AUSRETROGAMER

The Pop-Culture E-Zine

You are here: Home / Archives for History

History

King Of The World: SNK’s NEOGEO Mini Revealed

By

The worst kept secret in gaming has finally been confirmed!

The NEOGEO mini, the video game console that celebrates the 40th Anniversary of SNK’s brand has been revealed!The system will include 40 legendary and awesome NEOGEO titles!

The NEOGEO mini is a video game console, which will include 40 nostalgic titles from the NEOGEO system, which made its debut in 1990.

Rest of the world NEOGEO mini version

The NEOGEO mini will feature a 3.5 inch display, meaning the games can be enjoyed without the need to connect it to a TV or monitor! The size of the NEOGEO mini means it fits perfectly in the palm of your hand – just like the Atari Lynx does *wink*

The NEOGEO mini will be available in two different designs, one for the Asian market and the other one for overseas markets. With its design in black, white and red, the Japanese version of the NEOGEO mini will faithfully reproduce the original NEOGEO arcade cabinets that were introduced in Japan in 1990. The overseas version will be a simple and modern design in black, white and blue.

The Japanese NEOGEO mini version

SNK hasn’t released any more details, so we are keeping our peepers peeled to find out when these will be released and the confirmed games list!

So what do you think? We actually love the look of both units. Which one do you like?

PRODUCT DETAILS:
■ Product name: NEOGEO mini
■ Number of titles: 40 titles
■ Display size: 3.5 inch
■ Size and weight: W135mm x D108mm x H162mm / 600g
■ Accessories: Power supply cable (AC adaptor will not be included)
■ Connections: HDMI terminal (Input for TV monitor), headphone terminal, 2 external controller terminals

source: SNK via Facebook

 

2018 World Video Game Hall of Fame Inductees

By

The games in the fourth class of The Strong’s World Video Game Hall of Fame® battled enemy starships, avoided tackles, climbed through dark tunnels, and fought off fantastical creatures to win their esteemed places in the hall.

Steve Russell’s Cold War inspired Spacewar!, Electronic Arts’ John Madden Football, Final Fantasy VII and one of the most recognisable game franchises, Tomb Raider have been inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame and emerged from a field of 12 finalists that also included Asteroids, Call of Duty, Dance Dance Revolution, Half-Life, King’s Quest, Metroid, Minecraft, and Ms. Pac-Man.

The four inductees span multiple decades, countries of origin, and gaming platforms, but all have significantly affected the video game industry, popular culture, and society in general.

The 2018 inductees join other illustrious video games from years gone by like Street Fighter II (2017), Donkey Kong (2017), Grand Theft Auto III (2016), The Legend Of Zelda (2016), Super Mario Bros (2015), Tetris (2015) and Doom (2015) to name just a few.

Surely the old gaming classics that missed out this time, like Asteroids, Ms. Pac-Man and Metroid will make it in the Hall of Fame at some point in the not too distant future?

Let us know what you think of this year’s inductees on Twitter or Facebook! For more details on the complete World Video Game Hall Of Fame list, go here!

image source: The Strong – Museum Of Play

 

Space Invaders 40th Anniversary Silver Coin

By

Special occasions like anniversaries usually come about a few times in a lifetime, so what better way to commemorate and remember a special anniversary than a beautiful and awesome memento to mark the occasion!

There were a few arcade games that came before it, but in 1978 Taito’s Space Invaders single-handedly propelled arcade games into mainstream popular culture and helped kick off the golden age of arcade video games.

When Tomohiro Nishikado created Space Invaders we bet he wouldn’t have thought that it would become such a global hit. With its legacy well and truly cemented in arcade video gaming lore, we wonder then what Mr Nishikado-san would make of New Zealand Mint’s commemorative Space Invaders 40th Anniversary 1oz Silver Coin? If we were to guess, he would be most impressed, just like we were.

The first thing that struck us when opening the package was the beautifully recreated (to scale) Space Invaders arcade cabinet. The base of the cabinet carries the numbered (out of 3,000 units) Certificate of Authenticity. The precious cargo is housed inside the arcade cabinet, which can be opened by lifting the cabinet off its base to reveal the gorgeous 1oz silver coin, cushioned in black felt.

Removing the coin we were impressed with its size – it is bigger than we imagined! On one side of the coin you will find Space Invaders engraved on a proof background and lenticular printed coloured aliens that move as the coin is rotated at different angles. The other side of the coin has Queen Lizzie (just like on all of our Australian and NZ legal tender). Holding the coin feels special as it connects us via nostalgia for the video game that kickstarted the arcade scene in the late 70s.

