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Archives for December 2022

Ho, Ho, Ho, Happy Holidays!

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As 2022 draws to a close, we wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas / Happy Festive Season and all the very best for 2023!

It’s been another tough year for everyone around the world, so we hope you can all take some time for yourself to recharge and spend it with those that mean the most to you.

We have recently moved our subscription service to Substack, so if you haven’t already subscribed, go here now and never miss any of our posts. Thanks again for supporting and engaging with us at Ausretrogamer.com and on our social channels.

We will be taking a break and be back in the new year with more awesome content! Stay safe and hope Santa brings you lots of presents!

See you in 2023!

 



Idris Elba in ‘Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty’

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image source: Cyberpunk 2077 via Twitter

By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

The most exciting moment for me during The Game Awards 2022 was the reveal of Idris Elba playing a new character in “Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty.”

Idris Elba is one of my favorite actors. Watching him on the award show address gamers about his “Cyberpunk 2077” role was a surprising breath of fresh air. If Elba puts as much passion and skill into his role in the game as he does in his film work, fans of the game are in for a treat.

Elba is perfect for the hit spy-thriller. He will play a character named Solomon Reed. Reed is a veteran New United States of America agent, and a character players can trust to help them achieve an impossible mission of espionage. The teaser didn’t show much, but the graphics looked incredible.

Elba’s performance in his last two films, “Beast” and “Three Thousand Years of Longing,” were excellent. “Beast” was sort of brushed off by critics for being a generic, creature attack film, but I found the film entertaining. There were moments of real tension and terror that were heightened by Elba’s exceptional, hopeful performance.

Elba never gives a bad performance. I first discovered his talent on the HBO series “The Wire.” He was terrific as the cunning antagonist Stringer Bell. He was authentic as Bell, and he was enthralling every time he was in a scene.

He was also great in Guy Ritchie’s “RocknRolla” with Gerald Butler and Tom Hardy. He’s a talented character actor who moonlights as an action star as well.

I’m curious to see what Idris Elba brings to “Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty.” Understated or over-the-top, he’ll bring something unique to the franchise.



Thrill Of The Chase: FurySevenSix visits the Canberra Vintage & Collectible Centre

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Who doesn’t like a sneaky weekend trip to the nation’s capital?!

Well, that’s exactly what our good friend, Noel Wheatley, did this past weekend. Noel (aka: FurySevenSix) shared photos of the amazing retro gaming centre he found in Canberra on his Twitter and Instagram accounts. The Canberra Vintage & Collectible Centre is one of those places that will wow and indulge you in some very intoxicating nostalgia.

The below photos attest to the amazing collections found at the Canberra Vintage & Collectible Centre (Canberra VCC), from iconic gaming systems, classic video games, to mouth-watering collectibles that have been lost to time. Make sure you add the Canberra VCC to your must visit list now!

PS: Check out Noel’s Instagram for more pics and vids of this amazing place!

The important details:

  • Venue: Canberra Vintage & Collectible Centre
  • Address: 11/90 Barrier Street, Fyshwick, Australian Capital Territory

image source (used by permission): Noel’s Twitter and Instagram accounts



The Flipside Barcade: Adelaide’s Cool New Pinball Bar

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If you are visiting Adelaide (or live in the great state of South Australia), then checking out The Flipside Barcade in Daw Park (about 7km south of the Adelaide CBD) should be at the top of your “must check out” list!

Infused with an American-style menu, craft beers to quench your hard-earned thirst and nostalgia inducing arcade and pinball machines, The Flipside Barcade is the hottest destination in the Festival State! The mix of food, drinks and amusement action is exactly what the doctor ordered. Oh yeah, if you are feeling competitive, then Flipside has plenty of pinball and arcade gaming tournaments on offer!

The important details:

  • Venue: The Flipside Barcade
  • Address: 538 Goodwood Road, Daw Park South Australia 5041

image source: The Flipside Barcade



CASIO EDIFICE ECB-2000MFG: MF Ghost & Initial D Watch – Review

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This review first appeared on Zeitaku 贅沢 on December 14, 2022. This repost is with permission from Zeitaku.

