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Japan Amusement Expo 2014

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Forget Valentine’s Day, I know exactly where I would like to be on Friday 14th February – at the Japan Amusement Expo (JAEPO) 2014. JAEPO is on from Friday 14th February till Saturday 15th February, with Friday being for traders only. If you are part of the general public, then mark Saturday as your day. Doors open at 10am! Get there early, as there are six great zones to explore:

Arcade Zone: the main exhibit showcasing arcade machines, sticker photos, simulation games, prize and medal game machines.
Family Zone: this zone includes arcade games, rides and amusement park equipment for elementary school children and families.
Prize Zone: exhibiting the prizes for prize (redemption) awarding game machines.
Related Product Zone: showcasing products and equipment related to amusement and entertainment.
Publication Zone: main exhibit for publications related to amusement and entertainment.
International Zone: Main exhibitors from abroad (outside of Japan).

Taito_JAEPO

With iconic arcade exhibitors like Taito, Sega, Konami and Namco headlining the expo, you will be assured to be dazzled with what’s new in the amusement machines world.

If you are lucky enough to attend, share your photos with us all.

Event Details:
Event: Japan Amusement Expo 2014 (JAEPO 2014)
Organiser: Japan Amusement Machine and Marketing Association, Inc (JAMMA)
Date: February 14 (Trade only) & February 15 (General public)
Entry Fee: 1,000YEN (~$11AUD) or Coupon
Venue: Makuhari Messe

image source: JAEPO and Taito

 

Instagram: Retro 80s Edition

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Imagine if Instagram was invented back in the 1980s – how would you have shared your “I am eating a lobster right now” photos? Before you blow your 8-bit registers thinking about the logistics of sharing photos online in the 80s, the good folks at SquirrelMonkeyCom show us exactly how Instagram would have worked back in the best decade of the 20th century.

This is social media 1980s style!


source: SquirrelMonkeyCom

Mario vs. The Rest Of The World

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If Mario was on steroids, would he go on a roid rage and take on every video gaming character in his way? Looking at these fine pieces of art by Sebastian Von Buchwald, it looks like that he may. Our hero has become the angry anti-hero!

Mario vs. Ryu
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Mario vs. Crono
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Mario vs. Lara Croft
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Mario vs. Sonic
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Mario vs. Mega Man
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Mario vs. Pac-Man
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Mario vs. Bomberman
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Mario vs. Crash Bandicoot
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Mario vs. Earthworm Jim
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Image source: Sebastian Von Buchwald

 

Shorty Award Nomination

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What does it mean to be nominated for a Shorty Award? Let me begin by stating I think the best motivation in life is passion and enjoyment – two things at the heart of ausretrogamer, and one should never do things just for the prize. With genuine passion, your reward is meeting other likeminded people from all over the world. Social networking, Twitter in particular, has broken down country borders and has allowed all of us to congregate in communities to share and engage. It truly is a global village. I am happy to be a part of it. That said, being nominated for a shorty award is a lovely bonus and an encouraging sign that we are on the right track.

My daily (ausretrogamer) tweets are to engage in conversation, be informative and most importantly, entertain anyone that would care to listen (or in this case, read tweets). The culmination of my passion has seen the creation of ausretrogamer.com – the Australian Retro Gamer E-Zine, an independent video games site dedicated to old-school retro gaming. The site aims to spread the nostalgic vibe of retro gaming by being informative and entertaining. Even if one reader is informed and entertained, then the job is done.

For those that have nominated me for a Shorty Award, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I am truly honoured.

If you would like to vote for ausretrogamer, go to the Shorty Awards nomination page.

 

Super Bowl Fever: Gridiron Games From The 80s

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1st down and 10. No, I am not talking about “downing” my first beer with ten to go. I am talking about America’s sporting past time, football! What’s bigger than the Super Bowl? It seems nothing much else, except for the FIFA World Cup final and perhaps the 100M sprint at the Olympics.

