Basically, what this big red thing does is slip over your Wiimote and, theoretically, makes it easier to grip and push those tiny buttons when playing a game with the Wiimote on its side. Kind of like the Classic Controller, with an accelerometer built in.

Unfortunately, Ars Technica says the additional bulk just makes things unwieldy. One needs big, beefy hands to use this thing properly, they report, and the additional heft in back—junk in the trunk, if you will—only makes things worse. And since the buttons on the case are just pressing down the original Wiimote buttons below, things got a tad unresponsive. Even at $10, the reviewer "breathed a sigh of relief" when he tore it off after an hour of play time.

It's too bad. That tiny directional pad and those tiny 1 and 2 buttons really cramp me up after an extended play session in the Mushroom Kingdom. [ars technica]

Those pixels are really genetically engineered bacteria, modified to "express fluorescent proteins and carotenoid pigments" by Team Osaka, at the nanobiology laboratories at the University of Osaka, Japan. [Microbial Art via New Scientist]

Held in Austria, it's basically a bunch of boozehounds that show off their cocktail-mixing robots. The best of the creations appear in the two in the videos below, which force you to play Mario or Tetris, with the sort of cocktail the robot mixes you dependent on how you play the games. Slow and steady wins the race, in my books, but what would that earn me? [Roboexotica via Kotaku]

Image Credit: MattDork

The idea is to put it in your pocket, and the accelerometer will detect your movements and play the appropriate Mario sound effect. Jump, and it'll make the distinctive Mario jump sound; crouch, and it'll make the "worp worp worp" sound as if you're entering a green pipe. Also included are brick hits and Goomba-stomping, among other noises, tunes and a few choice Mario catchphrases. It's available now (hopefully) for a buck. [iRwego via CNET]

Google Might Build Super-Green Power Plants

Google's been investing in solar, wind and geothermal companies for a while, so it's not particularly surprising that the company is thinking about going a step further and directly financing some green power plants. This could be a move that could push other companies to delve deeper into greener energy tech, so all the more power to Google. Good God, did I just make a pun out of that? [Wired]

Apple Tablet to Be "Shockingly" Cheap

On the latest episode of Diggnation, Internet and television personality Alex Albrecht remarked that he was shocked about 'how cheap the price point" of the Apple tablet would be. No word on how exactly he got his information or just how cheap it needs to be to shock him. [Apple Insider]

Computers Don't Really Save Hospitals Any Money

Harvard did a study to see if using computers saves hospitals money or increases administrative efficiency. The answer to both questions was a resounding "no," but I don't think that should be a surprise. Using computers in an environment like that requires maintenance and training, which naturally cost both money and time. What surprised me about the study is that it didn't look at what effect the use of computers had on actual patient services. Does it make a difference there? [All Things D]

Photo by tahitianlime

TweetBookz Made My Inner Bookworm Crawl Into a Hole

Alright, I confess: I like books and I'm a bit of a dorky geek which means that nearly any new combination of geek and lit tends to appeal to me. Except when it goes oh-so-very-wrong like these TweetBookz.

The idea behind TweetBookz is that you pay about $30 to have a bunch of your tweets made into a nicely bound book. Initially I thought that this could be neat, but then I looked at my own tweets. I somehow don't think I or anyone else would want a book full of messages to creepy people or days of the week.

But maybe I'm just a bit of a lazy, boring Twitter user. [TweetBookz via Wired]

Guy Wins Beard Contest With a Hairy Bird Cage

Jason was particularly excited about this old clip of a beard contest of some sort. I was just plain terrified.

Samurai Mario Battles Bowser and a Dinosaur

I'm not entirely certain what possessed someone to make this illustration of Mario attempting to battle a dinosaur and Bowser while dressed as an ancient samurai, but I like it. [Geekologie]

Ikea Makes an iPhone App

Good news for those who want to deck out their rooms with Ikea items, but need to see the entire catalog on their iPhone before shopping: There's an app for that. [Fresh Home]

I'll Tell You About The Audi E-Tron as Soon as I Stop Drooling

Ok, I don't think I can stop drooling long enough to type, so I'll keep it brief: Wowza. This is the Audi E-Tron which was shown off as a concept at prior car show. She's still got the 3,320 lb-ft of torque we were teased about, but now she's been photographed some more and she looks oh-so-very-nice. Check out the bright-pumpkin-orange car-shaped eyecandy over at Jalopnik. [Jalopnik]

The fact that the most recent versions are really the youngest aside, is it wrong that I think the wrinkly-pixels make the older Mario look kinda sexy? [Etsy via Technabob]

Our first mod is a relatively recent one. The modder took a nice, fully functioning Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt combo cartridge, gutted it, and turned it into an admittedly clean and portable NES emulator. Sure, the gutting made most of my 1986 memories fade into a terrifying pit of blackness, but at least this wasn't a golden Legend of Zelda cartridge or anything.

