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2016 Reset C64 4KB Game Coding Competition

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ResetC64Comp_TitleDust off the C64 and grab that ideas pad where you scribbled down your game design all those years ago, as you now have the opportunity to enter the 2016 Reset C64 4KB game coding competition, AKA: the Reset Crap Game Compo!

This is going to be one mega CRAPTASTIC comp! Say what? Crap game comp? What gives? My game will be awesome! Relax, don’t get precious about it, the theme of the comp is craptastic, so the crappier the game, the better chance you have at being crowned the winner.

For those of you that want the lowdown on how to enter, just be aware that your game must not be greater than 4 kilobytes in size. Oh yeah, your game can (and should) be ludicrous, awful, bonkers and downright outrageous. The main aim is to have fun. So once you have your crap game done, make sure you email it to the Reset editor by no later than October 1 2016! So go on, get cracking, ahem, we mean coding!

For a complete list of the rules and regulations, go here.  This Reset competition is proudly sponsored by:

There will be awesome prizes, including Reset physical issues for the top three winning entrants!

ResetC64Comp_Cart

 

The Secret History Of Mac Gaming

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Mac_Original-1984-Mac-128k-BrochureApple’s history in gaming goes a long way back. Heck, even my first computer gaming experience was on an Apple ][e playing the awesome text adventure, Transylvania way back in 1983. The Apple line of computers had its avid gaming fans and also paved the way for many a developers that cut their teeth on the trusty computers. When the Apple Macintosh computer was launched in the mid 80s, it’s built in screen, graphical user interface and the mouse pointing device were at the bleeding edge of computing. Apple may have aimed the computer at the business end of town, but the beloved Mac was also thriving in the gaming community too. Sadly, not much has been written or shared with the gaming masses about the Mac gaming communities, till now.

The Secret History of Mac Gaming, a new crowdfund book project by talented freelance writer Richard Moss, aims to tell the story of those Mac communities and the game developers who survived and thrived in an ecosystem that was serially ignored by the outside world. It’s a book about people who made games and people who played them — people who, on both counts, followed their hearts first and market trends second. How in spite of everything they had going against them, the people who carried the torch for Mac gaming in the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s showed how clever, quirky, and downright wonderful videogames could be.

The work draws on archive materials as well as 60+ new interviews with key figures from Mac gaming’s past, including: Craig Fryar, who is co-authoring several chapters, Robyn and Rand Miller, Patrick Buckland, John Calhoun, Andrew Welch, Ben Spees, Matt Burch, Ian and Colin Lynch Smith, Steven Tze, Mark Stephen Pierce, Jonathan Gay, Bill Appleton, Steve Capps, Charlie Jackson, Peter Cohen, Trey Smith, Dave Marsh, Joe Williams, Brian Greenstone, Craig Erickson, Rick Holzgrafe, Chris De Salvo, Ray Dunakin, Glenda Adams, Rebecca Heineman, Eric Klein, Marc Vose and many more.

The book will be a 304 page hardback, printed on 120 gsm fine art paper, with a bookmark, head and tail bands, and a four colour jacket printed on clear plastic stock. So if you have (or had) an interest in Mac gaming or are hungry to know more about the history of Mac gaming, then pledge for Richard Moss’ The Secret History Of Mac Gaming book!


source: Unbound

 

Sega Arcade Game History

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Sega-Interactive_Arcade_TitleSTOP THE PRESS! Thanks to our good friend Skott Kellett, we were made aware of Sega-Interactive’s Sega Arcade Game History site!

So what is this site all about? If you have been (and still are) a fan of Sega’s arcade games (Ed: which many, many of you are!) and love history, then this site should be bookmarked as your go to reference on anything related to Sega arcade games.

The site is great to navigate, with a plotted timeline of all Sega arcade games from 1970 to present day on the left of screen, a cross-hair to ‘target’ (choose) the arcade game in the centre of the display, and the right of screen being your search area and view type selector (cruise or list mode for the targeted decade). Now, if only Sega-Interactive could release an English version of this site!

Let’s cruise through Sega’s arcade games from the 1980s
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Tiled list view of Sega’s arcade games from the 1980s
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Machine list view of Sega’s arcade games from the 1980s
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Checking out Yu Suzuki’s Space Harrier
SegaArcade_Target3source: Sega Interactive

 

Pinfest 5: Festival Of The Silver Ball

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Pinfest5_2016Ladies, kids of any age and gentlemen, listen up! Pinfest 5 has just been announced by the Newcastle Pinball Association! Mark the 24th and 25th September 2016 in your calendar and make sure you head to the Caves Beachside Hotel, which is 90 minutes north of Sydney.

