Oh! Gizmo

By Andrew Liszewski

If you’re still lamenting the fact that Duke Nukem Forever will never see the light of day, you might want to look away, since this news could be even harder to take. Way back in September of 1993, game publisher TecMagik announced that they had secured the rights to make a Super Nintendo (and Sega Genesis) game based on Steven Seagal. Oddly enough the game wasn’t based on a specific Seagal movie either (this was just before Under Siege came out making him a big name movie star) so TecMagik had signed him based solely on how well his previous films had done in the VHS rental market.

Sadly the game, which had Seagal wandering around with a female sidekick, fighting baddies in an effort to save her son, was never released. A 1994 release date was pushed back to 1995, and eventually the title disappeared after TecMagik announced a similar N64 title, which also never came out. The game’s graphics used the Mortal Kombat technique of filming live actors which were converted into somewhat-lifelike sprites, though a stand-in was used for Seagal since they figured people wouldn’t be able to tell the difference given the low-res digitized images. Deep down we would have all known though, so maybe the game’s demise was for the best.

[ 1UP - Lost Levels: Steven Seagal Is: The Final Option ] VIA [ GoNintendo ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I never actually owned one, but the Big Trak (or Bigtrak for our European readers) is one of those toys that makes me long for the 80’s and what I consider to be the glory days of toys. (Yep, I’ve reached that age when things were definitely better when I was a kid.) The 6-wheeled Big Trak featured a displayless keypad on the back that let you program up to 16 different commands like go forward x number of lengths, pause and turn left or right x number of degrees. By today’s standards its functionality is a bit limited, but I’d wager that kids would still have fun with it.

And thanks to the company that brought back the Stylophone, today’s kids will have their chance to play with one! The new version will be known as Bigtrak Jr. and while it won’t be that different from the original model, it will be able to recall up to 32 different programs. It will also have an optional digital camera and rocket launcher accessory, though the latter won’t be available until 2011. The Bigtrak Jr., however, should be available this Summer for around $48 (£29.99) while the digital camera will be an extra $24 (£15).

[ Pocket-lint - Bigtrak makes a comeback ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I’ll admit I got a little excited when I saw that Takara would be releasing 3 miniature Nintendo Game & Watch keychains including classic titles Parachute, Octopus and Chef, and the fact that they were completely solar powered was just the icing on the cake. But then my world came crashing down when I found out the Game & Watches aren’t actually playable, but just have an animated sprite loop on the LCD display. They should be available in Japan come March for about $12 a pop, but what’s the point?

[ Gigazine - Takara Game & Watch Keychains ] VIA [ CrunchGear ]

By Andrew Liszewski

It’s a little late to be talking about Christmas gift ideas for this year, but it’s never too early to start talking about gift ideas for next. So if you’ll need a present for someone who was a big fan of the NES, and still has a running console hooked up at home, this 8 BIT XMAS 2009 cart from RetroZone is beyond perfect. For starters, the cartridge itself looks like a Christmas decoration thanks to a translucent plastic housing and blinking lights on the inside that glow while the NES is powered up. (It looks better on a top loading NES of course.)

But it doesn’t stop there. The cart also includes the RetroZone Snowball Fight!!! game that allows up to 4 players to compete in a deadly game of compacted snow projectiles, recreated in stunningly realistic 8-bit graphics. The cartridge itself sells for $43, but you can make the gift extra special with a custom splash screen message for the giftee for an extra $5, which is totally worth it in our opinion.

[ 8 BIT XMAS 2009 NES Cart ] VIA [ GameSetWatch ]

By Andrew Liszewski

It doesn’t contain a full-blown SNES console inside, which means it can’t be hooked up to a TV, but I still think this modded SNES controller is a really clever idea. It was created by benheck.com Forums member ‘techgeek90′ and not only does it use a RetroZone kit to add a USB cable to the controller, but there’s also a USB flash drive in there allowing you to store all the ROMs and emulators you’ll ever need. So if you happen to find yourself bored in a place where there’s at least one PC, you’ll be able to get your Star Fox or F-Zero fix.

[ benheck.com Forums - All in one SNES controller arcade + How To ] VIA [ Hack a Day ]

By Andrew Liszewski

The retro segmented red LED display and hardened aluminum case give this watch a unique look that might appeal to watch aficionados, but in reality it’s the geeks of the world who will want this strapped to their wrist. Why you ask? Well the display is actually touch-sensitive, but the only thing tapping the face actually does is switch the way the time is displayed between binary, octal, decimal and hexadecimal. So while it might not be able to compete with more expensive watches when it comes to design and style, I’d like to see a Rolex switch to a binary mode. (Actually I wouldn’t.)

It’s available from ThinkGeek for $149.99 but since only 200 of these were made you’ll want to act fast if you really want one.

[ Multi-Format LED Display Watch ]

By Andrew Liszewski

In terms of transformability, these new Transformers watches aren’t that far off from the Kronoforms that helped make the 80’s as awesome as they were. But I don’t think today’s kids will even give them a second look since all they’re really getting is a basic robot toy and an even more basic LCD clock. No sound effects, no rocket launchers, no LEDs and no websites to interact with. Yeesh! When I was a kid we didn’t have… well you know how it goes. $9.99 each available from Amazon.

[ Optimus & Bumblebee Transformers Watches ] VIA [ Wrist Dreams ]

By Andrew Liszewski

I grew up during the peak of sneaker fanaticism, and the release of the Reebok Pump was akin to Apple unveiling the original Macintosh or the iPhone. It basically blew our grade school minds, and I can’t believe (or refuse to believe) that it’s been 20 years since they were first introduced.

To commemorate the big 2-0 Reebok will start a year-long celebration on November 20 that will first see a re-release of the original Pump basketball shoe, followed by re-releases of other iconic models continuing through 2010. But don’t expect to be able to go into your local Foot Locker to snag a pair. According to Acquire, the shoes will only be available at select retail outlets around the world, including:

atmos (Tokyo), Kasina (Seoul), Juice (Hong Kong), Stolen Riches (Toronto), Espionage (Sydney), KICKS/HI (Hawaii), UNDEFEATED (L.A.), Bodega (Boston), Saint Alfred (Chicago), HUF (San Francisco), Commonwealth (Virginia), Packer Shoes (New Jersey), Size? (London), Sneakersnstuff (Stockholm), Patta (Amsterdam), colette (Paris), Solebox (Berlin), Hanon (Scotland) and 24 Kilates (Barcelona)

Boy I hope my parents buy me a pair!

[ Reebok Pump 20th Anniversary ] VIA [ Acquire ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Until now, one of the cooler premiums available from Club Nintendo, at least in my opinion, was a DS game that featured recreations of all their classic Game & Watch titles. But Japanese Club Nintendo members who’ve reached the Platinum level will now be rewarded with an actual Game & Watch handheld game allowing them to enjoy all the excitement of Ball which was Nintendo’s very first G&W title released way back in 1980 according to Kotaku. And here’s to hoping this is the first in a series of Game & Watch re-releases, and not the last.

[ Club Nintendo - Game & Watch: Ball ] VIA [ Kotaku ]