Domino’s has created a very clever iPad app called Pizza Hero. In the game, you create a pizza by using your hands to do things like spread the dough, evenly spread the sauce on the pie, sprinkle the cheese, add toppings and then cut the pie evenly into eight slices. In the game, there are a series of challenges that you try to get a high score in. After you pass a few tests, there are personalized orders that you have to fill. The game plays similar to Cooking Mama on the Nintendo DS. You can even order a Dominos pizza right there in the app. This app is a brilliant marketing move for Dominos because considering it’s one of the top downloaded free apps in iPad store it’s an easy way for them to get their name out and up pizza sales.

You’d think that some of the most revolutionary video games of all time would have a lot of information available regarding their U.S. release. In the case of Super Mario Bros. however, the exact date that the video game was released in the U.S is still a mystery. Some twenty-seven years ago, records weren’t necessarily kept on video game sales and in 1985 Nintendo took a big risk in bringing out the NES in a market where home video game crash of 1983. Everyone is pretty certain of the location of the first sale of Super Mario Bros. in the which was U.S. FAO Schwarz in New York. FAO Schwartz (now owned by Toys “R” Us) however does not have records of sales dating back that far. In the article that I read, Nintendo refused to comment on the exact U.S. ship date of game which makes me wonder if they even know the exact date.

More @ Gamasutra & The Mushroom Kingdom.

Angry Birds Space, the latest Angry Birds game from Rovio is now available to download on iOS and Android deices. I downloaded Angry Birds Space and I must say it is unlike any other Angry Birds game available because of it’s unique new gravity system. Instead of playing Angry Birds in levels with earth-like gravity physics, you play in space where different planets gravitational pulls effect which way you will want to sling your bird. There are also some new bird additions to Angry Birds Space including an ice bird that after you shoot the bird and tap the screen, will freeze and weaken any structure near it. There are little details in the game that make it fun like how the birds are wearing space have space helmets. If you crack and destroy their space helmets, they will still survive for a few seconds before the freeze and blow up. Overall it’s a fun addition to the Angry Birds franchise and will provide a lot of enjoyment.

More @ Rovio.

The Neo Geo Pocket Color was a great device but unfortunetly it had a lot of competition from Nintendo’s Game Boy which meant it would only last for about 2 years before it was discontinued. SNK Playmore isn’t done trying to produce sucessful consoles just yet though with an announcement of a new Neo Geo portable device called Neo Geo X. The console is being produced by a company called Blaze under SNK’s license. The X will be released in Q2 2012 following the 20th anniversary of the NEOGEO AES console. The X also includes an SD card slot, possibly for other games. The 20 games included are:

1. ART OF FIGHTING
2. BASEBALL STARS
3. CYBER LIP
4. FATAL FURY
5. FATAL FURY SPECIAL
6. FOOTBALL FRENZY
7. KING OF THE MONSTERS
8. LAST RESORT
9. LEAGUE BOWLING
10. MAGICIAN LORD
11. METAL SLUG
12. MUTATION NATION
13. NAM 1975
14. SAMURAI SHODOWN
15. SENGOKU
16. SUPER SIDEKICKS
17. THE KING OF FIGHTERS’94
18. THE ULTIMATE 11
19. TOP PLAYERS GOLF
20. WORLD HEROES

Just in case you’re so into Super Mario that you need to hold onto hom while you sleep, there are Super Mario Bros. 3 8-bit style quilts available on Etsy. Correction, they were available but it looks like they already sold out. There were three versions for sale: Frog Suit Mario, Tanuki Mario & Winged Goomba. They were going for $85.00 which is a good price considering that these are custom hand made quilts and feature you’re favorite video game plumber from another mother.

Be on the lookout for more quilts from Etsy user bsayasane

Today I checked out Ice Rage, a 99 cent game for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. In Ice Rage, you control one player against the computer or human component in some 1-on-1 ice hockey action. The game definitely has more of an quick-action, arcade feel than a realistic simulation 5-on-5 hockey game and that’s why I like it. You can currently choose from only two characters to play with, a human and a bear. For 99 cents more, you can also purchase a character that resembles Santa Clause. There are three modes of play, single player quick match, single player tournament and multiplayer. In quick match, you play against the computer in a 1:45 match. In tournament mode, you play against a number of players in 0:45 second matches that get tougher the more opponents you play against. In multiplayer, you play against the computer. The graphics are very crisp and gorgeous. The controls in the game are very accurate considering you’re using the touchscreen as a joystick and shoot button. Overall, Ice Rage is a game well worth 99 cents if you enjoy arcade style games and Ice Hockey.

