Ms. ausretrogamer

DigitalSoaps: Soap For Retrogamers

March 14, 2015 By Ms. ausretrogamer

Chrystal Doucette started DigitalSoaps in January 2009, she was inspired to create her hand-poured retrogaming-themed glycerin soaps by memories of chocolate 5.25-inch floppy disks from her childhood. Although she didn’t find the chocolate disks, she found many molds shaped like electronics and the rest is history.

Check out Chrystal’s Etsy shop – it has enough soap and shampoo to even get Mario clean after a trip down the sewer! Here a few of the best (just don’t get them mixed up and try to use them with your precious consoles).

Chrystal and a SNES soap

The Legend of Zudsa Ocarina of Grime!

Press A to scrub

Gotta wash em all: Poke Ball with surprise toy inside

Soapemon Game Boy cartridge set

Soapy PlayStation

Bath time awaits! PS4

Genesis does what regular soap don’t

Soaper Mario Bros. 3

Soapic the Hedgehog 2

Mario Bath 64

Wetris

Jump in the bath: Xbox 360

Donkey Klean Country

Source: Geekologie, DigitalSoaps Etsy Shop

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Ms. ausretrogamer
Editor and Researcher at ausretrogamer – The Australian Retro Gamer E-Zine. Lover of science fiction, fashion, books, movies and TV. Player of games, old and new.

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Jeri Ellsworth’s Fantastic Inventions

March 11, 2015 By Ms. ausretrogamer

Jeri Ellsworth is a self-taught computer chip designer and entrepreneur best known for creating a complete Commodore 64 system on a chip within a (Ed: Comp Pro) joystick – the ‘C64 Direct-to-TV’.

Jeri and the C64DTV

Jeri’s YouTube channel is full of videos showcasing her fantastic inventions – here are just a few:

C64 Purse

Source: Jeri Ellsworth’s YouTube Channel

C64 Bass Guitar

Source: Jeri Ellsworth’s YouTube Channel

Half-Life Crowbar Controller

Source: Jeri Ellsworth’s YouTube Channel

Rubik’s Cube & Nintendo Controller Mouse Mods

Source: Jeri Ellsworth’s YouTube Channel

Source: Geekologie; Jeri Ellsworth’s YouTube Channel; Wikipedia

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Ms. ausretrogamer
Editor and Researcher at ausretrogamer – The Australian Retro Gamer E-Zine. Lover of science fiction, fashion, books, movies and TV. Player of games, old and new.

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Syd Bolton’s Video Game Collection And Personal Computer Museum

March 7, 2015 By Ms. ausretrogamer

Next time I’m in Brantford, Ontario I know where I’m going: Syd Bolton’s Personal Computer Museum!

According to the website, they have over 45 interactive computer displays and over 1,000 computers in total. The collection consist of a massive 25,000 artifacts (including computers, software, magazines and books) with approximately 5,000 items in the museum at any given time. Check out the lists of computers and software.

The museum is open on select dates as well as for school/group tours (best school excursion ever!).

Syd is Canada’s top video game collector – watch him and his partner Jenny Schween talk about what it’s like to have such a large collection of video games (15,000!) and computers:

Source: Syd Bolton’s YouTube Channel

Source: The Personal Computer Museum Facebook Page, The Personal Computer Museum Website, Syd Bolton’s YouTube Channel

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Ms. ausretrogamer
Editor and Researcher at ausretrogamer – The Australian Retro Gamer E-Zine. Lover of science fiction, fashion, books, movies and TV. Player of games, old and new.

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Back To The Nineties: Magic Eye Pictures

March 3, 2015 By Ms. ausretrogamer

I got excited again about magic eye pictures after reading about how they work and why some people can’t see them on Mental Floss. Here are some retrogaming-themed magic eye pictures for a dual hit of nostalgia.

Mario

Yoshi

Hopefully you’re not like poor Willam from Mallrats who just couldn’t see that sailboat!

Source: YouTube

…but maybe that’s because there WAS NO SAILBOAT!