Celebrating its 5th consecutive year, Pinfest 5 will be bigger and better, with awesome special attractions to mark the occasion, including an exclusive Pinfest patrons raffle to win a Data East Time Machine pinball table! If that wasn’t enough of an incentive, there will be up to 70 pinball machines to flip and tilt on, ensuring that every patron experiences as many pinball machines as possible.

No matter your age or your level of interest, if you have itchy flipping fingers, you need to be at Pinfest 5! Keep an eye on the Newcastle Pinball Association Facebook page for more details.

Pinfest 2015 highlights
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Pinfest2015_1source: Newcastle Pinball Association

 

Retro Gaming Hunt: On The Road To Newcomb

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What does one do on a long weekend? Well, we decided to hit the road to Newcomb for a retro games hunting expedition at the Amazing Mill Market!

The Amazing Mill Market definitely didn’t disappoint, with loads of retro gaming gear found on the ground and upper floor. Ms ausretrogamer’s keen eye found some hidden treasures, which we didn’t hesitate in snapping up.

There were some fairly pricey items, but looking hard in each stall paid dividends – we snagged the SNES Super Disk Interceptor for a very reasonable price, which turned out to be our catch of the day!

For now, sit back and enjoy a sampling of some goodies that may tickle your nostalgic fancy…

Well, well, well, what do we have in this glass cabinet
Mill Market ANZAC 6

We wonder if Nintendo approved these copycat ‘Game & Watch’ devices?
Mill Market ANZAC 5

Where do we even start here?
Mill Market ANZAC 4

Whoa! We wouldn’t mind flippin on this pinball table *wink*
Mill Market ANZAC 3

Finally, we can pirate, ahem…. we mean, backup our SNES games
Mill Market ANZAC 2

The trick here is to get past the PS2 games overload!
Mill Market ANZAC 1

Woot! A solitary Sega Mega Drive game among a sea of 2600 carts!
Mill Market ANZAC 12

At that price, we had to walk past the boxed NES
Mill Market ANZAC 11

Fishing for some GBA gaming bargains!
Mill Market ANZAC 10

The Commodore 64 represent!
Mill Market C64

Is it really the ultimate entertainment pack?
Mill Market ANZAC 8

Forget Nintendo’s Game & Watch, you need Q&Q’s Card Game Clock Tarzan!
Mill Market ANZAC 7

Super Mario and Pac-Man in cahoots 
Mill Market ANZAC 17

Yes, Tetris 2 has been spotted!
Mill Market ANZAC 16

This was the most popular QuickShot joystick in Australia – because it was cheap!
Mill Market ANZAC 14

A bit light on with the N64 gear…
Mill Market ANZAC 15

Turtle power!!
Mill Market ANZAC 13

Oo’er, a 3DO controller but no 3DO system to be found!
Mill Market ANZAC 24

Forget the CRT TVs and that SNES, look at that Daytona USA arcade topper!
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Lucky dip!
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Boxed Xbox!
Mill Market ANZAC KK1

Before IBM’s Deep Blue chess computer, there was Schach-Computer!
Mill Market ANZAC 21

I spy with my little eye, something beginning with V!
Mill Market Saturn

Oh man, we have a woody!
Mill Market ANZAC 20

What to play on first?
Mill Market ANZAC 19

A sight for sore eyes!
Mill Market ANZAC 18

All Your Fave Mega Drive Games in One Place

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SegaMD_Classics_HDRPut your retro party hats on peeps! SEGA Europe Ltd. is celebrating the launch of the all new SEGA Mega Drive Classics Hub on Steam with a 66% off sale on all SEGA Mega Drive games currently available on the platform. Anyone who purchases or already owns at least one SEGA Mega Drive title on Steam will be able to experience the wonder of the redesigned SEGA Mega Drive Classics Hub when it launches on the 28th April, 2016.

The new-look system, developed by d3t, from which you can access all the SEGA Mega Drive games you own on Steam, now resembles the bedroom of an early nineties SEGA fan with dynamic time-of-day conditions, retro SEGA paraphernalia, a shelf full of Mega Drive games reflecting which ones you own on Steam, and of course, a CRT TV! It’s not just cosmetic improvements though; every single Mega Drive game available now on the platform will feature Steam Workshop support, allowing you to share modified versions of your favourite retro SEGA titles!

