[Every week GameSetWatch editor-in-chief Eric Caoili rounds up the latest news/media for obscure and offbeat games from Gamasutra's sister site and alternative video game blog.]
Over at our recently redesigned alt video game blog GameSetWatch, we shared a number of fun stories during the past week, including a book project dedicated to the Game Boy and its lofi graphics, bills for fake video game currencies, an awesome Solitaire sculpture, hundreds of games built by indie devs (including
Minecraft creator Notch) last weekend, and more.
GameSetWatch's highlights from the last week:
Unreleased NES Platformer Mr. Gimmick Reproduced, Available for Sale - "
Mr. Gimmick is a wonderful little Famicom platformer that never found the audience it deserved. The Sega Genesis and Super NES had firmly established themselves stateside by the time a U.S. version was considered for release, leading to its tragic cancellation in 1992."
Microsoft Kills Off Japan's Xbox 360 Mascot San Roku Maru - "As a fan of console spokespeople/superheroes like Segata Sanshiro and Johnny Turbo, it breaks my heart to see the Xbox 360's Japanese mascot San Roku Maru unceremoniously laid to rest, but that's exactly what has happened."
Minecraft Creeper Cash, Dhalsim Dollars, and Pac-bucks - "Pixelart community Pixel Joint held a fun challenge for its members recently: create a fictional currency in their favorite medium, pixels. The contest received over 20 entries, including some game-themed ones like Killermachine's Dhalsim dollars and Harrisonk's
Minecraft Creeper Cash."
Solitaire Sculpture Hops Off The Screen (pictured) - "Product/interaction design artists Lars Marcus Vedeler and Theo Tveteras immortalized Solitaire's ending animation and created this really awesome 150 x 70 x 40 cm sculpture based on the Windows game. The duo produced more than one thousand cards from black foam boards, then cut and taped them together for this piece."
Notch (And Many Other Indie Devs) Created A Game Over The Weekend - "This weekend was Ludum Dare 21, the latest edition of the two-day development competition in which participants rapidly prototype games around a common theme -- this weekend's theme was 'Escape', and the hobbyists, students, and indie devs joining in submitted over 500 entries."
Pixelgalaxy Is A Loving And Stylish Look At The Game Boy - Pixelgalaxy is an upcoming book by graphic designer Sergio Ingravalle that looks absolutely stunning. The focus is on the original Game Boy and it's own brand of pixel graphics. It will also examine the secret of the platform's success, along with a look at its top games.