Source: YouTube

Now I need to rest my eyes, I think it will be another 20 years before I’m ready to look at another magic eye picture!

Source: Magic Eye Retrogaming on Flickr, Mental Floss, Super Mario Broth

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Ms. ausretrogamer
Editor and Researcher at ausretrogamer – The Australian Retro Gamer E-Zine. Lover of science fiction, fashion, books, movies and TV. Player of games, old and new.

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Timezone Forest Hill Chase

March 2, 2015 By Ms. ausretrogamer

Ausretrogamer and I are no strangers to arcades – check out our previous stories about the giant Timezone Family Entertainment Centre on the Gold Coast and San Francisco’s Musée Mécanique.

We recently discovered a new fun arcade a little closer to home – Timezone Forest Hill.

Before visiting I was dubious we could have as much fun as promised by the pictures on the website, but I was wrong. Despite its relatively small size, there were plenty of quality machines: Batman, Mario Kart 2, Tekken 6, Virtua Tennis and Time Crisis 4, among others.

The fun promised by the photos on the website seemed too good to be true

Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Batman

Woo Hoo! Mario Kart 2

Tekken 6 and Virtua Tennis – Game, Set, Match

However, the highlight was the Stern Star Trek Pro pinball machine, one of the Australian Timezone Supanova Pinball Championship qualification tables. I think we will be heading back before entries close on 29 March for ausretrogamer to try his luck at qualifying for the Victorian state final!

And what better way to finish off than a visit to TGI Fridays where the geeky / retro theme was continued.

Hasta la vista, Timezone Forest Hill!

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Ms. ausretrogamer
Editor and Researcher at ausretrogamer – The Australian Retro Gamer E-Zine. Lover of science fiction, fashion, books, movies and TV. Player of games, old and new.

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University Of Calgary’s Video Game Library: Time To Go Back To School

February 28, 2015 By Ms. ausretrogamer

Established in 2010, the University of Calgary’s Taylor Family Digital Library (TFDL) Digital Media Commons contains (among other techy things) a unique collection of cutting edge gaming PCs, retro and contemporary gaming consoles, and software from the 1970’s to current gen.

The collection is open to students, staff and the public. They plausibly claim it is the largest collection of video games for academic studies in the nation.

The game catalogue consists of mainstream titles, educational games as well as unique and independent games – you can browse the catalogue HERE.

The University also offers a class in Computer Game Design, which includes a history of video games.

Watch the Games and Related Media Librarian talk about the collection:

Source: University of Calgary, UToday, YouTube

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Ms. ausretrogamer
Editor and Researcher at ausretrogamer – The Australian Retro Gamer E-Zine. Lover of science fiction, fashion, books, movies and TV. Player of games, old and new.

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Pimp My Ride: Yo Dawg, I Heard You Like Video Games

February 26, 2015 By Ms. ausretrogamer

Personalised number plates are a good way to show your love of video games, here are some prime examples.

But why not go the whole nine yards and pimp your ride video gaming-style! Check out these beauties:

I bet these are electric cars (Source 1, Source 2, Source 3)

Gotta go faster, faster, faster, faster, faster!

The cake is in the van

The Goombas don’t have a chance! (Source 1, Source 2, Source 3)

Pac-Car (Source 1, Source 2)

Parking Space Invaders (Source 1, Source 2)

For the SNES lover

The above cars are great for sure – but they have nothing on this last amazing ride: an Out Run arcade that drives as you play!

As described on the project’s website: ‘Garnet Hertz’s video game concept car combines a car-shaped arcade game cabinet with a real world electric vehicle to produce a video game system that actually drives. OutRun offers a unique mixed reality simulation as one physically drives through an 8-bit video game. The windshield of the system features custom software that transforms the real world into an 8-bit video game, enabling the user to have limitless gameplay opportunities while driving’. Visit the Concept Lab website for more info, additional photos and videos.

Source: Concept Lab

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Ms. ausretrogamer
Editor and Researcher at ausretrogamer – The Australian Retro Gamer E-Zine. Lover of science fiction, fashion, books, movies and TV. Player of games, old and new.

