Joystiq

Paste Donkey Kong on photo, win a DS lite and DK Jungle Climber

Kevin Kelly — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 01:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Nintendo DS, Adventure

Do people exist somewhere that don't own this system? If the Japanese sales charts are to be believed, then there have been enough Nintendo DS systems sold so that every man, woman, child, and dog on the planet could have one of these. And a spare.

However, if you are DS-less and have a hankering to get onboard with the action, and you have some rudimentary photochopping skills, then try your hand at the Nintendo DS/DK contest at SmugMug. All you have to do is paste the little guy climbing to the top of pretty much anything, and then submit it. Keep in mind though, images must be under 12 mb in size (good gawd).

It's a pretty easy contest to enter, and the swag is well worth the time, so why not whip something up and get in? We made one in just a few seconds (hint, it's the image for this post) so you should trump our skillz easily and submit it to them.

Check out the rules on their site. Also, the comment on the first (and only) entry that's up so far is ... priceless. Ahh, the internets.

Paste Donkey Kong on photo, win a DS lite and DK Jungle Climber originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 13 Sep 2007 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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King of Kong opens in four cities today

Kyle Orland — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 12:13:00 EST

Filed under: Arcade, Culture, Retro

Supporters of game-based movies have had to suffer through a lot in recent months. Dead or Alive, Postal and the DVD release of Game Box 1.0 have all assaulted our senses and our sensibilities since the start of the year. Now, finally, a good game-based movie has come along and, unfortunately, it's only viewable in five theaters nationwide.

The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters opens today in New York (two theaters), LA, Seattle and Austin, Texas. The movie's limited release extends to seven more cities next week and four more the week after on its way to eventual release in 25 total cities.

Reviews of the film continue to be overwhelmingly positive, with only one bad review among the 25 currently listed on Rotten Tomatoes (not quite 100% fresh anymore, but still close). If you want to encourage quality, non-fiction video game film-making and you're lucky enough to live in one of the above cities, vote with your wallets and buy tickets for the opening weekend. You'll be glad you did.

King of Kong opens in four cities today originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 17 Aug 2007 12:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Conjecture Countdown: 5 days to go

JC Fletcher — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 10:40:00 EST

Filed under: Rumors

Even with a diminished E3, there's no controlling the wave of rumors that hit the Internet every year before the show. Why fight it? From now until E3 hits, we'll be posting one piece of wild speculation every day. Some may be patently ridiculous, and others just might turn out to be true. Even some of the ridiculous ones might turn out to be true! Rest assured, everything will be totally made-up and unfounded. Except, of course, when we speak about all the ass Reggie is going to kick. That part? Totally true.

Rumor: Super Smash Bros. Brawl's online mode will be revealed! It's an online store in which you can purchase different-colored ties for Donkey Kong.

Conjecture Countdown: 5 days to go originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 06 Jul 2007 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Joystiq Weekend: June 16 - 18, 2007

Ross Miller — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 23:59:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Sony PlayStation 3

Nintendo and Sony united for a holy cause, picture provided to us by Joystiq reader Norm Wilson. Check out the highlights for the weekend:

Joystiquery
Joystiq interview: Hal Milton, lead designer, The Agency
Today's full of stuff video: Beautiful Katamari
Today's which-one-is-evil comparison: Skate versus Tony Hawk
Today's please-play-play-better-in-person video: DK Bongo Blast
Weekly Webcomic Wrapup: criminal comic edition

News
Harry Potter website unleashes a little magic
GTA IV episodes confirmed Xbox 360 exclusives
Gamespot: Beautiful Katamari coming to Xbox Live Arcade
Independent Games Festival submission open call
Church of England thanks Sony for apology, it's not enough
A valiant attempt to get Xbox 360 failure rate answers
Watch the exclusive Red vs. Blue content without a Zune
Tomb Raider: Anniversary episodes hitting Xbox 360 in September
Blockbuster stores boast for Blu-ray
Sony not talking about rumble
Virtual Console Monday celebrates gentlemanly sport
Halo 3 viral marketing begins, countdowns and flyers galore
Dead or Alive movie dead on arrival
Take-Two chair talks Wii and DS focus
Legendary Pictures producing Diablo film
This Wednesday: Band of Bugs crawls onto XBLA (ick!)
Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 kicking this fall
New games this week: DiRT edition
3D Realms claims Earth No More
Take Two got $50M for GTAIV episodic content
McFarlane working on Halo 3 action figures
Microsoft sues Immersion over alleged breach of contract
PSP's Earthworm Jim gets the bird, goes 'on hold'
Tiltboard for Xbox 360 shipping next week for $40
Big Daddy's final look for BioShock limited edition
Marathon: Durandal runs away from German ratings board
80GB PS3 launches in Korea
EA reorganizes business into four labels
Soul Calibur IV's bountiful bouncing breasts bulge bigger
Afro Samurai going the way of the video game

