Just in case you haven't seen enough game and system photos as of late...

Please accept my apologies for the recent deluge of "photo posts." I'm a busy and stressed guy at the moment, and this is the easiest way for me to keep this blog up to date while also dealing with all of the stuff in my life that actually pays the bills.

Don't worry, though, I'll soon--as in, later this week--begin a month-long break from the certificate program that's been eating into my free time, and that will make playing and writing about games a lot easier (not to mention more enjoyable).

In the meantime, why not take a gander at the following photos, a few of which were published to my Flickr photostream in recent weeks, one of which was published to my Instagram account during the same timeframe and the rest of which have yet to be published anywhere.

The photo above was taken around the time I wrote my last "A Decade of DS" post, naturally. And, yes, I bought the European version of Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales because I prefer its more minimalistic cover art to what the designers at Square Enix concocted for the North American release of the game. 

This photo, on the other hand, was taken shortly after I received my copy of Koei's Pop Cutie! Street Fashion Simulation and before I began playing it (for another of my recent "A Decade of DS" posts).

You may remember that I mentioned in my last post--about the beautiful light pink and white Vita that arrived on my doorstep just over a week ago--that I've already bought a retail Vita game, with the game in question being the original Danganronpa.

Why did I sit my copy of Danganronpa on top of my copy of Catch! Touch! Yoshi! for Nintendo DS? Because I wanted to show just how small the boxes of Vita games are--a fact that quite honestly shocked me during my first run-in with NIS America's highly acclaimed title.

In yet another recently published post, I blathered on about the Hobonichi Techo I picked up after landing my new-as-of-six-weeks-ago job. Although I included a whole bunch of photos in that post, I didn't include the one seen above, which showcases both the "Onett" (yes, of Mother 2 and EarthBound fame) cover and the Mr. Saturn pencil board I bought alongside this Japanese planner.

My "A Decade of DS" post about Maestro! Jump in Music may not have been as joyous as I expected it to be (before I actually played the game), but it still produced the snapshot shown above, which I originally shared with the world via Instagram.



Finally, this photo was nabbed shortly after my pal, Jess, bought and sent me the sparkly purple PSP-3000--more of that story can be read here--that seems to be itching to launch the wondrous Qix clone (kind of, but not really) that's known outside of Japan as Patchwork Heroes.

Did any of these photos stand out for you in particular? If so, why? Also, if you have a Flickr or Instagram or similar account that often highlights photos of games or systems, please let me know about it in the comments section below.

You say 'ecpica,' I say 'adorable'

I need a little adorableness in my life today, so rather than present all of you with yet another rambling post about an unheralded GameBoy or PC Engine game I've decided to present you with the following:



Each of these photos were taken by Singapore-based Flickr user ecpica, by the way, with the one above being titled "Siesta Time."



This one, on the other hand, is called "Lazy Afternoon."



And then there's "The Strange Bees in My Garden," above.

For even more adorableness, check out ecpica's Flickr photostream at your earliest convenience.

I'd totally rescind my no-scarf policy if I owned one that looked like a Piranha Plant

Please note: I'm not anti-scarf because I think they're too girly or hipster or twee or anything like that. I'm just an overly warm-blooded guy, so wearing scarves tends to be out of the question unless I'm really, really cold.

Anyway, like I suggested in the header above, I'd gladly throw those sentiments out the proverbial window if I owned a scarf that looked like one of the Piranha Plants from the Super Mario Bros. series.

The scarf, which is five-and-a-half feet in length, was made by Flickr user Mindy Y (aka anenemyairship), by the way.

See more of her creations--including an equally adorable Noby Noby Boy scarf and a crocheted baby Metroid--by checking out flickr.com/photos/enemyairship/.

(Another?) LEGO GameBoy

Can one gaming blog feature too many posts that focus on systems made from LEGOs?

The answer, of course, is no--especially when said systems are created Flickr user lego27bricks.



I mean, seriously, is the contraption in the photo above not a thing of beauty?

