Gamerpunch

Sewn-up: a Nintendo DS case

2007-07-27T10:33:00.000+10:00

This NES controller DS case was painstakingly needlepointed (?) by Craftster user rosered. It's held closed by a velcro panel on the front, while there's an opening in the back for your charger chord. In other words, she thought of everything.

Craftzine Blog editor Natalie Zee Drieu has come up with instructions for making a simpler version of the case which still looks pretty awesome and won't take a huge chunk out of your life!

[Original Craftster forum thread with more photos]
[Needlepoint Nintendo DS case instructions]

Pac-Man Cupcakes

2007-07-26T10:12:00.000+10:00

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa, preferably Dutch-process
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk

For the icing:
2 egg whites
2 1/2 to 3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
Black or dark brown food coloring

[Get the instructions via Instructables]

Buddhist Fantasy RPG

2007-07-26T09:59:00.001+10:00

Lore Sjöberg created this comic strip about what a Buddhist Fantasy RPG would be like. Click the image above to view the strip full size. If you like it you can look at some of Lore's other work via the link below.

[Bad Gods | Humor by Lore Sjöberg]

Art: Neverwinter Nights Storyboards

2007-07-25T11:30:00.001+10:00

[View more Neverwinter Nights concept art]

Perler bead video game crafts

2007-07-25T11:01:00.000+10:00

These would make an awesome gift for yourself or someone else. Best of all, they're really easy to make. The above sprite mirror ornament was created by a Craftster user.

It seems to have sparked something of an addiction...

1. Chocobo, Final Fantasy 4 version.
2. MetaKnight, Kirby Superstar
3. Moogle, Final Fantasy III
4. Moogle, Final Fantasy FFVI?
5. Link, Zelda first game.
6. Megaman, megaman
7. Red Mushroom, Mario Superstar Coll.
8. KoopaKing, Super Mario Bros.
9. 1up Mushroom, Mario Superstar Coll.
10. Megaman, Megaman
11. Magus, ChronoTrigger
12. Simon Belmont, Castlevania
13. Mario, Super Mario Bros.
14. Luigi, Super Mario Bros.
15. Ryu, Ninja Gaiden
16. Super Star, Super Mario Bros.
17. White Mage, Final Fantasy I
18. Gemini Man, Megaman III
19. ? box, Super Mario Bros.
20. Frog, ChronoTrigger
21. Kirby, Kirby Super Star
22. Super Sonic, Sonic II

How to make your own

Find a suitable sprite - search for video game sprites or '_game title_ sprites', or start with this site. Small sprites can be blown up in an image editing program to view them in detail.

Buy some perler beads - the official site has information on where to buy the beads in-store. It also has an online shop if you don't want to search for them.

Make your mirror ornament - the instructions (click 4 E-Z steps) are meant for children, so there's no reason why you can't do it!

Don't make your mirror ornament - you could make loads of other video game trinkets with this stuff. Fridge magnets, notebook covers... use your imagination.

Video Game Color-Ins

2007-07-25T10:28:00.000+10:00

We all know kids love this kind of stuff, but rather than adding color to elephants, monkeys, trucks and Barbie dolls, why not get them started on video game characters?

Fototiller has this tutorial on making color-ins quickly and easily with Photoshop or Coral. My attempts are the Link color-in above and the Mario color-in below (clicking on them will open up a printable image).

You could make a color-in out of virtually any video game image or artwork, but cartoon-style images work best because they have clearly defined lines.

Not into DIY? You'll have to settle for Pokémon.

World of WarCraft Comic #1, Samwise Didier variant cover

2007-07-23T13:23:00.000+10:00

Pictured above is the Samwise Didier illustrated variant cover for the first issue of the World of WarCraft DC Comic series, to be released on November 14. BlizzPlanet has two other variant covers and both inked and sketched pieces of concept art.

The production values on this project are sky-high, but would you expect anything less from DC Comics?

