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I think the Cold War may have kept this game from arriving in America, either that or the manufacturer didn’t feel like the reference to Mikhail Gorbachev would help sell copies in the U.S.
Whatever the reason, Gorby’s Pipeline never made its way to the Nintendo Entertainment System, and that’s too bad because it looks like it would have given Tetris and Dr. Mario a run for their money! Anyone remember the old school video game Pipe Dream?
–via Kotaku
The Nintendo Company has been in business since 1889, but it took almost 100 years for Nintendo to become a global household name for its video games. Along the way, Nintendo branched out into all kinds of ventures, some of which will surprise you (like the love tester and the love hotels). One of their earlier toys is the plastic grabbing tool shown. See the rest at Ranker. Link -Thanks, Brian!
Man, if this amazing little gaming device had been invented when I was a kid, I probably would have gone outside to play more often, although it would have surely been with this portable gaming console in hand. Called the HandyNES, it plays all the old Nintendo Entertainment System cartridges, and you can even use the light gun to play a tiny game of Duck Hunt.
The Wizard was a 1989 movie that was entirely made of product placement, mainly for Ninento’s Power Glove. I have never heard of this film that was catnip for kids (it’s about video games!), but it sounds like the most bizarre mishmash ever. It involves a road trip across the country for three runaways, one who has escaped from a mental institution, in which no police are involved and the people they meet don’t find anything odd about unaccompanied minors.
The trek to California is accomplished primarily by gambling — a series of double-your-money hustles instigated by the queerly parentless Haley. We actually get to see Haley’s trailer home at one point, though her father (a trucker) is on the road. In addition to video game-related hustles, the trio end up at one point in an actual casino, wherein Haley’s skill at craps allows an adult (“Spankey,” a mentally challenged “trucker friend” of her father’s, played by Frank McRae) to win hundreds. It’s later revealed that Haley’s deceased mother had a gambling problem, which apparently led to Haley’s hustling skills. Corey’s mother is also dead. And Jimmy’s sister/Corey’s half-sister? She’s dead, too. What?! Never mind that now. We have to get to California.
The climax involves a video game tournament, so you can guess the ending. It doesn’t make any sense, either. Read more about how a favorite movie from a writer’s childhood becomes completely nonsensical when he watches it again as an adult. Link
GameBoy has crawled out of it’s grave and is hungry for some computer brains! This nifty little figurine was made by Kodykoala, a guy who has created an impressive array of custom figures, most of which place beloved Nintendo characters in *ahem* awkward situations. Click on the link and check out Nintendo characters gone wild!
Link –via Destructoid
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What better subject for a batch of Cake Pops than the fluffy pink Nintendo character Kirby? These cute and delicious works of art take hours to make, and only five minutes to eat. I don’t know about you, but I think Kirby’s next adventure should be in my belly!
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Best home decor item for a gaming room ever? I think so. Sadly, this retro rug offered by Etsy seller WTCrafts is all sold out, though it looks like she makes them to order, so maybe if you asked her nicely…
Comments Off Watch what happens when the Smash Bros. take notes from Mortal Kombat on how to finish their opponents, with a FATALITY! Cute, bloody, and starring some of the most beloved video game characters of all time, this is my kind of vid!
Link -via GeeksAreSexy
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Simba or the Beast may seem like the obvious heavy hitters, but I’m seeing potential for epic combos with Dumbo’s giant ears. And what will happen when Aladdin and Tinkerbell meet?
Etsy seller Kevin Glenn made these two outstanding Nintendo case mods that resemble Star Wars vessels. The TIE fighter is a Nintendo 64 and a 1995 Hasbro kit. The snowspeeder is a Mini Super NES with a 1995 Hasbro T-47 kit. Both are fully functional (as gaming consoles).
Reactions to this new bundle pack will range from “How much? No thanks…” to “Awesome!”, with lots of mehs in-between. But if you’re still using your Wii for anything other than Netflix, and you enjoyed the previous Legend of Zelda games, then you’ll probably want to check out the new Skyward Sword game bundle, even though it’s set to retail at $70. The collector’s bundle includes a golden Motion Plus Wiimote, game and 25th Anniversary Concert CD, so you can take your new theme music with you wherever you go!
Unless you are an ultimate Nintendo fan, and know every game that came out on the console in 1988, you’re going to have a hard time identifying all of these great games. But really, who’s keeping score? These awesomely adorable illustrations are by Campbell Whyte, and have a quirky cute style all their own. See if you can figure them all out, and be sure to follow the link over to Destructoid if you want to see all 65 of these adorable illustrations!
Link -via Destructoid
Obi Wan battling the Empire via breakdancing. The classic Nintendo crowd get together for a snapshot. Mulder and Scully expose alien life forms both humanoid and puppet. Sound like strange subject matter for paintings? Then you haven’t seen the colorful works of Aaron Jasinski, a painter who’s bringing the pop culture back to lowbrow art. ComicsAlliance has a cool gallery of Aaron’s colorful works, ranging from pop culture celebration to semi-traditional portraiture, and his choice of color is every bit as cool as his subject matter.You can see more of Aaron’s work at his Deviant Art page below.
Link -via ComicsAlliance
While many of us may have had Nintendo themed lunch pales we took to school as young gamers, most of us probably didn’t actually go this far with our Nintendo love. One 8 bit fan took his broken old Nintendo and converted it into a lunch box, complete with a controller for a handle.
Twenty years ago parents were upset at the high cost of the new Super Nintendo video game system. Today those kids can be happy buying two hundred dollar video game systems for their own begging children (and themselves.)
