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Oz Comic-Con is back with OCC Pop Up Shows!

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Oz Comic-Con gets back to the grassroots of pop culture with the launch of community-based OCC POP UP shows

In a year that relegated fans to virtual conventions, the team behind Oz Comic-Con are thrilled to announce the launch of their first LIVE event of 2021. OCC POP UP is a community-based event
showcasing the local pop-culture scene and is set to hit Sydney Showground on March 6th and 7th. We can assure you that masking up has never felt this good.

Since its Australian launch back in 2012, Oz Comic-Con has secured a permanent place within the hearts of fans across the country through its ongoing support of the local community. Although things may seem a little different this time around, OCC POP UP will encompass everything we have come to love and know over the years.

With a jam-packed schedule full of workshops and activities, attendees can expect appearances from local creators, comic artists, gaming and freeplay opportunities, industry talks and panels and exclusive merchandise that can’t be found anywhere else. Some of the highlights include:

  • Creators Live – an area dedicated to promoting Australian digital content creators such as YouTubers, streamers, podcasters, bloggers, and influencers. Whilst it’s a great chance to sell merch and network with each other, Creators Live provides a new platform amongst an ever growing community and a chance for Creators to interact with their fans;
  • Cosplay Active – a cosplay competition for mainstream competitors that find themselves a step above the Cosplay Parade but not quite ready for the Championships of Cosplay. Open to both solo and group performances, Cosplay Active is an opportunity to showcase crafting talents, perform a skit, and bring along the PLAY component of cosplay. And, even your pets can get involved, with the finalists of the OCC Pet Cosplay being invited to attend the Con;

Confirmed guests for the OCC POP UP include Queenie Chan (The Dreaming, Fabled Kingdom), Christopher Sequeria (Sherlock Holmes: The Australian Casebook, The SuperAustralians ), Louie Joyce (Haphaven, Past the Last Mountain ), and JusZ Cosplay, with more announcements yet to come.

A first-of-its-kind event in Australia, OCC POP UP is truly an event for the whole family no matter what fandom you belong to. For more information about the event, guest announcements, and to purchase tickets, please go here.

EVENT DETAILS:

  • OCC POP UP Sydney
  • WHEN: March 6 – 7, 2021
  • WHERE: Sydney Showground, 1 Showground Road, Sydney Olympic Park

TICKET INFO:

Tickets to OCC POP UP will be sold in sessions with a limited amount of full day tickets available for each day. In full compliance with government guidelines and regulations, session times will allow for crowd management in a controlled environment. For more information about ticketing and general information regarding OCC’s COVID guidelines, please visit the Oz Comic-Con site.

 

 

The Boy Who Thought Outside the Box: The Story of Video Game Inventor Ralph Baer

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Are you like us, obsessed with the Atari 2600, Intellivision, NES, Sega Master System, 3DO, GameCube, Xbox, PlayStation 5 and everything in-between? Meet the inventor whose work made them all possible – Ralph Baer, creator of the first home video game system, the ‘Brown Box’ (which became the Magnavox Odyssey)!

The Boy Who Thought Outside The Box – The Story of Video Game Inventor Ralph Baer is an awesome picture-book biography of Ralph Baer, whose family fled Nazi Germany for the US. It introduces kids (Ed: and adults!) to a great inventor and the birth of the first home video games console. Using wartime technology, Baer thought outside the box and transformed the television set into a vehicle for gaming; Baer’s invention, the Odyssey, was the precursor to the Atari VCS. Today, interactive gaming systems like the Switch, Xbox and PlayStation are descendants of Ralph’s innovative ‘Brown Box,’ making this award-winning inventor the true ‘Father of Video Games.’

The hardcover book is available via Amazon for AUD$18.99.

Ralph Baer book

 

Alien Pinball by Pinball Brothers: The Beast Is Back

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It was all quiet on the Pinball Brothers front since the demise of the Heighway Pinball venture a few years ago.

Just like the rise of the phoenix (Ed: or should that be Xenomorph?), so have the Pinball Brothers ! Towards the end of 2020, we noticed that Pinball Brothers (PB) had quietly setup their online presence with a website and social media channels, which immediately piqued our interest and set off our motion tracker.

