Awesome Games

Ten years ago, we visited Stern Pinball in a small suburban Chicago factory that made up to 100 pinball machines a day. Since then, interest in pinball has grown substantially, and they’ve moved twice. Between the two buildings of their new factory, they now have almost 250,000 square feet of space and are the largest pinball factory in the world.

In 1994, Sony and Nintendo collaborated on an unreleased video game console that birthed the PlayStation name. While there is a rare prototype of the system, James Channel thought it would be fun to build his own. His Frankenstein’s monster of a console has the body of a Super Famicom, the brains of a PlayStation, and a sketchy exposed CD-ROM drive.

Celebrate classic 16-bit gaming with these SEGA Genesis and MegaDrive watches from ANICORN. The limited-edition watches come in US, EU, and JP versions to celebrate each region’s game console. The watches have a black PVD finish and a visible movement beneath a mineral glass back. Packaged in a special edition console box with a numbered metal plate.

Lots of us think that current-gen Xbox consoles look like appliances. After launching the Series X mini-fridge, Microsoft has licensed Ukonic to make an official Xbox Series S toaster. The boxy 2-slice toaster looks just like the game system, has an extra-long, wide slot that works for bagels, and burns an Xbox logo graphic into your bread.

It’s easy to take the high-fidelity 3D graphics in today’s video games for granted, but a lot of artistry, hardware, and software goes into every frame you see on screen. Branch Education provides an in-depth yet understandable explanation of the processes and technology at work when rendering video game graphics.

Fumi Games’ FPS combines the black-and-white, rubber hose animation style of 1930s cartoons with high-intensity action. Think Cuphead meets Serious Sam. It doesn’t drop until 2025, but this early gameplay footage is promising. Add it to your Steam wishlist today. In case you’re wondering, Mickey’s Steamboat Willie look loses copyright protection in 2024.

This tense “walking simulator” from Kotake Create drops players into a seemingly-endless subway, where they must wander its tiled hallways to find a way out. The game’s instructions read simply: Don’t overlook any anomalies; If you find anomalies, turn back immediately; If you don’t find anomalies, do not turn back; To go out from Exit 8.

The makers of Clash of Clans asked I did a thing to build something inspired by the game. He decided to build a real-world version of the strategy game’s hidden spring trap. Powered by a pair of car suspension springs and pulled into place with a winch, the final version won’t just launch victims into the air; it might break some bones.

Now you do what Robotnik told ya. Chiptune musician fxsnowy took Rage Against the Machine’s track Killing in the Name and programmed it to play with the 16-bit sounds of the SEGA Genesis game console. It’s time for Sonic and Tails to rise up and take the power back.

This extraordinary arcade machine is the brainchild of artist Harold Sangouard aka Harow. The made-to-order game system has a cabinet carved from Calacatta marble, sculpted with classical artwork inspired by video games. Expect a one-year lead time for production and a cost of $100,000+. Shipping the weighty machine can’t be cheap either.

This Amazon Prime series is based on the Fallout video games and promises action and drama on an epic scale. Set 200 years after a nuclear war, the wealthy inhabitants of fallout shelters are cast into the wasteland outside the safety of their vaults, where they encounter endless peril. From Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, creators of Westworld. Premieres 4.12.24.

There’s a good reason that pinball machines are so expensive. These hand-assembled games incorporate multiple circuit boards, complicated wiring harnesses, and hundreds of parts. Technology Connections starts with a brief look at a 1990s pinball machine, then dives in deep to explain the amazing engineering of a vintage electromechanical machine.

The character Killjoy in Valorant has a nifty turret weapon. Mechanical engineer Danny Lum brought the weapon to life with a custom-built robot. At its heart is an OutofDarts Proton Pack hopper connected to a Jupiter blaster. He 3D printed a custom shell and built a motorized aiming system with an object-detection camera to shoot foam balls at human targets.

DoodleChaos imagines what it might be like if Minecraft was a rhythm-matching game like Beat Saber or Guitar Hero. This crazy, mashed-up world is filled with fanciful voxel art characters and sees blocks and objects popping up for players to hit with their tools as they roll along the rails and fly through the air. The track is Fly Away by TheFatRat f/Anjulie.

The upcoming life simulator game inZOI takes the idea of The Sims and updates it to take advantage of modern hardware. The 4K gameplay trailer shows incredible detail in its virtual worlds and sees its avatars going grocery shopping, cooking fried chicken, watering plants, and going to the gym. Its character- and world-builder tools look incredibly deep.

Do you like offbeat indie games? Check out Torfi’s A Firm Handshake. This wacky casual game challenges players to reach out to NPCs and get them to shake hands. As you do your handshake business deals, you march around looking to build an empire of corporate drones. And then things get really weird. SMii7Y provides an in-depth demo of the game.

Video games have been simulating way that organisms thrive, evolve, and die ever since 1970 with John Conway’s, Game of Life. Over the years, simulations have become far more sophisticated but don’t always produce realistic results. Curious Archive looks at the strange evolution of games that simulate life.

Get your brick on every morning with some delicious Tetrimino-shaped waffles. This official Tetris waffle maker cranks out seven interlocking puzzle pieces, encouraging you to play with your food at the breakfast table. Earn bonus points for adding food coloring to the individual waffles.

It’s always fun to hear our favorite albums played with video game sounds. FXSnowy took the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ 1991 smutty masterpiece Blood Sugar Sex Magik and covered it using the 16-bit sounds from the Super Nintendo games Donkey Kong Country 1, 2, and 3. All the best tunes are here, from Funky Monkeys to Breaking the Gorilla.

AtGames teamed up with developer Zen Studios to create a home pinball machine with a 32″ 4K playfield, a 24″ digital backglass, and an 8″ scoreboard. It’s got a plunger, tilt and nudge sensor, and optional SSF. The Addams Family machine drops first, with 15 games and access to a download store. Pre-orders start 9.22.23 with a deep early-bird discount.

CG artist pwnisher called on 3D artists again, challenging them to create renders based on a theme and a template. The goal this time: create a short scene featuring the most epic boss battle they could dream up. This video compiles the top 100 pieces of eye candy out of 2,800 submissions, with music by Disasterpiece. We want to play all of these games now.

Video game consoles come from the factory in opaque plastic cases. BitHead1000 gives consoles ultimate upgrade by creating custom see-through enclosures. In addition to the PS1 here, he’s built a see-through PS2, a PS4, NES, and a Sega Genesis. The videos call them glass, but we’re pretty sure they’re acrylic.

Simon from ClayClaim has made some incredible polymer clay sculptures based on video games. This time, he upgraded from a static diorama to a motion scene. He used clay and paper to craft a backdrop based on Sonic the Hedgehog’s Green Hill Zone, then attached a LEGO Technic motor and added a wheeled Sonic to run through the level.