Believe it or not, there is a man inside that costume. He’s Denver native NeilBombad, who spent about 8 months making the Dark Knight armor of Cecil Harvey, the captain of the Red Wings and main hero of the classic SNES game Final Fantasy IV. He designed and modeled each piece on his own using reference images, then printed the armor on ABS plastic using a 3D printer. NeilBombad said it took over 500 hours to print the whole thing. He then used black ABS glue to fill in and strengthen the plastic. Hours and hours of sanding, priming and painting finally brought the armor to its shiny and solid state.

Tell Cid to fire up the airship and travel to CosBlog for more details and pictures. You can also view NeilBombad’s profile on Cosplay and Acparadise for more pics. This just trumped the Steampunk Iron Man as my favorite cosplay.

Photos by Joseph Chi Lin

[via Reddit]

Watch the modern day bard earn his keep:

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I wonder if he takes requests for music from Xbox and PS games.

[via GoNintendo]

With the exception of the router, which is made by Planex Communications, all of the peripherals are made by Elecom. What’s up with the designs, Elecom? Didn’t you guys make the Ninja Turtle mouse? Now you’re asked to make peripherals for a major, albeit recently disappointing video game franchise, and you come up with these? They look like knock offs for crying out loud. At least Planex tried. I still think the router is ugly, but at least they tried.

The keyboard, mouse, gamepad and speakers are already available for pre-order at GeekStuff4U. The keyboard is priced at about $26 (USD), the mouse $59, the gamepad, that abominable gamepad sells for about $46, and the speakers will set you back $61. The router, which was shown at TGS, will sell for about $116. If Final Fantasy XIV turns out to be a lemon then I guess Elecom just did the game justice.

[via GeekStuff4U, FFXIV Core and Engadget]

So what does $250,000 (USD) get you? A lead crystal orb engraved with “Final Fantasy” and a crossed sword and axe, the issue of Nintendo Power where the contest was announced, a certificate of authenticity, and a letter congratulating felixollie for being one of fifty SECOND PLACE WINNERS. Imagine how much the grand prize would fetch (in felixollie’s mind).

To Ebay member homisydal, I’m sorry for thinking that you overpriced your Legend of Zelda plate. Clearly, you are a kind and mentally stable person. At least that $15,000 piece of plastic would come in handy in a plate shortage. This orb, on the other hand, will only serve as a reminder to whoever buys it that he could have owned a Ferrari, but he chose to buy a 2nd place prize from a magazine. You’ve got 4 days to gawk at the listing before the auction expires (and before felixollie relists it because he has no bids), so check it out on eBay.

It was designed by Oily Moss for Urban Outfitters, although I’m not sure if it’s a real product already. Also, I think it would make more sense if it said, “Save Complete” instead.

[via Gamefreaks]

But Artemis251 is no mere fan or craftster. He realizes that the court mage-turned-God of Magic deserves an homage that is nothing less than jaw-dropping:

It’s Kefka’s freakin’ Tower folks, the bosses you have to defeat on your way to vanquishing Kefka himself. With him at the top, the whole creation is 7 and a half feet tall; the tower itself is “only” 6 ft:

It took Artemis25 several months to put this together, and he says that he’ll probably take a little break. You deserve a big break, a dozen Internets, and all the gifts mentioned in the 12 Days of Christmas, Artemis251. Check out the link below for the high-res pics.

[via Sprite Stitch]

Or maybe this is just proof of how mainstream video games have become. Whatever the reason, it’s one more opportunity for us to catch a glimpse of the much-maligned RPG in action. Sit back and enjoy…

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[via Gamersyde]

Both bundles are available for pre-order and will be released on March 9th. The Special Edition comes with a limited edition faceplate created by designer Tetsuya Nomura. It also has a 250 GB hard drive engraved with the name of the game, two controllers, and special downloadable content.

The Elite Bundle comes with a standard 120 GB hard drive and one wireless controller. Both naturally include a copy of Final Fantasy XIII and an Xbox 360. The U.S. edition of the 250GB bundle is priced at $399 (USD), but the 120GB version sounds like it’ll only be available in Europe (price unknown).

[via Max Console]

….and Odin action figures.

Yes, the Snow action figure will also be available, but who’d want that over these two (or three)?

The Shiva action figures won’t be available until March, but you can already pre-order them at Play Asia for $220 (USD). The Odin action figure will ship much later, on June, but you can pre-order it at Big Bad Toy Store for $190 (USD). Still no sign of the beast thingy that transforms into a flying jaguar thingy Bahamut.

[via Sankaku Complex]

The set includes sixteen cans of Final Fantasy XIII “elixir”  – which is some sort of Suntory lemon-flavored concoction with three-times the normal amount of caffeine and royal jelly. Mmm… royal jelly donuts. The boxed set also includes a commemorative metal chalice (I like to call it a Final Fantasy pimp cup). Only 30,000 of this set will ever be made, and each set comes with a serial number plate to prove you’ve got an official one.

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While the individual cans can be found in Japan for about $2.50 to $4 (USD) each, the guys over at NCSX are now bringing the full 16-can limited-edition collectible into the U.S. for the whopping price of $165.90. That’s largely thanks to the cost of shipping this heavy mutha’ across the globe.

I’m just gonna order a 6-pack of Chocobos and call it a day – maybe a whole case.

This potiony pair is available right now for only $8 (USD) at Etsy. The perfect thing to buy yourself for the holidays? Maybe so. But what if you’re not necessarily a Final Fantasy fan? Fear not, friends; there are a few other things available, too–like this Legend of Zelda-inspired ocarina necklace!

