attract-mode-collective

[attract-mode-collective]

Time To Fly The Coop And Say Goodbye To Tumblr

tl;dr version: Due to technical issues that are finally out of control, I have decided to stop updating the Attract Mode blog on Tumblr. From this point forward, all new posts will be published on Medium.

Here's the address "version 3.0": https://medium.com/attract-mode

And don’t forget "version 2.9 SHIN CE UPPER MAX FOR MATCHING SERVICE": https://twitter.com/attractmode

[UPDATE: 11/17/22] ... Actually, maybe not? Due to the imminent death of Twitter, am looking to maybe revive this blog, not 100% certain.

In the meanwhile, keep this handy, a list of all the other places where Attract Mode can be found: linktr.ee/attractmo.de

Alright, the full story...

Last night (or should I say, earlier this morning) at around 4:00am, after spending nearly NINE HOURS to publish what I consider to be one of the most research-intensive blog posts I've produced in recent memory, I had to throw in the towel.

Fellow longtime users of Tumblr know all too well what a goddamn mess this place has become. The final straw was an image that took (no joke) 30+ attempts to successfully upload. Nowadays, it essentially requires brute force to make changes or additions to a post for it to stick.

Perhaps I was playing with fire, composing something with so many words and so many images, 55 to be exact, all high res. And given how said quirks are not entirely new, I was maybe asking for trouble as well, by stating that said post was "a work in progress"... one that I would constantly update if new information ever materialized.

But after (once again, and I'm not exaggerating) OVER THIRTY ATTEMPTS TO UPLOAD A SINGLE JPEG, which finally stuck... only to realize that it appeared in the wrong spot (due to a bug that I'm all too familiar with, and am usually on the lookout, yet after nine goddamn hours, I let me guard down)... which of course I couldn't fix, I decided to hit that trash icon and finally call it a wrap.

Tomorrow is actually the eight-year anniversary of Attract Mode's "reboot"; it became the Attract Mode Collective and also introduced "version 2" of the blog.  Notice how the post is kinda broken? Well, 2.0 was built with WordPress, and version 2.5 signified the switch to Tumblr. All previous 2.0 posts were translated flawlessly.

Yet as time went on, things began to fall apart. Cory’s custom theme got broken, as did all the legacy content. Oh, also, the Attract Mode Collective is no more; it's just me at this point. Even Adam has moved onto other things, who was gracious enough to offer me the captain's chair; guess this point also allows me to the chance to finally make that public!

As some might recall, there exists a version 3.0 of the blog, found over at Medium, which I had been using mostly as an archival repository. Well, it's now the lead SKU as they say; all new posts will be found there moving forward. Lots of older content as well.

Meanwhile, everything on Tumblr will be staying put, but considering the current status of this platform, especially its projected long-term health, who knows how long that'll be. Hopefully I'll have archived every post by then. A full back-up will eventually be found on my personal homepage, fort90.com, as well.

It's been my plan to do a total overhaul of attractmo.de proper, but with state of things at this moment, it's hard to say when I'll find the time and resources to fully commit. Until then, please be sure to bookmark version 3.0, which includes the post that I wanted to share here, but could not: me tracing the steps, towards the creation of The Flying Luna Clipper.

And don't forget; I spend more time composing tweets than writing blog posts anyway, so please don't mind me blowing off steam. Guess I'm still just pissed about last night. Oh, so have I completely given up on this place? Not quite, there remains countless Tumblrs that contain treasures that you can't find anywhere else! It's thus a shame the powers that be are allowing it to wither on the vine, causing them to disappear as well…

[attract-mode-collective]

A Year One Birthday Bash Starring Two Vaporwave-d Hollywood Flicks & You’re Invited

Save the date: July 27, 2020. Yup, ten days from today, which happens to be the final Monday of the month, and you know that means...

Yes, another installment of my film series at a Brooklyn indie art-cade and event space that as of late, which due to you know what, has been online as of late. But the one coming up is extra special, because it marks the one-year anniversary of Cineville at Wonderville!

And yeah, I can't believe it's been 12 months later, 10 movies later (December was skipped due to being in Japan, for my honeymoon, and March was also a no show due to the bar still trying to figure things out what to do in the middle of a pandemic).

