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Archives for 2017

Resurrecting Alien Pinball

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One of the most anticipated pinball machines in recent memory, Alien by Heighway Pinball, is finally starting to ship!

The shipment of Alien pinball machines is at a trickle for the moment (only a couple have reached their customers), but here’s hoping Heighway Pinball can start cranking up production and get those Alien beauties shipped out at a hundred per month, just like they mentioned not that long ago.

To whet your appetite and possibly fill you with dread (just like the movies did), Heighway Pinball has released a new overhead gameplay video (see below). Quite frankly, the video has wowed us at how great the whole package looks and plays; from the smooth and fast playfield, the lighting, toys (the Xenomorph picking up the ball off the magnet is just superb), to the atmospheric sounds plus the call outs just round out to what amounts to be a very special pinball machine.

Don’t forget, on March 6 (US time!), Dead Flip will be live streaming Alien pinball gameplay on Twitch!


source: Heighway Pinball

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Pinball Press
Pinball Press brings you news from the world of pinball – events, product reviews/updates, interviews and the people in pinball!

If you have any pinball news to share, hit Pinball Press on Twitter

 

 

 

Atari ST: Accidental Musical Workhorse

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Atari STIt became the music sequencing tool of choice for countless musicians, almost completely by chance. The Atari ST, Atari’s 16-bit successor to their long running 8-bit computer range, was launched almost 32 years ago, and Dr. Steve “Heartbleed” Bagley shows us his own extensive collection!


source: Computerphile on YouTube

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msausretrogamerMs. ausretrogamer
Co-founder, editor and writer at ausretrogamer – The Australian Retro Gamer E-Zine. Lover of science fiction, fashion, books, movies and TV. Player of games, old and new.

Follow Ms. ausretrogamer on Twitter

 

 

Magic Girl Pinball Appears After 5 Years

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Some 5 years in the making, Zidware’s disappearing Magic Girl finally appears in a magical puff of smoke!

With only 20 Magic Girl machines assembled (by American Pinball) and only a handful more in existence, Chris Kooluris was one lucky and extremely patient customer that decided to share the moment he picked up, unboxed and assembled his ultra rare beauty.

But it seems that this Magic Girl will again be disappearing. Chris has decided to part ways with his special machine, so if you have a cool US $45,000 (or best offer), head to his Magic Girl eBay auction now!

This is about as close we will ever get to seeing, let alone playing John Popadiuk’s Magic Girl.

image source: Chris Kooluris (Facebook)

source: eBay

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Pinball Press
Pinball Press brings you news from the world of pinball – events, product reviews/updates, interviews and the people in pinball!

If you have any pinball news to share, hit Pinball Press on Twitter

 

 

The Atari PONG Coffee Table – It’s Not Just A Game

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UPDATE: Since this article was published, the Atari PONG coffee table crowdfunding campaign has been moved to Kickstarter (from IndieGoGo)!

Make way traditional coffee table, there is a new and fun coffee table in town!

If you are sick of the bland look and the one dimensional use of your current coffee table, then the retro futuristic Atari PONG game coffee table is for you.

Before you start casting aspersions, this is not your average DIY-Arcade-Cocktail-Table people make out of Ikea furniture (Ed: not that there is anything wrong with that!). This Atari PONG coffee table is WAY more than that – it is a physical implementation of the classic Atari video game! Think of it as a playable, mechanical homage to one of the first video games. The coffee table doesn’t just have an iconic game built in, it is totally multi-functional with four USB ports, Bluetooth for music streaming, clock and all of this in a great looking retro futuristic design.

Originally developed as a tribute to the iconic game, the plan of Table Pong Project was to bring back the same experiences you used to get when playing the digital version, with awesome retro sounds, bouncing lights and maintaining the same mechanics that stay true to the original gameplay. This coffee table won’t just be used for holding your books, laptops, drinks, food or your tired feet, no siree, this gorgeous thing will also reunite family and friends by stimulating social interactions, just like the old Atari VCS/2600 console did.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that this Atari PONG coffee table uses archaic technologies to bring it to life. Thanks to modern electronics, electric motors and magnetic fields, the Table Pong Project has managed to create a playable real-life coffee-pong table that is stylish and super fun!

