AUSRETROGAMER

The Pop-Culture E-Zine

You are here: Home / Archives for Retro Gaming Culture

Retro Gaming Culture

Masters Of The Universe Affinity

By

MOTU_Title_altIt is no secret that I am a huge fan of Mattel’s original Masters Of The Universe (MOTU) toy series. I have been a fan since I first encountered the MOTU action figure line at my local Treasureway store (similar to Target / Kmart) in 1983. I remember being mesmerised by the He-Man figure in a big blister pack emblazoned with the MOTU logo. However, $15.99 was a lot of money in 1983 and it was going to require a big effort to convince mum I needed this toy. I got to work (in convincing my mum) and just a few weeks later I was the proud owner of my very own He-Man, but on the back of the packaging were the other figures in the series and I knew I had to have more – and just like that, I was hooked!

My ingenious (as I thought at the time) plan to expand my MOTU collection involved the argument that I needed an even split between ‘goodies’ and ‘baddies’ to be able to play out my (imaginary) battle on Eternia (a.k.a. the couch). I continued to collect more original MOTU action figures over the years, and although I never completed the set, I was very grateful for and thoroughly enjoyed playing with the figures I had.

Fast forward three decades, and my original MOTU collection is proudly displayed in the home office. I am so glad I kept the action figures all this time – they provide an important link to my childhood, a time where my imagination took me to wondrous places in the universe, thanks to Masters of The Universe.

The most powerful toy line in the universe!
MOTU_1

Yo DJ, spin that MOTU wheel!
MOTU_8

Cel shenanigans
MOTU_2

In the most powerful club in the universe!
MOTU_3

The MOTU story books (latter ones became comics) were damn awesome!
MOTU_4

Very hot MOTU wheels
MOTU_5

Show-bag full of MOTU weapons of mass fun!
MOTU_6

Man-At-Arms vs Skeletor!
MOTU_7

The most awesomest books in the universe!
MOTU_9

Don’t get bored playing Monopoly. Play to save He-Man!
MOTU_10

Laser blasting with the man with Man-E-Faces
MOTU_11

Evil lurks in many corners. Watch out Hulk!
MOTU_12

Great pants Brutus! Oh wait……
MOTU_13

Trouble setting up Castle Grayskull? Don’t worry, this scary looking He-Man will help!
MOTU_14

Oh, so that’s how the labels are applied!
MOTU_15

The showcasing rig
MOTU_16

Giddy-up Cringer! Oops, I mean Battle Cat!
MOTU_17

 

2015 Australian Timezone Supanova Pinball Championship Grand Final

By

Supanova_GF_TitleThis past weekend pinball players from all around Australia descended on Supanova Brisbane to compete in the grand final of the 2015 Australian Timezone Supanova Pinball Championship, with the winner walking away with a brand spanking new Stern WWE Wrestlemania Pro pinball machine! With all Australian state winners (and runners-up) in attendance, this wasn’t going to be an easy flip and tilt to become the national champion.

Supanova_GF_Winners

With an impressive line-up of pinball machines (2 x WWE Wrestlemania Pro, 2 x Kiss Pro and 2 x Game Of Thrones tables) to compete on, it was game on! After winning the Supanova Melbourne state final, we interviewed Johnny Crabtree and predicted that he would be a sure bet to hoist the national trophy and truck back the brand new pinball machine. So, how did we go with our prediction? We were right on the money! With 34 points in the final, Johnny fought off some stiff competition from Greg Siegele (2nd on 33 points) and Richard Rhodes (3rd on 31 points) to win by one point to claim the national title and the big winner’s prize of a Stern WWE Wrestlemania Pro pinball machine. It just goes to show how close the competition is among the top tier pinball wizards. Congratulations Johnny, a very well-deserved win!

The crowd gathers to watch the pinball wizards do what they do best
Supanova_GF_3

Let the flipping begin!
Supanova_GF_1

Marty Robbins keeping a close eye on the competition
Supanova_GF_2

Greg Siegele scores an impressive 126,523,740 on WWE Wrestlemania!
Supanova_GF_Greg

And the 2015 Australian Timezone Supanova Pinball Champion is – Johnny Crabtree!
Supanova_GF_WINNER

Enjoying their spoils – winners are grinners!
Supanova_GF_winnerscircle
image source: Australian Pinball League

Congratulations and thank you to the organisers, volunteers and sponsors (AMD, Timezone Australia, Supanova Pop Culture Expo and Australian Pinball League) of the event – without them, this would not be at all possible.

Roll on 2016 and keep flippin’!