With nothing much to glean in the way of pinball news or information from their site initially, we kept a close eye on their cryptic social media posts, which were intriguing to say the least. With every tweet, Facebook and Instagram post, we were glued to our social timeline, trying to piece together their cryptic clues. Surely all of this was pointing to the resurrection of the Alien pinball machine.

Well, on December 18, 2020, all was answered of course when the Pinball Brothers team appeared on The Super Awesome Pinball Show (TSAPS podcast) – announcing that the coveted Alien pinball machine was going to be relaunched! For those that do not know the history of Alien pinball or Pinball Brothers’ involvement in the failed Heighway Pinball saga, we’ll spare you the sordid details here, as there are plenty of posts on forums and other pinball news sites that have documented their past quite well (Ed: Google is your friend!).

We first played the Heighway Pinball ALIEN machine at FlipOut 2018 – the theme integration was off the charts!

From their interview on TSAPS, the good news was that they were working on bringing back an Alien Standard Version (SV) first, followed by a Limited Version (LV) towards the middle of 2021. Even better news was that they were not going to take pre-order money this time, meaning that if you want one of their new Alien pinball machines, you would have to go via one of PB’s approved distributors (for those in Australia, the local distributor is Mr. Pinball Australia). As you could imagine, distributors were immediately inundated with pinballers clamouring to get on the list for an Alien Standard Version – the Limited Version order banks have not yet opened. Interestingly, PB did not disclose any more details about the features on the Limited Version of the machine, which has left folks speculating of what will (or won’t) appear on the high-end machine.

This Alien pinball remake has had a number of tweaks that distinguish it from the original Heighway Pinball version, including a standard backbox, wide-body Bally Williams style cabinet, removal of the LCD on the playfield above the flippers and a physical ball lock to name just a few. PB mentioned that they had also spent these last two years working under the hood to ensure that this new Alien pinball experience would be durable and reliable, something that the original was not (without a lot of tinkering and TLC).

Heighway Pinball’s ALIEN (left) and PB’s ALIEN remake (right)

With their almost indestructible playfields being produced in Germany by Buthamburg, the build and manufacturing of the machines will be in Italy, by Pedretti Gaming, who produce pinball replacement parts and sell used pinball machines. 2021 just got interesting, and rest assured, we’ll be keeping a close eye on this Xenomorphic pinball venture!

For now, it’s not GAME OVER for Alien pinball!

For more information on Alien, please visit the Pinball Brothers website.

PS: We will update this post once there is video footage of this machine being played!

image source: Pinball Brothers

 

Things Are Afoot At The Ausretrogamer Fun Factory in 2021

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With having a lot of time at home in 2020, we had been thinking about changing things up in the Ausretrogamer Fun Factory!

Things are afoot with designing the new space, which will see new additions, things being moved around and unfortunately, stuff that will go to a new home. We are quite excited with the next chapter of our games room, so we’ll be sure to share our journey throughout 2021 of the new and improved Ausretrogamer Fun Factory.

For now, you can have a read how the Ausretrogamer Fun Factory has evolved over the years.

Taking one last look at the current Ausretrogamer Fun Factory (click to enlarge)

 

Stern Pinball Rock and Rolls in 2020 with Led Zeppelin Pinball!

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If there is one certainty in the world of pinball, it’s that Stern Pinball keeps producing pinball machines like clockwork, year in, year out. Even with the kind of year we have had, Stern Pinball forges ahead with their releases so that the pinball playing public can enjoy the latest and greatest silverball titles!

The latest pinball machine from Stern is Led Zeppelin, which now joins the illustrious stable of music themed pins from Stern, like Aerosmith, Kiss, The Beatles and Metallica to name just a few. As it is quite apparent, rock & roll and pinball go together hand in hand – it is a perfect fit!

