Retro Gaming Culture

NAMCO Mini Arcade Machine Collection

October 4, 2016 By ausretrogamer

Have you ever wanted to recreate an arcade parlour from the 80s? You know those dark dingy joints you used to visit and wow at the pew-pew sounds coming out of Galaga or the distinct wakka-wakka-wakka sound effects from a Pac-Man machine? Ah, those were the days.

Now, where were we? Ah, rather than look for a commercial property and hitting eBay to find arcade machines to recreate your dream 80s arcade parlour, these tiny NAMCO Arcade Machines will go a long way to fulfil your creation. There are five in the collection (Galaga, Galaxian, Pac-Man, Rally-X and Tank Battalion), and we truly hope more will be released. Oh yeah, you will have to supply your own well worn carpet with chewing gum for that authentic look and feel.

You can pre-order your NAMCO Arcade Machine Collection now!

A row of beauties!

Recreating the beloved 80s arcade parlour

Going gaga over Galaga!

Fire! Pew-pew!

The level of detail is mind-blowing!

A selfie with Pac-Man…… So cool!

Anyone up for a tank battle?

source: Goodsmile & Kahotan’s Blog

The World’s Smallest MAME Arcade Cabinet

October 3, 2016 By Ms. ausretrogamer

Adafruit has made an astoundingly small MAME arcade cabinet using a Raspberry Pi Zero – adorable! Read all about how it was made here.

Source: Adafruit via Laughing Squid

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Ms. ausretrogamer
Co-founder, editor and writer at ausretrogamer – The Australian Retro Gamer E-Zine. Lover of science fiction, fashion, books, movies and TV. Player of games, old and new.

Follow Ms. ausretrogamer on Twitter

Pi Cart: 2,400 Vintage Games In A NES Cartridge

October 1, 2016 By Ms. ausretrogamer

Wow – this innocent-looking NES cartridge contains 2,400 vintage games! Watch the video, then make your own.

Source: howchoo via Technabob

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Ms. ausretrogamer
Co-founder, editor and writer at ausretrogamer – The Australian Retro Gamer E-Zine. Lover of science fiction, fashion, books, movies and TV. Player of games, old and new.

Follow Ms. ausretrogamer on Twitter

Getting Weird And Retro At EB Expo 2016

September 28, 2016 By ausretrogamer

Watch out Sydney, Weird And Retro (WaRriors) are back for another EB Games Expo! This time around, the WaRriors are bringing a plethora of retro gaming systems that will feature over 60 games in the best of old-school gaming.

Players will be able to get hands-on with heaps of retro gaming systems, including the Commodore 64, Atari 2600 and the Super Nintendo to name just a few. No matter how you look at it, there will be plenty of classic games on offer to tickle the nostalgic nerve.

If you are attending EB Expo 2016 (Ed: woohoo, we are!) and are in need of a retro gaming fix, then make sure you swing by the Freeplay area! The WaRriors will be waiting!

Oh yeah, we’ll be live on our social media channels from EB Expo this weekend, so join the #EBExpo conversation!

source: EB Expo

2016 Reset C64 4KB Game Coding Comp Preview

September 26, 2016 By ausretrogamer

With the closing date getting ever so near for the 2016 Reset C64 4KB Game Coding Competition, we thought we’d take a look at the entries so far. From what we’ve seen, these CRAPTASTIC games are looking, um, pretty darn good for crappy games squeezed into 4 Kilobytes!

If you haven’t started on your CRAPTASTIC game, then you still have a few days to enter this awesome comp. So get cracking (or coding)!

Entry #1: M4573RB4G3L5
Developer: Cout Games
Status: Submitted
Author Quote: “The coding is handcrafted from the best 12-year old script kiddies that are known to exist and spelling of equal value if you look at the listing.”
A number guessing game, in which the C64 will get revenge if you don’t play it properly!

