The Pop-Culture E-Zine
Since it is that day, May the 4th, we thought we’d share some amazing (and possibly very expensive) Star Wars inspired home theatre rooms!
These were just some of our favourites, with plenty more on this Star Wars always Facebook post. What are your faves?
image source: Star Wars always via Facebook
According to this Bloomberg article, Sega is gearing up to reboot a couple of iconic Dreamcast titles, Crazy Taxi and Jet Set Radio as part of their Super Game initiative!
These titles will be first ones released under Sega’s Super Game initiative, which Sega announced a year ago. Sega’s Super Game aims to develop recurring revenue sources and build online communities around its stable of video games.
Mimicking Fortnite’s model, Sega’s Super Game setup will offer their games as free to play, be available across multiple platforms, host large multiplayer contests and include extras like vehicles, construction and social events on top of the usual combat, ensuring they get players to purchase in-game items.
Not sure how we feel about this approach from Sega, but if it works for Epic Games with Fortnite, then we guess that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery – if you can’t beat them, copy their business model!
If you don’t want to stuff around with finding, downloading, configuring and tearing your hair out in making video gaming emulators work on your computer, then check out the Internet Archive’s Console Living Room.
The Internet Archive Console Living Room harkens back to the revolution of the change in the hearth of the home, when the fireplace and later, the television, were transformed by gaming consoles into a centre of videogaming entertainment. Connected via strange adapters and relying on the television’s speaker to put out pew pew pew sounds, these games were resplendent with simple graphics and simpler rules.
Via the use of the JSMESS emulator system, this allows direct access to different emulator programs in your browser with no additional plugins or settings, meaning that these games can be enjoyed again without mucking around in looking for emulators or games. Simply click on the screenshot or “Emulate This” button for each individual cartridge, and on modern browsers the games will just start to run. As nostalgia, a teaching tool, or just plain fun, you’ll find hundreds of the games that started a billion-dollar industry.
NOTE: These games are best enjoyed in an up to date version of a modern browser. Currently, there is no sound in the games, although that feature will be added soon.
image source: Internet Archive – Console Living Room
Need a(nother) new project in your life? If you do, then check out Peter Misenko’s (aka: bobricious’) super cute PICOmputer ZX – Pocket ZX Spectrum on Hackaday, powered by a Raspberry Pi PICO!
This is an ongoing project, so expect more details and instructions on Hackaday. Also follow bobricious’ GitHub here.
image source: Hackaday
Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Your awesome Commodore 64 magazine, Reset64 issue 14 is out now for your reading pleasure!
If you want to read an awesome contemporary C64-centric magazine full of news, reviews, interviews and everything in-between, then you are in luck – go and grab the latest Reset64 mag right now!
This issue’s theme is all about one of our fave gaming genres, run ‘n’ gun. This page turner of an issue was lovingly put together by like-minded (and very cool) peeps. We love Ant Stiller’s cover art and Del Seymour’s amazing editorial illustrations – it’s just full of eye candy!
Grab Reset64 Issues 14 right here!
Image source: Reset64
Alanah Pearce to Deliver PAX East 2022 Storytime Keynote; Full Exhibitor List, Schedule Revealed
Fully Vaxxed, Masked Game Industry Reunion Kicks Off April 21, 2022
PAX East 2022 welcomes renowned video game writer, producer, content creator, voice actor, and charity streamer Alanah Pearce, who will give the Storytime keynote address as the East Coast’s most attended gaming event. Hundreds of publishers, developers, and other exhibitors will come together Thursday, April 21 through Sunday, April 24, 2022 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center for the first time in two years.
Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required of all attendees, exhibitors, staff, and guests at PAX East 2022, and face coverings are mandated at all times. Additional health and safety information is available on the official website.
PAX East guest-of-honour Alanah Pearce has informed and entertained millions across international radio, internet, and television, plus games like Gears 5 and Cyberpunk 2077. Her industry knowledge has elevated IGN and Rooster Teeth while drawing huge audiences to YouTube and Twitch as Charalanahzard. A champion of accessibility, equality, and diversity in games, Pearce created the Video Game Accessibility Awards in 2020 and joined a AAA studio as a video game writer that same year. She will welcome gamers home to PAX East with the Storytime keynote address from the Main Theatre (and streamed live on Twitch) on Thursday, April 21 at 10:30 AM Eastern.