Stern says that in this high energy rock and roll pinball concert experience, players will be transported back to Led Zeppelin’s early days and tour the world from 1968-1980. Pinball and music fuse together, changing features with the start of each verse in ten iconic Led Zeppelin songs including:

· Good Times Bad Times
· Whole Lotta Love
· The Song Remains the Same
· Rock and Roll
· Trampled Underfoot
· Ramble On
· Kashmir
· Immigrant Song
· Black Dog
· Communication Breakdown

The Pro, Premium, and Limited Edition models all feature a custom-molded Hindenburg Zeppelin toy based on the iconic imagery from the Led Zeppelin I album artwork. When lit, the Hindenburg Zeppelin toy scores speed locks on the player’s musical journey to Zeppelin multiball. A custom Swan Song Records trademark Icarus sculpted leaper toy magically takes flight when smashed by a chaotic pinball in addition to 3 custom steel ramps, a 3-bank of drop targets, and 3 full size flippers that keep the pinball action rolling.

The three Led Zeppelin models – Pro, Premium and Limited Edition (LE)

The Premium and Limited Edition (LE) models feature an innovative interactive toy called the Electric Magic device. The Electric Magic device is a unique motorized toy that syncs with the pinball action, rising from below the playfield to create different magical pinball experiences. An optical spinner charges the Electric Magic Magnet, capturing and making balls disappear. The Electric Magic device can also convert into a physical pinball bash toy capable of locking a ball or launching a ball up and down the playfield. In true pinball rock concert fashion, an expression lighting system with 96 intelligent RGB LEDs enables the full colour spectrum control. Positioned to provide colour themed full playfield illumination, this integrated playfield lighting system synchronizes custom light shows specifically designed for every song. As an encore, these models have an additional custom metal Hot Shot reversing combo ramp, allowing players to keep the hits coming with constant adrenalized pinball action.

The LE model is limited to 500 units globally. The limited version includes an exclusive Icarus themed full colour mirrored backglass, exclusive custom themed cabinet artwork, custom high gloss Paradise Shimmer Blue powder-coated armour, a custom autographed bottom arch, exclusive custom art blades, upgraded audio system, anti-reflection pinball glass, a shaker motor, and a sequentially numbered plaque.

Pricing (inc. GST) and Availability:

  • Pro Model: $AU 9,450
  • Premium Model: $AU 12,250
  • Limited Edition Model: $AU 14,500

Led Zeppelin pinball machines are available through authorised Stern Pinball distributors and dealers around the world. For Australian LZ fans wanting this pinball machine, get in touch with Amusement Machine Distributors (NSW) or Zax Amusements (Vic) right now!

Led Zeppelin – PRO

Led Zeppelin – PREMIUM

Led Zeppelin – LIMITED EDITION

image source: Stern Pinball Inc.

 

Last Minute Retro Gaming Inspired Xmas Gifts

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Last week we published our Christmas Gift Guide, which we hope that it helped finding that special pressie for that special someone, including yourself.

Well, since then, we have found even more cool retro gaming inspired gifts that are currently on special (30% OFF!), which means it’s a win, win for everyone! So if you need some last minute gifts for your geeky friends or family (or for yourself), then check out these:

Micro Arcade games $17.49 (30% OFF)

Tiny Arcade games up to 30% OFF

Pac-Man Icon Lamp $13.99 (30% OFF)

TMNT Virtual Pinball $17.49 (30% OFF)

 

New Bucket List Entry: Super Nintendo World

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We have clearly been under a rock and missed the news that Nintendo had developed their theme park, Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios in Japan.

As massive fans of theme parks, and yeah, Nintendo, this news was obviously right up our alley! With what has transpired this year, the opening of this cool ‘World’ has now been pushed out to Spring (our Autumn) in 2021! Oh yeah, not to be outdone, there will be a Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios in Hollywood too!

With a lot of travel restrictions around (rightfully so!), for now we’ll just sit here and admire Super Nintendo World from afar (and drool over our keyboard).

Who else is putting Super Nintendo World on their bucket list? Hit us up on Twitter or Facebook to let us know.


source: Mainichi newspaper

 

The 2020 Christmas Gift Guide Extravaganza!

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With Christmas just around the corner, you know it’s time to start hunting for gifts for your family, friends and of course, yourself. With the kind of year we’ve all had, you’d be forgiven for splashing your cash on those dearest to you (or on yourself).