Rumors & Speculation
GameStop: Wii Blaster due on June 27
Rumorang: Halo DS exhumed by IGN

Culture & Community
Indie gaming blog Gibbage turns into a portal
Fan crafts unofficial Super Mario Galaxy box art
The Guile to show SSFIITHDROMG
BlizzCon sold out, let the scalping begin
Gaming magazines influence boys' self-image
Father-son event at Nintendo world store
Nintendo Museum tour video, with 8 bit music
Drown your 360 sorrows with Ring of Fire parody song
Circuit City offers free copies of Shadowrun to Halo 2 Vista buyers
GameSpite gets teary-eyed with Chrono Trigger

The Joystiq Weekend: June 16 - 18, 2007 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 18 Jun 2007 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Today's please-play-play-better-in-person video: DK Bongo Blast

Zack Stern — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 00:00:00 EST

Filed under: Nintendo Wii, Action, Driving, Sports, Video, Rhythm

Is the Wii doomed to half-baked waggle games, or will developers harness the awesome power of ~~apples~~ gestures? For a game from Nintendo, Donkey Kong Bongo Blast doesn't give us a lot of hope, at least in video form. Watch the spastic drum-roll gesture to start Donkey Kong racing in addition to other control ... um ... schemes. (And we were sick of the drum roll after Rayman Rabbids, even with the reward of kicking a bunny or launching one off a train cart.)

Oh, waggle, prove us wrong.

See the video after the break.

Continue reading Today's please-play-play-better-in-person video: DK Bongo Blast

Today's please-play-play-better-in-person video: DK Bongo Blast originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 18 Jun 2007 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DS Daily: Happy Father's Day!

JC Fletcher — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: DS Daily

In honor of Father's Day, we thought we'd ask a themed question: Who's your favorite father and son/daughter team? Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr., or, uh, hmm. Oh, how about Bowser and the Koopa Kids? Pac-Man and Baby Pac-Man? Pitfall Harry and Harry Jr. from Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure?

Man, we already had to go to Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure? Maybe you guys can think of more. We can't be retrogaming encyclopedias every day, okay? It would be pretty hard to limit this to the DS, but if you can think of DS characters, you win at commenting.

DS Daily: Happy Father's Day! originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 17 Jun 2007 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Completely unexciting DK Jet videos

Eric Caoili — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Controller, Video

We're still not clear on whether or not DK Jet will allow players to use their bongo peripherals, but even that might not be enough to save what looks like a half-hearted effort from developer Paon. The former GameCube title's official site has several videos illustrating its new control scheme with the Wii remote and nunchuck -- drum both to tear through the course at breakneck speeds of 30 mph, waggle with only one hand to veer right into a wall, and put them back down when you decide to play Mario Kart DS instead!

There are a lot of movies and sections at the site that haven't been revealed yet, so there's still plenty of opportunities for DK Jet to impress us before its June 28th release in Japan. If you listen to the ridiculous noises Donkey Kong makes with every jump, however, it sounds like the depressed groan of a gorilla who just wants to go home. Throw a barrel past the post break for one of the demonstration clips we grabbed.

Continue reading Completely unexciting DK Jet videos

Completely unexciting DK Jet videos originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 15 Jun 2007 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Billy Mitchell ain't no 'son of a gun,' ex-champ speaks on King of Kong

James Ransom-Wiley — Thu, 31 May 2007 19:57:00 EST

Filed under: Arcade, Culture, Competitive Gaming, Politics

Billy "Video Game Player of the Century" Mitchell has broken his silence, speaking out against the documentary The King of Kong, which casts the former Donkey Kong high score holder as the film's villain. "I guess they paint me as a son of a gun," reflects Mitchell, who hasn't seen the movie. He guesses right.