I downloaded this game called Cut the buttons for my iPod Touch and it’s pretty sweet. In the game you use your fingers to hold scissors on your screen while buttons and screws sewn onto pants pockets get flung into the screen. On the bottom of the screen is a cup that you can control with your other hand to catch the buttons as you cut them off the pants pocket. Each button you catch will score you a point but be careful because if you cut the screw you will lose 5 points. The quality of both the graphics and sound are very high. Someone spent a lot of time on programming the details of this game. The iPod Touch version that I downloaded was free but limited due to the small screen size. It is difficult to control both the scissors and the cup on the screen. There is an iPad version of the game which I have never played but would imagine to be much easier to control.

More @ openname.su.

It turns out that WebOS app beggars can be choosers, when selecting the right news app. I have officially replaced USA Today with a new goto news app for my Touchpad, News Republic. I like it so much that I even put it along the static app area on the bottom of the screen. USA Today wasn’t a bad app to use. It’s just that News Republic offers more categories, more stories, longer stories with more pictures, more up to date news and an overall slicker interface. That is saying a lot considering the USA Today app has been around for as long as the Touchpad and I want to say that it even came pre-installed on my Touchpad. It always left more to be desired though. The USA Today app always felt like a limited version of the popular newspaper I’d find waiting for me at my hotel room door while News Republic feels like an incoming feed of news that gets updated as soon as the story is released to the public and deemed appropriate for this app. Preferences are currently limited and they will probably stay that way but that doesn’t worry me.

The only fast food treat that’s almost as rare of an occurrence as the McRib is McDonald’s Shamrock Shake. This once a year limited-time mint flavored, green-dyed vanilla milkshake was first introduced in 1970 and is usually only available at select McDonalds restaurants. Two days ago however, McDonald’s announced that the Shamrock Shake would be available in all of its U.S. restaurants for the first time, from February 8 thru March 25, 2012. The Shamrock Shake ingredients include the food colorings yellow 5, and blue 1 and you may or may not realize that these two colors combined make the color green. Get ready to shake your booty down at the gym after enjoying a Shamrock Shake. The large contains 840 calories and 24 grams of fat.

Today I am taking a look at Fat Jump, a game for iOS. Fat Jump is like Doodle Jump meets Willy Wonka. A lot of the elements in Fat Jump resemble the elements in Doodle Jump but with a food twist. The goal of the game is to get your pickle character as high as you can without falling down to the bottom of the screen which will cause your game to be over.

As you jump up, you land on floating islands that if jumped upon a certain number of times, will collapse and leave you looking for somewhere else to jump. Along the way you will find different food items. Like in real life, you want to eat the healthy items and stay away from the sweets. Eat things like cupcakes and you will become fat and bloated which will make it more difficult to continue to move up but eating healthy things like apples will just give you extra points. There are also coins to collect and things like springs and spin hats that will help you progress higher, faster.

The version of Fat Jump that I tried is the free version which includes ads along the top of the screen that aren’t too intrusive on gameplay. I really like the pretty graphics in this app and I find the food elements a neat addition to what I’m used to out of similar jump games. Still, I can’t help but think the developer could have come up with a more original concept that doesn’t copy another game so heavily.

Moleskine paper notebooks are known for their high quality and high prices. But if you are in the need of a really nice notebook for a gift or for yourself, these notebooks just may be some of the best that you can buy. Some of the highlights include an elastic band, sewn spine, rounded paper corners, ribbon bookmarks, and a pockets on the inside covers. They also release limited edition notebooks just like this Lego notebook. This is no ordinary notepad of paper because you can build small Lego creations right off of the outer cover of the notepad. The bricks attached to the notebooks come in flat 2×4 pieces and 4×8 pieces depending on the size of notebook. The notebook also comes with stickers.

Boss 1: Damnd

The first boss in Final Fight is a big guy with a hearty laugh. Damnd looks a bit similar to Hulk Hogan. He is seen in the first cutscene of the game right before level 1 begins with Jessica over his shoulder. A crucial member of the Mad Gear gang, Damnd was brought up in the world of illegal street crime. After spending some time in the slammer and then being released, he started selling drugs on the streets of Metro City.

