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The Atari PONG Coffee Table – It’s Not Just A Game

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UPDATE: Since this article was published, the Atari PONG coffee table crowdfunding campaign has been moved to Kickstarter (from IndieGoGo)!

Make way traditional coffee table, there is a new and fun coffee table in town!

If you are sick of the bland look and the one dimensional use of your current coffee table, then the retro futuristic Atari PONG game coffee table is for you.

Before you start casting aspersions, this is not your average DIY-Arcade-Cocktail-Table people make out of Ikea furniture (Ed: not that there is anything wrong with that!). This Atari PONG coffee table is WAY more than that – it is a physical implementation of the classic Atari video game! Think of it as a playable, mechanical homage to one of the first video games. The coffee table doesn’t just have an iconic game built in, it is totally multi-functional with four USB ports, Bluetooth for music streaming, clock and all of this in a great looking retro futuristic design.

Originally developed as a tribute to the iconic game, the plan of Table Pong Project was to bring back the same experiences you used to get when playing the digital version, with awesome retro sounds, bouncing lights and maintaining the same mechanics that stay true to the original gameplay. This coffee table won’t just be used for holding your books, laptops, drinks, food or your tired feet, no siree, this gorgeous thing will also reunite family and friends by stimulating social interactions, just like the old Atari VCS/2600 console did.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that this Atari PONG coffee table uses archaic technologies to bring it to life. Thanks to modern electronics, electric motors and magnetic fields, the Table Pong Project has managed to create a playable real-life coffee-pong table that is stylish and super fun!

With a smidge under 30 days left on the Kickstarter campaign, you still have a chance to grab yourself a piece of history which your family room will thank you for.

Hmm, there is a hard waste collection coming to our suburb, so it will be out with the old and in with the new (old). We definitely want to join the revolution! *wink*

 

source: Table Pong Project

 

Pre-Order Your Neo Geo Pocket SD Flash Cart Now

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After the great response to our story on SainT’s Neo Geo Pocket SD Flash Cart project, we had been keeping a close eye on the genius hardware hacker’s progress on his highly anticipated piece of Neo Geo kit.

Well, it is time to pop the champagne! SainT has been keeping quite busy tinkering away on the device and we can now report that progress on this wondrous kit has reached a point where pre-orders are being taken. Hop to it now so you don’t miss out.

Check out SainT’s latest progress videos below and then make sure you pre-order your Neo Geo Pocket SD flash cart, as they will go quick!

The first video shows the functionality of the menu system and how the device will function from navigating the SD card contents to installing and running games.

This latest video from Retro HQ’s SainT shows that all issues have been resolved, including the running of 4MB games, like Metal Slug 2 – which works great! According to SainT, the hardware is now complete. Our excitement is set to maximum level!

source: Retro HQ

 

Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia

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In 2015 when our fave plumber, Mario, celebrated the 30th anniversary of his Super Mario Bros. game, an epic book was released in Japan to coincide with this momentous occasion. The Encyclopedia Super Mario Bros., also known as Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia: Nintendo Official Guide Book was available to lucky Japanese gamers all the way back in October 2015.

Just like the good (Ed: or bad!) old days where we would wait two years for a western release of awesome Japanese gear, the wait is (almost) over! The Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia will be available (in Europe and North America) in June this year via Book Depository.

We can’t wait to wrap our hands around this tome!

image source: mariowiki

 

Atari Flashback 7 Console Giveaway Winners

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Our Atari Flashback 7 console giveaway was a huge success! We were inundated with heaps of drool-worthy retro entries, making picking the winners all that more difficult!

We congratulate the winners, Tim Barnett and Daniel Cook for their great retro photo entries. Hope both Tim and Daniel enjoy their Atari Flashback 7 console prize!

If you want to see the other awesome retro pic entries, head on over here.

Winner 1: Tim Barnett:
“This blanket took 400 squares and 5 months for my wife to crochet. That’s retro love!”

Winner 2: Daniel Cook
“The summer of 89/90 – the greatest summer of my life. Where me and my bro would stay up all night spending hours and hours on my newly acquired and much loved Commodore 64. Ahhhh… retro gaming heaven”

“Meanwhile back in the 80s…where a young boy (with his tragic retro haircut) would dream of killing rapidly descending aliens in his sleep” – Daniel Cook

Thanks to our great friends at Five Star Games for supplying the Atari Flashback 7 console prizes!

 

Junglist Returns With New Gaming Show

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New Youth Network, SNACKABLETV.tv, has launched a brand-new video game show called UNDER CONTROL, with Jeremy Ray (Junglist) and Jessie James (Geek and Gamer Girl) hosting.

The show went live on SNACKABLETV.TV on January 26th 2017 and is broadcasting on the CATCH app on Sydney buses reaching a huge audience in the 13-to-30-year-old age bracket.