Following the keynote, explore a massive show floor replete with hundreds of beloved developers, AAA and indie publishers, and hands-on demos of hotly anticipated titles. See the latest from 505 Games, renowned publisher of Death Stranding, Control, Ghostrunner, and the Eiyuden Chronicle series. Experience new announcements or first-ever playable debuts for games like Devolver Digital’s Trek to Yomi and Demon Throttle, Swordship from Thunderful Games, Cuisineer from BattleBrew Productions, The Last Worker from Wired Productions, WrestleQuest from Skybound Games, RAWMEN from tinyBuild, and many, many more.
These partners join a staggering lineup of new and previously announced, like Gearbox Software, Larian Studios, Focus Home Interactive, Koch Media, XSEED, Intel, AMD, Apogee Entertainment, Ysbryd Games, Humble Games, and so many more. See Games Done Quick break records in-person, watch esports’ youngest and brightest play Valorant for $7,500 in collegiate scholarships, witness popular content creators throw down in Fall Guys, and catch all-star panels with industry personalities like WWE Superstar Xavier Woods AKA Austin Creed and Jirard “The Completionist” Khalil. The full exhibitor list and event schedule for PAX East 2022 are available now.
Follow the action straight to the Main Stage, where 1047 Games and PAX Arena are proud to present the $10k Almost Pro Splitgate Open. Watch some of the world’s best compete in the free-to-play, fast-paced arena shooter with player-controlled portals and multi-dimensional combat. Host Alex Corea and casters SUP3RSON1k, RomeDMV, CoachBitey, and aEvilCat will call the matches throughout the weekend, culminating in a Sunday Grand Final that fans eager to hear what’s next for Splitgate won’t want to miss.
“Even in the darkest times of the last few years, we found each other in Discord, and bonded in rounds of Splitgate or on simulated tabletops,” said Jerry Holkins, co-founder of Penny Arcade and PAX. “But PAX East has returned, just as was foretold. To our friends, new and old: Welcome home.”
Saturday badges for PAX East 2022 are nearly sold out. Four-day badges are now on sale for $235, while individual Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday badges go for $62 each. For travel info, event schedules, FAQs, and more, check out the PAX East website, and follow PAX on Twitter, Facebook, Twitch, YouTube, and Instagram.
image source: PAX
Press Release supplied by ReedPop
ININ Games has been quite prolific of late in teaming up with iconic arcade brand, TAITO – they keep giving us a jolt of nostalgia with their TAITO classics remastered for a new generation of systems (and gamers) to enjoy. Taito Milestones is the latest output of this collaboration, bringing a compilation of 80s classic Taito arcade games to the masses.
This special retro compilation may not be for everyone, but for those gamers of a certain age that played these arcade games ‘back in the day’, these games represent a new way of playing them on their contemporary consoles. Let’s get straight to the point, this Taito Milestones compilation is for those that seek a hit nostalgia, which is always welcome. For those that have no nostalgic pull to any of the games in Milestones, don’t be fooled by the simple graphics, as these games were designed to pull the player in and extract as many coins from their pockets.
There are 10 classic Taito arcade games which you may have heard of or even better, played them in the 80s! For western gamers, there may be a few titles that you may have not gotten to play as they were either exclusive to Japan or not widely available to play in arcade centres. There are the obvious classic titles like Elevator Action, Qix, Alpine Ski and The Ninja Warriors. That doesn’t mean that the other six titles are unheard of or not playable, they were just lesser known by western audiences back in the 1980s. We love platform and shooter/shoot’em up games, so Space Seeker, The FairyLand Story and Halley’s Comet are welcome additions – we have to say, we loved Halley’s Comet as it is a super fast paced vertical shmup with great enemies and power-ups. The emulation for all ten titles is absolutely spot on, so there is nothing to be concerned about on that front – just play and enjoy!
If you are a retro fan and don’t already own some of these games on the Switch, and want to dive into a nostalgic gaming experience by playing ten classic Taito arcade games, then Taito Milestones is for you. There is definitely something in this collection for every retro gamer. Is it worth the A$58 (digital) – only if you don’t already have some of these.
The physical edition (starting at €39.99/A$58.00) and the digital download version of TAITO MILESTONES for Nintendo Switch launches on April 15th, 2022.
QIX (1981)
Space Seeker (1981)
Alpine Ski (1982)
Front Line (1982)
Wild Western (1982)
Chack’n Pop (1983)
Elevator Action (1983)
The FairyLand Story (1985)
Halley’s Comet (1986)
The Ninja Warriors (1987)
image source: ININ Games
Disclaimer: The Nintendo Switch review code for Taito Milestones was provided by PR Hound.
With the Australian F1 GP being on this weekend, we’ve been playing Slipstream non-stop on our Switch for this last week, and we must say, this is the closest we’ll get to a modern OutRun, especially OutRun 2006/Coast 2 Coast (with a mix of F-Zero & Sonic The Hedgehog), with amazing drifting, slipstreaming and speed mechanics, complimented with a cool time rewind feature and a thumping synth pop soundtrack.
