The Pop-Culture E-Zine
We love finding these promo videos of arcade games we used to love and play at amusement centres back in the day.
The below promotional video is for Sega’s Scud Race arcade game from 1996. Scud Race (Sports Car Ultimate Drive) was also known as Sega Super GT in North America.
Oh yeah, keep an ear out on how “Sega” is pronounced in this promo video – long live See-gah!
source: Australian Pinball Museum
LEARN TO MAKE GAMES FROM THE MINDS AT NINTENDO WITH GAME BUILDER GARAGE FOR NINTENDO SWITCHHave fun learning to create games with the new game-making game launching on 11th June
Have you ever dreamed of creating your own video game? That dream can become a reality with Game Builder Garage, launching exclusively for Nintendo Switch on 11th June. With this new software launching in Nintendo eShop and in stores across Australia and New Zealand, kids and parents – and everyone in between! – can have fun learning to create and share their own video games. By connecting colourful creatures called Nodon, anyone can enjoy learning how to create their own game through fun, guided lessons that cover the basics of visual game programming, and no prior experience is necessary! To get an idea of what Nodon look like and how they work in the game, as well as getting a taste of the types of games you can create, check out the Game Builder Garage announcement trailer below:
source: NintendoAU
Nodon are creatures with big personalities that are used to help build your games from the ground up. There are dozens of Nodon in Game Builder Garage, each with a unique function, and you can learn how to build games just by connecting them in various ways. For example, you can create and move a human-like character with an analogue stick just by connecting Stick Nodon with Person Nodon! Thus you will get to learn the basics of game programming in a fun and intuitive way. You’ll be able to create a wide variety of different types of video games too – from side-scrolling platformers, to kart racers, to space blasters!
When you first boot up Game Builder Garage, you can start with Lesson Mode. Here, you will meet the colourful and quirky Nodon, the creatures that you will use to learn the basic concept of visual programming in step-by-step, interactive lessons you can take at your own pace. These lessons are designed to be fun, engaging and perfect for people of all experience levels, with checkpoints in between for players to test their knowledge by solving small puzzles or tasks.
In Free Programming mode, you can bring your own game ideas to life by putting all the skills learned in the lessons to the test. With the simple press of a button, you can swap between the programming and game screen to quickly try out your creation and see how it plays.
If you’re looking for a little inspiration, you can exchange and download games with friends and family over the internet or via a local wireless connection.* This is a great way to not only show off some of your own creations, but also to check out games created by other players. You can even go into Free Programming mode to pull the curtain back on the programming of games uploaded by other players to study them and learn some tricks of your own!
While Game Builder Garage can be controlled with a Joy-Con controller, Nintendo Switch Pro Controller or the controls of Nintendo Switch Lite**, you can also build games using a compatible mouse that is plugged into the USB port on the Nintendo Switch dock. This control option might be easier for people who love the feel of a mouse when navigating the software.
Game Builder Garage launches on 11th June, with a suggested retail price of AU$49.95.
** If playing on Nintendo Switch Lite, additional accessories (sold separately) are required and gameplay controls may differ. Visit the Nintendo Support website for more information.
Press release supplied by Nintendo Australia
Thanks to clever folks like Christian Rene Larsen (aka: CRL), the development of cool software for the venerable Commodore 64 continues, some 39 years after the greatest 8-bit system’s release!
CRL’s test and diagnostic suite of software tools now cover diagnostics for the most heavily used parts on the micro computer, the keyboard and its joystick. So grab the CRL Joystick and Keyboard Test and Diagnostics tool (it’s less than 5kb!) to ensure your 8-bit beauty stays healthy for years to come!
We are excited to start a new monthly feature, which we hope becomes a regular on ausretrogamer.com.
So what’s this newfangled feature we are so excited about? Well, as the title suggests, we’ll be delving deep into our photo vault full of retro gaming photos from years gone by. The aim is to give you all a dose of nostalgia and hopefully connect with new audience members.
For this very first edition, we dug through thousands of our images from the last dozen years and came up with a swag of nostalgia inducing photos; from the best joystick ever made, board games based on classic arcade titles, to our Commodore 64 smart watches and playing classic games on our Game Boy Micro – it’s all easy money 😉
Enjoy!
Original image copyright: ausretrogamer
A couple of years ago, we were quite excited to tell you all about a mysterious new handheld console that was like no other – the EVERCADE!