Mitchell and cohorts recently spoke to MTV about Seth Gordon's reality-based film. Gordon and crew whittled away more than 300 hours of footage to forge a playful drama detailing Donkey Konger Steve Wiebe's journey to the top of the record books -- all, of course, at the expense of Mitchell's image. And, according to former Twin Galaxies referee Robert Mruczek, The King of Kong is also "full of holes." For example, Mitchell and Wiebe had rubbed shoulders back in 2004 (before the documentary was filmed), during the Classic Gaming Expo -- they even played Donkey Kong! Whereas, the film implies that Mitchell has avoided almost all public interaction with Wiebe and has shied away from playing Donkey Kong in his rival's presence. More surprising is that Billy Mitchell wasn't even the Donkey King high score holder at the time shooting for the movie began. That honor had belonged to no-name Tim Sczerby, who is conspicuously absent from Gordon's film.

It's easy to confuse documentary filmmaking with fact-based accounts. But don't be fooled, these cost-effective movies can be just as contrived as VH1's next B-list reality gimmick. Unfortunately, the "actors" can end up being the victims. But maybe Mitchell should heed a friend's advice and cash in on his new reputation. America loves its villains ( ...and loves to pay to see 'em villainate).

Continue reading Billy Mitchell ain't no 'son of a gun,' ex-champ speaks on King of Kong

Billy Mitchell ain't no 'son of a gun,' ex-champ speaks on King of Kong originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 31 May 2007 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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He's finally back to kick some tail

JC Fletcher — Mon, 28 May 2007 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: News, Screens

DK! Donkey Kong! DK! Donkey Kong is here!

Sorry, we can't think about Donkey Kong anymore without the DK Rap blaring in our heads. Much like how Rare permanently left their mark on DK through his character design, the rap has been irrevocably stuck to the character. Having the horrifying song stuck in our heads is the price we pay for playing Donkey Kong 64 or Super Smash Bros. Melee. Luckily, scanned images don't have audio tracks, so we can live without fear of coconut guns that can fire in spurts.

Jeux-France has some magazine scans of Donkey Kong Jungle Climber, the sequel to the GBA's King of Swing, and it looks as good as any game that features a giant talking banana as a character, which is to say it looks excellent. And they kept the shoulder-button control scheme instead of tacking on a touch-screen system! Good Nintendo.

He's finally back to kick some tail originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 28 May 2007 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dragon Quest, Super Mario, Boy and Girl in Itadaki Street DS

JC Fletcher — Fri, 11 May 2007 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Screens, Imports

Itadaki Street DS apparently didn't have enough characters to choose from-- the entire Mario and Dragon Quest casts are just too limiting, you know? Besides, nobody can relate to wacky characters like a plumber and a plumber's brother, who is also a plumber.

Square Enix has nicely included some characters who will do less to draw players' attention away from the serious business of strategic board game play: "Boy" and "Girl." They look just like we would if we were three feet tall and didn't have noses!

We've got some screens of Boy and Girl, and of Itadaki Street in general, after the break. And check the link for character art and a few board layouts.

Continue reading Dragon Quest, Super Mario, Boy and Girl in Itadaki Street DS

Dragon Quest, Super Mario, Boy and Girl in Itadaki Street DS originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 11 May 2007 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq review: The King of Kong (film)

James Ransom-Wiley — Wed, 02 May 2007 12:28:00 EST

Filed under: Arcade, Culture, Features, Reviews, Competitive Gaming

Truth is stranger than fiction. And while it needs to be threaded by a capable hand, even Donkey Kong can be woven into a compelling canvas that examines the comically-profound idiosyncrasies that drive human competition. The King of Kong, director Seth Gordon's first feature, is a remarkable film that documents the little-seen niche of competitive gaming, as waged on '80s-era, coin-op arcade machines.

"That ape is very, very cunning, and he will do what he needs to, to stop you," warns a Funspot regular, squeezed into a t-shirt emblazoned with a geeky kung fu joke. The same could be said of Billy Mitchell, the film's antagonist, a blown-dry Machismo americanus and heir to the Rickey's World Famous [Hot] Sauce empire. Mitchell (above), whose 3-letter high score handle (typically one's initials) is U-S-A (notice the Liberty tie?), is stiff and threatening, at least to the mild-mannered circle he maintains a firm grip on. He regards his "Video Game Player of the [20th] Century" title as a symbol of patriotic heroism. Speaking of symbols, Mitchell's wife's cleavage is paraded on screen like a tangible manifestation of his ballooned ego, which is predictably deflated by Gordon's touching narrative of the first true challenger of the Donkey Kong high score; a score set by Mitchell more than two decades ago.