So naturally I wanted to do something special, and as I mentioned last month, it's going to be in the form a double feature presentation: R A C E R W A V E & H E A T W A V E (hopefully you might recall seeing Hideo Kojima X Michael Mann mash-up soaked in a e s t h e t i c; here's your chance to see the other segments).

Both films will stream back to back on Wonderville's Twitch channel, again on Monday, July 27 at 9:00PM EST (with another back to back showing immediately after the first one). But before that, as in this weekend, racer trash will stream on their Twitch channel an updated version of their latest masterpiece, i d 4 . m p 4 // i n d e p e n d e n c e w a v e. Here's my fave segment from ver. 1...

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A post shared by Matt Hawkins (@fortninety) on Jul 4, 2020 at 8:29pm PDT

... Here's a longer look, over at Twitter, which allows for lengthier clips. You can also find a trailer for their take on that live action Super Mario Bros movie as well. But yeah, can't wait for ver. 2, which promises some Persona X Unsolved Mysteries v i b e s.

Anyhow, see you all at the Cineville birthday bash, i.e. the Twitch chat that night!

[attract-mode-collective]

A Special Day Like Today Deserves A Specially Prepared Meal

And what is today you might be asking? Well the hashtag being used on Twitter translates to “NES Day”, though its actually in celebration of the Famicom, which came out 37 years ago on this very day, July 15.

And the above is the handiwork of Tatsuya Tanaka, who plainly states: “I make miniature art every day”. Elsewhere on his Twitter you can see a behind the scene look at how the above was put together.

The “every day” statement is not just empty words, and his Miniature Calendar is proof positive. In fact, let’s see what me made just one week ago…

… And here’s another behind the curtain look for that one as well. Tatsuya doesn’t reference video games every single day, but regularly enough; a few other examples…

[attract-mode-collective]

Review: We Are Little Zombies

The short answer… We Are Little Zombies is a fantastic flick that you should check out ASAP, and not just cuz of the cred or clout, since I have a feeling that it's gonna (finally) blow up.

The somewhat longer (cuz this is a review after all) answer…

Like many with a keen interest in Asian cinema, I too have seen all the glowing reviews, and I too have found them to be a massive turn off. It certainly ain't the subject matter's fault, plus I should perhaps be used to the overbearing hype (soaked in a tingey & cringey glaze of fetishization that comes with Japanese exports) by so-called movie experts whose blind spot as it pertains to anything from the East is hilariously glaring (who also can't be bothered to check and see if “Scott Pilgrim Enters The Void” has been used to death).

There's nevertheless a point in which it just gets a bit much and kills any interest in the source of all the clamor, and even worse, you finally show up looking to nitpick. Thankfully, We Are Little Zombies is again an actually great motion picture that I also believe will become a cult classic. And yeah... it honestly is the movie that the Scott Pilgrim flick wanted to be/should have been.

The film is the story of four kids who become acquainted at a funeral parlor; each of their parents are dead, leaving them all alone in a cruel, cruel world, so they join forces... to form a party. Yup, like in a role-playing game; perhaps you noticed the trailer's descriptor of “A Super Musical Adventure RPG Movie!” Actually, not every one is completely alone; Hikari, the movie's lead, has an aunt that's now his legal guardian... but he finds her stupid. Cuz all adults are stupid. Hell, reality is stupid. Hikari, along with the rest of his party, all ooze nihilism, largely due to how life for them was shit even when things were “normal”. Plus, given that it's a movie from Japan and all, there's of course plenty of staring into the abyss and the abyss staring back; it's all fairly boilerplate. Yet wrapped in a Harajuku-coated shell, which again is not exactly groundbreaking, for those truly entrenched in the scene.

