The Pop-Culture E-Zine
Cor blimey, what a phenomenal week it has been for the ausretrogamer crew!
Not only did we feature in two articles in issue 266 of Hyper Magazine, but our very own ‘Wizard Of Aus‘, Alex Boz was also interviewed by the team at Player Attack!
Hip hip hooray for retro gaming!
Retro Gaming: A Link To The Past interview @ Player Attack
Social Hardware and Digging Up The Past, To Preserve The Future feature articles from issue 266 of Hyper Magazine
Phwoar, just when you were feeling down in the dumps with the announcement from Nintendo that they were pulling the pin on the NES Classic Mini, Piko Interactive comes out with a one-two knockout punch full of cheeriness!
No, we aren’t talking about some new boxing game from Piko Interactive, we are referring to their new SNES beat’em up games – Iron Commando and Legend, and their collaboration with Retro-Bit to produce a limited quantity of the Special Custom Edition Iron Commando (or Legend) RetroDuo Handheld!
Having played and reviewed the RetroDuo, we can say that we are quite excited to see an updated custom edition with a fantastic new SNES pack-in game (of your choice)! As this is an IndieGoGo campaign, there is a limited quantity of these custom edition units, so you will have to get in quick to grab one at the early bird price.
For those of you that already have a SNES and are hungry for some new beat’em ups to feed your 16-bit Ninty console, then head to Piko Interactive’s IndieGoGo campaign to check out Iron Commando and Legend.
source: Piko Interactive – IndieGoGo
Hands up those of you that haven’t played GoldenEye 007 on the Nintendo 64. If you have put your hand up, then we strongly urge you to rectify the situation and play this game at this instant – it is that damn good!
For the rest of you, we all know how awesome and revolutionary Rare’s game was on the N64. GoldenEye 007 was so good, that it created the template for all First-Person Shooter (FPS) games that proceeded it, even till this day!
We would love to know more about the team and what went on in making this landmark game, but we all know how secretive Rare is, especially its enigmatic founding brothers, Tim and Chris Stamper. But, we are happy to report that our prayers have been answered!
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of GoldenEye 007, Melbourne based, Roller Coaster Productions is aiming to create a documentary on this influential console shooter, with the aim of exploring the untold story behind the game. The film, aptly titled GoldenEra, will examine how a young and inexperienced team were trusted to work on such a huge licence, how the game continued in spite of its cancellation, and most importantly, how they motivated each other to surpass all expectations and create a game that would shape the genre and delight players for years to come. GoldenEra will also delve into personal anecdotes from the game’s developers, critics, fans and celebrities – discussing how it shaped them and their lives. This documentary will celebrate the game that revolutionised the way we play together, in our lounge rooms and bedrooms with friends and family around the world. GoldenEra’s crowdfunding campaign and teaser trailer have already launched on IndieGoGo, so go and take a look and back it if you can!
GoldenEra – The untold story behind the game from Drew Roller on Vimeo.
We are quite confident in the pedigree of the GoldenEra filmmakers, Drew Roller and Narayan Pattison, with both having extensive content creation and film making experience, so this documentary is in very good and experienced hands. We’ll eagerly watch this IndieGoGo campaign!
source: GoldenEra Documentary
As the second month of the new millennium rolled around, we realised that the doomsday Y2K bug was a furphy and we pumped up the volume to All Saints‘ ‘Pure Shores’!
By February 2000 the PlayStation was showing its age, but it was still host to many great games – hello Crash Team Racing! If you were in the Nintendo or Sega camps, February 2000 was a good one, as their respective consoles, the Nintendo 64 and Dreamcast, were definitely not short of ace games.
So let’s put on some Christina Aguilera and take a look back at what games made the top 5 charts on the PlayStation, Nintendo 64 and Dreamcast in February 2000. See any you like?
 |
1) Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation (Eidos) |
| 2) FIFA 2000 (EA) | |
| 3) Crash Team Racing (Sony) | |
| 4) Tomorrow Never Dies (EA) | |
| 5) This Is Football (Sony) |
 |
1) Donkey Kong 64 (Nintendo) |
| 2) WWF Wrestlemania 2000 (THQ) | |
| 3) Super Smash Bros. (Nintendo) | |
| 4) Rainbow Six (Take 2) | |
| 5) Rayman 2 (Ubisoft) |
 |
1) Virtua Striker 2 (Sega) |
| 2) Shadowman (Acclaim) | |
| 3) SoulCalibur (Namco) | |
| 4) Jimmy White’s 2: Cueball (Virgin) | |
| 5) UEFA Striker (Infogrames) |
Who says that the arcade is dead? If you are sick of seeing redemption machines at your local amusement centre, then perhaps the new horizontal shoot’em up, SKYCURSER will draw you back for some good old fashion blasting!
