ausretrogamer

Press Play On Tape: Amiga vs Atari ST

14/05/2015 By ausretrogamer

Before the 16-bit Sega and Nintendo console war era, there was the 16-bit computing war in the late 80s between Commodore’s Amiga and Atari’s ST. The war between these two titans was being waged in schoolyards across the world – you were either a diehard Amiga fan or an ST whiz kid.

In episode two of PRESS PLAY ON TAPE, hosts Daz & yours truly, Alex Boz, together with special guest, Matt Cawley, go toe to toe on which computer was best. It’s Amiga vs ST – a battle for the ages! As nostalgic 16-bit blows are traded, we even find time to reflect on the once mighty publisher, Epyx. As Professor Elvin Atombender famously said, “Stay awhile, staaaay FOREVER!”.

If you like PRESS PLAY ON TAPE on Facebook, you will enter the wonderful world of 8 and 16-bit computing awesomeness – with plenty of discussions and lots of photos to tingle your nostalgic senses! You can listen and subscribe to the PRESS PLAY ON TAPE podcast on Podbean or iTunes.

Nolan Bushnell: Welcome to Your World, Your Way

13/05/2015 By ausretrogamer

Last night we had the unexpected pleasure of spotting Nolan Bushnell on the telly. No, we weren’t watching ‘Atari: Game Over‘, it was a new ad campaign for ANZ Bank – ‘Welcome to Your World, Your Way’.

The campaign – which aims to inspire people to shape their own world, and their own future – features a raft of ‘Worldshapers’ or ‘inspiring individuals with drive, commitment and imagination in transforming the world around them’.

Nolan Bushnell is undeniably a Worldshaper! As ANZ describe:

‘Back in 1972, few could have imagined a game console in the home. But Nolan did, and the world took note… The world has changed a lot since 1972. And Nolan has played a big part in changing it.’

The Atari co-founder is filmed playing old school arcade machines at Forgotten Worlds, an awesome barcade in Collingwood, Victoria. Ah, if only we knew Nolan was there, we would have challenged him to a game of Asteroids!

Source: ANZ Australia on YouTube

C64 SEUCK Competition 2015

12/05/2015 By ausretrogamer

The voting has opened for the 2015 C64 S.E.U.C.K. Competition! The coders that slaved over their creations for your gaming pleasure, now need you to cast your vote. You have some very important decisions to make! Who deserves your vote?

Once again, this year is full of great SEUCK (Shoot’Em Up Construction Kit) game creations, from Ant Stiller’s awesome Abyssonaut, to Alf Yngve’s GigaBlast, the decision to pick the best is going to be extremely difficult. If you haven’t already, please download each contender’s game to experience them for yourself and then cast your all important vote. Have fun, and as usual, your vote counts, so hop to it!

source: TND – The New Dimension 64

2015 World Video Game Hall of Fame Finalists

08/05/2015 By ausretrogamer

Just in case you have been hiding in a cave for the last week or two, we thought we would take this opportunity to bring you up to speed on the 15 electronic games finalists to be inducted into The Strong’s World Video Game Hall of Fame. The inductees will be formally recognised in a ceremony at The Strong museum in downtown Rochester, New York, on June 4.

Which games made the cut? Surely there wouldn’t be too many surprises when you scan the below list of inaugural inductees. We reckon there should have been some Yu Suzuki arcade classics in the hall of fame, but we are sure they will make the next induction. So, which other iconic game(s) do you think should have made this initial World Video Game Hall of Fame list?

Oregon Trail (1971)

Pong (1972)

Space Invaders (1978)

Pac-Man (1980)

Tetris (1984)

Super Mario Bros. (1985)

The Legend Of Zelda (1986)

Sonic The Hedgehog (1991)

Doom (1993)

FIFA Soccer (1993)

Pokémon (1996)

The Sims (2000)

World Of Warcraft (2004)

Angry Birds (2009)

Minecraft (2009)

source: The Strong – National Museum Of Play

Top 5 Games Charts: March 1998

03/05/2015 By ausretrogamer

While some of us were bopping to the Spice Girls‘ “Who Do You Think You Are” and No Doubt’s “Don’t Speak”, others were busying themselves playing some absolute classic games on their console of choice.

