Ever notice how old games look pixelly and so damn OLD? Well researchers Johannes Kopf and Dani Lischinski did, and evidently it pissed them off because they developed a program to smooth down pixels. As a result, you can now make everything in Mario’s world look sandpapered to heck.

Designed specifically to work with 8-bit games, Kopf and Lischinski’s algorithm takes every pixel in a 2D image and turns it into a soft, gooey blob. It’s something of a step forward: whereas other programs may discard pixels it deems unimportant, this one hangs on to every pixel, allowing for completely smooth, accurate gradations (the following pictures are from dvice):

It’s not perfect, however – its creators acknowledge that it isn’t too hot on more anti-aliased graphics, as this image of the marine from Doom demonstrates:

Also, I just can’t get used to curvy Space Invaders. I don’t want to surrender to these. I want to cuddle them:

[ExtremeTech, via dvice]

Looking smooth: New program smooths out 8-bit graphics is a post from: The Inquisitr

Alas and alack, these obscenely cool Space Invader chairs are currently only a prototype, dreamt up by artist collective Dorothy. Translation: they’re TOTALLY UNOBTAINABLE to the unscrubbed likes of you and I. These exist somewhere in the world, and my butt is not resting on them; it’s horrifically unfair.

Those sharp angles and flat surfaces might look unwelcoming, but these are made from cut foam for squashy comfort, and can even shoot real lasers at remote control hogs. Okay, not that last one. However, there is some pretty useful built-in storage space on these for games, books, or a refreshing drink.

Also, purdy colors!

[Dorothy, via Geekologie]

Take me to your living room: Awesome Space Invader chairs is a post from: The Inquisitr

If you’ve got eight hours to spare between now and the world coming to an end, you may want to try this. Here, inevitably, is a video:

[Pricecharting, via Geekologie]

[VIDEO] A urinal built from SNES games (and it works) is a post from: The Inquisitr

It’s not really an official world record, because the Guinness people were missing to check up on this. However, it is veeeeery big – 3.6 meters by 1.6 meters (12 feet by 5 feet) big, to be precise, and it needs two people to operate it. As you can see in the video at this link (unembeddable – sorry), kids had a blast playing giant screen Mario when the controller was set up in a market near Rotterdam.

Of far greater importance, this post officially makes The Inquisitr one of the Internet’s three leading purveyors of Giantass NES Controller stories.*

* This stat possibly fabricated.

[Tweakers, via Kotaku]

The world’s largest working NES controller is a post from: The Inquisitr

Yep, we’ve already seen a videogame alphabet, but this one is available on a poster, hoodie, or T-shirt here. It’s also harder than the previous alphabet – there are at least five here I can’t get. *hangs head in shame, hands over geek union membership card*

[Via Society6]

Learn your videogame alphabet (again) is a post from: The Inquisitr

My Nintendo 3DS has sat alone and untouched for over three weeks now. The initial appeal of Pilotwings Resort and Street Fighter 4 has long been exhausted. With the next big release, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, not out until late June, I was really hanging my hopes on the e-Shop and Internet Browser firmware update scheduled for May.

Alas, that’s also been pushed back. Not by too much, however. Nintendo has announced that from June 6th in North America and June 7th in Japan and Europe, 3DS owners will finally be able to buy classic games at the e-Shop and use the internet browser for ten minutes before getting tired of the smallass screen and going back on the PC.

That’s a small delay – the update was always scheduled for the end of May, anyway, so we’re waiting about an extra week. Any delay for a feature that should have been ready on launch day isn’t good, but it’s coming at last.

[Via Andriasang]

Nintendo 3DS e-Shop and internet browser slips to June is a post from: The Inquisitr

This apparently ordinary Nintendo Game Boy has a secret that could ensure it sells for between $1,500 and $2,000 when it goes under the hammer at Bonhams tomorrow. What is it? Simple: this is a space Nintendo, the first games console to have travelled to space.

In 1993, this handheld spent 196 days on board Soyuz TM-17, a Russian mission to the space station Mir that orbited the earth 3,000 times.

It was carried by cosmonaut Aleksandr A. Serebrov, whose autograph is included in the lot, along with a note from Srebrov stating, “Like all cosmonauts, I love sport. My particular favorites are football and swimming. During flight, in rare minutes of leisure, I enjoyed playing Game Boy.”

It also comes with the Tetris cartridge (and instruction booklet) that Srebrov used – a fitting choice of software considering Tetris‘s Soviet Union roots.

[Bonhams, via Kotaku]

This Game Boy could fetch $2,000 at auction. Why? is a post from: The Inquisitr

As well as dozens of ickle 8-bit Mario sprites and the Super Mario Bros. logo on the tongue, these also feature the famous Mario invincibility star in place of the Converse star. They’re available in black and white, and – because this event has hardly been recognized whatsoever – are meant to celebrate Super Mario Bros.‘s 25th anniversary.