 

Awesome LEGO Tribute To Crash Bandicoot 2

By

We’ve said it before: LEGO and retrogaming is a match made in heaven – and this simply awesome tribute to Crash Bandicoot 2 by LEGO artist Martin Stipkovic is no exception!

Blow up those Nitro Boxes, Crash!
1

The whole amazing structure
3

4

What’s hiding in the base?
7

A mini tribute to Crash Team Racing!
6
Source: via Kotaku

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

msausretrogamerMs. 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

 

 

The Twelve Gifts Of Christmas

By

Xmas_Gifts_HDR“On the First day of Christmas my true love sent to me”, No, no, no! There will be no ‘The Twelve Days Of Christmas’ singing here, thank you. With Christmas just around the corner, we thought we would ease the gift buying burden by giving you ‘The Twelve Gift Ideas For Christmas’ to help you get something special for your really cool geeky / nerdy partner.

Forget about going out to the local shopping centre and battling for a car park only to get frustrated when you can’t find anything suitable. We are here to make this Christmas shopping period a pleasant experience from the comfort of your own home and one where your partner will thank you for the awesome gift (Ed: don’t you mean gifts!)!

Enough chatter, as promised, here are The Twelve Gifts of Christmas!

Star Wars: The Original Topps Trading Card Series, Volume One – Just in time for the Force Awakens!
Xmas_StarWarsTopps

If they are Zelda fans, then this 2.5″ 8-Bit Link Action Figure will tickle their fancy
Xmas_Link

But if they are a Donkey Kong kinda guy or gal, then they’ll go ape over this!
AMazon_DK

Secure their DS / 3DS with a retro NES inspired case! 
Xmas_3DScase

Sega fans rejoice! Plug and play the Sega Nano on any TV (with composite connectivity)
Xmas_Nano
There should always be a Masters Of The Universe gift under the Christmas tree
Xmas_MOTUcomic

If clothing is preferred, then nothing says cool like a C64 tee
Xmas_C64tee

Bookworms partners will love this Commodore book!
Xmas_BrianBook

Can’t afford a real Intellivision? Then the Intellivision Flashback is the next best thing!
Xmas_Intell

Or maybe they are a ColecoVision type of gamer…
Xmas_Coleco

Forget forking out thousands for an arcade machine, grab them a My-Arcade mini retro machine!
Xmas_minarcade
And if you really want to spoil him or her, get them the ultimate handheld emulation system, the GPD XD
Xmas_GPD

image source: supplied

The Mini Arcade By SuperGameCo

By

MiniArcade_GalagaHave you always wanted to make your own mini arcade tabletop machine? Are you a DIY (Do-It-Yourself) hack just like me? If you answered yes to both questions, then the SuperGameCo Mini Arcade may be just what you are looking for.

Made from bamboo panels that snap together, the Mini Arcade is a breeze to setup – if you prefer (Ed: are too lazy), SuperGameCo also offer the Mini Arcade in fully assembled form.

MiniArcade_SideView

MiniArcade_Control_topdown

At the heart of the Mini Arcade is a very speedy Raspberry Pi 2 Model B computer, running Emulation Station. This ensures that the emulators and games run nice and smooth. We didn’t experience any slowdown during play – which was great. The 9″ LCD screen provides great resolution, but the marquee protrudes a tad too much which tends to get in the way if you are not sitting down low.

MiniArcade_Bootup

MiniArcade_credit_and_rear

The control deck is made up of an 8-way Sanwa/Seimitsu arcade stick and 6 concave arcade buttons. These are complimented with a single player select button and an insert coin (credit) button on the left side of the unit to provide an authentic arcade feel when playing games via MAME.

MiniArcade_Emulators

Audio on the Mini Arcade is pumped through the front facing speakers via a stereo amplifier. We did find that the sound wasn’t as beefy as we would have liked, which took away a bit from the experience when playing shoot’em ups with booming explosions.

MiniArcade_SuperMario

MiniArcade_NeoGeo

We found the Mini Arcade to be a breeze to operate and play games. The assembly was nice and easy, and once you are all setup, it is pretty straight forward to select your favourite old game and get all nostalgic. If you are struggling to find a Christmas present for your retro gaming partner, then the Mini Arcade may be a viable option.

PROS:
– Clever snap-together kit (or you could opt for it to be fully assembled)
– Easy to get started playing games
– Latest Raspberry Pi 2 Model B internals
– Quality Sanwa/Seimitsu arcade joystick
– Inclusion of the Insert Coin button provides an authentic arcade feel
– Multiple interfaces (USB/RJ45) for additional connectivity

CONS:
– Marquee is obtrusive when playing on the 9″ LCD display
– Button layout felt a tad cramped
– Sound is reasonable, but it needs to be meatier
– Insert coin button stickiness (may have just been our unit)
– Power supply cord was too short
– Graphics on the bamboo panels would be nice

The Mini Arcade product variants and prices can be found at the SuperGameCo store here.

