12.27.2009

AR: Augmented Reality



Really cool technology. Companies and individuals are starting to take notice and experiment with AR. Augmented Reality takes a live view of the real world and merges them with computer-generated images to create a virtual and interactive reality.









Note quite the 3D simulated world envisioned in yesteryear, but it is still very interesting.





Interestingly the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, a fifth-generation, single-seat, single-engine, stealth multirole fighter, that can perform close air support, tactical bombing, and air defense missions doesn't use a traditional HUD, but instead tracks targets through the pilot's helmet mounted display (HMD) that uses an Augmented Reality System that even allows the pilot to look through his own aircraft as if it weren't there.

12.13.2009

Megaman 10 is coming. Another 8-bit NES Version


I know I'm late for this announcement, but I collected as much info and pics as I could about it. Not to be confused with the fan made "Megaman 10", this is another Wii Ware title that will hit in March 2010.



Mega Man 10 will have three playable characters: Mega Man, Proto Man and a confirmed third playable character, probably Roll but possibly a new character. Nintendo Power have revealed two Robot Masters so far: Sheep Man, who possesses the Thunder Wool weapon, and Commando Man, whose attacks have a wide area of impact and can stun Mega Man. An Easy Mode will also be included in the game (which has been compared in difficulty to Mega Man 2), and like the previous game, it will feature an in-between level item shop and downloadable content.

12.07.2009

NINJA AKASAKA: Ninja Restaurant in Japan







It's a nice theme restaurant located in Akasaka, Tokyo. This restaurant is designed as a ninja house, and there are interesting hidden tricks in the building. Food and drinks are served by "ninja" who also perform magics for customers. The food are based on Japanese cuisine and also are creative. It's recommended to make a reservation.



I'd like to visit this awesome Ninja Themed Restaurant!

http://www.ninjaakasaka.com/

12.06.2009

Classic Half-Life Remakes, Team Fortress 2 Donkey Kong & Left 4 Dead NES?!



Wow this is some awesome stuff I have collected here today. Check it out!

1. Half-Contra, Contra for the NES mixed with Half-Life.


2. Half-Life Super Mario Bros. 1-1


3. Team Fortress 2 Donkey Kong Stage


4. "NES" Left 4 Dead 8-Bit (PC Game)


2 Player Mode:


Description/FAQ:
The flagship title of the PixelForce NES de-makes is Valve's Left 4 Dead.

This game play footage gives you an idea of what the project looks like in action and how it plays. As you can see, it's a standard top-down 4 directional action/shooter. Remade in the NES retro style, the resolution is at 256 x 240 and features 16 colors and a 4 sound channel soundtrack.

Now, let's just get this out of the way....

Q: Is this just an animation or an actual game?
A: An actual game. It will be available for free download on PC around January 4th, 2010.

Q: I only see one "special infected." Will there be more?
A: Yes. All 5 special infected appear in this game regularly.

Q: How far along are you currently?
A: As of November 15th, I am completed with the first "mission: No Mercy" as well as most of the core game play mechanics.

Q: Does Valve know about this? And would they approve?
A: No, Valve doesn't know about it yet, but I'm sure (with their love of community creations) that they will find this mildly amusing at worst, and hilarious at best.

Q: Will this version have all of the campaigns from the original game?
A: Yes. All 5 maps of all 4 campaigns will be present in the final product.

Q: Like your other games, did you make this one all by yourself?
A: With the exception of a few friends backing me up in the QA area, yes, the coding, debugging, sound effects, music and pixel art are all original work of Eric Ruth.

Q: Will there be more videos that show off more of the game?
A: Maybe 1 or 2, but that's about it. If you want to see every campaign and fight every zombie, then you will have to download and play it.

1. I saw all the comments regarding the game's difficulty being low, and I assured you all that the original video was just the first part of the first stage. In this new video, you'll catch a glimpse of the "Death Toll" mission on 2 player, showing off a tougher couple of levels. Still though, this is also pretty early in game, so the difficulty still goes up from here.

2. All but one of the special infected are seen in this new video. The Tank doesn't appear until later in the campaign, so obviously, you won't see him here. You WILL, however, see the Witch crying in her corner, the Hunter pouncing on the survivors, and the players being stuck on the spot by the Smoker's tongue. The Boomer is also here, but you'll recognize him from the first video anyways.

3. I want to point out that I am NOT the one playing in this video. The first player is my buddy "DAC," who is playing Louis, and the second player is my buddy "Jesse" who is playing Francis. They had quite a fun time playing Death Toll for the first time together and will continue to help me make this product the very best it can be.

4. This one is important: I want to make it very clear that the design aspect of this de-make was to create the game "Left 4 Dead" in a way that I feel it would have been handled back in 1986. The idea was NOT to remake it exactly like the Valve original. Back in 1986, games were generally 2 player...not 4. Yes, the system could handle it, and yes, 4 player games existed, but they were extremely uncommon. If this game had been done back then, realistically speaking, it would have most likely been done as a 2 player title. On top of that, games didn't generally use music to create "atmosphere" back in the 1980's. Plenty of titles were laced with music that honestly felt like it had no place amongst the game's soundtrack, but that's sort of the way things were back then. The little things that made games imperfect were also part of the inherent retro charm. A lot of things didn't make sense, and we just took it at face value, because, honestly, no Nintendo game ACTUALLY made any kind of sense and we liked it that way. :)

5. Yes, I did think "Left 2 Die" was funny the first time I heard it, BUT the game still has all 4 of the original characters, so "Left 4 Dead" still makes the most sense. Plus, I'm starting a theme here. Trust me, you'll see what I'm talking about later.

6. I think I've accurately recaptured the limits of the NES pretty well (all things considered) in this title. Yes, I did take a few liberties to make it a more enjoyable product, but the meat 'n' potatoes have been covered. This game is still 8-bit style, not 16-bit. It holds its 4 channels of sound, 64 sprites on screen, 25 colors at once(12 on sprites and 13 on background tiles), and limits within 6 colors per sprite (I promise you, its 6, not 4. see Mega Man & Punch Out if you want some proof). Nay-sayers want some more?
http://www.games4nintendo.com/nes/spe...
http://nintendoland.com/nes/tech.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_ga...

7. Thanks so much, guys for checking in and sharing your thoughts and opinions (yes, even the negative ones). I have even made some game changes based on your remarks, and I hope you find this video to be a more accurate representation of "Pixel Force: Left 4 Dead" and what you can expect from it. You guys are great and I hope to continue entertaining you from now on. :)

P.S.- The flash at the beginning was an emulation of the NES' reset button. If you press escape in mid-play, it "resets" just like the old NES did.

Click here for the official site.