Christ! That's ugly. But pimpin' ain't easy, so we'll give it a break. Unfortunately for me, my psyche receives no such break, and I am reduced to but two hearts, and my Master Sword no longer shoots laser beams.

The greatest platformer ever created by human hands, now a lowly 160GB USB drive. When will the insanity end?

Never, apparently. A mere month before the Super Mario Bros. 3 USB "creation" came to light, someone took a classic Game Boy, removed everything in it that made it a timeless piece of video game lore, and replaced it with a hard drive. Half a heart left, and there's this incessant beeping in my ears. Jack needs food, badly.

When I grip an NES control pad in my hands, its hard edges digging unforgivably into the soft flesh, I go to my happy place. When modder Taylor Merrill does the same, he hears the theme song from Sanford and Son. He also hears friends and relatives because he managed to get a Samsung Eternity phone into the controller that defined a generation of early console gamers. Good for you all. My childhood just ran into a goomba, jumped straight up into the air, and fell off the screen.

The costume uses an Arduino system connected to an Adafruit WaveShield. Sensors trigger the sound with different moves. It only needs a soundtrack, but you can always do it with your mouth, which is how I go around in life: Singing the Super Mario theme, dressed on my Mario raccoon suit. It doesn't make any sound, but I can fly with it. [Adafruit via Make]

You don't have to feel like a dorky geek for buying it, because the money will go to charity. So you can feel like a good-hearted dorky geek.

The auction lasts till November 1st, and the money will go to the Ronald McDonald foundation in Netherlands, "a dutch organization that arranges proper housing for relatives of hospitalized children, in the vicinity of clinics." [eBay via Brothers Brick]

There's also an mp3 player, movie player and an FM radio receiver. The video out is also intact, meaning this little guy can be used to play on the big screen.

Games in action below:

To answer your question, yes, this mod is very similar to one we've featured before. This one is cleaner, boasts more features, and plays Game Boy games too, so it gets the nod today. Nice work.

Oh, and the answer to the headline question, by the way, is unicorns. They would exist. [Ben Heck Forums via technabob]

The video reportedly took about 1,500 hours to create, and I pretty much had an acid flashback-type experience while watching it, during which time I traveled back to the 1980s and relived my entire youth all over again in the span of about three and a half minutes.

Pong, Mario Bros., Raccoon Mario, Bubble Bobble—it's all pretty much there, backed by an unmistakably 8-bit beat. Amazing stuff.

Update: Brothers Brick reports that the artist was Tomas Redigh and the song was written by Daniel Larsson. Good work! [YouTube via Waxy via Boing Boing]

The Mario Brick—which is available in one and six feet configurations—costs only $19, though. So nice indeed. [Etsy via Geeky Gadgets]

YouTube user conquerearth hooked up his theremin to a PC, mapping its tone—which, for those of you who haven't been to a science museum in a while, is modulated by your hand's proximity to the device antennae—to a rough approximation of joystick input, which is then translated to the basic left/right/jump/run controls required for Super Mario. It works fairly well judging by the demonstration, and considering theremins were invented nearly a century ago, I'm guessing without gaming in mind. That said, I do think the video could have done with a slightly different score. [Nowhereelse]

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.

Looks like Conan agrees with Nintendo that intentional or not, it's pretty great. [Kotaku]

It was Kotaku who caught up with Reggie, after Seriouslunch made the initial spotting:

We know that he is a fan of what we do, and we're thrilled to have him as a passionate Nintendo fan. Maybe we'll have to go play some Wii Sports Resort as well as Super Mario Bros Wii.

Thanks for the free advertising! Now, have some more advertising!

The bonus jokey followup: Will Nintendo be issuing a C&D for NBC's blatant infringement?

"No. For Conan, we'll let that one slide."

[Kotaku]

Chen and I are in disagreement as to whether or not this is intentional. I say it's a coincidence, but he's convinced that Mario was a definite inspiration for this background. What do you guys think? [Serious Lunch]

Archive below:

7:47 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Testing testing. We're live t the Nokia theater with about an hour to kill before the Nintendo press conference.

7:50 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
The smell: cold steel and coffee.

7:56 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
So, the Nokia Theater is nice, but it's no Kodak Theater – the location of their e3 press conference last year. Feeling the sting of weak yen, Nintendo?

