Egg Feather Bird Of Hen.

Oops, no new plinx in a whole week. Sorry about that. Would a new game dry those tears?

Ok, so once in a while, a game comes along that I know is going to be good before I've even clicked on it. Sometimes, a description is all it takes... This is one such game:

"Help Dale get his chickens back from the Coyotes with the help of Peakot, his magic hen."

Yes, you heard right. This is a game when you control a dude with a magic hen. I nearly went straight ahead and posted the game without checking it out first, but I've been let down by seemingly guaranteed solid gold before. So I gave it a shot and am pleased to report that it is a charming little platform game. The controls are good, the aesthetic is pleasing and YOU CONTROL A DUDE WITH A MAGIC HEN!

Play Dale & Peakot

Ring In The New.

So, I was pondering the mysteries of the universe this evening, as I so often do, and I got to thinking... What would it be like if the Earth had rings like Saturn? If only I could see a graphically rendered simulation of that, my life would be complete.

5 seconds on Google and...

GUESS WHAT, YOU GUYS!


YouTube Video.

Ok, so none of that was true, I just happened to stumble upon this video and thought "Dang, I wish Earth had some rings now". Chances are you're wishing the same thing too. Sorry, reality is such a let down.

I couldn't get this video down to a size that wouldn't balls up the layout here, but to be honest, you should go to YouTube and watch it in big-o-vision anyway.

Plinx Quickie.

The post title here has never been more appropriate. Today I am bringing you an article about the nominees for the Literary Review's 2009 bad sex in fiction prize!

There are some interesting nautical metaphors, the line "there is no mistaking that tang of fish-slime and sawdust", a whole paragraph that sounds as if it was written by primary school children and a book by the legendary Nick Cave.

It's an interesting read, and not for the faint of heart.

Enjoy!

Play Click Play.

In these games, all you need to do is click Play. But it's not as boring as it sounds. You have to find the Play button first, and therein lie the puzzles.

Click, drag or manipulate each level in order to reveal the Play button. Then click it. Simple, in theory. The levels, though simple in aesthetic, have some very creative solutions. So have fun.

Click Play 1.
Click Play 2.

Close The Blast Doors.

Evenin' all. A humble photoset for you tonight, phrom phrench fotografer Stéfan. It's called Stormtroopers 365 and it consists of a creatively posed photo every day for a year of some posable Stormtrooper action figures. A simple idea maybe, but a good one with a surprising amount of variety.
But rather than wax lyrical about it, here are a few examples:











Hehe, I really recommend taking a look at the whole set because they're all ace and it was difficult to pick just a handful. Also, they look better full size, as it were.

Stormtroopers 365.

Charidee.

Hello! I'm a force for all that is good and pure today. It feels good. If you want in on the good karma action, you should definitely take part in this:



Ah, wait. I saw that. You grimaced at the word 'run', right? Well no need! It's only 5km. ANYONE can manage 5km. Especially since you needn't run a single step. You can jog, walk, hop, crawl or moonwalk if you really fancy it. The important thing is that you do it... in a Santa costume.

Oh right, yes, that small detail. You do 5km in a Santa costume. What kind of fool would do that, you ask? This Kind!

Anyway, the details are here:
http://www.helpthehospices.org.uk/santa
You should really take part. It's a good cause and it'll be a fun day out, I promise.

But what if London is too far to go? Well then yeah, fair enough. You're excused.
EXCEPT NO WAIT, you can do the one that I'm doing! Yes, as per last year, I too will be running 5km in a Santa suit. Accompanied by friends, housemates, co-workers and even my dear old Mum. So come and join the fun. Details HERE.

But what if you're somewhere else in the UK? Well, You Figure It Out!

Come along, have fun. Get a freaking MEDAL!

Smart Casual.

Evening. The more observant of you may have noticed that I have a pretty ineffectual link to a site called Jay Is Games on this blog. Considering the only other sites that I permanently link to (that aren't blogs written by friends) are Dinosaur Comics and Charlie Brooker's article archive, this is high praise indeed.

The reason for this is because it is the best repository of online games to be found on the web. Simple. Every so often, they have a game design contest which offers cash prizes to aspiring casual game designers. The 6th of these contests has just ended, and it was my full intention to plink it and get you to vote. Sadly, I put it off one too many times and the contest is over.

However! This is OK, because the most deserving game won. Hooray! So although I may be late, I'm going to link to the entrants anyway. The theme this time was 'explore' and there are some real gems in there. Seek out 'Small Worlds', 'How My Grandfather Won The War' and 'Full Moon' and be glad that they were all given the recognition they deserve.

All the entries are Here, and the results are Here.

I'll try and be a bit more punctual with the next one!

