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2016 Reset C64 ‘Craptastic’ 4KB Game Competition Results

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Whoa, the Reset C64 ‘Craptastic’ 4KB game coding competition was a great success and we would like to thank all of the competitors for their participation and hard work. Also a big thank-you to the judges and competition sponsors, Retro Computer Scene, Bitmap Books and Protovision.

The competition was extremely close and tough to judge, but every single entry brought a smile to our faces. Like any cmpetition, there could only be one winner, and this time it was Vanja Utne of Pond/Privy Software with her game, Goblin – an amazing achievement for a 4KB game!

The winner: Goblin by Vanja Utne

You can play the games on the official compilation disk (available here) which was coded and compiled by Richard Bayliss (thanks Richard!). Judges’ comments and more details will be published in the Reset Christmas mini-issue, which will be out soon! Until then, enjoy the games and on behalf of the Reset team, we wish you all a Merry Christmas!

PLACINGS

  1. Goblin by Vanja Utne (30)
  2. Dog by Vanja Utne (29.86)
  3. Lumberjack by MajikeyriC (28)
  4. Bonkey Kong by Graham Axten (27.57)
  5. Super Ski by Andreas Gustafsso (27.29)
  6. Rise and Shine Professor Miggles by Paulko64 (26.57)
  7. Attack of the Mutant Cabbages by Anthony Stiller (26.4)
  8. Winky Blinky by Roy Fielding (25.29)
  9. Granny’s Teeth by Richard Bayliss (23.67)
  10. Zombie Massacre by Wanax (23.57)
  11. Antarctica by Antarctica (23.29)
  12. Picross by Oziphantom (22.86)
  13. I am the Flashing C64 Cursor by Craig Derbyshire (22.29)
  14. Firefighter Jenny by OziphantoM (21.14)
  15. Watschinator by Georg RottensteineR (20.29)
  16. Valentine Day Shopping Simulator by Karmic (18.57)
  17. Princess Saver 2000 by Freakin Frankie (11)
  18. :10 by COUT (10.43)
  19. I Ate the Purple Berries by COUT (9.71)
  20. $#!7 by COUT (8.14)
  21. MASTERBAGELS by COUT (7.14)

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Unkle K / Reset C64
Father, husband, teacher and retro gaming/computer enthusiast! Editor of Reset… C64 magazine.

Follow Reset C64 on Twitter

 

 

The Great Christmas Video Game Gifts Wish Book Of 1992

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Christmas is always a great time. We associate good times with family and friends, holidays, and obviously the gifts (giving and receiving!).

Let’s not pretend though, as kids, we loved Christmas for one thing, the presents! It was also around this time that retailers would bombard us with their catalogues, tempting us to load up our wish-lists with all matter of toys, electronic gadgets and video gaming items. We would pore over these catalogues, circling items and then leaving the catalogues in a prominent spot in the hope that our loved ones would notice.

If you loved (still love) looking at catalogues, then let us take you back to the 1992 Christmas Sears, Roebuck & Co. ‘The Great American Wish Book’ – yep, this catalogue is a 830+ page book!

Let’s see what is inside this hefty catalogue!

We wish for a Game Boy!

Or do we wish for a Sega Game gear?

Ah yeh, of course we wish for an Atari Lynx!

Which console to circle – the NES?

Or maybe the TurboGrafx-16 (aka: American PC-Engine)?

Maybe we should go for the 16-bit beasts, like the Sega Mega Drive?

Or the mighty Super Nintendo!

We also need games!

Lots of games!

Whoa, a new computer!

A new computer will need some software and a few peripherals!

See, we told you the NES isn’t just a games machine! We can learn to play the piano!

Pfft, who needs smartwatches!

Whoa, arcade pinball action!

Oh wow, you could save $200 on the Philips CD-i! What a bargain!

The only way to listen to music while on the move!

If we buy a console, we need a CRT TV to play it on! Circle that too!

For those that want to video record their play!

Lego should be on the list, always!

Reading material is good for Christams

Yeh, why not!

A certain Mr Panek would love this TMNT madness!

Please Santa, I want a Jet Wave too!

 

Most Expensive Classic Video Game Item Sold In Australia

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There was something quite rare and exotic that sold on eBay Australia this week. The auction started at $500AUD, but once word got out in the gaming community (especially amongst the retro gaming collectors!), a bidding war erupted!

The exotic item that everyone was falling over themselves was a very rare Japanese Bandai Vectrex store demonstration unit. This rarity ended up selling for $4,450AUD, making it the single most expensive classic video gaming item sold in Australia**. Considering these Bandai Vectrex demo units go for $7,000AUD+, the buyer got themselves a bargain!

