AUSRETROGAMER

The Pop-Culture E-Zine

You are here: Home / Archives for 2019

Archives for 2019

Calling All Women and Non-Binary Pinball Lovers: Melbourne Silverbelles & Chimes Tournament at Flipout 2019

By

We love Belles & Chimes Melbourne! It’s a women’s pinball league open to all women (cis and trans) and non-binary people. They run fun pinball comps and events in Melbourne and welcome players of all skill levels, including beginners.

In big news, Belles & Chimes Melbourne has teamed up with Melbourne Silverball to run the first ever Melbourne Silverbelles & Chimes pinball tournament during the upcoming Flipout 2019 pinball festival (October 25-27, Sandbelt Hotel, 630 South Road Moorabbin).

Like all Belles & Chimes events, the tournament is open to all women and non-binary people only. And you’ll get plenty of pinball action with all participants playing a total of 8 machines in groups of 4. Scores will be awarded for 1st to 4th place. Highest scores after 8 rounds will play the FIRST EVER women’s final at the Flipout. And the cherry on top: cash prizes for the top 3 finalists!

Tickets for the Belles & Chimes tournament are $20 and include general admission entry to Flipout which gives access to the 100+ old and new pinball machines!

Tournament details: Saturday Oct 26th 2019, qualifying from 6pm onward, followed by finals (note: Flipout Festival is open 10am to 11pm on Saturday).

For more info contact Belles and Chimes Melbourne and join the FB group to make sure you don’t miss any future B&C events.

Flyer by menteurmenteur

photo source: heather via Belles & Chimes Melbourne on Instagram

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

msausretrogamerMs. ausretrogamer
Editor, Writer and Photographer 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

 

 

KRULL Pinball at Pinball Expo 2019

By

If you needed a reason to head to Chicago for Pinball Expo 2019, well this may be the reason!

Troy Smith (MTZ Arcade) will have his ultra super duper rare (High End Pins (HEP) restored!) KRULL pinball machine (based on the 80s sci-fi cult film) at his booth for attendees to drool over.

image source: MTZ Arcade

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Pinball Press
Pinball Press is here to spread the word on everything pinball across the known universe. For business / PR email: [email protected]

Follow Pinball Press on Twitter and Facebook

 

 

 

Through the Moongate – Part II: Story of Richard Garriott and Origin Systems

By

Programmer, entrepreneur, astronaut, explorer. Richard Garriott is one of the most well-known personalities in the video game industry, and one of the last of its pioneers still in the business. Ultima, the revolutionary series of role-playing games he designed, and Origin Systems Inc., the company he co-founded in 1983, are inextricably linked to the history of videogames.

Over the last four decades, Garriott has worked alongside and collaborated with many influential people in the gaming industry. Origin Systems, in the years that it operated, was an incubator of sorts; many well-known game developers got their start at Origin. And as computer technology moved from punch cards to the PC, from 2D line art to 3D graphics, and from offline play to the internet, the games produced by Garriott and Origin were a driving force of innovation in an industry characterised by continuous, rapid evolution.

Through the Moongate: The Story of Richard Garriott, Origin Systems Inc. and Ultima is a comprehensive, organic work of research – the first of its kind – on the history and impact that Garriott and Origin have had on the gaming industry. Within its pages, the author Andrea Contato has retold the story of Garriott’s entire creative career, from his first games to his most recent: Shroud of the Avatar.

A painstakingly researched study of character and history, Through the Moongate recollects the memories of friends, associates, and employees of Richard Garriott and Origin Systems, giving the reader a truly privileged point of view. Many of the stories in the book are new, having never been shared before, and all serve to give the reader an intimate understanding one of the most eclectic personalities in the videogame industry.

The work, detailed and complex, is divided into two volumes: the first covered the career of Garriott from Akalabeth through Ultima VI, the second will cover the period from Wing Commander and Ultima VII to Portalarium . Through the Moongate includes dozens of interviews with notable figures in the world of videogames, such as Warren Spector, Paul Neurath, Siobban Beeman, Al Nelson, Starr Long and many others,and is illustrated with previously-unpublished images from the collections of Enrico Ricciardi and Richard Garriott.

Embellished with new artwork by Denis Loubet and Manda, Through the Moongate is a must-have book for Ultima fans, and those fascinated by the history of video games.

The production of the first book was kickstarted in 2018 and the final product was delivered during summer 2019. We were very happy of having delivered the book in the promised time. Right now Part 2 is running on Kickstarter. The crowdfunding campaign was an instant success and the funding goal was reached in 1 day and 6 minutes. That prompted us to ask our backers for some input on further stretch goals. Those that were planned, were hit in less than a week. While writing these lines, the crowdfunding campaign just started its second half, but already reached €36,000+ thanks to 328 backers.

PS: You can check out / buy part 1 of Through the Moongate here.

Press release supplied by Andrea Contato.

 

The Complete History of Sega World

By

Ah, Sega World Sydney – wish we had visited! Image source: Sega World Sydney Memoriam

If there is one regret we have, it’s that we didn’t get to visit Sega World in Darling Harbour (Sydney) before it was closed down.

