Switched has a new home! Huffpost Tech.

Click here to visit the new home of Switched!

Hot on HuffPost Tech:

See More Stories
AOL Tech

Geek Dad and Gamer Son Build 'Metroid' Arm Cannon Costume for Halloween

by Warren Riddle on October 25, 2010 at 05:00 PM

joseph derose with arm cannonParents often fret about video game addiction and the effects of violent games, but one super-geek dad has apparently realized how to address those concerns. Eleven-year-old Joseph DeRose loves gaming, so his perceptive father recently took part in -- and actively promoted -- his son's pastime by helping him to construct an incredibly cool Halloween costume.

Relying on an incredibly steady soldering hand (and his pops' enviable, awesome workshop), Joseph reportedly constructed a realistic version of the arm cannon sported by Samus Aran of 'Metroid' fame. (Joseph notes on YouTube, "yes i know Samus is a girl, i never thought she was a boy.") The father-son duo even equipped the blaster with an Arduino-powered assortment of LED lights, a security access code and actual sound effects from the gaming franchise. You can watch the cannon's construction process in a video after the break.

During a period in which video games receive almost incessant criticism (even though kids plead for parental gaming interaction), Mr. DeRose should serve as an inspiration. While Samus Aran is a virtual heroine, this geek dad is a true hero.

Tags: arduino, costume, diy, gaming, halloween, Halloween2010, HalloweenCostumes, joseph derose, JosephDerose, kids, Metroid, parents, SamusAran, top

HuffPost AOL Social News Most Popular