[Via BlizzPlanet]

Machine-carved BioShock plaque

2007-07-23T12:39:00.000+10:00

Travis was so excited about BioShock that he decided to pour his energy into a phenomenal craft project: machine-carving two majestic BioShock plaques. He brought them both to the people at Irrational Games, who took one, mounted it, and wrote their names on the other before promptly giving it back to him.

[BioShock Plaque photoset via Wonderland]

Art: System Shock 2

2007-07-23T12:24:00.000+10:00

With all the hype surrounding BioShock it can be easy to forget the game's spiritual predecessor, System Shock 2. A survival-horror role-playing game, your character's challenge was to try and survive aboard a rogue spaceship controlled by a hostile AI called SHODAN. Throw some horrific mutants and gory flashbacks into the mix and you have one of the greatest horror titles in gaming history. System Shock 2 is a large part of the reason why expectations for BioShock are so high.

The above concept reminds me of the kind of washed-out cyberpunk book covers so popular in the 90s. The mutant pictured is truly horrendous - we can only hope the hero ends its misery soon. The piece is by Lead Artist on the project, Gareth Hinds.

[System Shock 2 concept art gallery]

Halo series Warthog to have and to hold

2007-07-23T12:16:00.000+10:00

The guys and girls at WETA have built a working, to-scale Warthog straight out of the Halo universe. The vehicle was created to feature in a new series of Halo short films by Neill Blomkamp.

I can't help but think of all the ways this would be a really ineffective military vehicle, but I'm still impressed.

[via BungieNet]

Super Mario Bros Q-mark subwoofer

2007-07-23T11:37:00.000+10:00

What's better than Pimp My Ride-style extravagance? Video game related Pimp My Ride-style extravagance, that's what.

Flickr user Kaizokurisu's friend built this and Kai painted it himself. Apparently it sounds great in his car. Here's to hoping everyone resists the powerful urge to bash their heads into it in the hopes of attaining an extra life.

[Super Mario Subwoofer photo set]

Ch-ch-ch-changes

2007-07-21T11:45:00.001+10:00

This is not one of those posts where I inform you all that I'm leaving this site and moving on to a new project. Gamerpunch will still be here, and I'll still be here writing new content. The only thing changing is the focus, though narrowing might be a better word.

In attempting to cover DIY gaming projects, hardware tweaks, free stuff and resources, ways to make you a better gamer, useful stuff, tech developments, game-related video, free games, gaming culture, big news and great sites, I've gotta say, I think I've bitten off more than I can chew! It's the amount of content maybe a Kotaku-style editorial team could manage but a one-woman show with another blog, university and work commitments cannot.

The changes at Gamerpunch are an attempt to be realistic about what I should cover, how often and how well. Thus, the focus of the site is narrowing, but don't fret - I'm not going to start blogging specifically about the facial models in Mass Effect and nothing else ;). In fact, around half my posts seem to be on the topic, anyway, so it probably won't be that much of a change at all.

I'm pretty sure the changes should be in place tomorrow, and I hope you like them.

CLICK: Super links 3000

2007-07-20T13:36:00.000+10:00

Kid buys PS2 from eBay, gets 90,000 Euros instead
Will probably now have the mafia after him.

How to open your Xbox 360 easily without marking it
... and probably void your warranty, too.

Unbeatable checkers program created
Ironically, normal checkers programs on 'Hard' are probably unbeatable for most of us, anyway.

Wiimote skins
Pimp your Wiimote. Because you love accessorizing and spending money on weird stuff.

Xbox 360 skins
As above.

Most disturbing images in a game
A horrific gallery of video game scare moments. Probably NSFW because of gore. You don't want your co-workers to think you strange, do you?

MAKE: Video game scenes from LEGO

2007-07-19T11:44:00.000+10:00

Skinny Coder had this to say about his above creation:

This LEGO still, a parody of the Namco published Katamari Damacy, took about 30 minutes to build but over 4 hours to photograph. It can be tricky to capture a look of terror on the eternal smiling face of a LEGO mini-fig.

The LEGOd video games gallery contains various other creations - from Contra to Castlevania.

[LEGOd video games at Flickr]

GET: If you love your Wii...

