Mario art for those with a lot of moolah

What would I do if I had $2,000 burning a hole in my wallet? Well, I can tell you one thing: I wouldn't spend it on the piece of art below, which was produced by Princeton, New Jersey-based artist Erika Iris.

That's not to suggest I dislike Iris' work. On the contrary, I think this piece, called “Ghost in the Machine: Mario," is pretty darn fabulous. (I also like the pieces she's done that feature Link, Pac-Man and one of Super Mario Bros' goombas.)

Do I think it's worth spending $2,000 on? No, I can't say I do. Should you think it's worth that kind of money, though, by all means pick it up and then invite me over to your apartment, condo or house so I can come ogle it.

For more info on Iris and/or any of the pieces mentioned above, head on over to iri5.com.

Reason #405 I could be considered an 'eccentric' (aka bat-sh*t crazy) gamer

A larger part of me than I'd like to admit wants to buy a complete-in-box copy of the Famicom version of Bubble Bobble 2.

I consider that to be crazy for a few reasons. One, I've never really liked Bubble Bobble 2 (released in North America as Bubble Bobble Part 2)--which I tend to consider inferior to Taito's original effort in every possible way. Two, complete-in-box copies of this game can be a bit "pricey"--as in, I could either buy Bubble Bobble 2 at some point next year or I could buy a 3DS XL (assuming prices for this rare title are trending low, that is).

I severely doubt I'll ever go through with this rather harebrained scheme, but you never know. I've done some completely bat-shit crazy things over the years because of cute box art, after all.

See also: Other reasons I could be considered an 'eccentric' (aka bat-sh*t crazy) gamer

Things I'd buy if I were independently wealthy #273: The Bravely Default Collector's Pack

Actually, I'd likely find a way to add it to my collection regardless if I could play it on my current 3DS and if I knew a a lick of Japanese. As it stands, though, picking up such an item seems a bit ridiculous--especially considering those of us who don't live in the Land of the Rising Sun are sure to spend upwards of $200 on it. (Square Enix is selling it through its eShop for ¥12,800, or about $163. Which means stores like play-asia.com will sell it for far more than that.)

All that aside, some of you probably are wondering what's included in this pricey-yet-delicious-looking package. To which I say: A copy of Bravely Default: Flying Fairy, the game's original soundtrack, an art album, a 3DS "protect case" and a life-sized AR poster.



The folks at Square Enix have yet to announce a Western release for Bravely Default, although I'm hopeful they'll do so around the time the game hits store shelves in Japan (in early October). And if not? Well, I'll just have to pick up a Japanese 3DS (LL?) and a "standard" copy of this game, I guess--yes, even if I won't be able to understand a word of it. It reportedly features a Final Fantasy V-like job system, which means there's no way in hell I'm passing it up.

(Via andriasang.com)

This one's for you, Sean

I couldn't help but think of Famicomblog proprietor Sean upon seeing this morning's addition to the Retro Treasures blog, which turned followers on to an eBay auction for a complete-in-box Donkey Kong Pocketsize Game & Watch system.

That said, I can't see Sean handing over the kind of cash that's surely going to be needed to win this particular auction. After all, the bidding's already up to £720 (approximately $1,120) and the auction doesn't end until around this time on Thursday.

All of this could be yours for $1,000 (or more)!

Although I'm sure that's way more than anyone reading this post is willing to spend on such an item, the eBay listing (here) is still worth a look if you're at all interested in Nintendo's Game & Watch products--especially since it includes a number of additional photos of the system taken from different angles.

(Via retro-treasures.blogspot.com)