If you think you’re a winner, watch your email in the last 24 hours. It’s been hectic for Aaron and I. I’m a new uncle, and he’s back to uni. We’ll be sending out stuff stat. Thanks again for your support.

We did it folks.

We hit that lucrative $500 mark. We forced Nuzlocke to release a comic early. And you’ve earned the right to hear Aaron and I sing a mash-up.

Here are the details we can provide:

But there is more to come. Through the week, we’ll be promoting a couple more streams as they continue their Nuzlocke runs. And, 10Crow Media site shh-mom.com will be hitting fast and furious with 7 Pokemon related articles in the next 7 days. Through this time, we will, of course be taking donations.

We’ll also be giving out prizes galore. Winners from the previous contests will be named in the morning while we still have copies of Arcadia, Sissy’s Magical Ponycorn Adventure, and the Humble Bundle 3 to give away. Yeah, we’re still going strong.

It’s your support — whether you played, donated, watched, tweeted, whatever — that allowed us to raise $533 (and counting) for Child’s Play.

Keep your eyes on the site. There’s more to come.

Thank you, once again, for the support.

Cracking open the Sunday paper and getting the crossword is a habit for many. Here’s a poorly made crossword for the lot of you to do. We’ve got TWO Humble Bundle 3 packs of games to give away for those that fill this bad boy in (note: it may take a short time to get delivered).

We conducted this interview a couple months back. When we realized we’d be doing this event again, we decided to hold it over until now. A couple of changes have been made to Andy’s responses to make it current, but, by and large, things are preserved. Apologies to Andy for the wait…I’m sure he’ll understand. Hope you all enjoy! — Kyle MacKinnon

Words: Aaron Hudspeth

AH: How exactly does one go from writing for Nintendo Power to making chiptunes?

AM: One really led to to the other, actually. Sometime around 2005, I started a new section in Nintendo Power called Community. The whole idea was to go down the rabbit hole of Nintendo fandom and explore various Nintendo-related communities. It wasn’t long before I discovered the chip scene, and I was immediately captivated. At that moment I realized it was possible to merge my two favorite hobbies: songwriting and tinkering with old vintage video game hardware. I haven’t really looked back since.

AH: I do remember a few articles about chiptunes from way back when. Guess I never put the two together until now. So after discovering the chip scene, what sort of projects have you been involved in? 

AM: Before getting into chiptune, I played drums and other stuff with a few folksy, more indie rock-type bands. Most notably, I played on a bunch of records and toured extensively with Damien Jurado. So, diving into something more electronic was a big departure for me. I wasn’t really into dance music (which is where a lot of the early chip scene stuff seemed to stem from), so I just started messing around with LSDJ to see what would happen. What ended up happening first was a collaboration with Wheelie Cyberman, who I worked with at Nintendo. His band Optimus Rhyme was looking for people to remix their songs, so I did ‘Obey The Moderator’. Wheelie and I were so happy with how it turned out that we started working on some original material together. It took a few years, but eventually that culminated into Supercommuter.

Alongside all that, I was writing and recording some darker Game Boy songs with my wife. We put a few songs on MySpace, but never did anything else with them. As soon as the first Supercommuter record was finished, though, I picked it up again. That project became the Stenobot record.

AH: The Stenobot record was your first full-length chiptunes release. How do you feel about it now that it’s out?

AM: My first full-length chiptune release was actually the Supercommuter record, followed about a year later by the Stenobot record. After finishing the Supercommuter record, I honestly thought I was done with writing music on a Game Boy. But I went back to it while working on the Stenobot record, and once I had finished that, I’d learned so much about creating music on the Game Boy that the Supercommuter record just felt really old. I could barely listen to it anymore. Now that we’re working on a new Supercommuter record, I feel the same way about the Stenobot record. It’s not a testament to my skill or songwriting or anything like that, but more to the depth of the Game Boy and LSDJ. You know, some people just hear blips and beeps that remind them of classic games, but to me it’s more than that, and there’s so much life to be squeezed out of it.