The two hosts are already prominent figures in the gaming industry, with Junglist being one of the co-creators of the (sorely missed) Good Game and Kotaku contributor, and Jessie being one of Australia’s most popular Twitch streamers with over 74,000 followers.

New content will be produced weekly. Under Control will feature snack-sized content on all things gaming; reviews, interviews, behind the scenes, news, features and on-site event coverage.

“Sometimes I go over to Jessie James’ house and we have conversations about games. Lately, there’s been this weird camera guy there, but she told me not to worry about it. I’m sure it’s nothing!”, says Junglist.

“Once we pried Junglist off Dark Souls III and cleaned him up, it became clear he was the best co-host I could imagine. We keep each other in check and hardly ever try to kill each other offline anymore. It’s great!”

SNACKABLETV is a revolutionary digital youth network housing the best in bite-sized content. It’s an entirely new way for young people all over the world to access high quality short-form entertainment for FREE, without annoying advertisements or subscriptions (Ed: Yay!). It’s mainstream-accessible without dumbing down the content or neglecting the core gaming audience.

“We’re excited to be creating something new and authentic for the gaming community.” – Deb Morgan, SnackableTV’s Under Control Producer.

You can view UNDER CONTROL now, so hop to it!

source: SNACKABLETV – Under Control

 

PAX Australia 2017 Dates Announced

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Woohoo, we finally have news of the PAX Australia 2017 dates!

PAX Australia will take place 27-29 October 2017 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre and tickets are scheduled to go on sale 14 March, 2017.

Early bird tickets will save you $5 AUD on the full ticket price. Friday Only, Saturday Only, and Sunday Only tickets will cost $65 AUD. Three Day Passes (including International Three Day passes) will cost $165 AUD. Attendees wishing to bring their own computer, can also purchase a BYOC pass for an additional $45 AUD.

“Australia’s gaming community has given PAX such an incredible home here,” said Jerry Holkins, co-founder of PAX and Penny Arcade.  “This year will see the fifth PAX Aus erupt in Melbourne, and there’s every indication it will be the best one yet.”

We can’t wait to get stuck into creating a bigger and better Classic Gaming Area at PAX Aus 2017. We hope to see you all there!

 

WIN: Atari Flashback 7 Classic Gaming Consoles

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Attention peeps: We are giving away 2 x ATARI FLASHBACK® 7 CLASSIC GAMING CONSOLES!

Yep, you read that right, our good friends at Five Star Games have provided us two brand new Atari Flashback® 7 classic gaming consoles to giveaway to our awesome audience!

For your chance to win, head over to our Facebook giveaway and post your most retro gaming related photo in the comments section!

So what are you waiting for, go and snap your most retro gaming related pic and enter the giveaway for your chance to snag a cool console!

If you don’t know what the Atari Flashback® 7 classic game console is, then here is what you need to know:

The console features 101 built-in Atari 2600 games. These games include Frogger and Space Invaders™, along with all-time Atari 2600 classics like Asteroids®, Centipede™, Jungle Hunt, Missile Command®, and Pong, among many more. The console includes two wireless controllers, styled like the Atari 2600 originals, and two legacy (DB9) controller ports for optional wired joysticks or paddles for that nostalgic hit!

image source: Five Star Games

 

Pinball: A Good Win At The IFPA Australian Championship Series

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New South Welshman Brett Goodwin has been crowned the 2016- 2017 IFPA Australian Championship Series (ACS) champion.

After a gruelling two days of competition at the Thornbury Bowls Club, the field of 32 players was down to just two: New South Welshman Brett Goodwin and Victoria’s Johnny Crabtree. The State Of Origin was on, with Johnny Crabtree taking out round 1 in the best of 5 rounds, on Stern’s Metallica. Round 2 saw Brett Goodwin sneak in a win on Gilligan’s Island to square the ledger. Brett then took out round 3 on Stern’s 1977 Pinball machine leading the final 2 – 1, leaving Johnny the table pick for the all-important round 4.

With the pressure mounting, Johnny chose his pet table, Stern’s AC/DC. Both players had a phenomenal game, but Brett was simply unstoppable, playing a near perfect game, scoring 120+ million to Johnny’s 75+ million, giving him a 3 – 1 win and the crown as the IFPA Australian Championship Series champion for 2016 – 2017.

The 3rd place playoff saw Matthew Venables (NSW) take on Robert Macauley (SA). Matthew took out 3rd place by winning both rounds 1 and 2 on Dirty Harry and AC/DC respectively.

As per all great competitions, there are a number of people that make things happen and ensure the competition is run smoothly and is fun for all. IFPA Australian Championship Series directors, Luke Marburg and Dan Robar did a fantastic job in organising the event and running it like clockwork.

Of course, the 15 tournament pinball machines didn’t just spontaneously appear, they were provided by these great people: Lucas Bardin, Geoff Wills, Marcus Sezonov, Dan Robar, Adam Clarke, Dan Brown, Alex Nunn, Jordan Tredaway and Johnny Crabtree – thank you all for providing your machines for the 2016-2017 IFPA ACS final!