In addition to these new features the all new SEGA Mega Drive Collection hub also includes, spot-on emulation, local co-op for games that support it, optional graphic enhancement filters, the ability to save states at any point during gameplay and full controller and keyboard support.

For a full list of SEGA Mega Drive games available on the platform (there are 5 packs to choose from!), log on to Steam now!

SegaMD_Classics_Pack

source: Sega

 

Supanova Temptations

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If checking out the wonderful roster of TV stars and the awesome cosplay wasn’t enough, Supanova Pop Culture Expo (in Melbourne) hit the trifecta this past weekend by tempting its visitors with cool gear, from comics, novels, animation cels, action figures to Game Of Thrones leggings – let’s just say that there was something for everyone!

As we walked around the main hall of Supanova, we found ourselves stopping at each stall and taking a good hard look at what wares were available for purchase. The temptation was strong to buy everything in sight, but we had to be mindful of that dreaded credit card sitting in our back pocket.

There were plenty of items we would have loved to had taken home, but for now, we’ll just reminisce about them…

We stood and stared at these for hours! Well, ok, we stared for minutes!
Supanova2016_SF

Tada! The (evil) Doctor is in da house!
Supanova2016_Robotnik

Shoot that Well Walker in the head!
Supanova2016_WellWalker

It is Judgement Day! The menacing T800 is coming to get us!
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Flipping the bird at Iron Man
Supanova2016_IronMan

Wanna go back to ’85?
Supanova2016_DeLorean

Where do we even start?!
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The most evil bust in the universe!
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The most evil statue in the universe!
Supanova2016_Skeletor_

Let’s bag this, Mario!
Supanova2016_SuperMario

Magic mushroom?
Supanova2016_Box

Look who we ran into!
Supanova2016_Alien

House Targaryen!
Supanova2016_GoTEmblem

We bet on House Stark!
Supanova2016_GoTStark

Oo’er, nice framed Zelda artwork!
Supanova2016_Zelda

Oh man, Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake! Now that’s a blast from the past!
Supanova2016_CareBears

Whoa! Where is Jabba The Hutt?
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More Star Wars goodness!
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Where do we even start here? Oh look, it’s Daryl Dixon!
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We might need a few bags here! *wink*
Supanova2016_comics

NG:Dev.Team Dreamy Dreamcast Titles

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NGDEV_Dreamcast_TITLEJust in case you have been on a sojourn to the moon and have just landed back on earth, we have some HUGE news – those awesome folks at NG:Dev.Team have announced that due to popular demand, they will re-issue some of their past Dreamcast games in Japanese styled CD jewel cases!

If you haven’t already got them, you can grab Gunlord, Fast Striker and Last Hope Pink Bullets now to enjoy on your Dreamcast. These re-issued games are aimed at new customers but previous owners may want the CD case releases to compliment their DVD case editions of the same games.

There is a limited run of each game and the special bundle, so you better be quick! Shipping is scheduled to commence between April 20th and 25th! More details at the NG:Dev.Direct site – get ordering!

NGDev_DC_HDRimage source: NG:Dev Team

 

A Disturbance In The Force

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SW_Cards_HDRCheck out these awesome (and very funny) Mark Hamill autographs on a selection of Star Wars collectible cards! We sense a serious disturbance in the Force 😉

You can see the rest of Mark Hamill’s autographs on the CityOfWalls imgur page!

Right, who pinged Luke on his pager?
SW_Luke_Leia

CAUTION: DO NOT PRESS!
SW_Press

Um, this looks suss
SW_C3PO

Voted as most likely to become a Jedi
SW_Luke_Jedi

Warning: Smoking causes health problems
SW_SearchForRobots

Let’s go visit dad!
SW_Luke_Vadersource: City Of Walls on imgur

 

Press Play On Tape: STart Me Up

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PPOT_13_HDRFinally, the great Atari 16-bit computer gets its time to shine on the PRESS PLAY ON TAPE podcast! With Maximum Power Up’s podcaster, Paul Monaghan as the special guest, Daz is outnumbered and admits defeat in the 16-bit computer battle. The cast looks back fondly at the ST and its many great games, from exclusives like Oids, to awesome arcade conversions like R-Type and the ultimate adventure RPG, Dungeon Master.

Rainbow Arts was chosen as the publisher of choice, with The Great Giana Sisters and Turrican getting lots of love from the lads. This month also saw a record number of responses for the audience question, which goes to show that there is plenty of love for Atari’s Sixteen/Thirty-two computer! So grab your Amiga mates and STart me up!

PRESS PLAY ON TAPE podcasts are available on iTunes and Podbean