Tilt sensor: playing up the MacBook's strengths
by Christopher Grant 
{ Jun 20th 2006 at 4:30PM }
Apple decided to outfit their newest portable, the MacBook, with "vampire video" thereby eliminating any chance of turning that thing into a serious BootCamping gamestation on the go. Sure, it'll run some of your older games swimmingly; F.E.A.R. 2 with 4x FSAA, eh, notsomuch. So, like Nintendo's zagging Wii controller, why not bypass the hobbled graphics system and exploit what the MacBook can offer: namely, an accelerometer.Installed to detect if the computer's falling and park the hard drive accordingly, this clever gamer used ams2hid coupled with Neverball to make the modern-day equivalent of the wooden labyrinth. Now how about the Mac Book Pro's light-sensor and a GBA emulator for some Boktai action?
Embedded video of the deed after the break.
[Via Lifehacker]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
UMTbone @ Jun 20th 2006 4:42PM
The Macbook pro has the sudden motion sensor too... AND it has a dedicated video card!
Who needs a PS3!?
(kidding fanboys)
skinnytie @ Jun 20th 2006 5:05PM
I vote for pinball smack sensor goodness!
jabbertrack @ Jun 20th 2006 5:13PM
that video hardly looks responsive at all but kudos to another desperate Mac gamer
Rich @ Jun 20th 2006 5:26PM
If Apple releases a slate/tablet with one of these in it, I want wooden labyrinth and Etch-a-Sketch functionality.
Stoof @ Jun 20th 2006 5:59PM
Wah! I have a Macbook Pro, the 15.3" with the Mobility Radeon x1600. You have to know how labrynth works in order to play. It takes a bit to learn the tricks, but otherwise, it's amazing to play. Sweet *ROCK ON*
John @ Jun 20th 2006 6:19PM
And a gba emulator!
I thought Joystiq doesn't indorse piracy :O
Hardly ever is an emulator used for any purposes other than piracy :(
Jay @ Jun 20th 2006 6:22PM
I just tried this on my smaller 12" PowerBook. Was alright. you can alter the sensitivity and "dead zones". all in all it's a nice little demo. had no idea the sudden motion detectors could be used in this way. now to get this working with Halo...
TTP @ Jun 20th 2006 6:32PM
My arm fell off after 2 mins of play. The doctor is still uncertain about the cause of my misfortune. Early indications point to the sheer weight of the Macbook or was it the heat. Nevermind.
Back to trolling...
Crazylink @ Jun 20th 2006 6:47PM
Yay For Boktai!
Crazylink @ Jun 20th 2006 6:47PM
Boktai FTW!
the_game_master @ Jun 20th 2006 7:58PM
So Apple traded in G5 processing speed for Intel hardware with the Macbook.
Now Nintendo Wii has the CPU that was meant for the new Apple laptop G5s.
BWA HA HA HA HA!
C. Grant @ Jun 20th 2006 8:22PM
John: of course we expect you to own a copy of Boktai if you're using the ROM! It would be cool is all, just sayin'.
Crazylink @ Jun 20th 2006 8:30PM
Sorry about the two posts up there.
mike @ Jun 20th 2006 10:34PM
So Apple traded in G5 processing speed for Intel hardware with the Macbook.
--
um. the intels are way faster than the 2 Ghz G5's. obviously. what are you on?
Rare Hare @ Jun 21st 2006 2:48AM
UMTbone (#1) said:
"The Macbook pro has the sudden motion sensor too... AND it has a dedicated video card!
Who needs a PS3!?
(kidding fanboys)"
uhh, this isn't sudden.
the macbook pro has had this motion sensore for well over a year :).
Jay @ Jun 21st 2006 5:06AM
Rare Hare - the PowerBook has had this for the past 2 years. my powerbook is almost 2 years old so I can't say if it was in anything older.
James @ Jun 21st 2006 12:03PM
@6- Get a life mate!
The GBA has one of the greatest homebrew scenes of all time. How the hell do you know what an emulator is used for?
Plus, a person may legally make rom dumps of carts they own for their own personal use. Joystiq never said get over to illegalevilroms.com and rip Nintendo off did they?
ps- buying games second hand from ebay gives Nintendo no money. Downloading roms gives Nintendo no money (except if a person tries out a rom, like it and decides to buy it). Things are not always black and white.