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Sewn-up: a Nintendo DS case
2007-07-27 02:33:00
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]
More About: Case , Tendo , Nintendo Ds

Pac-Man Cupcakes
2007-07-26 02:12:00
RECIPE INGREDIENTS:2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa, preferably Dutch-process1 teaspoon baking powder1/2 teaspoon baking soda1/4 teaspoon salt4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened1 1/2 cups sugar1 egg2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract1 cup buttermilk For the icing:2 egg whites2 1/2 to 3 cups confectioners' sugar1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract2 tablespoons fresh orange juiceBlack or dark brown food coloring[Get the instructions via Instructables]

Buddhist Fantasy RPG
2007-07-26 01:59:00
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
2007-07-25 03:30:00
[View more Neverwinter Nights concept art]
More About: Concept Art , Tory , Erwin

Perler bead video game crafts
2007-07-25 03:01:00
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 Crafts ter user.It seems to have sparked something of an addiction...1. Chocobo, Final Fantasy 4 version.2. MetaKnight, Kirby Superstar3. Moogle, Final Fantasy III4. Moogle, Final Fantasy FFVI?5. Link, Zelda first game.6. Megaman, megaman7. Red Mushroom, Mario Superstar Coll.8. KoopaKing, Super Mario Bros.9. 1up Mushroom, Mario Superstar Coll.10. Megaman, Megaman11. Magus, ChronoTrigger12. Simon Belmont, Castlevania13. Mario, Super Mario Bros.14. Luigi, Super Mario Bros.15. Ryu, Ninja Gaiden16. Super Star, Super Mario Bros.17. White Mage, Final Fantasy I18. Gemini Man, Megaman III19. ? box, Super Mario Bros.20. Frog, ChronoTrigger21. Kirby, Kirby Super Star22. Super Sonic, Sonic IIHow to make your ownFind a suitable sprite - search for video game sprites or '_game title_ sprites', or start with this site. Small sprites can be bl...
More About: Video , Game , Video Game

Video Game Color-Ins
2007-07-25 02:28:00
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.
More About: Video , Color , Game , Video Game

World of WarCraft Comic #1, Samwise Didier variant cover
2007-07-23 05:23:00
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]
More About: Warcraft , Blizzard , Cover

Machine-carved BioShock plaque
2007-07-23 04:39:00
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]
More About: Machine , Mach

Art: System Shock 2
2007-07-23 04:24:00
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]
More About: Stem

Halo series Warthog to have and to hold
2007-07-23 04:16:00
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]
More About: Series , Hold , Serie

Super Mario Bros Q-mark subwoofer
2007-07-23 03:37:00
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]
More About: Mario Bros , Mark , Super Mario Bros

Ch-ch-ch-changes
2007-07-21 03:45:00
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,...
More About: Chang , Chan

CLICK: Super links 3000
2007-07-20 05:36:00
Kid buys PS2 from eBay, gets 90,000 Euros insteadWill 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 createdIronically, normal checkers programs on 'Hard' are probably unbeatable for most of us, anyway.Wiimote skinsPimp your Wiimote. Because you love accessorizing and spending money on weird stuff.Xbox 360 skinsAs above.Most disturbing images in a gameA 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?
More About: Click , Links , Super

MAKE: Video game scenes from LEGO
2007-07-19 03:44:00
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]
More About: Video , Game , Video Game , Lego , Make

GET: If you love your Wii...
2007-07-19 03:38:00
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]
More About: Love

CLICK: Machinima, closing WoW, and becoming chaotic evil
2007-07-18 03:41:00
Gamerz TheatreHorrible 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 TestTest your character's (or your own) alignment for D20 games.
More About: Click , Evil , Ming , Chaotic , Machinima

GET: Free Lost Planet maps
2007-07-18 03:32:00
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]
More About: Free , Lost Planet , Maps

CULTURE: Video games skirt the edge of controversy
2007-07-18 02:23:00
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 t...
More About: Video , Video Games , Culture , Games , Skirt

USE: Kotaku E3 Summary
2007-07-18 01:55:00
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]
More About: Summary

CULTURE: Video gamers "most sophisticated shoppers in the entertainment ind
2007-07-17 08:50:00
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 soun...
More About: Entertainment , Culture , Gamers , Cate

GET: Neat gamer tee
2007-07-17 08:38:00
"Video games ruined my life. Good thing I have two extra lives."[View product page at Threadless tees]
More About: Gamer