The Ordinary Vanity Etsy shopfront is packed with all sorts of similar items, from Phoenix Down earrings (arguably less useful than potions, but maybe more important!) to Triforce necklaces. A few other games are represented here, too, like Kingdom Hearts. Maybe you can find a little something for everyone on your RPG gamer list.

Final Fantasy XIII hit the shelves today in Japan where hundreds of people queued up in order to buy the  game. Sony hopes that the game will boost sales of the PS3 console for Christmas.

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Square-Enix hopes to sell at least 2 million copies of  FF XIII locally. The game will be launched in the North American and European markets on March 9th, 2010. It will also be available on Xbox 360, but not on Wii.

The Final Fantasy franchise has sold more than 92 million games worldwide since its launch in 1987.

The initial impressions posted on Kotaku say that the cut-scenes are well-directed, but I’d expect nothing less from Final Fantasy. The music is layered and complex. The game starts with resistance operatives fighting against a city of machines. Sounds pretty cool! I’m looking forward to playing this when it arrives in English.

[via Kotaku, images via Square-Enix]

Yep, a perfume for a Final Fantasy character. I’m guessing this was not quite the kind of thing Hironobu Sakaguchi had in mind back in the early days of the franchise, though after the potions, I guess it was just inevitable. And if anyone does deserve her own scent, I guess it’s certainly the heroine of the new game.

Just look at her! She oozes competence (and confidence!). I wouldn’t mind smelling like her… if she was real. And if the perfume didn’t weigh in at $80 (USD). I could buy a lot of things for that! Like video games.

For the unitiated, Tonberries are little lizard-like creatures from the Final Fantasy series, and they are nasty dudes with those knives. But perhaps the worst thing about them is the way they tend to creep up on you, advancing with every turn, not attacking but only preparing, while you’re busy hoping you can kill him before he takes out a party member (invariably the most important person).

Also? They apparently make excellent cakes. But this was a wedding cake, and I’m not sure what that says about the couple’s relationship. It is unstoppable and violent? A little scaly? Frightening beyond belief? Here’s hoping it’s just eternal.

[via That Girl's Site]

Someone posted the video at YouTube, but unfortunately it’s been taken down. But I heard that Square Enix have heard a lot of negative feedback about leveling up and grinding in the slave-driver that is Final Fantasy XI. I mean we’re talking about a game that has a boss that cannot be defeated even after 18 hours of combat. A virtual enemy that actually caused real status effects on players – that’s how much of an asshat FF XI is. So Square Enix are dialing back on the tedious and obsolete experience point system, and they’re replacing XP with the Bills & Coins system. As in if you want to level up, you pay a certain amount of money to Square Enix. I’m kidding again. Seriously, for real this time, Komoto said, “We believe the main factor behind Final Fantasy XI’s lasting appeal is the job system. However, the system will become something completely different. The focus here will be on weapons. Your weapon will determine how you play. Your weapon will determine how you fight.” Ummm….hasn’t that always been the case?

Sorry for being so negative about this game, but after reading at Kotaku that the races from FF XI were merely renamed for FF XIV, I’m not too confident that this this newfangled “NO XP” system will be a totally different beast. Also, I don’t like MMORPGs in general. Now if someone made a Massively Single Player RPG, I’d be all over that.

[via Destructoid]

Samus, Link, and Mario taking on the 360 a la old school Final Fantasy. Does it get better? Yes, my friends, it does–at least for the people who get to see the piece in person in Philadelphia. “Fire Wall” will be at the Brave New World comics shop, as part of the 8-Bit & Beyond show on August 7.

[Doctor Octoroc via Tiny Cartridge]

That’s Wolverine claws guy. Are there any self-respecting geeks out there who can honestly say that they never wondered what it would be like to have Wolverine’s claws? Are there any self-respecting geeks out there? I’m just kidding, but Wolverine claws guy isn’t. He’s out for blood. Cardboard box blood.

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Here’s my favorite on the list, a real-life Buster Sword. Watch the video and then think of how Cloud just twirls the goddamned thing around after every battle.  Cloud be strong.

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You have to love the dissonance between the music and the action on screen. Head on over to Gamespy for the rest of the article, which also features a real-life rifle lancer from Gears of War. Yes, it’s a real,working rifle with a real, working chainsaw attached to it, a combination akin to “stapling a shark to a bear.”

Looks like we’ve got a solid formula here: the cocky guy and the steadfast, settled companion. Expect hijinks to ensue (and flying, did I mention flying?). To get a glimpse of the brewing mystery yourself, check out the video.

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The Crystal Bearers was first announced four years (!) ago and was long rumored to be canceled. With the little we’ve heard, I’m always happy to see something new, even if it’s not really new.

[via Joystiq]

The gang’s all here… even that horrible dog from Duck Hunt. If only I could use that Zapper to shoot him in the face.

Quilter byneedleandthread has been working on the quilt since last summer, apparently (it was made as a gift!), and used available sprite patterns for some of the blocks, while others–like the Zapper and the Nintendo logo–were designed just for this project.

[THE Nintendo Quilt via Sprite Stitch]

GayGamer has quoted Squeenix, saying that they promise “seamless, hassle-free in-game switch from single to multiplayer mode”, and that the switch from solo to mutiplayer can be done at anytime. The screenshot above is from the Wii version of the game. This one is from the DS version:

Squeenix didn’t exactly go into the details of the multiplayer, but GayGamer’s Wootini thinks it’ll probably make use of Nintendo’s stupid friend codes. Let’s hope not.

What I want to know is if multiplayer on a single Wii console is possible, because even though the DS actually has its own version of the game insteaed of being a mere controller, this setup is still quite expensive, especially if you and your friends don’t have either platform. I guess in Japan shooting stars are more common than people who have no Wii or DS.