Entry #2: Colon 10
Developer: Cout Games
Status: Submitted
Author Quote: “Hope this game is much more friendly than M4573RB4G3L5!”
Stop the C64 timer exactly for 10 seconds without going over. If you are over, even by a fraction, you lose.

Entry #3: Dog
Developer: Vanje Utne (Privy Software)
Status: Submitted
Run around in Shouty Human’s garden and poo as much as possible without getting caught. A very ‘craptastic’ entry from Vanja!

Entry #4: Granny’s Teeth
Developer: Richard Bayliss (TND)
Status: Submitted
Author Quote: “After seeing loads of terrible games, created with Creations / Mastertronic’s / Mirrorsoft’s Games Creator, I thought it would be pretty funny if I actually created something that sort of simulated it, and squeeze it into 4K.”

Entry #5: Goblin
Developer: Vanja Utne (Pond Software)
Status: Submitted
Author Quote: “It’s another game! Code/graphics/music by me. 4096 bytes of platforming action!”
The Goblin Town potato cellars have been invaded by giant potato bugs! It’s up to you to salvage as many potatoes as possible.

Entry #6: Valentine’s Day Shopping Simulator
Developer: Karmic
Status: Submitted
Author Quote: “Only 2.13kb packed :)”
It’s Valentine’s Day, and time is running out to buy your girlfriend a gift. But will she like it?

Entry #7: Watschinator
Developer: Endurion
Status: Submitted
Author Quote: “Have fun!”
Hit your opponent three times before he manages to do so to you. Classic fighter action gameplay!

Entry #8: Antarctica
Developer: Antarctica
Status: Submitted
Guide an Antarctic scientists on his damaged snowspeeder to collect the supplies!

Entry #9: Picross 4k
Developer: Oziphantom
Status: Submitted
The quirky Japanese puzzle game now on your 64. Work through the matrix and find the hidden image.

Entry #10: Zombie Massacre
Developer: Wanax
Status: Submitted
It’s a zombie apocalypse, and now they have weapons! Graphics and sound by Saul Cross.

Entry #11: Lumberjack
Developer: Majikeyric (Megastyle/Protovision)
Status: Submitted
Author Quote: “Rip off your grey and boring suit and reveal the red flannel shirt you are hiding under you clothes. Let your beard grow and equip yourself with a big axe and enter the woods. Just admit it, You’ve always wanted to be a LUMBERJACK!”
Enter the forest and start chopping wood, but beware of the branches! Graphics by Rotteroy and all sound by Drumtex.

Entry #12: Bonkey Kong
Developer: Graham Axten (Privy Software)
Status: Submitted
Graham’s take of the original Donkey Kong, with a twist!

Entry #13: Super Ski
Developer: Andreas Gustafsson (Privy Software)
Status: Submitted
Slalom Skiing down four treacherous slopes! Graphics and sound by Vanja Utne.

Entry 14: ? (Unknown at this stage)
Developer: Paul Koller
Status: Pending
Author Quote: “The following words are included in my c64 4KB game, in no particular order: work, nipples, died… :)”
Paul hasn’t disclosed much about his game, except for this small teaser screenshot and cryptically teasing that the theme of the game should be easily recognisable!

We know that there are more registered (and unregistered) entries that are still pending that aren’t included in this update, with developers working very hard to get their games ready on time.

We wish all of the entrants the best of luck and a big congratulations to those who have managed to get their games submitted!

Thanks again to the following sponsors for supporting this wonderful competition: Retro Computer Scene, Bitmap Books and Protovision. This is all for fun, but it’s nice to have prizes for the winners!

1988 Nintendo Employee Sales Manual

September 23, 2016 By ausretrogamer

If you wanted to know why Nintendo became successful in the video games industry, then this ’employee sales manual’ from 1988 will go some way in showing how the Kyoto giant ensured it’s image and products were always front and centre in your nearest store.

Nintendo’s merchandising, ranging and point of sale displays managed to catch the eye of their target market (the kids of the 80s) and extract money out of their parents wallet. This may be sale and marketing 101, but Nintendo showed the rest of the video games market how it should be done.

