The following post originally appeared on attractmo.de, on August 24, 2012.
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We are now t-minus one day & one week away from VERSUS! So I figured now might be a good time to share just a taste of the amazing artwork that has been steadily trickling in.

Though you may have seen a few of the following already, since they’ve been blowin’ up all over the place, especially Tumblr.

Like Kyle Fewell‘s jaw-dropping Dark Souls X Studio Ghibli piece, above, which was also recently highlighted by Kotaku.

You also have Daniel Dussault:

Mikko Walamies:

Kris Mukai:

Hilary Florido:

Jude Buffum:

Zac Gorman:

OMOCAT:

Stephanie Hans:

Campbell Whyte:

Jovo Ve:

Steve Courtney:

Lindsay Collins:

Ashley Davis:

Maré Odomo:

Jon Kay:

Farel Dalrymple:

And remember, there’s more where that came from, and pretty much everything (with the exception of just one piece) will be available for purchase at the event, albeit in limited quantities.

Any prints that are left over will be available online shortly afterward, for those of you who cannot make it to the party. But those who can, also please not that we have a second musical guest for the evening: underground hip-hop sensation Mega Ran!

And for those who will be in Seattle and were not able to score PAX passes, no worries; VERSUS is open to the public. We’ll have “tickets” for sale at booth the Fangamer booth and at the door.

For more info, and to RSVP, check out the Facebook event page. You’ll also find even more artwork there as well.

The following post originally appeared on attractmo.de, on August 24, 2012.
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Ultra obscure, Japanese PSone titles are my jam, but they’re becoming increasingly scarce. For instance, pretty much everyone knows about LSD these days (okay, maybe not everyone, but you know what I mean).

So thank goodness for Tokyo Scum Brigade. It has long been a favorite corner of the web, for those of us who love Japan’s extremely weird side. The kind that makes dakimakuras and dollfie dreams look positively pedestrian.

You’ll find everything you need to know about horror manga (in addition to Blip Tokyo, I also need to get my ass to Japan for Umezz Carnival). As well as reviews of trendy bars in Shibuya (specifically ones that get Resident Evil makeovers on occasion).

But by far their best game related post is their most recent: it’s all about a pinball game made by a visual effects artist that’s a God among gore hounds.

You should also add the Same Hat Tumblr to your RSS reader while you’re at it. It’s where Ryan Sands (unquestionably the driving force behind the zine renaissance AND popularizing underground manga in recent years) and friends post random goodies.

Like an early 90′s PC game being used as a source of inspiration for a mash-up involving a song that some might recognize from Silence of the Lambs and footage from a 70s flick that details how harsh those Russian winters can be. I think?

The following is not for the feint of heart. And was originally posted in January of this year. Been waiting ages to share this!

[This video that was originally embedded here was removed from YouTube.]

The following post originally appeared on attractmo.de, on August 15, 2012.
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A friend recently asked about one of the Instragram pictures I posted last week (the one with the CD). I then realized that not everyone is necessarily familiar with Sakamoto Kyoju, aka Prof. Sakamoto. So I’m here to fix that.

I honestly don’t know all that much about the guy, other than his ability to tap into the sounds of classic 8-bit games, in a way that’s wholly unique to Japanese chiptuners. Plus how he wears a Famicom strapped to his head. See for yourself, via his YouTube channel.

BTW, here’s another favorite video of his, a single from the aforementioned album, SKMT…

I don’t think he’s ever graced the stage of Blip Festival Tokyo, at least not yet; hopefully he’ll be part of this year’s installment; the line-up, far as I know, has yet to be revealed. But even if he’s not, I still need to go. Especially after the bad news 8bitpeople broke recently.

Blip Tokyo 2k12 will be “the last installment of the Blip Festival event series for the foreseeable future” according to festival co-founder and co-organizer Bit Shifter.

Reason cited? Basically, everyone behind the scenes is in desperate need of rest, and they absolutely, most definitely deserve one. Still, it’s a bummer to know that there won’t be a Blip New York 2k13 (at least for now). Hey, at least we still have Pulsewave!

Anyhow, in other, more positive news, the dynamic duo known as George & Jonathan is cooking something up called Staggering Beauty. Expect good things. Though that epilepsy warning should be taken VERY seriously.

The following post originally appeared on attractmo.de, on August 10, 2012.
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It’s Friday, fairly late in the afternoon on my end. And because the weekend is almost upon us, it’s time to make plans.

And cuz I’m in New York, I plan on checking out the NYC leg of the Street Fighter 25h Anniversary Tournament. Not to complete (I pretty much suck at all fighting games), but to watch.