Also, because I couldn’t justify two consecutive posts about Mario merch, Shapeways (via technabob) is now selling these terrific 3D Mario dioramas, as made from colored sandstone. They’re steep at $83 apiece, though pretty snazzy:

[SHOES MASTER, via Albotas]

Super Mario, now immortalized on Converse shoes is a post from: The Inquisitr

This is arcade classic Pac-Man as you’ve never seen it before: played out across not one maze, but (at the time of writing) 3,159 mazes, all linked together.

The World’s Biggest Pac-Man was designed to show off Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 9, and allows users to design and upload their own Pac-Man levels to a rapidly expanding patchwork quilt of mazes. You can log in by linking the page to your Facebook account, or just play for fun. Every maze features an exit point on each of its four sides, leading to the neighbouring maze.

At least 90% of these user-created maps are obviously rubbish, with people incorporating messages such as ‘LAWL OMG’ or ‘STEVE LUVZ DUBSTEP’ into their maze. Still, the scale is certainly novel, at least for the first eight minutes, by which time it becomes a bit boring to play.

Now, did I hear someone say “PAC-MAN MMORPG!!!“?

[World's Biggest Pac-Man, via Gamasutra]

The World’s biggest Pac-Man game is a post from: The Inquisitr

If you prefer your portable gaming in two dimensions, accessory manufacturer Hyperkin is releasing this nifty little device in the summer. This is the ‘Supaboy’, a handheld console that will play all your original Super Nintendo games.

While the pics here are only a prototype, Hyperkin has confirmed the Supaboy will have a five-and-a-half hour battery life, a 3.5-inch LCD screen, and a portable weight of only 318 grams.

That said, its sweetest features are easily the two SNES controller ports and the built-in A/V stereo output. Combined, these mean you can connect a Supaboy to your TV and play on the big screen like it’s 1991. No word on price yet, though it’s probably a little cheaper than this.

See also: [VIDEO] Man hacks classic Nintendo game to propose marriage

[Via IGN]

Portable Super Nintendo coming this summer is a post from: The Inquisitr

Finally, after more than 25 years, we know …

See also: [NSFW] Yoshi tattoo destroys childhood memories

[it8bit, via Kotaku]

Where does Mario go when he falls down that hole? is a post from: The Inquisitr

See also: Our juicy retro games coverage for old wise folks

[Via Boing Boing]

[VIDEO] 70 classic videogame deaths is a post from: The Inquisitr

The importance of sound, an oft-forgotten part of videogames, is beautifully highlighted in this video of Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros. mashed up with modern sound effects. It’s not unpleasant, just … deeply odd:

Apparently, the guy who made this landed a job at Saints Row developer Volition. Noice.

Oh, ALSO, fun Super Mario Bros. trivia, because it seems to fit here: the game’s sound engineer Koji Kondo recently revealed how he recycled the same sound in the game for different actions, to save memory on the NES cartridge. So the ‘CHUNG-CHUNG-CHUNG!’ sound of Mario being hit by an enemy is the same as when our hero enters a pipe:

Useless facts. ♥

[VideoSift, via technabob]

Super Mario Bros. mashed up with modern sound effects is a post from: The Inquisitr

While I’d FRIGGIN’ LOVE to have my walls decorated like a giantass Mario level, I don’t think I could get away with Blik’s range of Mario wall decals. Explaining this sort of thing to a prospective partner, or even to a father who wonders what has become of his son … it’s tricky.

These giant Asteroids wall stickers might be a safer choice, not to mention how rad they look. Thanks to the original game’s wireframe visuals, they manage to look stylish and maybe even hip, though let’s not go too far here. Either way, I love the arcade-faithful ‘© 1979 ATARI INC’!

They’re removable and reusable, and are available at Amazon now, with $45 getting you the following:

* 2 Large 26″ x 4″ arcade console graphics
* 21 various sized asteroids (4″ to 20″) printed on clear
* 21 various sized gameplay graphics printed on clear
* 21 various sized numbers printed on clear

[Amazon, via GeekAlerts]

Geek up your home with these Asteroids wall stickers is a post from: The Inquisitr

They’re a randy bunch, those videogame controllers. Leave a NES pad with a SEGA SG-1000 stick for five minutes and before you know it you’ve got a litter of NES Advantages on your hands.

This awesome poster is available for 30 bucks HERE (and the full version’s here, cheapass).

[Pop Chart Lab, via technabob]

Incestuous: The videogame controller family tree is a post from: The Inquisitr

Yes, it’s true. Zelda is twenty-five freaking years old, and I’m so ancient I may as well be dead. Still, here’s to an amazing series, a franchise that truly deserves the description ‘revolutionary’. On February 21st, 1986, The Legend of Zelda for the Famicom (or NES here) arrived in Japanese stores and adventure gaming was changed forever.

