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Ping Pong + Space Invaders = Bit.Pong

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the future of social gaming!

So you love Ping Pong (aka: Table Tennis) and you also love playing Space Invaders, so the logical question would be, how do you merge these two passions into one?!

The answer, bit.pong! Yep, take a look at this darn cool integration between table tennis and the first killer shoot’em up to hit the arcades in the late 70s! Who said you don’t get any exercise playing video games?! 😉

PS: For more details on this cool invention by Diplik, read this.


source: 80 Level via Facebook

 

Yippee Ki‑Yay! The Ultimate Die Hard Pinball Machine Is Real

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Yippee Ki‑Yay, Pinball Fans!

Hold onto your flippers—because yes, there is a real-life Die Hard pinball machine… and it’s as epic as you’re imagining. The catch? It’s a one-off masterpiece crafted by Virginian pinball wizard Jason Good.

Seriously, can you believe no major pinball manufacturer ever made a Die Hard machine? With all the action, explosions, and John McClane one-liners, this franchise was practically made for pinball!

What started as a Visual Pinball X digital project has now become a fully playable, physical Die Hard Trilogy pinball machine – and the results are nothing short of jaw-dropping. Jason and his team have nailed it with incredible artwork, gameplay, and cinematic flair.

Honestly, someone alert the big pinball companies: grab Jason and his team, get the license, and make this official! Until then, we’ll just have to live vicariously through this one-off gem. Yippee Ki‑Yay indeed!

image source: Facebook (Jason Good)

 

A Wall of Retro Memories – Curated by the One and Only Ms. Ausretrogamer!

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A Frame Full of Memories – A Gift from the Heart of Ms Ausretrogamer

Every now and then, something unexpectedly awesome happens in your retro-gaming life, and this time it came courtesy of my better half, Ms Ausretrogamer herself.

While I was busy diving into pixels, pinballs, and handheld nostalgia, she secretly gathered every pass, badge, lanyard, pin, medal, and random bits of retro-event paraphernalia I’ve collected over years of attending expos, conventions, tournaments, open days, and launch events. We’re talking the whole backlog of memories and nerd credentials.

And then she went full curator mode.

What I saw next absolutely blew me away:

  • All of it beautifully framed.
  • A museum-grade collage of my adventures across the retro-gaming universe.
  • A time capsule of joy, fandom, and button-mashing history – all now hanging proudly in our games room.

It stopped me in my tracks! It reminded me of all the amazing places we’ve been, the great people we’ve met, the tournaments we battled in, the arcades we rediscovered, and the endless good times that come with being part of this incredible community. It’s not just memorabilia – it’s a reminder that every event left a mark, and that she and I shared so many of those moments together.

Honestly… she nailed it.
The composition, the colours, the layering – chef’s kiss. This isn’t just a wall of frames; it’s a tribute wall to retro gaming culture and to the epic memories that keep the Ausretrogamer flame burning bright.

So here’s to Ms Ausretrogamer, the mastermind behind this unique and very special creation. The games room just levelled up, and so did my heart. ❤️

ROGUEish Brings Dungeon-Delving Delight to the Commodore 64

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🧙‍♂️ Calling all C64 adventurers!

Paul Nicholls – better known to the retro community as Syntax Error Software, is back with another Commodore 64 gem: ROGUEish, a brand-new roguelike inspired by the cult favourites Rogue 64 (C64) and Roguecraft (Amiga).

If you’re a sucker for pixel-perfect dungeon crawling, randomised loot, and that sweet “just one more run” feeling, then ROGUEish is right up your retro alley. It’s got everything we love about old-school roguelikes – challenging exploration, permadeath tension, and heaps of charm, all neatly packed into glorious 8-bit form.

Developed for real C64 hardware (and emulators, of course), ROGUEish captures that classic balance between frustration and reward – with every run feeling fresh, every mistake feeling like your own, and every treasure chest might just be your last.

🕹️ Why you’ll love it:

  • Gorgeous C64 visuals that ooze nostalgia.
  • Procedurally generated dungeons to keep you guessing.
  • A soundtrack that’ll make your SID chip sing.
  • Homage to the golden age of roguelikes – built by a dev who gets it.

So whether you’re a die-hard C64 owner or just someone who loves seeing new life breathed into old hardware, ROGUEish deserves a spot on your floppy (or SD card!).


source: Syntax Error Software

🎮 Ready to descend into the dungeon?

Head over to Paul’s itch.io page to grab ROGUEish now:

Then let us know how long you survive before the dungeon gets the better of you — because in the world of ROGUEish, every run is a story waiting to be told.