The next best thing was to find Badnik Mechanic’s awesome video on the history of Sega World. Sega had planned to revolutionise arcades forever with their new arcade / theme park concept. Unfortunately Sega failed, but the story of Sega World’s creation needed to be told.

Sit back for the next quarter of an hour and take in some 1990s Sega goodness – you may learn something new too!


source: Badnik Mechanic

 

Oz Comic-Con Sydney 2019 Highlights

By

We were lucky enough to attend Oz Comic Con 2019 in Sydney and take in all the amazing sights and sounds! There were plenty of regular favourites and a few newcomers that shows just how much conventions are growing in popularity. Another very welcome addition we noticed was the increasingly family friendly nature these cons are becoming, with a scribble wall and colouring corners for kids!

There was a strong presence from the ESL (eSports League Australia) which is always good to see and they had live competitions running all weekend. The Southern Cross Garrison of the 501st Imperial Legion was also out in force, bringing some impressive cosplay from both sides of the force including Stormtroopers, Wookiees and Tauntauns! 

The artists corner was buzzing with activity, allowing upcoming artists to show off their skills and sell some of their merchandise. Lots of booths filled to the brim with pop culture goodies spread themselves throughout both the halls. We were also lucky enough to stumble onto some retro goodies that included figures, vehicles and playsets from Star Wars, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Ghostbusters and Masters of the Universe. 

Just in case you missed out on all the fun we brought you some highlights!

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mat Panek, Chief Games Reviewer
Retromancer – Collector, repairer & fan of retro games & tech. Atari to Amiga, Nintendo to Sega! LD, Zip, Beta and a proud dad! One half of the TiredParents on Twitch.

Follow Mat on Twitter and Twitch

 

 

 

 

 

Project Nimbus: Complete Edition – Nintendo Switch Review

By

Power up the generator, arm the missiles and prepare to launch into Project Nimbus: Complete Edition on the Nintendo Switch. 

Project Nimbus is a fast and frantic mech battle game where players take control of mobile battle suits to fight in a dark neo-futuristic timeline of earth. Players must fight and dash around the battlefield managing their boost level, weapon ammunition and evading enemy fire while trying to complete various objectives that usually involve destroying either specific or all targets. The campaign mode gives players the opportunity to pilot various Mechs from standard infantry to top of the line experimental units on both sides of the ongoing conflict but no way to customise them. Warfront mode allows the player to start from the lowest mech unit and work their way up to unlock better equipment and Mechs through various battle scenarios. There is also a survival mode where the player can choose from an impressive range of mechs to try and last as long as possible and rack up high scores.

Project Nimbus has some fantastic graphics even in handheld mode, impressing players with stunning vistas and detailed mechs. Since the surface of the earth has been left uninhabitable, all of the battles take place in the air above barren wastes or water expanses with the occasional floating city or fortress. It is quite impressive that Project Nimbus has such a stable frame rate considering the frantic action and the ever increasing number of enemies, explosions, decoys or objective arrows that fill the screen, especially on the Nintendo Switch. This can get a little overwhelming at times, mostly in modes other than the campaign, and players may find themselves a bit lost with everything going on.

Controls are responsive and feel very snappy, players will easily find themselves dashing about blasting away the opposition. There are a number of different weapons available depending on preferred play style from machine guns, energy weapons and even close range energy swords. In Project Nimbus’ default controller configuration it can be a bit difficult to switch between weapons on the fly in handheld mode but there is a radial menu ingame which can alternatively be used.

Overall, Project Nimbus: Complete Edition is a good addition for players that enjoy more arcade style mech games. The mission structure is perfectly suited for short play sessions on the switch but can get a bit repetitive with longer play sessions. There are plenty of reasons to keep coming back between all the game modes though so it is well worth the try for fans of the genre.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mat Panek, Chief Games Reviewer
Retromancer – Collector, repairer & fan of retro games & tech. Atari to Amiga, Nintendo to Sega! LD, Zip, Beta and a proud dad! One half of the TiredParents on Twitch.

Follow Mat on Twitter and Twitch

 

 

Disclosure: Project Nimbus: Complete Edition [Nintendo Switch eShop code] was kindly provided by Homerun PR for this review.

 

 

LEGO Ideas: Banjo-Kazooie and the Planet Express Ship

By

We are hooked at trawling the LEGO Ideas site and finding wonderful creations, just like this Banjo-Kazooie action figure and the Planet Express delivery ship from Futurama.

We have voted and now have our fingers and toes crossed.

image source: LEGO Ideas

 

 

Star Wars Pinball – Switch Review

By

What do you get when you mash together the world’s biggest pop culture franchise with one of the best video pinball developers on the planet? You guessed it, you get Zen Studios‘ Star Wars Pinball!

Zen Studios has somehow crammed 19 Star Wars themed pinball tables on this Switch release, which are damn brilliant and will satisfy any discerning Jedi pinball master – we were going to say wizard, but we reckon that has been done to death. The superlatives don’t just end there, there are additional features and modes that are exclusive on the Nintendo Switch, like HD Rumble, Vertical Play (grab your Flip Grip!), Cantina Jukebox, Galactic Struggle and Career Mode to name just a few.