 

Tiny Arcade: A Retro Tiny Playable Game Cabinet

By

‘Tiny Arcade’ is an adorable arcade cabinet that fits in the palm of your hand – this is our kind of mobile gaming!

1

Made by Tiny Circuits, the Tiny Arcade has an analog joystick and two fire buttons, a built in speaker for playing audio, a Lithium battery, built in USB for charging (and programming), and a microSD expansion slot.

 

You can order your Tiny Arcade completely pre-assembled or as a DIY kit and there are plans for over twenty classic games available for free download by the start of shipping. The Kickstarter campaign has already well and truly met its target, so get your order in by 18 

Games
2

Options: black acrylic, clear acrylic, basswood or the premium realistic 3D printed case.
4

3d

Kickstarter rewards
rewards

Source: Kickstarter via Laughing Squid
Image and video source: Kickstarter

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

msausretrogamerMs. 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

 

 

Bluegrass Tetris Theme By Samuraiguitarist

By

Canadian Guitarist/Songwriter/Samurai Steve Onotera (aka samuraiguitarist) performs a gorgeous bluegrass/rock multi-track cover of the classic ‘Theme A’ song from Tetris.


Video source: samuraiguitarist on YouTube

Source: samuraiguitarist via Laughing Squid

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

msausretrogamerMs. 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

 

 

Fury Fingers Films

By

Australian film-makers ‘Fury Fingers Films’ make funny live action films about video games with plenty of bad-ass action and visual FX.

Fury Fingers was started by film school friends Nicholas Cleary, Andrew Shanks, Daniel Vink and David Gregan. Talented stuntman and fight choreographer Anthony Rinna is the most recent addition to the team (aka the 5th Beatle).

header

Making films has allowed the guys to develop and showcase their skills as visual effects artists, and become confident directing action, working with stunt / fight choreographers and parkour artists. Their next challenge is to learn about rope work and pyrotechnics (wow!). All their hard work has been worthwhile too, with big players such as Konami and Crystal Dynamics (among others) taking notice of Fury Fingers’ awesome films. Look out for their upcoming Tomb Raider fan film featuring Melbourne-based cosplayer Shiveeejam.

Watch a selection of their fantastic films below, and be sure to subscribe to their YouTube channel, like their Facebook page, and follow them on Twitter to keep up to date with their latest projects because these guys are going places!

Fury Fingers Channel Trailer

Video source: Fury Fingers Films on YouTube

Gritty Mario World

Video source: Fury Fingers Films on YouTube

Sleeping With The Enemy – Metal Gear Solid Fan Film

Video source: Fury Fingers Films on YouTube

Day Of The Living Dead Batteries

Video source: Fury Fingers Films on YouTube

The Best Of Us – The Last of Us Fan Film

Video source: Fury Fingers Films on YouTube

Boxhound – Metal Gear Solid Fan Film

Video source: Fury Fingers Films on YouTube

Looters – Elder Scrolls Fan Film

Video source: Fury Fingers Films on YouTube

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

msausretrogamerMs. 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

 

 

Jon Hare’s Sociable Soccer Now Live On Kickstarter

By

ss_dev_TitleIf you have been living on another planet and just returned to our blue marble, you may have missed the big news – Jon Hare, the coding genius who created Sensible Soccer, is back with a Kickstarter campaign to make Sociable Soccer, a worthy spiritual successor to one of the greatest footy (Ed: soccer) games of all time. With the pedigree of Sensi Soccer, you know this new game will be an absolute beauty.

Jon Hare’s Sociable Soccer will be kicking off on your  PC, Steam, XBox One and Playstation 4 at the end of 2016. To say we can’t wait for this game, would be a gross understatement. Kick some goals for Sociable Soccer by backing it right now on Kickstarter!

ss_screen_1

ss_player_concepts_1

ss_screen_3

ss_splashimage source: Tower Studios

 

Awesome Dad Re-enacts Street Fighter II Turbo Victory Poses

By

Watch Los Angeles Comedian Nick Luciano’s awesome Dad re-enact all the victory poses from Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting. He has also re-enacted every taunt animation from Super Smash Bros Wii U (watch part 1 and part 2).

Source: Cheezburger

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

msausretrogamerMs. 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