8:01 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
We were up late at a Microsoft party last night. Lots of free booze and Beatles Rock Band. Matt Buchanan threw back more than his fair share of water before not taking the stage and not humiliating himself.

8:06 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Bowie is playing, Young American.

8:06 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

8:16 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:
MGMT is playing. I feel so cool now.

8:17 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

8:22 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

8:23 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:
Guesses? Anyone? Drop your answers over on our liveblog post.

8:34 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

8:34 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
30 minutes until showtime. I've been playing Nintendo trivia on their big screen. Remember back when Coke sponsored that find the bottles pre-show stuff at movie theaters? I was SO good at spotting those inconspicuous red bottles on a white backdrop. So good.

8:38 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:
That was my brief experiment shooting behind my head with 5D Mark II's Live View. The 5D made our Microsoft liveblog yesterday magically easy to shoot–I can't wait 'til that kind of low-light power reaches entry-level cameras.

8:40 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
So what will we see from Nintendo? Wii Fit Plus seems like an absolute sure thing, along with a possible showing from Art Academy (a recent trademark Nintendo filed). Other than that? I'm guessing we'll see some pretty big pimping of Wii MotionPlus. Nintendo announced the peripheral at least year's E3, and now they need to sell the thing for $20 a pop.

8:41 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

8:45 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
The answer to the question below? Mario. What did you win? Nothing. But the other big announcement we may see today is a new Mario title.

8:47 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
OMG, WIIMOTE SPOTTED ON STAGE!! WHAT COULD THIS MEAN????????

8:47 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

8:49 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Oh, and in case you like to watch two or more liveblogs at once (what, you don't trust us?), check out the Kotaku liveblog. They're good people.

8:49 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:
It kinda makes me sad that the best-selling DS game ever is Nintendogs.

8:55 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
I will say, Nintendo's (LCD?) light strips are not so horrible looking. I mean, I wouldn't want to decorate my house with them or anything. But for a techie press conference? Martha Stewart would approve.

8:57 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

8:58 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
5 minutes to takeoff. This must be what it feels like to await a space shuttle launch. Lotsa dudes. Weird smells. General discomfort. Top 40 pop music playing in the background. I don't know where I'm going with this.

8:59 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
ARE YOU READY TO RUUUUMMMMBBBBLLLLEEEEEEE? Great. But be careful, Immersion might sue your ass.

9:02 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Now Nintendo is busting out the U2. What would Bono do if he were here? Get shown up my John Mayer if John Maysr were here, that's what.

9:03 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt

9:03 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Nintendo has just put up their logo on every screen they've got on the stage. That's…SIX NINTENDO LOGOS. Booya. Show is starting.

9:04 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Nintendo messages: "Everyone's Game" "Connection" "Every Culture" "Every Contact" "Every Generation"

9:04 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
In other words, she has no motive to tell you the truth.

9:05 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
She's talking sales, citing NPD and explaining why video games are the top dog. She's using words like "consumers" and "industry."

9:06 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
"Maybe you've noticed a woman on the plane playing a DS system."

9:06 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Nintendo's goal? "Create, surprise."

9:07AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
She's promising more innovation in game control, and innovation where "we thought there might not be any left."

9:07 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
She's teasing an icon in games now, probably Mario

9:08 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Yes, it was Mario. Montage of Mario.

9:08 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
They never figured out how to move Mario into the 4th dimension. That's Nintendo's surprise. Miyamoto has invented a new way to play Mario. New Super Mario Bros for Wii.

9:08 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

9:09 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Bill Trinen comes onstage. Senior Manager of Product Marketing.

9:09 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Ohh…and he's promising more PLAYERS. Four people at once!

9:10 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Wow, this is neat. It's like New Super Mario Bros, with Mario, Luigi and two Toads.

9:10 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
All the Wiimotes are being held like an NES controller, btw. There's some waggling involved.

9:10 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

9:11 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Oooohh, helicopter hat! Oh, it's called a propeller suit. Work on that name, Nintendo.

9:11 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
The propeller suit makes sense because it launches players vertically, which allows players to stay on the same screen while flying. Remember raccoon Mario? He wouldn't work for this.

9:12 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
All four players need to hop on the flagpole within three seconds. The game is competitive, with players trying to score the most points.

9:13 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
New Super Mario Bros Wii is on the show floor, will launch Holiday 2009.

9:13 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

9:13 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
"While Mario may be a big draw, he wasn't big enough to pull all consumers…" Nope, for that, Nintendo had to appeal to fat people.

9:14 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Cammie is talking about changing Wii Fit. The result? Wii Fit Plus.