1998 saw many top quality games, and judging by the top 5 games for each system, you would have been hard pressed not to have found a game you liked to play. The Playstation hit its straps with brilliant titles featuring Lara Croft (Tomb Raider 2) and that ultra cool marsupial, Crash Bandicoot, getting a second outing.

The timing was also right with the release of a football game coinciding with the FIFA World Cup taking place in France that year, while Sega wasn’t going to be outdone by an official license with their release, Sega Worldwide Soccer 98 for the Saturn.

What were your favourite games in March 1998?

	1) Tomb Raider 2 (Eidos)
	2) FIFA 98: The Road To The World Cup (Electronic Arts)
	3) TOCA Touring Car (Codemasters)
	4) Crash Bandicoot 2 (Sony)
	5) Cool Boarders 2 (Sony)

	1) Sonic R (Sega)
	2) Sega Worldwide Soccer 98 (Sega)
	3) Resident Evil (Capcom)
	4) TOCA Touring Car (Codemasters)
	5) Sonic Jam (Sega)

	1) FIFA 98: The Road To The World Cup (Electronic Arts)
	2) Diddy Kong Racing (Nintendo)
	3) Goldeneye 007 (Nintendo)
	4) Super Mario 64 (Nintendo)
	5) Lylat Wars (Nintendo)

Willy’s Arcade: A Home Entertainment Nirvana

29/04/2015 By ausretrogamer

When you dream of having an arcade and pinball parlour integrated in your home, Gary McTaggert’s Willy’s Arcade is surely the perfect blueprint.

The former Valve programmer has the most awesome home arcade setup we have ever seen, from the classic arcade cabinets (Ed: which there are a lot of!) and pinball machines, to the fantastic nerdy artwork adorning the walls, and that oh-so-brilliant diner in the kitchen – it is truly the stuff of dreams!

Source: GaryMcT via Cheezburger

Good Clean Fun: Pinball At The Laundromat

26/04/2015 By ausretrogamer

A Brooklyn (New York City) laundromat has turned what used to be a mundane chore, into something to look forward to. Peter Rose, owner of Sunshine Laundromat & Cleaners has installed an awesome array of pinball machines among the washers and dryers. And why not? You’ve already got a pocket full of change!

To top it off, Peter is also seeking a liquor license so he can really spice things up at his laundromat. I hope this takes off in Australia too. You never know, next time you hit the laundromat, you may be playing on a Twilight Zone pinball table! Now that would be something.

Wash ‘N Play!

I wish our local laundromat looked like this!

Peter Rose, owner of the laundromat, chats to a happy customer

Source: The Wall Street Journal (photos by Adrienne Grunwald for the Wall Street Journal)

C64 Game Review: Rocket Smash Ex

21/04/2015 By ausretrogamer

GET READY Commander 64! Fly up, down, and all around, avoid the aliens or pew pew pew them with your screen penetrating laser! Scramble around the stage to collect rocket pieces to reassemble your rocket to freedom. But wait, there is more! Once the rocket is assembled, it will need to be fully fuelled (via dropped fuel cells) so you can make your escape and land on the next challenging stage!

To keep things interesting and to get the adrenaline pumping, you will need to get the objectives completed before your oxygen runs out. Alas, oxygen cells do fall from the top of the screen, so grab them to ensure you keep going, otherwise, it is curtains for Commander 64! Oh yeh, if you collide with an alien, it is instant death! Sounds all easy aye? With three difficulty levels, you will probably find yourself playing Rocket Smash Ex in either easy or normal mode. For those sadists among you, try the hard mode!

Enter the Charlie-Bravo-Mike system if you dare. Rocket Smash Ex is a frantic shoot’em-up come semi-puzzle-assembler where your twitch reflexes will be tested to the max. The control is sublime and feels second nature. The single screen gameplay is complimented by satisfying music (you’re feet will be tapping in no time) with awesome meaty sound effects. Rocket Smash Ex is exactly what your C64 is craving for – it is simply brilliant!

