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PAX Aus Online 2021 – Schedule Now Live!

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PAX Online (8th-10th October) schedule goes live and their sweet merchandise goes on sale from tomorrow (Sep 30)!

With less than 9 sleeps to go, we are very excited to let you know that the jam-packed PAX Aus Online schedule is now live.

There really is something for everyone with AAA content, the well-loved Omegathon, a virtual expo hall, legendary RPG anniversaries, dozens of amazing panels and events and a whole lot more that will blow your mind, so read on! Taking place across Twitch, Discord, Steam, and their website, you can jump in for panels, games, community events, games, and more games 😉

The three-day event will be kickstarted by Among Us developers, Innersloth, who will be delivering the keynote address at 11:30am AEDT on Friday October 8th – a talk that is bound to play witness to a bit of betrayal, sabotage and general hijinx.

RPG fans can tune in for a star-studded 40th Anniversary actual-play of Call of Cthulhu, a spicy “C” Team charity special and the return of PAX Quest, as well as a host of other dice-fuelled goodness.

Scratching a AAA itch? Don’t miss panels with developers including fireside conversations with DEATHLOOP’s Dinga Bakaba and The Elder Scrolls Online’s Matt Firor and Rich Lambert.

If that’s not enough, there’s dozens of other panels (dozens!) being shown across the three days of the show, with topics including the power of ethics in narrative choice, gaming accessibility, education, indigenous narratives, and esports.

A virtual expo hall and Discord channel provide the perfect roadmap for this virtual playing field, pulling dedicated community spaces for discussions, giveaways and a brand new PAX Explorer text adventure that will almost make you forget you are watching from home.

image source: PAX Aus

For those wondering how to literally drape themselves in PAX, they have you covered with the release of the official 2021 merchandise, available from 10am on Thursday 30 September at store-paxaus.myshopify.com. From cute camp-themed PAX tees to beanies, mugs and water bottles, PAX merch has everything you need to get that sweet, retail-driven serotonin hit!

With under 2 weeks to go until the show, it’s time to lock in that new attire, assemble the virtual crew, and buckle into that gaming chair because we can guarantee that PAX Aus Online is gonna be much more entertaining than that 1000th Zoom call you had to do. Because we’re all about achievable goals this lockdown!

Hopefully we’ll see you all in person in 2022!
image source: Ausretrogamer



Classic Xbox Games Specials!

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Checking in this morning, we noticed that Microsoft has unleashed their latest Xbox games sale, which has quite a few classic titles that piqued our interest! The beauty of the backwards compatibility of the Xbox means that no matter which console you have (after the X360), then these games will all work!

Go to the Xbox Games Specials to grab yourself a bargain. In case you were interested, these were our picks from this sale:

  • Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night ($4.97 / 50% off)
  • Castlevania Anniversary Collection ($8.03 / 75% off)
  • Contra Anniversary Collection ($8.03 / 75% off)
  • Metal Gear Solid HD Edition 2 & 3 ($7.48 / 75% off)
  • Namco Museum Archives Vol. 2 ($7.48 / 75% off)
  • Silent Hill: HD Collection ($12.61 / 75% off)
  • Final Fantasy VII ($12.07 / 50% off)
  • Resident Evil ($7.48 / 75% off)
  • Arcade Classics Anniversary Collection ($8.03 / 75 off)

 



Classic Atari 2600 Video Games in 3D

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Graphic artist Mauri Helme has quite amusingly created 3D animations of classic Atari 2600 video games, including Pitfall, River Raid, Frostbite, Keystone Kapers and the infamous E.T.

Imagine playing these on your trusty old Atari VCS/2600 😉


source: Mauri Helme



story source: laughingsquid

LAVAIR X SEGA MEGA DRIVE

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Sega does what Nintendon’t? Actually, Nintendo have already done the whole ‘cross’ pollination with iconic streetwear brands (like the one with Vans). Sega have also done the same with their famous blue mascot when they crossed him with Puma. Well, now it is Sega’s 16-bit classic console, the Mega Drive, that gets the streetwear treatment with the new Lavair X Mega Drive range!