9:15 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
It seeks out a specific workout routine that's "just right for you." Six new strength and yoga routines. Gaps between exercises can be removed.

9:16 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

9:16 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
The screens she's showing look just like Wii Fit

9:17 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Oh, though they just showed a level in which you can hop over hurdles while dodging giant bullets, just like Mario. They showed that clip for roughly 5 seconds, sadly. Now they're cutting to a montage of Wii stuff.

9:18 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Reggie Fils-Aime comes onstage. Nice cheers for Reggie.

9:18 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

9:18 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
The vernacular of Nintendo is just so business minded. "Virally," "mainstream culture." It just feels so cold and calculated. Where is Miyamoto's smiling face?

9:19 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Reggie is giving us a look at Wii game control options. Today, he wants to fully explain the "next advance" in game control. He's talking about Wii MotionPlus.

9:19 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

9:20 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
He's showing a side by side of the Wiimote and the Wiimote with the MotionPlus dongle. He's explaining how different this little dongle feels.

9:20 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

9:21 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Reggie cued a demo reel of Wii MotionPlus. And…we see a closeup of someone playing ping pong in slow mo over a 3D matrix. So futuristic!

9:21 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Holy crap, now a samurai! Samurais like Wii MotionPlus!

9:21 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Now a guy pulled a bow and arrow? Wii MotionPlus might be dangerous!

9:22 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
OK, now just a golfer and some basketball. My kids can play with Wii MotionPlus after all.

9:23 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
The video is over. "That's how it works on video," Reggie explains. But now they're gonna demo it in real time.

9:24 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
They're pushing "precision and depth" pretty hard. They want the mainstream to understand that Wii MotionPlus is BETTER than the Wiimote alone. So Nintendo is going to show up Wii Sports Resort, like they did last year, but focusing on precision controls.

9:24 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
The Wiimote (with MotionPlus) represents a skydiver. The Wiimote is being rotated. The skydiver is being rotated. It works!

9:25 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

9:25 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Now the skydivers pull their chutes. There are no tragic accidents. The world is safe again. Phew.

9:26 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Read more on these games over at Kotaku, too.

9:26 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

9:27 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Now we're in an archery range. It's archery rangey.

9:27 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

9:27 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
It's tough to tell how much accuracy come into play here, since not many of us are archery experts. Nintendo just missed the target onstage. Ha. OK, archery demo over.

9:29 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Now it's time for some 1 on 1. Bill Trinen and Reggie share some awkwardly staged banter.

9:30 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
They're having a 3-point contest. It really looks like they're shooting baskets with the Wiimote, but it's a one-handed experience. So the guiding hand isn't part of the Wii Motion.

9:30 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
I bet this will drive the kids crazy though.

9:30 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

9:32 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
The pace of this press conference is just so much slower than Microsoft's two-hour announcement extravaganza.

9:32 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Red Steel 2 will only be playable on Wii MotionPlus. That will be a trend across a lot of the Wii, if MotionPlus can reach a decent install base.

9:33 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
(Note: that point on the install base was my point, not Reggie's)

9:34 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Now we're looking at Square's contribution to the Wii, the upcoming Final Fantasy Crystal Bearers. That was a brief clip.

9:34 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
I'm sorry, I don't get paid enough to cover Square Enix. Read more at Kotaku.

9:35 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

9:38 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Nintendo just called the DS line "the most lucrative" of Nintendo's offerings. Great!

9:40 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
James Patterson Women's Muder Club Games of Passion promises to bring pretty much everything in the game's title to the DS. We're watching a clip about it now. It looks like a series of minigames like Bejeweled mixed with snapshots of bad guys.

9:41 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
New clip: COP The Recruit. It looks like Grand Theft Auto, but you're a good guy.

9:41 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

9:43 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
New clip: Style Savvy is intended for female "preteens and 20 somethings." Models try on clothes and walk a runway. Suck on this Natal! Can you fit in these designer jeans?

9:44 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

9:44 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Now Cammie is talking about the Nintendo DSi, how it's great, for everyone, yada yada. She plays a clip of people on the street, mostly women, talking about how great the platform is. This is just grueling.

9:45 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Total Nintendo DSi sales have surpassed 1 million units in the US since launch. Just so you know.

9:46 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
FlipNotes Studio, a neat sketching animation program, is coming to the platform this summer. It looked pretty neat, but they're already on to something else.

9:47 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

9:48 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Nintendo is skimming through various DSi titles quickly now. The audience is asleep. Literally, I see two people in the audience who might be asleep.

9:49 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Beginning this summer, you will be able to take photos on the DSi and upload them to Facebook.

