With every gaming generation that passes we continue to strive for better and better graphics, photorealism isn’t that far away from us, so perhaps it’s only natural that retro graphics are making a comeback. The folks at design group Alaskan Military School took it to the extreme though. They set out to represent classic games with just a 15 pixel grid. As ridiculous as it may seem, they achieved amazing results with a few, such as the video above which, if you haven’t deciphered it yet, is Street Fighter’s Ken Masters v. Blanka. Check out their website for the complete collection.

[Alaskan Military School / Via Boing Boing]

Above, the smelting of Sonic’s rings, part of a collection for France’s Amusement Magazine shot by Marc Da Cunha Lopes. It takes the concept of Videogames Industry a bit too literally. The 5 piece gallery shows the makings of such things as Arkanoid’s blocks, Mario’s mushrooms and coin boxes and the Tetris blocks. If anything this goes to show how amazingly unrealistic these games were, you know, in case looking at a plumber shoot fire from his hands didn’t tip you off in the first place.

[Amusement / Via Offworld]

While researching for a post, I came across an interesting concept to reality video. Back in 2007 WIRED had commissioned Yochiro Ono to create the cover design for their November issue. The concept was “Manga Conquers America”. Although it isn’t explicitly said, the evolutionary process highlights the importance placed on the cover design; the first impression. Similar to Bayonetta’s enemy creation, understanding all the elements of the design gives you a greater appreciation for the final product.

[WIRED]

Think you’re so good at Dance Dance Revolution that when you’re on the dance pad people say you are on fire? I bet not like this. This is Dance Dance Immolation, the long overdue combination of two things that should have never been appart: DDR and flamethrowers.

The folks from Boing Boing TV bring us a close look at this art project where you play DDR but if you miss a single step you get your face stuffed with fire. A product of the art collective Interpretive Arson, this project has been in the works for a few years now  and is doing rounds on art festivals and maker events. I dont know about you but I’d pay good money to play this. Actually, I’d pay even more to see my enemies play it, without the flame suit. Two men come in, dinner comes out.

I propose the new Mad Max movie has this instead of the thunderdome.

[Interpretive Arson / Via BB TV]

Several weeks back a few friends and I found ourselves trolling the floors of the Moscone Center in San Francisco, CA for WonderCon 2009. It was my first time attending Wondercon and it was a sheer blast, not to mention a bit overwhelming too; so many sights, sounds and…undesired smells to take in.

For the most part, my first day at Wondercon was spent attending panels and getting a feel for the lay of the land. I had to prepare for day two where I would blow exorbitant amounts of hard earned cash on PVC figures and other miscellaneous spoils of war. It would also present me with the opportunity to thoroughly examine the sea of independent artist booths that blanketed the show floor.

Hit the jump to read about my WonderCon discovery. Read more!

The guys at Night Zero, famous for their photo webcomics produced a collection of Left 4 Dead images with some pretty convincing models. A total of 10 shots, all shot in delicious HDR for that delicious lighting effect. They claim these are early promo shots for a live action movie, probably fan-made, however we dont yet know if the project is real or not, or any additional details for that matter.

In any case, enjoy Left 5 Dead, as much as the title is ruined, the images are superb!

[Left 5 Dead]

Before fancy graphics, “revolutionary” computing power, and the introduction of 10-14 button combinations, video-games were centered around the foundation of game-play. Videogames are an art form and the classics, the games that gather dust in the garage, are ones we remember in esoteric terms. They inspire us to create. The classics take us back to the roots of gaming.  

After the jump are just a few of many examples of re-imagining the classics…

Read more!

Jason Harlan, a designer, gamer and talented papercraft creator just released his 6th ‘album’ of papercraft titled ‘My Virtual Memory’, which happens to be gaming papercraft. A total of 23 games are represented in the collection, including the mandatory Mario, Zelda and Final Fantasy but also containing some Chrono Trigger,  Ar Tonelico, Disgaea and even Odin Sphere.

These are all wonderful and would probably make a great addition to your desk. If you’ve got a couple of hours free, a knack for crafts or impressive patience, you should really try and make a couple. Also remember to read our previous post on anime papercraft and general papercraft resources and tips.

[My Virtual Memory]

Kyle Downes, a very talented multimedia and animation student from Australia, unveiled his final project for his degree a couple of months ago, and though I haven’t seen it get too much attention, it certainly deserves more. With gorgeous animation and an engaging narrative this short video takes us through the abridged history of videogames, all of which you most likely not only know but lived through. Still, it’s works like these that make us realize how young and fresh this medium still is.

Having been around when flash games first started popping up, I’ve been privy to some very… eccentric games, to say the least. However, very few, in fact none, have the truly insane vibe that I Made This You Play This We Are Enemies. That is insane as in clinically insane.

The ‘game’, a very crude plataformer, borders the line between demented ramblings and a conceptual masterpiece. There is really no point in trying to explain it, you just have to experience it for yourself, and as the game’s instructions clearly state, stop trying to ‘get it’.

Bonus: Beat the game for some videos that give a glimpse into the author’s mind.

[IMTYPTWAE]