The Ideal iPad Wallpaper

Awhile back, I was trying to find out what the best resolution is for retina iPads with the new parallax wallpapers on iOS 7. Most site were uncertain, but guessed that the resolution involved padding about 500 extra pixels on the sides of a 2048x2048 image. Although this works, I have personally looked into the official, original Apple wallpaper files. These wallpapers are actually 2524x2524, which is the ideal iPad retina wallpaper resolution. However, it is worth noting that the majority of the wallpaper cannot actually be seen at any given moment. I made a template for my own use, and here are the usability zones:

It's hardly pixel-perfect, but it does give you a good idea about wallpaper layouts.

As you can see, the green zone is the only part of the wallpaper that will always be visible, regardless of the dock position and the orientation of the display. In my own testing, I found that the red zone was least important, as it is hard to see in any orientation or parallax movement. The grey boxes give a general idea where the dock will be in relation to the wallpaper when the iPad is in a neutral position.

Newer Super Mario Bros. Wii: Released Today!

Newer is a full unofficial sequel to New Super Mario Bros. Wii, crafted over the span of 3 years by a team of devoted Nintendo fans. Playable legally on any homebrew-enabled Wii; no piracy or hardware mods needed. Newer Super Mario Bros. Wii adds nearly 130 all-new levels to an already great game. Introduced to the franchise is a rebuilt world map system, new level themes, freshly remixed music, and surprising new level mechanics. 

Requirements

• Wii or Wii U console
• New Super Mario Bros. Wii game disc (US, Europe or Japan versions)
• SD card with at least 570MB free space
• SD adapter or slot so you can transfer files to it from your computer

To get started, head over to the Newer website here. 

Mario Marathon 6

Mario Marathon 6 begins June 21nd at 11 am EDT Check it out!

Super Mario Marathon Super Mario Marathon »

The Mario Marathon Team is once again attempting every game in Mushroom Kingdom for Child's Play Charity.

Nintendo All-Access @ E3 2012

e3.nintendo.com is the definitive resource for all of Nintendo's E3 2012. 

"Taste creation" Reproduction

Here's my own reproduction of "Taste creation" by *DjDrako on deviantART

And here's the original: 

I decided that this would be a simple reproduction that would test my CGI skills. I let this image render in Cycles for quite awhile. I think that it reached around 7000 Samples. Which one do you prefer? Feel free to discus in the comments.

Metal Man's Boss Room in 3D

Once again, I have reproduced a scene in Mega Man 2. This time, I have rendered Metal Man's boss room. Metal Man is renowned for his metal blade power. When used by Mega Man, the power-up was able to defeat Metal Man himself with only two blades. It was one of the few abilities worth using in the classic Mega Man series. Click on any image to see it at full-size.

Here is his boss room as rendered by an orthographic camera:

Here is another render using a perspective camera: 

Finally, here is a reference image for comparison:

Mega Man 2 Title Screen in 3D

Here's a project I've been working on for awhile. Although its not perfectly to scale, the scene does a pretty good job at staying true to the original. As per usual, click on either image to view at full size. 

The scene above may look like the a picture from the original game. However, the scene can actually be viewed at any angle, such as the one below.

The sprites were obtained from The Spriters Resource. The logo actually has the right color changes at the appropriate stops.
If you want to play an actual game like this, look forward to the release of Mega Man 2.5D by Peter Sjöstrand. He's aiming for a launch sometime this year.

Meta Knight in HD

I found a fun pose for the model as a reference image:

Meta Knight by ~Brinstar on deviantART

Then I posed my Meta Knight model, which I found using this tutorial. Using Blender's new render engine, Cycles, I enhanced some of the materials. For example, the sword is actually reflective now. I also used Subdivision Surface to smooth the rough edges on the model.

Here is my result in HD. Click to view at full size:

Super Mario 3D Land Persona

I've just added a new Super Mario 3D Land Persona. Look forward to the game's release on November 13 in the US.

New Firefox Personas

My website currently offers Personas. The first Personas are both from Mario Kart 7. Check them out at: http://marioman128.blogspot.com/p/firefox-personas.html

Flame Red 3DS and Star Fox 64 3D Coming Soon

On September 9th, Nintendo with be releasing their latest 3DS color scheme, Flame Red. They will also be releasing a great new title for the 3DS's game library, Star Fox 64 3DS, a remake of Star Fox 64 with a huge graphical overhaul, 3D visuals, and new tilt controls.If you haven't purchased a 3DS, the new $169.99 price tag, new colors, and new holiday games may be enough incentive.

3DS's Price Cut by $80

Yesterday, Nintendo announced that they will cut the price on their new portable, the 3DS, to $169.99 in August. This move has been seen by many as hasty, but they're doing this to pick up lost momentum. "Having strong momentum is very important for game platform businesses. Once momentum is lost, great power is needed to change that trend." This price cut will also increase 3DS sales over the PlayStation Vita (the cheapest Vita model, originally priced competitively,  was $249.99.) Interestingly, the superiors at Nintendo are giving themselves pay cuts, with Iwata, the current president of Nintendo receiving a 50% cut to his salary, not including his company success bonuses. They are doing this "to show our sincere attitude and to fulfill our responsibility. We really must recover our financial performance and take Nintendo back into the position in the marketplace where it is well appreciated." 

Jailbreak iPhone, iPod Touch, and even iPad, using only a Website

Update: Apple has already issued a patch on iOS 4.3.4 and later. Do not update beyond 4.3.3 if you plan to jailbreak with this method.

Starting today, iOS users can now Jailbreak their devices using only the mobile Safari web browser. Just direct your iOS device to www.jailbreakme.com for an incredibly simple jailbreak method.

The following devices are compatible with this jailbreak method:

• iPad1: 4.3 through 4.3.3
• iPad2: 4.3.3
• iPhone3GS: 4.3 through 4.3.3
• iPhone4: 4.3 through 4.3.3
• iPhone4-CDMA: 4.2.6 through 4.2.8
• iPod touch 3g: 4.3, 4.3.2, 4.3.3
• iPod touch 4g: 4.3 through 4.3.3

 If you haven't heard of jailbreaking before, go to www.jailbreakme.com and click on "More Information" to learn the answers to any questions you may have.

Nintendo's Press Conference at E3 2011

Presenting Nintendo's next home console, Wii U! 

It may look bland, like a simple change in the plastic shell, but the real attraction is the controller. 

Wii U's controller features a plethora of control methods. It utilizes two Circle Pads, a D-Pad, L and R buttons, ZL and ZR buttons, stereo speakers, a front-facing camera, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a 6.2-inch touch screen. Wii U will still be compatible with previous Wii controllers such as the Wii Remote, Nunchuk, Classic Controller, and even the Balance Board.  The system itself supports full HD at 1080P. Games can be played on the TV, or relocated on the touch screen. You can also share images and videos from the controller to the TV. Nintendo is once again supporting hardcore audiences while still keeping the casual audience happy. Very few games have been confirmed for Wii U, but we'll most definitely know more about it before it launches sometime next year.

Changes Complete

I've been trying to find a balance with my blog and website posts, and I think I've found a suitable alternative. Now my blog is inside the panel of my website. To fit on a screen with a width of 1024, I had to adjust the blog width. I've also migrated my website posts into my blog, with the dates and times still intact. If you're reading this on my blog, instead of my website, click here for the best experience. 

Edit: After some technical difficulties with my website, I have moved most of my content to this blog. My website is now depreciated.