Follow Ms. ausretrogamer on Twitter

Video Game Postage Stamps: A New Thing To Collect

February 23, 2015 By Ms. ausretrogamer

In October 2014, Ireland’s An Post issued four stamps celebrating four of the most recognisable game icons in modern history: Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog.

The stamps were designed by graphic design studio Zinc Design Consultants, and are available for €2.72 for the set of four at the stamp shop in Dublin’s GPO or online.

These aren’t the first retrogaming stamps though, in 2005 the French postal service (La Poste) released a collection of stamps titled “Heros des Jeux-Video” (Heroes of Video Games). The set of ten includes stamps featuring Link, Mario, Pac-Man, Prince of Persia, Rayman, Spyro the Dragon, Donkey Kong, and Lara Croft.

But for the ultimate guide to video game stamps visit Computer Stamps’ Video Games Postage Stamps page. Here you will find:

An adorable set of Japanese 8-bit Super Mario stamps from 2006.

The Celebrate the Century: 1980s set from the U.S. Postal Service, 2000 featuring many icons from the 1980s (e.g. ET, Cabbage Patch dolls, hip hop) – including one with kids playing Defender on the Atari 2600.

Israel’s ‘Computer Games’ set from 1990.

Palau’s ‘The Information Age: Visionaries in the Twentieth Century’ set from 1999 – of the 25 stamps, two feature Nolan Bushnell – Atari founder, and Rand and Robyn Miller – developers of Myst.

Central African Republic’s ‘Street Fighter 3rd Strike’ set from 1999.

All I can say is – come on Australia Post, where are our video game postage stamps!

Source: Tech Times, An Post Media Release, Joystiq, Computer Stamps
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Ms. ausretrogamer
Editor and Researcher at ausretrogamer – The Australian Retro Gamer E-Zine. Lover of science fiction, fashion, books, movies and TV. Player of games, old and new.

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Ha-Shoe-Ken! Awesome Geeky Shoes

February 18, 2015 By Ms. ausretrogamer

I am a sucker for shoes. Sneakers, boots, high heels, platforms, sandals – I love them all. Check out this assortment of awesome geeky shoes – some officially licensed products, some one-off custom designs. You’ll be a shoe-lover too after this!

Gotta Go Fast

I’m Green With Envy at These Blanka Hi-Tops

Tricera-Hi-Tops: Solving Society’s Problem of a Lack of Wearable Dinosaurs

It’s-a Super Mario Bros. Converse

Officially Licensed Dragon Ball Z Shoes

Do You Want to Wear These Boots?

Ready For Adventure!

I’m En-Raptured

Hadouken! (by Maya Pixelskaya)

My Kind of 1-Up

Get Away From My Shoes, You Bitch!

April’s Favourite Shoes

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Ms. ausretrogamer
Co-founder, editor and writer at ausretrogamer – The Australian Retro Gamer E-Zine. Lover of science fiction, fashion, books, movies and TV. Player of games, old and new.

Follow Ms. ausretrogamer on Twitter

The Physics Of Mario’s Super Jumping Ability

February 17, 2015 By Ms. ausretrogamer

PBS Space Time is a weekly YouTube program that ‘explores the outer reaches of space, the craziness of astrophysics, the possibilities of sci-fi, and anything else you can think of beyond Planet Earth’ with host Gabe Perez-Giz – an astrophysicist who studies black hole physics.

In this episode they look into the secret behind Mario’s amazing jumping ability – is gravity in Super Mario World weaker than Earth, and could Super Mario World exist on one of the planets in our Solar System? Or does Mario just have really, really strong legs? Watch the video to find out!

Source: Laughing Squid and PBS Space Time

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Ms. ausretrogamer
Editor and Researcher at ausretrogamer – The Australian Retro Gamer E-Zine. Lover of science fiction, fashion, books, movies and TV. Player of games, old and new.

Follow Ms. ausretrogamer on Twitter

Ms. ausretrogamer

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