AUSRETROGAMER

The Pop-Culture E-Zine

You are here: Home / Archives for ausretrogamer

ausretrogamer

Behind The Scenes with TMNT Pinball: An Interview with Stern’s John Borg

By

Cowabunga! With the latest release of Stern Pinball’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pinball machines going gangbusters, we grabbed ourselves a deep-dish Chicago-style cheesy pizza to tempt John Borg, Lead Designer of this bodacious new pinball title, to have a quick virtual chat with us about his creation and to give us some delicious behind the scenes scoops!

Ready, set, here we go!

AUSRETROGAMER: How long did it take to design and make TMNT (from concept to finished product)?
John Borg [JB]: I started the layout last year (February 2019) around the time The Munsters LE was running down the line.

ARG: Do you have a favourite feature (or features) from the TMNT Pinball machine?
JB: I love the underlying features, like the 123 combo challenge – Training – Weapon  – and of course Pizza Multiball!

ARG: What was the biggest challenge in designing/making TMNT Pinball?
JB: Everything was hard! Speech was the scariest thing late in the project. Mike and Tom (The Super Kyzivat Bros.) pulled off the Krang and Shredder speech. Best in the game. I scripted so many lines through so many episodes. I loved it like I loved Speed Racer as a kid.

Dwight Sullivan’s hand did not make the final cut!

ARG: We need your complete honesty here – who is your favourite Turtle and your favourite villain from the TMNT series?
JB: Donatello – I love that he’s a tech driven mad scientist. Krang is my favourite villain. I practised his voice for weeks, but Tom Kyzivat sounded so much like Krang, it absolutely floored me.

ARG: Lastly, since you are a big BMX fan, we wanted to ask – there is a famous Australian movie from the 80s with a young Nicole Kidman called BMX Bandits, would this ever make the cut as a pinball machine in the future? Hypothetically speaking, if you did make such a machine, what would be the first is the first feature you would include in the game?
JB: BMX is awesome, but It won’t be a pinball in the near future. Watch the Youtube videos of the BMX in the Olympics – it is so amazing!

And just like that, we polish off our pizza, wipe our mouth clean and thank John Borg from afar for taking time out from his busy schedule to talk to us about some of his experience in making TMNT Pinball.

Whiteboarding TMNT with John Borg and the team!

Old Yeller!

Old Yeller in full mutliball glory!

Spin that wheel!

You spin me right round, baby
image source: Stern Pinball Inc.

 

Type-In Listings for your Commodore 64 – It’s So Old School!

By

If you want to truly get back to the mid 80s by typing in your BASIC programs into the Commodore 64, then you are in luck!

Roman Werner (aka: King Roman) has created a couple of type-in games for the C64, so get your fingers ready. You will be kept quite busy as you peck at the keyboard, typing in the BASIC listing for Yahtzee and Black Jack.

Oh yeah, you could cheat by copy and pasting the listings from their respective PDF documents, but that would be cheating! If you really want it to be like the 80s, then type away and be very careful where you put those pokes 😉

image source: King Roman

 

Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX – A Legend Reborn

By

We woke up today to great news that our fave ex-Sega mascot, Alex Kidd, will be getting a new lease of life on modern consoles!

Yep, you read that right, the classic and awesome Sega Master System game, Alex Kidd in Miracle World is being brought into the 21st century, titled Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX! Slated to be released early in 2021 on PC, Switch, Xbox and PlayStation, we honestly can’t wait to reacquaint ourselves with Alex on a modern gaming platform.

We love the brand new visual style, but we are even more chuffed and excited that it will have a retro mode to experience classic Master System Alex Kidd. This new version of AK will feature new levels, modes, and alternative boss battles – all based on the iconic Master System game. So if classic ‘80s platforming is your jam – and it should be, then you will need Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX in your life.

A legend has truly been reborn!

PS: While we wait for this to be released, we’ll keep playing Alex Kidd in Miracle World on our Master System 😉


source: GameTrailers

 

 

Weird and Retro’s MEGA PS VITA Sale!

By

There comes a time when we have to let go of things, even those we hold precious and dear in our gaming collections.

Weird and Retro’s Serby has decided to part ways with his massive PS Vita collection – and what a mouthwatering collection it is! If you are after some hard to find and precious PS Vita games or systems, then read on! Before you ask, “Why would you sell this awesome stuff?”, then all we can tell you at this stage is that Weird and Retro have a project in the works that has been a labour of love – but more on this in the future when more details are known.

Oh yeah, having seen and drooled over Serby’s gaming collections, including this vast PS Vita one, we can tell you that it’s been meticulously curated, catalogued and stored – it’s in as perfect condition as possible! When you scroll through the list of items, please keep in mind that the pricing is in AU$. Before we hear anyone say, “I can get this at a better price”, also keep in mind that most of these PS Vita items were bought from the US or Japan, so you will know that shipping and GST is not cheap when getting products sent to Australia!