9:49 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

9:49 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Whoa, that announcement was out of nowhere. And now we're gone from Facebook. We didn't get any real look at the UI.

9:50 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

9:51 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Satoru Iwata comes to the stage! The crowd awakens!

9:52 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
BTW, I can almost promise that Sony's press conference won't be this boring. At least I'll have some great zingers about the lack of dual analogs on the PSP Go!

9:52 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

9:52 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Iwata is explaining how Nintendo divides gamers into three groups: those who game, those who don't and those who might.

9:54 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Between Japan, Europe and America there are 149 potential gamers. That's like 149 million potential DS sales which would equate to enough money for Nintendo to buy the entire world and "win." (Iwata didn't explain the winning strategy with as much depth as I did. But my extrapolation is usually pretty accurate.)

9:55 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

9:55 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Oops, 149 million players.

9:56 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Iwata explains to us that veteran players and newcomer players are different, but we were all newcomers at some time in our life. We've heard Nintendo say this before. It's actually a very wise outlook on gaming, imho.

9:56 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Oh, and read more on Iwata's global conquest over at Kotaku.

9:58 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
So what's next for Nintendo and the mainstream? Iwata is showing us an "entirely different way" of looking at games. Wake up, people. We're cooking again.

9:58 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Wii Vitality Sensor

9:58 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
It tracks your pulse.

9:59 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
The retirement homes are gonna love this, until the first Wii Vitality Sensor goes flatline.

9:59 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

9:59 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
The intent of the WVS is that you can see the "inner world" of your body, to "achieve greater relaxation." NOTE: IT WON'T CURE CANCER!

10:00 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Wo while most games are meant to stimulate you, the Wii Vitality Sensor could be part of a game that helps you fall asleep.

10:00 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
I could win that sleeping game right now, without any fancy peripheral.

10:01 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
And Iwata leaves the stage. Cammie is back and she promises us "stimulation." But I think she's just recapping what we've already seen, stuff like the new Mario title.

10:01 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
"But, if you think that's all the Mario news you can handle, you might want to think again."

10:01 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
A second full 3D mario title is coming!

10:01 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
It looks like Super Mario Galazy 2. WITH YOSHI!!!

10:02 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
OK, Yoshi has saved this press conference. We're talking dinosaurs. You can ride. In space.

10:02 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Otherwise, it's just like Galaxy. The worlds and graphics could be an expansion pack they are so similar. Ooh, but now Mario sprouts flowers on some planets.

10:03 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
OK, we haven't seen much more Yoshi since those first shots. I'm hoping for like, one of those levels like in Super Mario World where you can get Yoshi again and again.

10:03 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
And yes, it's Super Mario Galaxy 2.

10:04 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

10:04 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Reggie takes the stage to bring it all home. He admits "I read the blogs, too…I know there are still people out there listening who are like, ok, great, but I want more."

10:04 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
And he points out that, usually, it's the third parties who are dropping the ball for hardcore gamers.

10:05 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
He's showing a clip of The Conduit, which is a sci fi FPS. Ugh, I hate SD graphics mixed with Hollywood soundtracks. Just play MIDI.

10:07 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Reggie moves on to Capcom's Resident Evil The Darkside Chronicles. There's a lot of CGI in this clip, but the moments of gameplay are basically like RE4. Actually, it looks fantastic for a Wii title. Very sharp.

10:08 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
And last, he's showing us Dead Space Extraction, the Dead Space rails shooter. I'm sure Kotaku is riffing on the game pretty hard. I'll play this.

10:09 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
And with the third party games shown off, Reggie asks, "what about Nintendo itself? Could a new, edgier game be coming also from us?" "Absolutely."

10:09 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
What is it? We're watching a clip of an ocean, it goes to clouds. And….mountains…Team Ninja and Nintendo!

10:10 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
And it's in space. METROID.

10:10 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Lots of prerender, but it's a third person title. Fast action. Giant monsters. Grappling. Loud soundtrack.

10:11 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
Metroid Other M.

10:11 AM ON JUN 2 2009
matt:

10:12 AM ON JUN 2 2009
Mark Wilson:
And with that, Reggie wraps it up. We'll be back in under an hour to blog Sony. See you then!

But in all seriousness, it's not like you have to gut a classic to create this DIY hub. And, in defense of the creator, his materials list does state that the cartridge was already broken before descending upon it with knife and Dremmel. I apologize.

In the end, this is a quick and dirty little project, comprised of only three ingredients and requiring minimal tools and expertise. Just don't hack up anymore classics if you make this your Sunday project. My innocent childhood memories beg it of you. [Instructables via Gearfuse - Thanks, Daniel]