AUSRETROGAMER

The Pop-Culture E-Zine

You are here: Home / Archives for ausretrogamer

ausretrogamer

MVGS3: Use Your Retro Gaming Controllers On Your Smartphone or Tablet

By

1-Mvgs3-AusretrogamerAttention retro gamers! Do not throw out your much loved old joysticks (or gamepads)!

Patrice Daubaire’s new invention, the MVGS3 (Multi Video Games System Three), allows up to 95 different retro gaming controllers to be used to navigate and also play games on your new smartphone and tablet! With the patent still pending, let’s all hope this awesome creation gets a commercial release soon (Ed: Perhaps Kickstarter could help?)

Just in case you were not aware of Patrice’s inventing pedigree, his previous creation, the MVGS2-Dream-Station made jaws drop all around the world a year ago (Ed: I am still picking up mine off the floor.)!

We will be keeping a close eye on this one and will hopefully be getting our grubby mits on it very soon!

3-Mvgs3-Nes-Ausretrogamer


source: PAT47200

Good Game Top 100: Australia’s Favourite Games

By

GoodGameTop100_hdrFor Australian viewers, I am sure I don’t have to introduce Good Game to you. For everyone else, Good Game is a popular Australian weekly program dedicated to video gaming. The show is broadcast nationally and is packed with the latest gaming news and events, gaming tips, reviews and interviews with game developers. The hosts, Bajo (aka: Steven O’Donnell) and Hex (aka: Stephanie Bendixsen) are the dynamic duo that bring you the latest in video gaming!

Anyway, Good Game is currently seeking your vote for their upcoming ‘Good Game top 100 games of all time’ program. You can cast your vote now, but you better hurry, as voting closes at midnight this coming Sunday, 27 July 2014.

The results will be announced in their show on Tuesday 12 August 2014 at 8:30pm on ABC2 (and also on their website). So what are you waiting for, go and cast your vote now! It counts!

Here is the Good Game How To Vote video (tongue firmly in cheek!)

source: Good Game

Getting Cosy At The Commodore Club

By

On a chilly winter’s day, things were getting quite heated at the Commodore Club meet; from Paul trashing yours truly in a ‘Brazil v Germany’ scoreline in Hat Trick, to Weird and Retro’s Aleks ‘Serby’ Svetislav smashing my time record on Micro Hexagon. I was definitely off my game (Ed: pun fully intended)!

Win or lose, it is always fun playing old school games with friends in the comfort of a nice and warm (Ed: non-hostile?) environment. When it’s cold out there, the Commodore Club is the place to be at. Bring on next month’s meet!

Line’em up baby!
CC_carts

Yours truly impressing the lads in Micro Hexagon!
CC_micro_hexagon

Brazil (yours truly) v Germany (Paul) = FIFA World Cup 2014 scoreline!
CC_trashing

After being brutalised in Hat Trick, I had to test out the equipment. It wasn’t faulty!
CC_equipment_check

Paul (aka: ZenMareRetro) having a crack on Jeff Minter’s Lazer Zone
CC_ZenMareRetro

Get to the choppa! Do it now!
CC_Serby_Choplifter

Free eBook: The History of Psygnosis

By

RA_Episode_92_Psygnosis__Do you like free stuff? What a silly question to ask. Of course you do!

The Retro Asylum crew, together with Paul Driscoll, have created an excellent eBook on one of video gaming’s iconic developer, Psygnosis. Who could forget their awesome box-art (and brilliant games too)!

Do yourself a favour and grab the eBook here (it is free!). While you are at it, you may want to listen to the companion ‘The History of Psygnosis’ podcast too.

 

PAX Aus: Bigger, Badder, Better for 2014

By

arg_PAX_Aus_2014

It was a year to the day when the first international PAX event left American shores bound for Melbourne, Australia! It was a privilege to exhibit with our fellow retrohilcs, Retrospekt and Retro Domination at PAX Aus 2013. We had lots of fun, and it seems, from the feedback, you did too. Our Classic Consoles (Retro Museum) popularity did not go unnoticed – the PAX crew immediately invited us to do it again for 2014.

Being at a new venue and new event dates (Oct 31 – Nov 2), this year’s PAX Aus will be bigger, badder and better! See you at PAX Aus 2014.

PAXAUS2014_Hdr

 

Nintendo Game & Watch: Octopus

By

Octopus_GandWHow old were you in 1981? I was still in single digits and blissfully unaware how addictive Gunpei Yokoi’s Nintendo Game & Watch creations would turn out to be.

