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A X68000 Mini Is Coming

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Now here is one out of left field! Not to be outdone by the likes of Nintendo, Sega and a plethora of other minis on the market, Mizuki (a one-stop service provider from planning to mass production of electronic products) teased on their Twitter account that they are planning to produce a X68000 Mini, which by the look of the photos, looks pretty darn awesome!

It looks like the product will have a pop-up carrying handle on top of the main body, just like the real Sharp X68K! Complete with a mouse that is also a trackball and a LED keyboard, which they are considering to add a keycap exchange gimmick – so clever!

Is your mind blown yet? Ours definitely is. No other official announcements have been made, but let’s just say that WE WANT THIS ASAP!

source: Zuiki Inc. on Twitter



Taito Egret II Mini Arcade To Get An Update

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TAITO EGRET II MINI OWNERS: There will be an update that can be downloaded starting September 5th!

This is awesome news for those of you that were lucky enough to snag the Taito Egret II Mini. To commemorate the half year anniversary of the Egret II Mini, a commemorative program will be broadcast live on Famitsu Tube.

This live web broadcast will be delivered by the editorial department of Famitsu.com – a Japanese gaming and entertainment information/magazine site. Celebrities known for their love of games will serve as MCs and introduce the appeal of the latest games together with the Famitsu staff.


source: FamitsuTube

Voice actor Miyu Takagi will be the Master Of Ceremonies of the live broadcast this Friday, September 2nd.  There is much excitement in anticipating what will be revealed this Friday in relation to the half-year anniversary of the Taito’s Egret II Mini. Some of the updates that Taito has disclosed for the Egret II Mini ( available on September 5th) include:

  • Game Adjustments including controls (including spinner controller)
  • Bug Fixes on 8 titles
  • Display Adjustments whereby the aspect ratio of all 50 titles displayed on the main unit to be changed to 4:3, also changing the aspect ratio to 4:3 for screen display via HDMI output. Resolution of the title wallpapers will also be lowered to improve game performance while connecting to a TV via HDMI

You will need an SD card (or micro SDHC card with a SD conversion adapter) to transfer the update from your computer to the Egret II Mini. You will need at least 512 MB (FAT32) to store the update. We can’t wait!



story source: Taito

Cosplay Championships to debut at PAX Aus 2022

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Leading into PAX Aus 2022 this October, we thought we’d let you all know about the Cosplay Central Crown Championships, which will debut at PAX Aus 2022.

The Australian leg of the championships is a stepping stone for cosplayers who will be given the chance to take to the stage and show off their craftsmanship – with the chance to take to the global stage at C2E2 for the finals.

The judges for the event are Henchwench, WhereIsDanielle, and Scrap Shop Props – just a few of the greats from our region.

You can enter The Cosplay Central Crown Championship here. Entries close 11:59pm AEDT, September 5th, 2022.

source: PAX Aus 2018 Cosplay Highlights



GoldenEra – A Documentary about GoldenEye for the N64 will screen at the Astor for 1 night only!

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For all Nintendo 64 GoldenEye 007 fans in Melbourne, mark yourself busy, as Melbourne produced documentary, GoldenEra, will be screening at the prestigious Astor Theatre on the 10th of September for one night only!

Just in case you have been living off the grid, GoldenEra is a documentary film about one of the most influential video games of all time – Goldeneye 007. Celebrating its 25th anniversary, GoldenEye 007 on the Nintendo 64 holds a special place in history and defined a generation of gamers. Made in the mid 90s at the birth of the 3D era, GoldenEye sold over 8 million copies, making a huge cultural impact on a generation of gamers due to its innovative mechanics and beloved multiplayer features.

The game was made by an inexperienced group of graduates from countryside England and went on to be a system seller for the Nintendo 64, outselling 1st party titles like Zelda. Most notably Goldeneye would set the stage for the FPS genre to dominate the gaming industry, ushering in a new era of console gaming.

This film celebrates a watershed moment in gaming history and explores the creative process behind the game, the culture in which innovation thrived, and the team from countryside England whose ambition, innovation and ingenuity resulted in countless hours of joy for players around the world.

Get your tickets now before they sell out!



You Can Now Play OutRun on Atari 8-Bit Computers!

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Say what?! Yep, OutRun can be played on your Atari 8-bit (A8) XE/XL computers!

This is a Work In Progress (WIP), so there is more content/improvements coming, but for now, it is still looking and sounding pretty darn good!

Read up on the development/progress of OutRun on the AtariAge forum and download the WIP file direct from here. Brush the dust off your A8 computers (grab your Atari MAX cart) and get some OutRun into ya!


source: Atari 8-Bits Forever



Film: ‘Pinball – The Man Who Saved The Game’

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Pinball movie

PINBALL (The Man Who Saved The Game) is based on the true story of Roger C. Sharpe, the GQ journalist and real-life pinball wizard who in 1976 single-handedly overturned New York City’s 35-year ban on pinball machines. With Roger onboard as the Executive Producer and Technical Consultant, we are assured that this will be an accurate account of the events in 1976 that saved the silverball game.

