Retro Gaming Culture

Flippin Out: Ghostbusters Pinball

11/03/2016 By ausretrogamer

When it comes to big-licenses in the pinball world, Stern definitely know how to grab you by the steel balls! Joining their stable of recent big hits like The Walking Dead and Game Of Thrones is Ghostbusters Pinball.

The timing of Ghostbusters Pinball coincides with the release of the trailer for the upcoming reboot, but don’t read too much into that, as Stern’s Ghostbusters is based on the classic pair of films from the 80s, with Bill Murray, the Ecto-1, Stay Puft Marshmallow Man and of course, Slimer all making their ghoulish way onto the playfield.

There are plenty of ramps, toys, lighting, speech and motorized effects to scare the pants off you while you rid New York City of ghostly apparitions. To get you right into the mood, Ray Parker Jr belts out the Ghostbusters theme. “If there’s something strange, in your neighborhood, who ya gonna call? GHOSTBUSTERS!”

For more deets on Stern’s Ghostbusters Pinball, go here.

Are you a Pro Ghostbuster?

Or are you a Premium Ghostbuster?

Aha, you wanna be a limited edition Ghostbuster!

Oh la la!

Flip those ghosts!

Watch out for Stay Puft Marshmallow Man!

Don’t get slimed!

Return your library books before they are due!

I ain’t afraid of no ghosts!
image source: Stern Pinball Inc.

Fury Fingers: ‘The Diversion’

11/03/2016 By Ms. ausretrogamer

We know it’s not retro, but we couldn’t resist sharing Fury Fingers‘ great new video with you.

The Diversion is an awesome funny film sponsored by Ubisoft (wow!) to celebrate the release of Tom Clancy’s The Division. Watch SHD agents hit the street and use the game’s many weapons and tools to take out bad-guys in all manner of creative ways.

The guys (Nick, Andrew, Daniel and David) have really outdone themselves this time with the comedy, action and visual FX. Congratulations also need to go to Cody Porter for make up, JusZCosplay in the female lead role, and Task Force Taipan for creating weapons and costumes (check out the full credits).

Source: Fury Fingers

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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

The Exotic Neo Geo Console

08/03/2016 By ausretrogamer

I am a big fan of creative (and talented) peeps that tinker and create wonderful gaming gear, especially the one-of-a-kind creations!

As you may have guessed, we are huge fans of SNK’s Neo Geo range, especially their MVS and AES systems. We had recently been stalking the Neo Geo market for something special and different. To our pleasant surprise, we stumbled upon a country that seemed to be the hotbed for exotic Neo Geo creations – Spain! Yep, Spain! Those Spaniards don’t cut corners when it comes to making their wares standout, a case in point being this sleek and shiny consolized Neo Geo MVS beauty!

Shiny and sleek!

With great effort going into the presentation of the console, its metallic case and gorgeous curves ooze contemporary industrial design that even Xbox and Playstation owners would be envious of! To compliment its great looks, this consolized MVS beast has video (SCART/RGB/S-Video) and audio (stereo composite) outputs that would definitely raise the hairs on the back of your neck when playing your favourite MVS titles!

Before you ask about the controls and other internals, the console has two SNK Neo Geo AES/CD joystick ports, with credit buttons for each player to rack up the play credits (Ed: woo hoo, no more 20c coins required). Oh yeh, the rig is complimented with Universe BIOS (UniBIOS), giving you a feature-rich list of options.

When it comes to playing games on this console, the visuals are a tour-de-force on any old-school CRT and even on newer TVs (plasma/LCD), we kid you not! We can finally put away the AES and Phantom-1, as this one-of-a-kind MVS console provides us that Neo Geo gaming hit we need!

Turn me on, baby!

Rack up the credits!

A voluptuous rear end

SCART me!

Match cartridge with arrow, or else!

Pimp My C64

06/03/2016 By ausretrogamer

When it comes to hotted up C64s, surely none are better than Adrian Kurek’s [wpqrek] pimped Commodore 64 breadbin. Not only does Adrian’s C64 have a built-in SD2IEC, it also has a heap of other bells and whistles, from the self-made stereo SID and built-in stereo amplifier with attached speakers, to the switchable OS (original ROM and JiffyDOS) and a mini-LCD screen plus 12V DC input, making this C64 a totally portable 8-bit beast!

