AUSRETROGAMER

The Pop-Culture E-Zine

You are here: Home / Archives for ausretrogamer

ausretrogamer

Nintendo Switch GameCube Controller Mod

By

When it comes to hacking or modding, there are certain creations that make a lot of sense. Shank Mods’ Nintendo Switch GameCube Joy-Cons are exactly the mod we would love to become a retail product for all of us to enjoy!

Shank Mods goes into detail of this creation, which wasn’t easy, by any stretch of the imagination. Us mere mortals would be incapable to follow the instructions for fear of bricking our Switch or worse, sacrificing a working GameCube controller which would no doubt end up breaking. Having said that, there are other peeps out there that are adept to following instructions and taking calculated risks, which pay off – and this one is a big pay off, as the Joy-Cons are based on one of the best controllers of all time!

As this mod was quite gruelling, Shank Mods has confirmed that these Nintendo Switch GameCube Joy-Cons are a one-off, making them super ultra rare. So if you would like a pair, you better get hacking!


source: Shank Mods

[story source: technabob]

 

Bushfire Benefit Gig: Songs from Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater

By

All of us have been anxiously watching the bushfire devastation gripping Australia for the last couple of months, with no respite in sight. To say it has been heartbreaking would be a gross understatement.

The good folks at The Croxton Bandroom are putting on a gig for this coming weekend (Saturday, January 18) which all proceeds will be donated.

The below event information was provided by The Croxton Bandroom which we are happy to publish here for anyone that is keen to attend and know that their ticket purchase will benefit those that have been affected by the bushfires.


“There’s a place where everybody can be happy…”

This summer The Croxton Bandroom plays host to an array of Melbourne’s most menacing musicians who will join forces to play your favourite anthems from the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater video game soundtracks. An array of band members will be present from Destrends, Mesa Cosa, Defron Sugar Teeth, Electric Self, Mangelwurzel, Dick Willoughby & the Dirty Stop Outs and heaps more!

The best part of this gig is that ALL proceeds will be going directly to the Fire Relief Fund for First Nations Communities.

Oh yeah, if you’ve got the moves, a Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater PlayStation competition will be run in the front bar from 6:00PM with prize giveaways for the winners.

The Croxton Bandroom doors open at 8:00PM this Saturday (January 18, 2020). Tickets $24.50 via Oztix.

 

Super Mario World Guitar

By

Still get surprised to the lengths some talented folks go to for merging their passions, like this Cranmer Guitars built Super Mario World guitar, made from 10,000 lollipop sticks!

We just want to know, how long did it take to lick and eat all those lollipops!
Oh yeah, we love the guitar 🙂

[story and image source: Geekologie]

Royal Mail Video Games Stamps

By

Whoa, how darn awesome is this – Royal Mail (Australia Post equivalent in the UK) has announced their latest special stamp set based on iconic and classic UK-designed video games from the 80s and 90s!

There are quite a few items to choose from this special Royal Mail Video Games stamp set; from presentation packs, framed stamps, collector’s sheets, to postcards, collector packs, souvenirs and stamp books, there is something for everyone and for every budget.

These special stamp sets go on sale on January 21, 2020! If you want more info or would like to pre-order these cool stamp sets, go here.

PS: We wouldn’t mind some of their Star Wars stamps too 😉

image source: Royal Mail

 

CES 2020 Unveiled – Cool Retro Tech You’ll Want To Play With

By

Before the big CES 2020 event kicks off, the CES Unveiled event showcases the latest products and trends leading up to the main event.

Three products caught our attention from Arcade1Up, iiRcade and My Arcade which we thought we’d share with you all below.

We can’t wait to find out more about these hot items, so stay tuned!

1. Arcade1Up 3/4 Scale Digital Pinball Machines

Arcade1Up has teamed up with our friends at Zen Studios to bring you a couple of pretty awesome three-quarter size pinball machines which include titles from Bally/Williams and other yet to be announced, big names in the pinball space! We love both the Star Wars and Attack From Mars machines and can’t wait to hear more about them.

image source: northvibe via pinside

2. iiRcade – The Ultimate Home Arcade

This new ultimate home arcade, iiRcade, with online capabilities, enables gamers to legally download and play their favourite officially licensed arcade games – no more shady arcade ROM sites! Gamers who want to enjoy their favourite retro arcade games or play modern games in the arcade environment can now have the full arcade experience in their homes, either in a full size stand-up or bartop guise, it is up to you. With iiRcade, gamers can select and purchase a game they want on iiRcade’s app store, which is then automatically downloaded and installed on their iiRcade machine.

image source: iiRcade

3. My Arcade Super Retro Champ Console

The Super Retro Champ console is the successor to My Arcade’s award-winning Retro Champ and enables retro gamers to enjoy their SNES, Super Famicom, and Sega Genesis/Mega Drive cartridges from a single console. The Super Retro Champ features a 7-inch screen and a built-in rechargeable battery that offers up to 5 hours of play time. Retro gamers can play the Super Retro Champ in handheld mode or use the 2 included wireless gamepads to play in tabletop and TV mode. An HDMI® output allows users to enjoy their classic games from the comfort of their couch.

image source: Games Press

 

Celebrating Our 8th Anniversary!