What was surprising is how legit effective and useful the aesthetics are; shots can look cool yet have substance as well! The sense of style is sustained and never gets boring or runs out of steam, which is rare. Best of all is how video games are part of the mix, and not just from a narrative standpoint, aka how Hikari almost always has his Game Boy-like device in his hands. We see the world through the eyes of a kid in which games are his entire life; Hikari couldn't be bothered to shed a tear for mom & dad at the funeral cuz there was no bond, who instead showered their child in consoles & cartridges & discs in lieu of affection. As a result, he has a killer collection, literally everything from the Famicom to a PlayStation VR. Yet the real consequence is how his entire reality is imbued with game-like properties, like when explaining to his new friends how he’s been primarily a loner (”I’m used to being alone. I’m a single player.”).

Director Makoto Nagahisa adds various flourishes to the mix, like shots that emulate the viewing angle of classic JRPGs and 8-bit audio in certain parts;  none of it bashes you on the head and it's sincerely appreciated. But back to that DMG-esque handheld, which is simply referred to as a Pocket Game; the only tiny cart that's ever inserted is, well, We Are Little Zombies. Naturally Hikari compares its plot ("It's an old game about zombies who meet in a graveyard.") with what's happening IRL. As for the game itself, it's supposed to look 8-bit and largely succeeds, without looking too 16-bit instead, like all too many indie games IRL.

The party members bum around town with what little money they had saved and scrounged up, but eventually find themselves officially orphans living on the streets, which is when they come across a merry band of homeless people. Who all play music? Not only do they supply the necessary equipment to upgrade the party into a band, known as (you guessed it) Little Zombies. Every party member plays an instrument, and Hikari's is... yup, his Pocket Game; they're a chiptunes act. When the guy working the graveyard shift at the junkyard that most of the equipment comes from broadcasts said performance on social media, Little Zombies are a viral sensation, overnight rock stars. Their next proper gig at a real deal venue has the band decked out in 6% Doki Doki-esque attire and even visuals you'd find at a chipshow; it honestly feels like a performance at Blip Tokyo or Square Sounds. This is also the point in which the filmmakers clearly did their homework, or at the very least, are clearly fans of Anamanaguchi.

As is the case with these types of movies, success for the band is fleeting; in an interview with the press, Hikari states that driver of the bus in which he parents died (due to negligence of said wheelman, who ended up surviving) is "the End of Level boss in the game of my life." Cue yet another similar sight in many films from both Japan and Korea: on screen text that illustrates message board/social media banter, of internet justice being dished out, in this case the Little Zombies fanbase's search for said driver. It might actually be the absolute best example of said trope I've seen thus far, something I obviously had to point out, despite it not being very video game-y (okay, gamers do stuff like that on Twitter in the real world) and kinda spoiler-ish.

Alongside the requisite downfall of the band, the rest of the film plays as one might expect... most Japanese movies about self-reflection discovery follow the same beats, so it's all about what instruments are used... and this might be the first movie to feature a chiptunes band front and center? In the very end, despite not being groundbreaking, there's enough polish, energy, charm, and sincerity to make We Are Little Zombies a damn fine film nonetheless. As it relates to video games specifically, it's the perfect example of video game culture being an indelible part of everyday life, at least in certain parts of the world, or at least in the eyes of certain filmmakers. A viewpoint/attitude that many in the West, and not just in Hollywood, have yet to fully master, let alone grasp.

We Are Little Zombies arrives in both live cinemas and virtual cinemas tomorrow July 10th; swing by Oscilloscope Laboratories to see what options are available in your neck of the woods.

[attract-mode-collective]

Wait, Is That Another Astro City Mini?

The short answer... Yup.

The somewhat longer (but not really) answer...

On one hand we have something that was revealed at the same exact time as I was putting together last night's post on the homemade Nintendo PlayStation, I think? Sega’s Astro City Mini, coming later this year...

And in the other hand, we have what Robert S Dunn produced for a customer, late last year (though here are some more recent pics)...

Is it just me, or does Robert's look more accurate than the official offering? As for Robert's take: "Part of me is glad it looks different than mine but Im also a bit sad no one from Sega reached out to hire me."

Longtime followers of the blog may recall an earlier iteration of Multi Game System, which is a tad bit bigger, yet I still want that one most, cuz it actually looks comfortable to play with...

Sega also revealed that there will be an additional controller to accommodate player 2...

And guess what; Robert has his own take on that as well...