See you all in Adelaide for the 2017 – 2018 IFPA Australian Championship Series final!

For all of the results and standings from the weekend, go and check them out on pinballscore.com.

The champion’s trophy and a $400 1st place prize. The pinball wizard deserves to be rewarded!

IFPA ACS Co-Director, Luke Marburg keeps an eye on proceedings

Two beauties!

The machines look very inviting. But first we must turn them on!

The Minnow will NOT be lost!

Alex Boz is mesmerised by Avatar

Busting ghosts!

Johnny Crabtree gives us the thumbs up!

A dead flip!

Getting in some action before the finals!

Even the beer is retro!

Young gun, Jordan Tredaway samples some Pinball Magic and gets 20 million!

The crowd is readying for the finals!

Beer is put down, time to play!

3rd place play-off between Robert Macauley and Matthew Venables. First up, Robert on Dirty Harry!

Matthew Venables feels lucky, punks! 1.23billion on Dirty Harry ain’t too shabby at all!

And the 3rd place in the IFPA ACS final goes to… Matthew Venables.

Down to the last two standing: Johnny Crabtree sets a winning score on Metallica in Round 1

Brett Goodwin steps up to Metallica

Johnny Crabtree getting in the zone on Gilligan’s Island

Brett Goodwin takes out round 2 of the ACS grand final!

Johnny sees the light on Pinball

Brett sets a round 3 winning score on Pinball

New South Welshman, Marc Bell (left) had an excellent tournament, making the finals on the Sunday after posting a 2nd in Pool B

Turn me on Johnny!

Johnny Crabtree sets a reasonable score on Stern’s AC/DC in round 4 of the grand final

But it’s not good enough, as Brett Goodwin gets the win and snags the title as the 2016-17 IFPA ACS Champion

The winner is congratulated

There are no losers in pinball! Fellow pinball wizard, Wal Dickie congratulates Johnny on his valiant effort

Show me the money: the top 8 players all received cash prizes

IFPA ACS Co-Director, Dan Robar presents Johnny with his trophy and cash winnings

It’s all smiles for the champion, Brett Goodwin

L-R: Matthew Venables (3rd place), Brett Goodwin (1st place), Johnny Crabtree (2nd place)

The final standings

Geoff Wills starts the bump-out – another great championship is done and dusted

Check out the awesome panoramic pic on Facebook!

 

Gameband: Kick-Ass Smartwatch For Gamers

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WOW! In just over 24 hours Gameband’s Smartwatch for Gamers Kickstarter has gone gangbusters! With the $75,000 goal smashed easily, we can’t fathom how far this Kickstarter will go – and there is still a month to go!

Having stayed up to the ungodly hour of 1:00am for the start of the Kickstarter, it was definitely worth it, as we snared ourselves a Super Early Bird Gameband Atari Edition. Ever since then, the Gameband team have been keeping busy with informing its backers of all the wonderful functions and rewards they will include on this most KICK-ASS of a gamer’s timepiece.

One of the early rewards was to increase the included 5 Atari mini-games to 10 mini-games per Gameband! The 5 additional games are the Atari classics: Tempest 2000, Battlezone, Firefox, Missile Command and Yars Revenge! How good is that!

But wait, there is more! With the $100K milestone surpassed with ease, the Gameband folks wanted to reward its backers (even more!) by including the Terraria mini-game on all smartwatches. Whoa!

Does it get better? Of course it does! Gameband are preparing further stretch goals, which we honestly can’t wait for! It’s truly like Christmas every day on this Kickstarter!

Oh yeah, for those of you that are on the fence – do you or don’t you get one, perhaps this comparison chart will help you make up your mind… It’s pretty easy to see who leads each category. Hop on the Kickstarter now, before it’s too late!

source: Gameband

 

Sneak Peek At Atari’s New Gameband Smartwatch

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Last week we reported on the imminent new Atari hardware, and now we can tell you a tad more. With just 3 days to go till the official Gameband Kickstarter launch (1:00am February 9th AEDT), some teaser sneak peek photos have emerged of the Gameband Atari and Terraria Edition smartwatches.

As can be seen in the photos (from left to right); there’ll be a straight Gameband Edition (Black, sleek and shiny), an Atari Edition (red, black and retro) and a Terraria Edition (brown, green and indie). Apparently there will be a super early bird price on Kickstarter (starting at $99USD) for a limited quantity – too bad the Kickstarter will launch at the ungodly hour of 1:00am our time :-/

According to Gameband’s CEO, Feargal Mac Conuladh, the Gameband Smartwatches will be “An insanely powerful Smartwatch, wrapped in gaming design and content.”. We shall see!

We reached out to Feargal to state that the launch was going to be at 1:00am on February 9 (our time), meaning a lot of Australians would miss out on the early bird special. He responded thusly:

It’s always good to see a CEO having a sense of humour!