As the title suggest, this is a pinball game at heart, meaning it is easy to get into and instantly enjoyable to flip the silver-ball. This is thanks to Zen Studios honing their skill in creating wonderful pinball experiences on consoles. The added bonus here is that the whole package is wrapped up in all things Star Wars. If you scratch the surface of this title and start looking deeper, there is a lot of content that will keep you playing for a long long time (in a galaxy nearby).

As mentioned, the unique gameplay modes on the Switch allow players to participate in community-wide Galactic struggles, allowing for contribution points to the light or dark side, depending on how you feel. Likewise, the new career mode allows players to join the ranks of the Jedi or Sith as they achieve up to 50 career ranks, and simply playing any table unlocks special Force Power bonuses that can be applied toward bigger scores. Playing any table unlocks special Force Power bonuses that can be applied towards bigger scores, and a Force Training mode to help pinball Padawans maximize their flipping potential.

The 19 Star Wars pinball tables are centred around the movies and TV show franchises, with iconic characters, memorable locations, and general Star Wars goodness:

  • Movies Adaptations: Episodes IV, V, VI, VII and VIII, plus Rogue One: A Star Wars™ Story and Solo: A Star Wars™ Story
  • TV Adaptations: Star Wars™: The Clone Wars™, Star Wars Rebels™
  • Characters: Han Solo, Darth Vader, Lando Calrissian in The Calrissian Chronicles table, Boba Fett, Droids
  • Locations: Ahch-To Island, Mimban (Battle of Mimban)
  • Themes: Jedi vs. Sith (Masters of the Force), X-wings vs. TIE fighters (Starfighter Assault), being the bad guy (Might of the First Order)

No matter which side you choose, Light or Dark, Jedi or Sith, you will Feel the Force in Zen Studios’ Star Wars Pinball on the Nintendo Switch. We highly recommend you give this awesome game a flip!

Disclosure: Star Wars Pinball [Nintendo Switch eShop code] was kindly provided by Zen Studios for this review.

 

 

Heart of Neon: A Life Inside Video Games

By

You’ve either heard of Jeff Minter or you haven’t. If you have, then that means you know he creates high-octane, psychedelic retro-style shoot’em up video games, usually with a camel, llama or some other ungulate. Perhaps you don’t know Jeff, but you have played Tempest 2000 on the Atari Jaguar, arguably Jeff’s best known game. It’s mind blowing to think that Tempest 2000 was released 25 years ago, when Jeff was already a decade plus into his game development career, which is still going strong today, with the impending release of Minotaur Arcade Vol 1 on the PlayStation 4.

A story of one game designer making video games for four decades deserves to be told. That’s the mission of Paul Docherty, a filmmaker who himself used to work as a graphics designer in the early days of video games. Paul is now making a feature documentary called HEART OF NEON, which centres around Jeff and Llamasoft. He talks about the documentary’s goals in more detail here.

Paul is currently raising funds to help put Jeff’s legend out into the world, and he’s gratefully accepting crowdfunding pledges right now!

You can follow everything about the Heart of Neon documentary on Twitter, Facebook, Twitch and Instagram.

image source: Paul Docherty – Heart of Neon

 

Untitled Goose Game – Nintendo Switch Review

By

Get reading for a honking good time with Untitled Goose Game, the latest game from the team at House House on Nintendo Switch, PC and Mac.

Untitled Goose Game is a game where you assault a calm english country styled village as an annoying goose, stealing keys and tormenting children. Players will honk as they guide their feathered fiend through the nameless sleepy village leaving broken items, rubbish and cranky residents in their wake. Untitled Goose Game is pretty straightforward in its approach, each location has a list of things to do before you can move on to the next area of the village. Players shouldn’t limit themselves to just the list though, there are quite a few secret to-do items to discover, each one just as fowl as the last! It is also best to go into Untitled Goose Game with as little prior knowledge as possible since the majority of the fun is discovering how to wreak havoc for yourself.

Considering how much chaos the player can cause in the village, Untitled Goose Game is a rather relaxing journey that is full of fun and laughter. The art style looks very much like a children’s story book with it’s simple shapes and colours that evokes joy in even the simplest tasks. There is a surprising number of things to do and lots of different ways to approach each situation that makes exploration and “out of the box” thinking incredibly rewarding. Controls are very simple making Untitled Goose Game great for anyone to just pick up and play. Every game needs a dedicated “HONK” button as far as I’m concerned. It is also just as entertaining to watch others attempt challenges as no two people seem to play the same way.

There is not much else you can say about Untitled Goose Game that wouldn’t ruin the experience for those that haven’t played it yet. It may feel a little on the short side once you finish the main to-do list but there is plenty of reason to dive back in with all the extra challenges. It is a charming and beautiful little game that is guaranteed to bring a smile to players faces. Make sure you give this one a gander!

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mat Panek
Retromancer – Collector, repairer & fan of retro games & tech. Atari to Amiga, Nintendo to Sega! LD, Zip, Beta and a proud dad! One half of the TiredParents on Twitch.

Follow Mat on Twitter and Twitch