'Sweet dream' indeed ...

I don't know about you, but I haven't run into many examples of NSFW-ish fan art devoted to Nintendo's pugilistic Punch-Out!! series over the years--which, in my humble opinion, is a crying shame.

Sadly, the piece of saucy fan art below (titled "Sweet Dream") doesn't include Little Mac, but it's so appealing even without his presence that I won't spend too much time complaining about the oversight.

This drawing was produced by the hand of artist Pauli Kohberger (aka madamluna), by the way. To see more of her stuff, check out her deviantart gallery (which contains a number of additional Punch-Out!!-inspired pieces) or her site, Electric Stories.

See also: 'Kirby and Meta Knight en fleur'

For a good time, call ...

Remember this post, in which I shined a light on the peculiar pieces produced by artist Kasey Tararuj for the recent 3NES Show (held at the Bottleneck Gallery in Brooklyn, New York)?

Well, today's post is devoted to a few more pieces that were produced for that show, although these pieces--which also focus on Peach, Samus and Zelda and are titled, "For a Good Time, Call Peach," etc.--aren't quite as "safe for work" as the ones Tararuj concocted.

As such, I'm only going to show an extremely cropped version of one of them "above the fold," as it were. To see them in all of their appealingly smutty glory, click on "read more" below.

Let's Play: 'Which Box Art is Better?' (Sugar Shooter 2 edition)

Just so you know, I'm going to change things up a bit for this round of "Which Box Art is Better?" Rather than discuss the merits of the pieces of cover art produced for a single game released in various regions, today I want to discuss the merits of cover art produced for a pair of games released in a single region.

The pair of games we'll be dissecting today: Dudedle Studio's Sugar Shooter, which hit the streets in late 2010, and its sequel, Sugar Shooter 2, which is expected to make its way into gamers' hands (in Japan) any day now. (Awesome aside: Folks who buy the limited edition get this ass-tacular face towel.)

With that said, here's the art that graces the cover of the Japanese version of the first Sugar Shooter:

And here's the art that will greet folks who buy the Japanese version of Sugar Shooter 2:

Although I'm pretty fond of the former game's box art, I much prefer the imagery created for the soon-to-be-released (in Japan, at least) sequel. Sure, it's composition is a bit typical, but it's so colorful that it's not at all difficult for me to overlook it.

What do all of you think? Do you prefer one piece of Sugar Shooter cover art to the other?

See also: Previous 'Which Box Art is Better?' posts

Another day, another Sugar Shooter 2 demo

Did you download the Sugar Shooter 2 demo that I mentioned in this post early last week? If so, you may want to head back to the Dudedle Studio blog shortly, as a brand spanking new demo of this upcoming, bara-tastic, bullet-hell shmup was added to the site on Friday.



Said demo not only includes a number of bug fixes and other improvements, but it also includes (as far as I can tell) a second stage. So, download away--especially if you're at all interested in shooting the clothes off of a bevy of cartoonish bodybuilders.

Is Mickey Mouse sticking his nose where I think he's sticking it?

Artist Ashley Anderson recently shared (on his facebook page) the following "sneak peak" of a piece he was producing for a show at Beep Beep Gallery in Atlanta.



Is it wrong that my initial reaction to this piece was, "Where'd he get those strawberry sprites?"

The Mickey-centric and probably-not-certified-by-Disney image above takes up but a small portion of the completed illustration, which is called "The Human Centerpiece," by the way. Check it out in all of its not-entirely-safe-for-work glory after the jump.

So, a blogger walks into the Gayme Bar ...

Those of you who follow me on Twitter already know this, but the rest of you likely are in the dark: The garrulous guys at GaymeBar.com asked me to be on another of their fabulous podcasts last weekend. The resulting recording can be heard here.

What did we talk about? If memory serves, we chatted about the games we were playing currently, the best games of 2011 and gay characters/content in games. I'm sure we covered at least a few other topics, too, but I can't remember them at the moment.

Just don't expect to hear much of me during the segment that focuses on the best games of 2011--I've honestly played very few of them and, as such, couldn't really add to the conversation in any meaningful way.

That's not to say I'm opinionless when it comes to my favorite games of the year. In fact, I just finished writing a post that covers that territory. Expect to see it published the week after Christmas.

In the meantime, check out Gayme Bar's "Function 44" if you're a podcast fan and if you have a bit of time on your hands. (I believe the final product is about two hours long, but don't quote me on that.)

See also: 'Belly up to the Gayme Bar, boys (and girls)' and 'My mom would be so proud: I'm included in Gayme Bar's Pass-Around Party Podcast'

Get yer pipin' hot Sugar Shooter 2 demo here!

And when I say it's piping hot, I mean that literally--as in, it's freshly released--and figuratively--as in, well, it features some smokin' content, just like the first Sugar Shooter.

I've only played the Sugar Shooter 2 demo for a few minutes this far, but already I can tell it's going to be just as fun as--if not more fun than--its fabulously gay predecessor.

