The Pop-Culture E-Zine
Damn it, I totally missed it! On February 27, those pesky pocket monsters, oops, I mean Pokémon, celebrated their 19th anniversary! Wow, how time flies when you are hunting wild Pokémon.
Instead of hurling a Poké Ball around here (Ed: you have no idea, do you?), we thought we would share some awesome rustic Pokémon ads created by the talented Mexican artist, Chuz0r.
source: Buzzfeed
In the early days of the video games industry it seemed like all game development was being done out of bedrooms across the UK and Europe. The North Americans were also pumping out games from their hive in Sunnyvale. It is a little known fact that Australia also made major contributions to game development in those early days. Australian pioneers like Alfred Milgrom (co-founder of Melbourne House and Beam Software) were designing and producing games like Hungry Horace and The Hobbit. Melbourne House‘s other major release, Way Of The Exploding Fist, went on to become a massive hit on every 8-bit micro back in the mid 1980s. After Australia II won the America’s Cup in 1983, Armchair Entertainment cashed in on the craze by creating the sailing sim, Arnie’s America’s Cup Challenge. The game was bundled in the Commodore 64 Family Pack that was released to coincide with the 1987 America’s Cup event in Fremantle.
But what of the 8 and 16-bit consoles you know and love, like the NES, SNES and the Mega Drive? Did Australia produce any games on these world dominant systems? Of course they did. Australian talent continued to churn out classic games that went on to become major hits on their respective platforms.
In this maiden Made In Australia voyage, we will reflect on the games that Australians produced for Nintendo‘s world beating 8-bit console, the NES! I bet you will be surprised.
720° (1989)
Bad Street Brawler (1989)
Defender of the Crown (1989)
Airwolf (1989)
Road Runner (1989)
The Last Ninja (1990)
RoadBlasters (1990)
Smash TV (1990)
Aussie Rules Footy (1991)
Star Wars (1991)
But wait, there were more Aussie made NES games, like: Back to the Future (1989), The Three Stooges (1989), Battle Chess (1989), Days of Thunder (1990), The Hunt for Red October (1990), Back to the Future Part II & III (1990), Bigfoot (1990), Dash Galaxy in the Alien Asylum (1990), Fisher-Price: Perfect Fit (1990), Fisher-Price: I Can Remember (1990), The Punisher (1990), Rocket Ranger (1990), Bo Jackson Baseball (1991), Family Feud (1991), George Foreman’s K.O. Boxing (1992), International Cricket (1992), Nightshade (1992), Power Punch 2 (1992), Mickey’s Safari in Letter Land (1993) and Mickey’s Adventures in Number Land (1994).
In the next Made In Australia feature, we will reflect on the Mega Drive games that were Aussie made! You will be surprised to learn the number of hit games that Aussies had their hand in! Till next time, game on!
image sources: Moby Games, Tomorrow’s Heroes, GameFAQs, retro gaming australia
Following their critically acclaimed first feature length documentary, From Bedrooms To Billions, Nicola and Anthony Caulfield are back with a follow-up film based on Commodore‘s wonder computer, the Amiga. Coinciding with the Amiga‘s 30th anniversary, Nicola and Anthony have kicked off their From Bedrooms to Billions: The Amiga Years Kickstarter campaign with a bang!
This film will have a whole new set of interviews to add to the already extensive list to create a standalone, immersive and highly nostalgic film that really explores why the release of the Commodore Amiga and the era that soon followed, was a key period in the evolution of video games.
Regardless of your allegiance to Commodore or the Amiga, this is one Kickstarter campaign you cannot miss. Back this project now!
image source: From Bedrooms To Billions: The Amiga Years
The Sega 32-bit fan-people (Ed: that’s very politically correct of you!) may have their SaturnDay, but the diehard Atari fans also have their Jaguars purring on SatAtariDay!
There is great pleasure in sharing the intoxication of nostalgia with like-minded gamers. Weird and Retro’s Aleks ‘Serblander’ Svetislav definitely captured the nostalgia to provide the Atari Jaguar hit I was seeking.
With a huge Jaguar banner greeting me upon arrival, I knew I was in for a treat. Like a kid in a candy store, it was difficult to focus on any one thing that Serblander had in his awesome Jaguar collection.
My attention was quickly grabbed by the mouth-watering Jaguar gaming bling on show – from the never released Tiny Toon Adventures, to the ever-rare BattleSphere Gold! Oh yeah, let’s not forget the hardware bling, from the BJL’ed Jag, Pro-Controller and M.A.S. Super Pro-Stick, to the the beautiful CatBox connected to the back of the Jag with its eerie red eyes glowing when the big cat was purring.
