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Archives for January 2023

‘Tomb Raider’ Film in the Works at Amazon Studios!

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Some exciting news for Lara Croft Fans!

As reported exclusively in The Hollywood Reporter;

the retail giant and streamer has teamed with Dmitri M. Johnson’s dj2 Entertainment for a massive rights deal to make a Tomb Raider feature film, in addition to the newly announced TV series from Phoebe Waller-Bridge and at least one video game in the Lara Croft franchise.

Fusing all three elements of Tomb Raider across film, TV and video games is a smart business decision in creating a huge franchise which will hit the mark with millions across the globe. This is very cool news for Tomb Raider/Lara Croft fans (like Ms. ausretrogamer)!

We’ll keep across this news and report when we find out more.

[story source: The Hollywood Reporter / image source: Crystal Dynamics]



Citizen Promaster Titanium BJ7115-85 Limited Edition ‘Brave Blossoms’ – Review

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This watch review first appeared on Zeitaku 贅沢 on January 25, 2023.

The limited edition diver’s watch by Citizen that celebrates the Japanese national rugby team and their national flower, the Sakura (cherry blossom)

Likes:

  • The complete package – love the striking look!
  • Super Titanium build makes this watch very comfortable to wear.

Dislikes:

  • The push pins and sleeves Citizen uses on their bracelets make it difficult to alter the length as they are easy to lose.
  • Tri-fold push-type clasp feels a tad flimsy, but I am nitpicking.

I have a few vices that can consume my time, and indeed my finances. One of those vices is watches. Yeah, I shouldn’t call watches a vice, but when you have more in your collection than there are days in the week, then yeah, they become a vice. I am sucker for limited edition watches, and I’m an even bigger sucker for good looking functional timepieces. Luckily for me, the Citizen Promaster Limited Edition ‘Brave Blossoms’ (Model BJ7115-85E) ticks both boxes & then some.

Celebrating Japan’s national rugby team, affectionately known as the Brave Blossoms, and the colours of the Sakura, Japan’s national flower (the cherry blossom), this Citizen watch oozes appeal from its impressive super titanium case and bracelet to its sapphire crystal glass, antimagnetic build and very useful GMT complication. The solar quartz movement powered by Citizen’s amazing Eco-Drive is coupled with the B877 caliber, which on full charge provides 6 months of continuous operation, even if left in the dark – another feather in this impressive watch’s hat.

If you are one to take your watch for a swim, then you won’t have to worry getting this Promaster wet, as it is rated at 20bar (200 metres water resistance) and has a screw-down crown for maximum water resistance. The gorgeous bezel rotates anti-clockwise with a satisfying 120 clicks.

The overall look of this JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) only Citizen is simply stunning. The super titanium makes the watch light on the wrist, and the 43mm wide case size with a thickness of 13.8mm is perfect for 6.75″ to 7″ wrists!  The burned-out charcoal colour looks amazing when coupled with the rose gold bezel trim, screw-down crown and the outline on the lumed markers and hands. The colouring on the outer rim on the dial represents the colours of the Japanese national flower (the cherry blossom), which against the black face, is an absolute beautiful contrast. The cyclops over the date at 3 is under the sapphire crystal, which means there is no bulge protruding above it, thus making it easier to clean the crystal. The caseback is just as gorgeous, with the engraving of the Japanese rugby team’s cherry blossom symbol.

 

I still can’t believe this watch bypassed me when it was released in 2019. Being a limited edition means that you’d be hard pressed to find a new one at a stockist, so your best bet would be to hit the second-hand market online – but be prepared to pay over its original retail price. The Citizen Promaster BJ7115-85E is truly a lovely built watch which would give watches 10 times its price a run for their money. This watch is so good, that if you look closely, Breitling’s new Superocean Automatic range of watches have an uncanny resemblance to it.

If you have the means or are in need of a titanium watch, then I highly recommend you check this one out.

 

Special thanks to The Gnomonist for kindly supplying this Citizen watch for the review.



Sega’s 1993 Virtua Fighter gets an AI makeover

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We always thought that Sega’s polygonal 1 on 1 arcade fighter, VIRTUA FIGHTER looked awesome.

After taking off our nostalgia-tinted glasses, we can now see how lo-fi  (but still cool) they look, especially after some AI shenanigans bringing each of the fighters on the roster to be life-like.