For more information on Rocket Smash Ex or to download the game, visit RGCD.

image source: RGCD

Read-Only Memory announces The Bitmap Brothers: Universe art history book

17/04/2015 By ausretrogamer

The Bitmap Brothers: Universe is a singular collection of never-before-seen concept artwork and archive material, covering seminal titles such as Xenon 2: Megablast, Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe and The Chaos Engine.

The book also features an authoritatively written inside story of the company and its games. Written by Duncan Harris (contributor to Edge and Rock, Paper, Shotgun), it weaves together new and original first-hand interviews with The Bitmap Brothers’ key figures, including founder Mike Montgomery and lead artist Dan Malone – offering an unrivaled glimpse at the groundbreaking, enigmatic, Ray-Ban-wearing Bitmaps team. This luxurious hardback will include:

Contributions from Mark Coleman (Artist — Speedball, Xenon 2: Megablast, Magic Pockets, Gods, Z, World War II: Frontline Command), Sean Griffiths (Programmer — Cadaver and Magic Pockets), Martin Heath (Founder, Director — Rhythm King, Founder — Renegade Software), John Foxx (Musician — Nation 12, and Ultravox) and many more;

Staggeringly intricate hand-drawn artwork, such as unused character concepts for Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe and pencil renderings of The Chaos Engine’s iconic cut-scenes;

Unearthing of several unreleased/unannounced games, such as the high-tech dystopian racing game called ‘Bike’/‘Havoc’/‘Triple X’, and an as-yet-unmade 2D Speedball successor.

The Kickstarter campaign for The Bitmap Brothers: Universe runs until 11 May 2015, and is seeking to raise £40,000. Special items available via the campaign are a signed, dedicated copy of the book (by Mike Montgomery), and a signed, specially-commissioned Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe print by original artist Dan Malone.

The Bitmap Brothers: Universe will join the stable at videogame history publisher Read-Only Memory, which includes the celebrated Sensible Software 1986–1999 (2013) and Sega Mega Drive/ Genesis: Collected Works (2014) – which we said ‘This is the only Sega Mega Drive /Genesis book you will ever need’!

image source: Read-Only Memory

The Australian 2015 Timezone Supanova Pinball Championship: Victorian State Final

16/04/2015 By ausretrogamer

Amid the cosplay, celebrities, wrestling matches and artwork at Melbourne’s Supanova Pop Culture Expo was (our highlight!) the Australian Pinball League’s Victorian State Final of the 2015 Australian Timezone Supanova Pinball Championship.

The competition on Saturday involved qualifying rounds and a final for the day’s top scorers (in all ages and under 18 categories) to win an iPad Mini! (read more and see the under 18 and all ages winners).

However, Sunday was when the serious action began. Highest scorers on all competition machines (in participating Timezone amusement centres in the lead up to Supanova or during Saturday’s qualifying rounds) battled it out to become the Victorian State Champ and win an all-expenses paid trip to compete in the National Grand Final at Supanova Brisbane – November 29, 2015.

But just when you thought it couldn’t get any better – as well as the awesome title of ‘Australian Timezone Supanova Pinball Champion’, the overall winner will be awarded a WWE Pro Pinball Table valued at over AU$8,000! And best of all, it’s not too late to enter – check for upcoming state finals on the Australian Pinball League’s website.

Image source: Stern Pinball

Although the 16 Victorian finalists (including two impressive under 18s) were nervous, there was a lot of excitement and the mood was fun and friendly (typical of Australian Pinball League events). Finalists played on each of the four competition tables (two WWE Pro tables and two WWE Legends of Wrestlemania Limited Edition tables) and winners were determined by overall ranking.

It’s the serious end of the competition!

The action is focused and frenetic!

And the winner is………

The action was frenetic and the scoring was close throughout the final, but there could only be one winner: Johnny Crabtree from the Western Wizards with 52 points! Followed by Joe Gregus with 47 points and Luke Marburg with 45 points (full results).

Congratulations to the Victorian State winners [L to R]:
Luke Marburg (3rd), Johnny Crabtree (1st) & Joe Gregus (2nd)

Once the adrenaline rush had waned, we spoke to the winner and a number of other finalists.

Johnny Crabtree (1st place, 52 points)

ARG: Congratulations on your win! How do you feel?
JC: Thank you! I am rapt!