Rotate the coin to move the aliens, just like in the actual game!
 image source: NZ Mint

If you do want this beautiful and officially licensed limited edition memento to commemorate one of the greatest arcade games, then you may want to act fast, as there are only 3,000 coins available worldwide! This coin is a great investment for any gaming fan. Long live Space Invaders!

Specifications:

  • Metal: 999 Fine Silver
  • Finish: Proof / Lenticular
  • Weight: 1 TROY OZ
  • Nominal Diameter: 40mm
  • Edge: Milled
  • Denomination: $2
  • Country of Issue: Niue
  • Year of Issue: 2018
  • Mintage: 3,000 only

Disclaimer: NZ Mint kindly provided the Space Invaders 40th Anniversary silver coin for this article.

 

The Rise of Mr. Nintendo

By

As Nintendo started to break into the U.S. market, they searched for a spokesperson with a true passion for gaming. They chose Howard Phillips, an employee working in the Nintendo warehouse. Little did he know that he was about to become a gaming legend!

Learn the entire origin story behind Mr. Nintendo in the Emmy® nominated series 8 Bit Legacy!


source: Great Big Story – 8 Bit Legacy

 

Ah the 1980s, We Miss You So Much!

By

Gotta share this video that was posted by video game history guy, John Anderson. Using John’s words, this is, “A 1981 TV news report by WMAQ-TV in Chicago about the makers of Defender (Williams Electronics) and inside the Midway factory assembling Pac-Man arcade cabinets (350 a day!)”.

Ah the 80s, we definitely miss you so much!

source: John Anderson via Twitter

 

The Legend Of Zorba

By


Kevin Lieber of Vsauce2 fame checks out the old, interesting and weirdly obscure 10kg portable CP/M machine, the Zorba!

Now imagine lugging this beast around to play video games like Zork! That is exactly what Kevin does as he dives into the complexity of this early text adventure which paved the way for the Skyrims and Witchers of today 😉


source: Vsauce2

 

The Evolution Of Nintendo Consoles

By

A very cool video of the evolution of Nintendo consoles by our good friends at GameSpot Today I Learned!

Before some of you say, “But where is the Game Boy, DS and 3DS?”, relax, this is the evolutionary line of their consoles, not their handhelds. Having said that, it seems like the Virtual Boy doesn’t fit in any category 🙁

How many Nintendo consoles have you owned since their Color TV-Game 6?


source: GameSpot Today I Learned

 

Best Atari Jaguar Games

By

If we had a dollar for every time we have been asked to list our favourite Atari Jaguar games, well, we’d be able to buy a few Snickers bars. Jesting aside, you can stop Googling for the ‘best atari jaguar games‘ as we present to you, the definitive list (in no particular order) of the best Atari Jaguar games of all time*

*List may change when another awesome Jag homebrew title is released!

Before you get all, “But where the hell is AVP?”, relax, it’s a great game, so it makes the honorary list:

  • Total Carnage
  • Defender 2000
  • Alice’s Mom’s Rescue
  • Hyper Force
  • Rebooteroids
  • Super Burnout
  • Alien Vs Predator

So there you have it. What do you reckon, agree or disagree? What are your fave Atari Jaguar games?

PS: If you want to have a robust discussion about our choices, hit us up on Twitter or Facebook.

 

The Fortunes of Video Game Moguls

By

The video game industry has become an entertainment titan with budgets comparable to Hollywood blockbusters being funnelled into AAA releases and new ways to play.

From those that made gaming more accessible and affordable to the entrepreneurs who made it possible to make money live streaming and even those just in it for the cash, several incredibly savvy individuals have made a name for themselves in an increasingly saturated market.

Like them or loath them – you can find out more about the biggest gaming moguls below:

Video Game Moguls
Video Game Moguls by ABC FINANCE LTD.

 

Double Dragon: Busting Heads For 30 years

By

If you have been with us since we began our retro gaming journey, you’d know that we are huge Double Dragon fans, especially the arcade game!

Speaking of the arcade, would you believe that Double Dragon is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year! It’s amazing that after three decades, this game is still being talked about with such affection.

Kung-Fu Master and Renegade may have preceded it, but Double Dragon was the first co-operative beat’em up on the arcade block. Who could forget the two Lee brothers punching, kicking, elbowing Black Warrior thugs to get to their damsel in distress. Let’s not spoil it for those that haven’t finished the game, but let’s just say that brotherly love doesn’t count.

Being the first co-op beat’em up game, Double Dragon paved the way for all that came after it and kickstarted the golden age of the beat’em up. Long live Double Dragon!

Interesting fact: Double Dragon’s arcade board is quite complex – instead of utilising an expensive 16-Bit CPU, the game runs on two 8-Bit CPUs with a third CPU dedicated to sound! How ingenuous!