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Aftershock 2013 Extravaganza

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When you get a personal invitation to attend a retro gaming event run by the Weird and Retro crew, you know you need to clear your schedule and be there.

The retro gaming event at Aftershock 2013 was part of the overall Monash University Computer Games Boot Camp (CGBC) interactive and industry engagement event. The whole event is the brainchild of Andrew Owen – a remarkable individual with creations that need to be seen to be believed – but more on that in a future article!

Aleks “Serby” Svetislav from Weird and Retro (WaR) extended the invite to us, which we were more than happy to oblige and attend. As usual, the buzz generated by an event run by WaR always brings on a rush of adrenaline. With a firm greeting handshake, Serby ushered us inside the Monash University auditorium.

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My pupils dilated once I saw the TempFest2000 (all Tempest 2000 game versions!) setup in front of a large wall projection.  Serby (and the WaR crew) always know how to leave a hardened retro gamer totally gobsmacked! With Tempest 2000 versions running on the Jaguar, Saturn, PC, PlayStation to the “I’ve never seen it before” Apple Mac, my mind was well and truly blown.

Even when the doors closed on the Aftershock 2013 gaming event on Saturday evening, we stayed back and chatted with Serby. I even got introduced to a new Pringles potato chip flavour which I am now frantically searching to buy from a certain American grocery store here in Melbourne.

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The Aftershock 2013 event wrapped up last Sunday with a showcase of homebrew game releases and of course, some 4 player Power Stone 2 mayhem on the Sega Dreamcast! What a way to wrap-up proceedings!

As they say, all good things must come to an end. It was, as per usual, a pleasure catching up with Serby and Daz Retro. These kinds of events remind me of why I love the retro gaming scene – the passionate nostalgics just like me.

 

Sega Mega Drive/Genesis: Collected Works

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It is the final few days on Kickstarter for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis art book as it announces new interviewees, artwork and more pages!

The funding campaign for Sega Mega Drive/Genesis: Collected Works will come to a close on Monday 9 December. The book – an unparalleled treasure of unseen archive material, interviews, development artwork, hardware manufacturing concepts and more – has exceeded its £30,000 (~$48,000 USD) target, and is delighted to announce the following additions:

• Exclusive and rare interviews with Hayao Nakayama (former Sega President) and Tom Kalinske (former Sega of America CEO)
• Interviews with legendary US developers Greg Johnson (ToeJam & Earl), Peter Morawiec (Comix Zone), Rich Karpp (Vectorman) and Michael Latham (Eternal Champions)
• An expanded page count, now totalling 340 pages
• New previously unseen artwork including:
– Concept art and level visualisations for Vectorman 2
– Early character sketches for ToeJam & Earl
– Detailed pencil-drawn level maps for Comix Zone
– Boss designs and attack pattern plans for Wonder Boy III
– Character development artwork and background plans for Eternal Champions

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Gunstar Heroes conceptual artwork
source: Darren Wall
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Vectorman 2 concept sketch
source: Darren Wall
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Bare Knuckle (Streets Of Rage) sequence storyboard
source: Darren Wall

The book is fully licensed by Sega, and the new material will feature in this ultimate 25th anniversary retrospective alongside:

• Previously unseen concept artwork, design documents and sketches for a wealth of Sega’s 16-bit titles, including Bare Knuckle/Streets of Rage, Sonic the Hedgehog, Golden Axe and ToeJam & Earl
• Hardware manufacturing plans and concept illustrations
• 20+ exclusive interviews with legendary Japanese Sega developers, including: Naoto Oshima (Sonic the Hedgehog), Yu Suzuki (Space Harrier) and Yuji Naka (Sonic the Hedgehog)
• 15,000-word essay by Guardian Games Editor Keith Stuart
• Foreword by Dave Perry (Earthworm Jim, Aladdin)

If you have not already done so, visit the project on Kickstarter and pledge away!

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Our two favourite aliens in concept mode
source: Darren Wall

Ripping It Up On Tearaway

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This is going to be a blasphemous post. If you are scratching your head and wondering why, then let me explain – this site is usually reserved for classic gaming or anything that brings back that intoxicating allure of nostalgia.

Well this time around, this retro gamer has been squarely whacked in the chin with a game that cannot be put down. The game I speak of is none other than the sublime Tearaway. Up until a week ago, my PS Vita sat idly on my desk totally unloved. It is amazing what a week in gaming can do – the Vita now enjoys an abundance of attention and Tearaway has a lot to do with it.