ARG: Were you nervous playing in the final?
JC: My nerves were a bit frayed when I drained the first two balls on three of my four games, but once I calmed myself down, I managed to rack up some high scores on the last ball of each game! ARG: Oh wow, that is even more impressive!

ARG: Let’s go back a bit now. Which table did you qualify on and what was your qualifying score?
JC: I qualified with a score of 180 million on Metallica at Timezone in Geelong. ARG: Holy smokes, that is a huge score!

ARG: Have you participated in any other pinball tournaments?
JC: I have participated in tournaments run by Melbourne leagues, like the Western Wizards and the Peackock Inn Pinball Allstars. I have also played in Slam Tilts tournaments and came third in the Pinball HQ @ Coogee Diggers comp.

ARG: That is an impressive playing CV. When did you first start playing pinball and what table was it on?
JC: I was in my teens, maybe 15 years old when I first played Bally’s Lost World.

ARG: Do you own any pinball tables?
JC: I sure do. I have Shark, Gilligan’s Island and AC/DC.

ARG: We’ll leave you to enjoy this moment and thank you very much for talking to us.
JC: Thank you!

Wal Dickie (8th place, 38 points)

ARG: Thank you for talking to us Wal. Let’s get the ball rolling, pardon the pun – which table did you qualify on?
WD: No worries at all, it is great to speak to you. I qualified on Star Trek Pro at Timezone Forest Hill.

ARG: Now that is a coincidence! I went there last night and the machine was out of service? What score did you get on it?
WD: (laughs), yeh I broke it! I got 77 million on it.

ARG: Now I know who to blame. Have you participated in any other pinball competitions?
WD: Yes. I was the 2013 Vic State champion. I also play in the local leagues (Peackock Inn Pinball Allstars).

ARG: You seem to know how to bump the tables and hit those flippers with surgical precision – when did you first start playing pinball and what was the table you played on?
WD: I started playing pinball when I was 10 years old in 1974. I still remember the table, it was Gottlieb’s Sky Jump.

ARG: Do you have an all-time favourite pinball table?
WD: (thinks for a long time) that is a tough question to answer. If I had to pick one, it would be The Addams Family.

ARG: Do you have any tables at home?
WD: (smiles) Of course. I have The Lord Of The Rings, The Addams Family, Johnny Mnemonic and World Cup Soccer.

Shane Rubans (6th place, 44 points)

ARG: Hey Shane, congrats on making the finals! Can you tell us what table you qualified on?
SR: Hey Alex, thank you and it’s great to meet you in person. I qualified on Wrestlemania.

ARG: What was the qualifying score?
SR: I got 27 million.

ARG: Have you participated in any other tournaments?
SR: Yeah! I got the buzz when I played and competed at PAX Aus in 2013. I also competed at last year’s Supanova.

ARG: When did you first start playing?
SR: I first played pinball in 1986. But over the years there were less places to play, so I lost interest. My love of pinball got reignited at 2013 PAX Aus, I entered the competition and did quite well. The pinball buzz was back! I also enjoy playing Pinball Arcade on consoles. It’s great for practicing your skills.

ARG: Glad to hear you got the pinball buzz again. Do you have an all-time favourite machine?
SR: Sure do – it’s the Williams High Speed table.

ARG: Oh yes, a WEC System 11 table! Kudos. Do you own any tables?
SR: I actually have a High Speed table and also a Stern Ripley’s Believe It Or Not table.

ARG: That’s awesome! Thanks for chatting to us and we’ll hopefully catch up at a future Peacock Inn meet!
SR: Sure thing and thank you.

Skott Kellett (10th place, 31 points)

ARG: Hi Skott, thank you for taking time out to chat to us. We know you are busy participating in the tournament and also helping out in the pinball area.
SK: It is great to chat to you guys. I can finally put a face to the names! It is busy, which is great. I volunteered to help out in the area – I assist Norbert in setting up and also packing up the gear.

ARG: That is great to hear! It sounds like hard work, but very rewarding?
SK: Absolutely! It is very rewarding to see people playing pinball.

ARG: Let’s get to that tough questions now – what table did you qualify on and what was your score?
SK: I qualified on The Walking Dead with a score of 62 million.

