In this news roundup, we take a look at Peter Molyneux gushing over Minecraft. We also get Reggie Fils-Aime’s washing his hands clean of indie developers, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) Chief Andrew House discussion on the future of NGP with musings on NGP game distribution.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010 11:03AM - By Jared Newman
Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis. When Ice Cube mentioned video games he couldn’t picture this.*
Nintendo, apparently, wants to trademark the phrase, “It’s on like Donkey Kong.” The company has filed a request with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, according to CNN. ”In addition to Nintendo’s use, it has been used in popular music, television and film over the years, pointing to Donkey Kong’s status as an enduring pop-culture icon and video game superstar,” Nintendo claims.
Maybe, but I’m not sure that’s what Ice Cube was aiming for.
Thursday, August 19, 2010 8:14AM - By Jared Newman
Formally known as “Duck Hunt Gun Soap,” this Nintendo Zapper is compatible with all kinds of dirt and grime, even though the thought of rubbing a gun all over yourself is kind of creepy. The Duck Hunt Gun Soap weighs 12 ounces and is, unfortunately, completely flat on one side. But it is loaded with coconut, palm and safflower oils, plus glycerin and a bunch of other materials I’d rather not get acquainted with on a name-basis. Digitalsoaps is selling this big bar of Zapper over at Etsy for $17, plus $8 shipping to the United States. [Etsy via Technabob]
Super Smash Bros. looks like all fun and games from afar, but Robot Pencil envisions the game as a Fight Club of sorts, where all your favorite Nintendo characters go to feel more like real men (even Samus). The above image is the first in an upcoming series by DeviantArtist Robot Pencil, mashing up Smash Bros. with the grit of David Fincher’s frightening 1999 film.
Thursday, August 12, 2010 10:49AM - By Jared Newman
Netherlands-based hacker Hasse’s brother can only use one of his hands, which makes playing video games nearly impossible. So Hasse applied some Wii principles to a standard Gamecube controller, adding motion control that makes it easy to play games one-handed. An accelerometer controls basic movement — the green LED lights where the gamepad is usually located indicate direction — and the left trigger was swapped to the underside of the right handle, where it can be pressed with an index finger. There’s even a toggle for turning on analog controls.
Wow, I wish there was more information about this video, in which Super Mario Bros. is played against a tall sidewalk curb. Unfortunately, the only description on Vimeo is of the game’s plot. In German. From the user comments, it looks like there’s some camera motion tracking involved, possibly with software such as PFhoe. You only need to watch a minute or so of the video to get the gist. Also worth noting: This is a flawless run of Super Mario Bros (albeit with warp zones). [via Gizmodo]
“Mario and the Malicious Mushroom Kingdom” subscribes to the philosophy that everything’s better with zombies (See also: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies). So while the short tale, penned by Destructoid community member goodgamer77, looks like a fun little fairy tale on its face, it quickly reveals a sinister side.
When I was young I tinkered with my NES, removing the top and using a deck of playing cards to hold down the cartridge just to see if it would still work. And it did. True story! But if my NES was all fancy and glow-in-the-dark like the one gameculture.com found I might think twice about taking it apart, let alone using it for anything other than a display.