Archive for the ‘Toys and Games’ Category

Beautiful Polaroid Camera Sculpted in Lego

This wonderful piece of plastic sculpture isn’t just a Polaroid Land Camera. Take a closer look and you’ll see that it is a Polaroid Land Camera made from Lego. To see just how good it is, below is the original, from Flickrer Timmy Toucan.

That’s some rather creative Lego use right there, but the replica, showcased at the Lego-fetish site Brickshelf, prompts a rather interesting question. Why don’t cameras look this good today? Is is merely the retro-stylings of yesteryear which look so good to our eyes, bored as they are by the amorphous blobs of plastic that are today’s gadgets? Or is the Polaroid just a design classic, its beautiful lines obviously superior even when masked by the misty swirls of time?

Clearly something to consider as we end yet another year, and the instant nature of the extinct Polaroid is the perfect metaphor for, well, instant disappearing things. More importantly, is there anything around today which will look this good in the future? Thinking of cameras, I come up with the Olympus Pen, but that is based on an old design itself. Suggestions? Put them in the comments.

Lego Polaroid [Arvo/Brickshelf via Giz]

Polaroid Land Camera 1000 [Camerapedia]

Real Polaroid Photo: Timmy Toucan/Flickr

Review: Rock Band for iPhone Looks Nice, Plays Rough

It was inevitable: The phenomenally popular rhythm game Rock Band has jammed into the phenomenally popular iPhone. Indeed, the mobile version shows loyalty to the console title, delivering elegant graphics, flashy animations and, of course, a store to purchase more tunes. But the iPhone game is loyal to a fault, because the Rock Band experience just doesn’t translate very well onto the handset’s touchscreen interface. Plus, it’s too expensive.

Rock Band for iPhone retains the interface in which colorful “notes” scroll down a screen, requiring you to match them once they reach the bottom. In the iPhone version, you tap the respective color for a note to play it — same gameplay for each of the four instruments: lead guitar, bass guitar, drums and microphone. You heard right: even for the microphone you’re tapping notes to sing; you don’t actually get to sing into the iPhone’s microphone (which seems like a missed opportunity).

The gameplay sounds easy, but those skinny, rectangular bars representing the notes are pretty difficult to see on the iPhone’s screen as opposed to a large television. It’ll take some time — lots of missed notes and failed “performances” — getting used to the game, and bottom line, it just isn’t that fun. (Disclosure: I speak from the perspective of a Rock Band enthusiast who plays expert mode on all the instruments for the PlayStation 3 game.)

Playing guitar is especially rough. In the console version, there are many incidents where you must hold multiple frets and strum to play a chord. The iPhone’s touchscreen is too small for these gestures. It creates an ergonomically awkward experience, which isn’t anything like the joy of shredding a plastic guitar for the console system.

And then there’s price. The Rock Band Music Store (right) charges $1 per song. For the console version, tracks costs $2 a piece, which seems like a reasonable amount to pay to entertain a living room full of guests. But $1 per track to tap around to songs on your iPhone? Over time, including the cost of the game ($10), you could be spending a pretty hefty amount, and the experience isn’t worth it.

The result of Rock Band for iPhone unfortunately appears to be the case where a big software developer (Electronic Arts) believes its game is so popular that it needn’t be modified much in order to attract mobile customers. We think it needs some adjustments in gameplay and pricing to be a compelling iPhone game. Currently it’s no. 3 in Apple’s list of Top Grossing apps in the App Store, but we doubt this will stay popular over a long term.

We’re willing to bet most iPhone customers will stick with Tap Tap Revenge, which demonstrates a smarter understanding of how to create an enjoyable rhythm game for the iPhone. For notes, rather than squint-inducing rectangles, Tap Tap Revenge displays glowing dots, which are much easier to see and tap on the iPhone’s touchscreen. The latest version, Tap Tap Revenge 3, introduces a music store as well, and it’s charging a more reasonable price of 50 cents per track.

Product Page [Electronic Arts]

Download Link

See Also:

• Nine Inch Nails-Branded Tap Tap Revenge Coming to iPhone …
• iPhone Rhythm Game Tap Tap Revenge 3 Strutting Into App Store Soon …
• Gadgets, Games Help Musicians Offset Declining Sales

Rich Boy’s Toys: $24,000 Donut-Shaped Party Boat

Looking startlingly like a flying saucer, the Interactive Recreational Entertainment Vessel (iREV) is in fact a luxury party-boat, in the shape of a donut.

The bobbing boat seats ten people and has a charcoal grill in the center and optional 500 Watt music system with satellite radio. To putt-putt out to the center of the lake you have an electric outboard motor which will run for around 8-10 hours, and a giant umbrella stops you from getting sunburned.

How much? $24,000. I’d rather shift the party a few yards to the side, onto the shore, and save roughly $23,900 of that, but then I’m cheap. Or rather, not dumb enough to waste my money on such an obvious rich-boy showoff toy. Those of you who disagree can try to hunt down the product on the company site, which spends most of its time talking up the credentials of the business partners and mentions nothing about the iREV itself. ([cough] vaporware [cough]).

Product page [Motthority via Uncrate]

Best Mash-Up Ever: Super Mario Chess Set

I love chess. I love the nervous rush I get when starting a game, and the tense excitement when the kill is near. I also love Super Mario World (one of the best games ever made) for the exact same reasons. But which is better?

Luckily, I don’t have to make this painful decision, for I can have both at the same time. This Super Mario chess set features Mario and his team on the side of white, with Bowser and his sadistic minions playing for black. Using gold coins for pawns is a little lame — it should be mushrooms, right? — but green shells as bad pawns and Yoshi as the knight are inspired choices.

There is one oddity, though: Luigi is the queen. What’s going on there? $40.

Product page [Think Geek via Oh Gizmo!]

iPhone Rhythm Game Tap Tap Revenge 3 Strutting Into App Store Soon

A major update for the hugely popular iPhone rhythm game Tap Tap Revenge is awaiting approval from Apple and should be launching any minute now (or day, depending on Apple’s mood) in the App Store, according to its developer Tapulous. What’s new? Mainly, in-app purchases.

Digital music enthusiasts should already be familiar with the idea after playing the hit console game Rock Band, which features a store selling songs for $2 a track. Tap Tap Revenge 3 will be selling songs for 50 cents each and will also distribute free tracks from indie artists.

Artists selling songs through Tap Tap Revenge 3 include Smashing Pumpkins, Foo Fighters, The Killers and No Doubt. Each paid track will also come with its own theme to match the artist’s music.

As for overall gameplay, not much has changed, but in social mode you can play online against friends. Playing in social mode you can grab goodies such as bombs and other weapons to mess with your opponent. You can also create your own profile and participate in a chat room.

Tap Tap Revenge 3 will cost $1 in the App Store when it launches. Have a favorite artist whose music you’d like to see in the game? Make a suggestion in the comments section below, and just maybe your wish will come true. See more screenshots below the jump.

Product Document [pdf]

See Also:

• Tap Tap Revenge 2 for iPhone Launches Tonight
• Nine Inch Nails-Branded Tap Tap Revenge Coming to iPhone …
• Nine Inch Nails’ iPhone App Lets You Tap Along to 13 Songs …
• Digitally Unlimited: Rushmore Star Embraces iPhone, Web to Sell …
• Gadgets, Games Help Musicians Offset Declining Sales

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