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Posts with tag nintendo

Filed under: Fun, Games, Mozilla, Browsers

FireNES Adds Tons-O-Nintendo Fun to Firefox - Time Waster



If you didn't notice from reading my last massive time waster, I love classic gaming. I'm also a Firefox user, and always on the hunt for good addons like the rest of you. Thank god for FireNES, an awesome addon for Firefox that gives you ready access to a massive repository of NES games.

After you install it, customize your toolbar and add the FireNES button to give yourself one-click access to the sidebar. The full ROMs list is massive, The toplist contains the 100-or-so most played titles, and you can add any game to your list of favorites with a simple right click.

Best of all, you don't have to hunt down ROMs on horibly cluttered, scam-laden websites. Awesome.

The only possible downside to all this: habla usted español? The developer's page is Spanish only - not a big deal, the install link is easy to find and you can always run it through your favorite translation app.

Filed under: Fun, Utilities, Windows, Macintosh

Make your own Mario masterpiece with Mario Paint Composer

Mario Paint ComposerMario Paint Composer lets you do what you know you've wanted to do all of your life...compose music in the key of Super Mario. You'll remember this from the Super NES days, but everything is way more fun on the computer.

This baby is free and it's available for Windows AND Mac and it comes from unFun games. Yay.

Don't have any music writing chops? No problem, neither do we. It makes fun noises and has cool Mario icons. 'Nuff said.

The default song when you load up Mario Paint Composer is a jazzy version of your favorite video game theme song ever. But it's up to you to write the next masterpiece.

And not just any masterpiece, you get to use pigs and cats and hearts.

Best part is that when the app is loaded, everywhere you click on your computer, the sounds follow. I like hearing a nice Yoshi sound when I click on an email or on iChat.

unFun built an interface for you to lo in and download all the songs you want, for your personal listening and partytime enjoyment, but it took forever to log into the system, so we wouldn't hang our hats on that feature.

[via chris pirillo]

Filed under: Games, Linux

Run Linux and homebrew apps on the Nintendo Wii

WiinuxRunning Linux on video game consoles is old hat. Not only can you cram various Linux distros onto an original Xbox or a Sony PS3, but they can even play Doom. You know, and other video games too.

But the Nintendo Wii has been a bit tougher to crack than hacker-friendly hardware like the PS3, which even has a Sony-approved Linux distro. But now the Wii hacking community has figured out how to run homebrew applications on Nintendo's latest console, and that includes a rather unpolished "proof of concept" version of Linux that can run on the Wii.

Now, keep in mind, the hacking process is not simple. You need an SD card, SD card adapter for the Wii, a copy of Zelda: Twilight Princess, the ability to follow complex instructions, infinite patience, and the willingness to completely muck up your video game console if things go wrong. But hey, if you're lucky when it's all done you'll be able to boot up your Wii and stare at a command prompt while wondering how to get back to the video game menu.

[via Slashdot]

Filed under: Games

Wii would like to hack

videoHacking game consoles to run homebrew code is all the rage these days, but until recently, Wii owners were only able to join the fun with software that ran in Gamecube mode, which was a serious limitation.

No longer! At the 24th Annual Chaos Communication Congress, a homebrew developer presented a hacked Wii running native code in Wii mode. By analyzing memory dumps from a modified Wii, they managed to decode the Wii's encryption keys. Programs run in this fashion have full access to the Wii's hardware, which means the sky is now the limit for homebrew Wii developers.

For those unfamiliar with the term, homebrew applications are programs that hobbyists make for specialized computer platforms, like game consoles and phones. They range from games to utilities to full operating systems, and allow the device to be used much in the same way as a proper desktop computer.

Reverse engineering of this type is probably kinda almost certainly very illegal, but we can't help but applaud these efforts. In an age when more and more hardware manufactures restrict what the user can do with their console, it's hard not to cheer for the underdog. It's not known when this crack will become publicly available, but we will be sure to keep you up to date.

[Via wiinintendo.net]

Filed under: Fun, Games, Internet, Social Software

Gaming on Facebook: way more fun than solitaire

Since we're all about the social networking around here, lots of us are signed up with Facebook. No longer content to just write on each other's walls or ask a Question of the Day, a few of us have started playing online games at Facebook with the other people in our networks. Some of us like cerebral games like Scrabulous, a version of the popular Scrabble board game, while others like to kick our friends' butts in Pirates vs. Ninjas.