This year’s Christmas Gift Guide has something for every kind of geek, no matter your budget. We have action figures, books, movies, toys, retro gaming stuff (of course!), video games, watches headphones, t-shirts, Star Wars stuff, flip clocks, pinball related gifts and magnets to whet your Xmas Gift ideas appetite.

Get your pen and paper ready and let’s go! 🎅

LEGO Star Wars TIE Fighter Pilot Helmet via Amazon: $75.00

STAR WARS Rebel Classic Graphic T-Shirt (medium size): $29.99

Game & Watch Super Mario Bros. via Ozgameshop: $114.15

PC-Engine Mini via Play-Asia: $253.00

Portable LCD Monitor for PC-Engine: $203.25

NBA Jam Book via Amazon: $30.76 (paperback) or $7.23 (Kindle)

Best Hit Chronical 2/5 Scale SEGA SATURN (HST-3200) Plastic Model Kit via Catch: $47.99

Star Trek: Stardate Collection (10 movie collection) via Amazon: $59.41 (Blu-ray) or  $29.96 (DVD)

World of Nintendo Action Figures via Amazon: prices start from $20.00

Timex Pac-Man watches via Amazon: prices start at $88.50

Space Invaders Tiny Arcade Table Top Edition Electronic Game via Catch: $29.99

Magnets of classic arcade games and pinball machines from the 70s, 80s and 90s by Magnetism via Etsy: prices start at $4.00

Just Pinball – The Zine: A Photojournalist’s Journey through Modern Pinball via Etsy: $42.25

Atari Pong Mini Arcade with 12 games: $61.14

Flip Clock – Vintage TV Auto Flip Down Clock in Retro Red by MIDCLOCK: $57.73

Seiko 5 Sports Street Fighter Limited Edition Watches: Blanka $620.00 / Guile $720.00 / Ryu $720.00

Retro Gaming / Video Game Controller Poster via Etsy: $47.51 

Super Nintendo (SNES) Controller keyring via Etsy: $10.00

Arcade1up 4-in-1 Pac-Man 40th Anniversary Counter-Cade Console: $299.00

Commodore 64 Xmas Bundle (of games!) via itch.io: $5.00 or above

8BitDo NES30 Gamepad via Play-Asia: $35.52

Atari Micro Arcade Electronic Game – includes Missile Command, Centipede & Pong: $24.99

Mini Arcade Asteroids via Catch: $37.60

PinSwitch – the ultimate pinball peripheral for the Nintendo Switch via Etsy: $325.00

Last but not least, we can’t recommend the EPOS Sennheiser GSP 600 ESports headset ($319.00) enough for your aural gaming pleasure. We always thought all headsets are the same, but we were very very wrong. If you want to treat your ears with some awesome sound, be it gaming, podcasts or music, then you should treat yourself this Christmas with a pair, it’s been a tough year!

Hope you all have a safe and awesome Festive Season and may you all receive awesome gifts from Santa!

NOTE: Prices are in AU$ and correct and all items in stock as at the time of publishing.

 

POOM Is Out Now on Pico-8!

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The highly anticipated Doom clone, Poom, is finally released on Pico-8!

This amazing conversion by Frederic Souchu and Paranoid Cactus is available for play right now, so go get blastin’! This is an absolute blast (Ed: pun fully intended) to play. Thank you to the developers for their meticulous work on this game, as they have transported us back to the 90s playing one of the greatest FPS games of all time, we love it!

If you like the game, and we assure you, you will, please support the creators so that they can continue making awesome games for us to enjoy!

 

Tristam Island – The Text Adventure Game You Can Play On 36 Platforms!

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“Tristam Island” is out now! Play Hugo Labrande’s retro text adventure on one of 36 platforms (Ed: yep, 36 platforms!), from the Commodore PET, VIC-20 and C64 to the Dreamcast! Hours of gameplay, smooth parser, digital feelies, modern game design, intrigue on a deserted island! Best bit, it is cheaper than our daily coffee intake, go and get it now!

image source: Tristam Island by Hugo Labrande via itch.io