The below excerpt is from Serby’s Facebook For Sale post, so please ensure you keep checking the post, as individual items may have been sold!

PS: If you don’t have Facebook, then don’t fret, you can also get in touch with Serby by checking out the MEGA PS Vita listing on Gumtree!

Hello, I’m a massive PS Vita collector (over 300 Vita games) but am now selling most of my collection in order to build up another gaming collection. On offer are the following games, Collector Editions, Memory Cards, Japanese Limited Edition PS Vita system bundles, and hardware.

Please note if there are 2 listings for the one game, the cheaper one is for opened and the second is for New/Sealed (as per individual prices & description).

PS Vita Games:
Accel World VS Sword Art Online [Sealed-Asian English] $75
Alone With You C.E. [LRG – SEALED Sega CD OST] $90
Another World 20th Anniversary Edition CE [LRG – SEALED Game-Opened CE] $100
Assassin’s Creed Chronicles [R4] – SOLD!
Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation [Charity Chest Edition No.5 of 10 Ubi-Soft Australian exclusive] $? – Ed: This caught our eye as we didn’t know this existed! Could it be only 1 of 10 worldwide? If so, WOW!
Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation [Canadian Steelbook Exclusive] $150
Atari Flashback Classics C.E. [LRG] – SOLD!
Axiom Verge Multiverse Edition $70

Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation [Charity Chest Edition No.5 of 10 Ubi-Soft Australian exclusive!

Bad Apple Wars Day One Limited Edition $70 – RESERVED/PENDING PAYMENT
BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma Extend $25
Borderlands 2 [R4] $20
Borderlands 2 [R4-SEALED] $55
Broken Age [LRG] $55

Call of Duty Black Ops: Declassified [R4] $30
Child of Light [R4] $60
Chronus Arc [LRG-SEALED] $45
Civilization Revolution 2 Plus [Asian Eng.]$85
Corpse Party Blood Drive Everafter Edition [SEALED Game/Opened CE] $80 – RESERVED/PENDING PAYMENT
Cursed Castilla EX Limited Edition [Play-Asia] $80

Damascus Gear Operation Osaka [LRG – Sealed] $80
Dariusburst CS Chronicle Saviours [LRG] – SOLD!
Deadbolt [LRG – Sealed] $60
Deemo: The Last Recital [LRG – Sealed] $60
Demetrios The Big Cynical Adventure [RAG-SEALED – only 999 produced] $60 – RESERVED/PENDING PAYMENT
Digimonstory Cybersleuth [Japanese] $20
Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention [R4] $35 – RESERVED/PENDING PAYMENT
Disgaea 4: A Promise Revisited CE $80
Dragon Fantasy [LRG – Sealed] $70
Dragon Quest Builders [Asian English] $150
Dragon’s Crown [R4] $50
Dragon’s Crown + PreOrder Book [R4] $70
Dungeon Hunter: Alliance $25
Dynasty Warriors Next [R4] $25 – RESERVED/PENDING PAYMENT

Epic Mickey 2 [R4] – SOLD!
Exist Archive $40

F1 2011 $30
Factotum 90 [LRG – Sealed] $60
Fernz Gate [LRG-SEALED] $60
FIFA Football [R4] $10
Final Fantasy X [Korean] $20
Forma.8 [LRG – Sealed] $60
Freedom Wars [R4] $30
Fuuraiki 3 [Japanese] $75
Futuridium – Extended Play Deluxe [LRG]$60

G Generation Genesis (Double Pack) [Korean] $50
Girls und Panzer: Senshadō, Kiwamemasu! Collector’s Edition [Japanese] $140
Gravity Rush [R4] $75
Guacamelee! [LRG] $60
Gundam Breaker (The BEST) [Japanese]$25
Gundam Extreme VS Force [Korean] $25
Gunhouse [LRG] $50

Hatsume Miku Project Diva F 2nd [Chinese] $40
Hello Kitty to Issho: Block Crash V [Japanese Arknoid/Breakout game] $80
Hue [LRG – Sealed] $60

Iconoclasts CE [LRG-SEALED Game/Opened CE] $130
Injustice: Gods Among Us [R4] $25
Invizimals: The Alliance [R4] $10
Invizimals: The Alliance [R4-SEALED] $15