One thing that's certain at this point: Sugar Shooter 2 will have a lot more options--such as a bevy of difficulty settings and selectable "partners"--than Dudedle Studio's original effort.

To see what the Japanese version of this boss-rush, bullet-hell shmup for bara lovers looks like in action, check out this trailer:



If you'd rather experience it firsthand, download the one-stage demo of the game from the Dudedle Studio blog.

It appears Sugar Shooter 2 will be playable on both Macs and Windows-based PCs, by the way--something that couldn't be said about the series' initial installment.

Finally, for more information on the first Sugar Shooter, read these previous posts: 'A somewhat gay review of Sugar Shooter (PC)' and 'I think it's about time I played a bullet-hell shmup starring beefy boys in underwear'

A somewhat gay review of Sugar Shooter (PC)

This downloadable (for Windows-enabled PCs) title, developed by the folks at Dudedle Studio, is/was my first run-in with a bullet-hell shoot 'em up, and you know what? I enjoyed it so much that I'm eagerly awaiting my second such experience. Granted, Sugar Shooter isn't a run-of-the-mill bullet-hell shoot 'em up (or shmup, as they're often called)--rather, it's a boss-rush, bullet-hell shmup that's squarely aimed at the bara-loving set.

To those of you scratching your heads at any or all of the aforementioned "b" words (bara, boss-rush and bullet-hell), hopefully the following infor- mation will straighten things out: Sugar Shooter stars a beefy, gay prince named Satan (hmmm), who is tasked with protecting his precious Sugar Kingdom from a quartet of similarly studly baddies. (They're where the bara, or "Men's Love," aspect of the game comes into play, by the way.)



One by one, these baddies--backed by a bombastic, guitar-laden soundtrack and led by a bloke named Lord Sugarless--assault Satan with wave after wave of beautiful bullets. (Hence the genre's name: bullet-hell.) Satan isn't powerless against said bullets thanks to his "Dessert Ring" (hmmm again), which transforms oncoming projectiles into candy and increases the prince's "Sugar Level." Increasing the prince's Sugar Level accomplishes two things: 1) It enhances his base attack and 2) It allows him to perform a "Sugar Burst," which not only destroys everything within a certain distance of the prince but destroys his opponent's armor, too. That's important because you have to destroy an opponent's armor before defeat- ing them in order to see the best (i.e., most X-rated) ending scenes.

All of this is controlled with the left button on your mouse, by the way. Click it once to unleash Satan's auto-firing "Chocolate Gun" (hmmm for a third time) and click it again to stop attacking and start using his "Dessert Ring." You also click, hold and then release your mouse's left button to enter "Sugar Rush" mode, and then click it one last time to use Satan's "Sugar Burst." It feels a little odd at first if you're used to playing shoot 'em ups with a directional pad and buttons, but it quickly becomes second nature.



Don't worry if all of the above sounds annoyingly confusing or convoluted; in action, it's surprisingly simple to understand. It's not so simple to master, though--as evidenced by the fact that it took me a good 20 tries to topple the fourth and final boss (Lord Sugarless) on the game's easiest setting.

I don't share that fairly embarrassing tidbit to scare folks away from giving Sugar Shooter a try. On the contrary, I think gaymers who enjoy shoot 'em ups--bullet-hell or otherwise--and have $14.99 to blow will get a kick out of this Dudedle Studio-developed title.

See also: Other 'somewhat gay' reviews

More steamy shots of the Super Studly Mario Bros.

Do you remember this post about the upcoming issue of MUTO Manifesto magazine that will feature on its cover two rather attractive men dressed in form-fitting Mario Bros. drag? Of course you do. (If you don't, re-acquaint yourself with it by clicking on the link embedded in the previous sentence.)

Well, that issue, the online magazine's second, is now available (here) for your reading and viewing pleasure. The photo above is just one of 16 included in the cover story, titled "Kiss & Tell," by the way. (Full disclosure: Most of the others probably wouldn't be considered safe for work.)

(Via videogamesmademegay.tumblr.com)

'Super Utamaro Bros.'

If I were a real artist (and, no, I'm not saying that facetiously), this is the kind of thing I'd attempt to create:

For those of you wondering what in the hell you're looking at, well, it's a piece produced by blogger, designer and illustrator Jude Buffum. (I mentioned him earlier today in this post.)

In the description that accompanies this image on the artist's Flickr page, Buffum says he "chose to focus on the erotic fantasies of abalone divers that are quite popular within the art form known as 'shunga.'"

He also mentions that the piece is an homage to Utamaro's "Underwater Assault."

See more of Buffum's stuff here.

Fabulous flash game alert: GunBlood

OK, this one isn't for the kids--nor is it for faint-of-heart adults. If you can handle a bit (or a lot) of blood and gore, though, Wolf Games' Western-shootout-themed GunBlood is the flash game for you.



Play it here.

See also: Robot Unicorn Attack, Treadmillasaurus Rex and Winterbells

For once, I'm (nearly) speechless

I haven't been shocked speechless by a YouTube video since ... well, since I saw the first trailer for Namco Bandai's queer-on-so-many-levels WiiWare title Muscle March early last year.

