AUSRETROGAMER

The Pop-Culture E-Zine

You are here: Home / Archives for Modern Gaming

Modern Gaming

LIBERATION – The New Retro Space Adventure Game Is Available Now

By

Unleash Chaos in Space!

Liberation is a retro space adventure inspired by the original 1984 version of Elite, and mashed up with classic UK science fiction such as The Tripods, Blake’s 7 and Doctor Who.

In this game, you pilot an elite stealth ship as you take your revenge against the evil Galactic Federation (GalFed)! Upgrade your ship with a variety of weapons and systems. Engage in high-stakes dogfights, dock with space stations and planet spaceports, and work with heroes and villains to destroy GalFed.

To make this game even sweeter, it was made in Australia (Frankston, VIC!) by Classyk Games, on Linux with Godot, using an open source stack including Blender, GIMP and InkScape. Liberation is available right now on Windows, Mac, Linux for Steam and coming soon to itch.


image source: Classyk Games



Wahoo, Super Mario Bros. Wonder Has Arrived!

By

It’s-a Me, Mario!

Woohoo, or should that be Wa-hoo? Either way, we are rapt that our Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Nintendo Switch) game has arrived!

Can’t wait to get stuck into this new Super Mario game and explore all the new stuff, like new power-ups, mysterious transformations and customising our powers to each course’s features!

So much to discover! Oh well, at least you’ll know where we’ll be today and for the rest of this weekend. Happy gaming peeps!

This little cart will be stuck in our Switch for a while!



Too Much Spider-Man Recently?

By

By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

When I was watching “Monday Night Football” on ESPN, I saw an extended trailer for the video game “Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.” The gameplay looked magnificent as Miles Morales and Peter Parker are fighting Venom on the streets of New York City. However, I didn’t feel that excited about it. Don’t get me wrong, the game looks great, but I think I’m just getting burnt out on Spider-Man for now.

The last two Spider-Man films have been classics. “Spider-Man: Across the Universe,” released this summer, is considered one of the best Spider-Man films ever made. And the same can be said for “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” released in December 2021. The films were brilliant. Every scene in “No Way Home” and “Across the Universe” had cinematic gravitas. One major death in “No Way Home” had the dramatic heft of an exceptional drama.

I think “Across the Universe” is a lock for Best Animated Film at the Academy Awards in March. There’s even an outside chance that the animated film could be nominated for Best Picture. Both films received critical acclaim, and rightfully so. For some reason, after watching “Across the Universe” in a theater, I said to myself, “That’s enough Spider-Man for a little while.”

But Insomniac Games’ “Marvel’s Spider-Man 2,” which has been in development for years, is coming out at the end of the month, on October 20th.

If we keep getting terrific Spider-Man stories on our PS5 or in theaters, I think that’s terrific, but a slight pause in the web slinger would be kind of nice. Another Tom Holland Spider-Man film is in-development, according to IMDb. We’ll probably get “Spider-Man 4: Home…something” at the end of 2024 or ’25. I may skip that one in the theater and wait for its release on streaming.



image source: supplied

PAX Aus 2023 – But Wait, There Is More!

By

With only a few more sleeps till PAX Aus 2023 kicks-off this Friday, there are more exciting and enticing news coming out from Australia’s premier gaming and pop culture event!

PLAION is proud to announce the Atari 2600+ – a modern day faithful recreation of the pioneering console that first appeared in 1977.

The new Atari 2600+ system will be on display at PAX Aus this week in the Classic Gaming area. The Atari 2600+ is launching worldwide on 17th November 2023 and available to pre-order for $189.95.

Nintendo has revealed more of their PAX plans – Not only will PAX visitors be able to experience Super Mario Bros. Wonder ahead of release, they will also be able to play Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet: The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero Part 1: The Teal Mask, Detective Pikachu Returns and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown on Nintendo Switch.

Detective Pikachu Returns is launching on the first day of PAX, Friday 6th October. Also available to play on the Nintendo stand will be  an unreleased game from Square Enix – STAR OCEAN THE SECOND STORY R. See all the Nintendo PAX news here.

image source: Rocketcomms



Bluey The Video Game Will Debut on November 17th

By

For those of us with children of a certain age, there is no doubt that you would have come across the awesome Bluey cartoon on ABC TV (iView).

Bluey episodes keep both kids and adults entertained, imparting some good advice and lessons learned. When we saw the below trailer for a video game of the eponymous blue heeler, we got quite excited.

We have now marked November 17, 2023 in our diary, as this will be a day one acquisition for us (on probably every format available!)!


source: IGN



‘Cheers to 10 Years’ – PAX Aus Announces Even More Major Content

By

‘Cheers to 10 Years’ As PAX Aus Announces Even More Major Content

With only three weeks to go until PAX Aus 2023, there is even more delicious content including more news from Nintendo and announcements from SEGA, Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, Star Wars Unlimited, Five Nights at Freddy’s and more to sink your teeth into!