Continue reading Joystiq review: The King of Kong (film)

Joystiq review: The King of Kong (film) originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 May 2007 12:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'The big three' ARE coming in 2007 (to Japan)

JC Fletcher — Tue, 01 May 2007 11:25:00 EST

Filed under: News, Imports

In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Nintendo confirmed that they do in fact plan to release Super Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3 Corruption, and Super Smash Bros. Brawl by the end of this year, as well as pretty much every Nintendo game announced for the Wii. This corroborates an IGN report to the same effect, and is also totally, totally rad. Here's the full list of Nintendo's planned 2007 releases. Donkey Kong Taru Jet Race is slated for June 28, and the rest are all "2007":

Donkey Kong Taru Jet Race
Wii Health Pack
Disaster: Day of Crisis
Mario Party 8
Project H.A.M.M.E.R.
Wii Music
Super Mario Galaxy
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Battalion Wars II
Forever Blue
Mario Strikers Charged
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games

Keep checking with us for news of the inevitable delays of about half of these. Seriously, that's a lot of first-party Nintendo games for just half a year or so. Aw, we just made ourselves sad with our own skepticism. Still, if half of this stuff does get released in Japan this year, it'll be great news and do a pretty good job of ending any drought that may or may not be happening.

Update: fixed some italics and formatting.

'The big three' ARE coming in 2007 (to Japan) originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 01 May 2007 11:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Homemade Donkey Kong clock

Alexander Sliwinski — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 23:10:00 EST

Filed under: Culture

Idle hands are the Devil's playthings ... or they end up making some pretty neat crafts. In this case, Will D'Angelo of TheWiicast.com, made a pretty nifty homage to Donkey Kong with this clock. The timepiece combines images easily found using a Google search -- in this case Donkey Kong and Big Mario from Super Paper Mario -- with some basic materials from a craft store. D'Angelo says you need, with approximate costs:

Clock kit from Michaels craft store ($8)
The vintage sign kit, which includes a shallow frame and plywood backing ($1)
Tube of acrylic black paint ($1.75)
Replacement hands for clock kit ($3)
Clear matte spray ($5)

The most expensive part of the project is probably purchasing the glossy photo-quality paper to print out the images, which D'Angelo already had around. He was thinking his next attempt would be a Centipede style clock. Now that he's done it once he has a recommendation for other people attempting the same style clock, "I would suggest to make it easier to pick up one of those cheapy wallpaper rollers for the air bubbles so that you don't touch it with your hands." A nice gamer craft project with lots of image possibilities.

Homemade Donkey Kong clock originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 21 Apr 2007 23:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DK Bongo Blast's bothersome controls

Eric Caoili — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 10:45:00 EST

Filed under: News, Controller

It was obvious that Donkey Kong Bongo Blast would abandon the bongo peripheral when it migrated from the GameCube to the Wii, but details on how the racing game will use the Wii remote weren't revealed until late last week. Players will shake their remotes and nunchucks at the same time to accelerate, rattle one of the controllers when steering to the left or right, and lift both pieces to jump.

This modified control setup makes a lot of sense, but does it sound fun? In our opinion, this seems like it would have been better left on the GameCube. It'd be appreciated if developer Paon would give us the choice to use our old bongos, but with no mention of the option yet for the, it's doubtful.

DK Bongo Blast's bothersome controls originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 16 Apr 2007 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rare on Banjo VC: "It's possible"

JC Fletcher — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 11:10:00 EST

Filed under: News, Virtual Console

In a response to a young Rare fan's letter posted in their Scribes column, Rare discussed the possibility of some of their franchises coming over to the Virtual Console. The Donkey Kong Country sequels are likely, because Donkey Kong is a Nintendo-owned property. But games starring Diddy Kong, the Rare-created pal of DK, are not as clear-cut.

The main focus of the letter was Banjo-Kazooie, which is a Rare-owned property. The Rare "scribe" diplomatically said that "it's possible" for Banjo games to appear either on the VC or on the Xbox 360 Live Arcade. Our advice? Don't wait for any N64 games to come to VC, because they are slow in arriving.

