Arcade Lounge

There’s a lot of great stuff appearing with the Kickstarter revolution. This Space Invaders chess set effortlessly caught our eye. The pieces are made from laser-cut fluorescent acrylic which snap into black bases so they can move around on the laser-cut, etched chess board.

As mentioned, this is a Kickstarter project, though the goal has already been reached, there are some full sets remaining at $65 but no early bird sets.

You can find the project here on Kickstarter.

In case you missed it on our website…

That’s right, 10% off our Dual arcade table until the end of December 2012. 60 games and 2-player head-to-head action!

surface tension Dual

When it comes to recycling aluminum cans, most people don’t go beyond hauling them to recycling facilities, however there are a rare few that take old cans and turn them into art.  I am the proud owner of a tuk-tuk made from Singha beer cans, but Japanese artist Makaon has produced something even more awesome than my Thai taxi.

I can’t find much information about the artist or how many cans he used to make Super Mario and Luigi but if this is where skill, vision and the results of an unending thirst collide, then it’s a beautiful place that I wish we could all visit.

Makaon’s website, Empty Can Craft, shows just what can be done with a lot of empty cans, some imagination and a lot of patience.

via: Global Geek News

Every so often you come across an artist who really does say something new, Shawn Smith is one such artist. He is a genuinely talented guy, and I love what he does, as I’m certain you will.

Fascinated by the fuzzy intersection between the digital world and reality, Shawn Smith typically makes sculptures from tiny cubes of wood that are tactical, three-dimensional versions of pixelated images – ‘re-things’ is what Smith calls his sculpture.

“My work investigates the slippery intersection between the digital world and reality. Specifically, I am interested in how we experience nature through technology”. To view more of Shawn’s work take a look at his website Shawn Smith Art

This is definitely my favourite peice, called “Vicious Venue” it’s made using balsa wood and mixed media.

When I started this post some cool new sunglasses seemed a perfect purchase for the lovely weather we’ve been having, but in typical English summer tradition it’s now raining and it’ll be an umbrella I end up buying! Still these amazing Super Mario sunglasses might just be the thing to bring the sun out again.

Etsy seller ketchupize is selling these hand-painted Super Mario Bros sunglasses for approximately £29.00. These customised wayfarer style glasses are also available with Pac-Man designs and are beautifully painted on both sides.

Landscape photos are often beautiful to look at but generally quite serious stuff but 8-bitscapes flips that convention on its head with their series of prints.

Originally created by artist/illustrator Jamie Sneddon and photographer Kevin Rozario-Johnson, 8-bitscapes combines fantastic pictures with elements of classic video games. Sonic running for rings in Köln. A Mario Kart banana peel dropped by an unseen Toad (it’s always Toad) ready to cause catastrophe for the approaching car. And, our favorite, Speedy the ghost waiting to seek his revenge on Pac Man in a converted Manhattan.

Each of the print runs is limited to 150 or less, so pick one of these up to hang on your wall before they become harder to find than an original Atari to play Pac-Man on! Available from  8-bitscapes  £50 – £690 per print.

Why are we talking about interesting drinks mats? To shamelessly mention our very own drinkUP Arcade Buttons Coasters, that’s why. Here they are…

But there are some other great sets out there, nearly as good as ours, which would create a talking point wherever they are.

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I bet this map was a blast to put together, the Film Map is loosely based on those vintage Los Angeles streep maps. It features over 900 film titles and includes such favorites as Forrest Gump (which is, of course, a forest), The Green Mile, Reservoir Dogs, and the Valley of the Dolls. It even has its very own Red Light district.

Designed by Dorothy design company there is also a Song Map available. I’m hoping that one day Dorothy may put together a Retro Games Map, now that would be awesome!

Available from Dorothy, the open edition prints cost £25 each and the limited edition signed and stamped prints are going for £100. Of course this begs the question: Where would you want to live?

It’s a Pac-Fan’s dream: a maze filled with fruit—and ghosts that can’t catch you. Starting from the Pac-Man, trace your way through the maze, gobbling letters as you go.

You can move just like Pac-Man, through the letter-free area in the middle of the maze. Plus, when you exit one side you pop up on the other. Once you consume a letter, it’s gone; keep going until you get to the next uneaten one. Without doubling back, find the path that lets you eat all 32 fruits.

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I’m completely in love with these wonderful N+ew stools from Chillian artist Rodrigo Alonso. They look amazing and I could imagine myself spending hours gazing at my N+ew stool trying to figure out all the different computer parts used to make them into fully functional furniture.

(N+ew: No More Electronic Waste) Stool-sculpture-instalations are produced with electronic waste, epoxic resin and melted aluminum.  Alonso’s collection is posible thanks to the support of Recycla, a great organisation which raises awareness and supports the recycling of electronic waste.

Handmade in limited editions, or special orders. Each is a single, unique piece; none is equal in its filling.  Alonso is able to personalize your N+ew stool if you wish. If you want one, head over to Alonso’s site and send him an email.