In the world of wristwatches, there are many brands that successfully collaborate with superstars from movie franchises and well known sports people, just ask the famous MI6 secret agent, 007, what he prefers to wear on his wrist – well, he’ll say Omega, of course.

When it comes to motor racing collaborations, our minds go straight to Formula 1. With timing playing a huge part in racing, from lap times to pit-stops, there is bound to be some big watch manufacturers clamoring for racing driver’s car and wrist real estate. These watch collaborations with big F1 teams and drivers usually come with eye-watering prices which are out of reach for mere mortals.

Luckily for us and for those of you that are into motosports, there are brands like Casio’s EDIFICE. I’ll spare you the history of Casio’s sub-brand in this review, but if you do want to read about it, go here.

Casio’s G-SHOCK range is their premier and most popular product line, but when it comes to stylish analogue and motorsport-inspired design, with an array of functions as their value proposition, then look no further than their EDIFICE collection.

For a more wallet friendly price, you can acquire an EDIFICE timepiece that suits your style and taste. EDIFICE watches come with an abundance of features and functions, from steel-cased, resin, ion plating, chronograph-equipped timepieces, to eye-catching carbon fiber dials with cleverly cut-out subdials to allow light to penetrate the tiny solar panel and the battery behind it.

The latest collaboration between EDIFICE and two landmark works of motorsport-themed manga penned by Shuichi Shigeno has resulted in a striking watch based on the original ECB-2000, which was designed to convey the motorsport worldview. The all-new collaborative design captures the dynamic realism of the street-racing world depicted in the two manga series, Initial D and MF Ghost. The watch pays homage to the two Toyota models that feature in the manga — the AE86 and the TOYOTA GT86, which share the nickname “Hachi-Roku” (Japanese for “Eight-Six”).

So what is so good about the EDIFICE ECB-2000MFG (aka: EDIFICE Initial D & MF Ghost) watch? Let’s start with its striking looks which demand eyes to gaze upon it.

The Build Quality & Watch Face

Let’s be straight – the watch face (aka: dial) is the most important part of any watch. If it’s not striking in looks, then no matter what other bells and whistles the watch may have, it will be bypassed and forgotten. Luckily for us, the ECB-2000MFG is gorgeous! Being part of the EDIFICE Sospensione range, the watch face takes its inspiration from a formula car suspension (the cross brace X) which cleverly separates the sub-dials into quadrants – including the function hand and two mini LCDs. The ECB-2000MFG is also 10BAR / 100-meter water resistant, so you don’t have to worry about water splashing on it when washing your hands or being caught out in the rain. Being 10BAR also means you could go swimming with it and also do some skin diving.

Paired with the Casio 5698 module (think caliber), the ECB-2000MFG offers a range of features on the main face and sub-dials, like seconds display, 24-hour displays, hour time, the date, and an indicator for the battery life, in addition to a reading of the time that’s accurate to +/- 20 seconds (per month).

The first thing that was noticed was the weight of the ECB-2000MFG — this thing is light (65g)! But don’t be fooled into thinking light means cheap quality, this could not be further from the truth. Being used to wearing hefty watches, this one almost felt like a feather on the wrist. Just like a racing car shedding weight to go faster, the lightweight of the ECB-2000MFG is attributed to its resin case, which has been uniquely designed with the lugs in a four-arm configuration – another striking feature.

The gorgeous metallic red bezel, black and red dial are inspired by the front grille of the Toyota GT86 that stars in the manga series MF GHOST. It’s these little details that truly make this a one of a kind watch.

The neobrite (luminosity) on the hands and sapphire crystal with glare-resistant coating are the cherries on top of an already delicious looking cake!

The packaging must get a special mention too – as you can see from the below images, it is in keeping with the theme (and you should keep it in a safe place once you take the watch out!).

The Band

How the watch attaches to your arm is a make or break deal. The ECB-2000MFG comes with a very comfortable Cordura® band, with my only gripe being that it feels a tad rigid. Nevertheless, once the watch is on, the band’s leather underside feels quite nice on the skin.