[Via Play-Nintendo]

Rare on Banjo VC: "It's possible" originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 05 Mar 2007 11:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo holds key to franchise longevity, profitability

James Ransom-Wiley — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 18:23:00 EST

Filed under: Business

As noted earlier, a list published by UK newspaper The Independent reveals what many already assume; Nintendo's Mario is the best-selling franchise of all time. Coupled with the second best-selling franchise Pokémon (also a Nintendo property), the two series, which have sold a combined 348 million games worldwide, account for nearly 34% of the total sales of the top-twenty best-selling franchises; which include two additional Nintendo IPs ranked in the top ten, Donkey Kong and Zelda. So what's Nintendo's secret?

Cross-culture appeal, spin-offs (e.g., racers, sports titles, puzzlers), brand saturation (e.g., apparel, card games, TV shows), and E-ratings all appear part of a profitable formula built for the long haul.

Continue reading Nintendo holds key to franchise longevity, profitability

Nintendo holds key to franchise longevity, profitability originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Jan 2007 18:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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8-bit graphic goodness for your desktop

Kevin Kelly — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 18:45:00 EST

Freaky Fonts has a collection of retro-gaming wallpaper images up on their site which prove that simplicity can still kick butt. These work really well because they aren't so busy that your icons get lost in the background, plus they look snazzy to boot. When's the last time you had an image from H.E.R.O. on your computer? What about Super Zaxxon? Dang, time to fire up MAME for some gaming.

Check out the whole set of eleven here, and decorate your desktop to your heart's content. Got a favorite video game desktop image? Tell us about it.

8-bit graphic goodness for your desktop originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 17 Dec 2006 18:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq on the Video Game Awards yellow carpet

Kevin Kelly — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 14:25:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Nintendo DS, PC, Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PlayStation 3, Sony PSP, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, Interviews, Video

Warning: video is NSFW

Joystiq attended Spike TV's 2006 Video Game Awards last week, and here's the video to prove it. We literally had to shove our way into our designated spot at the press line and jockey for position with other outlets like Hustler and The Greater Cuyahoga News-Press. Once we were set, we asked the hard-hitting questions that have been on gamers' minds for some time.

Some highlights:

Joe Rogan literally going insane on camera talking about virtual reality
Mark Ecko talking about Britney Spears' underwear allergy
Samuel L. Jackson not popping us in the face

One word of warning, the video isn't safe for work by a long shot. Joe Rogan uses some very colorful language near the end that has to be seen to be believed ... then again, maybe not. It is Joe Rogan after all. The 2006 Video Game Awards air tonight on Spike TV. Tune in if you want to see Sam Jackson drop some F-bombs, Stewie Griffin insult Sam, and Sarah Silverman insult every gamer in the world. The best thing about it is the Burning Crusade opening cinematic that premieres during the show. That and the skits about the motion-capture guy. Nothing is funnier than jokes about balls, right?

Alternatively, you could also go back and start beating Gears of War on insane. The night is yours!

Joystiq on the Video Game Awards yellow carpet originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 13 Dec 2006 14:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Playing Nintendo's Donkey Kong on Sony's PS3

Christopher Grant — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 23:28:00 EST

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Retro, Nintendo Wii

Since Nintendo's Virtual Console service isn't live, we decided to do the next best thing: fire up a Flash version of Donkey Kong inside the PlayStation 3's web browser. Sites like everyvideogame.com require Java, so we had to settle for a Flash implementation. Even though the PS3 browser's Flash implementation churns though YouTube video like butter, it has some difficulty with most of the web games we tried. Take this version of Donkey Kong, where our poor Jumpman has managed to get himself stuck in the first ten seconds of gameplay. We'll wait for the VC version, thanks.

Playing Nintendo's Donkey Kong on Sony's PS3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 11 Nov 2006 23:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LEGO + CGI + stop motion animation + Donkey Kong

Christopher Grant — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 10:45:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Retro, Video

There are few certainties in life, but we're confidant that one of them is that the combination of LEGOs, CGI, stop motion animation, and Donkey Kong will always result in wonder and joy. BitFlicks is a newly formed repository of like-minded videos, released weekly, all following the same basic recipe, replacing Donkey Kong with Mario (not Jumpman, see), Space Invaders, or a funny conversation about the relative merits of the PlayStation 3 and the Wii.