Check out the photos of this beauty and then watch the video to see it in action and hear the meaty sound from this monster!

Li-Poly battery for portable C64 fun!

Blue screen beauty!

Pump up the volume!

Popping the hood on the C64 hotrod!

video source: Adrian Kurek & image source: wpqrek

Interview With Justin Hickman: Linking With The Past

04/03/2016 By ausretrogamer

After our recent interview with Retro Rich, we go in contact with lifetime gamer Justin Hickman to have a chat about gaming and collecting in general. Once we got a whiff of the gaming awesomeness that Justin had in his possession, we knew we had to arrange an interview and have him share his love of video games and also his very impressive room of collectibles. So brace your jaw, because it will drop to the floor. Here we go!

AUSRETROGAMER [ARG]: So Justin, tell us a bit about yourself – how did you get into gaming?
Justin Hickman [JH]: Hey! I’m 33 years old and have been in to gaming all my life. I started with a hand-me-down Atari 2600, C64 and NES system. I spent countless hours playing Mario, Mega Man, Spy vs Spy, Space Invaders and loved it! At school my friends were really into it too, so this helped fuel my passion for gaming as it was absolutely the norm for me growing up.

ARG: Are you equally into retro and modern/current gaming (or do you have a strong preference for one)?
JH: Being honest, I am a huge fan of both. Retro gaming is of course heavily peppered with nostalgia, however when I played them they weren’t retro! I was just really into gaming as a medium, This mindset has stayed with me so by proxy I am just as happy playing either The Witcher III or A Link to the Past.

The great wall of gaming!

ARG: What is it about old school gaming that you enjoy most?
JH: The obvious one is nostalgia (simple times, happy days), However as with anyone who has a passion for film, music and gaming, I appreciate retro games as an art form. I love modern gaming too but retro gaming (specifically 2D) has more soul – I love the hand drawn sprites and animations that developers managed to squeeze out of restricted hardware with huge limitations. This all adds to the charm and experience that has not been replicated – they also, for the most part, still stand up today (as an example, Super Mario World looks and plays just as well now as it did 24 years ago!).

ARG: You have owned your collection from new (which is amazing!), what inspired you to collect? Did you have foresight or a plan to collect?
JH: I never planned to collect. In fact, I used to trade in (albeit a select few) games when I was younger in order to get other games that I wanted, as this was really the only way to get a game in between birthdays and Christmas. I did however keep certain games as they meant so much to me, especially the Mario and Zelda games. But as a whole, gaming was never a ‘flash in the pan’ for me – I was and still am passionate about it, so I held onto as much as I could! I always wanted to have the option to go back and play my old games. So there was no foresight or planning – It was by pure chance that the games I was into also became some of the most rare/sought after titles.

ARG: We are drooling over your very impressive collection – what are your most prized systems and games?
JH: I’m particularly proud of my Zelda collection, Console wise I have most of them but as a conversation starter the Virtual Boy and PC Engine get the most attention, They both look cool and have much trivia!

You’ve met with a terrible fate, haven’t you? Well, Justin certainly hasn’t!

ARG: Are there any other specific systems and/or games you are still hunting down?
JH: Yes, very much so! Right now, I am still hunting for a boxed Neo-Geo AES, but I don’t want to pay premium for it. Having said that, I probably should, as prices have been steady for a few years now and they won’t get cheaper! Also, I’m still hunting for Zelda Four Swords big box and Earthbound. My biggest problem is that I don’t like paying top dollar – I much prefer to wait and take my time. It makes it even more special when you do pick something up at a reasonable price, even if it took a couple of years to hunt down!

ARG: What is your gaming room (and/or collection) setup like?
JH: I have an room dedicated to it, and it needs to be as collection is huge! The rest of the house is unassuming, so keeps the missus happy *winks*

ARG: Do you have unopened systems/games? If so, will you ever open them to play?
JH: Yes to both – system and games. I did intend on playing them but as time goes by, I become more hesitant and usually just find loose copies out in the wild. I want to preserve as much gaming history as I can.

