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Sega Mega Drive 16-Bit Watch

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Don’t blame us for showing you this, it is all Since Spacies fault!

When we saw Brian’s (aka: Since Spacies) tweet about this Game Glorious Mega Drive watch, we were literally throwing money at our screens, about AUD $19.50 (to be exact).
Don’t get too excited though, Game Glorious has opened pre-sale orders for this watch (and other Mega Drive related items) which will be showcased in their booth at the Tokyo Game Show 2019 event starting this week (September 12th – 15th).

image source: game.watch.impress

 

Streets of Rage 4 Platforms and New Character Revealed

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As huge fans of the classic Mega Drive beat’em up series, Streets of Rage, this news about Streets of Rage 4 has definitely got us very very excited!

Let’s get straight to it, fans looking forward to playing Streets of Rage 4 next year will be able to do so on their platform of choice, as publisher and co-developer Dotemu (Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap, Windjammers 1 and 2) with co-developers Lizardcube (Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap) and Guard Crush Games (Streets of Fury) today announced that the title will make its way on to PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch – now that is awesome news! Oh yeah, a brand new gameplay trailer released today also introduced the latest character to join Blaze Fielding and Axel Stone: a badass guitar-playing warrior named Cherry Hunter.


source: DotEmu

Cherry Hunter is the daughter of Adam Hunter from the original Streets of Rage. Trained by her father and Axel, Cherry learned self-defense from a young age. Her interest in following in her father’s footsteps and becoming a cop soon faded out, replaced by her love of music. Nowadays, she plays with her electro progressive rock band in some of the most dangerous places in Wood Oak City. She may look young but make no mistake – she is a seasoned veteran of kicking ass and taking names.

The new trailer also reveals several more levels in the upcoming game at different times of day:  neon lighted urban rooftops, elevator, seedy airport hangars, dirty sewers, thumping music stage and many more are all yours for the taking – lay the smackdown and don’t look back.

Just in case you have been living in a cave, Streets of Rage 4 will be the first entry to the core series in 25 years, standing as Axel and Blaze’s glorious return to serving up side-scrolling beatdowns. With lush hand-drawn animations, new combat abilities, and fresh tracks from an amazing team of composers, Streets of Rage 4 will be a masterful tribute to and revitalization of the classic action fans adore.

To keep your skull-cracking combo on the latest Streets of Rage 4 news going, head over to www.streets4rage.com, visit www.facebook.com/StreetsofRage4!

image source: Games Press

 

TAITO’S 80’s Cult Bubble Bobble Gets Sequel Exclusively for Nintendo Switch

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After more than 10 years, a sequel to the iconic video game classic will finally be released exclusively for Nintendo Switch via ININ Games and Strictly Limited Games!

After a long decade, Nintendo Switch players can now look forward to a sequel to the cult 80’s game series Bubble Bobble by TAITO. The new Bubble Bobble 4 Friends was developed by the original studio TAITO Corporation and will include a brand new local 4-player mode. The sequel will be released both digitally and physically exclusively for Nintendo Switch in Europe on November 19, 2019, with the release in the USA to follow in the first quarter of 2020.

As in the previous highly popular series, the thrilling and epic bubble fight starts again!

One night, a child’s room became enfolded by a miraculous light and every object under its rays suddenly came to life – including the child’s most favourite toy, the little dragon called Bub. Full of jealousy, the wicked magician Baron von Blubba challenges the friendly dragon to battle.

In the ’80s and ’90s, the players jumped through the levels either solo or in the two-player mode. In the new part of the popular Bubble Bobble series, a 4-player cooperative mode is integrated, providing even more fun with friends.

“Bubble Bobble is an extremely popular title in Europe, so we decided to implement a pre-sale in Europe in conjunction with ININ Games and Strictly Limited Games. It is also the first internally developed title since Taito has re-entered the consumer market, and the development team is thrilled to be working on this famous IP. I deeply hope that many people will enjoy it” says Hiroshi Uemura, Executive Officer, Division Manager of Development, TAITO CORPORATION.

Collectors can look forward to the Collector’s Edition of Bubble Bobble 4 Friends, distributed exclusively by Strictly Limited Games. The ININ publishing label markets the retail versions and digital releases on the Nintendo eShop.

We honestly can’t wait for Bubble Bobble 4 Friends! 🙂

News story and image source: Games Press

 

Star Wars The Retro Collection Action Figures

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NOTE: The pre-orders have sold out! If you are interested in this collection, please ensure you subscribe to get notified when they are available. The original story follows below.

How fast can you say, “WANT!”? Well, we can tell you how fast we said it for these new (old looking) Star Wars Retro Collection Action Figures – it was exactly 0.0001 seconds, that’s how fast.

