
Musical Rube Goldberg machines — you know, where the marble knocks over the teapot and then bounces down a staircase made of xylophones (which sounds insane if you haven't seen the videos) — used to be the realm of engineering and musical geniuses only, like the incredible Wintergatan Marble Machine or the OK Go music video.
At some point, people figured out how to make these machines in 3D modelling software, like Blender, and suddenly the process was a little more accessible. Instead of needing all the crafting skills of a carpenter, a musical engineer, and a marble magician, all you needed was... the ability to create 3D art, animation skills, and impeccable timing in order to match up the animations with the music. Okay, maybe the barrier to entry was just a different shape, rather than lower.
Anyway. All that is to say that this particular addition to the very specific 3D-modelled-Rube-Goldberg-musical-machines genre has an extra hook: It's themed entirely around Mother 2, or EarthBound, as it's known over here, and it plays "Eight Melodies", the lullaby at the heart of EarthBound.
Check it out:
The details! The references! It's gorgeous!
From the guest appearances of many Mr Saturns and plenty of the monsters you fight in the early game, to all the marbles being dressed as the characters, to the whole thing starting in Ness' house — it's just lovely. There's even a cute little reference to the Octopus Statues, which were used as path-blocking statues in the original Mother 2 before they were replaced with Iron Pencil Statues in the localisation of Earthbound!
Shigesato Itoi himself, the creator of the Mother series, even took notice, retweeting the video onto his own social media feed; the official Hobonichi Mother account (which represents Mother-related merch) did the same:
...We should really play EarthBound again, shouldn't we?
Comments 7
Cute.
I like it.
That was absolutely lovely and absolutely a labour of love. I could see @Ziondood bound to be warmed by this tribute!
Also I was today years old when I finally learned what these amazing captivating technical contraptions were actually called- Goldberg Machines. Thanks!
I wonder how long and how many attempts it took to create just this short clip. Would be great if they could do more series!
... Wun can only hope.
@wuntyme8 Rube Goldberg machine*. And given that it's made in 3D animating software and not real, I'm guessing it took a lot of time to animate it but only one run of the final product.
This is absolutely insane
I've always loved Rube Goldberg machines. This is a bit simple but very clean looking. Pretty cool stuff!
Reminds me of this Wintergaten guy who made a whole crazy piano thing to play music with 2000 ball bearings/marbles and levers and such, although not really a Rube Goldberg machine.
Here's the video, it's insane:
https://youtu.be/IvUU8joBb1Q
3D modelled or not, I don't think this is a rube goldberg machine. it's kind of just, balls rolling while stuff happens all around, not one continuous chain reaction.
Nice. I've always wanted one of those in my living room, but it would never survive my two toddlers.
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