J-STARS Victory VS+ [R4] $45 – RESERVED/PENDING PAYMENT

Killzone Mercenary [R4-SEALED] $50

La-Mulana Ex C.E. [LRG] $80
LEGO Batman 3 Beyond Gotham [R4-SEALED] $30
LEGO Chima Laval’s Journey [R4] $15
LEGO Hobbit [R4-SEALED] $30
LEGO MARVEL Avengers [R4-SEALED] $35
LEGO MARVEL SuperHeroes Universe [R4-SEALED] $30
LEGO Ninjago Nindroids [R4-SEALED] $30
LEGO Ninjago Shadow of Ronin [R4 Photocopied B&W Cover] $10
LittleBigPlanet PlayStation Vita [R4] $15
LittleBigPlanet PSV Marvel Super Heroes [R4] $15
LittleBigPlanet PSV Marvel Super Heroes [R4] $20
Looney Tunes Galactic Sports [R4] $15
Looney Tunes Galactic Sports [SEALED-R4] $20
Lost Dimension [R4] $45
Lumines [R4] $30

Macho Tales [LRG Standard Edition] $60
Metal Gear Solid HD Collection + 2 Guide Books $75 – SOLD!
Metal Slug 3 C.E. [LRG-SEALED Game/Opened CE] – SOLD!
Minecraft: PlayStation Vita Edition [R4] $25
Mind Zero $40
ModNation Racers: Road Trip [R4] $15
ModNation Racers: Road Trip [R4-SEALED] $30
ModNation Racers Sony PROMO Release (PAL Exclusive] $50
Mortal Kombat $70
Mutant Mudds Deluxe [LRG] $50
Mutant Mudds Super Challenge [LRG-SEALED] $50
Mystery Chronicle One Way Heroics [LRG-SEALED] $55

Natural Doctrine [UK] $40
Need For Speed: Most Wanted [R4] $30 – RESERVED/PENDING PAYMENT
Nova-111 [LRG] $50

Octodad: Deadliest Catch C.E. [LRG] $90
Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee C.E. [LRG]$100
ONE PIECE Burning Blood $30
One Piece Pirate Warriors 3 [R4-SEALED] » $75
One Piece Unlimited World Red R4-SEALED] » $75
Operation Abyss New Tokyo Legacy [R4] $30
Organ Trail [LRG] $60

Pantsu Hunter Back to the 90’s L.E. [Play-Asia] $90
Persona 4 Dancing All Night Crazy Value Pack Collector’s Edition [Japanese minus Obi] $70
Persona 4 Dancing All Night [R4] $55
Persona 4 Golden (R4) $120
Persona 4 Golden Solid Gold Premium Ed $450 – RESERVED/PENDING PAYMENT
Phineas and Ferb: Day of Doofenschmirtz [R4] $15
Photo Kano Kiss [Japanese] $25
Plague Road [LRG – Kickstarter cover variant] $55
Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale [R4] $20
Playstation Vita Pets [R4] $30
Proteus [LRG] $55
Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly $45
Psycho Pass: Mandatory Happiness CE [R4] $100
Putty Squad $55
Puyo Puyo Tetris [Japanese] $55

Race the Sun [LRG] $60
Rainbow Moon Limited Edition [Play-Asia SEALED Game/Opened CE] $100
Rainbow Skies Limited Edition [PlayAsia SEALED Game/Opened CE] $100
Rayman Legends [Japanese/Cover Variant] $30
Rayman Legends + Rayman Origins [EU Exclusive & unique Double-Game on 1 cart & dual game single manual] $90
Rayman Origins [R4] $25
Reality Fighters [R4] $10
Reality Fighters [R4-SEALED] $15
Resistance: Burning Skies [R4] $30
Revenant Dogma [LRG-SEALED] $50
Ridge Racer [Korean] $50
Risk of Rain [LRG-SEALED] $60
Rocketbirds Hard Boiled Chicken [LRG – Sealed + Sealed OST CD] $100
Rocketbirds 2: Evolution [LRG-SEALED + Sealed OST CD] $100

Saturday Morning RPG $100
semispheres LE [Orange Cover Variant]$35
Shakedown Hawaii $60
SHINOBIDO 2 Revenge of Zen $45
Shovel Knight $90
Siralim 2 [LRG-SEALED] $60
Skullgirls: 2nd Encore [LRG] $100
Skyforce Anniversary [LRG] $75
Smart As… [R4] $10
Smart As… [R4-SEALED] $15
Söldner X2 Final Prototype [eastasiasoft] – SOLD!
Sorcery Saga:Curse of the Great Curry God [R4] $30
Soul Sacrifice [R4] $25
Soul Sacrifice [R4-SEALED] $45
Spelunky CE [LRG] – SOLD!
Spy Hunter [R4] $40
Spy Hunter [R4-SEALED] $70
Stranger of Sword City [R4] $45
Super Hydorah CE [LRG] – SOLD!
Super Monkey Ball Banana Splitz [R4] $40
Super Mutant Alien Assault [LRG-SEALED] $60
Superbeat Xonic $20
Superbeat Xsonic [Korean – Rare] $35
Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment LE [Japanese SEALED Game/Opened CE] $75