The EVERCADE handheld system was touted to be able to play multi-game retro games on physical cartridges from leading games publishers and console platforms. Since this news broke in early 2019, the EVERCADE has gone on to become quite popular since its release, garnering fanfare and glowing reviews from reputable online media outlets. Now it was our turn to take the EVERCADE for a spin and tell you what we think! First and foremost, some good news for our Australian readers, the EVERCADE is now locally stocked at PixelCrib!
| PROS
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CONS
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| + Officially licensed games on cartridges + Priced competitively + Expanding library of game carts + Collectability + Build quality |
– Arcade games (so far) are console ports – Wait is too long for new cartridge releases – Screen needs to be angled at times in poorly lit areas – Wish it came in black |
Upon opening the package and holding the unit, our first impression of the intriguing EVERCADE was that it looked and felt like a much more expensive handheld – not quite like the Nintendo Switch, but that system commands a much steeper price. For the introductory price (AU$159.95), the EVERCADE Premium Pack definitely packs quite a lot; great build quality and three gaming cart compilations included to get you playing right away!
The EVERCADE Premium Pack is exceptional value
From a physical perspective, the D-pad and four face buttons feel great – with the buttons spaced well apart with no lag. We didn’t experience any hand fatigue or cramping while playing on the EVERCADE, so the experience was quite positive. The shoulder buttons weren’t used in any of the games we played, so we can’t really comment how well they fair with extensive gameplay – they definitely felt good when pressed, with a satisfying tactile click.
No handheld is complete without a good screen, and the EVERCADE’s 4.3″ display is no exception, with bright vivid video. However, we did find that we had to angle it at times when playing in a darker or a poorly lit room, but this small niggle was improved somewhat by bumping up the screen brightness to maximum. Oh yeah, the other screen option is the aspect ratio, with the EVERCADE providing both 4:3 (traditional ‘square’) 16:9 (scaled widescreen) – we found both screen ratios to be playable, with no discernible stretching when going from square to full-widescreen, so choose what best suits you.
The cartridges slot in from the top, behind the unit, with their top rounded shape completing the look of the EVERCADE. There is something quite satisfying when inserting and clicking in a cartridge. The EVERCADE’s volume buttons, 3.5mm headphone jack and mini-USB port are on the bottom, which are all well within reach. The top of the unit has the slide on/off switch, cartridge slot, shoulder buttons and mini-HDMI which allows for connectivity to a new TV with up-scaled graphics to HD (720p), making the old school games look pretty good on any new big screen TV. Obviously Full HD or higher would’ve been even better.
Once you insert the game cart and turn on the unit, the interface is quite easy to use and follow. Games are started by pressing the start button and then within the game, you have the in-game menu which allows the user to load (a saved game) or save your current game, change the aspect ratio, language or quit the current game. The save game is a welcome feature, as it gives you the ability to see more of those harder retro classics without the need to restart from the beginning – it doesn’t feel like cheating. You can keep playing for up to 4 – 5 hours on the EVERCADE before it needs recharging – we just we wish it lasted longer. But hey, you can play and charge if you want to keep going!
As eluded earlier, the Premium Pack comes with three cartridges; Namco Museum Collection 1 (11 games), Interplay Collection 1 (6 games) and the Atari Collection 1 (20 games). With 37 games to select from, you’ll definitely be kept busy right off the bat. We were quite chuffed to see that Blaze Entertainment secured the first ever western localisation of Mappy Kids on the Namco Museum Collection 1. There are now some 18 cartridges you can either buy or pre-order for the EVERCADE, so there is something for everyone! For the record, we can’t wait to grab the Atari Lynx and Data East Collections for now, as they are packed with games we know and love. The newly announced Codemasters Collection will be a winner too (released later in 2021).
With a number of well known publishers onboard, the EVERCADE isn’t short on game carts, with many more to come. Add the newly announced EVERCADE VS console into the mix and an ever-growing user base, and all of a sudden the value proposition for the EVERCADE becomes quite attractive. In the world of digital downloads, it is great to have a system that you can buy official physical game carts, with their cool game boxes and actual colour manuals – remember those?! The collector in us is quite giddy and satisfied with the collectable elements that the EVERCADE provides.
The EVERCADE may not be for everyone, but its secret is in the use of officially licensed games released on physical media. With this key differentiation, we feel that the EVERCADE sits on its own in a category full of emulation-capable handhelds with not-so-official licensed games. With an enticing price point for the unit and games, the EVERCADE provides great value. If you haven’t done so, check out the EVERCADE and its growing library of games and then decide if it is for you – we bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised!
Disclosure: EVERCADE Retro Games Handheld System was provided by PixelCrib for this review.
It is a proud day for us Australians when our very own pinball manufacturer, Haggis Pinball, takes on the might from the US with their brand new pinball release!
Hot on the heels of their maiden Celts pinball machine (Ed: which is ace!) is the newly announced Fathom Revisited, which comes in two trim levels; Classic and Mermaid Editions. The company is giving their Clan Haggis members first crack at these machines (till midnight April 28), and then the order banks will be thrown wide open.
With competitive pricing (Classic Edition $9,500 / Mermaid Edition $11,500), bulletproof build quality and revised game code, Haggis Pinball has just captured the imagination and attention of all pinball lovers around the world, us included!