Stern Pinball Revives the Undead: The Walking Dead Remastered Rises Again!

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The Walking Dead Lives Again – Stern’s New Remaster Bites Back! 🧟‍♂️

Ah, timing is everything! Just a few days after Halloween, Stern Pinball has dropped a monster announcement – their second remastered pinball machine, and this one’s a true undead legend. That’s right, the 2014 masterpiece The Walking Dead has been resurrected for a new generation of players!

Back when it first shambled onto the scene, The Walking Dead was a breakout hit – John Borg’s chaotic, fast-flowing design and Lyman Sheats Jr.’s brilliant, tension-filled code made it one of Stern’s most atmospheric and addictive titles ever. It captured the grim, relentless fight for survival perfectly, blending strategy, horror, and adrenaline in a way few machines could match.

Now, more than a decade later, The Walking Dead Remastered brings the apocalypse back to life – bigger, bloodier, and more technologically advanced than ever before. Powered by Stern’s new SPIKE 3 system, this modern reanimation features a gorgeous 18.5” full-HD display, immersive high-fidelity audio, wireless headphone support, enhanced Wi-Fi connectivity, and a new lighting system that lets players bathe in all that zombie-fighting glow.


source: Stern Pinball

The playfield? It’s a loving update to Borg’s original design, complete with enhanced versions of the fan-favourite “Cell Block C” Prison building, the gruesome Well Walker toy, the infamous Bicycle Girl ramp, and that glorious crossbow that fires pinballs across the playfield – now re-engineered for even smoother, more precise mayhem. Players can expect dynamic new RGB lighting, illuminated zombie heads on the slingshots, and a remastered rule set that builds on Lyman Sheats Jr.’s legendary original coding, keeping the “risk vs reward” gameplay alive and kicking.

The visuals have been fully overhauled, blending painterly new art and high-quality video elements that tie into iconic moments from AMC’s hit series. Even better, The Walking Dead Remastered includes fresh custom audio callouts from the show’s stars Michael Rooker (Merle) and Danai Gurira (Michonne), adding even more atmosphere to the carnage.

Of course, Stern’s Insider Connected platform is built right in — letting players track achievements, join global leaderboards, and participate in exclusive challenges. Survive the Prison, fight through the CDC, wade through the Blood Bath, and see if you can outlast the Horde to become the Last Man Standing!


source: Stern Pinball

Collectors will want to hunt down the Limited Edition – capped at just 500 units worldwide. The LE packs in Stern’s Expression Lighting System and matching Speaker Lighting System with Walking Dead-themed effects, a stunning mirrored backglass, exclusive armour and decals, designer-autographed bottom arch, shaker motor, anti-reflection glass, and even a signed certificate of authenticity. It’s the ultimate prize for any fan of the series, or anyone who knows a true zombie classic when they see one.

The Walking Dead Remastered is available now in Premium and Limited Edition models, with accessories on the way. It’s a fitting tribute to both the franchise and the late Lyman Sheats Jr., whose work continues to define modern pinball excellence.

So grab your crossbow, load up on pinballs, and prepare to fight the dead — and fear the living. Stern’s The Walking Dead Remastered proves that even in pinball, some legends refuse to stay buried.

We may have to upgrade our beloved 2014 TWD Pro machine 😉

Inside DMA Design (AKA: Rockstar Games) In 1996

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From Lemmings to Larceny — DMA Design’s leap into gaming infamy started right here.

Ah, the 90s – that unmistakable era of questionable fashion choices, dial-up internet, and frosted tips! But one thing that wasn’t shocking? The creative brilliance bubbling away at DMA Design (yes, the very same studio behind Lemmings).

A recently resurfaced 1996 video shows the Dundee-based team hard at work on a brand-new project titled Grand Theft Auto. What began as a quirky top-down car game called Race’n’Chase would soon explode into one of the most iconic (and controversial) video game franchises of all time.

The footage offers a fascinating glimpse into gaming history – you can spot early builds of Liberty City, rough animations, and plenty of mid-’90s office vibes. It’s surreal seeing the team at DMA Design – later to be renamed Rockstar North, part of Rockstar Games, laying the groundwork for what would redefine open-world gaming forever.

So throw on your flannel shirt, fire up your CRT monitor, and take a nostalgic trip back to where it all began – before Grand Theft Auto became a global phenomenon, it was just a bunch of Scots tinkering with pixels and possibilities.

🎥 Watch the 1996 development video and witness gaming history in motion!


source: BBC Archive

Playing with Life and Death: Meghan Boody’s Pinball Exhibit at MONA

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A Different Kind of Museum

Our recent visit to Hobart’s Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) was a sensory overload in the best way possible. If you’ve ever been, you’ll know that MONA isn’t your average gallery – it’s part subterranean labyrinth, part art experiment, part philosophical provocation.

