Screentendo turns screenshots into a Super Mario level

Nintendo's Super Mario takes on another life in the hands of Aaron Randall, a London based software developer. It's an app called Screentendo, a Mac-only compatible app that turns screenshots into a Super Mario level.

The app can turn images with clear color distinctions into a Super Mario environment complete with blue sky, clouds, bricks and of course Mario. Although, the transformation doesn't include gold coins, turtles or any other enemies, it's still entertaining to turn an unwanted email into bricks and smash it away.

The Super Mario inspired app called Screentendo has transparent OS X style window that can be minimized and scaled in any desired size within the frame of the user's monitor. It works as simple as laying it over the desired image and clicking within the transparent window. The app will start to identify target "objects" in the image by distinguishing the background from the rest of the image.

The app identifies the color that dominates the image, sets it as the background and leaves it as it is. The rest of the image that is not part of the background is filled with bricks similar to those found in Super Mario. Its background will become blue, complete with clouds. Once the image transformation is completed, Mario will drop from the top of the window in to the bricks and the user can begin smashing bricks with Mario's head.

Aaron Randall explains the app is only Mac compatible. The app uses algorithms to determine the screenshot's Super Mario transformation. He coded it himself using Cocoa and Sprite Kit and the Screentendo source code is available in Github. Users can grab the source code and compile it themselves using OS X and CocoaPods.

This app is quite simple but it presents a lot of potentials. With further developments, who knows - it could have the same fortune as Angry Birds had.