At this point, my primary question regarding the so-called real deal is if it’ll support TATE mode. Cuz, ya know...

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A post shared by Rob / Multi Game System (@robertdunnart) on Jul 7, 2020 at 4:25pm PDT

[attract-mode-collective]

Yup, That's A Nintendo PlayStation Alright

It's been 30 or so years since, yet memories of the 16-bit wars are still very strong in my mind. Even to this day, I often wonder "what coulda been" if the Super Nintendo CD-ROM had actually happened.

Despite being mostly a Sega fan... I had both the SNES & Genesis growing up, and enjoyed them both, yet only one had Sonic 3, Thunder Force 4, Gunstar Heroes, AND Virtua Racing on it... I really dug original concept sketches for the SNES CD add-on.

There's only two that I know of, but cuz I can't find a decent sized version of the one I prefer, here's the other...

The above is way cooler than the prototype until that everyone's familiar with. Though, aside from being a prototype, it's also not an add-on but an all-in-one console, so one really shouldn't rag on it. Yet clearly someone else out there was equally enamored by the artist's renderings, specifically gamer_lafan, who decided to build his own...

Those familiar with Nintendo hardware know already that gamer_lafan utilized the Satellaview attachment for his mod. Okay, the CD tray doesn't match the rest of the unit... which itself doesn't quite match the base console. Let's just pretend that this is another example of the hardware discoloration over time. I mean, at least gamer_lafan also made a fake spin card/obi...

But the most important thing here is how the thing actually works; am not sure how he did it, but an actual PlayStaton 1 is crammed inside that Satellaview housing...

The most impressive part, to me at least, is how its signal is going through the Super Famicom's AV out. I think? Also, is that actually impressive or somewhat easy to do?

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A post shared by LASTFANTASY (@gamer_lafan) on Jul 6, 2020 at 7:18am PDT

And here's a bunch of clips (you'll have to click the source to see them all), of the Nintendo PlayStation running the PSX port of Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo; gamer_lafan explains...

"The number one game that I wanted to play as Super Famicom CD-ROM is Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo (SSF2X). It was a shame that SSF2 was barely ported due to the specification limits of Super Famicom. There's also a Super Famicom video in the back, so it'd be good to compare. It feels weird to use SSF2X with Super Famicom pad"

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A post shared by LASTFANTASY (@gamer_lafan) on Jul 4, 2020 at 9:57pm PDT

[attract-mode-collective]

Is It Time For (Another Post Regarding) Switch (The Magazine, Not The Console)?

... Yup. It's been almost three years since I first mentioned the magazine that, at first glance, one may think is about Nintendo's hybrid home console/handheld device but is actually geared towards creative professionals. Though the mistake is understandable, given how Nintendo-adjacent content graces its cover quite a bit.

Like the above; the most recent issue focused on Animal Crossing: New Horizons...

Though the focal point is actually a survey?

Via the magazine's website, with a little help from Google Translate...

“This time, "SWITCH" thoroughly covers each "island" created by 40 creators in various genres. With the memories of countless islands, we will unravel the various charms of [Animal Crossing: New Horizons].

In search of a new life, it is a plain desert island. What kind of island lives do creators of various genres live in? A total of 40 creators will talk about the origins of the "island name", sightseeing spots on the island, favorite animals and items, and the charm of [Animal Crossing] along with the actual play screen.”

Alas, due to the COVID crisis, I cannot venture to my local Japanese bookstore and search for a copy; guess I could always ask Cory to borrow his? Which I caught in the corner of a recent Instagram Story, that also alas, I forgot to take a screenshot of.

So instead is another from Raina, from the other night, which is not directly related to the subject at hand. But given how she's the creator of "the Citizen Kane of video game zines" IMHO, I feel bringing her up is still valid...

Moving on: another Japanese magazine that isn't centered on games, but happens to feature them quite a bit, by virtue of covering culture as a whole, since video games is indeed a vital component... "Showa 50 mens magazine" is the closest I've been able to get, as it pertains to a properly translated title.

Recently @ARCADE_LAB showed off their collection (it's a relatively new publication, so there’s only been a few issues), with the obvious highlights being its debut, which covers the Famicom's "Golden Five Years", 1985-1989...

