The parents were, the police replied. Authorities then showed up at the boy’s house after he hung up, and after listening to the story, told him that his parents were within their rights to take away his game console as punishment.

The police also advised the boy to listen to his parents and stop wasting taxpayers money. Well, don’t know about that last one – but they should’ve told him that, too!

Authorities do not know why the boy was being punished. Yeah, why would any parent punish a child who would question their authority and then call 911?

Buffalo Grove boy dials 911 after parents take away his Xbox video game [Chicago Tribune via Obscure Store via Gizmodo]

Actually, it’s likely an Xbox 360 Controller for Windows – I doubt they’re using a console to display the video. It’s probably something their production team put together on a PC and gave Pereira the controller for ease of use.

But it is intriguing, I suppose. It also reminds me of how I completely screw up my replays in Madden and NCAA 10 because I’m moving the two sticks like an FPS camera.

The unnamed man took his DS and the game to Guam where he said vows with to Nene Anegasaki, one of three virtual girlfriends featured in Love Plus. Tomorrow, the couple will have a reception held on Niconico Douga at around noon (no time zone given, check local listings on the site, if you can read Japanese). The media has been invited to attend; slides will be shown from their time dating up through the wedding.

I’ve heard of dudes marrying a mannequin before so, this not in fact the most weird-slash-creepy-slash-pathetic thing I’ve ever heard. But my forced nonjudgment about this really needs its own word. Begrimaced? Bittersad?

Some Dude Married His Love Plus Girlfriend [Tiny Cartridge via Gizmodo]

Here I thought all the flashing corpses meant we were watching the Australian version of Left 4 Dead. I kid, Luke! I kid!!! No, this is a bona fide playable 8-bit “demake” of L4D, available soon for PC.

Now, that’s not to say this is exciting. I kept waiting for a crescendo event and then realised this emulator probably cannot handle that many characters on the screen. But the common infected are a little too sedate, especially considering 8-bit games are remembered for being muuuuuch harder.

There’s also only one special infected — the Boomer — although the creator Eric Ruth says all of the other special infected will be added in later some point. Ruth promises that all maps and campaigns will be represented too when the game is available for free download on PC on Jan. 4.

NES Left 4 Dead Gameplay Video 1 [YouTube, thanks Eric.]

BoingBoing’s Cory Doctorow writes that he stopped by Hacklab yesterday unannounced and asked to see the Super Mario laser cutter. Sure enough, they fired it up and it played. Warning, if you boost your speakers to hear it, the guy says “f—-ing awesomesauce,” at the beginning so it might not be a great idea if you’re somewhere where saying that word would be inappropriate. Like church.

Hacklab.to’s Laser-Cutter Really *Does* Play the Mario Bros Theme! [BoingBoing via 8-Bit Fix]

They’re slam-packed with in-game memes — Pyro’s speechlessness, Demo-Man getting lit on egg nog and Spy romancing Scout’s mum under the mistletoe. Each set is $US15.95 — a steep price to confuse your family, or a bargain to wow your friends. Your choice.

2009 Holiday Card Collection [Steam via VG247]

Granted these may be Mario and Luigi lookalikes, given that the robbery and beatdown took place on Halloween night at a Great Kills, NY gas station, not in some Mushroom Kingdom borough. According to police reports, the dressed up duo assaulted and robbed the 48-year-old taxi driver after an altercation inside the cab.

A third man dressed in a tuxedo, who we’ll presume was Toad in formal attire, is also being sought.

Wanted in Halloween assault: Not so Super Mario and his brother Luigi in cabbie beatdown [NY Daily News - thanks, Will & Chrismoke!]

That was followed with this pre-commercial quip: “Is the game going too far? We’re going to have a fair and balance debate to find out.”

Jon Christensen of website Slash Gamer and Common Sense media CEO Jim Steyer discussed the issue with the Fox host. Reader Ryan transcribed the conversation from his television set. It follows:

Fox Host: Jim, you got some problems with this game?

Jim: It’s mainly for adults and a well made game, but there’s no doubt there’s a link between violent video games and kids.

Fox Host: Jon, you essentially get to be a terrorist and kill people and it’s very realistic.

Jon: You’re not actually a terrorist. You’re a CIA undercover agent. You are infiltrating a terrorist organisation and the game specifically says, when you go into, uh when you work with this terrorist organisation. You are um… (Jon loses his train of thought, awkward moment) You are a a a uh a a a CIA operative. (chuckles) I’m sorry.

Fox Host: Jim at what age is this game appropriate or is it ever appropriate?

Jim: The main issue with violent video games, including very well made made games like COD. There’s no question there’s colouration between violent games and kids blah blah*. It’s up to the parent to decide whether they buy the game for their son or daughter blah blah*. You need to use common sense.
*blah blah blah added by reader Ryan

Fox Host: I’ll give you the final word, Jon.

Jon: Kids can definitely pick up the game. If parents buy it for them. I have a buddy who’s a manager of a store. Little kids came in to buy the game and he asked if they were over 17. They said no, so he didn’t sell them the game. Retailers are doing a good job. It’s been proven time and time again.

Fox Host: You bring a violent game into a house with an eight-year-old, nothing to stop that kid from playing it and becoming a terrorist… on a video game.

Jon: That’s ridiculous! You’re not a terrorist! It’s pixelated violence! You’re not a terrorist!

Fox Host: It’s violence.

Jon: (closing his eyes) It’s not real. It’s not real.

Fox Host: Jon and Jim. The debate goes on.

Not nearly as exciting as Fox’s take on Mass Effect!

And yes, we’ll post the actual show clip when it pops up online.

Roomba Pac-Man? Done before, but mostly as a cosmetic enhancement. Here it’s taken to the next level — five Roombas (Roombi?) engaged in a contest of Pac-Man with programmed “chase” and “escape” AI.

Roomba Pac-Man [site, via RipTen]