If you are the buyer or if someone reading this knows the buyer, please get in touch with us! In case you were wondering about the seller, they are a Japanese antiques retailer from Ocean Grove in Victoria (Australia).

** excludes arcade and pinball machines!

Sold for $4,450! An Australian record for a classic video gaming item!

The description!

Standing tall and proud! The ‘legs’ were not part of the original demo unit

Taking a closer look

Oo’er Mine Storm!

The secured control deck – just in case the player made off with the controller!

¥54,800! That was mindbogglingly expensive for the early 80s (~$650AUD)

Oh that beautiful marquee!

source: eBay Australia

 

Top 5 Games Charts: December 1999

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Thinking back to the 1999 Christmas season, we were still playing our Nintendo 64 quite a lot, but we were saving up frantically for a Sega Dreamcast. Star Wars games featured prominently in December 1999, but after the massive disappointment of The Phantom Menace prequel released earlier that same year, we steered clear of these games as a matter of protest. It was our loss, as some of these new Star Wars games on the 32-bit and 64-bit platforms were absolute crackers! Other notable games that we loved playing around that time were Driver and Soul Reaver on the Playstation.

Casting an eye over the top 5 December 1999 games charts for each platform, we were mostly looking forward to slicing and dicing in SoulCalibur and shooting zombies in House Of The Dead 2 on Sega’s Dreamcast!

What were your gaming memories from the 1999 Christmas season – tell us now on Twitter or Facebook!

PSX_150x150 1) Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace (LucasArts)
2) Driver (Acclaim)
3) Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater (Activision)
4) South Park (Acclaim)
5) Soul Reaver (Eidos)

 

N64_150x150 1) Star Wars: Rogue Squadron (Nintendo)
2) Star Wars: Episode 1 – Racer (Nintendo)
3) The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time (Nintendo)
4) F-1 Grand Prix II (Video System)
5) Quake II (Activision)

 

1) SoulCalibur (Namco)
2) Sonic Adventure (Sega)
3) Sega Worldwide Soccer 2000 (Sega)
4) Ready 2 Rumble (Midway)
5) House Of The Dead 2 (Sega)

 

Get Sponsorship for your IFPA Pinball Event

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The good people at Playfield Protectors are putting their money where their mouth is, not only as the manufacturer of products for protecting pinball machines, but as passionate pinball players.

Playfield Protectors value the IFPA’s efforts in boosting the profile of competitive pinball, they have decided to support IFPA endorsed tournaments.

If you are organising a tournament that is registered with the IFPA and you have 25 or more participants, Playfield Protectors will contribute a prize voucher for the tournament winner worth:

• € 25 for tournaments with 25 or more participants
• € 50 for tournaments with 50 or more participants
• € 100 for tournaments with 100 or more participants

In addition, if your tournament takes place before the next IFPA14 World Pinball Championship (June 2 to 4 2017), they will also provide you with a 10% discount code for each registered player in your tournament.

If you are an organiser of a pinball tournament and are interested in getting a tournament package (including the voucher and an information card) then get in touch with the good folks at Playfield Protectors via email.

The small print: This offer is available worldwide until the sponsorship fund of € 5,000 is exhausted.

Get flippin’

title image source: Playfield Protectors and IFPA

 

The Bitmap Brothers: Universe

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One thing is a certainty when it comes to Read-Only Memory publications – they are of the highest quality, both in content and presentation! Their new book, The Bitmap Brothers: Universe is certainly no exception to this rule! This high-end book for the historically-minded videogame enthusiast is a comprehensive history of the visionary British software house behind seminal titles such as Xenon 2: Megablast, Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe and The Chaos Engine. The Bitmap Brothers: Universe tome combines an authoritative inside story by Duncan Harris (Rock, Paper, Shotgun and Edge), thoroughly researched via new, first-hand interviews with The Bitmap Brothers’ key figures – including founder Mike Montgomery and lead artist Dan Malone – with a breathtaking haul of never-before-seen archive material. The cherry on top is the awesome CRT emulation (by Timothy Lottes) and screen capture (by Kerry Brunskill) art which propels this book into the sublime.

As Christmas is fast approaching, The Bitmap Bros: Universe should be at the pointy end of your wish-list! Better still, get this book for yourself and for your fellow nostalgia-minded friends – you will not regret it! Actually, while you are at it, you may also like the Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe Print, which compliments the Universe book perfectly. This high-spec print features a new illustration by original Bitmap Brothers artist and co-designer of Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe, Dan Malone. Screen printed in black onto a luxurious grey heavyweight stock, the edition also features the distinctive Bitmap Brothers logo, micro-etched into holographic foil. Each print is signed by the artist and shipped in a durable archival tube.

Make this Christmas a Bitmap Brothers one!