Slipstream has been a labour of love for Brazilian solo developer, Sandro Luiz de Paula (ansdor) since 2015. The love and attention to detail really stands out. Sandro’s Slipstream has pulled us right into one of our favourite arcade racer periods of the 80s and early 90s with gorgeous 2D sprite scaling and colourful pixel art graphics. This all amounts to an authentic retro experience on modern consoles with smooth and constant 60fps gameplay.
The entire package of Slipstream, from its graphics (with Pixelated, CRT and NTSC filters), speed and racing mechanics, awesome soundtracks to its six game modes, all combine to draw you into racing across a variety of twenty exotic locations from all around the world, including cities, deserts, forests, mountains and beaches. With a plethora of other retro inspired racers out there, Slipstream stands out with its speed, drifting, rewinding and slipstreaming mechanics, which add depth to the driving gameplay, resulting in a strategic, challenging and fun experience – what more could you ask for?! Oh yeah, it gets better, grab a few friends or family members and have yourself a local 4-player split-screen race.
The six game modes add longevity and variety for solo players, with different challenges. If you are time poor and need a quick fix of racing, then the single race or time trial modes are for you. If you have a bit more time on your hands, then the other modes (Grand Tour – just like in OutRun, Cannonball, Grand Prix and Battle Royale) provide ample challenges to test your racing skills. There are also some secrets to discover, which we won’t spoil for you here. Just like the arcade racers from yesteryear, Slipstream’s difficulty is dialled up, but luckily you don’t have to pump coins to continue enjoying the racing!
For under US$10/A$15, you get bang for your buck here, with an abundance of modes and amazing content. This all amounts to transporting gamers back three or so decades, when racing games were pure fun. The nostalgia that Slipstream induces is strong, so if you ever played and enjoyed racing games in the 80s and early 90s, then we highly recommend you add Slipstream to your games library!
Disclaimer: Nintendo Switch review code for Slipstream was provided by BlitWorks.
By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.
The “Planet of the Apes” films are up there with my absolute favourite movie franchise. The Matt Reeves films are masterpieces. Reeves has this little movie out in theatres called “The Batman.” You may have heard of it.
The first “Planet of the Apes” film, released in 1968, starring Charlton Heston, is easily one of the top five, greatest science fiction films ever made. The movies makeup, created by the legendary artist John Chambers, is still revolutionary. And the 1968 film has one of the greatest endings in film history. The final shot and line by Heston is still chilling.
image source: Steam
When it comes to video games, unlike the exceptional films, there is only one moderately entertaining “Planet of the Apes” game, and it’s The Imaginati Studios’ “Planet of the Apes: Last Frontier.” Released on Playstation 4 in 2017, “Last Frontier” had amazing graphics and single and multiplayer interactive action. The game was released quietly and disappeared with little fanfare. “Planet of the Apes,” the 2001 action-adventure video game, was the first game in the franchise. It was released as a tie-in to the 2001 film, directed by Tim Burton. The game was as mediocre as the over produced film.
It feels like the “Planet of the Apes” property is being underused now. It’s a large world for games, television shows, and films. Disney now owns the successful franchise, and Disney has so much on their plate now with Star Wars and Marvel. However, they’re big enough to focus on a “Planet of the Apes” project and balance all the other entertainment plates they have spinning; and I left out Pixar.
I have a pitch for a “Planet of the Apes” film: It takes place shortly after the event of “War of the Planet of the Apes.” After a large aerial dogfight in the Pacific Ocean, a veteran APE soldier is stranded on a remote island atoll. He soon discovers a MAN, a crusty fighter pilot who has crashed his plane. Not communicating verbally, the two enemies initially provoke each other and refuse to cooperate. But when they begin to face famine, dehydration, and exhaustion, they are forced to put aside their differences and depend on one another for survival.
I want another “Planet of the Apes” film. And hopefully it can produce a great video game. The world created by author Pierre Boulle is a fascinating, rich one.
There are some cool DIY projects out there, and then there is DanCreator’s Mario Kart 8 inspired working hovercraft made out of cardboard! Yep, you read that right, a Ryobi blower powered Mario Kart hovercraft made totally out of cardboard – which is totally mind blowing stuff.
But wait, there is more cool cardboard creations – check out DanCreator’s sitdown arcade inspired Mario Kart 8!
Check out Dan’s entire video below, which is totally awesome (or skip to about 12:20 to see the finished Mario Kart cardboard hovercraft)!
source: DanCreator