In case anyone cares: There *are* challenging opponents in Hot Shots Tennis PSP

Yep, you read that correctly: I just faced my first challenging opponent in Hot Shot Tennis: Get a Grip--a dropshot-obsessed wench (actually, she's more of a spoiled brat) named Amorette.

Anyway, she nearly beat me. She ran out to a 3-1 lead--the match in question was of the first-one-to-win-four-games-is-the-victor variety--before I worked my way back into the set, which ended with me winning 4-3. (Or was it 5-3? I can't remember if I had to win by one or two.)

This isn't Amorette, by the way. It's Bridget, a blond cheerleader.

I'd like to add, by the way, that I beat the little terror while wearing some sort of Elizabethan or Victorian gown. Oh, and I had rose in my hair and a giant ruby ring on my finger.

See also: 'Screw Pac-Man Championship Edition, I'm going to play Hot Shots Tennis: Get a Grip instead'

Diamonds are a Dreamcast's best friend

I honestly don't know what prompted me to come up with this particular drawing. I guess I had both diamonds and Dreamcasts on my mind at the time.

See also: 'Happy Valentine's Day,' 'Love at first sight' and 'Professor PC Engine'

My last Dragon Quest post (I promise!)

I wrote the following haiku at the same time I wrote this one, but I didn't post it because I thought it was a bit too rhyme-y.

Bright eyes, brighter grin
Red, blue and metallic skin
Beating you? A sin

Why am I posting it now? Honestly, I wanted an excuse to share the following image, which I found on tinycartridge.com a few weeks ago.

I'm embarrassed to admit that I don't know if the slime sprites were pulled from actual Dragon Quest titles or if they were produced specifically for this image.

See also: 'A slick haiku'

Nintendo shows its hand (literally)

Nintendo of Japan will soon return to its roots by releasing a series of Mario-themed playing cards.

The Kyoto-based company, which began life (in 1889) as a producer of hanafuda cards, will start selling the "Mario Trump" cards in July for ¥1,050 (approximately $11.50) per set.

Three different designs will be available from the get-go: "Dot" (featuring Mario et al in sprite form), "standard" (Mario et al in hand-drawn form) and "neon" (Mario et al in 3D form).

For a closer look at each design, check out andriasang.com.

That's nice. Now where's my Game Gear soap?

Or, even better: Where's my TurboExpress soap?

OK, so Etsy.com seller Two Eggplants doesn't make Game Gear or TurboExpress soaps, but she does make GameBoy soaps--and darn good ones from the looks of it.

She also makes PSP and Wii remote soaps, but I think her dulce-de-leche-scented GameBoy soaps are the best of the bunch.

(Via tinycartridge.com)

Super Peepio Bros.

For the last four years, the Washington Post has held a "Peeps Diorama Contest" in the run up to Easter. This year's contest drew more than 1,100 entries, with Mark Rivetti's "Super Peepio Bros." creation (below) earning a semifinal berth.

According to the Washington, D.C.-based newspaper, it took Rivetti approximately 45 hours to create the diorama above, with all of the characters being crafted from chick or bunny Peeps. Also, take note of the Peep shapes included in the clouds and platforms.

(Via kotaku.com)

Who couldn't use a USB flash drive made out of a GameBoy Advance cartridge?

Especially when the cartridge used to create said USB drive is the Japanese version of Mario vs. Donkey Kong.

That's just one of the cute game-related creations I found while scanning etsy.com a few minutes ago.

Nearly as cute: this desk clock, made with a re-purposed Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt cartridge. And then there's this needle-felted Green Slime figure. (I've always had a thing for Dragon Quest's slimes.)

See also: 'The perfect gift for the stinky gamer in your life'

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)

I'd probably buy this if someone made it ...

"This" being a game called Cooking Gaga.

Sadly, the game is just the figment of some artist's imagination as of now.

(Via gamefreaks.co.nz)

Unfortunately, 'the game doesn't reflect the label'

A gamer/photographer who goes by the name "Caveman Bowl" recently posted a bunch of images of pirate Famicom disks to his (her?) Flickr page.

The following is my favorite, for obvious reasons:

I'm also quite fond of the cover of this Tetris bootleg.

(Via tinycartridge.com)

You know that yellow SNES sitting in your closet?

Well, according to this rather excellent article over at vintagecomputing.com, there's a reason it now looks like a loaf of moldy bread--and it isn't because you're a filthy pig or a smoker.

According to Benj Edwards, the reason is best summed up by this message from one of Nintendo of America's customer service representatives:

"The Super NES, as well as our other systems, are made with a plastic containing flame-retardant chemicals to meet safety guidelines. Over time, the plastic will age and discolor both because of these chemicals as well as from the normal heat generated from the product or exposure to light. Because of the light color of the plastic of the SNES and NES, this discoloration is more easily seen than with other darker plastics such as on the N64 and the Nintendo GameCube."

Before coming to that conclusion, though, Edwards contacted an expert in the field--namely, Dr. Rudolph D. Deanin, founder of the graduate program in Plastics Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Lowell--and conducted quite a bit of research.