The perfect office space!

ARG: We hear that the SNES is your favorite retro console – so which retro console is your second fave?
JH: Either the NES or (Japanese) Mega Drive – both were fantastic. The NES brought so many legendary (Nintendo) first party IPs to the table, genre defining with iconic characters and mascots that are still going strong to this day! The Mega Drive had some fantastic arcade conversions and was home to some great shooters. Additionally, the Japanese version (which was superior to the PAL one) had truly stunning artwork on the game cases and they look great on any shelf!

ARG: Do you have a favorite game of all time or a gaming genre you cannot go without?
JH: My favourite games of all time are Super Mario World, Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Final Fantasy 7. Sorry, I know you asked for one! As for a gaming genre I couldn’t live without, it would have to be RPGs. I love a story, character progression and immersion – a good RPG covers all of these quite nicely.

ARG: We cheated in this interview by adding one final question – where can folks get in touch with you?
JH: Yep, sure thing, folks can reach me on Twitter.

Whoa, that was another great chat with a great collector. As we thank Justin for sharing in his gaming past and his vast collection, we walk away thoroughly impressed and can’t wait to see what else Justin adds to his already awesome gaming collection!

Raid The Atari Vault At The PC Gamer Weekender

01/03/2016 By ausretrogamer

There is no hiding the fact that we are huge Atari fans – always have been, always will be. We definitely have a soft spot for Atari’s old school gaming franchises – so to our delight, the company that brought us Pong and the VCS will be attending The PC Gamer Weekender at London’s Old Truman Brewery this coming weekend, March 5-6. They will be unleashing their Atari Vault, which will be packed with 100s of classic Atari games.

The Atari Vault (slated for a Northern Hemisphere spring 2016 launch on Steam) will be stacked with classics such as Asteroids®, Centipede®, Missile Command®, Tempest® and Warlords® to name a few. To relive the gaming experience in the modern age, Atari have added online and local multiplayer options, an upgraded UI and original 70’s and 80’s soundtracks, Steam leaderboards to challenge others for arcade supremacy and most importantly, Steam controller support – giving you, the player, precision control to take out your fellow challengers.

When it comes to Atari’s seminal titles, there is no denying their timeless appeal transcend generations and provide the same fun as they did when we were knee-high to a grasshopper. Bring on the Atari Vault!

image source: Atari

Pinball Machines: How They Work and Troubleshooting

28/02/2016 By ausretrogamer

There is an old adage that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. If only every machine in life ran perfectly, then we would never have to service our car or have stuck flippers on our favourite pinball table. With any amusement machine, be it arcade or pinball, it is not a matter of if, but when it breaks down, will you know how to diagnose, troubleshoot and repair it yourself?

If you have always wanted to own a pinball machine but were daunted by the expense of servicing such a beast, then Norbert Snicer’s Pinball Machines – How They Work and Troubleshooting course is the training you have been looking for. Norbert’s course provides you the techniques to diagnose and troubleshoot (quickly and methodically) any pinball machine problem.

Class is in session
Pinball_course_ClassIsINSession

Having almost no experience in fixing or troubleshooting pinball machines, I attended the recent course held in Melbourne with an open mind and the hope that I would learn something, no matter how trivial. I can attest that the content presented was easily understood, even for a noob like myself. The hands-on approach and Norbert’s inclusive style of teaching made it a breeze in grasping and understanding the subject matter. Norbert’s 30-plus years of experience in the industry has given him a myriad of real life examples to draw from and pass on to his students. There was no stone left unturned when it came to discussing problems that could occur on a pinball machine.

Does this intimidate you?
Pinball_course_The_Tables

Lots of hands-on (under playfield) action!
Pinball_course_Playfield

From all of the topics covered in the course, it was the compartmentalization of the playfield and back box which simplified the sections and parts of a pinball machine which was a light-bulb moment for me. This stroke of genius coupled with the easy-to-follow troubleshooting methods, ensured that you could pin-point problems without wasting too much time – which left more time to play pinball!