With a smidge under 30 days left on the Kickstarter campaign, you still have a chance to grab yourself a piece of history which your family room will thank you for.

Hmm, there is a hard waste collection coming to our suburb, so it will be out with the old and in with the new (old). We definitely want to join the revolution! *wink*

 

source: Table Pong Project

 

Pre-Order Your Neo Geo Pocket SD Flash Cart Now

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After the great response to our story on SainT’s Neo Geo Pocket SD Flash Cart project, we had been keeping a close eye on the genius hardware hacker’s progress on his highly anticipated piece of Neo Geo kit.

Well, it is time to pop the champagne! SainT has been keeping quite busy tinkering away on the device and we can now report that progress on this wondrous kit has reached a point where pre-orders are being taken. Hop to it now so you don’t miss out.

Check out SainT’s latest progress videos below and then make sure you pre-order your Neo Geo Pocket SD flash cart, as they will go quick!

The first video shows the functionality of the menu system and how the device will function from navigating the SD card contents to installing and running games.

This latest video from Retro HQ’s SainT shows that all issues have been resolved, including the running of 4MB games, like Metal Slug 2 – which works great! According to SainT, the hardware is now complete. Our excitement is set to maximum level!

source: Retro HQ

 

Jersey Jack Pinball Is Calling All Pinball Enthusiasts

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When Jersey Jack Pinball’s Jack Guarnieri puts out a call to all pinball enthusiasts, we sit up and take note!

The Jersey Jack Pinball (JJP) team will be keeping busy in March as they hit the event circuit by attending the Louisville Arcade Expo this coming weekend (March 3 – 5) and then the Texas Pinball Festival (March 24 – 26). JJP will be taking their finest games to these mighty fine events – we just wish we could be there too!

Finally, we had to share this great pinball note from Jack Guarnieri about Dialed In!:

“As most of you know by now, our newest game, Dialed In!, is designed by the legendary Pat Lawlor, himself. This game is special for so many reasons, but the story of how Pat became involved is special, and one I thought you might enjoy.

In 2011, I found myself renting a building from Pat in Harvard, IL for JJP. I knew he had been retired for several years, but welcomed him to see the work we were doing and shared our vision. Pat saw that vision come to life with our first game, The Wizard of Oz, and grew excited. He began to toy with the idea of returning to pinball design – one day.

By late 2013, after expressing his interest, we made Pat part of the JJP team – a pivotal decision for the company. The idea was simple: design an unlicensed, original game – something directly from Pat’s imagination.

Fast forward to the birth of Dialed In! What a game. I have to tell you, the result is amazing, and the reaction of people who’ve played it has been incredibly gratifying and such an affirmation of Pat’s genius. In it, we’ve built a game with groundbreaking technology and features never before seen in a pinball machine.

Ever the dedicated pro, Pat has been visiting the game in the field, studying it and making signature tweaks. I can’t ever remember a new game having received such care and attention.

As we near production, we want to give everyone interested in owning a Dialed In! an opportunity stake their claim now on this historic game with a completely refundable deposit of $250, and balance due upon game production.

We hope you’ll take advantage of this offer and stop by our upcoming events (more below) to experience Dialed In! for yourself: a game that embodies true passion for a game we all love.”

Jersey Jack Pinball’s Jack Guarnieri at the Australian unveiling of Dialed In!

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Pinball Press
Pinball Press brings you news from the world of pinball – events, product reviews/updates, interviews and the people in pinball!

If you have any pinball news to share, hit Pinball Press on Twitter

 

 

Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia

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In 2015 when our fave plumber, Mario, celebrated the 30th anniversary of his Super Mario Bros. game, an epic book was released in Japan to coincide with this momentous occasion. The Encyclopedia Super Mario Bros., also known as Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia: Nintendo Official Guide Book was available to lucky Japanese gamers all the way back in October 2015.

Just like the good (Ed: or bad!) old days where we would wait two years for a western release of awesome Japanese gear, the wait is (almost) over! The Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia will be available (in Europe and North America) in June this year via Book Depository.

