Arcade Lounge

iCade 8-Bitty Retro NES controller

Laura — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 19:21:04 +0000

We featured the iCade gaming cabinet for your iPad back in May last year, we loved it and now ThinkGeek have revealed the 8-Bitty controller which can be used for an iPad or iPhone and I love this even more.

It’s a much simpler task to identify the differences between the 8-Bitty and a NES controller than it is to list their similarities. There are two shoulder buttons and an additional two face buttons (for a total of four) not present on the NES controller – necessary additions given the sophistication of contemporary games. And the controller is more colorful than Nintendo’s gray, red and black original, with a front face of primary colors, and edged in a wood-styled veneer.

However, a closer inspection of the product photography betrays the incredible attention to detail and respect shown to the original NES control pad. The 8-Bitty recreates its inspiration down to an insane level of detail. There are the small, rounded oblong rubber buttons recessed into the face in the precise location of the NES controller’s start and select buttons. There are the chubby arrows on each of the D-pad’s four directional buttons. There’s even the tiny cuboid of missing plastic on the controller’s upper edge in line with the cable of the original controller. Hopefully the 8-Bitty will feel as authentic as it looks. Correctly weighted buttons and pad are a must.

No release date has yet been announced but ThinkGeek do have it listed on their site for $24.99 and if you’re interested they will email you once it’s available.

via: Bit Rebels

Custom hangUP arcade coat hooks

Dan — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 11:46:37 +0000

We recently created a custom set of hangUP coat hooks for an under stairs cupboard. So rather than the standard 4UP with 4 balltops, this one held a mammoth 15 ball tops. It was a walnut back board with pink balltops to match the colour behind.

We grabbed a few photos from the proud new owner, so starting off with an arty Instagram snap, here they are…

We have produced a couple of custom coat hooks in the past, so if you are interested in something like this, drop us a message at surface tension.

Star Wars, Lego and chess – a perfect combination

Laura — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:49:03 +0000

I am such a huge sucker for Lego and everything about it. I don’t really know why, maybe it’s the child in me that is constantly making itself known. If I had the time, I would sit and build small cities, but those days are long gone unfortunately. I still enjoy seeing what other people are putting together and I love this idea. Star Wars, Lego and chess all combined to make the most awesome-looking chess set I’ve ever seen.

Only problem is I can’t find out where to buy one, maybe I have to start building my own! If anyone out there knows if this set is for sale please let me know.

via: geektyrant

R2D2 Xbox360 Kinect bundle

Dan — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:34:09 +0000

Not only that, the controller is based on C3PO… well, it’s a shiny gold colour.

How sweet is that? I’m sorely tempted to sell my faithful old white one for this!

Slated for US release in early April, it should be available in the UK a couple of months later.

via :: geeky gadgets

Father Time meets Super Mario

Laura — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:51:05 +0000

Check out this Super Mario 8-bit Clock with Goomba Pendulum. Handmade by no less than Father Time himself, at Clockwork Oregon, this awesome clock is available to buy for £29.22 plus posting but hurry they’re selling fast.

However, if this sweet clock has gone there are plenty of other ones available on their Etsy site. I felt like I’d hit the jackpot when I came across quite a few Zelda clocks, a Yoshi, a Mario 1-UP, Kirby, Tetris heart, Bowser in his flying clown machine, Pac-Man, Mega Man, Tanooki Suit Mario, and may favorite….Mike Tyson’s Punch Out!! clock! I mean, come on! The clock features Little Mac taking a swing and the ear-biting, dove-loving, 8-bit version of Mike Tyson!

via: technabob

EyeAsteroids – Asteroids controlled by the eye

Dan — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:38:45 +0000

I was browsing through The Sunday Times tech supplement yesterday and came across this eye-controlled asteroids arcade cabinet by a company called Tobii.

The potential in this kind of technology is amazing and obviously extends way further than gaming. I saw something similar at the Eurogamer Expo last year at Earls Court running Trackmania Nations.

“Using your eyes as a game controller is an almost magical experience. It’s as if the game can read your mind, creating the sensation of having supernatural powers.

Using your eyes to direct attention is fundamental in human interaction. Using your eyes to interact with games, on the other hand, is completely new. With gaze interaction, the game understands your gaze the same way people around you do, taking immersion and game intensity to a new level.”

EyeAsteroids

S’Geeky Clean

Laura — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:34:56 +0000

Is it a game or is it a bar of soap? It’s actually the lather – sorry, latter. With this NES controller soap you’re just an up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, B, A, Select, Start away from clean hands.

These incredible soap bars are created by Chrystal Doucette at Digitalsoaps. The online store was launched back in January 2009 and was such a success that Chrystal was able to quit her daytime job in journalism to be able to create videogame-related soap bars to suppliers around the world. Other soap designs include Playstation, XBOX, Gameboy and my favourite the Rubik’s cube replica, all created in soap!

Available through Digitalsoaps at Etsy

Space Invader brought up to date

Dan — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:51:10 +0000

Damn this thing looks nasty. I wonder if this is the vision the man in Japan had originally but simply didn’t have enough pixels to work with.

Made by ZBrush from CGHUB. Fun fact from this image is that ZBrush broke his left wrist during the time making this nasty thing and rigged up some foot pedals to use ctrl, shift and alt.

Source :: Geekologie

Lego Moleskine notebooks

Laura — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:44:15 +0000

We could not go another second without telling the entire world that very soon (March in the USA, May in the UK) you will be able to get your very own Lego Moleskine notebook! These are a special limited edition collaboration between Lego and Moleskine.

Each will have a debossed cover with a different Lego screenprint on it and comes with a matching Lego brick and include a colored bookmark ribbon, themed flyleaf and an inner pocket in colored fabric. It comes with Lego themed adhesive labels and will be available in different sizes and in plain or ruled pages.

Available for pre-order from Amazon at reduced prices from £9.18 – £11.55

An ‘Enterprising’ new coffee table for Trekkies

Laura — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:14:15 +0000

As you are probably aware by now the guys here have an unhealthy obsession with coffee tables and we always get very excited when we stumble across a new design. We love the idea of coming home after a long, hard day at the office, and resting your feet on the Enterprise NCC-1701-C.

This Enterprising coffee table was created by artist Barry Shields, it is made from ash, poplar and cherry wood. It took a month to complete and features a glass top that makes it look like it is in motion, with a base that portrays the ship in orbit over a planet. It will set you back £2,018.75 before shipping—but you can’t put a price on endless jokes about the warp factor of your living room.

Available from Etsy