With the Atari’s big cat out to play, it was time to get down to business and do the math – play some games! SatAtariDay truly was purr-fect!
Let the SatAtariDay shenanigans begin!
The Jag Bling!
Let’s get cracking then!
The Jaguar loot in box 1 (of many many boxes!)!
The ‘better’ Jaguar controller. And it’s Pro!
Ello ello ello, what do we have here then, aye?
More Jaguar loot! Woohoo!
Shhh, this is top secret stuff!
Are you an extremist?
Setting up just a few Jaguars!
Oh yes, games!
Oh yes, more games! Virtua Fighter, I mean Fight For Life anyone?
SLAM DUNK!
Forget Super Hang-On, go Super Burnout!
The sublime Impulse X – on cart and CD
Serblander smashing it on Impulse X! A rotary controller is the only way to go!
Value for money – Impulse X (cart) comes with two additional games!
Sheer Madness!
*wipes drool* BattleSphere GOLD baby!
Awesome rare platform action on Tiny Toon Adventures!
Let’s kick some ass!
Wanna make your own Jaguar game?
Woot, the BJL’ed Jag – more dev nirvana
This is the only way to play Raiden
Rayman was meant to be on the Jag
Preserving Atari’s big cat
I love social media. I keep on banging on about how awesome it is to connect with like-minded people, and social media provides the perfect platform, especially when people are on the other side of the country! The world certainly is a smaller place with all these online channels allowing us to meet great people.
Steve ‘Steevo’ Cousins is a classic example of meeting a down-to-earth, like-minded dude who is also a very cool gamer. We hit it off immediately with our passion for retro gaming and common love for Double Dragon and anything and everything to do with Atari. In recent times, Steve’s love of retro gaming has branched to the Neo Geo MVS! Since the SNK beauty is close to my heart, our online friendship has hit a new level. Once Steve showed me his games room, I knew that I had to ask him to join us for an interview and share his love of gaming and his awesome setup with you all. Here we go!
AUSRETROGAMER [ARG]: Hey Steve, thank you for your time. Let’s get straight into it – when did you get into gaming? What was your first home system?
Steve Cousins [SC]: Gaming has always been big in my life. It all started with some people I knew that had an Atari 2600. All I wanted to do was go around and play the system, though I never got to play it much as I was never allowed. I could only watch! So each year I begged my parents for one and finally when I was 7 they ventured out and got me my first ever gaming system for Christmas. I still remember that Christmas morning, I opened the wrapping and out came a magical Atari XEGS system. I was very excited to get an Atari system, although I was confused as I asked for an Atari 2600 and never heard of this system. My parents assured me that this was a superior system as that’s what the man at the store told them. It did become a problem a year later though, as games were stopped being made for them. My parents felt bad about this, so I remember us searching high and low at retail stores in Tasmania and found a store an hour away that sold the games for the system and they were all bargain basement as no one was buying them. My parents ended up buying nearly all the games for me. I was set!
ARG: Do you have a favourite game (of all time) or genre?
SC: For most gamers this must be the hardest question of all! I seriously cannot name a single game or genre as hard as I try. I go in phases as I have my whole life, so I will answer the best I can by answering this way – my favourite games as a child, were: Lode Runner, Dark Chambers, Double Dragon and Streets Of Rage. Double Dragon holds a very special spot for me as I was playing it at home and would make special trips to the arcade just to play it [ARG: Good man!]. Even when it was outdated when NBA Jam and Mortal Kombat were the coolest to play at the arcades, something about Double Dragon just kept me coming back to it. From there I went onto Street Fighter II and then on to Tekken. I still play Tekken to this day. Games like Road Rash, Super Off-Road, Rock N Roll Racing and Micro Machines kept me occupied for ages! I even got into the stealth style games like Metal Gear Solid. I got into FPS as well, thanks to Doom! I’ll stop there, otherwise I can go on listing heaps more!
ARG: What is your favourite old school home system(s)?
SC: There are 4 I hold dear to me, with the main one being my Atari XEGS. I have also found another collector who loves the XEGS as much as me, Weird and Retro. We are both after the final piece of the puzzle to complete our XEGS collection – Karateka! Ah, one day! I also hold the Sega Master System, Mega Drive and the sexy add-on, the 32X, dear to my heart.
ARG: What made you start collecting?
SC: It was about 5 years ago. I still had a lot of consoles, but I always wanted to get back the consoles I mentioned above as I sold them to fund a very expensive console at the time, the PlayStation! Even then, I said to myself that I would re-buy these machines again one day. Finally I decided to and the retro gaming train just kept going and I cannot stop it.
ARG: What is it about collecting that brings you the most joy?