Taiko no Tatsujin: V Version [Rare Chinese version with English printed colour instruction sheet] $75
Taiko no Tatsujin: V Version [Japanese] $60
Tearaway [R4] $15
Tearaway [R4-SEALED] $25
Teslagrad [Value Pack – NTSC Variant SEALED Game/Opened CE] $110
Tetris Ultimate [Korean release in Full English] $70
The House in Fata Morgana C.E. [LRG] $200
The Jack and Daxter Trilogy [R4] $45
The King of Fighters ’97 Global Match CE [LRG-SEALED Game/Opened CE] $150
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II [R4] $60 – RESERVED/PENDING PAYMENT
The Muppets Movie Adventure [R4] $20
The Muppets Movie Adventure [R4-SEALED] $25
The Ratchet & Clank Trilogy [R4] $65
The Walking Dead Season 1 $70
The Walking Dead Season 2 $70
The Wolf Among Us $35
thomas was alone [LRG] $60
Touch My Katamari – SOLD!
Trillion God of Destruction [R4-SEALED] $80

Ukiyo no Roushi [Japanese Samurai game] $35
Uncharted: Golden Abyss [R4] $25
Undertale Collector’s Edition [LRG-SEALED Game/Opened CE] $120
UnEpic Limited Edition [Play-Asia No.231 of 500] $275
Utawarerumono Mask of Deception [LRG-SEALED Game/Opened CE] $75
Utawarerumono Mask of Truth [SEALED Game/Opened CE] $75

VA-11 Hall-A C.E. [LRG-SEALED Game/Opened CE] $210
Vegas Party [SEALED] $20
Velocity 2X: Critical Mass Edition [US with RARE Manual, OST CD & SLG Aluminium Art Plate] $100
Virtua Tennis 4 World Tour Edition [SEALED-UK PAL] $35
Volume [LRG-SEALED] $60

Windjammers C.E. [LRG] – SOLD!
Winning Post 8 20th Anniversary Box Collector’s Edition [Japanese] $110
World of Final Fantasy [R4] $45

XBLAZE Code: Embryo $40
XBLAZE Lost: Memories $40

Ys Memories of Celceta CE $120
Ys Origin CE $120
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana L.E. [R4-SEALED Game/Opened CE] $220 – RESERVED/PENDING PAYMENT

———————————————————
PS VITA MEGA PACKS
———————————————————
PS Vita Indie Games Mega Pack (4GB) $40 – RESERVED/PENDING PAYMENT
PS Vita LEGO Action Heroes Mega Pack (8GB) $55
———————————————————
PS Vita HARDWARE
———————————————————
PS Vita CIB Aqua Blue & 32GB card + 6 Games $500 – RESERVED/PENDING PAYMENT
PS Vita CIB Lime Green & 32GB card + 6 Games $500
PS Vita TV [R4 CIB] $250
PS Vita 64GB card $180
PS Vita Ethernet Development Tool $70
———————————————————
PS Vita Game Sets
———————————————————
Signature Edition Games: ALL-4 Vita Releases with All 4 Pre-Order Coins $500 Includes:

– Darkest Dungeon Collector’s Edition
– Slain: Back from Hell Limited Edition
– The Count Lucanor [SEALED Game/Opened CE]
– The Long Reach [SEALED Game/Opened CE]

ALL-6 RED ART GAMES Vita Releases (All 6 New/SEALED) $350 – Includes:

– Bit Dungeon + [RAG-SEALED]
– Demetrios The Big Cynical Adventure [RAG-SEALED]
– Ice Cream Surfer [RAG-SEALED]
– Riddled Corpses EX [RAG-SEALED]
– The Bard’s Tale Remastered And Resnarkled [RAG-SEALED]
– The Deer God [RAG-SEALED]

MLB Full Physical Set: $275
– MLB 12 The Show (USA)
– MLB 13 The Show (USA)
– MLB 14 The Show (USA)
– MLB 15 The Show (rare Korean physical cartridge edition)

FIFA Full Set: $50
– FIFA Football (R4)
– FIFA 13 (R4)
– FIFA 14 (R4)
– FIFA 15 (R2 UK – No R4 released)

PLEASE NOTE: The 5 downloadable game codes in the MEGA PACK are EXPIRED and you cannot redeem them (having said that I heard that it may still work but I have not tried so I’m listing them as NO GAMES – only the physical 4GB & 8GB SONY PlayStation memory cards to use on any Vita models. It took me a long time to come across these Mega Packs and now this is a chance for you to own one yourself.

