While it’s some pretty amazing graphic work, “real” Mario isn’t quite as endearing as he’s been in previous incarnations. Created by compositing a variety of real facial details and textures in Photoshop CS2 on top of a 3D model from Nintendo, the guy is just plain creepy.

I can’t decide if it’s the scraggly facial hair or the bulbous, slightly bloodshot eyeballs that will keep me up tonight. This is definitely not the kind of Mario that you’d want your kids playing with.

[via TechEBlog]

Model makers Fabjectory are offering a service which will take your Mii avatar and output a real-life miniature figurine. Simply upload a picture of your Mii, and they’ll create either a 3-inch figure ($50) or a 5-inch figure ($100). Each model is made from thousands of layers of color-infused plaster using their Z-Corp digital prototyping equipment.

If you’re not a Nintendo Wii fan, Fabjectory can also generate 3D models from your Second Life avatar or from a SketchUp model.

[via Dave Curry via Make]