SC: Just finding the game you sort of forgot about and then finding it dirt cheap! Just searching for the console but knowing the price you want to pay so you pass 1000 chances to get it but then you finally find it and get it at the price that’s not breaking your budget – that is just so satisfying! Many collectors will hate me for this, but I’m not a sealed collector type of guy. So I have busted open seals to play the games knowing it will decrease the value but doing so still brings me joy, just like when I was a kid! I believe that, if I have it, then it is meant to be played! Now it’s just casually going to potential places and trying to find some console or game treasures. They aren’t always there, but when they are, it just makes my day!
ARG: Do you have a prized gaming possession (if so, what is it)?
SC: I do. Actually, I have a few to be honest. One of my favourite games for the Master System was Power Strike – I have 1 and 2 complete for the system now. Both pretty rare games and both were cheap! Another is my Atari 2600 Sunnyvale Heavy Sixer! I got that one via eBay. The seller had it listed as an “Atari” with a Buy It Now price of $20USD with $25USD for shipping – I snapped it up immediately. It works like a charm! My collection of Atari XEGS games and boxed system will always hold a special place in my heart! I could go on, but recently I purchased a 6-slot Neo Geo MVS arcade cabinet! The machine came with 7 games, all in a workable state. I am relatively new to the Neo Geo machine, so I had some help from the man, ausretrogamer! He was certainly very helpful along the way. [ARG: Aww man, you are making me blush. It is always great to introduce someone to the big red SNK beast.]
ARG: What item (or items) do you have your eye on to add to your collection?
SC: I’m still after the elusive Karateka for the Atari XEGS. As mentioned previously, I know that Weird And Retro is also after it. It will be a long time before either of us complete that set, but it would be brilliant if we both did!
It’s also time for me to grab myself a Commodore 64. I still remember playing it to death with a friend. I still can’t believe I haven’t got one in my collection (yet). I also would like a Neo Geo AES, but the PAL version – I’m guessing because it’s harder to find. So that will take a fair while to get.
Slowly I am trying to get all PAL Sega 32x games. It is probably unlikely I’ll complete that set because the prices are super crazy! So many more but you will see them over time if you follow me on Twitter.
ARG: You recently got yourself a Neo Geo MVS 6-slot arcade machine – what made you choose this machine and what do you think of it so far?
SC: I played the Neo Geo games at the arcades as a kid. I always wanted an arcade machine, so this is just the perfect machine – you just interchange game cartridges! It’s like having multiple arcade machines in the one system. I am absolutely loving it! It came with a 100 in 1 game cartridge, so I am playing many games I had never got to play before. Seriously one of the best, if not the best thing I have in my games room!
ARG: Tell us about your gaming room – how long did it take to get it setup and are there going to be further additions / modifications?
SC: Well,I had a lot of the systems all hidden away in boxes and I just wanted to display them. I convinced my lovely wife to get some shelves and it went from there. We moved house almost 2 years ago now and I now have my ultimate games room / man’s cave! There is a massive bar, billiard table, foosball table, arcade machines and a bucket-load of consoles! [ARG: Oh man, party at your place!] My thing with the consoles is I have to have every system (not multiples or variations) hooked up the the TV, so basically I can play any game I have, on the one TV. Sometimes it just takes me 10 minutes to remember which switch box I have set up to what console. I really have to organise it all a bit better. [ARG: You should do what I do, create a diagram of what is connected to what].
The games room will have many more modifications to it, as I know I will be adjusting my console section to make more room for even more games and more consoles. I will be sharing my progress on Twitter, slowly, but surely! My wife wants a pinball machine, so one day, that will be in there too!
ARG: Like all of us that collect, we struggle to find time to enjoy it all – how do you find time to have fun with your gaming collection?
SC: For me, I still play my PS3 and PS4 the most. I do get the urge to play some older game system, especially when I get a game for it – then I’ll fire it up and play most of the games I have for it. I love it when my nieces or nephews come over because they love playing it all! I am lucky as my lovely wife understands my love and lets me get lost in all the nostalgia any time I wish. So, whenever I have free time and have the urge, I’ll duck away to the games room and just play some games.
ARG: Thank you very much for your time, Steve, and for sharing your thoughts and your awesome games room with us all.
SC: Cheers Alex! Sorry it’s taken ages to get this interview done, I have been mega busy with real life stuff and I also needed to clean up the games room for the photo shoot [laughs].
As we leave Steve to play his beloved Atari XEGS, we thank him once again for his time and for providing us with a heap of mouth-watering photos of his brilliant games room. Next party is at Steevo’s place!
For the first holy grail of 2015, I had to travel all the way to the U.S. Of A! Well, I wasn’t travelling there in person, I was merely scouring the superhighway for retro gaming goodies when I stumbled (Ed: more like screeched!) upon a Bally Astrocade!
