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It’s On Like Donkey Kong – The Amazing PC Case

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Sometimes there is a huge pay off being in Facebook creator / modder groups, like the PC Builders Community group, which as the name suggests, is where clever peeps share their creations and modifications.

On this occasion, group member, Dennis Riese shared his custom Donkey Kong PC case, which as you can see in the photos, is mind-blowingly amazing!

Impressed with the PC case? You should be! The intricate level of detail is so spot on, this would pass as a Nintendo first party PC case – it looks that good. So what’s powering this liquid-cooled beast under the hood? It’s just as impressive as the case:

  • Motherboard – ASUS ROG Maximus XII Hero
  • Processor – Intel i9 10900
  • Graphics Card – NVIDIA GeForce 3080Ti Founders Edition with Corsair Hydro X water block
  • RAM – 32GB Crucial Ballistix MAX
  • OS – Windows 11 Pro
  • Storage 1 – WD Black 500gig M.2 NVme
  • Storage 2 – Samsung 970 Evo+ 2TB M.2 NVme
  • Cooling – 2 Corsair Hydro X water loops

Dennis says that,

Fun build and completely overkill for me to play Minesweeper on it but I am big on future proofing.

This Donkey Kong PC case is just next level awesome!

image source: Dennis Riese via Facebook



It’s Okay that Kyler Murray’s a Gamer

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By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

Several weeks ago, you would’ve thought Arizona Cardinal’s quarterback Kyler Murray clubbed a baby seal and posted it on social media.

In Murray’s new five-year, $230.5 million contract, the Cardinals had included a clause requiring Murray to “complete at least four (4) hours of independent study” during game weeks. The “homework clause” specified that Murray would not receive credit for studying on an iPad if he was simultaneously playing video games, watching TV, or surfing the internet. Then, the Cardinals eventually removed the “independent study” clause from the quarterback’s contract.

If Murray didn’t like what was in the contract that was presented to him and his agent, he didn’t have to sign it. But some of the National Football League pundits who were dismantling the Murray contract addendum on various shows, had no kind words when the subject of video games came up. Most NFL gurus shrug at the mere mention of video games because they don’t have an investment or stack in gaming; they don’t gain anything when video games are brought up in their circles.

The 25-year-old quarterback took a thumping from most NFL commentators. Ryan Clark, on “NFL Live,” compared Kyler Murray to a fifth grader. Pretty harsh. Granted, fifth graders play a great deal of video games, but so do people in their thirties and forties.

A couple of fashionable pundits have said that when Murray throws an interception this season, fans will immediately say, “He’s been playing video games too much.” There could be a lot of reasons why Murray throws a pick. The most likely reason being that the cornerback anticipated a pass play when Murray drops back. Playing video games will have nothing to do with it.

Some in the sports media seem anti-video gaming. The revenues for the global game market were $159.3 billion in 2020. Do people who are paid to give their sports takes on the NFL know how many young people play video games? It’s estimated in 2023, there will be 3 billion video game players worldwide.



image source: Fox Sports

Cosplay Championships to debut at PAX Aus 2022

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Leading into PAX Aus 2022 this October, we thought we’d let you all know about the Cosplay Central Crown Championships, which will debut at PAX Aus 2022.

The Australian leg of the championships is a stepping stone for cosplayers who will be given the chance to take to the stage and show off their craftsmanship – with the chance to take to the global stage at C2E2 for the finals.

The judges for the event are Henchwench, WhereIsDanielle, and Scrap Shop Props – just a few of the greats from our region.

You can enter The Cosplay Central Crown Championship here. Entries close 11:59pm AEDT, September 5th, 2022.

source: PAX Aus 2018 Cosplay Highlights



Turn Your Xbox Series X|S Into A Legit Emulation Powerhouse

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PLEASE NOTE: This is now an outdated post and it’s instructions SHOULD NOT be followed or used!

Say what? Yep, you read that title properly, you can legitimately download and install emulation open source apps from the Microsoft Store for your Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S consoles!

Sick of setting up emulation on multiple devices? Do you want to centralise all your gaming, both modern and retro, on the one console? If you have an Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S, this is now a reality!

PLEASE NOTE: This is now an outdated post and it’s instructions SHOULD NOT be followed or used!

Thanks to gamr13 and the rest of the clever dev community, the process to turn your Xbox into an emulation beast is simpler and does not need any funky bypassing with whitelisting, going into dev mode or other illegitimate modifications.