Zzzap!

Hey. As far as classic internet staples go, videos of people microwaving stuff that they shouldn't is one of the very oldest. But there's a reason for that, it makes for really entertaining viewing. This here is a well made collection of some real hum-dingers. It's probably well-made because it's an advert for some microwave macaroni. But who cares about that, eh?!

Anyway, enjoy Easy Mac Micro Maniac. The non-food items are particularly fun!

Plinxenstein's Monster.

BOO. Yeah, it is Hallowe'en and as such, I am bringing you a spooky games arcade to keep you entertained/cowering in fear, depending on how much of a sissy-pants you are.

First up: Some shooting courtesy of the ever-reliable Nitrome. Graveyard Shift is as close to a lightgun shooter style arcade game as you're likely to get in your browser. It requires you to shoot and zombies and other assorted nasties, rescue defenceless maidens and block incoming fire. All in the charismatic Nitome pixelly style. Fun Times.

Now no plinx gamestravaganza would be complete without a little physics puzzle game. Oh lordy how I love 'em. So here's Pumpkin Remover. A spookified version of the previously plinked Red Remover. The premise is the same, click the rotting pumpkins to get them off the screen and preserve the fresh ones. Go.

Lastly, an entirely insane action game about a killer shark terrorising Miami. It's... Miami Shark and is frenetic lunacy. Jump out of the water and bite people, boats, planes and anything else you can get your fearsome jaws around. It only has a tenuous connection to Hallowe'en but hey, bite me. No, not you Miami Shark. AIIIIEEEE!

What's Yellow And Runny?

I am!



Yeah, I may look a little bit goofy but that there is the look of a man victorious!
Another Great South Run in the bag. Managed to get a new personal best for running ten miles. Did it in 1 hour, 38 minutes. 7 minutes quicker than last year.

I also have raised somewhere between £250-£300 for Help The Hospices. So thanks to everyone who sponsored me!

Hey, Internet. Sponsor Me Please!

i'm doing the Great South Run again. It would be most excellent if you would sponsor me. You can do so here:

http://www.justgiving.com/paulcnelson09/

That's all. Thanks for your time and hopefully... cash!

Not The Kit-Kat Kind.

Hey! So today I'm pointing you at another blog. It's called 'takeaweirdbreak' and it compiles all the most insane headlines from coffee-table magazines like Take a Break, Chat and... erm, those are the only ones I know.

Anyway, if you're unfamiliar with these periodicals, they're pretty hard to explain. On the one hand, they look like harmless bits of flim-flam. Lots of bright colours. Always a picture of a smiling non-celebrity model on the front surrounded by a few harmless headlines like 'Last Laugh of the Child Poisoner' and 'Erm, has anyone seen my headless corpse?!'.

Ah, now yes. Do you see what I'm getting at? They're incredible.

Anyway, takeaweirdbreak collects all the best examples. Here are a few:







Yeeeeaah... See the full blog Here.

Holy Crap, You Guys.

It turns out that after my thinly veiled advertisement for World Of Goo, it's actually a year old TODAY! So 2D Boy, the makers are offering to let people choose their own price for it.

In case I need to point this out...

YOU COULD GET THIS THOROUGHLY ACE GAME FOR ANY AMOUNT OF MONEY. EVEN A PENNY!

Seriously, this is amazing and you should take full advantage. Do it now!

Goo Goo Ga Joob.

Ever played World Of Goo? Oh man, it's so great. It's a downloadable game that you have to pay for but it's pretty cheap and loads of fun. I recommend it wholeheartedly. The basic premise is that you use different blobs of Goo to build structures by joining them together. It's a simple concept but executed really well.

Anyway, the point is; There's a new(ish) flash game called Huje Tower which is so much like World of Goo that people are calling it a rip-off, which basically it is.

HOWEVER, if you give it a go and like it, you should definitely get World of Goo as it's the same thing but with acres more style (the offial unit of measurement for style is the acre, by the way. Tell your friends).

So yes, play Huje Tower, and then buy World of Goo. Got it?

Instrumental.

Dang, I'm kind of falling behind a bit. I think I'm getting old. Now I'm 25, it's a wonder I can still work an internet, let alone contribute to it in such a strapping, handsome way.

So today is a borrowed plink. Borrowed from Andy to be precise. So thanks, dude.

It's an article about an instrument called an Eigenharp. It's wholly remarkable and capable of making a vast number of different noises, but rather than trying to describe them onomatopoeia-style, check it out for yourself. There's a video and everything.

The best quote though is this:

"Described by its developers as 'the most expressive electronic musical instrument ever made'.

One of my colleagues calls it more simply 'a sci-fi bassoon'."

So yeah, Looky Here.