We are hoping to see as many of you at PAX Aus this year, so we can’t wait for these weeks to fly by! Oh yeah, you should know where to find us by now (ahem, at our home base, the Classic Gaming area).

OK, without further ado, here is the awesome news…..

PAX Aus 2023 is shaping up to be an absolute whopper and there’s no better way to celebrate the last 10 years than showcasing even more great gaming content with more major announcements confirmed today. So please, take it slow and try not to stuff your face too quickly with all this delicious content…

In addition to Nintendo’s tournament in PAX Arena, Nintendo returns to the PAX expo floor headlined by Super Mario Bros. Wonder – playable before its release on 20th October! Fans can also shop in-person at the Nintendo booth with My Nintendo Store, which will have merchandise to peruse and purchase. Look forward to more information coming soon about the playable titles and available merch from Nintendo.

Gaming icon, SEGA will be attending PAX Aus this year with a booth showcasing Sonic Superstars and Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. Melbourne-based Ukiyo Studios will be presenting “SEA What I Made! (SWIM)”, the largest Southeast Asian indie games delegation of its kind to grace Australian shores. A total of 15 titles from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines will feature a variety of game genres from turn-based RPGs to Southeast Asian-inspired Diablo-likes and even restaurant management sims.

And for tabletop fans, Star Wars: Unlimited will be demo-ed for the first time in Australia at PAX Aus. Two icons of the tabletop world will also be at PAX Aus – Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering. Attendees will be able to learn to play Dungeons & Dragons with their friendly Dungeon Masters waiting to guide you on a quest. From there, visit the D&D Superstore where you will be able to find everything you need and want from sourcebooks to minis to collectibles and more. For Magic: The Gathering fans and noobs you can learn to play and get lost in the Wilds of Eldraine with fantastical creatures, unbelievable settings and beloved characters with a unique twist.

Pack your Senzu Beans and Devil Fruit, because the tabletop major moments don’t stop there with Dragon Ball Z and One Piece showcasing their games and hosting tourneys at the event. Compete for glory in the Dragon Ball Super Regionals and One Piece Card Game Tournament, pick up a free demo deck (while stock lasts), as well as try your hand at the new Dragon Ball Super Fusion World card game.

Vanguard, Weiss Schwarz, Shadowverse and Final Fantasy Trading Card Game will also be showcased at PAX Aus and Asmodee, yes, them of Exploding Kittens, CATAN, Ticket to Ride, Dobble/Spot It and so many more legendary games fame will be bringing their latest and greatest games.

What’s October without a jumpscare? Five Nights at Freddy’s will be activating the world of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza where Freddy and the gang are dying to meet you – step into the scene and see if you can survive five nights?

While on the topic of bears, what about bears, in space?! Hear from Broadside Games as they discuss how they went from working a day job and developing games on the side to focusing on a game full-time! The team behind the upcoming action-packed game, Bears In Space, tell all at PAX Aus!

And lastly, tabletop legends Phil Walker-Harding (Sushi Go, Bear Park, Imhotep) and Matt Dunstan (Fairy Tile, Relic Runners) will also be on the floor at PAX Aus, with Walker-Harding demonstrating his game, Spellbook, and Dunstan showcasing a new game, to be revealed for the first time at PAX Aus.

With 3-Day and Saturday Badges sold out and limited single-day badges available, you better gear up for PAX Aus’ 10th anniversary celebration. PAX Aus 2023 takes place October 6-8 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. For more information and badges, please visit their official website.

image source: PAX Aus



I Bought a Video Game Poster!

By

By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

For the many years that I’ve been playing video games, I did something the other day that I’ve never done as a gamer.

I was at a local store, and they had a pretty cool poster collection. Most of them were popular television shows and films, like “Stranger Things,” and the blockbuster “Barbie”. One particular poster caught my eye. At first, I couldn’t tell what it was, but something about the artwork intrigued me. I’ve never been a big fan of the “Call of Duty” game series; I’ve played it maybe five times over the years. The wall poster for “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II” with the skeleton soldier with his headphones on just appealed to me for some reason. I had seen the image before, probably around the time the game was released last October. There was a great deal of promotion for the hit game during NFL games last year.

I’m sure Infinity Ward, the company that developed the game, knew they had a hit when celebrities were posting on their social media how excited they were for the release of the game. I think I saw the wall art for “Modern Warfare II” when I was in Best Buy, and it piqued my interest. I haven’t even played “Modern Warfare II”, but I now have the poster on my wall in my garage. I can’t say that my girlfriend likes it, but she’s hardly in my garage and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

The poster is the sort of art that would make a fantastic film poster. When video games start having better posters than movies, what’s happening in movie studio’s art and promotion’s departments. I haven’t bought a movie poster since college. It was a poster for “Judge Dredd”, the Sylvester Stallone film from 1995. Oddly enough, the “Modern Warfare II” poster and the “Judge Dredd” poster are very similar. Both have a close-up image of a character staring right at you, looking menacing. Both are just a face and the title of the game and film.

