MG - Metal Gear - ‘Gear Up’ original advertisement

An amazing original advertisement for the Metal Gear game developed and first published by Konami in 1987 for the MSX2 home computer.

Click here for the full size version of Metal Gear “Gear Up”

More information about Metal Gear at wikipedia.com

A great resource on Metal Gear in general includes all games by Hideo Kojima

Unfortunately nesworld has been experiencing difficulties and I can’t find the original post. I assume its legit.

There is a worse version of the advert on nesplayer here

[Via neatorama] originally on nesworld.com

Webcomic - Dueling Analogs ‘Heavenly Absurd’

I’ve played through Heavenly Sword for the PS3, its a very good game if only a little short. This is a comic strip based on that game.

[Via duelinganalogs by Steve Napierski]

Image - L33T Eye testing

[Image via history_aficionado @ flickr]

MGO - Origins of the Man Cannon?

If you’ve managed to see of even try the “manapult”, “man cannon” or “human cannon” in the upcoming game Metal Gear Online you may be interested to know that DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) in the United States have already filed a patent in April 2006 for the so called “Controllable Launcher”.

A ramp with side rails would be placed on the ground near the target building at an angle of about 80°. A (very brave) person would then sit in a chair, like a pilot’s ejection seat, attached to the ramp.

From New Scientist on the Controllable Launcher patent

Compressed air from a cylinder underneath would be rapidly released to shoot the chair up the ramp’s guide rails. At the top the chair would come to an instant halt, leaving the person to fly up and over the edge of the roof, to hopefully land safely on top of the building.

The DARPA patent suggests that computer could automatically devise the correct angle and speed of ascent. It also claims that a 4-metre-tall launcher could put a man on the top of a 5 storey building in less than 2 seconds. Very similar to the Man Cannon in MGO.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to try out the “Man Cannon” in Metal Gear Online then you’ll have to wait until Metal Gear Solid 4 ships on the 12th of June

A direct link to the Controllable Launcher for DARPA makes for interesting reading

Metal Gear Online by Konami

[Via geekologie.com] Via New Scientist April 2006

Energy - “Power of Wind” by Nordpol for Eupron

An advertisement for an energy company called Epuron GmbH, it was designed by Nordpol+ Hamburg. Its pretty good with a twist at the end. The advertisement won the Golden Lion for best advertising spot at the International Advertising Festival in Cannes.

From Epuron on the “Power of Wind”

The Spot cleverly demonstrates in a very charming and poetic way the strength of the wind – when used intelligently – everyone benefits. This project also drew the support of the German Federal Ministry of Environment. “When I saw ‘Power of Wind’ for the first time I was drawn by the motive and the humor of it. The Nordpol team did a great job in interpreting the meaning of wind energy into image and sound.

“Power of Wind” at Eupron.de

[Via neatorama]

Book - The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu

Not speaking is the wiser part,
And words are sometimes vain,
But to completely close the heart
In silence, gives me pain

- Prince Genji, in The Tale of Genji

The Tale of Genji (Japanese: Genji Monogatari) by Murasaki Shikibu written during the late 10th century AD and finished in its present form by 1021 tells the tale of Prince Genji, the son of the emperor and his favourite concubine, Kiritsubo. Following the death of his mother, the emperor makes him a commoner, assigning him membership of the non-royal Genji clan.

As Genji grows up to become an uncommonly handsome and gifted young man, admired by all but feared by Lady Kokiden, mother of the heir-apparent and her family, The tale follows the amorous exploits with a variety of ladies, friendships, exile from royal court and then re-instatement of his position within the royal household.

The Tale of Genji - Suma

The complete story covers 54 chapters, all of which have been translated by Arthur Waley.

I have read the version indicated at the top of this page, translated by Kencho Suematsu, an abridged version originally published in Persian and Japanese Literature, by Colonial Press, London and New York, in 1900. Whilst it doesn’t contain the entire story (the last chapter is number 17 entitled Competitive Show of Pictures (E Awase)) it still has the rich poetry, narrative, dialogue, art criticism, romantic fantasy and jealously of the complete version. (Paraphrased from Terrence Barrow Ph.D.)

The Tale of Genji - Wakamurasaki (note the difference from this and the top image, it was generally the case that the pictures and accompanying text stayed the same on each wall scroll with littler variation

Book - Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

Just finished the html version of Cory Doctorow’s new book Little Brother. Released under the Creative Commons license anybody can read it online although there are different versions such as PDF etc.

Here is the blurb from the website

What’s Little Brother about?
Marcus, a.k.a “w1n5t0n,” is only seventeen years old, but he figures he already knows how the system works–and how to work the system. Smart, fast, and wise to the ways of the networked world, he has no trouble outwitting his high school’s intrusive but clumsy surveillance systems.

But his whole world changes when he and his friends find themselves caught in the aftermath of a major terrorist attack on San Francisco. In the wrong place at the wrong time, Marcus and his crew are apprehended by the Department of Homeland Security and whisked away to a secret prison where they’re mercilessly interrogated for days.

When the DHS finally releases them, Marcus discovers that his city has become a police state where every citizen is treated like a potential terrorist. He knows that no one will believe his story, which leaves him only one option: to take down the DHS himself.

If you like it be sure to pick up a hardcopy on Amazon.

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow download page

Instructables link to the different items featured in the book