Conceived by Tasmanian mathematician and art collector David Walsh, MONA invites visitors to wrestle with ideas rather than just admire objects. Ancient Egyptian relics share space with installations that talk about sex, death, technology and everything in between.

Descending into its sandstone halls feels like entering a creative underworld – one that challenges, surprises, and rewards curiosity.

But amid the weird, the wonderful and the downright puzzling, one installation struck a chord with us – a haunting, pinball-shaped meditation on control, mortality, and the human psyche:
New York artist Meghan Boody’s Deluxe Suicide Service.

Descending into the earth!

When Pinball Becomes Philosophy

At first glance, Deluxe Suicide Service might make you do a double-take – it looks like a pinball machine, but something’s off. Instead of flashy lights and pop bumpers, the backglass features haunting photographic collages and medical apparatus. Cables, electrodes, and vintage imagery replace the familiar joy of the arcade.

According to Boody, she discovered the machine “in a pinball graveyard” and felt compelled to rebuild it into something entirely new – part sculpture, part narrative device.

“It is unclear whether the electrodes and X-ray cables fastened onto the image of the prone girl are sucking the life out of her or restoring her vital fluids”,
Boody explained in her interview with MONA.

That ambiguity is the heart of the piece. Is it a game? A medical ritual? A metaphor for the choices we make? Boody’s work refuses to offer an easy answer.

A Game You Don’t Win, You Understand

Pinball has always been about control versus chaos. You nudge, flip, and fight against gravity, knowing the ball will eventually drain. Boody takes that familiar rhythm and turns it into a meditation on life itself – the game of self-discovery, the illusion of control, the inevitability of surrender.

The machine’s photographic surface blends self-portraits, found images, and oceanic motifs, creating a visual swirl that feels at once personal and mythic. There’s nostalgia, yes – that satisfying pinball form, but also a psychological depth that lingers long after you’ve walked away.

Boody has said,

“If you don’t know who you are, if you don’t know about your dark compulsions, therein lies the road to insanity.”

Her reimagined pinball table becomes a literal machine for self-reflection, a device that asks: are you playing, or being played?

Our Take as Retro Gamers

As lifelong arcade and pinball fans, we were instantly drawn to the flippers, the lights, the mechanics – all the comforting signs of home. But Boody’s twist pulled us somewhere deeper.

It reminded us that gaming, especially physical gaming, has always been about interaction, emotion, and consequence. In Deluxe Suicide Service, those ideas are magnified, distorted, and transformed into art.

It’s as if Boody took the DNA of pinball – skill, luck, gravity, frustration, and used it to talk about being human.

🕹️ Why This Matters to the Ausretrogamer Crowd

For the Ausretrogamer community, Deluxe Suicide Service sits at the perfect intersection of mechanical nostalgia and conceptual innovation. It proves that a pinball machine – that glorious relic of the arcade age, can transcend entertainment and become something profound.

It’s a reminder that behind every cabinet, there’s a story about control, risk, and reward. Boody just happens to tell that story through a lens of mortality and transformation.

So if you love games that make you think as much as they make you play, this one’s worth the pilgrimage.

You’ve been warned!

A Note on Safety and Interpretation

Let’s address the elephant in the room – the title. Deluxe Suicide Service sounds confronting, and it is, but it’s important to know that the artwork does not glorify or promote self-harm. Instead, it explores what it means to face dark thoughts safely through art and metaphor.

MONA’s curation is designed to guide visitors through difficult themes gently, and there’s always space to pause, breathe, and move at your own pace.

If any part of this topic feels distressing, please reach out for support.
Lifeline: 13 11 14 | Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636

Final Thoughts

Our visit to MONA reaffirmed something we’ve always believed at Ausretrogamer: the worlds of art and gaming aren’t separate – they’re deeply connected. Both explore systems, feedback, control, and consequence.

Meghan Boody’s Deluxe Suicide Service just happens to do that with one of the most iconic machines ever built.

So next time you’re in Hobart, take the ferry, head underground, and see this curious creation for yourself. It might just flip your understanding of what a pinball machine – or even a game can be.

The MONA ferry (MR-II) – the perfect prelude to descending into the depths of art and imagination.

Pinball 2000 Reborn: A Stunning Revenge From Mars Pinball Conversion By COOLTOY

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COOLTOY’s Pinball 2000 Transplant Triumph

What happens when retro sci-fi meets modern pinball craftsmanship? You get a one-of-a-kind Revenge From Mars machine that’s turning heads and flipping expectations, literally.