Though I wish I was in Toronto, to witness Super Street Fire! Was given the heads up, courtesy of Attract Mode’s fine friends in the Great White North, The Hand Eye Society. They (somewhat) explain:

In the style of Street Fighter 2, Super Street Fire pits two opponents against each other for up to three rounds of fiery combat. Wearing specially designed motion sensing gloves, every punch you throw will send a wave of flame towards your opponent. Will your opponent retaliate or succumb to fiery damage? We invite you to come down to Amsterdam Brewery on Saturday, August 11, 2012 to find out.

Yes, it involves punching fire. And yes, YOU can throw the punches. Any questions?

After a decent amount of research, I have yet to understand how this all works. Which is part of the appeal!

UPDATE: Just stumbled across the following, which does shed some light:

What I like best about Super Street Fire is how it reminds me of Tekken Torture Tournament, which I caught way back in 2003.

Basically, two people, head to head via Tekken 3, on a modded PlayStation. One that had electrodes hooked up to both players; get punched in the game, get shocked in real life.

For years there was virtually no info online, other than this lone webpage. Though last year, Eddo Stern, who collaborated on the project, posted this:

I almost participated, but you had to sign a release form that said anyone with any type of heart condition was strongly advised not to walk away. Which I have. So I didn’t play.

The following post originally appeared on attractmo.de, on August 8, 2012.

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I love Instagram. A lot. It makes cool stuff look even cooler. Like video games. And here are some examples.

The first batch is from Kris Piotrowski, creative director at Capybara Games. Who lives the kind of life that most of us can only dream of, like time spent in Japan, digging through obscure Famicom carts…

… Or being part of internal game jams, producing (or simply playing) awesome looking stuff that the rest of the world will never get to touch…

Kris is also the master of Instagraming screenshots. Here he brilliantly captures the overwhelming sense of hopelessness that DayZ is all about…

But Kris has company in this area. Like Nathan Vella, his big boss at Capy. Here’s Nathan’s take on Journey…

Though as others have demonstrated, thatgamecompany’s latest was almost made for Instagram. Yet another example, courtesy of Israel Sundseth…

The same could be said about Shadow of the Colossus. After all these years, it’s still just as beautiful…

Meanwhile, back in Japan, we have Sakamoto Kyoju’s latest release, which James Mielke, a former editor of mine and currently a producer at Q Games, recently picked up…

Fellow Attract Mode collective cohort superbrothers is into iOS photography as well. And Sword & Sworcery is another infinitely Instagram-able game, but his pics are somehow better than everyone else’s…

I’m especially fond of this one; really brings out the Seventh Seal undertones that the game is dripping with…

Just so you know, modern titles aren’t the only things that look great via Instagram. When it comes to the classics, no one does it better than Lamar Abrams…

Aside from various Mega Man screen captures, his feed is mostly a place to post his illustrations, which are sometimes game-related. Here I discovered Lamar’s love for the ultra obscure Genesis shump Arrow Flash, which I dig as well…

Lamar is also hella funny. Like take on Sonic with his one-off sidekicks, from his very first arcade, for example…

And here we have a behind the scenes look at what would become his totally awesome contribution to Comics Vs. Games…

What’s this? A sneak peak of an upcoming print for the Attract Mode shop? Maybe…

BTW, in addition to Instagram, I’m also a superfan of InstaCRT. Basically, it takes any iPhone image and sends it to Sweden, where it’s displayed on a very tiny CRT monitor; another camera then takes a picture of what’s displayed, which is sent it back to your iPhone. And the results speak for themselves…

The following post originally appeared on attractmo.de, on August 6, 2012.

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Heading to Seattle, for Penny Arcade Expo? Good. Why? Because on Saturday night, September 1st, will be Attract Mode’s next live event! We’re teaming up with Fangamer to throw a party that will seriously have it all…

For starters, why wait in line for hours at the show, for just a taste of the hottest indie game on the horizon, when you can play Super Time Force all night long? And making its debut on US soil is Cumulo Nimblers, the breakout hit of our Toronto event, Comics vs. Games.

Plus we’ll have plenty of decks of the Game Developers Conference sensation, the Meta Game, on hand also. But what about music? Well, how does the 8bit rockstar known as Danimal Cannon and underground hip-hop sensation Mega Ran both sound?

