Link roundup

1. Jimmy Kimmel has a great article at Grantland about his dad. Here's a taste:

Sun Devil Stadium was about half full. My Dad and I were in Dave's seats. Between the first and second quarters, the PA announcer called out a section, a row number, and a seat. Whoever was in the seat they picked would get a chance to kick a field goal for a sum of money I can't recall. We were nowhere near the winning section, so we paid little attention to the contest. The game resumed. At halftime, we were not among those in line for overpriced beer or a five-dollar hot dog. "That's what they want you to eat!" We remained in our seats. The announcer said something to the effect of "Hey, Cardinals fans — it's time for the Fan Field Goal challenge. Today's fan is from Section 43, Row H, Seat 5 — and let's welcome her now!"

There was some cheering, not much — mostly, I'd guess, from Section 43. The first thing that caught my eye was the dog walking across the field. A German shepherd. The next thing I noticed was a man who looked like a Cardinals team representative slowly leading an older woman by the hand. And then I knew the woman was blind. And the stadium fell silent.

My father looked at me with the same threatening eyes I'd later turn on my 5-year-old son when he spotted a very fat man in the supermarket and started to point. "Don't say a word," they told me. I didn't. Back to the action. At about the 15-yard line, a boy placed a football on a tee. Slowly, very slowly, the team representative led the woman to the ball, allowing her to "feel" it with her foot. I couldn't even begin to process what was happening. A BLIND WOMAN was going to try to KICK A FIELD GOAL in an NFL STADIUM! "Good for her!" you might be thinking, "Now, there's a woman who refuses to let her disability get the best of her!" And, in retrospect, I agree, but at the time my brain felt like it was loaded with Pop Rocks.

The crowd remained frozen. Still holding her hand, the team rep cautiously backed the sightless woman five steps away from the ball. It was happening. No one made a sound. The only relaxed person in the stadium was a dog, which was now lounging on the turf. "And here we go!" the PA announcer boomed.

2. Pretty cute - - when you transfer DSiWare games to the 3DS, Pikmin do the heavy lifting.

3. "A Chinese firm has been 'secretly' copying an entire UNESCO-listed village in Austria, called Hallstatt."

*Buy Pikmin toys at eBay.

Link roundup

1. There's apparently some Prey 2 wallpapers available for download, but you can't use a secure internet connection to view them? (Prey 2 has a strong Blade Runner vibe.)

2. Legend of Zelda animated gif by Zac Gorman. And speaking of Legend of Zelda, check out this review of the 3D aspects Ocarina of Time for the 3DS:

While it doesn't exactly add anything to the gameplay, the title certainly looks better with the 3D enhancement. Colors are a little deeper with the 3D slider turned up, and the game appears ever so slightly washed out when you turn the effect down.

And

Gyroscope controls are also included for use with ranged items such as the slingshot or bow. Unfortunately, the 3DS' contradictory design is such that the motion control won't work with the 3D visuals, unless you rotate your head along with the screen at a perfect angle. Failure to do so results in you getting an eyeful of painful screen blur. Fortunately, the 3D slider is conveniently located, and you can always just stick to traditional controls.

If even Nintendo can't make solid use of the 3D capability of the machine....

3. New illustration chock full of comic book characters by Ulises Farinas.

New Threadless t-shirts

NMKL by Rodrigo Ferreira.





Eye of the Tiger by Priscilla Wilson.

Video of someone playing Zelda on the Wii U

This doesn't look appealing at all. Although I certainly understand that Nintendo wants to trick people into buying a seemingly cheap console with cutting edge graphics and then coerce them into buying three more extremely expensive controllers.

Link roundup

1. How to disable Facebook's latest privacy violation.

2. Neca is going to make toys for Valve.

3. Destructoid on Nintendo's ridiculous (and probably ridiculously expensive) new game controller: "it's shaped in such a way that gripping it doesn't feel as uncomfortable as it looks."

Link roundup

1. The established video game reviewing press has known for at least a week that Brink was a disaster.

2. Steel Divers, which is supposed to really show the 3DS off, was essentially completed for the DS and then repurposed for the 3DS.

3. Captain America wallpaper.

Art Contest: Fix the Nintendo 3DS's red screen of death

UPDATE: It was tough to pick a winner, and of the artists I asked for advice, everyone had a different favorite. But I picked Cormac McEvoy's Dr. Mario as the grand prize winner. Thanks everyone, I'll post a new contest soon.



This month's art contest was improving the Nintendo's 3DS's red screen of death. Below are the wonderful entries. I'll announce a winner later today.



Chris Beaumont.



Joe D!.





Blayne Scott.




Helder Silva.




Lee Jackson.




Cormac McEvoy.




Ben Knight.

*Buy the 3DS at Amazon.