As long as I’m making music, I imagine that I’ll always cringe at my older records. But they’re still special to me, particularly ‘Sink or Swim…’, because it captures a period of time with my son, and all the stuff he was going through with his Leukemia treatment. ‘The Dark, Dark Cave’ for example, started with a sample of an IV machine at the hospital. It was like 2AM or something–I’d been up all night listening to that machine and imagining it as a beat. So I grabbed my iPhone and recorded a few seconds of it. The whole song was built around that sample, and conversations I was having with my son about bats and how they live in complete darkness but always know exactly where they are. When I go back and listen to that song, it almost feels like I’m listening to someone else’s music. It’s so layered and complex, I wouldn’t think I was capable of writing that.

AH: ”Sink or Swim…”, like you said, was inspired largely by your son and his struggle with leukemia. Proceeds from the record went to Child’s Play, a fantastic organization. We’re big fans of it as well. Did you receive any kind of help from Child’s Play during Julian’s treatment? And as a follow-up, how is he doing?

AM: First off, Julian’s doing really well. He is still in chemotherapy treatment for Leukemia (it’s a long term treatment that will continue for another year and a half still), but the worst is over. His hair is grown back, growing like a weed, and he’ll be starting kindergarten in the Fall.

The whole Child’s Play thing started, not surprisingly, in the hospital. It was Christmas, and we were stuck in the infusion clinic all day. Julian was pretty upset, until Santa Claus showed up to hang out with the kids for a while and give them all these totally awesome presents. It was a bright moment on a dismal day for a lot of these kids. I honestly don’t know if Child’s Play paid for that particular event, but it’s easy to see their contribution all over the place. Hospitals are underfunded, and the first things that usually get cut from the budget are toys and games–even at Children’s Hospitals. Child’s Play makes sure that those things are there. Anyone could spend five minutes in the cancer ward at a Children’s Hospital and see that it’s just a very practical way to give. For the kids, it brings a piece of the comfort of home to a scary place, particularly for kids who have to be in isolation for long periods of time.

After this experience, I realized I’d never given a penny to Child’s Play even though I’d known about it for years. The Supercommuter record was about to come out, so we decided to just give all the proceeds from the record (if there were any) to Child’s Play. I think this motivated people to buy the album, and to date we’ve donated over $2000 to Child’s Play from record sales. I decided to do the something similar with the Stenobot record, except I kept the costs low so I could just give all the profit from the record, period. I had a lot of help from friends to make that happen, and I’m really happy with how it all turned out, and that we were able to make a little bit for a great charity. In turn, Child’s Play has been very supportive and encouraging of our music along the way.

Looking to kill some time between streams? Want a chance to win stuff? If the answer to either is YES, then try your hand at identifying the following Pokemon through all the fog, close ups, or distortions we could throw at you. A word to the wise…we really like first gen Pokemon.

First, though, the prizes*. Winners on this bad boy get choice between Supercommuter’s debut album (titled Supercommuter) on iTunes or Beat Hazard (Steam).

Here are the images. If you want a chance to win just post a comment with the correct list of Pokemon. The first person to get all correct AND one person there after will win their choice of the prizes.

How many of these can you get?

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6.

7. 

8. 

9. 

10. 

*Please note that, because of international nonsense, iTunes prizes may take up to ten (10) days to receive, while Steam may take up to 48 hours due to our hectic schedule. Oh, and iTunes awards are limited to Canada and the United States only.

**Make sure you leave an email addy in your comment. Otherwise, we can’t send you stuff!

BONUS #11:

Be one of the first five to get this right, and we've got Push Panic on iOS to give you.

We’re overjoyed to see that $180 has been donated — all to support Child’s Play.

We’re also pleased to announce that we’ll personally be eating up the fees associated with Paypal. But we have other stuff for you, too.