This LEGO GameBoy is even more striking when shown sitting next to the real thing, which is what you get with the following photo:



To see more photos of the stunning product of lego27bricks's blood, sweat and tears (OK, so I don't know that he cried while making it), check out his Flickr photostream.

(Note: you'll have to scroll down a bit to find them. Believe me, though, they're worth the effort.)

We both (still) love Mega Man

Although Mega Man joined the "game series I haven't cared about in years" party currently being hosted by Final Fantasy and Sonic the Hedgehog, I still have a bit of a soft spot for this classic Capcom franchise.

As such, I couldn't help but go a little gaga when I saw the following Mega Man-focused photo pop up on Flickr user Danny Yama's photostream over the weekend.

To see more evidence of Yama's mean Perler Bead skills, check out his Flickr photostream at your earliest convenience.

See also: more Perler Beads posts

Sexy Spa + Red Loincloth Mario

OK, so the "Sexy Spa Mario" seen in the photo below (and here) isn't quite as studly as the one showcased in this pair of previous posts.

That doesn't mean he isn't worth checking out, does it?

At the very least, he's worth a quick glance--maybe even a double take--just for the effort Flickr user Danny Yama, aka danny_8bit, put into creating him (out of Perler Beads).



Also worth a bit of visual attention, in my humble opinion: Yama's "Red Loincloth Mario," which can be seen below and here.



The question I have for the folks at Nintendo of Japan: when are we going to see these Mario personas in an official Super Mario Bros. game?

To see more of Yama's concoctions, saunter on over to flickr.com/photos/danny_8bit/ at your earliest convenience.

Which GameBoy Advance is your favorite?

In news that is sure to shock absolutely no one, I currently have GameBoy Advance on the brain. That's especially true since I suggested as much on Twitter last week. (You can follow me here if you'd like, by the way.)

Because I firmly believe in the phrase "misery loves company," I thought I'd rope all of you into obsessing about Nintendo's 32-bit handheld (don't you miss the days when we could refer to systems based on the number of bits associated with them?), too, by asking which of the company's three GameBoy Advance designs you liked best.

Me, I've always preferred the GameBoy Advance SP--in particular, the almost disgustingly cute Pikachu-branded systems (one of which can be seen below) that earned a release in 2005 and 2006.

Photo by diversionmary

As much as I like the Pikachu SP, though, I like the run-of-the-mill SPs nearly as much--thanks in large part to their pre-DS clamshell construction.

Photo by Arturo Martin

Don't take the commentary above to mean that I dislike the GameBoy Micro's design. On the contrary, I love it--especially when it's made to look like a mini Famicom or given a Mother-esque paint job.

Photo by Francois Houste

As for the first GameBoy Advance the folks at Nintendo bestowed upon the masses: I can't say I've ever been a fan of it. I'm not even sure why that is, to tell you the truth.

My first thought it to blame it on the system's toy-like appearance, but the same could be said of the original GameBoy and of the original DS, in particular, yet I consider both of those to be top of the line in terms of design (the former, especially).

What are all of your opinions on this most pointless of matters? Do you have a favorite when it comes to Nintendo's trio of GameBoy Advance designs, or would you just as well forget any of them ever existed?

Acquisition #144: The Berlin Wall (Game Gear)

Considering my last two "Acquisition #123" posts focused on Japanese Game Gear titles, it probably didn't shock many of you to see that this post will focus on one, too.

Specifically, this entry in the "Acquisition #123" series will focus on Kaneko's The Berlin Wall, a rather adorable Bubble Bobble/Fairyland Story clone that hit the streets of Japan in 1991.

Although the game began life in the arcades, Kaneko's crack team of programmers did an admirable job of downsizing and squeezing it onto a comparably tiny Game Gear cartridge. In fact, I actually prefer the cuter, simpler looks of this portable port to its quarter-munching cousin.

Unfortunately, I've yet to actually give this cart a test drive, so to speak, as I still don't own a Game Gear. (I'm waiting for a particular UK-based eBay vendor to offer another refurbished, banana-yellow Game Gear system for sale before adding one to my collection.)

