LEGO Super Mario Bros. Project on Kickstarter Rules!

Here’s an unusual, cool, and fun Kickstarter project for you. Zachary Pollock wants to create the entire first level of Super Mario Bros. with LEGO, using one block per pixel. This feat requires more than 780,000 pieces. The finished product would be around six feet tall and 90 feet wide. Pollock’s goal is to reach at least $26,400, mostly to pay for LEGO bricks. Here’s an excerpt from the Kickstarter pitch:

I want to inspire a new generation of LEGO enthusiasts. I also want to show people what they have forgotten, that building with LEGO can be done at any age. My second goal is to use this project to test the waters for a foundation I would like to start that will work with children doing healing art projects using LEGO bricks. This project aims to push the limits of imagination about what you can do with LEGO bricks and particularly to break down stereotypes people have about both LEGO and video games only being toys. I want to show the world LEGO and video games can be works of art as well. Last but certainly not least I, and I think many other people, really want to see the entire level 1-1 of Super Mario Bros. made from LEGO because it is just FUN! Right now I think we all need a little more fun in our lives.

This sounds awesome! Any of you willing to contribute to Pollock’s LEGO-tastic effort?

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Coffee Talk #471: Videogames Starring Musicians

Over the weekend, I played two iOS games starring legendary musicians: Frederic: Resurrection of Music HD and Jazz: Trump’s Journey. They feature Frederic Chopin and Louis Armstrong, respectively. Both were pleasant surprises that reminded of other great videogames featuring musicians. Some of you will recall that…

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Game of Thrones seasons two starting to get excellent, MLB’s classy celebration of Jackie Robinson, or Tim Tebow getting booed at Yankee Stadium, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Over the weekend, I played two iOS games starring legendary musicians: Frederic: Resurrection of Music HD and Jazz: Trump’s Journey. They feature Frederic Chopin and Louis Armstrong, respectively. Both were pleasant surprises that reminded of other great videogames featuring musicians. Some of you will recall that I’m a total mark for Britney’s Dance Beat and Journey (the awesome arcade game, not the crap Atari 2600 game).

Those pleasant memories gave way to nightmares about musician games that weren’t so good. 50 Cent: Bulletproof (ironic name considering the man’s numerous bullet holes), Power Factory Featuring C + C Music Factory, Revolution X, and Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style are just some of the crap games I’ve played that star musicians. It seems like there are three flops like Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker for every chart-topper (figuratively speaking) like Britney’s Dance Beat.

Naturally, I started dreaming up my own musician videogames. A platformer starring the original members of Kiss would be cool. A bloody beat-’em-up (Super Smash Bros. style) featuring pop divas like Tiffany, Debbie Gibson, The Spice Girls, etc. sounds awesome. The ultimate would be an HD remake of Journey. That game was so ahead of its time! Music, platforming, shooting, and more in a 1983 arcade cabinet?!? Unheard of!

I’d love to hear more about your experiences with videogames starring musicians. What were some of your favorites? What were the ones you hated? What’s the videogame/musician combo of your dreams?

This Week’s Videogame Releases

It’s another light week for solid game releases. Thankfully, meaty games like The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings for Xbox 360 should keep gamers occupied for weeks to come. I’m curious to hear what you guys and dolls think of this one. As many of you know, the PC version was one of RPadholic smartguy’s favorite games of 2011. While there will obviously be a hit in the graphics department, the other elements of this stellar game should remain intact. The PlayStation Vita gets a great tactical RPG in Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention. Like the other games in the series, it features ridiculous depth, addictive gameplay, and a unique sense of humor.

Any of you picking up new games this week?

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Coffee Talk #470: Contributing to Kickstarter-Funded Games

Thanks to Double Fine’s wild success on Kickstarter, several developers are looking to use the service to fund and self-publish their games. A few weeks ago, we had a fun conversation about alternative publishing models and how they can boost creativity. Today I’d like to talk to you about Kickstarter-funded games. A few of you…

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, watching Coachella on YouTube, Kanye & Kim, or Mariano Rivera possibly retiring after this season, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Thanks to Double Fine’s wild success on Kickstarter, several developers are looking to use the service to fund and self-publish their games. A few weeks ago, we had a fun conversation about alternative publishing models and how they can boost creativity. Today I’d like to talk to you about Kickstarter-funded games. I know that a few of you contributed to Double Fine’s project. What would it take for you to contribute to another Kickstarter game?

Most developers that seek Kickstarter funds don’t have the reputation and sheer lovability of Double Fine (Tim Schafer is awesome and Anna Kipnis is awesome + hot). How do smaller or lesser-known developers catch your eye and open your wallet? As for me, there are several ways developers can get my money. The Banner Saga features my favorite videogame genre and talent from one of my favorite developers of all time. A lot of people are interested in Republique because they’ve heard of Ryan Payton from his days at Kojima Productions and 343 Studios; having Metal Gear Solid and Halo 4 on your resume helps, but I’m going to contribute because Ryan is cool (a technical term).