Thank you for looking and I hope you find something here you enjoy. If not, I will be listing a large portion of my vast personal gaming collection (numbering in the thousands) as I take it out from storage, couple of tubs at a time. This includes games, consoles, Press Kits, gaming merchandise, promo items, development units, original posters, gaming accessories, Rare games, and more that I have purchased and collected over the past 30 years, most in very good to mint condition.

Thank you again and have an Ace day 

Seen anything you like? Of course you have! We have and are still trying to pick up our jaw off the floor! This is one MEGA PS Vita Sale that will probably never be repeated!

 

2020 Reset64 4KB Craptastic Game Competition Preview

By

Development for the 2020 Reset64 4kb ‘Craptastic’ game competition is in full swing!

Deadline is fast approaching (June 30th!) so we thought we’d give you all a quick look at what some of the clever devs are up to for this most awesome competition.

Best of luck to all the competitors and we can’t wait to try your craptastic creations!

Title: Rainbow Edge Run
Author: Geir Straume
Synopsis: Run along the edge of the rainbow and collect as many gold coins as you can, but look out for the exploding mines!

Title: Jumpin’ Jalopies
Credits: A Megastyle Production. Code by Chris Stanley, Graphics by Roy Widding, Music by Roy Widding & Magnar Harestad
Synopsis: This bouncy little game was inspired by my 1954 Morris Minor, affectionately known as ‘Galloping Gussie’! Driving your clapped-out old jalopy you must climb your way up the multi-storey car park/parking lot, using your hydraulics to bounce your way from floor to floor. Climb higher and higher and watch the sky grow darker as you head above the clouds and up out of the atmosphere! Make sure you don’t crash into any of the other vehicles which are all vying for space because one collision and it’s back down to the bottom to begin again. Play it over and over again to keep improving on your previous best score. Can you make it all the way to the top?

Title: Ewe Woz ‘Ere
Credits: Code by Chris Page, Graphics and sound by Chris, Rose and Brent Page.
Synopsis: A cyborg sheep from the future named Baaary must defend his fields from an invasion of meanies, using just his wits and a plasma spitter. It is a score chasing shoot ‘em up with a single life and an emphasis on energy management.

Title: Kugel Blitz
Credits: Code & Graphics by Haplo, Graphics by Marukpa, Music by Richard Bayliss, Fonts by TCH and CyberBrain.
Synopsis: “How long can you hang on before falling to your death?!”

Title: Orcapult
Credits: By Ant Stiller for Puddlesoft
Synopsis: The best orc is an orc flung at its enemy via a catapult. Assault the enemy tower with your green-skinned payloads and conquer its defences before your catapult is destroyed.
(Note: Screenshot is a WIP and may not represent the final version. Many, many orcs were harmed in the making of this game.)

Title: Stacks
Credits: By Derek
Synopsis: You have to repair the chimney stacks one brick at a time.

Title: Mini Danmaku 64
Credits: Everything was coded, drawn & composed by Alexander Martinelle, Cogitare Computing 2020.
Synopsis: The ever smiling alien flirbzies are attacking. It’s up to you to protect your world by figuring out how avoid the onslaught of bullets and obliterate the aliens at the portal.
Good luck with that!

Title: Hose It Out
Credits: Code & Maps by Oziphantom, Graphics by Lobo, Additional maps by Jazzcat.
Synopsis: A simple puzzle game where you have you put out all the burning fires so you can find a way forward 🙂 Make a path for the water and then Hit the water tanks to make it flow and hopefully put out the fires.

Title: Cover Fire!
Credits: By Kamil ‘Jammer’ Wolnikowski
Synopsis: If you enjoyed ‘Gun Fight’ on arcades and its C64 port entitled ‘The Duel’, you will love this two player title as well. This time we abandon wild west setting in favour of modern military operation in the jungle. Kill your opponent and don’t get yourself killed!

Title: Bintris
Credits: Code by Janne Hellsten, Graphics by Iiro Harra.
Synopsis: The game is called BINTRIS. You play Tetris but instead of tetromino pieces, you play with zeros and ones. It’s a major PITA of a game.

Title: Snout About
Credits: Code, Graphics and Sound by Nick Sherman of Crappertronic, a subsidiary of ArlaGames.
Synopsis: ‘Snout About’ is an action game of risk and reward. The quickest way to build a big score is by extending Ian’s snout far and wide, but your reactions will need to be quick to avoid falling hammers from giving your hooter an almighty and game-ending clonk….