I've played and enjoyed this hammer-centric single-screen platformer (which, to tell you the truth, has as much in common with Brøderbund's Lode Runner as it does Bubble Bobble and its boppy, bouncy ilk) enough via emulation, though, to know that I'll continue to have an absolute blast with it as soon as I finally get my hands on one of Sega's brick-sized handhelds.

In the meantime, I guess I'll just have to stare at its package (that's what she said) and its similarly, er, "stimulating"--not to mention adorable--instruction manual.

Speaking of the former, I've just uploaded a number of additional photos of both the front and back of The Berlin Wall's box to my Flickr photostream, so please check them out if that's your kind of thing. (I also uploaded a bunch of shots of Banana's, Ganbare Gorby's and Magical Puzzle Popils' packaging, in case any of you are interested.)

See also: 'Another Bubble Bobble/Fairyland Story clone approaches'

Did you know that Japanese Game Gear boxes are about the same size as WonderSwan boxes?

Well, you do now--courtesy of the following pair of photos that I recently snapped with my trusty digital camera.

For those who are curious, the games included in these photos are (clockwise from the upper-left): Pokémon Red (GameBoy), Engacho! (WonderSwan), Ganbare Gorby! (Game Gear), Guru Logi Champ (GameBoy Advance), Balloon Kid (GameBoy), Tane wo Maku Tori (WonderSwan), Magical Puzzle Popils (Game Gear), Rhythm Tengoku (GameBoy Advance) and Flash Koibitokun (WonderSwan Color).

I decided to take these photos when I discovered that the boxes that house Game Gear games are nearly the same size as those that house WonderSwan games. Also, I thought some of you might like to see how those boxes compare in size to the boxes of other portable gaming systems, like the GameBoy and the GameBoy Advance.



I'm planning to take more photos like the ones above (and these) in the coming months as I continue to acquire additional 3DS, DS, GameBoy, Game Gear and WonderSwan titles, by the way, so be on the lookout for them if you're curious about that sort of thing.

See also: 'WonderSwan cartridges (and boxes) in context'

My kind of house plants

Something most of you probably don't know about me: I have the opposite of a green thumb. (Which I guess would mean I have a reddish-purple thumb--right, color theorists?)

Don't get me wrong: I like flowers and plants well enough. I just don't like taking care of them.

As such, I think Swedish artist Sandra Talving's "pixel plants," a number of which can be seen in the photo below, would be the perfect addition to our house or even our yard.

Of course, I'd have to put them in the backyard if we went with the latter option, since you know some jerk would steal them on sight, but that's OK with me. I'd put them on our back deck, right below our kitchen window, so I could look at them as I wash dishes.

Oh, who am I kidding? In reality, I'll salivate over them for a few minutes and then chicken out when it comes to buying one.

Should you have more guts than I do, you may want to check out Talving's etsy shop at your earliest convenience.

Acquisition #143: Magical Puzzle Popils (Game Gear)

If you visit this blog with any regularity, you've likely seen a mention or two (or five) of the Tengen-published puzzler known as Magical Puzzle Popils in Japan and Popils: The Blockbusting Challenge in Europe.

As I'm sure you can guess from the frequency of those mentions, I'm a pretty big fan of this Game Gear title, which was designed by the man responsible for both Bubble Bobble and Rainbow Islands, Fukio Mitsuji.

In fact, I'm such a big fan of this game that earlier this year I bought a loose copy of it via eBay. (You can see a photo of that acquisition and read more about it in this post.)

Given that, some of you are likely to be a bit surprised to hear that I recently picked up a complete-in-box copy of the very same game. Why did I do that, you ask? I think the cover art shown in the following photos is all the response I need to share.

In addition, I've also long wanted to own (and mindlessly flip through on a regular basis) Magical Puzzle Popils' manual. So, in a way, you could say this particular acquisition was kind of a two-for-one deal for me.

Expect to see scans of said manual in an upcoming "Manual Stimulation" post, by the way. Also, a few additional photos of both the front and back sides of this game's box will be uploaded to my Flickr photostream shortly, so keep an eye out for them, too, if you're so inclined.