PLEASE NOTE: This is now an outdated post and it’s instructions SHOULD NOT be followed or used!

If you have an Xbox One, you can play everything from the 8-bit era all the way up to the 32-bit consoles, like the PS1. If you are part of the crowd that has an Xbox Series X|S then you can play old school games from the dawn of video gaming all the way up to the Dreamcast, GameCube/Wii, PS2 (limited) and PSP! You’re basically making your Xbox console into a RetroPie killer!! Woohoo, we can finally play Virtua Tennis 3 (PSP) on our Xbox Series S!!!

PLEASE NOTE: This is now an outdated post and it’s instructions SHOULD NOT be followed or used!

We know what you are thinking, how complicated is it? Do you have to fiddle with controller configuration? Well, it actually isn’t complicated at all and the controller configs are done for you – even we were able to get it setup in less than 15 minutes – obviously this depends on how many retro games you have – which we will not discuss here.

PLEASE NOTE: This is now an outdated post and it’s instructions SHOULD NOT be followed or used!

Instructions:

  1. Fire up your Xbox Series S or X;
  2. Go to https://gamr13.github.io using the Edge browser on the Xbox and on the GAMR13’S APPSTORE tile, click the Download App button;
  3. In the Microsoft Store, click on the Get button, followed by the Got It button;
  4. Quit out of the Edge browser;
  5. Open Gamr13’s </> AppStore from your dashboard;
  6. Install the emulator(s), tools and games you want from the AppStore; then quit;
    1. NOTE: RetriX is a great front-end if you prefer it to RetroArch
  7. Use the Durango FTP app to copy/transfer over the required BIOS files and game files (roms) – obviously we won’t link these here as you should legally own these files.
    1. NOTE: If you prefer, and we highly recommend it, use an external drive (256GB USB-3 stick) to host your required files (BIOS, games etc).
  8. You are all done! Enjoy your nostalgia!

Oh yeah, if you are having troubles playing your PS1 or PSP games in RetroArch, then check out the DuckStation or PPSSPP Gold standalone apps respectively. DuckStation has the added benefit of upscaling PS1 games to 1080p at 60fps, making PS1 games look absolutely amazing. The standalone FlyCast emulator works great for Dreamcast, just in case you can’t get your DC games going on RetroArch.

PLEASE NOTE: This is now an outdated post and it’s instructions SHOULD NOT be followed or used!

If you prefer video instructions, then you can follow gamr13’s tutorial here.

RetroArch setup

RetriX Setup

NOTE: This post is informational only. The reader accepts all risk and responsibility in installing and configuring any of the applications/tools/emulators mentioned in this article. These are all open source retail apps available on the Microsoft Store.

PLEASE NOTE: This is now an outdated post and it’s instructions SHOULD NOT be followed or used!



Formula Bit Racing DX – Review

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With the explosion in popularity of Formula 1 (Ed: thanks to Drive to Survive), it is great timing to have a game like Formula Bit Racing DX hit our gaming consoles!

So why is Formula Bit Racing DX great? Well, firstly it is a lot of fun to play! Secondly, we love its influence from classic arcade racing games from the 80s and early 90s, so if you enjoyed games like Super Sprint, RC Pro-Am, Super Skidmarks, Micro Machines, Super Off-Road Racing, to name just a few, then you will absolutely love this game from 2Awesome Studio!

The charm of this game is its low-poly HD graphics and top-down/isometric point of view of the race track, coupled with great control and the challenges thrown at the racer before they cross the finishing line.

Borrowing elements from iconic arcade racing games, Formula Bit Racing DX builds on this pedigree with a few modern twists, including the aforementioned gorgeously crisp low-polygon HD grx, catchy retro soundtrack and of course, the 20 fun circuits to race on with one of 10 unique cars! The exciting gameplay that the genre is known for is perfectly captured by Formula Bit Racing DX – lots of high speed action and skill series which are quite easy to get into, but mastering the control to turn, drift on the racing track is what keeps you coming back to it. The only thing we wish this game had was the ability to play against your friends, but the game is still solid playing solo.

At well under AU$10.00, this game is absolutely and totally worth grabbing, no matter your console – Xbox, PlayStation or Nintendo Switch. So go ahead, start your engines and prepare for the craziest and most addictive racing you’ll experience today!



