games

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This Tetris Video Will Stress You Out

In this eight-minute video, Tetris master Matt Buco maxes out NES Tetris -- achieving 999,999 points. According to Twin Galaxies, only three other players in the world have achieved this feat. If you ever played Tetris on the NES, this video may give you bad dreams. Buco starts on Level 18, as do many high-level Tetris players, and the speed jacks up to supremely insane levels within minutes. Watch it if you dare! If that's not intense enough for you, check out my old post on Advanced Tetris... READ ON

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5 Animals Playing Video Games

To make your Monday complete, I present you with a variety of videos featuring animals playing video games, along with analysis of whether they are good at the games. BEHOLD: 1. Real Lizard Eats Virtual Ants A bearded dragon plays "Ant Smasher," an Android phone game. He or she is excellent, clearly differentiating between ants and other insects in the game, but seems to do a little unnecessary lip-licking. Best YouTube comment: "Thumbs up? if you are an Ant and you find this offensive."... READ ON

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A Brief History of Marbles (Including All That Marble Slang)

If you're the type of mibster that has knuckled down with a taw and shot for an aggie duck, then you already know quite a bit about mibs. If you're among the many people who have no idea what any of that means, stick around as we explore the history of marbles. Rolling Through History Believe it or not, but no one really knows where marbles originated. They've been found in the ashes of Pompeii and in the tombs of ancient Egyptians, and they were played with by Native American tribes, so it's... READ ON

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Urine Controlled Video Games

Well this will give Wii a whole new meaning: In the UK, Captive Media has just, er, released, a urinal mounted, urine-controlled games console for the men's room. There are three games to choose from: skiing, (watch out for the yellow snow!) a trivia quiz with multiple choices (now why didn't we think of that innovation?!) and a knock-down-the-penguins shooting gallery. According to the Huffington Post, the average trip to the men's room lasts 55 seconds in Britain. Enough time, apparently, for Captive... READ ON

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The Late Movies: Nintendo Preview Music Jam

Tonight on The Late Movies, an important historical document of the early 1990s: Nintendo Preview Music Jam. Although there are only three volumes online, they give us three hours of video game AND hip hop nostalgia, rolled into a nice package. What's going on here? Basically, it's somebody playing Nintendo games while a professionally mixed hip hop soundtrack grooves on in the background. These videos were available on VHS in 1991, and I distinctly remember seeing one of them in middle school.... READ ON

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Why Angry Birds is So Addictive

In this analysis, usability expert Charles Mauro dissects the wildly successful game Angry Birds in order to explain why it's so engaging -- what factors in the game affect human cognition so that we'll spend hours flinging virtual birds at virtual pigs? I love Mauro's dry explanation of the game's premise: ... For those who don’t have a clue what Angry Birds is all about, here is a quick synopsis. The game involves employing a sling shot to propel small cannonball-shaped birds with really bad... READ ON

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Sex in a Box: The Twisted History of Twister

If it hadn’t been for Johnny Carson, Twister may have never gotten off the ground. On the May 3, 1966, episode of the Tonight Show, Carson took a few minutes to demonstrate the little-known new party game. His guest that night was the blonde bombshell actress Eva Gabor. After a few right foot reds and left hand blues, Carson and Gabor were playfully entangled and the studio audience was in hysterics. Twister went on to sell more than 3 million copies over the next year. “The game that ties you... READ ON

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The Wizard, The Power Glove, and Children in Peril

Why They Made This Crazy Movie Released in 1989, The Wizard was a major motion picture that doubled as a promotional vehicle for Nintendo products. It's quite likely the only motion picture to require a "Power Glove Consultant" (for the record, this consultant is named only as "Novak" in the credits), and the movie is crammed full of product placement -- primarily for the Nintendo Entertainment System and its games, but also for a bevy of partner brands, including Hostess (a major plot point involves... READ ON

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7 Video Games Based on Works of Art (or a John Hodgman Podcast)

Video games often feature dumb premises: plumbers must save a princess from a dragon/turtle monster? What's going on there?! But what happens when video games are based on great works of literature, music, film, and theater -- does great art make a great game? Read on for some of our favorites. 1. The Great Gatsby: Based on a... READ ON

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5 Odd Balls

Sure, you know your footballs, baseballs, tennis balls and basketballs. But what about the lesser-known balls? Let's take a closer look at some, er, odd balls now. 1. Jai Alai... READ ON