See also: Previous 'Acquisition #123' posts

Samus Aran spotted in downtown Seattle

I saw the following piece of Metroid-inspired window art while traipsing around downtown Seattle with a pack of out-of-town friends two weekends ago and for some dumb reason I forgot until now to share it here.

Anyway, I'm guessing someone concocted it (out of Post-It notes, I think) in honor of PAX Prime, which was held in our fair city over the very same weekend?

By the way, a number of other windows in the very same building sported similar creations--one of which was inspired by Galaga, I believe, and another that was inspired by The Legend of Zelda--but I was too busy and too lazy to snap a photo of them as well. Sorry about that.

To see a few (OK, a lot) more of game-related photos, check out my Flickr photostream.

Missing since 1986

You've got to love German artist Barto's latest creation--aka the cheeky "Have you seen this girl?" poster seen below (and here)--which can be found plastered in front of a subway map near you (should you happen to live in or around Düsseldorf).



Oh, what I'd give for Barto to turn this into a series featuring such luminous "lost girls" as Princess Peach/Toadstool and, er, all of the other pixelated damsels in distress that I currently can't remember.

Is it me, or does this look better than the red DSi and red 3DS XL that will soon be sold stateside?

"This," of course, is the made-completely-out-of-LEGOs GameBoy Advance SP that can be seen below (and here).

It was made by Flickr user lego27bricks and, yes, I really do think his/her creation looks better than the the red DSi and red 3DS XL that will soon hit store shelves across North America.



I'm guessing most of you have heard about and have seen photos of the red and black 3DS XL that will be released in a few weeks, but are you similarly aware of the "matte red" DSi that will beat it to the punch?

If not, you may want to check out this recent Tiny Cartridge post. Just be warned that, in the opinion of yours truly, it's one ugly mofo.

Acquisition #135: Professor Layton and the Last Specter (DS)

Can you believe I recently picked up the North American, rather than the European, version of Professor Layton and the Last Specter?

I ask that because, as some of you may remember, I bought the Euro releases of the professor's previous puzzling adventures. (Photos of these purchases can be seen here, here and here.)

This time around, though, I went with the North American iteration because it contains the "Professor Layton's London Life" side attraction that, sadly, is nowhere to be found in its foreign counterpart.

Speaking of "London Life," that's the only part of Last Specter I've spent time with thus far.

Why? Well, because its graphics look a lot like those of Mother 3 (a very good thing, obviously) and because I've heard that its gameplay calls to mind Animal Crossing. How could I resist, right?



Despite the fact that, on paper, it sounds like something that would suck up all of my time, "London Life" has me feeling a bit conflicted at the moment.

Oh, I absolutely adore its aesthetics, and the soundtrack is, quite literally, music to my ears, but I can already sense--after spending just a few hours with it--that "London Life" is going to transition from "charming time-waster" to "tedious fetch-quest-athon" sooner rather than later.

Still, I'm enjoying it right now. And it's not like I only bought the Last Specter for this retro-tinged piece of bonus content.

So, I'll keep at it until it's squeezed me dry and then switch over to the main mode, which I'm sure will both entice and confound me much like its predecessors did.

See also: Previous 'Acquisition #123' posts

Which systems can you spot in this drawing?

I stumbled upon the illustration below (and here), produced by artist Aaron Kraten, while perusing Flickr yesterday afternoon.

It features a Famicom (stacked on top of a Famicom Disk System, no less), an NES-101 (or NES 2, if that's the verbiage you prefer) and a TurboDuo (or is it a PC Engine Duo?), so of course I had to share it here.



I also see a Dreamcast, an NES, an Xbox 360 and a Wii in the drawing above. Can you spot any others?

For another example of Kraten's abilities, check out "My kind of art."

My kind of art

You know what I'd do if my husband and I ever won the lottery? Well, besides retire and buy my family and closest friends anything they want (hey, we'd only buy tickets for one of those "mega" lotteries), I'd use a chunk of my portion of the winnings to buy a second home and fill it with all of my games and game systems.