Review: Wonder Boy Collection

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Let’s get one thing straight, we are checking out the digital version of the Wonder Boy Collection, which is vastly different from the physical boxed edition from Strictly Limited Games. Just so you guys are informed, this digital version contains 4 Wonder Boy games, whereas the Strictly Limited Games (physical) edition has all 6 of the classic Wonder Boy titles, plus every Master System, Mega Drive/Genesis, Game Gear and arcade versions of those games, both in English and Japanese, for a grand total of 21 games – so you see, there is a pretty big difference!

OK, we have got that out of the way, let’s get into the 4 games that you get in the digital version of the Wonder Boy Collection. First off the bat (and our absolute favourite, because we grew up with it) is the arcade version of Wonder Boy (1986). The next one is another arcade version, Wonder Boy In Monster Land (1987), with the last two titles being Mega Drive/Genesis ports of  Wonder Boy in Monster World (1991) and (Wonder Boy) Monster World IV (1994).

This is not a bad little collection, but it does feel incomplete if you are a hardcore Wonder Boy fan. Considering there other titles in the main series left off this compilation, coupled with the remakes and Adventure Island ports, this could have been such a stellar collection worthy to be in everyone’s games library. Anyway, we digress!

If you are reading this, then you will know what types of games these are. Wonder Boy is an out and out platformer with jumping and collecting items on the way to rescuing his girlfriend – sound familiar? Yeah, it is in the Super Mario Bros. ilk, which isn’t a bad thing. The rest of the collection take this formula and sprinkle RPG elements to spice things up in each of the successive titles in the collection.

All games have the option to save/load states, modify the controls, rewind speeds and importantly, the video, which includes options to change the display, scaling and shaders – ensuring that you can retro it up to your heart’s content. The arcade ports have the additional options to change the number of lives, bonus lives and difficulty level, with Monster Land having the option to change how you use your special weapon. It would be remiss of us not to mention a blaring error on the Wonder Boy (1986) selection screen where there is reference to Tom-Tom’s girlfriend as Tanya instead of Tina. Hey, we know we are being very pedantic, but come on, this is elementary detail that should have been a no brainer.

All games are faithful to their original content, with the emulation accuracy being quite good on the Nintendo Switch. As it stands, for AU$39.99 (US$29.99), you get four pretty good Wonder Boy titles, but you can’t help it think how much more awesome it would have been if they added Monster Lair and Dragon’s Trap to this collection.



Disclaimer: The Nintendo Switch eShop code for the Wonder Boy Collection was provided by PR Hound.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge – Review

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Cowabunga! Sorry, we really had to start with that!

How good do we beat’em up fans have it right now? Both Final Vendetta and TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge get released within a day of one another. The last time we had it this good, I had a mullet and the singing budgie, Kylie Minogue, was killin’ it with her Stock Aitken Waterman hits. Oh yeah, and we are late doing this review because this game is deliciously addictive, just like a capricciosa pizza (minus the anchovies)!

You’ve probably read (or watched) a ton of reviews about this game already, so we honestly don’t know what else to say that hasn’t already been said – if you are into scrolling beat’em ups (playing solo or co-op), then adding TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge to your games library is a no-brainer, GET IT RIGHT NOW!


source: DotEmu

For those that need an extra push that are asking, how darn good is this game, well let us tell ya! We played Final Vendetta before Shredder’s Revenge and called it the beat’em up genre’s magnum opus (it’s darn good), but we honestly reckon Shredder’s Revenge is just as good (if not better!). The main pull for us is the fact that this game oozes nostalgia with its beautiful full-colour pixel visuals, aural (yay Tee Lopes!) and play mechanics by transporting us back to early 1990 in the video rental store where we first played the 4P Konami arcade game which totally blew our mind. Shredder’s Revenge has blown our mind too! Obviously it is a step above the original arcade with ample levels that are choc-full of foot clan baddies to smash with satisfying moves, attacks and brutal combos – there are 21 in total. Some moves do consume your Ninja Power bar, so you have to be strategic when to use it. Being TMNT, there is also a radical mode (basically god mode) that can be unlocked to mow down everyone on screen. Oh yeah, you can also taunt your enemies before you unleash your fist of fury. Did we also mention that you can play with up to six players simultaneously? No? Well, we have now – it’s just so gnarly! What else can we tell you about this game that no one has said already? It’s so bodacious!

We love the fact that you can play Shredder’s Revenge in Story or Arcade mode, with the latter basically giving the player a harder challenge with limited lives, continues and no saved progression – just the way we like it. Both Story and Arcade modes offer an easy (chill), hard (okay) and tough-as-nails (gnarly) difficulty levels, so it all depends on your mood and skill level.