Title: sudspccj (working title)
Author: By Goerp
Synopsis: I had the idea for this game for several years. I was thinking about finally learning Unity to realise it, but that never happened. Then the Craptastic 4K compo came along and I started wondering: maybe I can make the game for the Commodore 64, in 4K? I have a working prototype (which was a struggle at times, having never done any floating point calculations in 6502 assembly and having to to refresh my High School trigonometry), but I’m on track for finishing before the deadline. So what I couldn’t do with a modern day 3D game engine looks to be realised on a 38 year old computer in 4K. I love how restrictions sometimes can focus you to realise your ideas! I’d rather not tell too much about the game itself other than: it’s going to be craptastic!

Title: Plazzle
Author: Goerp
Synopsis: I woke up with this simple idea in my head: make a puzzle game with plasmas. And by plasmas I mean the demo effect. The plasma screen is dissected into rectangles and all rectangles are then shuffled. You have to construct the original pattern by switching two rectangles at a time. The player hasn’t seen the original pattern beforehand and because it’s a plasma it’s moving all the time. The code had to be fast but also small, so it required so called speed-code that was generated at run time. Even then I’m very close to 4K, so a few features will have to be sacrificed for a post-compo edition. The game will have a high-score mode and a random mode. Personally I like playing it and I hope others will too.

Title: Blockheads
Credits: Code and Design by Carleton Handley, Graphics by MonstersGoBoom
Synopsis: A Meat Boy style platform game where you can race against the clock in one player mode or against a friend in the split screen two player mode.

Title: Kung Poo Fighter
Credits: A Megastyle Production. Graphics & Code by Roy Fielding, Sound by Roy Widding.
Synopsis: It’s Kung Poo Fighting! Hit it!

Title: RodMän Jr
Credits: Code, Art and Audio by Misfit
Synopsis: The weirdest son of Rodmän & Rodwina got an own game. You must collect pills & bombs and watch out annoying twins Rod and Dave. Craptastic theme gives something different for the game play. 4k causes a few problems and I removed many good ideas. I’m sure I’ll release a bigger and bolder version later.

So there it is. We hope you enjoyed this Craptastic preview and we look forward to being able to play these amazing looking games after deadline. Of course, there are more registered entries and some real Craptastic surprises that weren’t previewed as well!

As usual, a big thank-you to our sponsors and supporters. Please visit their sites and show them your support:

ausretrogamer

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Unkle K / Reset64
Official Twitter account for Reset64 Magazine – dedicated to the world’s favourite 8-bit computer!

Follow Reset64 Magazine on Twitter

 

 

 

 

SEGA Announces the Game Gear Micro

By

Do you remember us gushing last week with the news that SEGA may re-enter the console market? If you recall, we speculated on some pretty cool console concepts that SEGA may have brought to us SEGA starved fans.

Well, it seems that the wait is over! SEGA has blindsided us by announcing their Game Gear Micro, harking back to their popular 90s handheld, the Game Gear. The Game Gear Micro will be 40% smaller than the original and will come in four colour variations, each one with their own four pre-loaded games.

The list of games per Game Gear Micro variant:

  • Game Gear Micro (Black): Sonic The Hedgehog, Puyo Puyo, OutRun, Royal Stone
  • Game Gear Micro (Blue): Sonic & Tales, Gunstar Heroes, Sylvan Tale, Baku Baku Animal
  • Game Gear Micro (Yellow): Shining Force Gaiden, Shining Force: The Sword of Hajya, Shining Force Gaiden: Final Conflict, Nazopuyo Aruru no Rou
  • Game Gear Micro (Red): The GG Shinobi, Columns, Megami Tensei Gaiden: Last Bible, Megami Tensei Gaiden: Last Bible Special

Oh yeah, in addition to these four coloured variants, there will also be a Game Gear Micro Smoke a limited edition unit which can be added to a framed display to showcase the 5 variants (as part of the Deluxe (DX) pack from the Sega Store). If you are a SEGA collector, you may want to jump onto this!

Specifications:

  • Body size : Width 80 mm x Height 43 mm x Depth 20 mm
  • Screen size : 1.15 inches (240×180 pixel)
  • Audio output : Monaural speaker, 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack
  • Power supply : 2 AAA batteries (sold separately), USB micro terminal power supply

image source: Sega 60th Anniversary

The four Game Gear Micro variants will be released on October 6 (coinciding with the original Game Gear’s 30th anniversary) via Amazon (JP), Rakuten Books and the Sega Store with a suggested retail price of ~AU$70. If you don’t have the means to pre-order from these sites, then keep an eye on Play Asia, as they will have them available soon!

1/12 Retro Upright Arcade Cabinet TAITO Set

By

We are suckers for anything that gives us a hit of nostalgia. This officially licensed 1/12 Retro Upright Cabinet TAITO Set has certainly hit our nostalgic spot! These 1/12 scale arcade cabinets definitely bring back that familiarity in playing these machines back in the day.

