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Melbourne International Games Week & PAX Aus Are Back!

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After 2 years of virtual events, 2022 is shaping up to have two massive events back in-person!

The Melbourne International Games Week (MIGW-22) (Oct 1 – 9) and PAX Aus 2022 (Oct 7 – 9) events are back! Save the dates, book in your annual leave, get a sitter and get ready to be back catching up with likeminded peeps at these (industry and public) events.

We are mindful that it has been a while since these events were held in person, so there may be some anxiety, but please be easy on yourself and only attend if you are sure and feel comfortable in mixing in large crowds, especially after these last couple of years.



An Atari ST That Has Been Running A Campsite Since 1986

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Imagine still using an old school computer to run your business? Well imagine no more, as Dutchman Frans Bos is still using the Atari ST 1040 he purchased in 1986 to help run his campsite business, Camping Bohmerwald.

During the mid ’80s, the ST had impressive specifications, with 1MB RAM and a 70Hz monitor. Most PCs of that era only had 512KB RAM and were notoriously expensive. Even though the Amiga 500 was the dominant 16-bit computer at the time, the ST enjoyed popularity in Europe, where the machine was seen as a serious professional computer (as well as a decent music/MIDI and games machine).

Frans purchased his ST computer to manage bookings on the site and register guests. Not entirely happy with the software, Frans then proceeded to write his own program to manage his business better. The ST is a workhorse, which is heavily used during six months of the year when the camping site is open. If you pay attention to the below video, you’ll hear that Frans notes that he likes using the ST because it starts up quickly! Now imagine running a business on a computer that is almost 40 years old – totally mind-blowing!


source: Victor Bart



C64: Crazy Dog Racing

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As you all may know by now, we love overhead / isometric racing games! So when we saw that Krissz (of Pac-Wor fame) created a cool looking racing game of the Commodore 64, we stood up and took note! Crazy Dog Racing was released years ago, but it had slipped past our radar somehow, so we are glad we have found it now!

The controls take a bit of getting used to, but practice makes perfect. If like games like RC Rro-Am, Super Sprint and the like, then give this one a shot too!

Download and play Crazy Dog Racing from here and have fun!



SEGA Genesis Interactive Plush Console

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Sega Does What Nintendon’t!

Another nostalgia inducing product from Kidrobot for those Sega 16-bit and Sonic fans! Kick it oldschool with this cool retro plush! The beloved classic SEGA Genesis (we prefer, Mega Drive!) gaming console gets a plush makeover with interactive elements.

This Genesis/Mega Drive console is a 12″ / 30cm plush which includes a plug-in plush Sonic game cartridge and an original 3-button type plug-in plush controller.

image source: Kidrobot



PAC-WOR: A Pac-Man & Wizard of Wor Mashup For The C64

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What do you get when you cross the two classic arcade titles, Pac-Man and Wizard of Wor? Give up? You get PAC-WOR!

If you are a fan of Pac-Man or Wizard of Wor (or both), this Commodore 64 mash-up by Krissz will be right up your alley. The mix of gameplay is closer to Pac-Man than Wizard of Wor, but that just makes it more exciting and devilishly harder. Playing as Pac-Man (Pacwor) means you can’t shoot the Burwors/Garwors/Throwors, instead you have one power pill (poWOR) per dungeon which enables Pacwor to chew these evildoers within a limited time frame. Clearing the dungeons is usual Pac-Man fare, eat all the pills!

This is a cool mashup which we like, but we just wish there was more than one power pill per dungeon, especially in the latter ones where the Burwors and their evil mates speed up their movements!

Download and play Pac-Wor for free via CSDB.



The Force Is Strong With This New Stern Pinball Code

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For those of us that have been consumed by the beautiful silverball game, Stern Pinball has kept spoiling us with some brilliant innovations, including their new online platform, Insider Connected.

When launching Insider Connected (IC), Stern Pinball announced that they would roll out the platform to all of their past Spike® 2 LCD games, dating back to late 2016 with the awesome Batman 66 pinball machine.