Vital Stats:
Title: The Bitmap Brothers: Universe
Price: £30.00 (plus shipping)
Size: 190mm x 240mm
Binding: Hardback
Pages: 300
Specials: Quarter-Bound

 

 

Ho, Ho, Ho, More Lemmings For Your Amiga

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AmigaJay from Amiga CD32 Alternate Covers proudly presents, the unofficial CD32 / CDTV / Amiga release, ‘More! Lemmings’. Containing 120 new never-before-seen levels on the Amiga, this game is fully playable via mouse, joypad and infrared remote (CDTV only) on the Amiga CD32 and CDTV. Oh yeah, there is also an ADF disk version for you Amiga computer owners too!

But wait, there is more! As it is the season for giving, AmigaJay is also offering his Lemmings – The Ports book, containing a whopping 300 pages about the different Lemmings ports – absolutely free! Looks like Christmas has come early for all you Amiga and Lemmings fans!

‘More! Lemmings’ now available for the Amiga CD32 and CDTV

While you are at it, grab AmigaJay’s FREE Lemmings – The Ports book!
source: Amiga CD32 Alternative Covers

 

Melbourne’s Pinball Paradise

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So why is Melbourne the most liveable city? Well, one good reason is that we have our very own dedicated pinball and whisky bar, aptly named, Pinball Paradise. Perhaps when Guns N’ Roses sang about Paradise City, they meant this place!

Set in the north-west part of Melbourne’s Central Business District and across the road from the Queen Victoria Market, Pinball Paradise is a pinball wizard’s dream come true – fifteen pinball machines covering multiple eras and a bar stocked with alcohol to quench your hard earned thirst. There is definitely no better place to meet with friends, have a drink and get flippin’!

The lowdown:
What: Pinball Paradise
Where: 1st Floor, 213 Franklin Street, Melbourne, Australia
Opening Hours: Wednesday to Sunday, 4:00pm to LATE
Pinball Competitions: monthly Melbourne Silverball League

Our only problem, what to play first?

We started with some old school pinball

And then we ended up on Jersey Jack Pinball’s Wizard Of Oz, 75th Anniversary Edition

Check out Martin Robbins’ ‘Grand Opening’ vid to get a feel of Pinball Paradise, oh and its secret entry!


source: Melbourne Silverball League

 

Dialed In: Meeting Jersey Jack Pinball’s Jack Guarnieri

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jjp_headerIf you weren’t aware, there is more than one player in the pinball manufacturing business. Jersey Jack Pinball started in January 2011 and immediately took the pinball scene by storm, creating and releasing innovative, fun and quality pinball machines. This trailblazing pinball company was founded by Jack Guarnieri, an amusement veteran of some forty years and a visionary that understands that pinball must break new ground in features and technology to keep players interested and to attract new ones to this wonderful game we call pinball.

In their short history, Jersey Jack Pinball (JJP) has introduced a number of pinball innovations; the high quality backboard LCD-HD screen, RGB-LED playfield lighting, rich audio, QR codes with social media integration and exquisite playfield toys to name just a few. Keeping this ground breaking momentum isn’t easy, but JJP understands that it is crucial to their continuing success.

JJP definitely took a leap of faith with their latest machine, Dialed In – it is refreshing to see a pinball company take a risk and be at the bleeding edge of pinball design and technology! Pinball designer extraordinaire, Pat Lawlor jumped on board and has integrated a number of mind-blowing features, like Bluetooth connectivity enabling additional player capabilities through a smartphone and a camera that emblazons player selfies on the backboard LCD screen. You would think that Dialed In’s original concept may not attract players to it, but we reckon Pat Lawlor and Jersey Jack Pinball have absolutely nailed it! With the game being meticulously developed over a number of years, it shows that no stone has been left unturned for an engrossing and engaging experience. With only the software left to be completed by the legendary Ted Estes, we can’t wait to see the final result!

Dialed In undercover! Waiting for the Australian unveiling

The unveiling of Dialed In! The anticipation was unbearable!

This past weekend, Mr Pinball and Bayside Pinball Club hosted the Jersey Jack Pinball event, with JJP founder and CEO, Jack Guarnieri as the guest of honour. Jack’s Australian unveiling of Dialed In drew a capacity crowd at the Sandbelt Hotel in south-east Melbourne. Eager onlookers could not wait to get their first glimpse of the machine and have a play. Once the machine was available for play, it was like moths to a flame – the queue to play the machine became longer by the second! We were glad that we waited for our turn, as playing Dialed In was a mesmerising experience that left us wanting to play it over and over again. The playfield was inviting, the ‘feel’ of the flippers felt right, the flow of the silverball was precise and that rich thumping audio was just so visceral! Dialed In is already a winner from our brief experience!