Content creator and pinball enthusiast COOLTOY has pulled off a jaw-dropping transplant: taking the iconic Pinball 2000 system from its original cabinet and giving it a sleek new home in a modern-style pinball cabinet. The result? A machine that feels like a time-traveling hybrid – equal parts 1999 innovation and 2025 flair.

🚀 A Quick Blast from the Past

Originally released in 1999 by Williams Electronics Games under the Bally label, Revenge From Mars was the first machine to use the Pinball 2000 system. Designed by George Gomez, it fused traditional pinball mechanics with interactive video overlays projected onto the playfield – a revolutionary concept at the time. It was also the spiritual sequel to the beloved Attack From Mars, and followed by Star Wars Episode I.

But while the gameplay was ahead of its time, the cabinet design was very much of its era. That’s where COOLTOY stepped in.

🔧 The Transplant Operation

COOLTOY’s project involved transplanting the guts of Revenge From Mars into a traditional-style cabinet sourced from the talented folks at Barrels of Fun Pinball. This wasn’t just a shell swap, it was a full-on reimagining.

🎥 See It in Action

COOLTOY walks us through the entire build in his YouTube video, showcasing the cabinet, artwork, and gameplay in glorious detail. Check it out below:


source: COOLTOY

🕹️ Why It Matters

This project is more than just a cool mod, it’s a celebration of pinball history and creativity. It shows how retro tech can be preserved, enhanced, and reimagined for new generations of players. For fans of Revenge From Mars, it’s a fresh way to experience a classic. For modders and collectors, it’s inspiration to think outside the cabinet.

 

Back to the Future: Classic Gaming at PAX Aus 2025

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Old-School Was Cool at PAX Aus 2025 🎮✨

We saved the best of PAX Aus 2025 till last 😉 Because as much as we love the new, shiny, RGB-filled world of gaming, our hearts will always belong to the pixel-packed past. The Classic Gaming area once again felt like coming home – a warm hug of CRT glow, joystick clicks, and the unmistakable chime of 8-bit magic.

Every corner was a trip down memory lane: old-school computers, consoles, handhelds, and pinball machines all humming in harmony. There’s just something about playing retro games on their original hardware – the tactile clunk of inserting a cartridge, the flicker of a cathode ray screen, the rush (and rage!) of losing your last life. No emulator can replicate that kind of nostalgia.

And those display cabinets? Chef’s kiss. They were packed with rare and droolworthy treasures, including the ultra-obscure Apple/Bandai PiPP!n ATMARK dev unit and PiPP!n @World, plus the Sharp Famicom Titler AN-510 and the elusive Sharp FamicomStation (aka Famicombox). Retro hardware heaven!

Of course, the silverball scene was just as strong, featuring pinball machines that just landed on Aussie shores – like Pinball Brothers’ Predator and Jersey Jack Pinball’s magical Harry Potter. Picking a favourite was near impossible, but as lifelong ‘80s Arnie fans, Predator definitely got our thumbs-up, with Labyrinth and Dune hot on its heels.

There’s truly nothing like the Classic Gaming area at PAX Aus — it’s where the roots of gaming are celebrated, preserved, and most importantly, played. Here’s hoping it returns in 2026 to remind us once again why the classics never die.

image source / copyright: ausretrogamer.com

PAX Aus 2025: The Fun Came, We Saw, We Played!

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From Gaming to Cosplay, PAX Aus 2025 Had It All!🎮✨

Can you believe it’s been a whole year since the last PAX Aus? Time really does fly when you’re having fun—and wow, did we have a lot of it this year!

From the moment the doors opened, PAX Aus 2025 was bursting with energy, excitement, and that unmistakable buzz of shared geekdom. Whether you were there for the blockbuster game reveals, epic cosplay, thought-provoking panels, or just to roll some dice and mash some buttons, there was something for everyone.

The Main Hall was a sensory overload (in the best possible way), filled with new gaming experiences, neon lights, and endless action. Meanwhile, the Tabletop and Freeplay areas became mini worlds of their own – where strangers became teammates, rivals, and friends over cards, boards, and controllers.

And of course, we can’t forget the heart and soul of the show (Ed: we are biased!) – our beloved Classic Gaming area. But don’t worry, we’re giving that its own spotlight soon (because it totally deserves it). Keep an eye out for that post if you’re craving a dose of retro nostalgia! 👾

For now, grab a snack, get comfy, and let your mouse wheel (or index finger) do the work—scroll on and soak up all the PAX Aus 2025 goodness!

image source / copyright: ausretrogamer.com