October 30, 2007 3:04 PM PDT

Happy Halloween from the William Companion Cube

by Will Greenwald
  • Font size
  • Print
  • Post a comment
The William Companion Cube

The William Companion Cube (larger photo after the break)

Okay, it's not a costume so much as it is a cheap helmet made from a cardboard box. But it's mine, it's nerdy, and it's something I'm strangely proud of.

Out of the five games that came with The Orange Box, Portal turned out to be the surprise hit. Sure, lots of people looked forward to Team Fortress 2 and Half-Life 2 Episode 2, but Valve's crazy little space-warping puzzle-adventure managed to receive the most praise from even the most jaded reviewers (not-work-safe language in link). It was short, but chock-full of clever, challenging gameplay and remarkably dark humor.

One of the most memorable bits of the game is the appearance of the Weighted Companion Cube. Half-furniture, half-NPC, the Weighted Companion Cube was your best friend in the game. I won't spoil what happened, except to say that... sniff... it was just such a brave little geometric shape.

The Weighted Companion Cube, like Portal itself, turned out to be a surprisingly popular little doo-dad spawning nerdy efforts ranging from pillows to cakes. While I lack the artistic and craftsmanship skills necessary to make a genuine, accurate Weighted Companion Cube, I pushed my meager Illustrator and glue stick abilities to the limit to create a Weighted Companion Cube costume. Yes, it's justa cardboard box with paper bits glued to it, but I like to think it keeps the spirit of the Weighted Companion Cube.

Happy Halloween, everybody. This is my costume, the William Companion Cube. Check just below for a larger pic.

Recent posts from Crave
Reports: Panasonic battery to power homes for one week
Will the Apple tablet be a full-fledged computer?
New, terrifying, no-electronics U.S. flight security rules?
Apple's iSlate: What we know for sure
Best hardware and software add-ons for your PC
Kindle is most gifted Amazon item, ever
Android eHow app: Get and share advice on anything
Will recorded music survive the 2010s?
advertisement

About Crave

The name says it all. Crave is our blog about gorgeous gadgets and other crushworthy stuff. If you would like to contact Crave with a tip or comment, please write to: crave@cnet.com

Add this feed to your online news reader

Crave topics

15 sites that went kaput in 2009

Web sites launch all the time, but they also shut their doors. We highlight 15 that bit the dust this year.

Top 10 news stories of the decade

Let the debate begin: Was the iPhone more important than iTunes? Was anything bigger than Google finding a great business model? CNET offers its list of the 10 most important stories of the '00s.