With my newly acquired knowledge, I can say that I am no longer intimidated by the underside of a pinball machines’ playfield nor its back box. Through his teaching, Norbert has given me the confidence to ‘pop the hood’ on any pinball machine and know my way around it. If you want to have the same experience as I did, then I would urge you to enrol in the course – it is totally worth it!

Since I had such a postive experience doing this course, I asked my fellow classmates what they thought of the Pinball Machines – How They Work and Troubleshooting course:

Lucas Bardin – “An amazing amount of ground covered in such a short time. Norbert Snicer is a Wizard under the playfield. His hands-on approach to pinball troubleshooting really makes you think about what you are doing and he also gives you the understanding of why things should be done in a certain way.”

Skott Kellett – “Just completed the Melbourne course and was blown away with the wealth of knowledge that Norbert provides and shares with his students. His troubleshooting tips will save even the experienced technicians hours of diagnosing time and hassles. I recommend the course to anyone interested in working on pinball machines, either at home or in the field. From beginners to experienced technicians, this course has something for everyone.”

Stuart Thornton – “Norbert offers a fantastic opportunity to get real hands-on learning on machines that are typically overwhelming, ranging from 90’s era to current technology. His approach is enjoyable and caters to the beginner and seasoned technicians alike. I loved every minute of the course and I think it has really set me up to be able to service my own pinball machines with confidence.”

Martin Robbins – “Having owned pinball machines for a few years I’ve always been hesitant to troubleshoot myself and have spent a lot of money sending them away for repairs. This course has given me the knowledge and confidence to solve most electrical and mechanical pinball problems and has already paid for itself. The program that Norbert has put together is not only very informative, it’s delivered in a way that shows that seemingly complex issues can be diagnosed through a logical structured process.”

Troubleshooting the Back Box
Pinball_course_BackBox

Thumbs-up for a great course!
Pinball_course_AlexBoz_giving_Thumbs-Up

Fury Fingers: ‘Pac-Man: Come Out To Play’

26/02/2016 By Ms. ausretrogamer

Much to our delight, our favourite Aussie filmmakers, Fury Fingers, have gone retro with their latest offering: ‘Pac-Man: Come Out To Play‘ – a gritty Pac-Man reboot inspired by the classic movie The Warriors.

The film stars the talented fight choreographer Anthony Rinna as Pac-Man and the awesome Sweezy freerunning team as the parkour gang / ghosts. Impressively, it was filmed guerrilla-style in Adelaide over 5 nights for next to nothing.

Now enjoy Pac-Man: Come Out To Play – in Fury Fingers’ words ‘the grit has hit the fan!’

Credits:
Written and Directed by Andrew Shanks
Produced by Andrew Shanks, Anthony Rinna, Nicholas Cleary and Daniel Vink
DOP / Camera – David Gregan
2nd Unit Camera – Andrew Shanks
FX and Picture Grade – Daniel Vink
Post sound aid – Nicholas Cleary
Featuring:
Anthony Rinna as Pacman
Eddie Morrison as Blinky
Andrew Whitehead as Clyde
Henry Nash as Pinky
Thomas Berry as Inky
Ellie Duigan as the DJ
Poster design by Marina Budimir
Ghosts logo design – Mitchell Wheaton
Music by Ben Palk of Big Daddy’s Discotheque

Source: Fury Fingers on YouTube

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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

Arcade Expo 2.0: Arcades From The Golden Age

25/02/2016 By ausretrogamer

Following on from the pinball extravaganza at Arcade Expo 2.0, Martin Robbins reflects on the other half of the expo, the arcade machines! Grab yourself a bib as you will be drooling all over yourself!

Just when I thought I had my fair share of the ‘Wow’ factor in the pinball section, I was in for an absolute treat when I made a beeline for the arcade area at Arcade Expo 2.0. The cabinet artwork, the sounds, the attract modes, people hovering around machines, Walter Day spruiking his cards and Billy Mitchell playing Donkey Kong (yep, THAT Billy Mitchell!) – It was like I was transported back to the golden age of arcade video games.

