HOWTO make a flashing Mario Bros mushroom pumpkin

Here's a HOWTO for making a flashing Super Mario Bros 1UP Mushroom Jack-O-Lantern, which uses a string of different colored LEDs to make it cycle through the 8-bit palette. Link (Thanks, Hacknmod!)

[#1 posted by nex , October 29, 2007 3:38 AM]

There's no such thing as "the 8-bit palette", Cory.

Does anyone have an idea how much the suggested "frosting"/"sanding" step would really help? Do standard LEDs emit their ligth really in a somehow directional fashion, or maybe there's some pattern (think cheap flashlight) to it? I always thought it was quite uniform to begin with.

[#2 posted by Jerril , October 29, 2007 6:32 AM]

It has a sort of pattern, in my experience, like the cheap flashlights, and probably for much the same reason - the shape of the "bulb". I don't know why that shape is standard, but I would guess that it has something to do with durability or something...

[#3 posted by Jennifer Emick , October 29, 2007 9:14 AM]

I thought about trying this, but I think I'd just use the led-nightlight we've already got.

Speaking of geek pumpkins:

http://www.fantasypumpkins.com/2006-pumpkins/deathstar1.jpg