As well as another issue that covers the following five-year span...

In other news, Game Center CX recently had its 300th episode and naturally CONTINUE will be publishing a special edition to mark the occasion (it actually includes a DVD, though it's an Amazon of Japan exclusive)...

This marks I believe the 4th time Arino has graced the cover? Here's three other issues that I spotted at a retro game shop while in Japan this past winter (yeah, yeah, I'm LONG overdue with my report, I know)...

BTW, while in Japan I finally acquired the one back issue that I've lusted over for many years now, for perhaps obvious reasons...

And I suppose it goes without saying that, alongside the upcoming Game Center CX Special, I’m also going to try obtaining the next regular issue…

[attract-mode-collective]

So, About That Pac-Man Championship Edition Demake...

My current fave game is a Famicom/NES iteration of one of an all-time fave titles for the Xbox 360: Pac-Man Championship Edition. Which was recently released as a bonus title of sorts, for the recently released Namcot Collection.

But the video above is not said game. Or is it?

Said video was published in 2017. Three years ago? Alas its uploader provides zero precious info; when someone in the comments asked where the rom came from, the answer was just...

"Idk"

And when asked if said uploader still has it, the response was simply...

"not anymore"

It's worth noting that I saw the video above courtesy of @gosokkyu, who states...

"...that "8-bit demake" of Pac-Man Championship Edition may very well be based on an old Japanese homebrew, similar to Sega's acquisition of the fan-made Darius port for the Mega Drive Mini"

A few days later, Siliconera (side note: who out there remembers my days as their East Coast Editor?) published an interview with Naoki Horii, from M2, which (not surprisingly) is responsible for Namcot Collection. Though the focus was, of course, "Pac-Man Championship Edition (FC Arrange Version)" and the following is perhaps the most interesting part...

"... we originally negotiated to port the game to Nintendo 3DS, and afterwards, we’ve been working on this for around nearly five years."

Wait, so is the M2's version and the one seen above not the same thing, as in from totally different parties? Anyone who has played the one that just came out for the Switch can tell you that it's somewhat different than what you see in the video, or should I say hear... the audio in the retail release is more polished... but otherwise they're VERY similar.

But then along comes @blizzardjesus, who shared this second video, which appears to be the same version as seen above... except it's eleven years old?

I then decided to go back to the previous YouTube video's comments section and take a closer look. These two, from the same person, really stood out...

"Nobody has the rom/patch because the creator, Coke774, never released it, just the footage. He did some minor patches found over at romhacking but not a lot. I suspect it wasn't released for legal reasons."

And...

"... it is what it is. This was never released so unfortunately, for now, all we have is footage like this. Maybe one day it will get released but Coke774, for some reason, isn't releasing it yet. https://togetter.com/li/743867 - you can see there they made a homebrew cartridge of it for themselves."

That link compiles various social media content into a blog post-like container. Included is various Niconico videos, including one for Coke774's "Nintendo version Pac-Man CE (Port without permission)". Alas, it's no longer viewable, but check this out; a cartridge version, of sorts, was produced via the usage of Kirby's Adventure...

The photo above was shared by someone else on Twitter, @mucom88, back in 2014, which again proves that this other Pac-Man CE demake existed before M2 began working on theirs. Maybe?

Now, not to get off track here, but something else by Coke774 that caught my eye was "Famicom version Gradius (AC conversion)". Sorry, but I’m simply a massive Gradius fanboy; again, it's associated Niconico footage is long gone, but, footage does exist... via Coke774's YouTube channel!

It too saw a "physical release", and the following was again taken by @mucom88 in 2014...

Fellow Import Club member @joe_keiser, who unearthed Coke774′s YouTube account, observed: "Notably pac man CE is not on his channel". Interesting! 

So the original question stands: was M2's Pac-Man CE demake made completely separately, and it just so happens to coincidentally to be VERY similar to a homebrew project? There's enough evidence of Coke774's handiwork that makes me believe that his version wasn't faked... so I'm assuming that he was simply hired by M2?