After busting through the front door of his hideout, Damnd will come right at you in full force. Don’t try to go to him but instead let him come to you from above or below but never from the side or he will have a reach advantage. After knocking him down a couple of times he will do a barrel flip onto the subway entrance and whistle for his buddies and fellow gang members to come out and help. After you start punishing his buddies, he will do another barrel flip towards you and try to jump kick you. Quickly move up or down on the screen to avoid him and then go to work on him again. This will happen three times before Damnd will start to lose energy. After the final hit he will fall down and with all his strength try to get back up but instead just collapse. This leaves the subway entrance open for you to start he next level.

Boss 2: Sodom

The second boss, Sodom is a dangerous shoulder pad wearing undefeated underground pro wrestler who likes to swing katana swords at anyone who chooses to get in his way. He was born in the United States and is obsessed with Japanese culture. In addition to Final Fight, Sodom has appeared in Street Fighter games sporting jutte blades.

After making your way through the subway, You will drop into the wrestling ring where Sodom will be waiting for you while sitting on a bar stool. There will be a huge crowd in the background watching and cheering on the fight so don’t disappoint and give them something good to watch. Sodom will jump off of his chair and come at you sword swinging. Let him follow you into the corner and then jump kick him. He will drop a katana but is still dangerous. He will stare down at the ground and be ready to charge at you like a bull. If you’re fast enough that is a good time to get a quickly jump kick him. Keep on attacking him and don’t let him get back to where his katanas are or it will be more difficult to defeat him. He will fall down after roughly 8 knock-downs and you can move on to the next level.

Boss 3: Edie E

Edie E wasn’t always a Mad Gear street crime gang member. He used to make a living as a cop on the streets of Metro City fighting people just like what he’s become. However, with a shrinking salary and a family to feed, Edie E thought that there would be a way to make some more cash in a life of illegal street crime. He begged Mad Gear for a job and proved himself worthy to them. He still hangs out on the Metro City streets but this time he’s working for the bad guys selling drugs in Westside.

When Edie E. is first is seen in Final Fight, he will come right at you. He is pretty fast for the large burly exposed-chest-haired man that he is. He will usually have one hand on his holster ready to pull out his gun and start firing. Don’t let him be within shooting range of you or he will get his gun out. Instead stay above or below him on the screen and let him come to you and then start attacking him. Once he’s down, stay near him and then as he starts to get up continue to attack. Eventually after a few punishing rounds he will fall face first onto the pavement and it will be time for you to go to the Industrial Area.

Boss 4: Rolento

Rolento is a former member of the special forces unit, the Red Berets. He is a trained soldier that doesn’t mind taking his battlefield combat skills to the Metro City streets. This means that he will try to destroy anyone in his way using a baton and hand grenades. He also has made appearances in some Street Fighter games under his same name.

When you’re at the end of the Industrial level, you will make your way to an elevator with many Mad gear Gang members attacking you. He will then jump out from behind the ladder behind the elevator and try to take you down. Rolento has a vicious spin attack jump that is so fast it’s difficult to see it coming. When he does spin attack, stay close to where he will land his jump and then attack him. When he gets up, get to the other side of the elevator. He will charge attack you but if you’re on the other side he won’t get close enough to hurt you. He will then spin jump attack you which is when you should attack him when he lands again. Once he starts to get desperate, he will start jumping on the top platform above the elevator and then jump spin attack you using grenades. Continue the same strategy until he eventually fails and commints suicide by blowing himself up with the rest of his grenades.

Boss 5: Abigail

Growing up, Abigail had a tough time in grade school. He was always the outcast in his class and took advantage of his large size by turned to violence to make up for his lack of friends. After graduation, the only real opportunities for him were offered by the city’s multiple street gangs. After a brutal street gang fight where he got mad, turned red and destroyed opponents, he caught the attention of the Mad Gear Gang where he joined and ruled the streets of the Bay Area.

With what looks like the Statue of Liberty in the background and a beautiful sunset comes a man so large that at first he looks nearly impossible to beat down. He will run at you out of nowhere. Instantly jump attack him and grab the sword on the ground if it is available. After he gets up he will come at you again which at this point simply swing the sword at him and he will fall. He will get up and run towards you along with other opponents but if you continue to swing your sword at him at just the right time before he gets to you, you will be fine and defeat him. Don’t let his red face scare you. Just because he’s upset doesn’t mean that he will be more difficult to beat.