Anyway, if you're like me and you have a yellow SNES sitting in your closet--and you'd like to know more about why it now looks like a loaf of moldy bread--head on over to vintagecomputing.com and read Edwards' article.

The folks at Namco Bandai really know how to hurt a guy's feelings

So, I was randomly surfing the Interwebs a short while ago when I came across this image:

The bright blue Muscle March-branded Speedo (right) was delivered to the MTV Multiplayer offices packed inside the similarly branded jug of protein powder (left), by the way.

Maybe if I give the Namco Bandai's PR folks a ring and promise to model said Speedo on this site they'll send me one, too? :)

(Via multiplayerblog.mtv.com)

This WTF moment is brought to you by the folks at Square-Enix

In an effort to promote its most recent Dragon Quest remake (part six, for the DS), the folks at Square-Enix produced this bizarro live-action advertisement:



I'm a bit torn about it, to tell you the truth. It's either the most impressive thing I've experienced in a long time, or the most insane.

The hairstyles--especially the Flock of Seagulls-esque 'do on the main dude--and costumes certainly suggest it's the latter, as does the fact that the entire thing is in Spanish. (Does that have something to do with the game's story? I honestly have no idea.)

Regardless, it's work a look--as is this "making of" video.

(Via gonintendo.com and tinycartridge.com)

I know it's a stretch ...

... to call this a piece of gaming news, but I can't help myself.

Hikaru Utada, the j-pop superstar best known to gamers for the songs she contributed to Kingdom Hearts ("Hikari"/"Simple and Clean") and Kingdom Hearts II ("Passion"/"Sanctuary"), outed her stuffed bear, Kuma-Chang, on Wednesday :)

Utada has posted photos of Kuma-Chang on her blog for years and even wrote a hit song about him ("Boku wa Kuma") in 2006. (You can see the song's video here, if you're so inclined.)

Anyway, during a performance in San Francisco on Tuesday, Utada threw foam baseballs containing images of Kuma-Chang holding up signs saying "Legalize Gay Marriage" into the crowd. The next day, she posted a photo of the autographed balls on her blog.

Along with the photo she wrote:

"Actually, I don't think I've ever really explained it here, but Kuma really is gay (he's a boy but likes men only, no interest in girls...) so these illustrations flowed pretty naturally. Oh, did I just out Kuma?"

Who wants a fancy flat-screen TV when you can have one of *these*?

OK, this is fairly old news by now, but I'm so smitten with LG's "Classic TV" that I'm going to post a picture of it here anyway.

Honestly, I'd buy one right this minute if: 1) it was sold outside of Korea, 2) it cost less than $215 and 3) I needed another TV.

None of those are true at the moment, so I guess I'll save my cash for something else--like a shiny, new PSP :)

(Via engadget.com)

They ship to Seattle, right?

I think I just found my next gaming-related-but-not-an-actual-game purchase: The Space Invaders tights at blackmilkclothing.com.

These snazzy leggings were designed by James Lillis and are made of elastane and polyester. Oh, and they'll cost you $80 before shipping. (You can order a pair here.)

New Toyota hybrid inspired by Contra, Mega Man and Super Mario Bros.

When the folks at Toyota unveiled a new hybrid concept car at the Detroit Auto Show yesterday, they mentioned that its design was inspired by video games popular during the 1980s--namely Contra, Mega Man and Super Mario Bros.

The car, known as the FT-CH Concept, is a "downstream version of the small hybrid Lexus LF-CH Concept" that was unveiled during the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, according to green.autoblog.com.

Should it make it to production, the two-door, four-seat FT-CH (which is just 153 inches long and 68.5 inches wide) likely will be marketed as an entry-level version of the automaker's popular Prius.

I like Mario as much as the next guy, but ...

... I'd rather play Hotel Mario, Mario is Missing, Mario Teaches Typing and Mario's Time Machine back to back to back to back than be caught wearing this:

That said, I have to give it up to the woman who made said sweater vest. I mean, the ground tiles, question blocks and even the clouds are pixel perfect!

For more information--and more photos--go to happyseamstress.com. Oh, and while you're there, check out the "Baby Link" outfit.

So, when's a gay couple going to do something like this?

A few days ago, Kotaku.com posted an article about a straight couple that decided to get hitched in Hyrulian fashion.

Yep, that means every aspect of the couple's "big day" brought to mind The Legend of Zelda--including the invitations, the processional music, the wedding party gifts and even the cake.

Here's a little video that shows all of the above and more:



That's cute and all, but when's a gay (or lesbian) couple going to do something like this?

I think I just found my next gaming-related t-shirt

Sprites give me a major boner, so when I came across the following image earlier today--over at The Bits, Bytes, Pixels and Sprites--I pitched a tent that would make a seasoned porn star blush. (OK, that's probably a bit more than you wanted or needed to know. Sorry about that.)

After I composed myself, I read the text below the image--and discovered that it's a t-shirt design! Go here to order one for yourself or for someone you love. (I think I'm going to get this one.)