You know which game-based food item I'd like to create/consume in real life? The fuchsia martini that appears in Bobble Bobble ...

... or maybe the strawberry-topped cake from the same game.

I doubt I'll be able to create my own recipes for either of those dishes anytime soon, though, so I'll just cross my fingers and hope that Daniella Zelli, proprietress of the Gourmet Gaming tumblog (gourmetgaming.co.uk), covers one or both of them at some point.

In case you've never been to Zelli's site before, it features recipes that attempt to bring game-based food items to life. Thus far, she's recreated the "amazing apple pie" from Fable II, the "golden brown pizza" from Dead Rising and Thomas' biscuit from Deadly Premonition, among others.

It appears that Zelli takes requests now and then, so maybe I should hit her up and ask if she'll consider tackling one or both of the Bubble Bobble-based food items I mentioned earlier in a future post?

(Via gamesetwatch.com and vidyaboi.blogspot.com)

Hey Nintendo, where's my 'New Legend of Zelda'?

You know what I find strange? I find it strange that the folks at Nintendo have yet to release a back-to-its-roots Zelda game (à la New Super Mario Bros. and New Super Mario Bros. Wii).

Instead, they seem to be obsessed with either recreating Ocarina of Time (see: Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword) or re-imagining Wind Waker (see: Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks).

Personally, I'd prefer it if the company's designers and programmers took the series back to its 16-bit glory days and produced a game that brought to mind A Link to the Past. It wouldn't have to be sprite-based, of course--although I certainly wouldn't complain if it were--but I do think it should use a top-down perspective similar to the one seen in the above-mentioned SNES (or Super Famicom, if that's your thing) classic.

"Watch Out for the Octopus 2" by folkfiddle

Going back to this so-called New Legend of Zelda's graphics for a second: Sure, the game could ape the New Super Mario Bros. titles and feature acceptably-crafted-yet-somewhat-boring polygonal characters and environments, but I'd much rather see Nintendo's developers push the envelope a bit. For example, they could make it appear as though everything in the game were created using clay or fabric (à la Kirby's Epic Yarn). Or they could turn to the Paper Mario series--or the image above--for inspiration and make it look like a pop-up book.

That said, I'll gladly accept slightly uninspired visuals if it means I'll get to play a "modern" Zelda game that feels and plays like A Link to the Past.

What do you think? Would you like the folks at Nintendo to release New Legend of Zelda for the 3DS, Wii U or both? If so, how would you want the game to look and feel?

Manly, muscly Wario

When I think of Wario, I think of an annoyingly lovable mischief-maker. I don't think of a Tom of Finland-esque muscleman.

Thankfully, artist Pauli Kohberger (aka madamluna) is more imaginative than I am. Otherwise, we wouldn't have access to the following illustration, which is rather appropriately titled, "Greed is Good."

To see more examples of Kohberger's work, check out her blog, Electric Stories, and/or her deviantART gallery.

The Great Gaymathon Review #37: Jam with the Band (DS)

Game: Jam with the Band

Genre: Music/Rhythm

Developer: Nintendo

Publisher: Nintendo

System: Nintendo DS

Release date: 2010

Before I get to the heart of this little write-up, I have to say that it's a crying shame that the brass at Nintendo decided against releasing this title in North America. Granted, they probably would have sent it to die (i.e., released it without an ounce of promotion) like they did in Europe, but at least I would have been able to pick it up for a decent price. As it is, I spent about $60 on the Japanese version, Daigasso! Band Brothers DX, shortly after it was released in 2008, and another $40 on the UK version. Is the game worth such a sum? In a word: Yes. That's mainly, if not totally, due to the fact that it's a ton of fun--or at least I think it is. Playing it is kind of like playing Dance Dance Revolution with your fingers, as you have to press the DS' buttons and directional pad in time with a particular song's score. (Confused? Watch this video.) Speaking of songs: 50 of them--in a variety of genres and styles (a few examples: Beethoven's "Für Elise," "Material Girl" and a Super Mario medley)--are included on the cart. That's not the end of this title's content, though, as Jam with the Band allows players to create their own compositions that can then be uploaded for others to download and enjoy. It also allows people to play together locally (as opposed to online) or sing songs (à la karaoke) using the system's built-in microphone. All of those options are welcome additions to the overall Jam with the Band package, of course, but the main reason to pick up the game is the basic, play-along-with-a-particular-tune mode--which, in my mind, could/should have served as a blueprint for Nintendo's much-maligned Wii Music title--detailed at the beginning of this review.

See also: Previous 'Great Gaymathon' posts

Let's Play: 'Which Box Art is Better?' (Rainbow Islands edition)

I haven't always been a fan of Rainbow Islands. In fact, the first few times I played this Fukio Mitsuji-designed platformer I hated it. That's probably because I expected it to look and feel like its predecessor, Bubble Bobble. It wasn't until I got over the fact that "The Story of Bubble Bobble 2" wasn't a straight-up sequel to what I consider one of the best quarter-munchers ever made that it finally earned a place in my heart.

Even when I didn't like this arcade classic, though, I wanted to like it thanks to the wonderfully colorful cover art that was created for many of its console ports.

For instance, the Famicom version's box art, below, features a number of the game's characters crafted out of what looks like clay (or is it wood?).

The art that graces the cover of the FM Towns port, on the other hand, is two-dimensionally cartoonish.

The Mega Drive version's box art spotlights the game's various islands (each of which has a different theme) as well as a particularly bright-eyed and rosy-cheeked take on its protagonist, Bubby.

Speaking of Bubby, the cherubic character takes up a ton of acreage on the PC Engine CD-ROM2 port's cheerful cover.

The art that appears on the PC Engine release's box is my least favorite of the bunch, by the way. Which one is my most favorite? The Famicom version's--although I have to admit that I like the FM Towns and Mega Drive versions' box art quite a bit, too.

Now that I've had my say, which piece of Rainbow Islands box art do you like best?

See also: Previous 'Which Box Art is Better?' posts