Oh, and I'd cover its walls with game-related art. In fact, I think I'd have to devote an entire room to the console-centric pieces recently created (and shared on Flickr) by Aaron Kraten.

For instance, there's this PC Engine painting (technically it's "mixed media" on wood):

And there's this NES painting, too:

Kraten's also produced similar pieces that focus on the Sega Genesis and the SNES.

Sadly, it's unlikely the hubs and I will win the lottery anytime soon, so my little "game house" will have to reside in my head for now. Oh, well, at least I can check out Kraten's Flickr photostream whenever I want.

Beware the Bulbasaur

Although I've played a number of Pokémon games over the years--including Red, Blue, Emerald, Diamond and Black--only the original pair entranced me to the point that I played it from start to finish.

Oddly, although I played the hell out of both Pokémon Red and Blue as a youngster, I don't remember ever picking Bulbasaur as my starter.

I now find that kind of crazy, as every time I see an illustration of the little bugger these days I can't help but think, "aw, what a cutie!"

That thought certainly crossed my mind when I happened upon the drawing above, which was conjured up by artist Reed Bond.

"Always seems to me like every Pokémon is hiding in the grass waiting to pick a fight," Bond says about his creation over on Flickr. "I imagine that's what is going through this guy's head."

See also: 'The most adorable (and interesting) Pokémon illustrations you're ever likely to see'

Sonic Game Gear

I really shouldn't be allowed to have a credit card.

I say that because if I weren't in possession of a credit card, I wouldn't be able to buy any of the games and systems that, like so many shiny objects, catch my attention (seemingly out of the blue), blossom into full-blown obsessions and then quickly dissipate as soon as another compelling game or system comes into view.

The last such "shiny object" to grab my eye, you may remember, was the WonderSwan. Although I'm still keen on picking up one of these Bandai-made handhelds (especially since I've already bought a few WonderSwan games--more on that soon), I'd be lying if I said I was as interested in it as I was when I wrote this post.

As for what prompted my interest in this peculiar, Japan-only portable to wane a bit (just a bit): Sega's Game Gear.

I'm not entirely sure why I've currently got Game Gear on the brain, but I have a feeling it can be blamed on this recent review over at Red Parsley and this one over at VG Junk.

Regardless, I'm spending way too much time thinking about the Game Gear right now. I even spent some time searching Flickr for images of Sega's brick-like handheld over the weekend. That's when I came across the Sonic the Hedgehog-branded Game Gear seen below:



Said system was created by none other than the artist who calls himself OSKUNK, of course.

I think my favorite part of this OSKUNK creation is how the reflections on Dr. Robotnick's (or Dr. Eggman's, if that's how you roll) sunglass lenses double as labels for the portable's I and II buttons.

As much as I love this expertly customized piece of tech, I'd chuck it to the curb like a piece of stale bread if OSKUNK offered up a Game Gear with Pengo characters painted on it. And that system would be tossed out in favor of one branded with characters from the coolest GG title ever created (according to moi): Magical Puzzle Popils.

Anyway, should you want to see more of OSKUNK's work (and why wouldn't you?), feel free to head over to his blog, Custom Art, or his Flickr photostream at your earliest convenience.

See also: Previous OSKUNK-centric posts

Kirby in process

Since I haven't injected this blog with a massive dose of cuteness in a while, I thought I'd do so today by posting the work-in-progress hoop-thing (can you tell I'm an embroidery expert?) below that's being made by fiber artist Michelle Coffee.

Apparently the final product is going to be a part of the "20 Days of Kirby" series that's taking over 4 color rebellion for the next week or so. (It started on April 27. Check out the Kirby-inspired creations that have been published already here.)



To see more examples of Coffee's abilities (including the most adorable plushes you're ever likely to lay eyes on), head on over to her Flickr photostream and her etsy shop, Deadly Sweet.

See also: Previous posts about Michelle Coffee (aka misscoffee) and her creations