PLAY: Nintendo on Facebook
2007-07-17 08:31:00
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]
More About: Play , Tendo

CLICK: Today's wunderkammer additions
2007-07-16 03:39:00
Garry's Mod for Half Life 2A physics sand-box in which players create the laws of the universe.WoW computer stationsGuys, you are not cool, you are insane.Playstation 3 TagsImitation gamercards for those missing out on the fun.All your Wikipedia entries are belong to usInformative entry detailing the 'all your base' phenomenon.
More About: Click , Under

CULTURE: Latest gaming addiction disaster
2007-07-16 03:10:00
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 sh...
More About: Gaming , Culture , Disaster , Addiction , Ming

CLICK: Gamer's Wunderkammer
2007-07-15 02:40:00
Backgrounds from Capcom gamesPretty, pixelly, some of them could be your new desktop background.Nintendo DS new owner's survival guideI 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 petsYep, 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 GTAIVThanks Rockstar! No, I kid, I kid.A statistical analyzer for City of HeroesAnalyzes stuff, keeps track of things, I'm sure all the cool superheroes/villains use it.
More About: Click , Under

MAKE: Nintendo PC
2007-07-15 02:25:00
User hatsuli over at Instructables has a step by step guide to installing a PC inside the case of a Nintendo Entertainment System. One of many great case mods out there, but this one wins points because it's specifically designed to use that crappy PC you've kept in storage for the specific purpose of emulating old school console and hand-held games.[Build an NES PC at Instructables]
More About: Make , Tendo

MAKE: Painted NES consoles
2007-07-15 02:08:00
For $125 and a trip to eBay you too can own one of many painted NES consoles. Other design themes include Kid Icarus, Metroid, Megaman 2, Dragon Quest, Super Mario 3 (duh) and Legend of Zelda.This makes me wish I'd held on to the NES I used to own rather than giving it to the opportunity shop many years ago. Actually, I've wished that for a while, and if I still owned it would probably be playing it, rather than painting and selling it for a tidy profit on eBay.[via Destructoid]
More About: Consoles , Make , Paint , Cons , Sole

WATCH: The 32 (best ever?) video game commercials
2007-07-15 01:52:00
The Game r Collective blog is determined to destroy everyone's bandwidth with its 32 video game commercials in one blog post. That said, it's nice to have them all in one place.[32 of the best video game commercials ever! via Digg]
More About: Video , Watch , Video Game , Commercials

BUZZ: Blizzard working on game that isn't StarCraft II
2007-07-15 00:30:00
Blizzard's Frank Pearce dropped a bombshell during an interview with Gamasutra, letting slip that Blizzard has another game in development in addition to StarCraft II during a discussion about Blizzard's workforce."Our global headcount is 2,700," said Pearce, "And most of that is customer service for World of Warcraft! In terms of development staff it?s probably around 350. World of Warcraft is about 135 people, 40 for Starcraft II, 40 for team 3, our cinematics team is about 85 guys. Then there?s sound and Q/A and that sort of thing."When pressed for details regarding the new project, Pearce was cagey. "Team 3 is working on something really awesome. I can?t give you any hints, but it?s totally awesome."Diablo III? A new MMO? We can only know one thing for sure: it's probably going to make a lot of money.[Blizzard establishes 3rd team, new game expected via Gamasutra]
More About: Buzz , Blizzard , Game , Working

USE: E3 Hands-on Summary
2007-07-14 02:43:00
The flood of hands-on previews coming from various sources out of E3 has been a little overwhelming, and it's easy to let a few slip through the cracks. Joystiq has taken the simple but useful step of posting a list of the previews they've done so far at this year's event. For your viewing pleasure:Assassin's CreedBoogieBurnout ParadiseCastlevania Dracula X Chronicles (PSP)Civilization RevolutionCrysisDDR Hottest Party (Wii)Enemy Territory: Quake WarsFallout 3Final Fantasy XII Revenant WingsFractureHalo 3 campaignHalo 3 Game FilmsHalo WarsHands -on with the new PSPLEGO Star Wars: The Complete SagaMass EffectMercenaries 2The Orange BoxRock BandJoystiq hands-on: The SimpsonsStar Wars: The Force UnleashedSuper Mario GalaxyThrillville Off the RailsWii Fit: Joystiq toes-onWii Zapper[Joystiq hands-on: Roundup]
More About: Hands On , Summary