The awesome bit of kit comes complete with wooden cutouts for the arcade cabinets, cabinet colour artwork, game screens and control panel cards for three of TAITO’s arcade games; KiKi KaiKai, Bubble Bobble and Elevator Action. These are so darn cute!

Product: 1/12 Retro Upright Cabinet TAITO Set
Store: Play Asia
Price: US$17.99 / AU$28.34

image source: Play Asia

 

The Mid-Year Sale Madness

By

We love this time of year as it is the start of the month long mid-year sales! So get your wallets, purses, credit and debit cards ready!

Amazon Australia has kicked off their mid-year sale with discounted products across many categories, including video games, toys, electronics and computer & accessories that scratch our mid-year sale itch.

If you are anything like us, then you keep one eye on eBay every day just in case you find that item you’ve been searching for (for) ages or some bargain deal that satisfies your sales hunger. During this last month of the tax year (June), eBay will be running their The Best of EOFY Sale – with their top EOFY Sale picks here.

Ah yeah, Play-Asia always gets our buying heart racing! Their daily and weekly deals are pretty good, but it is their massive range that gets us excited. Their current sale of in stock items is worth a look, and if that doesn’t thrill you, then perhaps their awesome retro gaming range will – it is full of intoxicating nostalgia!

Next cab of the sales rank is Ozgameshop! They have a lot of perpetual sales, but it’s their clearance sale across all of their departments that has captured our attention.

Ah yeah, Catch.com.au! Catch is another one that loves their perpetual category sales, so you have to be vigilant when great savings are advertised, like the EOFY (End of Financial Year) Home Office blow-out sale – perfect for those that are working from home! The other one that caught our eye is their Heroic Brands up to 50% off sale.

Last but not least, it is Etsy! There are plenty of retro gaming or pinball related sales on right now. We love Etsy, as most sellers make unique items that are hand made and exudes coolness. Hit Etsy now, as you may find something awesome and help out a creator in the process.

 

Sega Celebrates its 60th Anniversary with a New Console, Maybe

By

Well, well, well, the internet went into a mini meltdown with the news circulating that maybe, and this is a big MAYBE, Sega will reveal a new console next week! If this news is true, then we honestly can’t wait, and neither can our Dreamcast – it needs a rest!

Just in case you think we’ve gone bonkers in self isolation, the news broke this week that Japanese digital technology journalist Zenji Nishikawa had hinted at a “huge scoop” during a YouTube live stream. Zenji’s news is set to be published in the June 4 issue of Weekly Famitsu, so mark that date in your diary.

We wish!
source: nerdbacon

For those of you (and us) that want to know what Zenji said, here is the English translation (via Gematsu):

“My column in next week’s issue of Famitsu is crazy. I got a huge scoop… It’s a world premiere article. And an exclusive. It may not be Nikkei or Weekly Bunshun, but if you want to know if it’s a scoop that big…it totally is! It’s a scoop from a game company that everyone loves. An insane scoop. Last year, Wired got the exclusive story on PlayStation 5, right? Other media didn’t. It’s that level of a scoop. I interviewed a certain company’s executive and technical staff, it’s really revolutionary… really, it’s a revolution.

It’ll be in Famitsu next Thursday. I already sent in my manuscript, so the proofs are being made now. It’s a scoop on a level that when the story comes out, other media will make a fuss to the company like, “Why didn’t you let us cover it?” Maybe people will say, “Who was the first to break that story?,” “It was Zenji Nishikawa, right?” It’s a scoop as major as the PlayStation 5 scoop. I just wanted to say that in advance.

I can’t say [anything more] here, but it’s OK for me to tease it (laughs). I was told that it’s OK to do so at various meetings. It’s being talked about in other places. Just not by the media. It’ll rile up the games industry.”

So there you have it folks. Lots of details to speculate on, so we have our fingers crossed that Sega do re-enter the hardware realm to shake things up (and run some cool ads like they used to)!

We Wish Mk II
source: NationStates

source: Sega 60th Anniversary

 

Stern Pinball Unleashes The Heroes In A Half-Shell in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pinball

By

Oh wow, we finally have a good reason to unleash all of the iconic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles quotes we’ve had in our head over the last 30 years! Let’s see how many we can sprinkle in this righteous announcement then! COWABUNGA Dudes!

If you haven’t yet worked out what we are talking about then let’s just cut to the chase, the cool folks at Stern Pinball have just announced their latest cornerstone title, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) pinball! This new machine oozes everything that is great and iconic about the TMNT cartoon series, from the heroes (our fave is Michelangelo – he is such a cool dude), their sensi, Master Splinter, their NYC sewer lair, their tough friends, the villains (yep, we are looking at you Krang, Shredder and the Foot Clan!), lots of pizza and of course, their ultra gnarly vehicles – these machines have captured it all!