We bet you're wondering exactly how these are made. Mr. BitFlicks isn't about to reveal the man behind the curtain, but he has thrown us this bone: they're "a mix of stop motion animation, LEGO and CGI. We start with an effect or an idea and then determine what approach will yield the best result, so the exact method used to create individual animations will differ." We understand, secret sauce and all that.

LEGO + CGI + stop motion animation + Donkey Kong originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 09 Oct 2006 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Happy Birthday Mario!

Alisha Karabinus — Thu, 07 Sep 2006 15:27:00 EST

Filed under: News

September 13 is the 'birthday' of everyone's favorite plumber, and Nintendo's not letting September pass without a little recognition. Two new DS games this month feature Mario and company: the highly anticipated Mario Hoops 3 on 3 and the offbeat Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis. Salut! And many happy returns.

Mario Hoops is scheduled for release next week, and March of the Minis follows two weeks later. If only every month could be September.

Happy Birthday Mario! originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 07 Sep 2006 15:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2 site

Nikki Inderlied — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: News

A miniature marching army that reminds us of the ballet, The Nutcracker (insert random, silly joke here), combined with Mario himself to get temper tantrum throwing Donkey Kong off his high horse sounds like a boat load of fun to us.

We can't wait to get our hands on Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Mini's and to hold us over is a web site.

The site doesn't have much to it other than a trailer and a slide show of pic's but that'll do for now. Take a look for yourself and rev-up to help out Mario.

[Via DS-x2]

Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2 site originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 16 Aug 2006 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Real life Kong: Oh, if only it were true

Joystiq Staff — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 20:15:00 EST

Filed under: Arcade, Culture, Retro

Over in Brooklyn, New York, there's a particular park that is situated beside the über-hipster area Williamsburg. The park, called McCarren Park, has seen some construction sprout up around it and some people ain't too pleased (you see, they want to remain low-key in their hipster ways).

So in response, some lovely man, Steve Ingkavet to be more specific, has created this photo based on the construction that looms. But really, all this does for us is beg the question: How awesome would it be to be taking your daily stroll through the park and see Donkey Kong about to lay down the law on Mario with a barrel full of punishment?

Real life Kong: Oh, if only it were true originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 08 Aug 2006 20:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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80s instructional LP for conquering games

Christopher Grant — Tue, 30 May 2006 17:03:00 EST

Filed under: Arcade, Culture, Retro

The antecedent to all those tips and tricks magazines can be found in this obscure LP from the 80s: Conquer the Video Craze: How to Beat the Hottest Games. In it, "Atari Champion finalist" Curtis Hoard reads off -- in a stultifyingly slow monotone -- the techniques he's used to earn him that honorific.

Sluggo at Dinosaur Gardens has not only found this retro artifact, but he's converted it into MP3 for our ~~enjoyment~~ edification. Learn strategies for: Centipede, Defender, Stargate, Dig Dug, Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, and Tempest. Wait, Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man?

[Via Boing Boing]

80s instructional LP for conquering games originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 30 May 2006 17:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Donkey Kong Bongo Blast release notes

Ludwig Kietzmann — Thu, 11 May 2006 21:15:00 EST

Filed under: Nintendo GameCube, Action, E3, Rhythm

What? A brand new Donkey Kong bongo game for the Nintendo Gamecube shows up, and Nintendo doesn't even bother to show it off on their show floor? We realize that the Gamecube is on its way out, but robbing us of the opportunity to play another DK bongo game is downright criminal. The new game features aerial racing, with DK and the crew tilting and turning in response to your brutal bongo bashing. It's no Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat 2 (Wii version, please), but we'll take it. From the official fact sheet:

"Donkey Kong and his pals have gotten their mitts on some high-powered Barrel Jets - incredible engines that boost when struck by a pilot. By beating on the DK Bongos controller, players can make their character swoop up, bank side to side and launch attacks on rivals."

Check out the video here.

Donkey Kong Bongo Blast release notes originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 May 2006 21:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The History of Gaming at E3

Ross Miller — Thu, 11 May 2006 05:00:00 EST

Filed under: Retro

Kentia Hall is showcasing the history of gaming with classic arcade booths that attendees can try for free. Click below to check out our collection of photos from the display.