On this day (July 16) in 1981, Nintendo released Octopus – their latest handheld classic in the G&W wide-screen series. Oh how I lusted after this one (like many other Game&Watch releases), but alas, I never got to have my own till recently.

If your name is ‘Jenifa Stuart’, I have your Octopus Game & Watch!



Nuts For Nintendo In 1988

By

NutsForNintendo

Even as far back as 1988, the age old economic model of ‘supply and demand’ generated hype and hysteria in video games. Who better to exploit this hysteria than Nintendo.

This VHS recording of a special report on ABC News‘ 20/20 (US) program features the Christmas hype and rush for Super Mario Bros. 2 and Zelda II: The Adventures of Link games. There are parents lining up for games, parents that think their kids play too much Nintendo, and then there are certain interest groups that deplore violence in video games. This Nuts For Nintendo special has it all. I guess some things never change.


source: Steven Hertz

Nintendo and Atari Mashup: The Atari Lynx II GameCube Portable

By

Last week we posted an article on some great looking custom Nintendo consoles. Not all custom made consoles are equal. This week, we have this Nintendo and Atari portable mashup – is it blasphemy or pure genius? We’ll let you be the judge. If you ever wished for a portable Nintendo GameCube, then read on.

gc_Lynx_GC_shell

Crammed inside an Atari Lynx II shell lays the heart and brains of a Nintendo GameCube. The brainchild of this portable Frankenstein is Akira. The features of the GC-Lynx are impressive to say the least:

• Case made out of an Atari Lynx II console
• GameCube blue/purple paint job with glossy finish
• GameCube PAL motherboard
• Silent IBM fan, customised for optimal airflow
• All original Nintendo GCN controls and sticks
• Complete analogue trigger (L and R buttons)
• 4.3 Inch widescreen; VGA Screen with 480 x 272 resolution
• Original Nintendo component video chip wired to produce VGA out
• Shielded composite video wire to reduce interference.
• WiiKey Fusion modchip flashed with Swiss autoboot firmware
• 6400 mAH batteries – provides 3 hours of play time
• Battery indicator with 5 LEDs – lets you know how much power is left
• 128 MB memory card soldered directly onto the motherboard (GameCube slot-A)
• SD Gecko adapter to run homebrew and emulators through Swiss (GameCube slot-B)
• Stereo sound speakers, Used 2x iPhone 4 speakers for very clear sound
• Switching stereo headphone jack
• Analogue volume control
• Video controls to access display menu and switch between A/V (composite) and VGA display
• System can play from wall socket while being charged (comes with charger and power adapter)
• Weight is 700 grams
• Size of GC-Lynx: (w) 235mm x (h)114mm x (d)50mm or 9.25″(w) x 4.5″(h) x 2″(d)
• Comes with 1 x 64GB SD card for GameCube games (wasp fusion slot) and 1 x 32GB for homebrew, games and emulators (GameCube Slot-B)

gc_Lynx_and_GC_Lynx

There has been a fair bit of backlash on custom consoles on a number of forums. Even though we may not be a fan of this one (Ed: that’s because you are such an Atarian!), we are still in awe of the people that come up with these ideas and executing on them. To read Akira’s trial and tribulations on his GC-Lynx creation, go here.

What do you think?


source: soepschoen

Generosity Of An Atarian

By

Atarian_XEGS_hdr

I may have said this before, but I will say it again, the best part of retro gaming is being part of a like-minded, considerate and passionate worldwide community.

I have met many great people and cemented many friendships due to a mutual love of retro gaming. Aleks ‘Serby’ Svetislav (Weird and Retro) is one person I am particularly grateful to have met. Apart from sharing my passion for all things retro, Aleks is a very cool guy.

During one of the retro gaming community events, Aleks showed off his immaculate Atari 8-bit XEGS. As a one-eyed C64 fan, I was intrigued by this part-computer, part-console 8-bit from Atari. I had never experienced the XEGS till this point. After a few hours of play, Aleks’ love of the Atari 8-bit rubbed off on me. The XEGS bug had bitten me hard! It wasn’t long before I hunted and obtained a XEGS of my own.

To welcome me to the XEGS gaming family, Aleks gifted me three still-in-shrinkwrap games – Blue Max, Desert Falcom and David’s Midnight Magic . Now I was truly ready to start playing on the XEGS!

The generosity shown to me by Aleks was (and still is) truly humbling. When life gets too tough, I always think of how lucky and thankful I am of having great friends in this big wide world of ours. Game on!

The new XEGS games stack. Should I open them?
XE_stack

Bustin’em open!
XE_cut_open

I love the smell of freshly opened XEGS games in the morning
XE_open_carcass