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Docuseries – TerrorBytes: The Evolution of Horror Gaming

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Our good friend Richard Moss, who has written some awesome books and produced great podcasts, has now turned his talent into movie making, specifically a documentary series called TerrorBytes: The Evolution of Horror Gaming.

TerrorBytes will be five hour-long episodes, each digging into a different aspect of horror gaming — survival horror, licensed (and unlicensed but closely-inspired by film/book/TV) horror, FMV and interactive movie horror, indie horror, and “cursed and controversial” horror games (i.e., horror games that were banned, censored, or that never existed beyond an urban myth).

To whet your bloodthirsty appetite, TerrorBytes will be interviewing 40 well-known people from the horror gaming genre, including (but not limited to!):

  • Ken and Roberta Williams (Sierra co-founders; Phantasmagoria)
  • Jane Jensen (Gabriel Knight)
  • David Mullich (I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream, Dark Seed II)
  • Graeme Devine (The 7th Guest, The 11th Hour)
  • Rob Fulop (Night Trap)
  • Noah Falstein (Sinistar)
  • Hifumi Kouno (Clock Tower)
  • Hubert Chardot (Alone in the Dark)
  • Akira Yamaoka (Silent Hill composer)
  • John Romero (DOOM, Quake)
  • James Rolfe (aka The Angry Video Game Nerd)
  • Christopher Carton (author of A Guide to Movie Based Games)

TerraBytes: The Evolution of Horror Gaming can be pre-ordered now, but you better hurry if you want all the ghoulish goodies, as this pre-sales window closes on March 3rd!

image source: TerrorBytes



Mortal Kombat but Disney

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Disney Fatality!!! 💀

Could you imagine if Disney allowed their beloved characters to go rogue and fight against each other?

Imagine no more and take a gander below – we want this Mortal Kombat mod immediately!

FINISH HER!!!


source: GAMINGbible on Facebook



A Screechingly Cool Dial-Up Modem Tune

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Ah, the young ones of today will never know the pain of dialing up via your home phone line to get onto the information superhighway! It was painfully slow, and very screechy!

Speaking of screechy, this Eclectic Method created song is an absolute aural masterpiece, bringing back a lot of nostalgia, or perhaps nightmares for us older types – especially when the connection would timeout or just stop midway through the connection handshake! *shudder*

As one YouTube commenter stated perfectly about this tune:

This track took some time, like those downloads back then. It’s an (sic) beautiful and important reminder, of the sound of the connected world and the ridiculous patience we had in the last century.



Super Paper Cardboard Mario Bros.

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Now this is innovative, a handheld Nintendo system, completely made out of cardboard and paper!

Pfft, no need for a Game & Watch or a Game Boy/GBC/GBA or a DS. Oh yeah, no need for Paper Mario either 😉 Just check out those graphics!!!

 



PSA: The Mario vs. Donkey Kong eShop Demo For Nintendo Switch Is Out Now

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When Donkey Kong raids Mario’s toy factory and makes off with the merchandise, Mario has to once again face his biggest rival

Starting today (Feb 1st), a demo featuring four levels from the first world of Mario vs. Donkey Kong, the enhanced version of the Game Boy Advance classic, is available for download on Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch. Check out the demo before the full game launches on Friday 16th February and take a closer look at the Mario vs. Donkey Kong – Overview Trailer below for additional details!

Solve puzzles, overcome challenges and find the keys to rescue the Mini-Marios and thwart Donkey Kong. The demo also gives players a first look at the new Two Player Co-Op mode, in which they can share a Joy-Con with a friend and team up as Mario and Toad. Players will also have access to the game’s new difficulty settings –Classic Style features the same difficulty level as the original Game Boy Advance version. Anyone who wishes to take things easier, can try Casual Style with no time limit and the ability to restart from checkpoints.



Heart of Neon – New Trailer

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Just in case you haven’t been following, back in 2019 we told you about the documentary, Heart of Neon, a Paul Docherty film, centred around Jeff Minter and Llamasoft.