The marketing team for “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II” did an amazing job of getting images of the game in the public eye and conscience. The game earned $1 billion dollars in its first 10 days of release. “Modern Warfare II” is the fastest-selling “Call of Duty” game of all time.

image source: playstationlifestyle.net



Why Retro Gamers Should Wear Blue Light Glasses

By

How many hours a day do you spend gaming? Whether you play modern or retro games, most of your sessions are undoubtedly spent in front of a screen — big and small. However, this increased exposure to digital screens may harm your eyes.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, over 13 million Australians have one or more chronic eye conditions, including short- and longsightedness, astigmatism, macular degeneration, and blindness. In a 2022 survey from Optometry Australia, 88% of participants reported experiencing sore or tired eyes when using a computer or tablet. For people with existing uncorrected vision problems, this can make vision problems even worse.

For gamers specifically, caring for your eye health shouldn’t be overlooked. Recently, we highlighted some of Nintendo’s new games and content coming up soon. From Luigi’s Mansion 2‘s visual upgrade to critically acclaimed titles such as Batman: Arkham Trilogy‘s Switch debut, protecting your vision to enjoy these newer games is vital. One such way is by investing in blue light glasses. Below, we’ll look at what blue light glasses are, why retro gamers may need them, and other ways you can protect your eyes while gaming:

What are blue light glasses?

Blue-violet light comes primarily from the sun and our digital devices, such as computer screens, tablets, smartphones, and handheld consoles. Unlike other forms of light, our eyes aren’t built to effectively filter blue light, causing discomfort and vision problems when viewing digital screens for long periods.

Investing in a pair of blue light glasses can help protect your eyes from your gaming devices, including your smartphone, laptop, and handheld consoles. Blue light lenses such as OPSM BlueGuard® lenses can be fitted to your existing glasses and matched with your prescription. Other blue light lenses like the Invisibles® Blue also have an anti-reflection coating resistant to smudges, scratches, dust, and water.

Blue light glasses also come in different shapes and forms, so you can opt for subtle designs that you can wear in and out of gaming sessions daily or choose more gaming-oriented designs to complement your gaming ensemble.

Is retro gaming harmful to the eyes?

Nowadays, most video games are played on LED screens that emit blue light. If you’re wondering whether older, retro gaming devices also harm the eyes similarly, the answer is yes. While old-fashioned monitors such as CRT displays don’t emit the same level of blue light as LEDs, they still emit some radiation that can harm the eyes. According to the Glaucoma Research Foundation, CRT monitors can be more stressful to the eyes than modern flat-screen displays. This is especially crucial for retro enthusiasts who still use CRT monitors to capture the retro feel of older games.

CRT monitors are also known for their constant flickering that emulates frame rates and makes animations in 8- and 16-bit games look smoother. This flickering can cause dizziness and blurriness when exposed for long periods.

Even if you aren’t gaming on an old CRT monitor, you may be gaming on smaller screens and handheld devices when emulating your retro games. While this is fine for short-term use, viewing smaller screen resolutions for long periods can cause squinting and headaches and tends to make you lean closer to a screen than necessary. As such, wearing blue light glasses can still help protect your eyes and vision during retro gaming sessions.

Other ways to protect your eyes while gaming 

Finally, aside from getting blue light glasses, there are other things you can invest in to protect your vision health in the long run. Some people opt for backlight or monitor light bars to help ease the lighting situation while gaming. This is especially helpful for people who spend hours gaming in the dark or dimly lit rooms.

You can also opt to get ergonomic chairs so that you can keep a safe screen distance while gaming. Brands like Herman Miller offer chair lines that are sleek and elegant for everyday use, as well as gaming chairs that combine the gamer-friendly aesthetic with science-backed ergonomics and functionality.

Gamer or not, all of us need to take great care of our eyes and bodies.



Prime Gaming: Free Games For This Month

By

Free games for the month of September 2023 – collect them all!

Absolutely love all the freebies we have stockpiled from our Amazon Prime membership. Not only do we enjoy free deliveries and streaming content using Prime, but the cherry on top is the monthly free Prime Gaming titles!

The latest games for Prime Gaming have been announced, so if you have a Prime membership, start claiming these (or diarise the dates when the game you want is available for free)!

