New York, just like I pixeled it! Check out this 8-bit map of the city. Well, actually there are several cities including Amsterdam, London, Kyoto, Paris, Singapore, and several others. And it looks like more will added to the list in the future. Given the overabundance of Google Maps, 8-Bit City is a refreshing way to re-visualize a familiar environment.

The 8-Bit Cities project, which started with 8-Bit NYC, is an attempt to make the city feel foreign yet familiar, smashing together two culturally common models of space: the lo-fi overhead world maps of 1980s role-playing and adventure games, and the geographically accurate data that drives today’s web maps and GPS navigation.

Check out 8bitcity.com by Brett Camper.

Check out an interview with street artist Space Invader. This is a clip from the global street art and graffiti documentary Bomb It.

Invader is a French street artist who pastes up small tile mosaics featuring the pop culture characters from the 1970′s arcade game Space Invaders. His invasion began in Paris in 1998 and has since moved to countless other major cities around the globe.

The Hollywood Sign is one of the most prominent places where the mosaics have invaded. To date each letter of the famous sign has been tagged.

“Invaders” have been documented as “Invasions”, with books and maps of where to find each invader.

Check out his website for more information: Space Invaders

Check out this promotional photo. I’m guessing this is to advertise the computer system or maybe those amazing little joysticks.

This computer was so awesome you could just hook it up to your TV and load up your favorite game off a floppy disk.

Looks like it was a good Christmas with the latest version of Missile Command and all.

Check out more great photos of early computer systems: The Dawn of Mass Computing: Promotional Photos

LIMBO may be Playdead Studio’s first release but this is already a classic game. Check out this game trailer for a preview of the action.

LIMBO’s gameplay is in monochromatic black-and-white tones with little lighting. Film grain effects and minimal ambient sounds create an eerie atmosphere reminiscent of a horror movie. The dark presentation has been described as film noir and German expressionism. Based on these aesthetics reviewers have classified Limbo as an example of “video game as art”.

Check out the LIMBO website for more information: limbogame.org

Circle The Cat is a simple yet challenging online game until you have a basic strategy. There are two ways to get a strategy that works. You can keep playing the game until you get a feel for how to catch the cat. This could literally take hours off your life. Or you can watch this video and see how the professionals trap the cat.

My suggestion:
Start wide, leave a gap between the green dots as you work the cat into a big circle. Only click on a dot that connects three when you absolutely have to. Don’t close off the cat’s direction until you have to, it leaves you time to completed a big circle first.

You can play Circle the Cat here.

Thanks to TheKgilley for uploading the video.

Faile and BAST have collaboratively put together an exciting arcade influenced show in London earlier this year. Complete with blacklights, neon paint, and interactive videogames the show was an experiential two floor installation at the Lazarides Gallery in London.

Faile is a Brooklyn-based collaborative duo who has worked extensively with long-time collaborator and fellow Brooklynite BAST over the years.

Here is a documentation video of the art exhibition:

Check out Faile Bast Deluxxe Arcade 2010 for more info.

Well it turns out the original inspiration for James Cameron’s Avatar 3D movie was a classic game for the Atari 2600. This is a look at the game’s packaging from 1979. Quite a steal for $2.00!

Artwork by Penney Design. Great work!

New York based visual artist Rosemarie Fiore created this time lapse photograph. It was taken one frame per second during gameplay of the 1980′s arcade game Tempest.

Tempest is an Atari game and featured an advanced color display for its time. The game was initally meant to be a 3D version of Space Invaders making it one of the earliest 3D-like games to hit the arcade floors. These vibrant colors and the 3D quality do an amazing job of capturing the energy of the early 1980′s arcade games.

Rosemarie also shot photos from several other games.

Just imagine… a place where you can relive your youth, grooving to the rhythm of the flashing lights and the crack of the ball bouncing wildly from corner to corner. You’ll rack up points by the hundreds, beat your buds, and forget all about life’s troubles for an afternoon…

This is the mission of David Silverman of the National Pinball Museum. He is on a quest to preserve American history. In doing so he intends to create a hands-on interactive environment that is educational and exciting.

The National Pinball Museum is searching for a permanent home for a collection of over 800 pinball machines. The hope is to find a space large enough to include classrooms, workshops, a state-of-the-art restoration lab, library, storage area, restaurant, gift shop, offices, and exhibition spaces.

For more information or to donate to the cause please visit the National Pinball Museum website.

I’m not quite sure what Stride Gum has to do with video games but they are the sponsor of “Save The Arcades” online contest to raise dollars to help support classic arcades. Steve Wiebe, The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, shares an experience with early arcade culture to support the cause.

Arcade UFO an arcade in Austin, Texas was selected as the first contest winner. They will receive $25,000 to invest in their arcade. StarBase Arcade in the San Francisco area, Star Worlds Arcade in the Chicago area, and Game Galaxy in Nashville, TN were included in the contest.

“Save The Arcades 2″ is scheduled to begin in 2010. Check their site to nominate your favorite arcade.

More info: Save The Arcades