It’s been a hard slog since then, but it was great to see a new trailer drop (which premiered last week at the NY Game Awards), which you can check out below.

Paul has succinctly put it like this (about the Heart of Neon documentary):

Jeff Minter is an exceptional video game developer who for four decades has remained independent in an industry where corporations dictate the terms. HEART OF NEON charts Jeff’s career from pioneer to legend, mapping the landscape of the game development industry where only the most talented and tenacious can survive.



The 1982 Norman Ross Winter Wipe-Out Sale!

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Time travelling back to 1982!

As a kid, I loved looking through sales catalogues. I’d scour the toy, and of course the video games pages.

I came across this old Norman Ross (retailer from back in the day) from August 1982, and I must say, the prices (in AUD$) for some of these goods are astronomical! Anyway, instead of getting bogged down in factoring in inflation and figuring out the prices in today’s money, let’s just enjoy the nostalgia 😉

image source: supplied



PEPSIMAN: The Ultra Free Posable Action Figure

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Introducing Pepsi-man, the snowboarder!

We are betting most of you may not have known that there was a line of PEPSIman action figures in Japan! Well, consider yourselves informed, cause this is one of those action figures.

This particular PEPSIman is the ultra cool snowboarder, complete with boots, cast, crutches (Ed: what the??!!) and of course, a can of Pepsi cola – ahhhhh, so refreshing! To say we are intrigued (and surprised) that this stuff exists, would be a gross understatement.

Do you have a PEPSIman in your collection?

source: eBay



Atari THE400 Mini Pre-Orders Now Open!

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Whoa, I am late to the party, but just in case there are others that aren’t aware, Atari announced that the Retro Games Ltd. made THE400 Mini pre-orders are now open – but only to US residents (boooo)!

For our Australian friends, don’t fret, cause you can also pre-order THE400 (Atari) Mini system right now at The Gamesmen site (The Gamesmen have exclusive retail rights in Australia)! Priced at AU$189.95 and shipping in late March (March 28th, 2024), this is a pretty cool system to pick up.

For everyone else, Amazon is also offering pre-orders on the THE400 Mini right here.

So, who is getting one?



Review: Chip’s Challenge – Nintendo Switch

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Want to join the Bit Busters Computer Club?

One of the first games I bought for my Atari Lynx (back in the day, and which I still have!) was Chip’s Challenge. For the record, the first game I bought for the Lynx was California Games, but this review isn’t about that game!

Just like Tetris on the Game Boy, I love coming back to Chip’s Challenge on the Lynx, it’s just a great game that suits the Lynx to a tee. To now have this great game on the Switch, I honestly couldn’t stop smiling! Chip’s Challenge on the Switch is exactly how I remember it on the Lynx, but with better controls and a luscious screen (if played on the OLED Switch).

For those of you that have no idea who or what Chip’s Challenge is, let us school ya a bit! Schoolboy Chip desperately wants to join the exclusive Bit Busters Computer Club, but to prove his worthiness he must complete a series of brain-twisting challenges set by the club’s owner Melinda the Mental Marvel – darn you Melinda!

You have to help Chip solve over 140 challenging grid-based puzzles, finding and using tools and devices such as keys, switches, pushable blocks and more, all while avoiding enemy creatures, and collecting computer chips to exit the level, all against the clock! Sounds easy aye 😉

Chip’s Challenge on the Switch has brought back a lot of nostalgia. For those coming in fresh to this game, please don’t be put off by the “blocky” graphics – it’s just all part of the charm! The game shines with its mind-bending puzzles to solve. At the end of the day, for the price of the game (less than a take away coffee), Chip’s Challenge is well worth it on the Switch. It may look quite blocky when docked, but this game shines when playing it on the go!

Chip’s Challenge will be released worldwide on Nintendo Switch via the Nintendo eShop on January 25th 2024.



Disclaimer: Chip’s Challenge Switch review code supplied by Pixel Games UK