We must admit, we had never heard of Lavair till today (perhaps we are showing our age!), so at least we have learned something new! So here they are, the Lavair X Mega Drive runners (or sneakers if that is your preference), which we reckon capture the colours perfectly of Sega’s flagship Japanese Mega Drive with the Analog runner and the Mono runner which capture the PAL Mega Drive. If you are more into baseball hats, then you are in luck, as they have the Analog and Mono hats for you to choose from too. The Lavair x Mega Drive is a limited-edition themed collaboration, so we expect these products to go quite quickly, just like Sonic, boom!

image source: Sega and Lavair



Pixel Artist Makes Game Scenes Based On Popular TV Series And Movies

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Pixel artist, Gustavo Viselner has created video game scenes based on iconic TV series and movies, like Stranger Things, Game of Thrones, Married with Children, Doctor Who, Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, Star Wars and Seinfeld to name just a few. Oh no, we couldn’t find any based on The Mandalorian, but we’ll let it slip this time.

Check out our favourite 8-bit pixel art scenes and then hit up Gustavo’s Instagram to check out the rest of his creations!

image & story source: boredpanda.com



Classic Video Games Rated and Auctioned At Astounding Prices

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First it was NFTs, and now it seems hermetically sealed classic games are being auctioned off at some nose-bleeding prices!

Goldin Auctions have been spruiking their recent record breaking auction sales on their social channels, which want of a better word or phrase, has put a lot of noses out of joint. Unless you are the seller that just pocketed US$430,500 for Sonic The Hedgehog, this rating/grading system and auction of video games is seen as a form of evil in the worldwide retro gaming community.

Sure, lets WATA-rate games and then pawn (Ed: ahem, auction!) them off for some absurd amounts of money, but this whole setup and process just doesn’t sit right. From our perspective, it is great that video games share the limelight with other highly sought after memorabilia, but c’mon, a Sonic The Hedgehog Sega Genesis / Mega Drive game going for almost half a million US dollars is just mind blowingly ridiculous, or are we missing something here? At this rate, our 1989 factory sealed Commodore 64 disk version of Double Dragon would be rated a 10 and be close to being priceless!

What are your thoughts on these video game rating systems and auctions? Hit us up on Twitter or Facebook and let us know!



Frogger – The TV Game Show! Ribbit!

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In case you missed it, there is now a TV show based on the classic Konami arcade game Frogger!

Just like the video game, contestants will require quick thinking and problem solving skills in varied challenges to be crowned Frogger champion and hop away with US$100K! If you like Wipeout (the TV show, not the video game) and enjoy the Ninja Warrior type shows, then Frogger will be right up your alley!

PS: Unfortunately, Peacock TV ain’t streaming Frogger in Australia (Ed: Boo!)


source: PeacockTV



Masters of the Universe: The Board Game – Clash For Eternia

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We made a promise that we would stop posting Kickstarter campaigns, but for this particular one, we made an exception. Oh, if you want to blame anyone, blame Alex Kidman, he got us onto this one!

If you are like us and have been living in a cave lately (lockdown will do that to you), you may not have known that there is an awesome Kickstarter for a new Masters Of The Universe – Clash of Eternia board game! Consider yourself informed!

This Kickstarter is quite straight forward with two different pledge rewards, the US$110 Master of The Universe pledge or the US$220 Defender of Grayskull pledge. The Kickstarter has smashed through a number of stretch goals, so you will be assured that you get all the Kickstarter exclusive bonuses, like additional models, tokens and cards! If you are MOTU fans, you may need this board game in your life!

PS: Now someone please make a MOTU themed pinball machine 🙂

source: Kickstarter and CMON



 

GAME ON! THE PUMA X ANIMAL CROSSING: NEW HORIZONS

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Get ready to go on an island getaway with this latest collaboration between PUMA and Animal Crossing™: New Horizons. Tom Nook and other favourite characters from the popular franchise are featured in a variety of styles, including apparel and footwear for adults and kids. You won’t trade your new outfit for anything.

The PUMA x Animal Crossing: New Horizons crossover takes cues from the beloved game; the collection’s streetwear silhouettes are reimagined with natural colours and authentic graphics from the fun franchise. The resulting collaboration is ready for anything, with styles for both adults and kids, including some of PUMA’s most distinctive shoe silhouettes, Suede, Wild Rider, and Future Rider.

PUMA’s timeless style, the Suede, features a beige hairy suede upper, triple formstrip with printed graphics on the top layer, translucent sole with graphic imprint, tongue label with debossed co-branding, a leaf hangtag, and a canvas lace bag inspired by the bell bag with additional laces.

The Wild Rider silhouette is inspired by the movement and motion of city life. The collab version has a beige nylon upper adorned with an Animal Crossing resident print with green, blue, and sand suede overlays, a translucent formstrip on the side, an embroidered leaf on the heel and a debossed lace tag with PUMA’s logo.

