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Sexist, racist, homophobic, misogynist, puerile and occasionally slightly amusing. This is the world of Bad Hacks - a celebration of the best/worst in old-school ROM hacking.
The same kind of kids who dig sneakers are often the same kind of kids who dig video games. Means that we end up seeing a lot of sneakers with a video game theme. Sadly, as exciting as the prospect of a union between games and sneakers sounds (at least to those of us who waste too much money on both games and athletic footwear), invariably we end up with something that makes us use the words "The Horror" in the headline. But not this time! Nike and Nintendo are to be applauded for these NES-themed Air Max Classics, which eschew gaudy colour schemes and obvious prints in favour of something a little more subtle.
Nike Air Classic BW - Nintendo [Kicksonfire]
While I've long been a supporter of the custom console movement, sometimes I see a project that really makes me wonder what the point is. Take this portable, Gameboy-sized NES, based off of a Super Joy III Nintendo clone. Sure, it's slightly smaller than the original Gameboy and contains 72 built-in games, but oh my god is it hideous to look at. "But it's all about the convenience!" you say? I have at least five devices within my reach that are smaller, prettier, and more than capable of tackling an 8-bit Nintendo title should I deem it necessary.
We don't know much about art, but we know what we (sort of) like - and what we (sort of) like is NES cartridges put in a cheap frame and displayed on our walls.
Don't call it a comeback, but Lucasfilm has filed new trademarks for Maniac Mansion, its classic 1987 adventure game. The trademark filing was extremely (extremely) expansive, ranging from goods like "read-along children's books" to services like "providing news programming in the field of entertainment relating to science fiction over an electronic network." Relevant to our interests, the new mark also references "computer game software and video game software."
No doubt there are LEGO architects in the wild who consider this a horrible affront to blocksmithing, but this 29" tall Mario sculpt is obsessively well done. And we're not just using the "obsessively" adjective because the final product was photographed in front of what appear to be Super Mario Bros. wall decals from Blik, we use it because he over-teched it.
The creator used a "NextEngine 3D scanner, modo and big pile of Lego" to get the job done. The final product? Awesome. In-progress pics are available, in case you're wondering exactly what a NextEngine 3D scanner is. (Formal apologies to anyone who thought this post was going to be about Traveller's Tales getting the Mario license.)
Lego Mario designed using modo [Luxology Forums via Gizmodo]
As the owner of a top loading NES, I can tell you there's nothing quite like the reliability and satisfaction of vertical cartridge entry. And that dog bone controller? Like holding on to a cloud, it's so comfortable. One enterprising console modder has decided to take the top loading bliss of the NES hardware revision and the usefulness of the toaster and combine the two into the Nintoaster.
While it no longer makes bread browner or blacker through heated coils, the Nintoaster does make for a snazzy, fully playable NES. It even retains its orange glow, sans cartridge melting heat! A completely useless making of video is available should you want to see this bad boy in action.
Nintoaster [Stupidfingers via Gizmodo, Ubergizmo]
True, this mod could have been done with pretty much any small plastic box, but choosing a Nintendo Entertainment System to house a retro gaming PC is the kind of crowd pleasing coup-de-modding that is difficult to surpass, save by hollowing out a Vectrex or performing electronic taxidermy on an actual anthropomorphic hedgehog.
The beast contains a Windows XP PC loaded with the GameEx emulator front-end and a metric shedload of NES, SNES and N64 games - all of which, I am certain, are fully licenced and were purchased alongside their original packaging.
NES Console Modded as Retro Gaming PC, With Video [Slashgamer]
Tried and true foreplay methods. One: write the alphabet. Two: Konami code. Find out where they put the start button on the jump.
Hey - at least it isn't another bloody Zombie epidemic stunt.