Billy Mitchell all suited up! Donkey Kong is serious business!

The area was littered with classic machines from the heavyweights of the arcade industry: Atari, Bally Midway, Centuri, Cinematronics, Data East. Exidy, Gottlieb, Irem, Konami, Namco, Nintendo, Sega, Stern, Taito, Universal and Williams. It was also great to see the Computer Space machine made by Nutting in 1971, regarded as the world’s first commercially sold coin-operated machine (Ed: Computer Space was designed by none other than the Atari founders, Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney)!

Oh wow, where should we start?

Upon entering the arcade area, I noticed that it had a different “feel” to it – there were more young people and families playing on arcade machines than what I experienced in the pinball area. The atmosphere definitely seemed a lot more relaxed, with heaps more room to move around. This was a welcome change to the hustle and bustle of the room next door. I found myself returning to the arcade area on a number of occasions to clear my head and unwind from the pinball tournament. I also found it difficult to leave as there were so many games I had not seen nor played in many many years. The problem was, once I’d finish one game, I would then see another one that would instantly transport me back to my youth at that corner Milk Bar with the urge to just have another go. The nostalgia was truly intoxicating!

Let’s see what goodness we’ll find down this aisle…

The arcade section also had exhibitors including Farsight Studios promoting The Pinball Arcade and in particular the Kickstarter for Dr Who, which reached its goal on February 14 – a job well done! I did have a a chat with their Community Manager, Mike Lindsay, who agreed that the resurgence in the pinball community was partly due to the success Farsight Studios had in bringing the experience to our mobile devices and PCs. Mike was particularly proud of how they had brought pinball to a new generation to experience it for the first time in digital format and then seek it out in the real world.

As mentioned earlier, I managed to see Billy Mitchell playing Donkey Kong. The set up next to Billy was quite cool – it allowed anyone to sit next to him and challenge him to a high score duel. I was not prepared for a public humiliation, so I left him to demonstrate his skills. It must be said, Billy was very friendly and was really enjoying the show.

All good things must come to end. The single regret I had about Arcade Expo 2.0 was not having enough time to play everything. Three days was just not enough. In my mind I’ve already started planning and saving up for my return trip in 2017 – hope to see you all there!

Great to see the next generation enjoying an absolute classic!

Landing High Japan – wanna be a pilot?

Test your wood chopping skills!

Once you are done wood chopping, hit the bar!

Granny and the Gators – you don’t see this (hybrid) one too often!

Paddle, Fire and Flip!

Getting the arcade fix

Well, well, well, what do we have down here then….

Buck Rogers (Planet of Zoom)! Haven’t seen one of these since the early 80s!

No matter your age, everyone loves a bit of Out Run

This was all the rage in 1976!

Gun control!

Midway were prolific in the arcade arena!

No queuing here – just keep playing!

An old vector beauty

Use the Force and destroy the Death Star!

Families gaming together

Oh my gawd! Discs Of Tron! Very drool-worthy

Have you got the killer instinct?

Kickin some butt!

Gonna get drivin’, hard!

Pole position on Atari’s Pole Position II

Woo hoo, Walter Day!

More Tron goodness

Old school amusement machines

Bit of target practice

Contemplating what to play next…..

From Joust pinball, to Joust arcade!

Varkon – disguising a pinball table as an arcade game!

Comfy arcade gaming

Getting close to the action

Let’s spin on Dave Theurer’s classic

Passing on the retro gaming gene to the next generation

Ending with a shooter’s delight – Xevious!

PUP The Band: DVP

24/02/2016 By Ms. ausretrogamer

Canadian punk rockers PUP just got a little cooler with the release of their amazing retrogaming themed music video for new song ‘DVP’ (directed and created by Jeremy Schaulin-Rioux). So many games to spot – Super Mario Bros., Mega Man, TMNT, Pokémon, Oregon Trail, NBA Jam, Mortal Kombat…

[Language warning]

Source: PUP The Band on YouTube

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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

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