Yet, as evidenced by the fact that there’s a “2019″ in the title of that last video, it would appear that he still does stuff on the side? Hey, did he by chance work on the hidden arcade version of Gradius for the PC Engine Mini? Even more questions!

UPDATE #1: I just realized that the link with all the compiled tweets and Niconico footage no longer works! Yet it was up, only just a few hours ago… again, interesting!

UPDATE #2: I initially thought that now dead link was non-functional due to a mistake on my end. Which is not the case (though it’s still VERY odd how it all of sudden all the contents JUST disappeared), yet I decided to check everything else, just cuz.

Well, I just came across another Twitter thread from @gosokkyu once again, which in addition to side-by-side comparisons, also has the following discovery… 

"I did a quick search and dude pulled his old webpage and privated all his Pacman CE videos towards the end of last year"(!!!)

You'll also find links to all of the now private vids, BTW/FYI.

[attract-mode-collective]

The Lost Arcade Has (Finally) Found Its Way To (Cineville At) Wonderville

I said it before… nearly four years ago in fact… and I’ll say it again: The Lost Arcade is simply the best filmed documentary on the subject of video games that I have seen. Period.

For those who haven’t had a chance to check it out yet, you’re in luck! Because it’s the June 2020 installment of Cineville at Wonderville! Yup, I’m not quite done with video game-adjacent films on that end after all…

Not only am I supremely delighted to finally present the movie, but so is Wonderville co-founder Mark Kleeb; The Lost Arcade was the very first thing he suggested when I began my role as film programmer for his indie art-cade and event space nearly a year ago. So it’s been a longtime coming!

Alas, The Lost Arcade’s value as a snapshot of a city that is longer what it once was has only increased since its debut. Here’s a favorite scene, which I’d use as a prompt to ask folks if they remember Gem Spa’s modest assortment of arcade games…

But now I’ll need to ask folks if they remember Gem Spa, period. It’s yet another small business that was on the chopping block due to strip mallification of the neighborhood, though COVID-19 was what ultimately signed the death certificate.

So pour an egg cream out for Zoltar if you can. Alas, I haven’t been able to make it downtown, for obvious reasons, to Veselka, which is the only other place in the area that serves them (that I know of). But until then, join us this Monday, June 29th at 9:00PM EST on Twitch! With an encore showing immediately after... plus I believe the director will be in attendance?

[attract-mode-collective]

Hideo Kojima + Michael Mann x Vaporwave = H E A T W A V E

... “Segment 9” of H E A T W A V E, to be precise. Which was produced by Austin Stock, who is part of “an ever-changing roster of editors that are vaporizing random movies we vote on using a spreadsheet.”

Said roster of editors includes some big names, with Freddie Wong as perhaps the most recognizable for those who frequent this blog. Yet Austin’s may also ring a bell, along with his brother Colton, who produced that Seinfeld horror game in Dreams you may have heard about…

Austin & Colton, aka Rare Bird Interactive, also have something else in the oven, the aptly titled New York Simulator The Game: 1994 Edition…

Thankfully it’s reached Kickstarter goal! Though I’d love to see it hit that stretch goal for a PS4 port.

Back to H E A T W A V E; it, alongside with R A C E R W A V E (which Austin also worked on) will be screened next month, for the one year anniversary of Cineville at Wonderville! Though there’s something else coming up, this Monday, but more on that next time.

[attract-mode-collective]

Narrator: "It did not."

(BTW/FYI: that Joker Amiibo looks pretty cool, doesn’t it?)

[attract-mode-collective]

"I really like PDFs" - Peter Berkman, lead singer of Anamanaguchi

... Or at least I think those were Pete's exact words? Alas, it's been two days and there is no archive in sight of his Twitch livestream from the other night, in which he went over the making of the Capsule Silence XXIV "Mission Statement".

I always try to quote verbatim, but this was around 4 in the morning and I was running off fumes, so my memory’s a bit foggy I'm afraid. Though I do recall Pete explaining his approach towards creating the in-game versions of the band...

The reason why Luke looks so janky, Peter explained, is cuz "at that point, the game had "run out of money", so he couldn't be rendered with the same engine." I think that's how Pete put it.