The pack is not complete without the Future Rider. Constructed with nylon, canvas and suede overlays, this silhouette features a debossed leaf graphic on the heel, taken directly from the iconic Animal Crossing logo. The side TPU piece includes a graphic which alludes to the game’s design elements, as well as the canvas lace bag with additional laces to customise your look.

Your island escape wouldn’t be complete without some sharp adventure-ready outfits; short and long sleeve tees, hoodies, shorts, and sweatpants all in the signature colour palette of the game, in addition to spotlighting some of its most well-known residents and elements. Just don’t forget your boarding pass.

Tom Nook is waiting for you, so prepare for the most amazing trip with the new PUMA x Animal Crossing: New Horizons Collection. Available starting 18th September on PUMA.com and select retailers worldwide.

To learn more about Animal Crossing™: New Horizons click HERE

image source: Puma AU



Press Release supplied by: Nintendo Australia

Godzilla Pinball – The King of Monsters Is Unleashed by Stern Pinball

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The King of Monsters is back and this time he is conquering pinball! 

Stern Pinball and Toho International have joined forces to take Godzilla from the swap to pinball, and boy are we glad that they did!

This awesome collaboration between two powerhouses has resulted in the creation of three Godzilla pinball machine models; Pro, Premium and the already sold out Limited Edition! Before we get into the nuts and bolts of this new cornerstone title, Godzilla pinball marks the debut of Stern’s Insider Connected system, which includes a QR code reader (bottom arch) that enables players to interact with the game and other cool platform features in a variety of new ways.


source: Godzilla Official by TOHO

As already mentioned, being a cornerstone title, Godzilla Pinball will come in a three model range, starting with the street level Pro, home collector Premium and the Limited Edition for the hardcore collectors – as at the time of writing, the LE is sold out! From what we have seen so far, this is a monster-packed pinball machine straight from the mind of Keith Elwin, arguably the hottest contemporary pinball designer on the planet. Coupled with Zombie Yeti’s gorgeous and eye-popping hand-drawn artwork, this complete package will satisfy Godzilla and pinball fans alike.

From the video and images, we reckon that Keith Elwin has been dreaming a lot about Kaiju and has captured the essence of Toho’s Godzilla, pulling material from the ten earliest, campiest and most iconic films. In this game, the players takes control of Godzilla, ridding the earth of the evil Xiliens, while rampaging and trashing cities along the way. The game consists of classic Godzilla sets, including a skyscraper that has a virtual lock for one of the six multi-balls. According to Stern, this title has an industry first ‘Magna Grab’ magnetic Newton ball directing the ball from 5 different directions, often setting the ball up for the upper (3rd) flipper – pure chaos, as it should be! Godzilla also has a scoop to change cities, 3 spinning targets, mind-blowing chrome wireform ramps, 13 RGB lights, and a new return lane chase lights that strobe as balls return to the flippers, just to name a few. The theme immersion is complete with movie scenes and audio from ten Toho Showa Era movies, the original 1954 Godzilla film score, iconic title song “Godzilla” by Blue Oyster Cult and custom speech in English and Japanese (with subtitles).

But wait, the rampaging isn’t over yet! The additions and changes on Godzilla Premium and LE models are substantial. The aforementioned skyscraper is motorised to collapse down multiple levels, with 3 balls locked on its roof by a vertical upkick skyway ramp. A breakaway bridge ramp that collapses to drop pinballs onto the playfield. The Premium and LE models have another motorised device – a rotating 3 bank of targets that reveal a spinning target and jump ramp. There is a 2nd magnet in a sculpted Mechagodzilla to catch the ball. Oh yeah, the game wouldn’t be complete without the star itself, so there is a Godzilla sculpted toy on the playfield too. You can check out the full feature matrix of each model here.

Pricing and availability:

  • Pro Model: $US 6,899 / $AU 10,650
  • Premium Model: $US 8,999 / $AU 13,250
  • Limited Edition Model: $US 10,499 / $AU 15,500 (limited to 1,000 machines – sold out!)

The Pro model will start rolling off the Stern assembly line next week, with the LE model to follow and then the Premium machines in October – these should start arriving in Australia in early Jan 2022.

If you are interested in grabbing your very own Godzilla pinball machine, please contact the good folks at Amusement Machine Distributors or Zax Amusements.

Now, enough words, time to feast your eyes on the awesome Godzilla pinball machines – scroll slowly and please mind your drool 😉

image source: Stern Pinball