Sure, all you gamers out there probably already knew there were a lot of Mega Man titles out there, but when you actually put them all together for one picture, that’s when you realize just how massive the catalog truly is. I’d love to see the same thing done for all the Mario games.

Link Via Kotaku

Hardcore gamers love expert mode because it provides them with such a challenge…but no matter how good you are at aiming, I don’t recommend trying out this advanced level -especially if you ever have any ladies visit your home.

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If you’ve played the game at all, then you certainly relate to this great parody, particularly the NPC dialogue.

Via Geeks Are Sexy

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No, it’s not real, just a fan take on the idea. Personally, I would love to see this become a reality.

Oh, and did I mention that the game hasn’t even been released yet?

Developers of the upcoming game Age of Wulan thought that auctioning off exclusive items for their new MMORPG would be a good way to help promote it. Something tells me they weren’t expecting someone to throw down an amazing $16,000 on a virtual sword.

Link Via Geekologie

What the study found is that the teenagers who were playing games eat, on average, 163 calories more than the teenagers who were doing something else. On top of that, the gamers didn’t actually burn any more calories than the control group, so the increased calorie intake wasn’t replaced by the energy spent on all that thumb movement or anything. There were also no biological indicators of stress in these gamers, so that couldn’t explain it either.

What do you guys think the reason for the increased caloric intake was? Do you tend to eat more while gaming?

Link Via Geekosystem

If you’ve ever played The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, then you know how much detail the developers put into creating the in-game books your character can read. That’s why it’s so darn amazing that Reddit user notadoctoreither put together all of the books from the game into one immense leather-bound book. While even the most die-hard fans might not want to flip through the pages when they could be out closing oblivion gates, you can now take time out of your non-gaming life to read the stories and history of the in-game world.

Link Via Geekosystem

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I’ve always fancied myself a pretty good Tetris player, but even at my prime I don’t think I could make art with the blocks while playing the game. This takes some major skills.

Via Geekosystem

Whoever said video games have no real-world applications has obviously never heard about the little boy who saved his sister from a rampaging moose thanks to the skills he learned playing World of Warcraft:

When the beast went on the offensive, Hans knew the first thing he had to do was taunt it so that it would leave his sister alone and she could run to safety. “Taunting” is a move one uses in World of Warcraft to get monsters off of the less-well-armored team members.

Once he was a target, Hans remember another skill he’d picked up at level 30 in ‘World of Warcraft’ — he feigned death. The moose lost interest in the inanimate Hans and wandered off into the woods.

Oddee has two great lists each with ten video game incidents you won’t believe.

Link #1 and Link #2

If you were a gamer during the 80′s, then you know just how amazing 8 bits can look, which is why you shouldn’t be at all surprised by these great 8 bit artworks -impressed yes, but surprised, no. WebUrbanist has plenty more for your viewing pleasure.

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When I was a youngster, I was really bad at gaming. On occasion, I got so frustrated that I would just try to kill my character as fast as possible or in the most original way possible. That’s why I was so impressed with this new record for lowest score achieved through the entire Mario game. It takes bad playing to a whole new level.

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I am a a big fan of video games and if you have ever played the game Portal, you will recognize this DIY creation right away. The builder handcrafted the turret and it took about a month to build. It has motion detection, a laser pointer, and when it senses motion it plays the sound of bullets firing. It even has a button that plays the Portal theme song. I hope the next version incorporates NERF guns or Airsoft so the turret can really shoot. link

She loves playing Dungeons & Dragons, but she wants more. Can true love drag a nerd out of the basement long enough for a dinner date? The animation by Brad Jonas accompanies a song by the Doubleclicks. -Thanks, A Seventy!

Special thanks to Sprite Stitch, a wonderful website dedicated to video-game-themed crafts.

This great design by Flickr user CrystalPowell combines four of the greatest Nintendo classics in one.

For those that like their videogames really old school, this Commodore 64 cross stitch by Craftster Forum user Maltririel is just the ticket.

The classic Space Invaders cross stitch by Flickr user Cross-stitch ninja is fun, but I must admit that I prefer the Space Invaders/Futurama cross over piece featured on Let’s Get Radical.

Personally, I was never very good at Space Invaders, but Arkanoid was a serious addiction for me for a while. That’s why I’m in love with this design by Eunice of Mondo Pixel.

Flickr user Sewsew-a-go-go stitched this massive 12” x 28” screen from the NES classic Punch Out Game.

If you liked Street Fighter more than Punch Out, then this character select menu by Etsy user StitchPleaseMD might belong on your wall. For an action shot of the game, look no further than this excellent piece by Sprite Stitch forum user Celes_Lionheart.

As someone who grew up playing Sega, I tend to think the Genesis doesn’t get nearly enough love. That’s why this Sonic title screen cross stitch by the wife of Reddit user Maggoty makes me feel so warm and fuzzy inside.

Becky Schaefer’s pieces featuring Lara Croft are an elegant bridge between classic floral cross stitch patterns and modern video game designs.