Boss 6: Belger

We’re now Uptown on the final level of Final Fight which means it’s time to face Horace Belger. He pretends to be a businessman but is actuallt the mastermind of the Mad Gear gang. His wheelchair is just a front and he is perfectly capable of walking. He carries has a deadly crossbow in one hand and uses Jessica as a human shield in the other. Capcom has never stated exactly just what the final plan was for the Mad Gear Gang but it’s clear that making as much cash by selling illegal drugs is a part of that plan.

While uptown you will make your way off the streets and into a fancy building. Then up an elevator and to what looks like a different area all together because it’s filled with palm trees and swimming pools. Finally, make your way into another fancy building that dead ends with a window and Belger will appear from behind you. Instantly attack him and he will drop Jessica and fall out of his wheelchair. After he falls, he will jump up and fire his crossbow at you in midair. Do not get in his way or a bow will take a lot of damage off of you. stay above or below Belger until he lands and the attack him again. Eventually you will get Belger up against the glass window side of the building and after the final blow, he will fall out of the building. You have just saved Jessica from the Mad Gear Gang!

Today at the gas station I noticed a new flavor of Skittles called Skittles Blenders. Curious about this new product, I decided to pick up a pack. I’ve been a Skittles fan for quite a while. I’m always looking for low-fat candies that fulfill my sweet tooth without giving me a ton of saturated fat that is so bad for me. After doing some research I found out that Blenders are the latest product introduced by Skittles and they came out in 2011. After anxiously tearing open the pack and spilling a few on the ground, I realized that Skittle Blenders taste a lot like Tropical Fruit Starbursts.

Skittle Blenders come in five flavors – Melon Berry Burst, Strawberry Lime Blast, Cherry Tropicolada, Watermelon Green Apple Freeze and Mango Lemonade Freeze. In case you were wondering, the theme here is that each piece of candy has two flavors blended together giving them a new unique taste. The colors of these Skittles are also different than the color of original Skittles. Personally I don’t find Blenders to taste better than original. There are already so many combinations of pieces that you can eat with original Skittles that Blenders doesn’t really add to much for me. Pick up a pack at your local gas station and judge for yourself.

The other day I was walking through the mall and noticed that the Smithsonian Store was selling this interesting magnetic puzzle ball called Ball of Whacks. Being a sucker for these types of desk toys, I decided to pick it up and try it out. I was instantly hooked! The ball is made of 30 pyramid shaped magnets that can come apart. When you take this rhombic triacontahedron (a shape with 30 sides) apart, you will see that it’s easy to form other shapes including stars, spheres, blocks and even animals.

After reading through some of the 96-page booklet that came with the toy, it looks like this ball is supposed to expand your mind and get you into a creative mood. Even though this could spur up some great ideas, I also think it just makes a good fidgety toy for when you’re bored. The book could make a good reference but honestly I don’t think it’s necessary because once you get it in your hands you won’t care about what’s inside the pages.

When all the 30 pieces are assembled into the ball, it’s about the size and weight of a baseball. It has a nice feel to it and is made out high-quality plastic. When the pieces are taken apart however they feel a little cheap and flimsy. I don’t see the pieces ever breaking unless you try to break them or accidently drive over them. Although the ball is a lot of fun to play with, it’s a bit limiting due the the shapes and magnetic forces of the pieces. Yes you can make other shapes out of the pieces but they somehow always end up being the ball when all is said and done. Perhaps this was the intention of Mr. Von Oech.

Reading the reviews on Amazon.com, I see people saying that they play with the ball when stuck on a problem to find a creative solution. I can see how this could work for some people but I don’t see this solving any of my problems in the future. I’ve played with other desk toys such as BuckyBalls that have a more open-puzzle feel. Perhaps I just need to spend more time with my Ball of Whacks before I can unlock the power within. The Ball of Whacks comes in blue and red colors and can be had for around $25-$30. Overall I am pleased with this toy but it does leave some things to be desired.

Above is a graphic I made representing Link as he evolved into the character he is today in the Legend of Zelda series. This certainly doesn’t cover every Zelda game out there but it does show the main franchise games that came out over Nintendo’s history on their consoles. Click on the graphic for a larger version.

Also check out the Mario timeline.