ARG: Apart from participating in this competition, have you played in other tournaments?
SK: Yeah, I participated at the PAX Aus in 2013 competition after not playing much pinball over the last decade. Ever since then, I have made every (Timezone Supanova Pinball Championship) State final! On another topic, I came 5^th in the Blockbuster Video Street Fighter II tournament held at the Glasshouse (Olympic Park precinct)! ARG: Oh wow, that is fantastic – a blast from the past! You already had the competitive pedigree!

ARG: When did you first play pinball and what was the table you played on?
SK: Growing up with older brothers, I got to go to some places that perhaps I should not have been allowed in (laughs). I recall playing Pin•Bot around 1986 at the Jamaican Smoking Cafe.

ARG: Do you own any tables?
SK: I recently got the green light from my wife to get a table. I am thinking of getting one I can restore so I can learn how to repair it myself.

ARG: That sounds like a great plan! We wish you all the luck and hope you find your table very soon!
SK: Thank you.

ARG: Before we let you get back to your volunteering, do you have any dream tables?
SK: The Addams Family and Fish Tales!

Jordan (7th place, 40 points, top ranked junior, plus winner of Saturday’s under 18s Pinball vs. Supanova final)

The ongoing success of pinball is dependent on the next generation taking to the flippers and propagating the fun. As well as showing us that young people are getting into pinball, fifteen year old Jordan racked up high scores that would give a seasoned veteran a run for their money.

ARG: Congratulations and well done on becoming a junior pinball champion. So Jordan, tell us, when did you first start playing pinball and what was your first table?
Jordan: I was 10 years old when I started playing pinball at a holiday park in Anglesea. The first machine I played on was Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

ARG: Oh wow, Bram Stoker’s Dracula is a great machine, it is great to hear that you cut your teeth on an older table. Do you have an all-time favourite pinball machine?
Jordan: The Addams Family! I played it while on holiday in Torquay and was instantly hooked.

ARG: Where do you go to play pinball?
Jordan: I mainly play at Timezone in Geelong. I also look out for pinball tables when I go to the movies.

ARG: What would help make pinball more popular with the younger generation?
Jordan: Pinball is becoming cooler, more family-friendly places with tables would help raise its popularity. An endorsement from a celebrity would help too, especially someone young people can identify with.

ARG: We got side-tracked for a second there. What machine did you qualify on and what was the high score?
Jordan: I got 12 million on Legends Of Wrestlemania, and I actually got 110 million on Star Trek Pro after the final, once the pressure was off!

ARG: Oh wow, 110 million! That is a super impressive score. As long as you had fun – that’s what it’s all about. Thank you for chatting to us and congratulations!
Jordan: I definitely had fun and thank you.

More young people enjoying some pinball action!

These guys said more bars with pinball tables (in the style of Forgotten Worlds) would raise the popularity of pinball with younger people.

The driving force behind the championship is APL director, Norbert Snicer. Norbert has a long history in the amusement industry and a wealth of pinball knowledge. His obvious passion and enthusiasm is very infectious and we were thoroughly impressed by the fun and professional tone of the event. He was a very friendly and interesting person and we hope to bring you an article about Norbert and some of his other ventures in the near future.

The man we all need to thank, Mr. Norbert Snicer!

It would be remiss of us not to mention Amusement Machine Distributors (AMD) – the official Australian distributor of Stern Pinball tables, and the championship’s major sponsor. AMD kindly supplied the pinball machines that were enjoyed by all at Supanova. And the good will continues with all proceeds from the pinball machines going to Mission Australia – a charity which helps people in need regain their independence and move away from homelessness.

If you want to find a pinball club near you, head to the Australian Pinball League (APL) site and check for clubs in your state. For those lucky enough to be in or near Sydney, check out the awesome Pinball HQ at Coogee Diggers!

Pinball wizards group shot!
Image source: Australian Pinball League

Both myself and Ms. ausretrogamer had a fantastic time at Supanova, with the main attraction being pinball (of course). The people we met and spoke to were all having fun and were genuinely keen to chat about pinball and everything else pop culture. We will definitely be back for the next competition in Melbourne! But, as always, all good things must come to an end. Instead of saying goodbye, we’ll say, see you at the next pinball competition!

ausretrogamer

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