Inspired by the original 1978 Kenner Star Wars 3 3/4-inch action figures, these Star Wars The Retro Collection Action Figures (part of wave 1) are a must get for anyone with an ounce of nostalgia for the old school figures they once had or lusted after back in the day. Packaged on classic 6-inch by 9-inch cardbacks with faux ageing, you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference between these and the original Kenner figures – at least these are cheaper! Oh yeah, each figure has 6 points of articulation and an accessory for you to pose them in their iconic stance from the original movie – we love Darth Vader’s and Luke Skywalker’s retractable telescopic lightsabers!

So what do you get in the Star Wars The Retro Collection Action Figures Wave 1 Case? The case includes 6 individually packaged action figures:

  • Darth Vader
  • Luke Skywalker
  • Stormtrooper
  • Princess Leia Organa
  • Chewbacca
  • Han Solo

The force is strong with these action figures!

[via: technabob]

 

A Space Invaders Movie Is Coming!

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Pew, pew, pew! Listen to (well, read) this…… New Line Cinema is working on a Space Invaders movie – yep, a movie based on Taito’s 1978 classic arcade shoot’em up!

It seems that the Hollywood film tank is running dry (or perhaps they are desperate for new ideas?), so they are dipping into the video game well for their next new movie. We hope this isn’t another rubbish film based on a video game (Ed: not looking at you Double Dragon!). Our expectations are quite low (it’s for the best).

We haven’t seen anything about a release date apart from hearing that New Line is very close to starting production. Oh yeah, if it matters to you, they have Greg Russo (Mortal Kombat) writing the film, and the following folks running production: Akiva Goldsman (Fringe, Star Trek: Discovery), Joby Harold (John Wick 3), and Tory Tunnell (Robin Hood).

We’ll update this post as more news comes to hand!

image source: The Arcade Flyer Archive

[story source: technabob]

 

Star Wars Pin: The Force Will Be With You

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If you missed the news from last week’s San Diego Comic-Con, Stern Pinball Inc. announced their new home edition pinball machine, Star Wars Pin!

Jack Danger of Dead Flip fame streamed the new machine from the event and we have to admit, we really liked what we saw. If you missed Jack’s Twitch stream of Star Wars Pin, you can catch it here or check it out below.

Watch Star Wars Pin, Live from ComiCon from DeadFlip on www.twitch.tv

With a price point of AU$6,850*, the Star Wars Pin machine will hit Australian shores in October for those budget conscious pinball enthusiasts that want their pinball fix at home.

Don’t be fooled into thinking this is a smaller or massively cut-down version of a pinball machine – Star Wars Pin is still a commercial grade pinball machine with the same playfield dimensions plus all of the sub-assemblies (flippers, drop targets, slingshots, bumpers) of it’s big brother Stern cornerstone machines, but without the coin mechanism or coin wiring, hence the home edition moniker. Coupled with Stern’s ‘Spike‘ system (operating architecture), this Star Wars Pin becomes an attractive proposition for Star Wars and pinball fans alike.

For those of you that get nervous thinking about the maintenance of a pinball machine, don’t fret, as long as you keep the machine clean and change the rubbers (dependant on the amount of play), you should see many many years of trouble-free and fun times with Stern’s Star Wars Pin!

We look forward to play testing this pinball machine once it hits our shores and telling you all what we think – so stay tuned. If you are keen on Star Wars Pin, hit up your local distributor (AMD or Zax Amusements) now!

* dependant on $AUD/$USD exchange rate between now and October 2019.

image source: AMD via Stern Pinball

 

Sugarfina Is Releasing Your Fave Retro Nintendo Characters In Candy Form!

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As someone that has a massive sweet tooth and is a sucker for nostalgia, when I found out that the luxury candy store, Sugarfina was releasing my favourite Nintendo characters in candy form (the Super Mario Bros. x Sugarfina collection), I definitely got that sugar rush that made me all woozy and very excited!

Sugarfina announced this yummy retro-inspired collection at last week’s San Diego Comic Con, with the collection being available online and Sugarfina stores on Monday, July 22 (US time).

We hope Sugarfina ships to Australia! 😉

[story and image source: Bustle]

 

Sega and Taito Sounds Hit The KORG Gadget On The Nintendo Switch

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As Queen’s Freddy Mercury once sang, ” Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?“. Could we be dreaming? The KORG music production studio will allow (from July 11) you to create 80s Sega arcade game sounds and Taito FM synth sounds on your Nintendo Switch.

Yep, dreams do come true! With the awesome collaboration between ‘SEGA’ and ‘TAITO’, version 3.0 of the KORG Gadget for Nintendo Switch is a reality that will include the 2 new gadgets – Sega’s Otorii and Taito’s Ebina!