If Nyan Cat were around in 1988, he would the star of an NES game. And it would be in the bargain bin now. J. R. Baker took this idea and ran with it, designing both the front and back of the game case in the style of Konami games from the ’80s. See the expanded art and work in progress at his site. Link
deviantART member Mari Rosa Archambault, inspired by ukiyo-e prints, depicted Nintendo video game stars in feudal Japan. It took me a minute out to figure out that the figure on the right is Mega Man. Link -via Uniblog
These are just what you need for ducking down pipes, jumping on Goombas and saving pixelated Princesses. Converse has announced that their series of Super Mario shoes will be available to gamers and non-gamers alike this summer. A basic design featuring a repeating pattern of little Marios on a white or black background will be rolled out in July. The two designs set for an August release depict entire scenes of the game – the first level and the last level (shown).
Link via [Geeks Are Sexy]
Sadly, there was never a classic Nintendo game for Doctor Who. But YouTube user DoctorOctoroc has created an introductory theme that would have been perfect for it, in both graphics and music.
via Geekosystem
Got 40 SNES games and a little spare time? Then you, too, could be the proud owner of a urinal made from old video games. And it really works – there’s a video of it in action if you follow the link (don’t worry – it’s SFW).
Link via Geekologie
Students at a Dutch university have constructed the largest functional Nintendo Entertainment System controller in the world. It measures twelve by five feet. As you can see from the Dutch-language video at the link, they set it up in a public venue and let people play Super Mario Bros. on a huge screen.
Link (Google Translate) via Kotaku | Screenshot: Tweakers/Kotaku
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For those of us who owned the original 1989 Nintendo Game Boy nothing is more exciting and nostalgic then playing some of those green and yellow video game classics of our youth. GameBoyOnline.com claims to have over 800 games that you can play in the browser without downloading an emulator. I know what I’m doing at work today.. rescuing that Princess once and for all. Link
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DrunkenNES is a video game controlled by breathing into breathalyzer built into a modified game cartridge. It was developed by Baltsy Adams, pictured above. Points are awarded based upon level of intoxication (the drunker the player, the higher the score). This video illustrates game play.
Video Link and Creator’s Blog via Urlesque | Photo: dcpop
The alarming thing is, as someone who logged some serious hours on Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker I don’t find the prospect of a Dirty Dancing game terribly unrealistic. These less-than-fondly remembered Nintendo games of the ’80s have a real “it’s funny because it’s true” quality about them. The music and 8-bit graphics are so very on-the-nose, this compilation of phony forgotten titles is clearly a labor of love. And, I’m not ashamed to admit I would have happily whiled away the best years of my life counting pixelated toothpicks in Rain Man: The Game.
OK, I’m actually a little ashamed to admit that.
via CollegeHumor
Comments Off In this video, Dan Meth imagines 80s-era Nintendo games based on the Chernobyl disaster, the movie Rain Man, The Arsenio Hall Show, and other icons of the 1980s. If you have any cheat codes for the Baby Jessica Well Rescue, please let me know.
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GetLoFi built a functional six-string electric guitar from a NES console. You can view a video of it being played (as a musical instrument) at the link.
Previously: Nintendo Famicom Guitar
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1. Nintendo set out to replace their Game Cube in competition with the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3. They developed a game system with something new and exciting: a wireless controller that works by motion sensor. Instead of pushing buttons, players can move their bodies as if they were in the game, making it a “virtual sports” controller. The sensors detect both movement and acceleration along three axes, which gives the system six parameters with which to measure the movements of the player.
2. While in development, the Wii was code named Revolution, but it wasn’t a secret. It changed to Wii on April 27, 2006. The name was chosen because it is short, simple to pronounce in many languages, and needs no abbreviation. The spelling We was considered first, but Wii was more distinctive.
3. Wii sales were launched in November 2006 in the US and December 2006 in the UK. The timing was either a brilliant marketing scheme or a planning disaster, as Christmas demand led to shortages in both countries. The shortage continued through 2007. Many began to suspect that Nintendo was orchestrating artificial demand for the product. For four holiday seasons (so far), there have not been enough Wii systems in all areas.
4. When the Wii was new, there was incident after incident of broken TVs and monitors caused by flung Wii remotes. Windows and household glassware were also victims. Nintendo urged people to use the strap to secure the remote to their wrists while playing games. The website Wii Have A Problem sprung up to document the damage caused by Wii remotes that “got out of hand”, so to speak.
5. Pink and blue Wii remotes were launched for Valentines Day 2010. Sure, it was a gimmick gift, but individual color-coded remotes are handy for families with more than one child, in order to keep track of not only scores, but who lost/damaged the equipment. Remotes now come in quite a few colors, or you can get colored covers for existing remotes.
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Instructables user rpaxon made a bedding set that makes a bed look like a Nintendo console. He’s made it for his brother, who’s wanted one since the sixth grade. You can view more photos at the link.
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Flickr user mattcyborgelt created a coffee table shaped like a NES console. It opens up to reveal a functional controller scaled to size, as well as ports to use for computer and gaming peripherals. Check out the whole Flickr photo set.
Link via Geekosystem
Previously:
PlayStation Controller Coffee Table
Giant NES Controller Table
A couple of things you should know about the classic Nintendo game controllers: everyone recognizes them, and there are a ton of cool ways to re-use them! Jill Harness collected some of the best Nintendo recycling projects you just might want to try yourself in a post at NeatoGeek. Link
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