YeinJee's Pop Channel » Games and Toys

TV Champion: origami challenge

Yein Jee — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 10:02:39 +0000

Japanese variety show “TV Champion 2″ held an origami competition last week with Chuya Miyamoto challenging Satoshi Kamiya. Below are three video clips which showed their amazing origami skills… [Hat tip to Japanprobe]

The origami artists’ creation with a restaurant receipt… Miyamoto created a restaurant employee with the restaurant logo featuring at the centre of the apron; Kamiya created a cow with its calf

The origami artists’ creation with a restaurant menu… Kamiya created 3 heads with the menu items in their minds; Miyamoto created a cow with different pictures of meat cuts shown on the menu coincide with parts of its body

Final battle, the masterpiece… Miyamoto created a scene of a fisherman battling a fish, inspired by Ernest Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea”; Kamiya created a scene based on the Greek myth of Perseus and Andromeda

I guess the judges had to make some tough decisions determining the winner, which in the end ruled in favour of reigning TV champion Satoshi Kamiya.

Funny Japanese mashmallow eating game

Yein Jee — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 06:41:34 +0000

Japanese shows play the darnest games, and I am loving it…

Sushi rolling toy-machine

Yein Jee — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 07:22:27 +0000

Making sushi has never been so easy… Japanese toy manufacturer Bandai Namco has introduced an automatic sushi roller. The roller is meant to be a toy for 6-12 years old girls, but I guess it serves no harm for people who are looking for a fast sushi snack.

You don’t need to understand Japanese to see how it works
(Image courtesy of Bandainamco, via Tokyomango)

Run-and-hide alarm clock a hit in Japan

Yein Jee — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 08:06:45 +0000

A moving alarm clock on wheels that rolls around the room beeping and hides so users have to get up and turn it off has proved a hit in Japan following its introduction.

The unique clock, named “Nanda Clocky” in Japan, was designed three years ago by 27-year-old Gauri Nanda, who was studying at a university in the United States at the time. Nanda, who reportedly struggled to wake up in the morning herself, formed a company and launched the product earlier this year.

Commenting on the clock’s popularity, Nanda said the interest suggested there were a lot of people who were stopping their alarms and drifting back to sleep.

[Buy it from Amazon]

Hex Bug – mini robot cockroach

Yein Jee — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 17:24:15 +0000

Japanese toy manufacturer Bandai is introducing a new high-tech toy… ‘Hex Bug’, a translucent robot modelled after real cockroaches.

Hex Bug in 5 colours (Image courtesy of Strapya)

The robotic bug has a size of Ｈ33×Ｗ60×Ｄ60 (mm), weighs around 16g and came in 5 colours.

It has six legs, a touch sensor that tells it to change directions when it hits a wall, a micro monitor that makes it vibrate like a cell phone, and a mic sensor that lets it scuttle away when you make loud noises. [Tokyomango]

The retail price for a Hex Bug is 1,995 yen (~USD17); you can order these from Strapya.

Video of Hex Bug in action

Japanese online flash game – Nanaca Crash

Yein Jee — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 09:33:02 +0000

Nanaca Crash is a simple and interesting Japanese flash game, similar to the famous Penguin Tossing game but with a few extra twists. [Play here]

Online flash game Nanaca Crash

The idea is simple, Nanaca is riding on the bike and bang onto Taichi making him flying into the air… the objective of the game is to send Taichi as far as possible. The initial strategy is to find the right angle and hit it as close to 100% as possible.

The extra twist is that Nanaca can boost the flight of Taichi using Aerial Boost; there are 3 chances for Nanaca to increase Taichi’s speed upwards and unlimited push downwards (but needs time to regenerate after each use). You can see the colour of the word AERIAL to determine which boost to use.

Besides, there are some characters on the road that could increase Taichi’s speed, or to slow it down, and ultimately stop it… it takes some time to understand this part though; perhaps you should leave it to chance and just enjoy the game.

My best record is ~~4339.80m~~ 6279.86m… have fun!

[Hat tip to Japansugoi]

Wonder Festival 2007 [Summer]

Yein Jee — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 05:49:36 +0000

Wonder Festival is an biannual event (Summer & Winter) that showcase figurines and miniatures in Japan. Thousands of people flocked to Tokyo’s Big Sight for this summer show.

(Image courtesy of Dannychoo)

Visit Q-taro, Dannychoo and Akihabaranews for more pictures of Wonder Festival 2007.

i-SOBOT – World’s smallest robot

Yein Jee — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 03:03:01 +0000

Tomy Co Ltd and Sanyo Electric Co Ltd held a press conference on July 20 to introduce Tomy’s bipedal humanoid robot, the i-SOBOT. According to Tomy, i-SOBOT has already been certified as “the smallest humanoid robot in production” by Guinness World Records.

i-SOBOT powered by Sanyo’s eneloop (Image courtesy of Tech-On)

The 165mm-high robot is capable of recognizing voice commands, and can ’speak’ and respond to hundreds of words and phrases. It can perform pre-programmed actions, has over 90 types of sound effect and is able to play five songs.

i-SOBOT’s suggested retail price is ¥31,290 (~USD260); it is expected to go on sale in the US and Japan this October, and in Europe in early 2008.