Some things just below together, no matter how odd the pairing might seem at the outset.

Not that I mean to overdose on the Flickr apps, but I’ve been uploading and editing photos all day, digging around in the API, and when you’re that immersed in something, you’re bound to come across some neat apps built by other, similarly mesmerized, people.

So if you’re the type who things the standard slideshow is way too boring, and you’re also old enough to remember the visceral pleasures of Wolfenstein 3D, then your day has finally arrived. A fellow API explorer has made it possible for you to run around the 3D maze from Wolfenstein, looking at your Flickr pictures on the walls.

Dubbed “WolfenFlickr“, it’s a little bizarre and random to be sure, but also a great mash-up nonetheless, blending old school with modern trends.

Via | Kotaku

Or at least it can in Figumate form.

Metal Gear Solid art director Hiroshi Arakawa has been lending his talents to a different sort of MGS art, assisting in the development of the Figumate “Sweet Snake” collection, consisting of a figurine of each of the following key characters: Snake, Ocelot, Otakon, and Raiden.

The Sweet Snake collection will be killing with cuteness from stores all over Japan starting December 11th, just in time for Christmas. The rest of the world? Tough cookies at this point unfortunately. The figures are retailing for the yen equivalent of about $27 from the Konami Style online store.

I think they forgot the wrinkles on the Snake figure, though I guess that ruins the cute routine doesn’t it?

Via | Wired

Image courtesy of Konami

It’s funny how the simplest thing, when introduced to the concept of competition, can suddenly morph into an obsessed, teeth-clenching quest for glory. Take typing for example…what do you suppose would happen if someone were to create an browser game called Typeracer (hypothetically), and that game pulled quotes out of famous books and movies for a line-up of wannabe type stars to enter as fast as their fingers allow them. You’d end up with an addictive little game that actually improves typing speed and accuracy, while allowing you to also trumpet your superiority over slower folk for all the world to see.

Obviously I’m out of practice, but you don’t have to be! Flex those typing fingers and show your keyboarding might. Your high school teacher would be so proud. Coming soon are accounts that let you track your stats and a Facebook app, so you can combine two addictions into one easy fix.

I somehow missed this when it made circles this spring but I’m trying to make up for it with a concerted effort at returning to my former 100+ wpm glory. Looks like I have a hard R-O-A-D ahead of me.

Via | Wonderland

I think there’s something very sinister going on in the bowels of the Bethesda Softworks warehouses…

The developer and publisher of the highly anticipated Fallout 3 recently posted pictures on their blog that left me wondering if the game itself would be the only thing taking over retailers come this October. Shown lined up in perfect rank and file, legions of the Brotherhood of Steel stand at attention, just waiting for CEO Robert Altman’s signal to invade and conquer.

These aren’t your usual pint-sized replicas either, we’re talking 8 foot tall, scary, shiny things with very large guns. Follow the link to BethBlog below to see how dwarfed a Bethesda employee is by their own creation. Sure they may look like simple scale models, but I bet when they sit in the electronics department in the dark of a closed Wal-Mart somewhere near you, that these minions destroy all non-Bethesda products and strong-arm shoppers into buying multiple copies of the game.

Via | BethBlog.com

All right all you WoW obsessed monkeys out there (Ingrid this means you too), here’s your chance to grab one of the coveted beta spots for the upcoming Wrath of the LIch King expansion. Blizzard appears to be working it a little bit differently this time, to up the quality of beta gamers invited so that they actually get some useful feedback on the new digs (my interpretation, not theirs). Rather than randomly invite folks like they did with Burning Crusade, Blizzard is giving WoW players the opportunity to “Opt-In” to beta participation. All you have to do is go to this site and “opt-in”, essentially letting Blizzard know that you’re willing and able to tackle the Lich King. You then go into a pool of potential beta testers and may be selected from there.

No guarantees that you’ll be selected mind you, but it does cut the potential pool down from a gazillion players (or whatever the WoW population is now) to the ones willing to take two seconds to sign their life away. There is hope! And not to worry for all you folks who won/stole beta slots through other competitions, you’re still good to go.

Again, just go to this site and sign up.

Image courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment Europe

There’s a point when yesterday’s innovation becomes today’s over-used, highly obnoxious crap. Call it a fad, call it a momentary lapse in development judgment, but sometimes things just get a little out of hand and a neat characteristic of one game (deemed successful), soon reaches out, propagates, and enslaves the entire gaming world.