The games may fall back on some old tricks at times, but hell, the quality is generally astounding. Except, you know. This year, Nintendo will release two Zelda games – one a new title for the Wii and the other a remake of the widely proclaimed Best Game Ever™ for the 3DS.

Nintendo, ever fond of making a few bucks off of past success, has somehow held off bombarding us with a crapload of special Zelda 25th anniversary games and merch. But then there’s always the U.S. anniversary coming on August 22nd, 2012.

So, favorite Zelda game everybody?

See also: OMG! Super Mario Bros. is 25 years old!

[Via Wikipedia]

Crap I’m old: Zelda turns 25 is a post from: The Inquisitr

These super rad handmade felt cases depicting retro consoles are the heroic work of Etsy store owner rabbitrampage, and will protect your iPhone or iPod Touch from scratches. Also, they are about to be bought by you for me as a belated Valentine’s gift. What I’m saying is: I only got a card from grandma again. :0(

The Famicom (Japanese NES) version above is probably more effective at deterring dust than the real thing priced at $28, although younger, more supple gamers may prefer this impressively detailed Xbox 360, or the rather hip PlayStation at the bottom. I love the funky little controller keychains these come with!

Head to rabbitrampage’s Etsy shop for more.

[Etsy, via technabob]

Cute: Wrap your iPhone in a tiny Nintendo is a post from: The Inquisitr

Why, on a Pactuator of course!* This hand-cranked clockwork Pac-Man is going to be part of a far bigger project: a fully playable, mechanical Pac-Man cabinet, called ‘Pac Machina.’ See a video of it in motion HERE, and read up on its creation HERE.

* Possibly.

See also: DO WANT: Pac-Gentleman pays tribute to famous dot-chomper

[Up, Not North, via BoingBoing]

So how DID people play Pac-Man in the 1800s? is a post from: The Inquisitr

PainStation is essentially a version of Pong gone bad. Or good, depending on your outlook.

This sadist’s interpretation of Pong expands on its classic predecessor by adding real pain to the formula. Miss a ball while playing and you are instantly subjected to one of three physical penalties: heat, electric shock or whipping, with the punishment decided by which symbol the missed ball hits. Furthermore, this thing actually causes pain: see the picture below (or the gallery of injuries at the PainStation site) if you don’t believe it.

PainStation is the work of German artists Tilman Reiff and Volker Morawe, and is currently on display at the Computerspielemuseum in Berlin, as part of a huge games exhibition I really want to attend.

Also, this thing might be kind of old. Actually, it definitely is. It was built in 2001. Sorry about that, but I only just saw it, and wanted to share.

[Via PainStation]

The PainStation is Pong meets S&M is a post from: The Inquisitr

Cross stitching, the art of of, err, stitching crosses, is a boon to gamers with a creative touch. Thanks to its rigid grid layout, this traditional craft lends itself perfectly to recreating pixelated scenes from awesome retro games. Here are eight of the most epic videogame cross stitch projects I’ve encountered:

Super Mario Bros. 3 (Stitched by Rayna Fahey)
This incredible cross stitched map from Super Mario Bros 3 contains roughly 50,000 stitches, and comes in at a respectable 28cm x 34cm. Check out the close-ups!

Metal Gear Solid (Stitched by Andrea)
Only one color is used in this terrific cross stitch of Metal Gear Solid‘s Solid Snake, but simple is beautiful in this case. This iconic piece of game art was for the original game on PSone.

Mega Man 7 (Stitched by LiquidKarma)
Meanwhile, this Mega Man 7 masterpiece is the exact opposite: bursting with vibrant colors.

Snatcher (Stitched by klammyq)
Here’s an obscure one: this Snatcher cushion took creator ‘klammyq’ two years to complete, and around 26,000 stitches.

Super Mario Bros. (Stitched by sgoheen06)
This colossal (150cm x 60cm!) recreation of a (fictitious) Super Mario Bros. level took around 200 hours to complete, and 397 yards of thread! It contains ‘just under’ 50,000 stitches, and even boasts some metallic gold accents for a classy finishing touch. Make sure you go HERE to see a far bigger version!

Super Punch-Out!! (Stitched by Sewsew-a-Gogo)
An absolutely knock-out cross stitch next, based on the SNES’s pugilistic boxing game:

Super Street Fighter II (Stitched by StitchPleaseMD)
This 23-color Super Street Fighter II cross stitch features the character select screen we old, fusty gamers know and love. This piece is actually for sale at Etsy (HERE) for $100, if you feel like treating yourself (or me. Treating me is fine also).

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (Stitched by Servotron)
Zelda is surely the most popular franchise with cross stitchers, so it seems fitting to end on this awesome cross stitch of the map in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.

8 Awesome Videogame Cross Stitch Projects is a post from: The Inquisitr