How about you? What factors would make you contribute to a Kickstarter-funded game? And when will one of you business geniuses start a modest Kickstarter pitch for my site?!? I totally suck at money stuff.

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

Top secret Mac game is still getting heavy play time. That’s all I should say about that, unless I want a quick beheading by vorpal blade. Aside from that, I’m hoping to play more Quarrel  on Xbox 360 with you guys and dolls. I had fun playing with a bunch of you last night and it looks like several of you are digging the game. It’s a fun mix of wordplay, light strategy, funny sounds, and cute characters. Let’s play!

So what’s on your weekend playlist?

Just Say Yes: The Surprising Evolution of Daniel Bryan

As many of you know, I’m a Bryan Danielson mark — have been for a very long time. While I’ve always expected the Daniel Bryan character to succeed in the WWE, I never expected him to succeed the way he has. He’s one of the best wrestlers in the company — the best, in my opinion — but he hasn’t really gotten to show his incredible in-ring skills. Television matches aren’t long enough and getting bumped to an 18-second match at WrestleMania doesn’t help.

To my surprise, Bryan has gotten over as a character. His initial mic work wasn’t great in the WWE and it was never the best part of his game in Ring of Honor. He did a great job as an opportunistic and overzealous World Heavyweight Champion. He would infuriate fans (in that good way) by celebrating disqualification wins and the like by jumping up and down, screaming, “Yes! Yes! Yes! World Heavyweight Champion!!!” The combination of great ring skills, decent emoting, and clever use of a single word has gotten Bryan completely over with the fans. Just look at the video below.

Lately, Bryan has been getting lots of mainstream attention. It’s amusing that it’s largely because mainstream media has noticed tens of thousands of people screaming, “Yes!!!” to a wrestler that got shorted at WrestleMania. I was delighted to see a great Daniel Bryan story on the fantastic Grantland. I was shocked to see a lengthy Daniel Bryan interview on GQ.com. As a longtime Bryan Danielson mark, I look forward to the day when I bump into someone wearing this t-shirt every ten minutes. Will it be awesome? Yes! Yes! Yes!

Coffee Talk #469: Are You Paying Attention to Gaikai?

Even though many of you aren’t sold on streaming, I recommend keeping an eye on Gaikai. The company has been making all sorts of interesting moves that make the service appealing to hardcore on casual gamers. On the enthusiast side, Gaikai keeps adding great content; recently the company announced that it’s the only…

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the surging Boston Celtics, specialty beer bars, or waiting for the new Powerfox & Ponymane video, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Even though many of you aren’t sold on streaming, I recommend keeping an eye on Gaikai. The company has been making all sorts of interesting moves that make the service appealing to hardcore and casual gamers. On the enthusiast side, Gaikai keeps adding great content; recently the company announced that it’s the only streaming service to offer Mass Effect 3. On the casual side, the company just announced that its games will be available on Facebook. A fantastic videogame library, broad reach, and (from what I’ve seen so far) sound technology — Gaikai seems to have it all. So why aren’t you paying attention?

Part of it has to do with the newness of it all. Streaming is a new way to play games. After decades of playing games on cartridges and discs, it seems foreign. As the X-Men have shown over the years, many people fear and hate what they don’t understand (yes, I’m overstating things). Part of it has to do with some gamers (still) being (way too) attached to physical media. Collectors love hoarding boxes; streaming totally goes against that. I’m sure there are some reasons that I’m not thinking of, so I’d love to use today’s column to get your take on Gaikai.

Have you been paying attention to Gaikai? If not, check out the company site to learn more about the service and its sweet game library. What do you think? Say Gaikai was playable on one of your favorite sites (like this one!) would you use it? Scream and shout in the comments section (please)!

Major Changes to Google+

Google has given its Google+ social network a major redesign. Highlights include increased customization, improved photo/video sharing, and better conversation management. So far, I have mixed feelings on the changes. I really like the nav bar on the left. Since I don’t use chat too often, a lot of the space on the right is wasted for me. There are also other areas on the page where space is used inefficiently. Of course I need more time to get acclimated to the new environment.

How about you? You digging the #NewGooglePlus?

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RPad.TV Invitational: Double Quarrel Madness!

Would you guys and dolls like to join me for some Quarrel excitement? This fine word game is like a cross between Scrabble and Risk. Please let me know if you’re down to play on Thursday. If so, shoot out some times you’re free. I’ll also host a weekend session if you’re down. Again, just shoot out some times you’d like to play.

Pre-Order Walking Dead For a Chance to Star in the Game

Knowing that several of you are Walking Dead fans, I thought you’d be interested in this clever promotion from Telltale Games. Players that pre-order the game have a chance to star in it! Five lucky winners will get to be zombies in the game. The grand prize is the role of a human that gets killed, returns as a zombie, and gets killed again! As someone that has experience being a zombie, I assure you that this is a cool experience. Check out additional details in the video above.

Any of you going to pre-order Walking Dead for a chance to be an in-game zombie?