If you need more convincing, then perhaps this game isn’t for you. If you are sitting on the fence, we say get off it and get playing TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge on your chosen system ASAP, you’ll thank us for it! Seriously though, if we had a rating system, we would give this all the stars in the observable universe. Bravo and thanks Tribute Games and DotEmu for giving us a superb game.

image source: DotEmu



Disclaimer: The Nintendo Switch review code for TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge was provided by DotEmu.

Review: Final Vendetta

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Sorry Double Dragon, Final Fight & Streets of Rage, there is a new beat’me up contender that kicks your a***

As an enduring genre we have always loved beat’em ups, especially at the arcades! Starting with Double Dragon in 1987 where we could play with a buddy kicking two-shades out of the baddies, we were very excited to get our hands on Final Vendetta!

Final Vendetta harks back to the good ole days of arcade beat’em ups, like Final Fight, with hard-hitting action, packed with modern stunning pixel art visuals, thumping dance/techno soundtrack featuring exclusive tracks by Utah Saints (yep, Utah Saints!), and most importantly, being able to brawl with bad dudes and tough girls across (six) very dangerous environments.

The hardcore fighting action pulls no punches in Final Vendetta, with heaps of enemies to take down with one of three playable heroes (characters) that have varying fighting styles with fresh beat’em up  mechanics like the ability to block and strike downed opponents and a plethora of other moves and combos to master. Oh yeah, to ensure your character’s health bar is always in tip top shape, there is succulent street food to sample across each level.

With only having time to play the arcade mode before this review, FV has four exciting game modes in total, with the aforementioned Arcade mode, Survival, Versus and Boss Rush – enough to keep you brawling for ages!

Goddamn this is a top class game. There honestly isn’t enough superlatives to describe the luscious visuals, the amazing sound effects and soundtracks, and of course, the gameplay with its usual moves and combos. But what sets Final Vendetta head and shoulders above anything else that came before it are the newly minted beat’em up mechanics/moves like blocking, striking downed opponents and performing juggle combos – these truly are the cherries on top of an already delicous cake!

Here is the final word on Final Vendetta – it is simply the complete beat’em up video game package, and we would go as far as saying this is the genre’s magnum opus – it’s that bloody good!

Details:

  • Game: Final Vendetta
  • Platform(s):
    • Digital: Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox X|S & Steam
    • Physical: check retailers at Numskull Games
  • Available: June 17, 2022 (UK and Europe)
  • Price: US$24.95 (Switch eShop)



Samurai Riot ‘Definitive Edition’ – Nintendo Switch Review

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We have been spoiled with scrolling beat’em ups and slash’em ups lately on our Switch, so checking out Samurai Riot Definitive Edition was high on our list!

The first thing that struck us when playing Samurai Riot was its Golden Axe play and feel, which isn’t a bad comparison at all. Going by the gorgeous visuals, one would argue that we are on some illicit substance obscuring our brain by comparing this game to Sega’s classic slash’em up. On visuals alone, you may have a point, but immersing yourself in playing the game, it does feel like its Sega forebear.

Samurai Riot is one darn slick with great challenging game for those of us that like to beat and slash some really bad guys. Oh yeah, grabbing a weapon is customary in games like this, so once it’s in your hands you can really go for the kill. Samurai Riot Definitive Edition launched back in 2017, so us Nintendo Switch owners have had to wait for a while, but it was totally worth it. This Definitive Edition sports gorgeous new animations at 60fps, new dialogs, improved combos to make it easier for average players and the new updated backgrounds round off a great gaming package.

We usually don’t care about the backstory to a beat’em up/slash’em up, but this one did pique our interest. The story compels the player to really think about their decisions in game and the ramifications of their choices. Having been hired to bring peace and tranquillity to the warring land, each choice you make as a Samurai, Tsurumaru / Sukane, will have an influence on your destiny and, with an arsenal of deadly attacks at your disposal, the fight to make it through each battle will require guile, skill and forethought!

Playing solo is good fun, but playing with a friend in co-op mode elevates this to darn great fun! Samurai Riot offers a plethora of choices and features including both solo and cooperative play, where the story immerses both players equally, with a multi-branching storyline, complete with eight different endings. Conversely, you could enter a PVP fight against your partner to win the lead! The more you play, the more you accumulate points to unlock new fighting schools for better replay value.