Each Nintendo sales representative was issued their sales manual, covering all aspects of their day-to-day associations with authorised Nintendo dealers, merchandisers and distributors.

Inside the binder, there were colour brochures and pamphlets showcasing Nintendo’s systems, games, and information on Nintendo displays/kiosks that were featured in stores, like the M82 playable games demo unit.

Also inside, the Nintendo representative had information on the different gaming categories/series, like the ‘Black Box’ NES games in the ‘Action’, ‘Sports’ and ‘Robot’ series, to name a few.

If you can’t get your hands on this Nintendo sale manual binder, then here are the contents in full colour glory!

If you worked for Nintendo in the late 80s, then this was your bible!

Divide and conquer!

Yep, that kid understands the POWER of the Big N!

Oh wow, look at that NES display case!

This is effective merchandising

Planning to the Nth degree

Nintendo knew their consumers intimately

Nintendo owned the 8-bit console market in North America

Clever play on words! Boxing was huge and Punch-Out!! capitalised on it

The NES Advantage

Legendary games!

Nintendo knocked out the 8-bit console opposition!
source: ebay

Thrill Of The Chase: The Walking Dead Pinball

September 21, 2016 By ausretrogamer

It’s true what they say: it really is better to give than to receive. And that’s what makes this ‘Thrill Of The Chase‘ extra special, because I was chasing something for a very important person (hint: her name rhymes with Ms Ausretrogamer).

Ms Ausretrogamer loves ‘The Walking Dead‘ and she loves to play pinball, so we’re always on the lookout for TWD tables to play. We’ve travelled far and wide in our quest to kill those zombies, and we’re yet to get tired of it. It’s such a fun table, whether your a newbie or a wizard. So, while watching Ms Ausretrogamer clearing the prison yard and unleashing the Well Walker multi-ball, I made a decision – I had to get her a TWD pinball table of her own! But with only six months until her birthday, I had to move fast.

Searching far and wide, the pinball machine was secured. The next part of the plan was to get it delivered and setup without Ms Ausretrogamer’s knowledge. To keep her off the scent, a decoy birthday gift was created.

With everything in its place, it was time to execute Project Happy Birthday. Ms ausretrogamer was presented with the diorama, where not even Rick Grimes playing a Twilight Zone pinball machine gave her any indication of what was to come! Under the ruse of checking out the birthday decorations in the games room, the surprise was revealed and the look on Ms Ausretrogamer’s face was priceless! That’s when I knew, this thrill of the chase was totally worth it.

The decoy gift

Rearranging the fun factory

Space cleared next to Pin*Bot

The careful delivery – thanks to Skooota and Tony!

The surprise is set!

Even the machine knows it’s an important day!

Surprise!

Varia Cube: The Portable Nintendo GameCube

September 13, 2016 By ausretrogamer

When DIY guru, Martijn Gazenbeek (aka: Akira on the bit fix gaming boards) contacted us to show us his latest creation, we had to pick up our collective jaws off the floor and wipe away the drool! In a tribute to Metroid, in particular Samus Aran’s Varia suit, Martijn has created the Varia Cube, a hot portable GameCube system!

Martijn is no stranger to creating lavish portable systems from old school gaming gear – he was also the mastermind behind the GC Lynx! For this particular project, Martijn toiled for 10 months and we can safely say, it looks like it was well worth the effort. Checking out the technical information (see further below), we are still in awe of this beast! For the full build log, you can go over here.