The Bally has been somewhat of a white whale – the obsession of finding one in a workable state and at a reasonable price was proving quite difficult. But, to my surprise, I found a boxed Bally Astrocade that had just been listed on eBay. The seller was unaware if the unit was in a working state (it does work!), so they priced it accordingly. I had to rub my eyes to ensure I wasn’t seeing things, but there it was, still available. With the heart-rate up at a phenomenal level, I could not press the ‘Buy It Now’ button fast enough! Finally, the white whale had been tamed and had not destroyed me.
They certainly don’t make them like they used to – that gorgeous wood veneer and awesome shape of the system, and those gun-like ‘control handles’, they double up as an 8-way directional joystick and also as a rotary knob (Ed: Gunfight, here we come!).
The Bally has been welcomed with open arms into the ausretrogamer family – it will be well loved, especially playing The Incredible Wizard (aka: Wizard Of Wor), among other classics!
For those of you that want to know what is under the hood of this gaming relic, here are the specs:
Circuit board and cartridges
Video
Specification source: Wikipedia
If you needed evidence in how desirable a rare retro computing item could be, then surely the auction result for the holiest of holy grails, the Commodore 65, is a great case in point – selling for a record €20,050 (Ed: that’s $26,915AUD!), it’s rarity and desirability is assured.
Being just a collector is not enough to be able to compete and procure such extremely rare and very expensive items. Hardcore collectors or collectors backed by some very generous benefactors are the only ones that can hunt and end up with these precious pieces of computing history.
The Commodore 65 is definitely the epitome of rare – created by Fred Bowen and his buddies at Commodore Business Machines at the beginning of the 1990s, the computer never saw the light of day and was subsequently canned. When Commodore met its demise in 1994, a number of prototype C65 computers were sold on the open market. For those that picked one up, well, let’s just say that they were investing in a goldmine which would reap benefits in the future – and that it has on this occasion!
Source: Thomas Conté | Zed Yago | eBay
Want to take a piece of your NES on the go and play games on it? Yep, you read that question right – take a piece of your NES, in this instance, a NES console stuffed into a NES game cartridge that can be played on the go!
The specifications of this Nintendo Entertainment System Portable (nesP) are:
Screen: 2.8″ TFT LCD
Control: D-Pad, Select, Start, and two fire buttons
Storage: 4GB internal / SD card slot for additional storage
Battery: rechargeable Li-Ion
Players: MP3 audio player and recorder, FM radio, photo viewer and video player
Emulators: NES, Game Boy and Game Boy Color
Speaker: Mono
Output: TV-Out
All in all, a pretty cool one-of-a-kind handheld device that would definitely send tongues wagging on public transport. The TV-Out is a nifty feature, so take that Sega Arcade Nano!
source: robotswillkillyou
Have you got a hankering to play a Game & Watch style zombie game on your Android device? Well, look no further! Pixelation Studios have mashed together some zombies and humans with Gunpei Yokoi’s handheld wonderment to bring you Zombie Feeding Frenzy.
With two distinct game modes, everyone is catered for – from the nostalgists wanting a classic G&W style game, to the arcade enthusiasts wanting to immerse themselves in a full-on feeding frenzy with awesome graphics and power-ups. Both game modes have their own individual highscore tables for the competitive types, so get munching on some humans and get Zombie Feeding Frenzy now, it’s free!
There are those of us with great ideas that never execute them, even with meticulous planning, we are gripped with the fear of failing. Then there are the entrepreneurial types that don’t care for the consequences and take risks. Somewhere in-between are hardcore geeks that decide to open up their house for business, mitigating that dreaded rental risk that plagues bricks-and-mortar shopfronts.
So, what does one do when they have lots and lots of freaky, geeky, nerdy, weird and wonderful items that they would like to share with the general public? They convert their house into ‘Freaks and Geeks’ and open it up for business! It’s about 14,466 km between Melbourne and Denton, so here we go…………..
Who doesn’t like glass cabinets? There is only one right answer!
Don’t you just want to drool over the glass? Again, there is only one right answer!
Splatterhouse runners? WTF? *Mind Blown*
Getting bored of the comics? Then blast some baddies!
Feeling very lightheaded! Click to enlarge and find out why
Care for some Sega 16-bit goodness? (click to enlarge)
Another Great Wall Of Action Figures! (click to enlarge)
Nintendo Entertainment System represent! (click to enlarge)
Flick through some comics. (click to enlarge)
Sega 8-bit and some hybrid 32(x)-Bit!
Let’s play….. pick a game! (click to enlarge)
Source: imgur
Head on over to imugr to see the rest of the photos from Freaks and Geeks! Drool not included.