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.

Friend Code Exchange

My Friend Codes

Super Smash Bros. Brawl: 0989-3541-3235
Mario Kart Wii: 2879-1437-0340
Mario Kart DS: 266393 593169
Pokémon: Diamond Version: 3093 5805 8581
Pokémon Battle Revolution: 2664-4053-9940
Spore Creatures: 3738 2274 0191

List your friend codes in the comments and add myself and the other commenters to your roster. Then, eventually, we'll have a nice network of friend codes.

Sent from my iPhone 3GS!

iPhone Blog Posting

From time to time, I may post from my iPhone. To determine this, simply look for "Sent from my iPhone 3GS!" at the bottom of each post. This is one of those posts.

Sent from my iPhone 3GS!

Welcome to My New Blog

Hello Bloggers! Welcome to the all-new blog, MarioMan's Blog. I'm MarioMan and this blog will feature posts about Mario, Nintendo, LEGO Mindstorms NXT, and more. Please take the time to follow this blog's posts by clicking the "Follow" button on the right column as well as subscribe to my blog via its RSS feed.

E3 Countdown

The E3 countdown timer (at this posting time positioned in the top-left) is for the Electronic Entertainment Expo. For those not familiar with this event, E3 is a convention where, among other things, major video game companies unveil their new consoles and video games.

E3 Logo

Last year, Nintendo unveiled the 3DS. This year, they will unveil "Project Café," their next console (don't worry; the name "Café" is temporary.) This also coincides with the 3DS's first major system update. Included in it will be a web-browser, the new "eShop," and more! The eShop will include downloadable games, with Super Mario Land and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening being released at the eShop's launch. It was also hinted that a slightly enhanced friend system will be included, perhaps with a way of sending your friends messages over Wi-Fi.

High-Definition Lucas Render

Click on the animation below to view a 3.7MP render of Lucas from the little-known Earthbound series.