Best of GameSetWatch: From Power Pill to Bubble Bobble

[Gamasutra highlights a week's worth of alternative video gaming news, media, and other curiosities from sister blog GameSetWatch, as written by editor Eric Caoili.] This round-up brings news on "the first 3D augmented reality dipping game with McNuggets", Charlie Brooker's excellent BBC4 video game program GameSwipe, and a demo for a GDC China IGF finalist shoot'em up with Twitter integration from a former Infinite Interact designer. Other highlights include an upcoming iPhone game from Fez developer Phil Fish, and a Korean girl group singing a Bubble Bobble tune in a commercial to sell noodles. This past week's top stories: - Polytron Prescribes Power Pill For iPhone "Polytron's Phil Fish (Fez) presented his other game currently in the works, Power Pill, at a recent Montreal event. Developed in collaboration with Infinite Ammo's Alec Holowka (Aquaria, Marian), the iPhone game has you playing as a cure-all pill navigating its way through people's bodies." - Korean Girl Group, Bubble Bobble Promoting Ramen "Out to conquer the noodle market, Samyang Ramen hired the talents of Korean pop group Girls' Generation to help pump its brand. The company wasn't satisfied with just having the singers dance in white outfits and hug Samyang pillows; it composed an adorable, catchy tune for the girls to meow -- a song that sounds an awful lot like the Bubble Bobble theme! I doubt Samyang sought Taito's permission for the jingle." - 'The First 3D Augmented Reality Dipping Game With McNuggets' "Ad agency Tribal DDB Asia Pacific came up with 3D McNuggets Dip as a way to 'raise the profile of Chicken McNuggets' among technophiles, winning over patrons who didn't necessarily want to eat McNuggets but also didn't mind dipping virtual versions of them." - Star Guard: 'All Those Who Have Gone Before You Have Perished' "After 10 months of teasing the the run 'n gun platformer and its spartan but stylized graphics, indie game designer Sparky has released Star Guard, a nine-level Flash game that you can download for free to your PC or Mac." - Scope: Augmented Tabletop Wargaming "'The [Augmented Reality Tangible User Interface] allows for the concept to push forth the virtual parameters commonly used in video games like power, life, magic, experience, attack, weapons etc. The objective of this project is to create an imaginative and engrossing environment while still creating value for old discarded toys.'" - Tale of Tales Release Fatale For PC, Mac "Belgium developer Tale of Tales (The Path, The Graveyard) released its latest project, Fatale, a 3D "interactive vignette" based on Oscar Wilde's stage play for biblical princess Salome." - Must Watch: Charlie Brooker's GameSwipe "British comedian Charlie Brooker debuted Gameswipe, a one-shot video-game themed show styled after his Newswipe and Screenwipe programs, on BBC4 this week, and it was so glorious, it made up for every cringe-filled episode of GamesMaster, Video Power, and GamePro TV that many of us suffered in the 90s." - I2 Vet Releases Demo For Casual S.H.M.U.P With Twitter Integration "To celebrate the nomination of his game as a GDC China Independent Games Festival competition finalist, indie game developer and former Infinite Interactive designer Aaron Styles released a new demo for S.H.M.U.P, an abstract horizontal-scrolling shoot'em up for PC and Xbox Live Community Games.