Tech[dot]Blog has a great round-up of 20 different gaming applications you can add to your profile on Facebook. There are classic Nintendo NES games, trivia and word games, and even some virtual reality apps that let you create an aquarium of fish or adopt penguins, giraffes, turtles, and so on (what, no koalas?) Boy, have we come a long way since the days of single-player solitaire, or what?

Filed under: Games, Windows Mobile

Tips on playing old PC games on your PDA

LedheadWe're going to let you in on a little secret. That article we wrote the other day about playing Magnetic Scrolls games on your Windows Mobile phone or PDA? That's just one of many ways to relive the 1980s and early 90s with your PDA. You can also run LucasArts, Sierra, Atari, Nintendo, and even Mattel LED games.

One of the best resources for finding information on getting these old games to run on your new device is Smartphone and Pocket PC Magazine's column by Werner Ruotsalainen. In just the past few days, he's featured posts on Mattel and Sierra games, and updated his excellent Windows Mobile web browser bible.

Sure, most of this information is out there if you're willing to look for it piecemeal. But if you're in the market for a few good games or a comprehensive comparison of every web browser available for Windows Mobile, you should check out Ruotsalainen's blog.

Filed under: Fun, Games, Windows Mobile, Freeware, Mobile Minute

Top 5 emulators for Windows Mobile - Mobile Minute

ScummVM - Beneath a Steel SkyIn the last two Mobile Minutes we've focused on productivity tips: How to sync your PDA with Thunderbird, and replacements for the built in file explorer. But we all know the real reason you lug a tiny computer around with you isn't to keep your contacts and appointments within arm's reach. It's for playing games in board meetings.

With that, we bring you Download Squad's top 5 emulators for Windows Mobile. Each of the following programs has been tested on a PDA running Windows Mobile 2003SE with a VGA screen. They should all work on Windows Mobile 5.0 devices with VGA or QVGA screens.

Keep in mind that while the emulators are all free it is against the law to download commercial video game ROMS. There are a number of resources out there for finding free and legal "homebrew" or demo games. Or you can always convert your own game cartridges or discs into ROMS.

Read more →

Filed under: Business, Games, Internet, Features, Adobe

The tipping point for online games

Flash Elements TD - Part of the tipping point for online gamesHave browser based games reached their tipping point? The evidence says yes. And this will quickly lead to a huge influx of better and more accessible browser based games pushing an old industry into the mainstream for the first time. Let me explain.

Just a few days ago we posted a review of a little Flash game called Elements TD. We weren't the only ones. In less than two weeks the traffic to the game has grown by over ten thousand percent. Yes, you read that right. 10,000%! Over a million hits a day. Currently the game hogs over 40 Gigabits a day of creator David Scott's bandwidth.

Why is this one example important? Because it illustrates the rapid rise of Flash game development.

In-browser games have been around for a long time. "Arcade" websites like Yahoo Games, Pogo, and Shockwave have arisen to collect these games into one place and market them. Despite respectable success by many of these competitors, the quality of online gaming has continued to lack luster. Flash Elements TD shows us that it doesn't have to be that way and that a great game can be developed independently and marketed successfully. It also shows how great ideas can be taken from existing desktop games and turned into viral web based epidemics.

And an epidemic in online game creation is about to overtake us.

Read more →

Filed under: Fun, Games, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Time-Wasters

Mission in Snowdriftland - Today's Time Waster

Mission in Snowdriftland
Never content to keep you sitting idly by during the holidays, Nintendo delivers Mission in Snowdriftland, a fun platform-style Flash game. Here's the deal: 'El Pix has entered the Secret Teleport Station and has sent himself to Human World. He has stolen some important game files and flew the coop (Har-har!). Meanwhile, Chubby Snow, an out of work video game actor, who is tired of being cast for the wrong role, is pondering his next career move. In a meeting of the fates, Chubby Snow is asked to go after 'El Pix in his home realm, Snowdriftland, and retrieve the stolen game files.

And that's where you come in. Each day until Christmas Eve, in the spirit of an Advent calendar, a new level awaits you in Snowdriftland. There's no ill-tempered sea bass, but there are definitely evil orcas and penguins waiting for you. At the end of each level, a new game file is recovered, and rewards are imparted to you in the form of wallpapers, game clips, MP3 ringtones and icons. This game is true to the spirit of every platformer out there and definitely a ton of fun. But you better get started, you've got 12 levels to catch up on.