Griffin Aerotech’s SKYCURSER takes players through some gorgeously drawn worlds in which they must battle mutant hordes to save the planet. SKYCURSER has a total of four missions with a reward scoring system that keeps things quite competitive.
The game runs on a platform called Airframe and its creators have also promised free game updates. A year ago, the Griffin Aerotech team expressed hopes that the open-source nature of Airframe would attract other independent designers to create games for arcade cabinets and controls. This means that operators could potentially swap several games on the same Airframe using only a USB stick, which brings back memories of swapping those good old Neo Geo MVS cartridges.
There’s a Pro (USD$700) and Deluxe (USD$1,200) version of the kitted game, each coming with necessary software and hardware while the Deluxe has additional conversion art. The game is also available in a dedicated arcade cabinet ready to hit the floor (USD$3,499). Conversion kits are expected to ship by June 2017. For information on purchasing the game in a dedicated cabinet, click here.
The arcade industry needs more of these good old fashioned arcade games, like SKYCURSER, to draw back the 80s and 90s kids (now adults) into arcade centres for them to have fun while introducing their own children to the kind of games they played at their age many moons ago.
image source: Griffin Aerotech
UPDATE 24-April-2017: Andreas has informed us that the Kickstarter has been cancelled!
The Commodore 64 was our first true love in gaming and computing. The beautiful C64 invokes great memories from decades ago, with memories feeling so vivid that they seem like they happened just yesterday!
Nostalgia is truly intoxicating, especially when meeting fellow C64 lovers like Andreas Wallström. If you don’t know who Andreas is, then this interview will give you an insight into Andreas’ passions and great dedication he has towards the fabled C64. We have been following Andreas for a while on social media and constantly refer to his awesome C64.com site. Once we found out that Andreas had a C64 book on Kickstarter, we took note as his book is unlike other C64 books we have seen or read before.
We managed to grab Andreas to tell us a bit more about himself, his passions and of course, his new C64 tome.
AUSRETROGAMER [ARG]: Hello Andreas, thank you for your time to do this interview. Before we delve into your wonderful projects, tell us about yourself – when did you start gaming and/or dabbling with gaming systems and computers?
Andreas Wallström [AW]: My name is Andreas Wallström. I’m a 43 year old father, graphic designer, photographer, drummer and a massive Commodore 64 fan. Some time at the beginning of the 1980’s, my father brought home the ColecoVision, so that was the first machine I started with. But in 1984, dad brought home the C64, a 1541 disk drive, a 1530 tape deck, a MPS 801 printer and five Mastertronic games. That was the start of my love affair with the greatest machine of all time – which changed my life forever.
ARG: When did you discover the Commodore 64 and what was it about the C64 that got you hooked on this 8-bit micro?
AW: I got hooked pretty quickly. I was only allowed to use the C64 during weekends at first, but like the sneaky little bastard that I was, I brought friends home during lunch breaks to play games like H.E.R.O., Snoopy and Spy Hunter. Dad and I undertook a BASIC course in 1985, but that didn’t really spark my interest. The programming exercises were mainly aimed at an older audience, but I was still happy to just be near the machine. I got really hooked when I first saw crack intros (cracktros) and demos. I was very impressed when I saw text scrolling on screen for the first time!
ARG: Is the C64 your only love or do you have other computers, consoles or systems you like to use and play on?
AW: I play games and watch demos on three machines: The C64, the Amiga and the Mega Drive. I never owned a Mega Drive back in the day, but I love the games on it. Favourite games on these other two machines would be; on the Amiga: Pirates!, Defender of the Crown, Beach Volley, King of Chicago, Super Cars and Another World. On the Mega Drive, they are: Sonic the Hedgehog II, Castle of Illusion and The Lion King.