If you’ve ever wished you could bring your favorite classic Nintendo characters with you wherever you went, then you might want to drop by A Little Stranger and pick up one of these precious cross stitch necklaces.

This Bubble Bobble clock by Craftster forum user Jazzhands isn’t for sale, but I know I’m not the only one who would line up to buy one if it was.

Flickr user Mechasheva happily declares, “It’s on like Donkey Kong” with this one.

For something a little more romantic, check out this great Tetris piece by Penelope Teapot.

The Pixel Bit Megaman cross stitch featuring the face of our hero and the bosses is cute, but it’s hard to top the epic boss battle image by Deviant Art user Karma Pudding.

Pacman’s adorable simplicity makes him a perfect subject for aspiring cross stitchers. The framed piece by Etsy seller lostmitten seems like an excellent addition for any kitchen. The scrolling Pac Man piece is so tiny that the creator, Flickr user Everythingisaspoon, had to use single strands of thread to make it.

Zelda is a pretty darn popular game so it should come as no surprise that there are tons of cross stitches done in the name of Link and his princess. They can range from epic, like the wall hanging piece with glow-in-the-dark thread featured on Crafts and Such, to inspirational, like Sprite Stitch forum user Deborah’s detailed depiction of Link, or they can be useful, like the two maps by  Sprite Stitch forum users Servotron and Blink190.

Like most videogame art mediums though, Mario reigns supreme as the star of the most designs. In fact, if I posted all of the Mario pieces I found, there wouldn’t be any space left for other geekery. Perhaps the most awesome of all of these works is also the most massive, Deviant Art user sgoheen06’s panoramic view of the end of a level that stretches 5’x2’.

This Super Mario 3 map by Radical Cross stitch is also impressively detailed, not to mention amazingly accurate.

Sprite Stitch reader Ivan sent in this absolutely adorable cross stitch made for his newborn baby. The shading and detail on Yoshi might not be appreciated by his youngster right away, but every adult who sees it is certain to be impressed.

Craftster forum user Rachel Kristen’s Mario cross stitch may be more simple than others included here, but its positive message is irresistibly pleasant.

For a little Mario humor, look no further than Craftster forum user elor23’s “I’d Hid That” stitch.

As always, feel free to share links of any other videogame cross stitch works that I’ve missed and if you liked this article, be sure to check out last year’s piece on weird and cool crochet projects. Also, stay tuned for more geeky cross stitches in the next week.

4) Cthulhu

Created by H.P. Lovecraft, Cthulhu is a humongous cosmic entity resembling a blend of an octopus, dragon and humanoid. Bordering on a ridiculous mishmash that would be found laughable in today’s horror scene, Cthulhu is still widely-known and loved amongst literature buffs and geeks the world over.

* The Mystery: Probably doesn’t need a list of common mispronunciations, but it’s safe to say every letter in the name other than the “l” can be pronounced one way or another.
* The Answer: Wikipedia says H.P. Lovecraft once transcribed the pronunciation as “Khlûl-hloo,” though didn’t pronounce it that way at other times. Now commonplace, the accepted pronunciation is “ka-thoo-loo;” that is, if you accept a pronunciation from a source other than the creator of the word. Lovecraft didn’t seem to have any consistent way of pronouncing it though, so we’re all better off settling on the common way described above.

You’ll also want to check out the best way to pronounce FAQ, Ubuntu, and meme, among others. Link

(Image credit: the NeatoShop)

Lest you think that was the highlight of the suit, just wait until you hear the witnesses he is calling on his behalf: Winona Ryder and Martin Lee Gore, the founder of Depeche Mode. He thinks Winona’s interest in Catcher In The Rye makes her qualified to discuss alienation and that Gore’s songs make him an expert in alienation because he is “sad, lonely and alienated, as can be seen in the songs he writes.”

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John F. Talarico of the podcast show Bloodthirsty Vegetarians created two 20-sided dice out of stained glass and black and copper patina. The orange one is called “Fire.” There are more detailed images in the flickr photostream.

Image via d20 Blog | Flickr Stream | Official Website

Artist Angela Moramarco has a very odd belief about the innards of video game controllers.

I bet you didn’t know that the average Wii controller has all kinds of guts like this. Guts. I’ve seen a lot of guts projects lately. That one with the lego guy turning around and around, those KAWS Dissected Companions from a few years ago. It’s no longer a joke! But that’s ok, that’s not what this is about anyway. It’s about how physical therapists are using the Wii to help their patients gain muscle strength by playing games! Yay Nintendo!

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From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by chrisburns.

Remember when video games were bad for you? Mom and Dad would complain about how they tied up the television, kept you from playing outdoors, ruined your eyesight and wasted your time. That’s a thing of the past. Re-tooled videogames are now helping children and teens boost basic skills in reading, writing and math.

At West Nottinghamshire College in the U.K., computer science teachers were struggling to get teenage students into literacy and numeracy classes. The college needed to take drastic measures to assist “disaffected students”.

The resolution came in the form of Neverwinter Nights, Atari’s popular computer game. Teachers rebuilt the game to deliver educational challenges players must tackle in order to progress.

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From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by whitespace.

Link via Geekologie