Points of Interest – 9/14/07
Assorted Mushrooms
- Now here is an excellent computer-animated short known as A Gentlemen’s Duel, by Blur Studio, who also worked on TransFormers: The Game.
If you haven’t seen it already, check it out!
- WebbAlert is bringing us something special today, taking a break from tech news to look at viral videos. This week’s theme is primarily about Mario, because– well, crap. Yesterday was the anniversary of when Super Mario Bros. was release.
Don’t I feel like an ass for having missed it. Then again, I was sick in bed for the vast majority of the day, so I guess that wouldn’t have helped. Congratulations, Mario!
So while some have been posted here already, she has also found a nice tribute to the many famous people of the internet.
You can find links to everyone mentioned in the video on her September 13th posting.
- What do you get when you take someone who hates something… for example, let’s say Scooby-Doo, and have them create a new version?
That’s more or less what Warner Bros. did with Eric Radomski, who’s creating the Clerks Animated-looking Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get A Clue. That might explain something about the title as well.
From Newsarama’s interview:
Newsarama: To me it seems the best description of your version of Scooby-Doo is it?s the show for people who hate all previous versions of Scooby-Doo.
Eric Radomski: [Roars with laughter] Where did you get that quote! Even if you made it up, I love it.
NRAMA: I did not.
ER: That?s a beauty. It?s perfect, because that?s how I feel.
And that’s just the beginning. Who knows, maybe even my wife would like it. No one I know dislikes Scooby more than she does.
Video Power
- Having some problems with your Wii? No problem, as Absolute Zero has taken the time to examine proper Wii Care over on Penny Arcade’s forums.
Better safe than sorry, right?
- Capcom has paid some respect to the fans by posting two fan renditions of Storm Eagle’s theme, one a remix and the other played on electric guitar.
Good to see Capcom acknowledging the fans a bit more now. That’s all we really wanted… well, that, and maybe a Mega Man 9 or Legends 3.
- So it seems that Electronic Arts of Tiburon likes to engage in prank wars, hopefully ones less personally devastating as the one we posted yesterday involving a fake marriage proposal.
Funny that these are the guys who bring us Madden and Tiger games year after year… I’ve heard they’re all largely the same, I wonder if this is a contributing reason?
- Whether or not games are art, they certainly do use it and definitely inspire it, which is what has lead to yet another of Racketboy’s Most Stunning Gaming Fan Artwork.
This week’s theme: Jet Set Radio/Jet Grind Radio. This stuff would look great on some t-shirts.
- Toastyfrog’s GameSpite has a new entry looking at another classic gaming release in the form of Ice Hockey, the only hockey video game anyone needed other than Blades of Steel back in the day.
Now, despite where I live, I don’t know much about hockey, but I do know that following that puck is kind of hard. Maybe they should do something to make it easier, like… I dunno, add a colorful streak that follows it across the ice. Then EVERYONE can enjoy the game!
- ScrewAttack.com looks back to when CDs were the new big thing in video games, and almost everyone in the industry unanimously exclaimed “Hey! We can put movies on discs now!” and proceeded to… well, put movies on discs. Except these weren’t just movies, many were “games” where you watched the movie, and occassionally had to press a button.
Ok, I exagerate. There were a number of games like that, but fortunately (or to put it another way, “OH, THANK GOD!”) some games were more sparing in their use of Full Motion Video, or FMV. Sadly, quantity didn’t seem to affect quality very much, as usually the videos were pretty bad, no matter how long they were.
But before I get off on a tanget (too late), here’s the Video Game Vault for the SEGA Saturn title Corpse Killer, which… well, sounds kind of redundant, doesn’t it?
- Have to admit, this Japanese commercial for Mario Strikers: Charged seems to do a nice job of showing off the fine points of the game in only a very short time.
- “If you truly believe that Master Chief will return to finish the fight, then he will come.”
- Over at Next Generation, Activision’s James Portnow (sorry, but that IS kind of a funny name to have when you work in gaming) takes a look at game design, specifically characters, and what the difference is between a good video game character, and a cardboard cut-out.
- The video game industry is no stranger to controversy, but as some may have figured, gaming journalism has its own brand of controversy with which it deals, too.
GameDaily has decided to look into this as they examine ten of the most controversial bits of game writing from the past few years… or at least, the first five this week.
Interesting that three out of five of those involve Ziff-Davis.
- I have to admit, as Wii light gun attachments go, I think this one is one of my favorites.
- Great, more idiots who think that toy guns are going to turn everyone into killers at the touch.
Grow a brain, people.
- Go Nintendo has dug up some new scans about Super Mario Galaxy, showing off some nice art of the cast of characters, including Peach, Rosetta, Toad, and some little star-guys.
- So Castlevania head Koji Igarashi made his appearance, whip and all, at GameStop on Wednesday, and here are some pictures from the event.
- …WOW.
You thought those custom Super Mario World levels that played themselves were something?
Well, yeah, you’re right. BUT, this is something, too!
Here’s one that synchs to the theme song from Melancholy of Haruhi. What’s next?
How about having Haruhi… uh, watch your mouse pointer? Yeah! That’ll get people talking.
- Oh wow, remember the first Halo 3 spot from yesterday? Here’s a more accurate reimagining…
Be warned, there is some non-worksafe language… just like the real thing!
Also interesting is that the diorama could tour the country!
–LBD “Nytetrayn”