navigate perilous caves, while the other puts you on the front lines of a darkly sinister space war. In either case, your frights will give way to serious fun.

Nintendo adds new games to the Wii� Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points� to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week's new games are:

Spelunker� (NES�, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points): Wander through miles of uncharted caves in search of the legendary underground pyramid and its vast treasures. To complete your adventure, you will swing from ropes and ladders, run across unstable terrain and down ravines, operate elevators, mining carts and rafts. You will collect keys, bombs, flares, jewels, sacks of gold coins and other valuable items as you navigate the hazardous terrain. But beware of the scalding steam vents, poisonous bats and the avenging spirits of dead spelunkers that lurk in every corner of this massive underground labyrinth.

SUPER R-TYPE� (Super NES�, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone � Mild Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points): A galactic battle begins. The BYDO Empire of mutant extraterrestrials is back with evil intent and awesome power. Now the evil empire is poised to launch a new attack on Earth. Only the revolutionary R-9, the planet's most advanced form of defense, stands between these monsters and doom. Fight through seven challenging stages�picking up power-up items as you progress�on the way to each stage's memorable boss. Is the BYDO Empire invincible? You'll need lightning reflexes, intuitive moves and a big dose of cosmic luck to hold your own. Better prepare yourself, because the mutants "R" ready for you.

NES Cart You Can Really Blow

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 05:00:14 MDT

Hey! If some dude can make musical instruments out of fresh produce, then damn skippy that the some other dude can make Nintendo Entertainment System cartridges into harmonica. There's a photo walk through (complete with screwing and sanding), should you be interested in blowing into your copy of Tecmo Bowl and getting it to play... music.

Hit the jump for a YouTube clip of it in action.

HarmoNESica [Official Site via Waxy via MAKE Blog]

Pontiac Ad Does Spy Hunter Oh So Right

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 23:00:22 MDT

Holy. Crap. This Pontiac G8 spot isn't a good ad, this is a great ad. The most amazing thing? It's a Pontiac ad. Yes, yes, we know. Oh, should you feel like reading more about this car, sister site Jalopnik has you covered.

Thanks, Josh!

Super Mario... Corset?

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 22:00:43 MDT

Gaming themed shirts? Check. Gaming themed socks? Ditto. Gaming themed corsets? Hrm. This must be a first for Kotaku: a Mario corset. From the Etsy page:

A supercute corset made from alternating RARE & vintage Super Mario Brothers and red & white polka dot print fabric, topped off with bias tape flanking the bodice, a delicate sweetheart-shaped bustline, two polka dot ribbon bows, crude contrast stitching and silver metal grommets in the back so you can lace up! FULLY boned for support.

Fully what? Hit the jump for view of the back.

Super Mario Bros. Corset [Etsy via Technabob via Shiny Shiny]

Nintendo's Punny War-Era Fish Cards

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 21:00:43 MDT

It's no secret that Nintendo started out as a playing card maker — and still is one. Game translator Matt Alt spotted this reproduction set of "Osakana Karuta" (Fish Cards) that were produced by the Okuno Karuta Company and Nintendo back in 1937. Explains Alt:

Originally created in 1937 by a PR man named Hideo Hasegawa as part of a campaign to promote fish sales, the cards feature light-hearted puns based on the names and appearances of various edible sea-life. Above, a hungry anglerfish stuffs his huge mouth, yari-ika ("spear squid") and a cuttlefish are compared to their namesakes, and a procession of hotaru-ika ("firefly squid") light up the night. This being the 1930s, several cards featured military themes, while another portrayed a whale being harpooned at sea.

Hasegawa died on a New Guinea battlefield during WWII at age 35. Bummer.
Osakana Karuta [Alt Japan]

Guitar Hero For The Commodore 64 In 8-Bit Action

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 17:40:00 MDT

Remember Shredz64, Toni Westbrook's Guitar Hero retro port to the Commodore 64? What was once nothing but a fun concept is now a reality, with a playable C64 version of Harmonix's rhythm game that uses a standard guitar controller. It doesn't play stock tunes, as you might expect, but SID files, which Westbrook demonstrates in the above clip. The tune? The Legend of Zelda Overworld Theme, something that only makes us pine for Nintendo remixes in future Wii versions of Guitar Hero.