Well, when it comes to video games based on American football, you had a few choices in the 1980s. Sorry Tecmo Super Bowl, you miss out by a couple of years (Ed: I can hear the collective boos!). Let’s just say, the 80s football games were a tad crude when compared to their more illustrious contemporaries.

So, which gridiron games from the 1980s were (and still are) worthy of a play? We set out to sort the wheat from the chaff and have come up with a list of (somewhat) worthy 80s football video game contenders that will help you pass a few hours and also get you in the mood for the upcoming Super Bowl.  Hut, hut, hut!

RealSports Football [Year: 1982 | Publisher: Atari | Format: Atari 8-bit platforms]
NFL_atariFootball video games had to start somewhere. This is not the most realistic football game, but you have to appreciate it for the time it was released. Overly simplistic with five players on each side, this was the Madden of its day!

10-Yard Fight [Year: 1985 | Publisher: Nintendo | Format: NES]
nfl_10yardAs far as arcade conversions go, this was a crude top-down vertically scrolling football game. However, back in 1985, you didn’t have much choice when it came to football games on the Famicom/NES.

4th and Inches [Year: 1987 | Publisher: Accolade | Format: C64]
nfl_4thBefore the glitzy TV Sports Football on the C64, 4th and Inches was the definitive American football game on the 8-bit micro, with a side-on play field to boot!

TV Sports: Football [Year: 1988 | Publisher: Cinemaware | Format: Atari ST / Amiga / C64 / DOS]
nfl_TVAs the 80s drew to a close, Cinemaware published this very sleek and thoroughly enjoyable gridiron game. This was the genesis for latter football video games. Simply brilliant.

NFL [Year: 1989 | Publisher: LJN | Format: NES]
nfl_NFLIt comes as no surprise that the much loved NES had an embarrassing riches of football games. NFL didn’t get the best reception, but at least you could play one of 28 official NFL teams from 1988. It also featured a packed playbook, which was novel for its time.

Tecmo Bowl [Year: 1989 | Publisher: Tecmo | Format: NES]
NFL_TecmoThis game does not need any introduction – its reputation precedes it. It was the first football game to feature real NFL players. It was only bettered by its sequel, the sublime Tecmo Super Bowl. Get your NES out and play it!

Before you mention it, we are sorry, we had to exclude Cyberball, for obvious reasons, and we also had to forget about any arcade based football games from the 80s. Did we pick any football games you liked (still like) playing? If not, you can throw your helmet at our editor!

Enjoy the Super Bowl!

 

The Making Of R-Type: A Free Book By Bob Pape

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Book - Front Cover

There is something altruistic when a bedroom coder documents one of their gaming creations in a tell-all book and then releases it for free!

That is exactly what Bob Pape has done. Mr. Pape, take a bow Sir. We thank you for writing It’s Behind You: The Making Of A Computer Game and sharing your experiences in coding one of the greatest shoot’em ups of all time – R-Type for the ZX Spectrum. On behalf of all gamers, modern and retro, thank you!

Get your free copy of It’s Behind You: The Making Of A Computer Game book here.

 

Video Gaming Images

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If you are like me, you enjoy looking at video gaming inspired artwork. I came across Hoodie’s gaming images on the minus network and I thought I would share a few with you. Take a gander!

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There are plenty more where these came from. Hit the Gaming Images gallery to check them all out!

 

Giveaway: Retro Games Bundle

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retrobundle

Don’t you just love giveaways? We know we do. Our good friends at Groupees have provided us with five gift codes to their Retro 2 Game Bundle to giveaway to five lucky retroholics.

So, what’s the catch you ask? It is simple, if you follow us on twitter, just retweet our GIVEAWAY post on this great retro bundle. We will then select five of you at random and get in contact with you with your gift codes.

You got to act fast, as the gift codes expire in less than 29 hours!

Good luck!


source: Groupees