Video Games: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

You know all the characters you've defeated in video games? Yeah, it doesn't end well for them. (Let the Game Continue by Eduardo San Gil)

Previously on Popped Culture...
Super Mario Bros: Mario's Mass Grave
In Soviet Russia, Tetris Builds You!
Choose Your (Video Game) Weapon

In Soviet Russia, Tetris Builds You!

Building blocks for a better tomorrow! Blocks Build You by Jeweling. (Link via shirt.woot)

Previously on Popped Culture...
Communist Mariofesto
Loose Lips Bring Down Starships
Popaganda: The Pop Culture Revolution

Choose Your (Video Game) Weapon

Now that's an arsenal to be proud of! I've always been partial to Halo's energy sword, mostly because it looks so damn cool. (TeeFury via pop artist Ian Leino)

Weapon list from Sinner on the comments board — From top to bottom:
1. Fire Flower from Super Mario
2. Paddle from Arkanoid
3. BFG from Doom
4. Gravity Gun from Half Life 2
5. Golden Gun from Goldeneye 007
6. Ball of Death from Katamari (or half life 2 mines)
7. Illidan's Warglaive from World of Warcraft
8. Cursed Blue Shell from Mario Kart Wii
9. Energy Sword from Halo series
10. Railgun from Quake 4
11. Lancer from Gears of War
12. 1x4 Block from Tetris
13. Blades of Exile from God of War
14. Cloud Strife's sword from Final Fantasy
15. Lightsaber from Dancin Stars
16. Xianghua's Soul Calibur Sword from Soul Calibur
17. Portal Gun from Portal
18. Magic Sword from Legend of Zelda
19. Thunder Fury from World of Warcraft

Previously on Popped Culture...
Geek Army Knife
Guns. Lots Of Guns
In The '80s Junkyard

Pixels Take Manhattan

Space Invaders, Pac-Man, Tetris and the link weren't video games. They were cautionary tales and training manuals of how to fight off the coming invasion. Patrick Jean's Pixels shows us how it's all going to end if we don't pay attention. (Link via Ampersand Arcade)

Previously on Popped Culture...
Let Your Video Game Freak Flag Fly
Space Invaders Are Real!
Rubik's Cube Last Supper

Let Your Video Game Freak Flag Fly

When I saw this pixel-tribute to the Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima photograph (Epics, from Teextile), I just figured it was the usual piece of pop culture parody, with the artist's favourite games represented. But the comments at Topless Robot revealed a deeper meaning:

Brett said:
Manny Calaveras FTW! Seriously, Grim Fandango is a classic character from adventure gaming. Does anyone not recognize the trend?
Master Chief: First-Person Shooter
Link: action-RPG
Mario: Side-scroller
Lara Croft: 3d adventure/platformer
Scorpion: Fighting
Pikachu: Handheld
Manny Calaveras: Graphic Adventure
Pac-Man: Arcade

And here I was just amused at the Pac-Man sun.

Previously on Popped Culture...
Retro Lost
Arcade Expressionism
Konami Code Last Supper