2007-07-19T11:38:00.000+10:00

Cools your Wii. Looks cool.

# Features: Built in High Velocity Fan. Reduce your console temperature, prolonging the life of your Wii Console
# Cool Blue LED Light adds style to your gaming setup
# You can turn off the LED and the fan by the ON/OFF switch
# USB Power
# Clear, Soft color stylize your Wii
# Provides Safety, support, and added stability”

[Via Hackawii]

CLICK: Machinima, closing WoW, and becoming chaotic evil

2007-07-18T11:41:00.000+10:00

Gamerz Theatre
Horrible name, but lots of machinima. Not quite as much as machinima.com, though.

MUD creator Richard Bartle wants to close World of WarCraft. Attack!
No, wait, he just wants to improve virtual worlds!

Online Alignment Test
Test your character's (or your own) alignment for D20 games.

GET: Free Lost Planet maps

2007-07-18T11:32:00.000+10:00

On July 20, Lost Planet maps "Radar Field," "Island 902," "Hive Complex" and "Trial Point" will become free on Xbox Live. They'll also be arriving free on the PC that same day.

[via Joystiq]

CULTURE: Video games skirt the edge of controversy

2007-07-18T10:23:00.004+10:00

A 13 year old boy is believed to have fatally stabbed his 16 year old brother on Sunday over whose turn it was to play a video game. So far, police are not considering gameplay to have been a factor in the crime.

"I don't believe the actual game itself was the cause of it. I don't believe they were acting out in any way or mimicking anything in a video game. I believe it was actual use of the game and whose turn it was," said Lansdowne Police Chief Daniel Kortan.

I think how this story plays out - and whether it blows up into a controversy - will depend on what game they were playing at the time. Imagine if that game were Manhunt!

[Brother kills brother in video game dispute via GamePolitics]

Tit for tat -- A group of Iranian students have created a game called Rescue the Nuke Scientist in response to American-made Assault on Iran. What I find most interesting is a comment by one of the students:

"We tried to promote the idea of defense, sacrifice and martyrdom in this game," one of the students told reporters. "This is our defense against the enemy's cultural onslaught."

Ironically, the so-called cultural onslaught includes the video games so enjoyed by Rescue the Nuke Scientist's creators. Unless they only play Iranian video games -- which is possible, but probably not very satisfying.

[Iranian video game rescues Nuke scientist via Joystiq]

Scandals not involving Paris Hilton -- GamePolitics is accepting reader votes to determine the 10 biggest video gaming scandals... ever. Have your say, or admire this piece of clever Photoshop wizardry from Joystiq.

USE: Kotaku E3 Summary

2007-07-18T09:55:00.001+10:00

During E3 the big sites updated almost constantly with anything they could think of on topics like: Is the food here nice? I just got a free T-shirt. What Peter Moore drank at the bar, and so on.

It wasn't hard to miss the important stuff in amongst all the fluff. Thankfully, Kotaku have arranged their E3 coverage in list format so you can pick and choose what you want to read (and what you don't).

[E3 Megalist Round-up at Kotaku]

[But wait! Joystiq has one too]

CULTURE: Video gamers "most sophisticated shoppers in the entertainment industry"

2007-07-17T16:50:00.000+10:00

There's a New York Times article on why critical reception of video games correlates so closely with sales. What's interesting is that in the realm of movies and music almost the opposite is the case.

The Top 10-selling games of last year — including titles like Gears of War and Guitar Hero 2 —had an average Metacritic score of 87.5. Only one of the top-selling games scored less than 80. (More about that later.) Meanwhile, the Top 10 box-office films of last year — including titles like “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”’ and “X-Men: The Last Stand” — collected a poor average score of 62.9.

The article makes a few good points about why this might be the case, but I think it's ultimately pretty simple. Video games are expensive, therefore gamers are much less likely to impulse buy. Gaming media is also far more focussed on critical evaluation (previews, reviews, interviews) than music and cinema media, meaning there are plenty more opportunities to know whether a game sounds like it might take your fancy. And lastly, big development studios have big dev budgets (nice graphics, plenty of content, huge teams) and huge advertising budgets to go with them. It's no surprise that development studios with huge staffs and resources tend to make good games.