What makes this new announcement even more intriguing is the fact that Haggis Pinball were successful in obtaining the licensing rights (from Planetary Pinball Supply) to (re)make 5 classic Bally pinball machines from the early 1980s, starting with Fathom. Since this business model of remakes has been proven successful by Chicago Gaming Company (CGC), Haggis Pinball has definitely scored a major coup.
With their build quality being top notch, Haggis Pinball is fast becoming the hot pinball manufacturer in the world. With their move to newer and larger premises and with a build capacity of 50 machines per month, they are definitely a force to be reckoned with in the pinball world.
For more information about Fathom Revisited, head to This Week In Pinball or listen to the latest Pinball Profile episode with Jeff Teolis and Damian Hartin (Haggis Pinball CEO).
PS: Read our interview with Haggis Pinball CEO, Damian Hartin from November 2019 right here.
Haggis Pinball CEO, Damian Hartin
image source: Haggis Pinball
Hey peeps, here is some awesome news that the Recalbox folks have shared with us – this Friday, April 23rd, at 9:00pm (GMT+2), they will finally launch their long awaited 7.2 update, packed with heaps of new features, new systems, functionalities and optimisations!
source: Recalbox via YouTube
To recap what is new and improved in Recalbox 7.2, which there are many, we thought we’d share the major highlights right here:
Play more than 250 lightgun games on many different systems (Arcade, Megadrive/MegaCD, Dreamcast, and Playstation to name just a few), no configuration needed! Now gathered under a new “LightGun” virtual system.
The team has optimised Recalbox, allowing almost all N64, Dreamcast, Naomi & Atomiswave games to run at full speed on Raspberry Pi 4!
And for even more performance, we’ve tested and chosen 4 optimal overclock settings on the Raspberry Pi 4. Overclocking your Pi will increase the frame-rate on CPU and GPU intensive games.
Play almost all PSX, N64, and PSP games at full speed on both ODROID-GO Advance & ODROID-GO Super!
5 new supported systems are added to the nearly 120 systems already supported in Recalbox:
Recalbox now supports both left and right JoyCons! In addition, you can use both JoyCons as a single combined controller!
Connect your Bluetooth headphones or speakers! (just pair them like you would a controller, for now).
3 new emulators are also available, depending on your hardware:
Pre-installed games are no longer copied into the user share. They stay on the system and can be hidden/shown using an option from the settings menu.
The main menus have all been rewritten. They’re now faster, consume less memory, and are more intuitive. The most useful options have been moved so they’re faster to access. Reboots can now be delayed. This way, you can configure everything you need to before having to restart.
New options have been added:
In-game video sound/music is now available! You can choose between the following sound mode:
The internal scraper has been greatly enhanced:
Many emulators have been updated and/or reconfigured for new features, or to achieve better performance.
Lots of bug fixes, as usual:
Buildroot has been bumped to version 2020.11.
Linux kernels have been bumped to:
We’ve moved from a purse ALSA audio backend to PulseAudio! Recalbox now supports more audio devices — and even Bluetooth audio!
image source: Recalbox
There you go peeps, to say we can’t wait for Recalbox 7.2 would be a massive understatement!
We have fond memories of our times in Vegas. Travelling to the US was never complete for us without popping into the desert city to catch a show, fly over Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon, and of course, hit the Pinball Hall of Fame (PHoF).
Since our last visit at the Pinball Hall of Fame in 2015, a lot has changed! Pinball Hall of Fame’s Tim Arnold bought a large parcel of land on the strip (4925 Las Vegas Blvd South), which allowed for a huge building to be erected (25,000 square feet to be exact!) to house the many many pinball and arcade machines that the PHoF had in their old location (on and in storage. When we stumbled upon Debbie Courson Smith’s Facebook post about her visit to the new Pinball Hall of Fame, we were quite chuffed to see how far along Tim and his crew had come since we saw an empty lot that long ago.
According to Debbie, this was a soft launch, with the grand opening scheduled for July. Once air travel is safe, we know where we are going again 😉
PS: If you want to see how the old Pinball Hall Of Fame looked like, check out this post.
image source: Debbie Courson Smith via Facebook
We are suckers for cute tech, so this TinyTV DIY kit hits the bullseye!
This super cute DIY TinyTV Kit complete with a vibrant full-colour OLED screen, assembles in less than 5 minutes and lets you load up to 5 hours of videos using a special conversion tool to convert MP4 files. Once done with converting the videos, you load the files on to the included MicroSD card and then you just grab some popcorn and sit back (Ed: or close, the screen is tiny!) and enjoy!
source: TinyCircuits
The BBC Archive is rich with gaming related content from the 80s! We wanted to share this particular video of the Darling family, better known as Codemasters, enjoying their dizzy-ing success in the video games industry. Ah, those were the times.
This originally aired on the BBC’s Breakfast Time segment on August 2, 1988!
source: BBC Archive