The red Cordura band also carries over features from the Manga series, with tracks and their round numbering on the top. But wait, there is more! The underside of the band has the Japanese Gyaaa characters stamped on it which were lifted straight from the pages of both Initial D and MF GHOST. Wait, there is more – the underside of the band also features “Fujiwara Tofu Shop (Private Use),” the familiar lettering on the side of the Toyota AE86 driven by Takumi Fujiwara, the protagonist in Initial D. Like I said, it’s the little details that make this special.

On The Wrist

This is a big watch, measuring 47.8mm in width – so it takes up a lot of wrist real estate. When viewed from the top, it could seem like you are wearing a dinner plate if your wrists are on the smaller side (< 7”). However, the watch is quite thin at a smidgen over 11mm, so it doesn’t wear big, like a TW Steel watch would. As already mentioned, the lightweight of the building materials make the ECB-2000MFG very comfortable to wear – you may even forget that you have it on!

On a wrist that is 7” or bigger, this watch demands attention wherever it is worn.

Features & Technology

The ECB-2000MFG comes with a plethora of features, functions and tech – see below. Coupled with smartphone link (iOS or Android app) for effortless watch operation via Bluetooth®, and Tough Solar charging for power, this high-performance chronograph frees you to focus on the road ahead.

  • World time 38 time zones (38 cities + coordinated universal time)
  • City code display, city name display
  • Daylight saving on/off, Auto summer time (DST) switching
  • Home city/World time city swapping
  • 1/100-second stopwatch
  • Measuring capacity: 00’00”00~59’59”99 (for the first 60 minutes) 1:00’00~23:59’59 (after 60 minutes)
  • Measuring unit: 1/100 second (for the first 60 minutes) 1 second (after 60 minutes)
  • Measuring modes: Elapsed time, lap/split time
  • Countdown timer
  • Measuring unit: 1 second
  • Countdown range: 60 minutes
  • Countdown start time setting range: 1 second to 60 minutes (1-second increments and 1-minute increments)
  • Other: Progress beeper
  • 5 daily alarms (with progress beeper)
  • Hourly time signal
  • Double LED light
  • LED light for the face (Super illuminator, selectable illumination duration (1.5 seconds or 3 seconds), afterglow)
  • LED backlight for the digital display (Super illuminator, selectable illumination duration (1.5 seconds or 3 seconds), afterglow)
  • LED:White
  • Full auto-calendar (to year 2099)
  • Mute feature: Button operation tone on/off
  • Power Saving (display goes blank to save power when the watch is left in the dark)
  • Battery level indicator
  • Approx. battery operating time:
  • 7 months on rechargeable battery (operation period with normal use without exposure to light after charge)
  • 18 months on rechargeable battery (operation period when stored in total darkness with the power save function on after full charge)
  • Accuracy: ±15 seconds per month (with no mobile link function)
  • 12/24-hour format
  • Day display (days of the week selectable in six languages)
  • Hand shift feature (Hands move out of the way to provide an unobstructed view of digital display contents.)
  • Regular timekeeping:
  • Analog: 2 hands (Hour, minute (hand moves every 20 seconds))
  • 1 dial (countdown alert)
  • Digital: Hour, minute, second, pm, date, day
  • Progress beeper on/off

Specifications & Price

  • Case size (L× W× H): 51 × 47.8 × 11.4 mm
  • Weight: 65 g
  • Case / bezel material: Resin / Stainless steel / Aluminum
  • CORDURA® Band
  • 100-meter water resistance
  • Tough Solar (Solar powered)
  • Price: AU$899.00

Is The Casio EDIFICE ECB-2000MFG Any Good?

I’ll be honest with you all, I am not a big fan of reviews — by their very nature they are subjective. My tastes and likes may not be your cup of tea, and vice-versa. The Casio EDIFICE MF Ghost / Initial D (ECB-2000MFG) watch is one of those timepieces that you’ll either like or totally dislike, there’s no middle ground. For the record, I LOVE it!