Oh yeah, the Varia Cube doubles up as a fully functional GameCube console (sans DVD drive) with composite and component out video interfaces to connect to any TV! The system is topped off with an impressive transport case. That Martijn Gazanbeek has thought of everything! Now get your bib on and start drooling!

image source: Bit Fix Gaming boards

* Case made out of a Nintendo GameCube ASCII Keyboard
* Painted in Samus Aran’s Varia Suit colour scheme
* GameCube PAL motherboard
* Original GameCube heatsink with custom fan
* All original Nintendo controls and sticks
* N64 joystick caps
* Nintendo DS Lite D-Pad
* Full original analog trigger (L and R buttons)
* Strong Rumble Feedback Motor
* 7 Inch LCD, VGA, 800 x 480, 16:9, Dalian Good-Display
* Original Nintendo Component video chip wired to produce VGA and Component out
* Swiss software can force any game into 480P and use a widescreen hack to force 16:9 (no stretch) for correct aspect ratio
* Wasp Fusion modchip flashed with Swiss Autoboot firmware
* 6400 mAh batteries (4 x Panasonic 3400 mAh 18650), 2.5 hours gameplay
* Battery Indicator with 4 leds to see how much power is left
* 128 MB Memory card soldered directly onto the motherboard (GameCube slot-A)
* SD Gecko adapter to run homebrew and emulators through Swiss (GameCube slot-B)
* Mini 2*3W @ 4O PAM8803 Class D Audio AMP
* Stereo sound speakers, used from ASUS ME172V MemoPad
* Switching stereo headphone jack
* VGA breakout box connector to hook up the console to a TV
* Switch to select between VGA/Component and swapping controls from console to breakout box for player one
* Audio controlled via right menu button
* Video control to access display menu – to switch between AV (composite) and VGA display
* Play ‘n charge – system can play from wall socket while being charged (comes with charger and power adaptor)
* Comes with 12V car adapter- play on the go with the high amp adapter
* Comes with 1 x 32GB SD card for GameCube games (wasp fusion slot) and 1 x 8GB for homebrew, games and emulators (GameCube Slot-B)
* Comes with breakout box
* Breakout box has 4 player ports, Component video port (Y Pr PB), composite video and stereo audio ports – compatible with Wavebird
* System comes with transport case

Press Play On Tape: Atari’s 8-Bit Legacy

September 12, 2016 By Aaron Clement

The tape is rewound, the counter set to zero, and that means only one thing: it’s time to Press Play on Tape! This month, Alex, Daz and Aaron are joined by Aleks ‘Serby’ Svetislav from Weird and Retro to take a look back at Atari’s 8-bit computer range. Alex runs us through Atari’s lineup, spanning from the Atari 400 to the ST-inspired 130XE, before handing over the Serby to discuss his beloved XE Games System!

After picking Llamasoft as publisher of choice for this month, the crew discuss the many weird and wonderful games they’ve given us over the years. The group also discovers that Jeff Minter’s games were responsible for them getting the Atari Jaguar, Nuon and the PS Vita!

On a more subdued note, it’s with great sadness that this episode sees co-hosts Alex and Darren leave the Press Play On Tape podcast. Both have made the difficult decision to step down from regular hosting duties in order to focus on other projects. The show will go on, but they both will be missed.

Thanks for listening and hope you enjoy this month’s episode!

This episode of Press Play On Tape along with all previous podcasts can be found on Podbean and also iTunes – we’d love it if you gave us a review while you’re there. It all helps!

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Aaron Clement
Tassie based retro gaming guy. Father of 3 and married to the very tolerant Kellie Clement. Coffee powered!

Follow Aaron Clement on Twitter and Instagram

Madman Anime Festival: 2016 Highlights

September 10, 2016 By ausretrogamer

We hit our inaugural Madman Anime Festival in Melbourne (Sep 3 and 4) with great expectation and let’s just say, we weren’t disappointed. From being wowed by the awesome cosplay, checking out wonderful special guests like Cristina Lee (voice of Sailor Mars from Sailor Moon) and Makoto Furukawa (voice of Saitama from One-Punch Man), to the great exhibitions and the ever tempting merchandise, there was something to see, do and buy! Speaking of merchandise, we could not leave the festival empty handed, so Ripley and a few of her friends had to come home with us.

If you missed out on the Madman Anime Festival, then check out our highlight pics from this great event.

We arrive at #MadFest