Terraria

Tomorrow is a big day for Terraria fans... version 1.1 will be released.  This new update includes over 200 new items, almost 40 new enemies, four new bosses, new biomes, new armors, new ores... in a word, it's epic.  And, last Friday, the official preview teaser trailer for 1.1 was released:

If you've never heard of this game, let me try to explain: it's an exploration game, similar to the more popular/well-known game, Minecraft. You can mine ores in the ground, use them to craft new tools, weapons, buildings and such. There are enemies in the world, from simple slimes to massive bosses, to interact with along the way.

The fun of the game comes from the random exploration aspect of it; the advancement of your tools and the discovery of new biomes (from the desert, to the jungle... the caverns to the underworld... and even oceans and floating islands in the sky). As you grow and explore deeper and further into the world, you can improve your stats and gear, meet new NPCs who will help you out on your adventure, find new cosmetic items or accessories, learn new crafting plans. And now (well, tomorrow...) there will be much, much more of this to go around.

At $10 on STEAM, this game is a steal.  On sale (the recently concluded "Autumn Sale" or the upcoming "Winter/Holiday Sale"), you can find it for as little as $5, which makes it an absolute must-own in my books. Getting started can seem a little daunting and perhaps a bit un-structured, however, the official Terraria Online Wiki is an excellent resource.

» Found at: Terraria Online (DevBlog)

Alive

Wow, it doesn't get much better than this: Jonathan Coulton's masterpiece, the closing song Still Alive from Portal, the video game plus Canadian indie artist, Sara Quinn, of Tegan & Sara.

Just in case this video isn't enough, the link below takes you to a post Jonathan made recently which features links to other new videos from his latest album, Artificial Heart. Oh, and did I mention that this version includes an intro done on a theremin?

» Found at: Jonathan Coulton's website

Fifty-Two

I ran across this today which was just too awesome not to pass along. We've all played Solitare on the computer; I mean, really... everyone has, right? And, as such, I assume that nearly everyone has won at least one game since Windows 3.1 was released years ago, so we're equally familiar with the neatly piled stacks of cards bouncing off the screen in celebration:

Bounce, bounce, bounce...

In this case, Lars Marcus and Theo (that's two people) have lovingly paid homage to that scene/experience by creating a 3d model of the 'win' screen! Their joint website shows how they did it, how many individual cards they had to create, etc. It's all very cool!

» Found at: Skrekkogle (via Quipsologies)

Plumber

Wow. This is pretty freakin' amazing.  As someone who was/is a big fan of the classic NES game Super Mario Brothers, this video (see link below) is a real trip.  Someone, namely Freddie Wong, created this vision of what it would have looked like for Mario to actually run World 1-1.

Very cool to watch. He's got a whole bunch of other stuff up on his YouTube page as well including a bunch of live-action SFX-filled videos. Certainly someone to keep an eye on!

» Found at: First Person Super Mario, World 1-1 (YouTube video)

Angry

I've never played Angry Birds – heck, I don't even have a device able to play the game – but I know this is a pretty solid homage to the game. I'm a sucker for this sort of inked, scripted, coffee-stained, weathered, faux-classic colour plate style. However, this isn't the only piece of art that Shane Parker has done; it's certainly worth your time to check out his Flickr stream if you're a fan of geek pop culture such as Team Fortress 2, comics and classic video games.

It was his Overlook Hotel kids placemat that drew me to his site via a link I found on Daring Fireball today... but it's worth sticking around to see what else is there.

» Found at: Zero-Lives blog

Entangle

I blame Jason Kottke for this one (as usual).  He linked to this wonderfully addictive web-game the other day and I've spent far too much time playing it recently. It's similar to those "Pipe Dream" games of yore, but with something of a twist. There is no time limit, just a bit of chance and a bit of luck. As you keep playing, you'll start to develop a bit of strategy as well (and know just how likely you are to get back out of a corner).

Seriously. Do not click the link below if you have anything to do in the next 30-90 minutes.  And yes, the image above shows my current high score: 77 85.

» Found at: Entanglement

Costumes

Wow. These guys know how to do hallowe'en costumes. Yes, I realize that we're not even close to this costumed psudo-holiday right now, but ... just look at these. Incredible.

What actually brought me to this guy's site were his "Victorian -era renderings" of Star Wars characters. Equally impressive.

Mr. Greg Peltz, you are quite the talented artist.

» Found at: Greg's Blog