The ECB-2000MFG is a fun watch that demands attention with its striking looks – the metallic red band around the bezel, and the red accents on the dial are exquisite and really pop when out in sunlight. My geeky intuition tells me that this unique watch will be quite sought after in the future.

This new and limited Casio EDIFICE ECB-2000MFG watch is a must-have edition for fans of cars, racing, and of course — these manga masterworks.

For cool lifestyle content, subscribe to Zeitaku now!



Making A Miniature Pac-Man Drink Coaster

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No one wants or likes water ring stains made by drinks on their furniture, so why not make yourself some cool Pac-Man coasters made from wood and epoxy resin to solve the problem!

While you are at it, please make us a set too 😉

 



I’m Too Young To Die: The Ultimate Guide to First-Person Shooters 1992–2002 – Book Review

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Just in time for Christmas comes Bitmap Books’ I’m Too Young To Die: The Ultimate Guide to First-Person Shooters 1992–2002 book, making the perfect gift for those that are into video games history of the First Person Shooter variety.

There is no doubt the 1990s laid the foundation of one of the most enduring gaming genres, the First Person Shooter, or as we lovingly call it these days, FPS. We recall in high school getting a 3.5″ floppy with the shareware version of Wolfenstein 3D. To say the game blew our mind, would be the understatement of the century! Even with our humble low-spec PC, the game ran at a phenomenal speed. DOOM and DOOM II (and their many many community made WAD files) kept us very busy during the mid 90s, which almost cost us a few exam results at college! Once Quake hit our computers, followed by GoldenEye 007 on the Nintendo 64, the FPS genre had embedded itself in gaming folklore, with many fans around the world enjoying the gaming experience. Ah, those were the days.

I’m Too Young To Die: The Ultimate Guide to First-Person Shooters 1992–2002 by Stuart Maine captures the fledgling days of FPS during its experimental and formative years, from 1992 till 2002. The book captures everything there is from the FPS golden age, covering some 180+ titles, from 007: Agent Under Fire through to Zero Tolerance and ZPC!

For the uninitiated, the book has a great intro by the author, Stuart Maine and a Foreword from one of the pioneers of the genre, John Romero. It then breaks down the genre in its constituent parts, so if you had never played an FPS, you most probably will after reading the overview and breakdown. Whether obscure oddities or genre-defining behemoths, first-person shooters transported players to alien worlds, alternate universes and the shores of Hell itself, and in doing so helped to trigger the 3D-graphics arms race.

The meat of this heavy book is the coverage of 180+ FPS titles, containing in-depth research and hundreds of eye popping screenshots. I’m Too Young To Die covers it all, from the classics that defined the genre, including DOOM and Quake, Half-Life, Deus Ex, GoldenEye 007 and Halo; multiplayer-only games such as Starsiege: Tribes, Unreal Tournament and Quake III, along with mods like Counter-Strike and Team Fortress; experimental games that pushed the genre in new directions, including Gun Buster, Codename Eagle, Assassin 2015 and Trespasser; forgotten games like ZPC and ReVOLUTION; and hidden gems like Dust, Wrath of Earth and Azrael’s Tear.

But wait, there is more! Even though the focus of this book is from 1992 to 2002, it acknowledges the precursors to first-person shooters, by charting the genre’s inception and evolution through maze and role-playing games, from Maze War, Spectre and 3-D Monster Chase, through to MIDI Maze, The Colony and Corporation to name just a few.

The in-depth interviews with industry legends such as Ian and Chris Andrew (the Freescape games), Scott Miller (Apogee and 3D Realms), David Doak (GoldenEye 007 and TimeSplitters), Randy Pitchford (Gearbox Software), Karl Deckard (Metroid Prime and Valve’s Prospero), plus many more is a huge highlight of what is an outstanding book. There is always something new that we learn in interview from people that were there at the time.

As we mentioned from the top, this book would be a great Christmas gift for yourself or someone that is into first-person shooters. We’ve read lots of gaming related books over the years – all being quite good, but this one is our current favourite – it’s brilliant!