Continue reading The History of Gaming at E3

The History of Gaming at E3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 May 2006 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo-themed Goldberg contraption

Vladimir Cole — Mon, 01 May 2006 01:25:00 EST

Filed under: Arcade, Culture, Retro, Video

A college kid created this animation for a class project and submitted it to Professor Joystiq. We give the young man a gentleman's C for incomplete physics modeling, but an A for conceptual development. Very clever opening and closing sounds, especially.

First response to list all of the games in this video wins glory for the duration of this post's existence on the internet.

(While we're on the subject of Goldbergian machinima, be sure to check out this oldie but goodie.)

Nintendo-themed Goldberg contraption originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 01 May 2006 01:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo help for your fantasy baseball team

Dan Choi — Sat, 11 Mar 2006 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Nintendo GameCube, Retro, Sports

While we question the ability of McSweeney's to integrate classic Nintendo characters into a major-league squad, that's just the scouting report that's been released for this truly fantasy baseball roster.

For instance, you've got a young shortstop who spends way too much of his time with "fairies" in Link and the token female pitcher (albeit one with a built-in arm cannon) in Samus, but these inclusions will always be overshadowed by that of the stocky plumber stalked by rumors of steroid abuse. Way to go, Mario.

Continue reading Nintendo help for your fantasy baseball team

Nintendo help for your fantasy baseball team originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 11 Mar 2006 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Magazine reveals Revolution details: Zelda, Super Smash Bros., Donkey Konga

Christopher Grant — Sat, 07 Jan 2006 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo Wii, Action, Adventure, Fighting

While it's not exactly the kind of publication we thought would break all sorts of Revolution news, National Geographic Kids Magazine was invited by the Big N to test out the top-secret Revolution controller in Tokyo. They report, "The Revolution will be available later this year. You'll be able to use it with games you already have as well as with new games. Here are some old favorites and a few of the things you'll be able to do with this revolutionary new controller."

Wow! Let's break that down a bit:

The system will be out this year. You can believe they got this straight from Nintendo and it is consistent with earlier rumors. 2006. Done.
Backwards compatibility is of course something we've known about for awhile; however, the "old favorites" mention is so provocatively vague! They list The Legend of Zelda, Super Smash Brothers, and Donkey Konga. Question is, are they listing games or franchises? If they are listing games, does this mean the "old favorite" versions of these games (Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, Melee) will use the Revolution controller to slash a sword or work as a shield? Nintendo recently said they "made no announcements" regarding such functionality. This of course does not mean there is no such functionality.
If they in fact meant "old favorite" franchises, can we infer there are next-generation versions in the works? Did they get hands-on time using the controller? Are all three games in active production, complete enough to be shown to the press?

Either possibility is far more than they've shown in earlier press demos, where they used simple gameplay demos with crude graphics to emphasize the interface. There is, of course, the possibility they were shown those same demos, and were told by Nintendo what they could expect, to snazz up the story a bit more... but why invite them out to Tokyo for just that?

Fine, we admit: Nintendo has us wrapped around their precious little finger, making us feel like awkward teenagers, gaping at a pinup of the Revolution controller in our proverbial high school locker, swooning over every little nugget of news, knees buckling whenever Shiggy or Reggie open their mouths... how much longer can we stand it?

Read on for the rest of the images.

[Updated: Nintendo has stated this is "all still speculation." Boo!

[Big thanks to John for the images!]

Continue reading Magazine reveals Revolution details: Zelda, Super Smash Bros., Donkey Konga

Magazine reveals Revolution details: Zelda, Super Smash Bros., Donkey Konga originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 07 Jan 2006 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mini Donkey Kong cabinet case mod

Christopher Grant — Wed, 04 Jan 2006 10:04:00 EST

Filed under: Arcade, Hacks, PC, Retro

Most case mods are giant, fire-breathing speed monsters, built to be impressive, majestic even. Full of equal parts epoxy, plexiglass windows, and blue LEDs, they make LAN party-going geeks drool with jealousy. That's the part where Martin Smith's beautiful Donkey Kong case mod might not fit in.

A 0.5056 scale replica of the original cabinet, complete with fully functioning controls, coin door, and 10" screen, the Lilliputian case mod is perhaps a better fit for a one-of-a-kind emulation station; however, with an Athlon XP-M 2500 and an ATI Radeon 9800 PRO 256MB under the hood, it's hardly a slowpoke. Keep your eyes peeled at Quakecon '06.

[Thanks, Bloo]

Mini Donkey Kong cabinet case mod originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 04 Jan 2006 10:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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