Filed under: Fun, Games, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Web services, Freeware, Time-Wasters

vNES: Nintendo in your browser - Today's Time Waster

vNES
Got a hankerin' for some classic 8-bit gaming? Want to play right now? Look no further than vNES, a fantastic site of questionable legality that lets you play any of almost 400 classic Nintendo games in your browser, for free. As you may have already guessed, vNES is a basic Java-powered NES emulator, and it has games for every taste, including a few dozen Japanese titles, some funky unreleased and prototype games, and even a "Games That Aren't Fun At All" category. It has most of the classics, and more are being added every day. It works great without any noticeable slowdowns or glitches in most games, but beware: vNES can be a bit of a memory hog. Bookmark vNES while you still can, as I doubt Nintendo's IP lawyers are going to be as happy about it as I am, especially once they start selling these classic games for the Wii.

[Via Lifehacker]

Filed under: Fun, Games, Windows, Linux, Freeware, Open Source, Time-Wasters

Super Mario War - Today's Time Waster

Super Mario WarSuper Mario War is a multi-player PC fan game based on (and using) the artwork from Nintendo's famous Mario games. The makers consider the use of copyrighted artwork to fall under the "fair use" consideration, although personally I doubt that would hold much validity in court. Regardless, I hope Nintendo leaves these guys alone, because they've created a fun and compelling game that both Windows and Linux users (and Xbox users, surprisingly) can enjoy.

The game features a multitude of modes, as well as a game level designer, and over 400 user-submitted levels, providing almost limitless replay value.

If you're at all familiar with the Mario line of side-scrolling games, and really... who isn't, you'll understand how to play this game. It's all about stomping on each other, the way Mario squished his enemies in all of those classic games. Happy stomping!

Filed under: Internet

A look at Opera on the Nintendo DS

Opera for Nintendo DS videoLast week our pals over at Joystiq posted a video of the new version of the Opera web browser designed for the Nintendo DS. I'm not a DS owner, but I've been wondering since the Opera-Nintendo deal was announced how Opera would fit into the DS's unique dual-touch-screen paradigm. From the video, it looks pretty intuitive: You can scroll around either with a single scroll bar (which spreads the page over both screens) or by dragging around a box on the lower screen, which shows a magnified version of the box's contents on the upper screen. Text input is done with an on-screen keyboard or handwriting recognition. The video also shows off bookmarks and basic browsing. Take a look at the comments on Joystiq for some more insights, including a rough translation of the video's Japanese audio.

Filed under: Fun, Hardware, Apple

Run Mac OS on your PSP or Nintendo DS

Mac OS on Nintendo DSWe've got It Plays Doom, are we going to have It Runs Mac OS next? Intrepid hackers are busy putting older versions of Apple's operating system on some more modern portable devices, including the Nintendo DS (or an emulator, at least) and Sony PSP, and of course posted videos of them showing off their feats on Google Video and YouTube. Take a look below the break to see them in action.

[Via Waxy.org]

Read more →

Filed under: Games, Internet, Commercial

Meetro to see release on PSP and Nintendo DS

They probably wouldn't be getting so much press if not for recent Google buyout rumors, but Meetroduction have revealed that they intend to bring Meetro, their location-based Wi-Fi-meets-IM software, to the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP. I think this is a brilliant move; mobile gaming gadgets are the perfect platform for an app that emphasizes casual ad-hoc chatting. Though you can download Meetro for Windows right now, the PSP and DS versions won't be available until next summer.

Featured Time Waster

Forumwarz - a potentially offensive time waster

I pwn UAfter spending the better part of an hour on Forumwarz I still can't decide if it's just sick or if it's kind of fun. It's a bit like a car wreck on the highway. I know I shouldn't be looking but I can't quite turn away.

It's sick, it's twisted, it's the internet on it's worst level and darn it, it's kind of fun. At least for a little while.

Forumwarz is a parody role-playing game that takes place on the internet - or at least the Forumwarz version of it. Your goal is to complete missions that are given to you through a mock up of GoogleTalk called Sentrillion.

Your first "friend" is ShallowEsophagus who begins giving you missions to pwn various forums by being a troll. Depending on the character type you are assigned at start up, you have tools like drooling on the keyboard or bashing your head on the keyboard that you can use to destroy forum threads and eventually, pwn a forum.

Future missions involve buying illegal software from the Russians, pwning more difficult forums and other internet oddness.

Completing missions gives you cash, called Flezz in game, and items that you can pawn or use in other missions. The game is NOT for those easily offended. It's crass, coarse and there are frequent f-bombs in the fake chat sessions.

This is also a game for a more mature audience as it requires you to shop at the Drugs R Fun store to get various concoctions to improve your playing, engage in certain cyber activities to get more Flezz and just generally use a more adult perspective.

If you can get past that, here are the more enjoyable and time-wasting aspects.

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