Though what both Fangamer and Attract Mode are mostly known for is the celebration of the world of games via artwork. For VERSUS, we asked our friends to create their most eye-popping and soul-stirring creations yet. The line-up includes:

Alex Griendling, Andy Webb, Ann Kornuta, Ashley Davis, Asif Siddiky, Aurdey C.T, Camille Young, Campbell Whyte, Chris Furniss, Corey Lewis, Daniel Bressette, Daniel Dessault, Drew Wise, Farel Dalrymple, Georgina Chacon, Hilary Florido, Jacob Ferguson, Jay Roeder, Jon Kay, Jon Magram, Jonathan Griffiths, Jovo Ve, Jude Buffum, Kaigetsudo Kamishimo, Kari Fry, Kris Mukai, Kyle Fewell, Laura Wilson, Lindsay Collins, Maré Odomo, Matt Cummings, Marty Elmer, Mikey Mann, Mikko Walamies, Mitch Loidolt, OMOCAT, Sean Husbands, Stephanie Hans, Steve Courtney, Toby Jones, and Zac Gorman

Every piece from every artist, be it original or limited edition reproduction, will be available for purchase. You’ll fall in love with something you see, guaranteed. There will also be a selection of goods from both FG and AM to supplement your shopping.

The address? 1927 Events, located at 1927 3rd Ave, just a few blocks away from the convention center. And what time? 7:00pm-11:00pm.

Indie games! Chiptunes! Beautiful artwork! All for just FIVE DOLLARS. Cost of admission includes complimentary appetizers and non-alcoholic beverages. For those interested in something stiffer, there’s also a bar handy. You see, we have everything covered.

Get ready Seattle and PAX Prime, for Fangamer VERSUS Attract Mode

Oh, and for those who like them, we finally have a Facebook events page. Also, please note that you do not have to be a PAX attendee; the party is open to the public.

“Tickets” will be sold at the Fangamer booth, on the show floor, beforehand. Otherwise, one can be purchased at the door, the evening of.

Time for a big announcement! Two actually…

For starters, I’m going back to school! To receive a Masters in Library and Information Science, to be trained & certified as a digital archivist. Credit goes to my wife Ashley, who pointed out that much of what I do, which is scouring/collecting/cataloging examples of game culture online, are skills that’ll be in heavy demand in the coming years! As entities of all shapes and sizes realize that digital archiving is something that’s desperately needed.

When it comes to the preservation of video games as a whole, there’s been a considerable amount of awareness and discussion already, but only among enthusiasts. Never-mind publishers and other representatives of the industry who are mostly concerned with business, who all fail to realize the harm a purely digital distribution model causes to the legacy of the medium… cuz there’s even confusion and misunderstanding among those involved in the creative end of things as well.

This was illustrated loud and clearly when my wife, a librarian, got into a Facebook argument with AN EXTREMELY FAMOUS VIDEO GAME DESIGNER WHO HAS BEEN IN THE INDUSTRY HIS ENTIRE LIFE YET HAD NO FUCKING CLUE ABOUT THE ROLES THAT LIBRARIES & OTHER NON-PROFIT ORGS PLAY WHEN IT COMES TO GAME PRESERVATION. Plus it offers a much needed career change; not sure if anyone has noticed, but I haven’t had any bylines to share that aren’t from my own corners of the internet for years now!

There’s a lot more to discuss about this, but later. Till then, here comes the second announcement…

It’s no big secret that most of my energies these days have been focused on Attract Mode (see above, actually).  It’s also no secret that the platform that Attract Mode’s blog is built upon, that being Tumblr, has become a total shit show; pretty much everyone knows about the idiotic changes to policies and even worse handling of their enforcement (along with how it all blew up in Tumblr HQ’s face), what’s not quite public knowledge is how the underlining code for pretty much everything has been slowly whither on the vine.

It’s why the desktop version has exhibited graphical issues for some time now (plus search is completely broken), yet the situation has worsened significantly in the past few days. Adam and I have discussed another reboot, aka version 4.0, but we’re just so damn busy these days that I have no idea when we can really get down to business. So the pivot towards Twitter, aka version 2.8 FINAL CE EX UPPER CORE PLUS ALPHA, originally a stop gap measure, may end up being more of a permanent solution that originally planned.

Hence why the priority atm is to preserve the contents of the blog, before conditions worsen and everything possibly vanishes (I just flipped the switch so the blog uses Tumblr’s boring but ultimately functional default design). Some time ago a presence on Medium was established, to serve as an archive of sorts, and despite me not being a fan of that platform either, I’m going to double down efforts on that end. BUT ALSO, I’m going to start republishing content over here as well!

Because at the end of the day, you can never have too many back-ups. The first installment of the Attract Mode Archive goes live tomorrow.