Meeting Jersey Jack Pinball’s Jack Guarnieri was both an honour and a humbling experience

The crowd is abuzz awaiting Jack’s inaugural Australian keynote speech!

The other highlight of the event was meeting Jack. Greeted by a warm hug, we knew that Jack was the kind of person we could immediately call our friend. Jack’s eagerness to get to know people, his intellect and humour made him very endearing. He made himself available for people to approach him, even going without food all day to ensure that he got to meet as many folks as possible. Jack’s keynote speech at the unveiling of Dialed In and the Q&A session were great insights into the man and the JJP company, from his fascinating beginnings in Manhattan and the Jersey Shore, to pinball operations, manufacturing and distribution. We hope that Jack returns to Australia in the not too distant future!

Many thanks to Wayne Gillard from Mr Pinball and Lucas Bardin from Bayside Pinball Club for putting on such a great event!

Jack introduces Pat Lawlor’s original concept game, Dialed In! And it’s a beauty!

The crowd gathers to take a closer look!

Always drawing a crowd – Martin Robbins gets dialled in!

Check out Marto’s selfies on the backboard!

Finally, it was our turn to play!

We were mesmerised by the playfield

The Hobbit – Black Arrow edition made its Australian debut at the event too!

Australian IFPA Co-Director, Luke Marburg is taken by The Hobbit

Getting ready for Jack’s fireside (Q&A) chat

Even with technical problems, Jack managed to power through and keep the crowd entertained!

Grant Levy shows off his Battle Pinny homebrew pinball machine

Always available for a chat

Jack and his magic TEXTA!

Last call of duty – autographs!

Bayside Pinball Club were raffling off this Judge Dredd beauty

There were other pinball machines to be played!

Stacey Borg (aka: DRC) and Martin Robbins go head-to-head

Pinball was the winner on this day!

We’ll definitely keep flippin & tweetin’

 

RETRO.HK 2016: Hong Kong’s Retro Gaming Fair

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RETRO.HK, the Hong Kong event for retro video games, will hold its 2016 fair at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Design – Jockey Club Innovation Tower. The free public event will open its doors on December 10th (Saturday) and 11th (Sunday) at the podium floor of the Innovation Tower, from 10am to 6pm.

“Following the very enthusiastic response to last year’s event in Central, we hope RETRO.HK 2016 will be even more playful and fruitful.” said Dixon Wu, founder and lead organizer. “This year there will be a lot more classic video games for visitors to play and try. We will exhibit close to a hundred video consoles from the 70’s up to the 90’s – three times more than last year, the majority coming from the private collection of Mr. Tik-Man Ma, owner of Perfect Denki. I believe some of the exhibits have never been in public, and I’m very excited about that; die-hard fans should definitely not miss it!”

RETRO.HK 2015 – check out all those beauties!

Even the Nintendo PlayStation made it RETRO.HK 2015!
via eastasiasoft

Tournaments of the Classics – RetroCup 2016

The RetroCup 2016 will also be held at the event. There will be 2 rounds of competition for classic versions of “Street Fighter” and “The King of Fighters”, selected by fans with an accumulated 2,500 likes and votes on the official RETRO.HK facebook page. Two other key highlights will be a speed run for the first level of “Super Mario Bros.” on the Nintendo Famicom, and a battle royal on the 10-player version of “Bomberman” for the Sega Saturn. All competitions will have commentaries and live broadcast by GameCC! There will heaps heaps of prizes for the champions!

Mysterious 2D-Fighting Game – 1st appearance in Hong Kong

Former developers of classic SNK Neo Geo game franchises such as “The King of Fighters”, “Art of Fighting” and “The Last Blade” have gotten together to form a new development team, giving birth to a brand-new 2D-fighting game for a beloved classic console – the Super Famicom / Super Nintendo. Hong Kong gamers can get their first hands-on experience exclusively at RETRO.HK 2016! Also developed by former team members of “The King of Fighters” game series, is another stylish 2D-fighting game “Yatagarasu: Attack on Cataclysm (八咫鴉)”. These two titles, together with other games developed by local Hong Kong developers, will all be available for visitors to try and play!

This year’s RETRO.HK will have the following areas:
– Free Play Zone: Play classic titles against your friends and other fellow gamers.
– RetroCup 2016: Win amazing prizes competing in popular classics from the 90’s.
– Exhibition Area: Look back at more than 40 years of video game history.
– Individual Exhibitors: Local gamers show off their products and collections.
– Local Game Showcase: A display of Hong Kong developed games & student work.

The Exhibition Area will remain open until December 18th (Sun) after the main weekend event!

source: RETRO.HK via Andrew Davidson