I can't be alone in hoping that someone--anyone--eventually creates a game that centers on one of these chicken-headed, thong-wearing muscle studs, can I?

The question, then, is: What kind of game would it be?

A shooter's completely out of the question, as the Cho Aniki series has that market cornered already. A fighter's a possibility--especially since ol' Chicken Head reminds me a bit of King from the original Tekken--but who plays fighters anymore?

No, I think it would have to be a rhythm game--in the vein of Elite Beat Agents/Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan or Space Channel 5, of course.  

(Via doyoulovepuppiesido.blogspot.com)

So, where can I get a pair?

I'm not at all embarrassed to admit I'd rock the sexy skivvies seen in the photo below--if I could find a pair in my size.

Yeah, I know they're supposed to be for the ladies, but it's important for a guy (especially a gay one) to fully embrace his feminine side now and then, don't you think?

(Via thekartel.com)

Is this one of the multiplayer options in Dragon Quest IX?

In three short days, the latest entry in the Dragon Quest series will be unleashed upon the American public.

Although said game--full title: Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies--features a slew of multiplayer options, I kind of doubt the, er, "activity" depicted in the following NSFW-ish image is among them.

Buy: Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies

(Via tinycartridge.com)

Billy Herrington Tetris

I came across the following video while (somewhat) randomly surfing the web the other day:



Bill Herrington (the Speedo-clad bodybuilder in the clip above) is a gay porn star, by the way. Although he hasn't appeared in an adult movie since 2003, he's become something of a celebrity in Japan in the last few years thanks to the slew of mash-up videos (aka MAD movies) that have been posted on Nico Nico Douga, a Japanese video-sharing site.

Many of them, like the one above, are inspired by video games. This (rather NSFW-ish) one, for instance, is based on Final Fantasy VII.

If you're at all interested in learning more about this peculiar Internet meme, check out these posts on knowyourmeme.com.

(Via puddingparadise.blogspot.com)

Huzzah! I just passed the 30-hour mark in Wii Fit

It's taken me nearly two years, but I finally passed the 30-hour mark in Wii Fit. Woo hoo!

I think we should celebrate by watching this ancient NSFW-ish video of Nicholas Ryan (aka gay porn star Reese Rideout) giving Wii Fit's hula hoop game a whirl:



I have to say, I'm a bit disappointed that his thong and wrist bands aren't color-coordinated.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand. Are any of you still using Wii Fit? If so, what kind of results have you seen so far?

Buy: Wii Fit Plus

See also: 'Waiting for Wii Fit Plus'

I don't get off to naked characters in video games

... but I have to admit I got a kick out of seeing Heavy Rain's Ethan Mars in the buff over the weekend.

The image above is just a teaser, of course. To see more of Ethan's, er, equipment, go here and click on the last two screenshots. (FYI: Two screenshots of the game's female protagonist, Madison Paige, in the shower can be seen there, too.)

Don't expect to experience either scene in retail copies of the just-released PS3 title. Instead, expect "clever camera angles and well-placed objects to protect [your] eyes from the beauty of the naked form," as the folks at gamesradar.com so eloquently put it.

Buy: Heavy Rain

MODERN WARFARE 2 SUCKS!!!!!

I'm not so sure the following, NSFW-ish (if you're not wearing headphones) video is genuine, but it doesn't really matter. What does matter is that it made me laugh out loud (you know, the real-life version of LOL) a few minutes ago.



I can't laugh at this guy too heartily, though, because I know that if Mario Kart Wii (and webcams) had existed back when I was a teen I would have embarrassed myself in a similar fashion following a particularly brutal online race. Or not.

I'd like to think this guy was drunk ...

... when he got this Pac-Man tattoo, but I doubt that was the case considering its complexity.

You're confused, aren't you? That's because the photo above only shows the "safe for work" portion of the tattoo. Hit the jump to see the whole, NSFW-ish thing.

Mario as you've never seen him before

Did you know that Mario (full name: Mario Michelangelo Antonioni) didn't begin life as a Mushroom Kingdom-and-princess-saving plumber?

Apparently he was born in a small town in Northern Italy and his parents worked for Olivetti and Fiat. As a young adult, he moved to Rome to pursue his dream of becoming an actor--which resulted in Mario and his brother Luigi hitting the stage together in a rather homoerotic cabaret act.

It wasn't until sometime later that Mario became a plumber, moved to the Mushroom Kingdom and dedicated his life to defeating the dastardly Bowser and saving the perennially imperiled Princess Peach/Toadstool.

OK, so that isn't Mario's official backstory--it's the backstory created (some time ago) by Ishihara Gojin, aka "Japan's (gay) Norman Rockwell."

Go here to view more of Gojin's gay-ish (and slightly NSFW-ish) images of Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach and a strangely anthropomorphic Bowser.

(Via tinycartridge and watashi to tokyo)