With ChatGPT being all the rage, it would seem there is another AI tool gathering steam in the form of Stable Diffusion, a text-to-image deep learning model capable of generating photo-realistic images. Clever Tech Artist, Colin Williamson put this learning model to the test by feeding it the original Virtual Fighter polygonal images from a Sega Saturn emulator into the Stable Diffusion model. The results, as you can see, are darn scary and impressive all at the same time)!

Surely Skynet is now coming for us all….

[story & image source: technabob]



Gone (Adult) Toy Hunting

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Ah, let’s not kid ourselves, these aren’t exactly adult toys, but they do indeed invoke nostalgia, a yearning if you will, for us adults of a certain vintage to want raid the toy shelves of our nearest department store!

If you are lucky enough to have a BIG W near you, you may want to head in and check out the toy section, as they are stocking a myriad of toys that us Gen X’ers will go absolute bonkers over!

The toys that grabbed our attention were of course the Star Wars action figures and the Nintendo related toys. What I wasn’t expecting was the variation of Masters of the Universe stock, which also included the retro 40th anniversary line – we had to wipe our drool!

See anything that takes your fancy?

This packaging brings back memories!

The MOTU Revelation line is very tempting!

Not sure we can relate to this MOTU, but younger generations may appreciate it

Stratos ($19) versus Mer-Man ($50) – big difference

Pokemon, Minecraft and Roblox – Big W has you covered!

Cat Peach!

Our favourite Princess – we miss her so much



Weeping At Another Video Rental Store Closing

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Another Australian video rental store bites the proverbial dust!

We reported back in 2019 when the last Australian Blockbuster was closing its doors, and this time it’s no different, which we are sad to report that the independent family run video rental store in Kambalda, a mining town in the WA Goldfields, is closing its doors one last time after 40 years in business.

Run by the Assaad family since 1983, the video rental store has succumbed to FIFO (fly in, fly out) – where mining workers no longer reside in the town and are instead flown in and out. The steady decline has been a long time coming, with patronage almost nil which left the Assaad’s with no other option than to close this once thriving video rental store.

We wonder if there are other video rental stores still about in Australia? If you know of any, please let us know!

story and image source: ABC



The Legend Of Zelda Reimagined As A FPS DOOM VR Game

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Imagine the original The Legend Of Zelda being played in the first-person perspective like Wolfenstein or DOOM, in VR!

Imagine no more, as the below video shows a re-imagining of the NES classic, The Legend of Zelda, as a first-person virtual reality game! This impressive mod works with QuestZDoom, so we can finally becomes fans of playing The Legend of Zelda in this perspective (unless the VR makes us queasy!!).

We hope this video stays up. If it is gone by the time you get here, then know that Nintendo has meddled and killed off creativity!


source: SugaryNoe



An Audacious Games Room Setup!

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Well now that we have seen everything that 2023 has to offer, let’s get to 2024!

Seeing this amazing creation on Twitter this morning totally blew our mind. The engineering feat is off the charts. We wonder if this is Duke Nukem’s games room…….

And before you start screaming about aspect ratios, just chill, relax and be in awe of this crazily awesome thingamajig!



‘Star Wars Pinball’ on Nintendo Switch

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By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

Playing “Star Wars Pinball” on my Nintendo Switch will never be as entertaining and fun as actually playing a standing pinball machine in an arcade or restaurant, but it comes pretty close.

When I purchased “Star Wars Pinball” before Christmas, I had no idea how much I would end up playing it in my spare time. I really enjoy playing pinball in my living room; I never thought it would be possible. Sometimes, I play it on my Switch when I’m in the backyard or I’ll play a quick game in the car when I’m waiting for someone. When I start playing “Star Wars Pinball” it’s hard to put my controller or Switch down. It took me a few days to explore every table option. My highest score is on the “Return of the Jedi” table with somewhere around 16 million.

I play “Star Wars Pinball” the way I watch the films; I usually stick to the original trilogy, and by “original” I mean the “A New Hope,” “The Empire Strikes Back,” and “Return of the Jedi.” However, the “Rogue One” table is a blast to play. Gareth Edwards’ “Rogue One” is my favorite Star Wars film behind “Empire.” Orson Krennic is prominently featured on the “Rogue One” pinball table. Ben Mendelsohn, who played Krennic, is underrated in the 2016 film. Krennic is sort of a tragic character; he’s the villain who’s killed by what he created and believed in.

The voices sound nothing like the original Star Wars actors, like James Earl Jones and Mark Hamill. Han Solo sounds like a voice actor attempting to do a poor, Harrison Ford impression.