  • September 7: Football Manager 2023  — Construct a dream squad, outwit rivals and experience the thrill of the UEFA Champions League as players’ journey towards footballing glory awaits. Please note: Football Manager 2023 is not available in Brazil. Prime Gaming offers may sometimes vary by region. See gaming.amazon.com for more details.
  • September 14: Ozymandias: Bronze Age Empire Sim — Strengthen an empire and rise to power as players expand borders, build cities and raise armies in this multiplayer simulation game.
  • September 14: Absolute Tactics: Daughters of Mercy  — Strategise for epic battles, unlock intriguing puzzles and solve exciting quests as players use various abilities to defeat Father Eldritch’s oppressive armies in this RPG title.
  • September 21: Dexter Stardust: Adventures in Outer Space — Go on an adventure to combat the mysterious robot from Planet X and save Earth as players take on the role of taco-loving Dexter Stardust.
  • September 21: Shotgun King: The Final Checkmate — Replace the entire army with a shotgun wielding king in this unique strategy roguelike based on the timeless classic, chess.
  • September 28: Unsolved Case: Murderous Script Collector’s Edition [Legacy Games Code] — Become a detective in this thrilling hidden object title, as players unravel secrets to solve a variety of cases. With the Collector’s Edition, players will also have the chance to make choices, unlock additional achievements and receive bonus collectibles.
  • September 28: Hundred Days — Winemaking Simulator — Grow your very own winery by making impactful, strategic decisions, such as choosing which vines to grow, when to harvest, what wine to market and more.



MIGW23 – Big Games Night Out

By

A GAMES-THEMED WONDERLAND OF FANTASY AND PLAY IS COMING TO MELBOURNE THIS OCTOBER AT BIG GAMES NIGHT OUT

From twilight to late on Thursday 5 October Big Games Night Out invites Victorians and visitors to come together in Melbourne’s iconic Fed Square and surrounds for an immersive night of digital games, music and cosplay.

Presented by Creative Victoria in partnership with Fed Square as part of Melbourne International Games Week, Big Games Night Out is a free, accessible and all-ages event welcoming families and gamers from all walks of life – curious, casual, social to hardcore – to come together and celebrate amongst a spectacle of games, technology and play.

The full program line-up – to be announced soon – includes the not-to-be-missed Big Games Night Out Cosplay Parade and Runway Experience hosted by Myf Warhust and pop star and Twitch streamer Montaigne. A celebration of the fantasy of inhabiting our favourite games, the event is open to all cosplayers to participate, regardless of skill level, whether you make or buy your costumes – all are encouraged to sign up now.

Indie arcade games, 80s games, and exciting local releases will also be available to play, plus a special intergenerational arena for young and mature gamers to play and learn together in partnership with the Victorian Seniors Festival. The Swap Meet gives gamers a chance to find their next challenge by swapping their old games for something new and revelling in some old-school nostalgia.

There will also be special events with some of Australia’s biggest games, including 2022 smash-success Cult of the Lamb. Presented by ACMI and Melbourne Fringe, Cult of the Lamb: The Ritual features large-scale puppets and performers, a DJ performance by River Boy and giant animated projections featuring your favourite characters from the game created by Massive Monster, and featuring Goldens Scissors Puppets and Jean Poole Projection Mapping. The event is supported by Fed Square and Panasonic, and made possible with the support of a RISE grant.

To mark the launch of the homegrown sensation Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical, from Victorian-based Summerfall Studios, Big Games Night Out will also present the Stray Gods Fashion Showcase – a multi-disciplinary event highlighting the game’s incredible blend of games, music, and fashion. Eight Melbourne fashion designers will showcase Stray Gods character costumes alongside their own unique creations, inspired by the game’s epic story about gods, magic, and a thousand-year journey to rediscover one’s purpose.

The full Big Games Night Out program will be announced soon, and will feature games arcades, open access game tournaments, live music performances from Tripod and Montaigne, immersive audience participation experiences, prizes, games-themed fashion runways, and much more throughout Fed Square venues.

Whether you play games once a week or once a year, Big Games Night Out is a special opportunity to experience Fed Square like never before as it transforms into a playful paradise.

Big Games Night Out and MIGW are part of a Creative October – a bigger-than-ever series of creative events taking place across the state across the month with the support of the Victorian Government.

Big Games Night Out is funded by the Melbourne City Revitalisation Fund, a partnership between the Victorian Government and the City of Melbourne.
Big Games Night Out is on Thursday 5 October from twilight to late, as part of Melbourne International Games Week delivered by Creative Victoria – full line-up, maps and timetables coming soon!

Visit gamesweek.melbourne/big-games-night-out to learn more

Sign up for the Cosplay Parade here

Melbourne International Games Week is an initiative of the Victorian Government, delivered by Creative Victoria in partnership with VicScreen, ACMI and IGEA. Events will be held from 30 September – 8 October 2023. For more information visit gamesweek.melbourne