Specifications & Where To Buy:

  • Title: I’m Too Young To Die: The Ultimate Guide to First-Person Shooters 1992–2002
  • Publisher: Bitmap Books
  • Pages: 424 pages
  • Size: 210mm × 297mm
  • Print: Edge-to-edge high quality lithographic print.
  • Cover: Hardback. Sewn binding for enduring quality and the ability to lay flat for ideal double-page image viewing. Spot varnished cover and dust jacket highlighting key elements against a matte background.
  • Price: AU$69.99
  • Buy from: PixelCrib – the gaming culture specialists and purveyors of rare, high-quality video game memorabilia and collectibles



Disclaimer: I’m Too Young To Die: The Ultimate Guide to First-Person Shooters 1992–2002 book was kindly provided by PixelCrib for this review.

Scooby-Doo Pinball Is Revealed

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The Best Pinball Company in Benton, Wisconsin – Spooky Pinball has dropped the official reveal trailer of their latest pinball machine, Scooby-Doo!

There will be three models available, with the Collector’s Edition being the most expensive (US$9,769) and limited to 1969 machines, followed by the Blood Sucker Edition (US$8,769) and finally, the Standard Edition (US$7,769).

Sales for all three editions will open on December 9, at 10:00am Central Standard Time (CST) – so set your alarms in Australia, as that makes it very early morning on Saturday!


source: Spooky Pinball via YouTube

The reveal trailer only shows the Collector’s Edition, which looks great and captures the campy theme perfectly. Of course we will reserve judgement on the game play, but we are excited about this title! The upper playfield in the top left seems to take up a lot of real estate, but the left hockey stick flipper looks cool to whack the silverball around. From the below photo, it seems that the Blood Sucker and Standard Editions look a bit lackluster in the art package, but again, you don’t play the art package, it’s all about what is under the glass!

According to Spooky Pinball,

This will be a widebody game based around solving original series mysteries, collecting Scooby snacks, and having the ultimate Scooby Pinball Experience!! Featuring the iconic Voice Actors Frank Welker, Matthew Lillard, Kate Micucci, and Grey Griffin. Let’s hop in the Mystery Machine and find some clues!

With tons of general and gameplay features (see below), including talented voice-overs, these machines will no doubt sell quickly!

Our pick would be the Collector’s Edition – it’s gorgeous!

image source: Spooky Pinball (various social media)



Get the Stern Experience at the Pinball Hall Of Fame

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Vegas Baby! If you ever needed another reason to visit Las Vegas, then Stern Pinball Inc. has you covered!

The new Stern Experience at the famous Pinball Hall Of Fame (we visited the old Pinball Hall Of Fame in 2015) will showcase all the hottest and latest Stern pinball machines featuring the award-winning Insider Connected platform! The Stern Experience will offer players brand new high score leaderboards to compete on, the ability to earn exclusive achievement badges, and participate in exclusive Stern events and tournaments only available in this one-of-a-kind interactive exhibit.

Don’t forget, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!


source: Stern Pinball



LEGO IDEAS – Kirby’s Dream Collection

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If Nintendo can have their consoles and Mario turned into Lego sets, then why not Kirby!

If you are a Kirby fan, then you need to head to Lego Ideas right now and put your vote in for Kirby’s Dream Collection by By _Ish_.

Looking at the photos of this Kirby Lego creation, the set will most definitely look good next to the Super Mario one. Now go and vote for it!

By _Ish_ says:

This set includes many iconic locations from the Kirby games including: Green greens the first stage, Castle Dedede Home of the evil King Dedede and his Waddle Dee minions, And Metta Knight’s battle-ship, Halberd.

This set works well for display or you can play with it using the props and alternate face-plates. I made this set because Kirby and Lego have both been huge parts of my life for years. Ever since I discovered Kirby I’ve been creating my own Kirby characters and stories. When I discovered Lego I started building all kinds of crazy locations for my figures to roam around in. When I put the two together.. It made this. I think this would be a phenomenal Lego set because it’s a colorful family-friendly game that kids will enjoy and a classic that’s sure to bring back memories for adults too.

source: Lego Ideas