Afterwards Pete went over page by page with the Capsule Silence XXIV PDF's inspiration, an absolutely bonkers Softbank internal memo, which I at least got a screencap of (BTW/FYI: you can find both documents online, if you look hard enough)...

[attract-mode-collective]

Your Official Attract Mode Shopping List, BLM Edition, Volume 1

It's official: the Attract Mode Shop is no more. And as also mentioned last month, in its place is a new feature for the blog, in which I’ll be highlighting other sources of quality game culture related items (at least until I can get the next storefront up & running).

But as also part of my continued effort to help signal boost the BlackLivesMatter movement, every item you'll see here is by black owned brands. Such as In Control Clothing's Bowsette shirt, above, and the Magical Gamer shirt, below..

I like them both, tho regarding the latter, I kinda dig the Magical Gamer overalls a tad bit more...

For all the fans of Pokeman out there, as well as those staying put cuz COVID is still out & about... and whose ACs can be a bit overly aggressive, necessitating the need to actually bundle up during the summer; how about this sweatshirt?

It's important to note that In Control is a kawaii label and the GB has emerged as the most prominent form of iconography in that realm when evoking/referencing video games...

Alas, the one item I like the most is currently sold out (perhaps for a reason)...

Still, there’s no reason why we can’t take a closer look...

Moving on another seller, BLVUCCI; I can't even find any evidence of the following GBC shirt ever being for available. But if that's how one sells a VHS sweatshirt, well, it's a method that clearly works cuz it too is sold out...

Meanwhile, over at Etsy, we've got PupcakesCupcats and their... it's not a Game Boy but a Good Boy shirt!

Now, I know what you might be saying: can one have too many GB-themed shirts? Perhaps. But too many GB-themed face masks? Absolutely not...

And finally, something Animal Crossing related! Yeah, it's kinda wild that this post hasn't been anything but AC-related attire. But again, Polka Dot Cute Shop is a black owned brand, hence why their Summer Vibes shirt gets a mention...

BTW, special thanks to my wife Ashley for helping me compile this list. Also, if there's something I should take a look at, for consideration in a future installment of the Attract Mode Shopping List, please drop me a line: [email protected]!

[attract-mode-collective]

“JETT UNVEILED | June 11 2020”

Earlier today was the big PS5 reveal, and the following exchange took place immediately after, between long-time friend of Attract Mode Kyle Fewell and my wife on Discord…

k_fewell: “Wow ps5 console is the ugliest thing I've ever seen I hate it a lot”

Ashley: “Matt’s been losing it”

Which is true. But it honestly doesn’t matter, cuz we only recently got our PS4 Pro, plus you should always get the revised version of whatever PlayStation hardware anyway, cuz by then Sony has gotten all the kinks out.

But even then, no matter how fugly the hardware may look (hell, it may even grow on me, much like the PS2 phat eventually did), what’s most important are the games. And three stood out: the first involves cats, the second involves cats plus being in outer space, and third is also about being in outer space, but in a far grander fashion…

Am not 100% sure what JETT: The Far Shore is all about (tho I have my hunches), yet neither does anyone else really. The most important detail is that it’s by Superbrothers. Who, aside from being co-creators of Sword & Sworcery EP, is also a fellow member of the Attract Mode Collective!

Yes, that’s still a thing, at least for now. Or at the very least while the About section is up; as noted a few times already, changes are afoot, but it’ll take a while before I get to that page.

[attract-mode-collective]

The End of Policing, Which Yes, You Can Totally Read on a Nintendo DSi (also for free)

It can be a challenge finding artifacts of game culture that reflect the times in which we live in, primarily days like these. Thankfully, and courtesy of Bernard Capulong’s Instagram, here we have a reminder that the DSi can be used to read ebooks, and something worth reading right now is The End of Policing, especially since the digital version is available, free of charge.

#game culture snapshots

[attract-mode-collective]

Just Another Fake Game CM, Sandwiched Between a Fake Anime OP & ED

Okay, so there’s not much actual video game content, but as someone who is a fan of faked media… provided it is done correctly… I can’t help but highlight the above. According to @LandofObscusion…

“This is all done by a single person over the course of 8 years, and meant to look like a "phantom anime" from the late 80s that's since been lost.”