The “shot” that saved pinball
Roger Sharpe takes the shotsource: 40th Anniversary “He Called The Shot” Painting featuring Roger Sharpe

The film was officially selected and will make its world premiere in October at the 30th anniversary of the Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF). The film festival takes place from October 7th to October 6th, 2022. If you are lucky enough to be able to attend, general admission tickets will go on sale beginning September 27th, 2022 – we so wish we could be there to watch this film!

Pinball Film movie poster

Pinball - The Man Who Saved The Game - movie posterimage source: Pinball Film



Pinball Brothers Will Rock You With The New Queen Pinball Machine

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QUEEN & PINBALL BROTHERS ANNOUNCES NEW PINBALL MACHINE:

QUEEN – LIVE IN CONCERT!

With over 300 million albums sold worldwide, the iconic British rock band Queen are one of the biggest bands ever. Formed in London in 1971, Queen have released 15 studio albums, toured extensively, and produced innovative film, video and theatre shows for over 5 decades and they continue to pull in the crowds around the world.

The time has now come to honour this legendary band with a pinball machine based on their truly spell-binding songs – all played LIVE!

The game will be available in two different editions: Champions Edition and Rhapsody Edition. The Rhapsody Edition is limited to a run of 1,000 numbered games and comes with a certificate of authenticity. The limited Rhapsody Edition will come with a number of unique add-ons and the two editions will be different in appearance – see pics below!

Pinball Brothers have worked closely with the band to ensure their approval, which features the following live songs:

  • A Kind Of Magic,
  • Another One Bites The Dust,
  • Bohemian Rhapsody,
  • Hammer To Fall,
  • I Want To Break Free,
  • Killer Queen,
  • One Vision,
  • Play The Game,
  • Radio Ga Ga,
  • Seven Seas Of Rhye,
  • Somebody To Love,
  • We Will Rock You,
  • We Are The Champions; and
  • Who Wants To Live Forever

Game Features

The game features 14 live songs accompanied by call outs by the band, exclusively recorded for the game. Featured also is Brian May’s legendary Red Special guitar, in the shape of an upper playfield where you can lock balls to start the Red Special multiball. Or you can visit the epic Wembley Stadium to lock balls to start yet another of the game’s many multiballs.

Keep an eye on the Radio – it might help you time your flips! Collect autographs, instruments, band members, tour passes and posters on your way to eventually reaching the final wizard mode »I Want it All!«

The game is presented with an awesome full RGB light show and a Hi-Fidelity sound system, including an 8” bass speaker. It is hard to imagine a better way of experiencing Queen live, whether it be at the club or in your own living room. It is truly immersive! This machine will truly rock you!!!

Pricing and Availability

  • Champions Edition (Orange artwork)* 9,295 USD
  • Rhapsody Limited Edition (Golden artwork)^ 10,995 USD

* The Champions Edition will become available in Q1 2023.
^The Rhapsody Edition is limited to 1000 units and will be available through Pinball Brothers’ global distributors.

The new Queen pinball machines can be pre-ordered via your local distributor right now! For Australian folks keen on these machines, please contact Mr. Pinball Australia.

Follow all things Queen Pinball on the dedicated Queen.Pinball Instagram page!



Monopoly Theme Park Coming To Melbourne

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The developers of the popular Monopoly theme park in Hong Kong, Derek Lo and Stephen Lo, are hoping to capitalise on the popularity of the board game by opening a second Monopoly themed park called Monopoly Dreams, in Melbourne, with all the trimmings of the iconic board game, like passing GO, going to jail, Community Chest and as well as Chance!

The $20 million dollar Melbourne location will be modelled on the original site and will be a considerable 1,650 square metre Monopoly themed indoor park inside Melbourne Central.

There will be a total of 15 attractions across the expansive space, split into two sections where guests will be able to win real prizes. Guests will also be able to win money to spend in the on-site café and retail store.

There’s no set date as to when Monopoly Dreams Melbourne will open, though it’s likely to be later in 2022.

image source: Monopoly Dreams



Intoxicating Nostalgia: The LEGO Icons Atari VCS (10306) Set

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Here we were thinking it doesn’t get any better than Lego’s Nintendo Entertainment System set, but looks like we were terribly mistaken! Lego have now gone up another level with their amazing Atari VCS/2600 (10306) set! Just look at the intricate detail, it oozes an intoxicating aroma of nostalgia. The set contains 2,532 pieces that create the iconic woodgrain console, three game carts, a CX40 joystick, three-shelf cabinet and three 3D vignettes of classic 2D games!

Just like when the Lego NES set was released, this won’t be cheap. Slated at a retail price of AU$369.99, you can grab one from 1st August – not long to wait now!

image source: Brickfinder – Facebook



Lego Ideas: Game Boy Colour Transformer “PRISMATIS”

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We love Lego Ideas that have a nostalgic link to our past, just like this Game Boy Colour Transformer “PRISMATIS” by Baron Von Brunk.

Built in 2017, this particular Lego Ideas entry is based on an iconic full-size 1990s Game Boy Color, with its crisp lime green colours, a battery case on the back that comes off to store two batteries that double as missiles – how clever! Baron tells us that the transformation process is straight forward without the need to remove parts. The Transformer arms and hands are articulated with individual fingers on each hand – talk about attention to detail! Oh yeah, how cool is that speaker vent – another great touch to this very cool Lego Ideas entrant.