For more, without all the exposition, check out the second clip.

The only thing that could possibly make this better is a cease and desist from Activision. We know you want to, Activision legal team, so let's just get it over with. Thanks!

"Blanka's Gonna Bonk Ya!"

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 05:00:12 MDT

With all the Street Fighter IV hype, it's time to take a look back at embarrassing SFII dolls from the early 1990's. Here's Hasbro Street Fighter II "Hall of Fame" figures. We just wanted to post this because "Blanka's gonna bonk ya" makes us giggle.

Thanks Dale North for adding this to YouTube and thanks Santa for the tip!

Wii Shop Gets Puyo Puyo 2 and POWERBALL

Brian Crecente — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 14:00:05 MST

Sega has confirmed that two of their Genesis titles, Puyo Puyo 2 and POWERBALL, will be hitting the Wii Shop Channel this month with prices starting at 800 Wii Points.

Puyo Puyo 2 - The object of this head-to-head puzzle game is to clear your grid of falling patterns, called puyos, by forming chains of four or more same-colored puyos in a straight line or one of several geometric patterns. What makes this a challenging two-player contest is the fact that when you clear a chain of puyos from your grid, it drops a random piece of filler onto your opponent's grid. The more puyos you clear, the more you fill your opponent's grid, and if you can clutter up his grid enough to fill it to the top, you've won the game. An intriguing backstory makes this an amusing diversion for one or two players.

POWERBALL - Eight different teams representing various nations are vying to become the Powerball champions, and you control one of the eight in your quest for the championship. A hybrid of games like rugby and football, Powerball is played on a 100-yard field, as you try to score by either carrying the ball into your opponent's end zone or kicking it into your opponent's net for a certain amount of points. This one- or two-player game offers both exhibition and league play. Jump into a game of Powerball and try a brand-new sport!

It is my great shame to admit I completely by-passed the Genesis, so I probably should pick some of these up.

Delightfully Dorky Pac-Man Ben Sherman Shoes

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 06:00:36 MST

While we're not sure we have the courage to wear these Ben Shermans, we do admire the effort. And that Blinky? Brilliant. They're on sale for US $39.98, so if you're feeling brave, they're all yours. We won't stop you!
Blinky Bens [Onlineshoes via technabob via ALBOTAS]

Nestography, Post Secret Gone 8-Bit

Mark Wilson — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 13:40:18 MST

Adam Mathes' Nestography is not a Post Secret clone—gamers aren't writing postage stamping dirty skeletons from their closets onto distressed Nintendo sprites—but the site is every bit as guilty-good in that "reading this is very important and deep" sort of way. I'm pretty sure that if you put any picture on a black backdrop with one randomly generated sentence beneath it, you'll rock this feeble writer's mind for hours on end.

Nestography [via GayGamer]

Dreamcast Demo For You To Worship At

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 23:00:13 MST

Oh fuck yes. We don't like to post eBay things, but this auction is so over and so awesome. That is a UK Sega Dreamcast demo kiosk that's in fully working condition with the original monitor. The DC console itself is region free. Says the seller:

There is nothing more striking and impressive for a collector or gaming fan to have. In the dark it glows a beautiful neon blue colour when turned on, as you can see in the pictures. This really is the ultimate Dreamcast collector's item.

Don't think of this as simply a "collector's item," but a shrine. Or better yet, an altar.
Dreamcast Kiosk [eBay via Engadget]

Super Smash Bros. Brawl Character Super Evolved

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 22:00:44 MST

Sure, we've seen stuff like this before, that doesn't mean we're sick of Nintendo character evolution charts. Never! This time around we're tracking the progression that the brawlers from Super Smash Bros. Brawl have undergone. Hit the jump for a look at Samus, Kirby and non-Nintendo character but Wii-favorite Sonic.

So, yeah, Kirby's about the same.
Ninty Retro [Image Shack via Digg via Infendo]