… Again, the execution is basically flawless (even the faux VHS effect, which I am basically sick to death of, is on point). Well, the anime’s opening and ending to be exact.

Alas, the only fumble is the fake game, I’m assuming is from show sponsor Eata Dast. It’s another instance of something in which certain parts look 8-bit, like a Fami soft, but other elements look more 16-bit, aka rather Super Fami-esque.

Or perhaps it’s supposed to evoke the PC Engine? I admittedly am not 100% familiar with that platform’s full pallet. And perhaps my ability to decipher VHS footage that has been copied & recopied at least 7 times over has faded over time? Though you basically need to be my age to have such abilities in the first place.

[attract-mode-collective]

Your Official Attract Mode Shopping List For Early/Mid 2020

So, gonna try a new thing around here, and that’s round up stuff that’s worth your hard earned cash! Though some items are more easily accessible than others.

The first is part of an upcoming collab between Graniph X Little Thunder, aka one of my all time fave apparel makers X one of my all time fave illustrators. And the highlight is unquestionably a shirt with the above illustration, though the entire line is pretty awesome; it’s listed as a “pre-release” item, which one assumes is on pre-sale, yet it appears to be available right now, plus Little Thunder even mentioned the date of April 30 on Twitter...

Alas, due to you know what, ordering anything from Japan is now super cost prohibitive, so am going to wait until my wife’s next big Graniph haul; one of the highlights of our honeymoon in Japan was introducing the brand to her, who has since become such a superfan that she now orders quite a bit, on the semi-regular. Anyhow, you basically have to spend a lot to justify the high shipping cost.

Unfortunately, some folks are not shipping outside of Japan, period. Such is the case with Tokyo Shmups; I tried to pick up some superplay DVDs, including an unofficial Dodonpachi: Daioujou Black Label release and an official Ketsui DVD + CD + book combo pack...

Alas, my order was immediately refunded, along with a “Sorry - mail service to the USA has been stopped by the postal service due to the Corona virus. I cannot ship to America.”

Thankfully, the totally out of left field vinyl release of the Vib-Ribbon OST, objectively one of the absolutely greatest video game soundtracks of all time, hails from the other side of the ocean...

It’s a 12” instead of your standard 45”, which bodes well for a particularly sublime soundscape that legit defies genre conventions, provided that there is the expected boost in audio quality. The only real unknown is the extra track, which hopefully is an actual song produced by Laugh and Peace that didn’t make the game’s final cut and not some terrible tribute by some fans. Anyhow, this one is a pre-release for sure; it “SHIPS 8-10 WKS.”

Now, if you’d rather make music than just listen to it, then you might be interested in this super rare LSDJ-Midi Converter (LSDJ-MC) produced by Low-Gain Electronics…

Going by the name alone, its primary use was with LittleSoundDJ, though according to the accompanying documentation by original creator firestARTer, it also works with both versions of Nanoloop…

BTW/FYI, here’s a better look at the manual. Anyway, not many pre-made devices produced, with this one in particular being number 9 of 20 once again. But is it worth the Buy It Now price of $2,200.00? Or perhaps you could get lucky and get it close to the starting bid of $1,500.00?

Last but not least is something that’s far more affordable, as well as something you can access right now: regular readers of the blog may recall my mention of friend of Attract Mode Kyle Fewell’s mini comic, RPG Friends…

Well, if you weren’t able to attend Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo, you can still nab a copy. You could also pick up volume two while you’re at it…

Or you could nab both 1 & 2, which were combined  for the Meet Me Here riso show in Tokyo; apparently a few copies were left over from that show...

Or you could purchase 1 & 2 as a single high res digital file!

Oh, and one more thing… as noted last week, there’s some ch-ch-ch-ch-changes afoot around these parts, and first up is the Attract Mode Shop. Which, on June 1st, will cease operations. Afterwards, you should be able to find certain times in other parts of the vast Fangamer network of stores, though not everything…

Granted, not everything is available is right now as is, with most products sold out, but if there was something you haven’t gotten the chance to pick up, and provided it’s in stock, now’s the time!!!