Like any game in this genre, this one is easy to pick up and play, but quite difficult to master. Samurai Riot Definitive Edition rewards the more demanding gamer with deeper content. Players can choose from 14 fighting schools (lots of replay value here!) that add an abundance of gameplay variation to the character’s moves and the devastation they can unleash upon their enemies. Hound Picked Games, together with Wako Factory, a French indie development studio, have done an amazing job on Samurai Riot Definitive Edition! This is a delightful 2D scrolling arcade beat’em up game that is fun to play solo or co-op.

Details:

  • Game: Samurai Riot Definitive Edition
  • Platform(s): Nintendo Switch & PC (Steam)
  • Available: June 1st, 2022 (Switch)
  • Price: AU$14.85



Disclaimer: The Nintendo Switch review code for Samurai Riot Definitive Edition was provided by PR Hound.

Review: EPOS H3PRO Hybrid Gaming Headset & B20 Streaming Mic

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We have been fans of EPOS (formerly Sennheiser) audio gear for ages, so we were quite excited when the EPOS H3PRO Hybrid wireless closed acoustics gaming headset and EPOS B20 streaming microphone landed in the office.

EPOS H3PRO Hybrid Wireless Closed Acoustics Gaming Headset:

We had previously reviewed the EPOS H3 Hybrid headset, which we really liked, so we were keen to see how these new premium gaming headphones compared. Well, they are both premium quality, with the H3PRO version having a few additional bells and whistles. Firstly, the H3PRO Hybrid are wireless, so they are immediately able to connect in more ways than our H3 Hybrid headset. Secondly, the ear cups were super comfortable (on our big head) and had the added ANC manual switch which worked a treat when needing some noise cancellation in our aural pleasure. We didn’t know how much we missed this on the H3 Hybrid till we started using the ANC feature on our H3PRO Hybrid headset.

Boasting low latency gaming and up to 19 hours of wireless gaming with ANC on, our Ghost White H3PRO Hybrid are now our new favourite headset!

EPOS B20 Streaming Microphone:

Microphones can make or break your sound experience. We’ve never had a top notch mic before, so the immediate impact of the EPOS B20 streaming mic was quite stark! The build quality is premium, with the side-neck stand giving stability on any flat surface.

We connected our EPOS H3PRO Hybrid headset via the jack on the bottom of the microphone, which just topped off the sound experience. Just speaking into the microphone and hearing our voice through the headset was so cool. For the technically inclined, the B20 houses three condenser capsules that can be set to four different pickup patterns: cardioid, bidirectional, omnidirectional and stereo. It samples at 24 bits and 48kHz, with a frequency response of 50Hz to 20kHz. All this adds up to configuration options to make you sound as good as possible.

We did find that the mic picked up the slightest background noises, like our hand moving the mouse or the fan on our laptop – not a big deal if you are in a Zoom session or having a casual chat online. Podcasters may need to tinker with their setup to ensure optimal sound without any background distractions. The other little niggle we found was with the gain and volume knobs on the mic – they spin freely without any minimum or maximum setting, meaning lots of knob turning till you find the sweet spot. Once we had the pickup pattern locked in and the gain and volume set to our desired setting, the pickup of our voice either at close range or a few inches away from the mic made us sound like some professional radio DJ. Coupled with the EPOS Gaming Suite software, users can tweak settings to their heart’s content. Thanks to the B20, we no longer have to worry about the quality of our voice when guest speaking on podcasts!

There is a reason why the EPOS H3PRO Hybrid wireless closed acoustics gaming headset won the Design Award 2022 – they are as close to a perfect gaming headset as you can get for under AU$400! Not to be outdone by the headset, the EPOS B20 Streaming microphone is another Design Award 2022 winner, which says quite a lot – it’s a pretty good mic for under $230!

If you are in the market for premium quality audio gear for your gaming and streaming experience without breaking the bank, then the EPOS H3PRO Hybrid headset and EPOS B20 streaming mic should be right at the top of your purchase list.

Cost & where to buy:

  • EPOS H3PRO Hybrid Wireless $399 (currently available at Amazon AU One-Day Prime deal for $299)
  • EPOS B20 Streaming Microphone $229 (currently available at Amazon AU for $159)



Disclaimer: The EPOS H3PRO Hybrid headset & EPOS B20 streaming microphone were provided by POWER UP PR for this review.