We can’t wait to wrap our hands around this tome!

image source: mariowiki

 

The Ultimate NES – Now You’re Really Playing With Power

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Whoa, our socks have well and truly been blown off! From all of the console mods and superguns we’ve come across, Gamester’s Ultimate NES (UNES) is by far the most impressive!

Gamester’s UNES hybrid console supergun can play original NES carts, JAMMA boards and Neo Geo MVS carts – how awesome is that! The impressive feats just keeping coming – the UNES has dual video outputs, allowing two different games to be played simultaneously on two TV screens! Oh yeah, the addition of the Neo Geo controller ports, hidden under the flap above the NES controller ports is downright ingenuous.

Best part about this console mod is that it was not turned into some Frankenstein monster – if you look at it front on, you would swear that it was just an original NES console. No one can tell the power that lurks inside this beast! Gamester’s UNES is truly playing with some serious power.

Ultimate NES Specifications:

  • Base: 1985 Nintendo Entertainment System with new 72 pin connector
  • Power Supply: Astrodyne external triple output, 5V@10amps, 12V@3amps, -5V@1amp
  • Outputs: Composite Video, S-Video, Component Video and Stereo/Mono Audio
  • Inputs: JAMMA Connector, Neo-Geo controllers
  • Video Encoder: NeoBitz + JROK Sync Cleaner
  • Weight: 3lb 8oz / 1.6kg

Looks normal enough…
UNES, Gamester, Ultimate NES, JAMMA, MVS, Neo Geo

Wait a minute, what are these extra Neo Geo controller ports…
UNES, Gamester, Ultimate NES, JAMMA, MVS, Neo Geo

That is one sexy rear!
UNES, Gamester, Ultimate NES, JAMMA, MVS, Neo Geo

The power is within! Oh, great NES game inside too…
UNES internal, UNES, Gamester, Ultimate NES

source: Jamma Nation X – Gamester’s Ultimate NES

 

Donkey Kong Advanced

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Yep, you read that heading right – an advanced Windows version of the seminal Nintendo arcade classic, Donkey Kong. Take a bow on a job well done, Mr. Justin Bohemier!

When our very good friend Aaron Clement (from Press Play On Tape Podcast fame) gave us the heads up on this game, we thought we would do the same by sharing it with the rest of you. Before Ninty’s lawyers issue a cease and desist, make sure you grab your copy of Donkey Kong Advanced now!

So you may ask, what’s new in this version of Donkey Kong Advanced? Since you asked nicely, here you go:

  • Levels are different, some are completely new, while others have the same level structure with some differences
  • New switch, laser, and key system to save Pauline
  • Mario (Jumpman) can jump off high platforms and land without killing himself (yahoo!)
  • New heart bonus items are worth 2000 points but are tricky to get
  • Barrels rebound off the floor higher than before – so watch out
  • Hitting barrels with the hammer doesn’t pause the game during the explosion
  • Level 4 is icy – there is a special shoe item to pickup that makes it not slippery


source: Justin Bohemier

image source: Donkey Kong Advanced in itch.io

 

Atari Flashback 7 Console Giveaway Winners

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Our Atari Flashback 7 console giveaway was a huge success! We were inundated with heaps of drool-worthy retro entries, making picking the winners all that more difficult!

We congratulate the winners, Tim Barnett and Daniel Cook for their great retro photo entries. Hope both Tim and Daniel enjoy their Atari Flashback 7 console prize!

If you want to see the other awesome retro pic entries, head on over here.

Winner 1: Tim Barnett:
“This blanket took 400 squares and 5 months for my wife to crochet. That’s retro love!”

Winner 2: Daniel Cook
“The summer of 89/90 – the greatest summer of my life. Where me and my bro would stay up all night spending hours and hours on my newly acquired and much loved Commodore 64. Ahhhh… retro gaming heaven”

“Meanwhile back in the 80s…where a young boy (with his tragic retro haircut) would dream of killing rapidly descending aliens in his sleep” – Daniel Cook

Thanks to our great friends at Five Star Games for supplying the Atari Flashback 7 console prizes!