Check out the video below and head to the KORG news site for more info on this music making awesomeness. July 11 can’t come fast enough!


source: KORG

[story & image source: Korg News]

 

GAME MASTERS: THE EXHIBITION OPENS 27 SEPTEMBER 2019

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NFSA turns into Australia’s biggest video game arcade, featuring world’s greatest designers, characters & 100+ playable games!

Following a 6-year international tour and more than 1 million visitors, Game Masters: The Exhibition will return to Australia and make its Canberra debut at the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA) from 27 September 2019 – 9 March 2020. The ultimate experience for gamers and families alike, Game Masters has been updated to include the latest gaming blockbusters as well as Australian creations.

Game Masters is an interactive journey through five decades of video game history, offering both a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process behind the world’s most popular characters and franchises, and a chance to play them. Featuring interviews, never-before-seen concept artwork, an amazing display of vintage consoles and collectable items, and more than 100 playable games, visitors won’t want to leave!

No matter whether you played Pong at the local milk bar in the 70s, or spent last night playing Fortnite on your phone, Game Masters has something for everyone: from the arcade era through to today’s eighth generation consoles and mobile game technology, and from the most popular video games on the planet to independent games with a cult-like following.

image source: Game Masters: The Exhibition Melbourne 2012

HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDED IN GAME MASTERS: THE EXHIBITION

The first section, Arcade Heroes spotlights pioneering designers from the trailblazing and revolutionary arcade era, including Shigeru Miyamoto (Donkey Kong, 1981), Ed Logg (Asteroids, 1979), Masanobu Endo (Xevious, 1982), Toru Iwatani (Pac-Man, 1980), Eugene Jarvis (Defender, 1980) and Tomohiro Nishikado (Space Invaders, 1978). During this period designers were not always recorded for posterity, as was the case for the featured games Scramble, 1981 developed by Konami and Elevator Action, 1983 developed by Taito.

Leading contemporary designers who have had a major impact on shaping the medium as we know it feature in the second section, Game Changers, including Blizzard Entertainment (Diablo III, 2012), Paulina Bozek (SingStar, 2004), Tetsuya Mizuguchi (Sega Rally Championship, 1995), Peter Molyneux OBE (Fable III, 2010), Yuji Naka and the Sonic Team (Sonic the Hedgehog, 1991), Sega (Alex Kidd in Miracle World, 1986), Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy (Rock Band 4, 2015), Tim Schafer (Broken Age, 2014), Yu Suzuki (Hang On, 1983), TT Games (LEGO Batman 3: beyond Gotham, 2014) and Will Wright (SimCity, 1989).

The third chapter of the exhibition, Indies explores the pioneering and future-focussed world of independent game designers. Artists such as Jonathan Blow (Braid, 2008), Capy (Critter Crunch, 2008), Ken Wong (Florence, 2018), Halfbrick (Fruit Ninja Kinect, 2011), Masaya Matsuura (PaRappa the Rapper, 1996), Markus ‘Notch’ Persson (Minecraft, 2014), Rovio (Angry Birds, 2009), Bennett Foddy (Getting Over It, 2017), thatgamecompany (Journey, 2012), and The Behemoth (Castle Crashers, 2008) are profiled in this section.

Game Masters also features unique experiences such as a spectacular multiplayer dance stage for Dance Central 3 (2012), hands-on experiential music booths and a selection of original classic arcade machines from the 1970s and ’80s acquired especially for the exhibition, all playable in their original form.

Game Masters: The Exhibition will be open to the public from 27 September 2019 to 9 March 2020 at the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA) in Canberra. A program of special events and screenings will complement the exhibition for the duration of the season. Tickets will be available from 9 August 2019; audiences can sign up for Game Masters updates and special VIP ticket offers here.

  • Where: National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, McCoy Circuit, Acton ACT
  • When: 27 September 2019 to 9 March 2020; 10am to 4pm, Monday to Sunday (except Christmas Day and New Year’s Day)
  • Tickets: $19/$15/$12 (adult/concession/junior 5-17). Kids up to age 4 free. Family passes available.
  • For more information/bookings: NFSA.gov.au/gamemasters

 

The Japanese Sega Mega Drive Mini Collector’s Edition is MEGA!

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The Japanese Mega Drive Mini with the Megadora Tower Mini and the Mini Cartridge Framed Set proves yet again that our Japanese friends always get the cool stuff!

The Megadora Tower Mini (complete with a Mega-CD and 32X) may just be an accessory, but we reckon it is damn awesome and we totally need it in our lives!!! Oh yeah, the 22 tiny Mega Drive cartridge framed set also oozes so much awesomeness that we can’t contain our excitement – we are totally giddy and intoxicated with 16-bit Sega nostalgia.

You can try your luck buying this awesome collector’s edition from the official Japanese Sega Store right now (¥25,877 / ~AU$343.00 – excluding shipping)!

So, who is getting this MEGALICIOUS beast?

image source: Sega Store