ARG: As you are a graphic designer and photographer by trade, did the C64 (or other systems) play a part in your choice of vocation?
AW: It certainly did. My grandmother was a painter, so designing things runs in the blood. I started drawing logos and fonts on the C64 when I was 14 years old, so that was the start of my self-education in the field of digital graphics. I constantly thank the creators of the C64 and the people that inspired me along the way because it’s thanks to them that I have the job that I have today.
ARG: Your website, c64.com is a treasure trove of information on the C64 (we constantly use it!) which has been around for almost 20 years! What made you start this site? And, do you have outside (contributors) that assist you with it?
AW: C64.COM was started by my friends Creeper/Flash Inc and Jordan/Antic. I helped out in the beginning but wanted to do a different kind of C64 homepage, so I started C64hq.com. After a few years working apart, I suggested that we’d join forces again to create one cool site together. That was in 2006 if I remember correctly. The reason why both sites were started was simply because the undying love for the C64. We’re a small team and would love more contributors, so if anyone is interested, please apply!
ARG: Let’s get to your latest project, the Commodore 64: For the Love Of A Machine book, which is currently seeking crowdfunding on Kickstarter – could you tell us a bit more about this project and what people can expect from the finished product?
AW: Since I have something of an obsession with the C64, I thought it would be a great idea to design a beautiful coffee-table book that celebrates the world’s most popular computer. People can expect a 224 pages hardback book filled to the brim with C64 nostalgia. There will be interviews with Al Charpentier who was VP of Engineering at Commodore during the creation of the C64 and he also created the VIC-II graphics chip. I have also done an interview with Bob Yannes who created the SID chip and he was one of two engineers that put the C64 together. We got a lot to thank this man, and trust me when I say, without Yannes, there would be no C64!
Apart from these guys, there are in-depth interviews with the likes of Chris Hüelsbeck, Ben Daglish and Fred Gray. People can expect an interview with programmer John Twiddy who programmed The Last Ninja. Something I’m also very proud of are the game commentaries from people that created many of the games that we love. And hey, did I mention the scans of Rob Hubbard’s original music notes? Rob wrote the music to games like Sanxion, Thing on a Spring, Crazy Comets, and Spellbound to name a few. For the first time ever, people are given the chance to gain insight into how he used to compose his famous C64 tunes.
ARG: You have managed to get interviews with some big names from Commodore and the gaming community – was this a difficult process? How did you go about securing interviews with big names like Al Charpentier and Bob Yannes for instance?
AW: You know, for some reason I’d like to torture myself by pursuing people, knowing how hard it is to find people that have said no to others. The interview with Mr.Z/Triad for instance was particularly challenging – It took me three years to get a ‘yes’ from him and then it took eight years to finish the interview! Obviously, the interview was started way before I started thinking of doing a book, but you get an idea what I’m willing to go through. Regarding how I secured interviews with Al and Bob, well, I’ll have to keep that myself for now, let’s just say that being in the scene since 1987 helped a lot. Oh yeah, persistence helps too.
ARG: What sets this C64 book apart from others?
AW: The interviews for sure. You won’t find current interviews anywhere with people like Bob Yannes, Mr.Z/Triad and Dave Collier who programmed games like Yie Ar Kung-Fu, Green Beret and Hyper Sports. This is the first time he’s talking to anyone about the good old C64 days. The Rob Hubbard scripts of course make this book stand out too. I’m also putting focus on women in games which I haven’t seen in any other books. The book will also include professional photography and photos from old copy-parties and meetings that have not been seen before. I take great pride in this and I will make sure the book has a really eye-catching design.
ARG: The pledge tiers are all enticing and we are struggling to pick just one – they all look good! Got any tips on which one we should go for?
AW: How about the associate producer one? *smiles* I would really recommend to get the physical book together with a poster from Dave Rowe and/or Steinar Lund. They’re going to look great on any wall!
ARG: Before we let you go, do you have an all-time favourite C64 game and chiptune?
AW: The impossible question and despite the figure skating events in Winter Games, that would be my favourite game. When it comes to music, one tune I always love to listen to is the main tune in Krakout by Ben Daglish. It’s fast paced, it’s jolly and the melodies are second to none!