By

It is amazing to think that we started ausretrogamer 8 years ago! How time flies when you are having fun!

When we started our site and social media channels in January 2012, we had no idea what was to come. We were pleasantly surprised to find so many like-minded people who enjoyed playing and talking about old games we used to play many many decades ago. Nostalgia is a powerful force that binds us all – long may it continue!

To all the people that have contributed and to those that are still contributing content and everyone that engages with us, thank you very much – you all rock our world!

Looking forward to another year full of retro gaming goodness 🙂

 

 

Happy Holidays and All The Best For 2020!

By


Ho Ho Ho, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Festivus and Season’s Greetings everyone! No matter your type of gaming fun, be it modern, retro, pinball or something in between,  we hope you all have a wonderful Festive Season and may your 2020 be filled with happiness, prosperity, lots of fun and good health!

The ausretrogamer and pinball press teams will be taking a short break to enjoy this time of year with family and friends. See you all in 2020 🙂

image source: Redbubble

image source: VPinball

 

Stern Pinball Unveils STRANGER THINGS Pinball! It’s Bitchin’

By


Stern Pinball Inc. announced today their new line of pinball machines celebrating the iconic Netflix series, Stranger Things!

Stranger Things is the comeback game for one of our favourite pinball designers of all time, Brian Eddy. Brian joined Stern Pinball in 2017 after being out of the pinball design game for a couple of decades. Brian is best known for two of the greatest machines of all time, Medieval Madness and Attack From Mars. With that kind of design pedigree, the excitement is quite high for his debut Stern title.

Well, from what we have seen of the three editions (Pro, Premium and Limited Edition), we reckon Brian has given us something magical – mind you, we haven’t played it yet, so once we do, we’ll give you our opinion.


source: Stern Pinball Inc.

Experience the terrifying forces in Hawkins, Indiana that turn this small town “upside down” with supernatural elements, strange sightings, and government secrets. Stranger Things pinball machines will immerse players in a search to unravel the extraordinary mysteries and secret government experiments taking place at the Hawkins National Laboratory. The gameplay focuses on unlocking the hidden meanings of supernatural events occurring in and around the town, including the appearance of a girl known as “Eleven” with telekinetic abilities. The ball is wild as Mike, Lucas, Dustin, Will, Joyce, and Police Chief Jim Hopper help Eleven close the dimensional gate.

The Pro, Premium, and Limited Edition models all feature distinct hand-drawn art in addition to the custom sculpted, interactive Demogorgon bash toy, guarded by drop targets and a rotating ramp. All models include two hideout ball scoops, a Demodog spinner, three custom ramps, and game rules that will transport players into the Upside Down.

The Premium and Limited Edition models feature a first ever video projector that displays images and animations directly on the playfield, creating dramatic interactions with gameplay action. The center of the playfield features a unique ramp that doubles as a screen and leads the player into a direct battle with the Demogorgon. These models also feature a new Eleven themed “telekinetic” magnetic ball lock.

As mentioned already, we’ll let you know what we think of Stranger Things pinball once we flip it – so stay tuned!

source: Stern Pinball Inc.

Custom Mario Sunshine GameCube

By

CustomMarioGCN_HDRWe love receiving emails from modders out there to show us their customisation work.

We received an email from Dorison Hugo (aka: @lyberty5 on Twitter) who tinkered with his purple GameCube to make it look like as if Mario was trapped inside the console. Dorison explains that this was a cosmetic mod, which still needed a bit of tinkering to get it done – like freeing up the space, in which he had to move the fan onto the other side of the case. Also, he had to drill small holes to allow air intake near the Mario figurine to ensure the console would not overheat.

This is a fairly simple and cheap-ish mod, with the window frame and Mario being made out of cheap water-based clay. Dorison has shown ingenuity throughout this customisation, including the use of cotton tips (Q-tips) acting as the prison bars. Dorison’s aim was to show that no real (and expensive) equipment was needed for a simple mod.

Have you customised your consoles? If you have, we’d love to check them out – hit us up on Twitter or Facebook!

image source: Dorison Hugo

 

Project D – F1 Spirit

By

If you thought the contemporary F1 Spirit video game, a remake of the classic MSX title by Konami, was awesome, wait till you play Retro Reloader’s Project D – F1 Spirit, a tweaked version of Brain Games‘ remake with Initial D arcade style elements, from the music, sound effects, to the enemies, graphics and menu.

Go and burn some rubber, drift or blast a berm in Project D – F1 Spirit!


source: John Retro Reloader