Everyone’s favourite cranky game blog, Sarcastic Gamer, nominated 5 fads that it felt were the worst offenders over the last decade. I absolutely agree with all of them, and think that post could likely serve as a “what not to do” list for future game developers. We’ve all seen these little tricks, experienced these annoying hang-ups, and we’d like you to move on to creating some truly innovative gameplay if you wouldn’t mind.

The top fad, according to that article?

Quicktime Events:

There are two categories of Quicktime Events: The ones that allow you to do cool moves, and the ones that are essential to survive. I can’t stand either of them. Look, my reflexes are pretty good, from my years of gaming, but having an event pop up out of nowhere, asking me to hit ‘A’ as quickly as possible, then hit both triggers to survive is just irritating.

So very much agree, and it’s not just with games either…movies are equally to blame here, but there’s added annoyance when you’re actually required to perform in one of these time-warped dreamy sequences. One of the first games that I can remember this becoming an evident annoyance in was actually GUN. Great game (save for the fact that I could finish it in less time than it takes me to eat breakfast), but there were a lot of instances were you were forced to pop into slow-time, where the bloody game would then auto-aim for you, removing all skills and interactivity for the sake of looking pretty for a couple of seconds.

Other nominees include: unskippable cutscenes, broken controls, auto-aim (argh!) and invincible enemies/objects. Reading the rationale behind the fads will have you gritting your teeth in agreement, so if you’re up for some gnashing, have a go at the full article at Sarcastic Gamer.

image courtesy of Activision European Publishing

Want to make yourself an instant gaming commentary star? MyGamersVideos is a site that yearns to be the gaming specific version of YouTube that exhibitionists have been waiting for.

The site, run solely on user submitted content, helps aspiring videographers every step of the way, including free recording software that can be downloaded from its site, handy channels for visitors to catch up on videos concerning their favourite games, and a community view-and-rate system that allows you to comment on other videos.

If the user base is of the semi-intelligent, useful type, this could be fantastic, with video interviews, walkthroughs, reviews, etc. If, however, the users are on par with that annoying brat in open chat who keeps chattering endlessly and punctuating every sentence with a “yo mama!” joke…we’re in a load of poo.

GTA IV fever has gripped not only the gaming world, but also mainstream media, parent groups, politicians, and anyone else looking for a cause to champion. No detractors seem able to curb its popularity and behind all the volatile rhetoric, games have been quietly….taking over the world!

Not quite, but they’re certainly putting some new and interesting tools to great use for the latest GTA release. Take good old Google Maps for example…if you want to know where mission starts, secret items, prostitutes, and sweet vehicles sit without the horror of, you know, actually exploring the expansive world that poor Rockstar has slaved away creating for you, then the Liberty City map application could be the answer to all your prayers.

As the more and more people get involved with the mapping process, I expect it’ll become quite the resource to lost and lazy players everywhere.

Via | Joystiq

Application by IGN.com

For those of you wishing to add a some Nintendo music to the soundtrack of your life, check out this list of the top 100 songs from Super Nintendo. And the best part? They’re available for download.

Here’s the top 10 to get you in the mood:

001. Super Mario World - Overworld (Yoshi)
002. Castlevania - Dracula X - Slash
003. Donkey Kong Country - Aquatic Ambiance
004. Street Fighter 2 - The World Warrior - Vega
005. Super Mario Kart - Vanilla Lake
006. The Legend of Zelda - A Link to the Past - The Godness Appears
007. Chrono Trigger - To Far Away Times
008. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV - Turtles in Time - Sewer surfin’
009. Stunt Race FX - Aqua Tunnel
010. Axelay - Unkai

Check them all out at Zaki & Friends.

Image courtesy of Nintendo.

So you’ve always considered yourself a hardcore gamer. You’ve boasted to your friends and sat atop your throne of Gaming Greatness. But time has past. You’ve gotten older. Gotten married. Maybe have more responsibilities. So, are you still really hardcore? 

TechRadar has listed ‘11 Signs That You’re Not A Hardcore Gamer’ to help you answer the eternal question.

1. You prefer playing against the computer
2. You only play when your girlfriend is out
3. You believe that winning isn’t everything
4. It’s been days, not hours since you last switched on your console
5. You like your Xbox 360 and your PS3 equally
6. You fondly remember a ‘golden age’ of gaming
7. You avoid playing on the Wii because it’s too much effort
8. Your FPS experience consists of spawn, run, die … spawn, run, die…spawn…
9. You find the idea of videogames based on board games perfectly acceptable
10. You’ve pre-ordered GTA IV but don’t mind if it doesn’t turn up on launch day
11. You’re the oldest person trading in games at GameStation

So what do you think? Do you agree with the above? And do you think you can get older and still keep the hardcore stamp?

Image courtesy of SXC.