Like all good things, even an interview must come to an end. We honestly could’ve asked Andreas another hundred questions, which he would have happily answered, but we thought we’d better let him go to concentrate on his upcoming book. As we say our goodbyes, we are left quite confident that Andreas’ book will be something quite special, for all fans! If you want to back Andreas’ C64 book, head over to Kickstarter now.
source: Commodore 64: For the Love of a Machine
We are huge fans of Ben Heck’s creations, from the giant Game Boy to the awesomely cool portable Atari 2600. This time around, Ben and his team have hit the mark with the Mini Pinball machine, which they aim to turn into a kit for us to use and enjoy! Hopefully we won’t have to wait too long.
After watching this update video, we must say we are quite excited about the prospect of having a mini pinball machine in our games room! We eagerly await future updates on this amazing bit of kit.
source: The Ben Heck Show
Young Australian pinball wizard, Jordan Tredaway wins the PAPA 20 (Professional & Amateur Pinball Association) World Championship B Division!
The 16 year old Melbournian showed poise and maturity beyond his years by beating veterans double and even triple his age from across the globe in the world’s most prestigious pinball championship. We managed to grab Jordan as he was tucking into a well deserved dinner to ask him how he was feeling right now, “Ecstatic! Feels like a dream come true”. Also flying the flag high for Australia was Martin Robbins, whom also had a fantastic tournament.
14 year old Jordan (JTH) smashes Game Of Thrones at PAX Aus 2015
Jordan’s PAPA 20 (Division B) win was just reward for his hard work and consistent pinball tournament wins in Australia. We first met Jordan at Supanova in 2015 when he won the Under 18s Pinball vs. Supanova Championship at the tender age of 14! With his current IFPA world ranking at 231, we are pretty sure that this win at PAPA 20 will propel him in the top echelon of pinball wizards, and who knows, perhaps an A Division win at next year’s PAPA 21!
The PAPA World Pinball Championships is the most renowned event in all of competitive pinball which is held annually in Carnegie, Pennsylvania USA.
PAPA 20 competition floor!
Jordan in action!
Martin Robbins keeps an eye on the standings, while Jordan keeps an eye on the competition!
Jordan Tredaway, PAPA 20 Division B World Pinball Champion!
image sources: Martin Robbins and Carme Martinez
Jordan’s impressive points tally in Division B at PAPA 20
We’ve been on a Vectrex kick lately, from having a beautiful boxed system donated to us, to the cool custom controller overlay to pimp out our older and tired looking Vectrex controllers. We adore the retro gaming splendour that is the Vectrex!
While we are on this vector kick, we’ve found out that there is a smart cookie out there that has used their 3D printing skills in fabricating a Vectrex controller, decked out in great colours and LED-lit analogue sticks! It’s a bit rough around the edges, but it’s still damn cool.
PLEASE TAKE OUR MONEY!
source: eBay
source: Coolate
The Atari Lynx was and still is a great handheld. Imagine if Atari had McWill’s LCD mod back then, they may have given the Sega Game Gear and possibly the Game Boy a run for their money (Ed: OK, perhaps not the Game Boy)!
If you were into arcade style games, then the Atari Lynx was your platform of choice. With games like Double Dragon, Klax, A.P.B., Battlezone 2000, Rygar, Hard Drivin’, Joust, Xybots, Paperboy and the awesome Rampage, Robotron and S.T.U.N. Runner, the Lynx was not short on quality action titles. Actually, we could have added a laundry list of other games, but we thought you’d get the picture with a subset of titles.
During the commercial lifespan of the Atari Lynx, there were a roster of big name titles that never saw the light of day. We could only imagine the impact these games may have had on the commercial viability of the Lynx! Just in case you were wondering, here are a few of the cancelled games from 1992 that we reckon could have catapulted the Lynx on the path to success:
Rolling Thunder
Vindicators
Geoduel
720°
Cabal
There were quite a few other cancelled games, but we thought we’d limit the list to ensure that we didn’t enrage you all. Actually, quite a few cancelled games did make it out when Hasbro, the owners of the Atari properties at the time, released the rights to develop for the system to the public domain, but that was well after the Lynx was considered dead (Ed: we did appreciate Alien vs Predator and Raiden)!
Ah, the beautiful Lynx, if only you were given a proper and fair chance by your creator!