Well Stern have been quite busy in updating the code on their previous Spike® 2 LCD machines so that they can take advantage of the new Insider Connected platform. With that said, we were quite excited to see that Stern have finally released the new v1.20.0 code for their Star Wars pinball machines!

We can’t wait to update our Star Wars Comic Art Premium machine with this new code, but we still have to wait a tad longer to procure and install the Insider Connected kit (they haven’t reached Australia as at the time of this post) to unleash the full online potential of the Stern Pinball Insider Connected platform. The FORCE is indeed strong with this new code!

PS: If you haven’t already done so, don’t forget to sign-up for your free Insider Connected account here.



Mini Review: Moto Roader MC on Nintendo Switch

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We have fond memories playing NCS’ Moto Roader series on the PC Engine, so when we heard that Ratalaika Games were bringing the third instalment, Moto Roader MC, to modern gaming systems, we got quite excited!

Moto Roader MC was the third and final game in the NCS developed series, originally released on the PC-Engine (Super CD-ROM²) in 1992. Moto Roader MC played a bit different from the first two MR games, which was actually a good thing – and we are glad Ratalaika Games picked this one to modernise.

If you are a fan of overhead racing games, like the classic Atari arcade game, Super Sprint, with weapons to blast your opponents off the track, then you will absolutely love Moto Roader MC. Raitalaika Games have managed to keep the whole experience authentic to the original, including the “PUSH RUN” button to start the game, which obviously doesn’t appear on any modern gaming controllers – but it did on the PC-Engine ones.

The racing is fast and frantic, with numerous varied tracks with differing obstacles that add extra difficulty while trying to pass the other drivers by either speeding past them, or shooting them if they are in your way. You can play head to head against the computer or locally with a friend in multiple modes of futuristic racing. The Nintendo Switch version goes one step further to make this game even more fun by being able to play with up to 5 players locally – imagine you rivals sitting near you! There is a an array of cool cars and drivers, as well as a variety of gameplay modes, including bumper car challenges.

Moto Roader MC is another classic retro title that we are glad to have on a modern system. It’s a fun pick and play racing title with enough play modes and challenges to keep you coming back to it. This game truly shines if you have a few friends over for some local head to head racing!

Ratalaika Games is bringing Moto Roader MC to the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Microsoft Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on February 25th, 2022. We recommend you add this game to your library ASAP and have fun – it’s honestly great!



Disclaimer: Nintendo Switch review code for Moto Roader MC was provided by PR Hound.

Blast From The Past: A Video Of A 1980s Arcade

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What an absolute blast from the past this is! We absolutely love raw VHS video footage, especially the kind from the early 1980s!

We commend the Bally’s Aladdin’s Castle employee that had the foresight to film inside the arcade centre, filled with absolute classic arcade and pinball machines, that one day this video would be cherished by a generation (or two) of gamers across the globe! This is what a throwback Thursday should be like every week.

Sit back and enjoy this 15 minute trip down nostalgia lane…..


source: Jon Exidy Jamshid



Documentary: Lemmings 30th Anniversary

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For all of you that are fans of Lemmings (us included!), set aside 2 hours and watch this awesome free documentary, Lemmings: Can You Dig It?

This true story of the creation of Lemmings features all the talented people involved in bringing this classic title for us to enjoy. From the computer rooms in Dundee to the world-changing UK games scene that exists today; through the voices of those who were there at the time and those who grew up playing it, watch and enjoy Lemmings: Can You Dig It?!


source: Exient



Williams Defender Source Code Posted To Github

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Fancy checking out some assembly code of a classic arcade game from 42 years ago?

Thanks to Rob Hogan, you can now check out Eugene Jarvis’ (and his fellow Williams programmers’) assembly code from one of the most successful arcade titles from the golden age of the arcades, Defender!

Oh how we wish we had the necessary skills to comb through the code to find Easter eggs and amusing comments, as we are quite sure Eugene and co. would have inserted in this tough 1980 scrolling blaster!

If you do find some surprises in the code from ‘Dr J’ (aka: Eugene Jarvis), please let us all know either via Twitter or Facebook!

PS: This Defender code is for the ‘Red Label’ version of the game, which was one of four versions (the others being: White, Blue and Green) that were distributed to arcades.