Tearaway is one awesomely imaginative game. It takes a paper aesthetic and uses it as a launching pad for inventive ideas and player creativity. The interactivity within the Tearaway world is a joy to behold – from dispatching scraps (enemies) by piercing the ground beneath them with your fingers, to creating papercraft designs to integrate into the environment. It is absorbing like a dry sponge sucking up water!

Tearaway is a purely addictive adventure 3D platforming puzzle solving game that utilises the PS Vita’s functions perfectly. If you were looking for an excuse to buy a PS Vita, this may be it.

 

 

Espionage Gallery: ARCADE ALLSTARS

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Espionage Gallery Presents : ARCADE ALLSTARS

Espionage is teaming up with Retrospekt and AVCon to bring you ARCADE ALLSTARS! Featuring a lineup of 60 Australian Artists from Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane all in this one massive exhibition.

Arcade Allstars features works based on nostalgic games, retro consoles and general 8-bit awesomeness. Featuring some favourites from Pac-Man, Pokemon, Mega Man, Mario and Zelda.

On the night there will be table top arcade games, NES, SNES and Sega Mega Drive will be set up with games to play. 8-Bit chiptunes will also be provided by local chiptune artists 8175.

During the exhibition, Espionage will also host a freeplay gaming and cosplay night (Friday December 13) as well as a Street Fighter and Mario Kart tournament (Thursday December 19) with prizes for the best cosplay and tournament winner!

What better way to celebrate the end of a great year at Espionage! So come on down for a drink and pick-up some art that would make a perfect Christmas present for any child at heart.

The Arcade Allstars Group Exhibition is on at the Espionage Gallery from December 12 2013 to December 21 2013.

 

Safe Arrival Of Your Precious Retro Gaming Cargo

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Are you sick of waiting for items to be delivered only to find a card in your letterbox? How about finding items at your doorstep, unsecured?

What if I told you that Australia Post is offering something totally new, totally convenient, totally secure and most importantly, free of charge? Before you start raising your fist at the screen and yelling obscenities, relax, it is all true and very easy to setup.

The service is called 24/7 Parcel Lockers and the motto is, “Collect your parcels when it suits you”. The Parcel Lockers are a convenient alternative to home delivery, making it easy and quick to collect your precious video gaming parcels when it is convenient for you, 24 by 7.

When you register, you will get a unique Australia Post Customer Number and the most convenient Parcel Locker location near you (perhaps that corner 7-Eleven store?). When you shop online, simply use your Parcel Locker location as your delivery address and then wait for a notification (email or SMS) that your item is ready for collection, when it suits you! The only catch, you have 48 hours to collect your item from the time the notification was sent. When the 48 hours lapse, the item is taken to your nearest  post office which you would then pick up in the traditional way, via a ‘collect card’.

So what are you waiting for? Go and register and start shopping!

 

Game Masters Exhibition Coming To Sydney

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Get ready Sydney, the Game Masters Exhibition is coming to town. Opening on December 13 and running till May 25 2014, this exhibition is not to be missed!

We had the pleasure of attending last year’s Game Masters Exhibition in Melbourne. Our review of the exhibition should give you an indication of what we thought of it and what to expect. We promise, it is highly interactive and you will have lots of fun! Choosing what to play will be your biggest problem.

Tickets are available now.

 

How To Maximize Battery Life

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This post may be a bit off topic, but it’s still quite useful. Let’s face it, we all have batteries of some kind in our devices. The below graphic provides useful information and tips on how to maximise the life of your batteries.

How to maximize battery life

 

 

How to maximize battery life [Infographic] by the team at budgetbatteries

 

Meatballphobia: The Retro-Inspired Puzzler

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This week marks more than just the release of the PS4. Mark down November 12 in your diary. If you like grey matter challenging puzzlers with a quirky premise, then Meatballphobia is your perfect tonic.

Featuring 50 brain-teasing levels of increasing difficulty, Meatballphobia focuses on relaxed problem solving instead of competition. You can play the game at your own leisure — there are no locked levels, no high-scores to beat and no timer. If you get stuck on a level, don’t stress, just go ahead and pick another stage. You can always return to that pesky level that had you in a spin.

Even though Meatballphobia plays like a modern game, its pedigree is from the 8-bit era; from the CGA palette, pixelated sprites, to the engaging chiptune soundtrack — it’s all carefully crafted to take you back in time.

Meatballphobia (Windows/Linux) will be available via Desura on November 12 (PDT) for $2.99USD. The Android version is available on Google Play and Amazon for $1.50USD.