My favorite pinball option is the Boba Fett table. Jabba the Hutt makes a cameo, and you can hit the ball into the Sarlacc that’s at the top of the table. Some of my highest scores are playing the Fett and the “Return of the Jedi” tables. The “Jedi” table has so many lights and colorful features that it’s difficult to see the ball at times. I like it when you’re playing the Fett table and the play stops as Darth Vader comes out, and tells Boba Fett, forcefully, “No disintegrations.” You get an appearance from Vader and Jabba the Hutt; probably my two favorite characters in the Star Wars universe.

The Boba Fett themed table is a pinball machine that you’d find in Jabba’s Palace, if it wasn’t fictional. It feels authentic to the Tatooine location that George Lucas created. Although, I don’t understand why they have Han Solo frozen in carbonite, hanging over the Sarlacc.

“Star Wars Pinball” has quickly become one of my favorite Switch games. Yet, “FIFA ’23” is still my go-to game.

Star Wars Pinball,Nintendo Switch,DC Cutler, David Cutler,Star Wars,Pinball,Star Wars Pinball on Nintendo Switch,gamer,gaming,videogames,gamers,Darth Vader



Operation Switch: Arcade1Up Pinball Mod

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Performing essential surgery on our Arcade1Up Pinball machine

The Arcade1Up Pinball machines have recently received a new lease of life with community enhancements, like Team Encoder’s brilliant A1Pinner software, which allowed owners of these machines to install other Arcade1Up pinball packs (Marvel, Star Wars and Williams) and the Pinball Arcade and Zen Pinball applications (Android versions) with their plethora of pinball tables. Team Encoder went as far as creating a custom launcher and the ability to change the display to 1080p, which was a bit of a hit or miss due to the limited hardware spec inside these pinball machines.

We came across IntecGaming’s Nintendo Switch DIY Pinball kit about a year ago and have been eagerly awaiting its release. Once IntecGaming had this kit up for pre-order, we immediately jumped on it. The improvement is great value with this low cost kit, and of course, playing video games, especially the pinball (and shoot’em ups) variety in 1080p is exactly what this machine should have had from the start.

The IntecGaming Switch DIY Pinball kit is a physical modification to the Arcade1Up Pinball Machine, so we had to get our hand dirty so to speak. With no soldering required, this was as easy as unplugging the old and replacing them with the new! Of course the control panel with its ball-top joystick provides the arcade experience we were missing when playing Switch games.

Without further ado, here are the steps (with photos) that we took to operate and modify our A1Up Attack From Mars pinball machine:

Time to commence Operation Switch!

Unboxing the contents of the IntecGaming Switch DIY Pinball Kit: We need to replace 3 boards (marked A, B and C)

One last look at the machine before we start operating

Popping the hood

Popping the rear to get to the smaller (DMD) screen

Following the instructions to unplug the controller wiring from the old board and connect them to the new (A) board

Board A attached and controller connectors rerouted to plug into the new board

Next, is the sound and solenoid driver board (board B)

Second board is totally removed from the A1Up and replaced by IntecGaming’s Board B

The metal casing is replaced with a breathable plastic cover for Board B

The main board hiding in its metal casing attached to the LCD

Last of the board updates – replace the main board with IntecGaming’s Board C

The original main board is unplugged

Got to follow the instructions carefully here, as any wrong move will render the machine an expensive doorstop!

Wiring up the replacement main board (Board C) and putting it back in the casing. Having two HDMI out ports is a godsend!

With the boards replaced and connections all plugged in, it’s the control panel that the last thing to add 

The new replacement lockdown bar is beefier than the original!

All modifications completed!

Instructions to sync the control panel and kit to the Switch

The plastic stand is perfect to keep the Switch and dock tucked away

Switch is docked, 3.5mm sound jack & HDMI are plugged in too

Success! All powered up and ready to go! The DMD LCD acts as our selection screen

First game we boot up, Zen’s Pinball FX 3!

Going to put the original boards & other parts in a safe place



Zax Amusements Is Now At A Bigger & Better Location

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Looks like 2023 is the start of new beginnings!

Our friends at Zax Amusements have relocated from their Port Melbourne location to a much bigger warehouse, service centre and showroom at 1661 Centre Road, Springvale, a south-eastern Melbourne suburb.

We will miss the old Port Melbourne location as it was convenient for us, however, the bigger showroom is a drawcard for us to visit Zax Amusements in Springvale to check out the latest arcade and pinball machines.

image source: Zax Amusements