First, the games we’ll be giving away through Saturday and Sunday. They’re none other than Push Panic (iOS, universal), Sissy’s Magical Ponycorn Adventure (iPad), Arcadia (Steam), and Beat Hazard (Steam). All of these are games we covered on another 10Crow site and absolutely adore. We’ve got at least 20 games to give away, and we’re going to be doing so through the chat, the twitter hashtag, promoted runs, and more. It’s a chance for all viewers — whether donors or not — to get in on the action.

There’s also two other fundraisers for Child’s Play that we’ll be supporting, again, with our own funds. The first is one you all know well: the Humble Bundle 3. We’ve dropped $10 for each bundle and allocated all funds to Child’s Play. The other is the album “Supercommuter” — great chiptunes by Optimus Rhyme and Stenobot (who we have an interview with to post exclusively here).

Beyond that, Saturday and Sunday will have Pokemon related articles brought to you by 10Crow Media Staff, Profiles of the Players, and various puzzles (simple things like trivia, name that Pokemon, etc) for…well, those prizes.

Through the night, you’ll get a chance to see Pokemon Yellow, Sea Green, and more played through. HeartGold and SoulSilver are posted in Youtube form, as well. There’s a lot to see and do, and we hope you enjoy.

And please, help us spread the word as we chug along to our goal of $500.

Hey all,

Kyle MacKinnon here to let you know the low down of today’s happenings. It’s currently 12:35 am, PST. Around 5 PM tonight, the festivities will be under way.

Throughout the day, we’ll be promoting ourselves on sites like Facebook, Reddit, Digg, N4G, Twitter, and more. We ask your help in ensuring our message reaches as many as possible.

A chat will be installed to allow for interaction between Nuzlocke Challenge for Child’s Play’s viewers and the players. We’ll also be revealing our reward system for reaching donation “thresholds”. Give aways and more are planned.

Thank you for being a part of a great cause. Five hundred dollars is this year’s goal: can you help make it a reality?

Here’s hoping. Stay tuned to the site as we get things kicked off later today.

Kansas City, MO and Edmonton, AB — August 5th, 2011 — 10Crow Media, in partnership with Nuzlocke.com, return to the world of Pokemon this weekend as they raise money during the 2nd Annual Nuzlocke Challenge for Child’s Play.

From Friday, August 5th, through to Sunday, August 7th, players will use the bold and audacious rules of Nuzlocke-ing. Gamers catch only a limited number of Pokemon, releasing those that faint, or lose all their health points.

“Nuzlocke runs have taken on a life of their own,” noted 10Crow Media co-founder and webmaster Aaron Hudspeth, “they’re ridiculously popular affairs that spawn comics, fan fics, and, hopefully, charity.”

More than a dozen players will converge on nuzlockechallenge.com to stream their runs through the various Pokemon generations, as well as fan hacks of these games. 10Crow’s Editorial Director, Kyle MacKinnon, says the relationship fostered between Pokemon in Nuzlocke Runs parallels what many children go through.

“Going to the hospital is an unpleasant affair, but also a sad reality. Children that have to visit centres such as the Alberta Children’s Hospital or Children’s Mercy Hospital face all kinds of uncertainty. In some cases, tragedy strikes. But with our support, these children can overcome adversity and hopefully leave smiling. It sounds a lot like a Nuzlocke run to me.”

Viewers will be able to engage with players directly through chat, tweets, and more. Some players are even willing to name their limited supply of Pokemon after viewers in an attempt to raise funds. Give-aways, original content, and more will fill the site throughout the weekend to encourage viewers to part with their hard earned dollars as often as they encounter a Zubat.

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Welcome one and welcome all to the 2011 Nuzlocke Challenge for Child’s Play! The goal of this event is to raise money for Child’s Play, a charity that we here at 10crow Media hold near and dear to our hearts. For the next 72 hours, we will be doing a large simultaneous playthrough of every Pokemon game, using the Nuzlocke set of rules. We will be taking donations the entire time, and our goal is $500. For every pre-determined amount of money we receive, we will be doing various things. Hopefully this year will be even more successful than last year’s!