Stern Pinball – TMNT Pinball Game Trailer

For those of you that are too excited to read more and just want to check out how the three TMNT pinball models (Pro, Premium and Limited Edition (LE)) look like, scroll down now (and then scroll back here)! Oh yeah, check out the videos too (above) and just a tad further below to whet your Ninja Turtles appetite.

Right, for those of you that are a tad more patient, let’s talk about what we have seen in the press kit, including videos of the different models in action, features list and of course, the hi-res photos of the three models.

Zombie Yeti’s gorgeous playfield artwork (Premium model)

The first thing you notice is the eye popping hand-drawn art by Zombie Yeti (aka: Jeremy Packer) – just check out the pic above (from the Premium model), it’s so bodacious! Each model has a distinct and unique art package, with Zombie Yeti nailing the cartoon aesthetics of this iconic series, and just like Michelangelo drooling over a pizza, we reckon you will be doing the same with the look of these machines – all three are gorgeous!

The design of the game is by none other than John Borg, who brought us The Munsters, Guardians of the Galaxy, Kiss, The Walking Dead, Metallica and Tron: Legacy to name just a few. With a design pedigree like that, you know John will give us all a heart racing and fun shooting machine in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pinball. From the software side, Dwight Sullivan is in charge of code, so we can expect a game that is both deep and easy to get into – perfect for all player skills, from the novice to the pinball wizard.

Stern Pinball – TMNT Pinball Premium / LE game features

Stern Pinball – TMNT Pinball Pro game features

Once we get past the beautiful artwork, we are immediately greeted (and gobsmacked) by the playfield – it’s packed with Turtle Power! There is the obvious differences between the entry (street) level Pro model when compared with the Premium and Limited Edition (LE) – more on this in a bit, however the differences won’t make you feel like you are missing out too much.

All three models are powered by Stern’s SPIKE 2 system and feature three flippers, with the third flipper positioned in the upper left side of the playfield. Other common traits include:

  • a high-speed magnetic spinning pizza disc, capable of holding and throwing 3 balls during pizza multiball mayhem
  • 3 high-speed ramps
  • 3 pop bumpers
  • foot spinning target
  • turtles van
  • hidden ninja training ball lock area
  • 17 RGB software controlled LEDs
  • 6 balls (Pro) / 8 balls (Prem/LE)

For the complete list of features, check out the TMNT Feature Matrix here.

The Premium and LE models up the ante with an interactive custom sculpted Turtles Van, equipped to lock up to 4 balls inside with a mechanical opening/closing side door, ready to unleash multiball havoc. They also feature the iconic TMNT Glider, a custom-sculpted, player-controlled diverter assembly stationed above both ramps, giving players the ability to control and transport the ball to the flipper of their choice. In addition, a custom-sculpted mechanical Krang toy hovers over the pop bumpers, jumping up and down while taunting players throughout game action.

 

As it’s model name suggests, the Limited Edition will be limited to 500 machines globally. The LE oozes additional unique features such as an exclusive mirrored backglass, exclusive custom themed cabinet artwork, a custom autographed bottom arch, exclusive custom art blades that compliment the playfield, upgraded audio system, anti-reflection pinball glass, a shaker motor, and a sequentially numbered plaque.

To spice up the player experience, Stern have implemented a 4-player co-op mode, just like the old Konami TMNT 4-player arcade machine – so the only problem you’ll have is picking which turtle you’ll play as! Completing the theme integration is the audio and video, with the original 1987 theme music, plus 80s tracks complementing the action with speech call outs from 17 characters and custom video scenes and events created exclusively for a complete TMNT immersive pinball experience.

We like what we see in the initial photos and videos of these machines, so to say we can’t wait to flip this would be a gross understatement. Right, it’s time to order some pizza. COWABUNGA!  

Pricing (in $US / $AU)* 

  • TMNT Pro Model: $US 6,099 / $AU 9,450
  • TMNT Premium Model: $US 7,699 / $AU 12,250
  • TMNT Limited Edition Model: $US 9,099 / $AU 14,250

*pricing correct as at time of publishing.

For those of you radical dudes and dudettes that skipped the wall of words above, feast your peepers on Stern’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pinball machines; starting with the Pro, followed by the Premium and LE models. Be warned – scroll slowly, as you may miss something really cool! These are definitely better than cheesy pizza (well, almost) 😉

Stern TMNT Pinball Pro

Stern TMNT Pinball Premium

Stern TMNT Pinball LE

All press assets supplied by: Stern Pinball Inc.