[Their thumbs may be too busy to raise, but gamers agree with critics via Kotaku]

GET: Neat gamer tee

2007-07-17T16:38:00.000+10:00

"Video games ruined my life. Good thing I have two extra lives."

[View product page at Threadless tees]

PLAY: Nintendo on Facebook

2007-07-17T16:31:00.001+10:00

The FreeNES app created by Lance Strish promises to provide hundreds of Nintendo games playable on your Facebook page.

If that's not a reason to leave behind MySpace I don't know what is. Except if all your friends are on MySpace -- then it's probably not such a great idea.

[FreeNES at allfacebook]

CLICK: Today's wunderkammer additions

2007-07-16T11:39:00.000+10:00

Garry's Mod for Half Life 2
A physics sand-box in which players create the laws of the universe.
WoW computer stations
Guys, you are not cool, you are insane.
Playstation 3 Tags
Imitation gamercards for those missing out on the fun.
All your Wikipedia entries are belong to us
Informative entry detailing the 'all your base' phenomenon.

CULTURE: Latest gaming addiction disaster

2007-07-16T11:10:00.000+10:00

A young Nevada couple have pleaded guilty to child neglect after leaving their two young children starving and suffering other health problems while they played MMORPGs.

"They had food; they just chose not to give it to their kids because they were too busy playing video games," Viloria told the Reno Gazette-Journal.

Police said hospital staff had to shave the head of the girl because her hair was matted with cat urine. The 10-pound girl also had a mouth infection, dry skin and severe dehydration.

Her brother had to be treated for starvation and a genital infection. His lack of muscle development caused him difficulty in walking, investigators said.

This is the kind of thing that I believe puts the American Medical Association's decision not to classify video game addiction as a mental disorder in question. I know this isn't a popular view, but I strongly believe people can become addicted to video games in the same way that they can become addicted to drugs, and that the problem should be treated just as seriously.

MMORPGs are a unique source of this problem because they fulfill social needs while releasing a steady flow of dopamine. There's also no point in which the game is 'beaten' - you can continue amassing more loot and power even when you've reached whatever insane level cap the particular game has in place. Unlike multiplayer shooters, which are broken up into individual scenarios and maps, there's no natural break in RPGs. Even when not on a quest there are people to talk to, things to do. People are able to perform incredibly repetitive tasks in games like World of WarCraft because it produces a hit of dopamine each time their character is slightly bettered. In laboratory tests, scientists found that they could starve a mouse by offering periodic drips of dopamine from a tube. The mouse would stay at the tube, lap up the dopamine as it was produced, and forgot to eat until it starved.

The games function like drugs in that each time the player achieves a goal they get a hit of dopamine not dissimilar to a minor drug rush. This is more than they gain from other actions like going outside, going to school, going out with friends or spending time with their kids. WoWDetox is testament to this.

Not every MMORPG player is going to develop a drug-like addiction, just like not every person who tries meth will become addicted to it. But the similarities between gaming addiction and drug addiction are hard to miss, and I don't see why they should be treated differently, particularly when they have the potential to be just as dangerous.

[Nev. couple blame internet for neglect via Yahoo! news]

CLICK: Gamer's Wunderkammer

2007-07-15T10:40:00.000+10:00

Backgrounds from Capcom games
Pretty, pixelly, some of them could be your new desktop background.
Nintendo DS new owner's survival guide
I seriously considered buying a DS the other day, even though I'm poor. That's why this list of the ideal games starter pack for new DS owners is something I should probably not read. But you can!
A visual petopia of WoW pets
Yep, it's a site dedicated to pets in World of WarCraft. I feel sorry for people with Crabs. The pet, I mean.
Tens and tens and tens of nerds try to get their whiny voices in GTAIV
Thanks Rockstar! No, I kid, I kid.
A statistical analyzer for City of Heroes
Analyzes stuff, keeps track of things, I'm sure all the cool superheroes/villains use it.