The Pop-Culture E-Zine
If you wanted proof that Nintendo’s mascot is the undisputed franchise heavyweight champion of the video gaming world, then look no further. Watch the below video, you might learn something new. The Mario juggernaut just keeps on rolling on!
source: Alltime Numbers
If seeing arcade, Commodore 64, and console retro game classics like Frogger, Asteroids, Donkey Kong and Mario Bros. immediately bring you back to great times, then wall art would really rock for incorporating those gaming themes into a modern home.
People often ask me about the best way to incorporate retro gaming art for kids’ rooms, so I thought it’d be great to provide a few of the sources that I’ve come across.
Do It Yourself
The first and obvious option is the do-it-yourself route which includes;
Let’s face it, making your own ‘classic’ design may not always really be, classic.
Decals or paint?
Back in the day, I knew a great guy who would airbrush some fine art on whatever you gave him; doors, walls, cupboards, or even clothing. However, if you’re not ready to pay high rates for such masterpieces, or want to be able to upgrade the kids’ rooms when they eventually tire of your endless ranting about your childhood fascination with Yie Ar Kung Fu, decals are probably a more cost-effective, and easily-modified solution. This is especially true if you just happen to have bought 20 arcade cabinets while renting a place.
Something that occurred to me after putting up my retro gaming wall art, is that it would have been awesome to plan out a history series, starting with say Pong, and progressing through to later games. Luckily, they are re-usable, so this may some day become a reality for me.
Wall decal suppliers
You may or may not remember the Space Invaders decals on the set of the TV show, The IT Crowd. I certainly did, and eventually found that these were available from online stores such as Blik, Wallstickershop, and Amazon. These are mostly purposely pixel-styled images, which are accurate and licensed.
A number of people online have mentioned Blik, who seem to have varied their range over the years, but still have a nice selection of the classics:
source: Blik
Wallstickershop also have some licensed designs, but also offer the non-pixelart versions; which can sometimes work well, especially if your place is on the cozy side where you’ll view them from a closer distance:
source: WallStickerShop
As most retro gamers are keen to find those elusive items that aren’t immediately obvious, I also managed to dig up a few more:
source: Stickaz
Custom and cool:
source: Etsy
Humourous:
source: Etsy
Finally, here’s one that seems to be no longer available, but looks fantastic and hopefully will become available again at some stage:
source: Amazon
As usual, make sure you get permission from your family before embarking on redecorating your walls.
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diaf23
Retro, science fiction, horror movie fan and breaker of things.
Follow diaf23 (dieinafire23) on Twitter
On this past rainy and cold Sunday there was some nostalgic warmness emanating from the Flemington Racecourse. This hallowed turf, usually reserved for the sport of kings, was transformed into a nostalgists haven – the Retro Nostalgia and Collectables Fair.
The Fair had everything from football cards to video games and lots of Star Wars memorabilia – perfect timing with the ‘May The 4th Be With You’ Star Wars celebration day. With a $5 entry fee (for adults), you were greeted with tables full of the happy stuff – items from a bygone era, an era that gave us lots of happy memories. The stall holders were open to discussion about their items and collecting in general. Their enthusiasm was genuine and infectious. There was the usual haggling on price, but that is your god given right to do at such gatherings.
The Fair atmosphere was pleasant and the crowd numbers were just about right – there was no pushing or shoving. Luckily the Fair was held indoors, as Melbourne turned on its charm with some typical crap weather! Bring on the next Retro Nostalgia and Collectables Fair!
images source: ausretrogamer
Forged from the mechanical aesthetics of steampunk fiction, we give you the best of steampunk inspired video gaming systems.
So what do you think – Do you want your NES to look like it came out of the 19th century steam-powered industrial revolution? I like it! Anyway, I think I’ll take them all, especially that steampunkish arcade machine.
NES Toploader
Sega Dreamcast
Exquisite Game Boy
Steampunked NES
Another steampunked Game Boy
The Arcade Machine
image sources: DamnGeeky, mbtaylorproductions, Steampunk Tendencies, FakePlasticZio, GamingBolt and Geeky-Gadgets
If you are yearning for a good old fashioned arcade experience with a touch of nourishment and refreshments of the adult kind, then the Forgotten Worlds arcade bar and espresso will be right up your alley!
We have yet to experience this cool arcade bar in the heart of Collingwood (we did go past it when it was closed), but after seeing the below Ford EcoSport Urban Discoveries video, it is high on our bucket list! Oh yeah, we hope to see CTrix there too!
We will write about our experience once we visit Forgotten Worlds for a bite, a drink and a (very long) play. Stay tuned!
source: Ford Australia
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Forgotten Worlds – Arcade/Bar/Espresso
Address: 113 Johnston St, Collingwood
Hours: Wed – Thu: 4:00 pm – 11:00 pm; Fri – Sat: 4:00 pm – 1:00 am; Sun: 4:00 pm – 11:00 pm
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Have you ever wanted to play your quality N64 games library on a handheld device? Seems like others do too. Emulation is ok, but nothing beats playing the actual cartridge game!
Oh how I wish I was technically oriented (and talented enough) to create something cool like these. Drool not included!
source: imgur
Who says video games are mindless fun? I know we don’t think that. There is much to learn and a lot of hidden meanings in video games to be explored.
If you summonsed your inner Platonism, you would find there is some very cool 8-bit philosophy.
source: Thug Notes
I am always fascinated by “Top X” lists, be it for games or gaming related paraphernalia. When I stumbled upon Trendhunter’s 100 Geeky Gifts for Gamers article, I thought I would share it for those that hadn’t come across it.
Next time you are stuck for birthday or Christmas gift ideas, I am pretty sure you will find something suitable in this list. No excuses!
Here are (some of) my favourites:
Game Boy Beach Towel – keep cool in summer
Space Invaders Ring – get some bling!
Zelda Blanket – safety first
Game-Centred Coffee Table – no feet allowed
8-Bit Baseball Caps – show your true colours
Gamer Dinnerware – eat your vegetables!
8-Bit Themed Furniture – be the interior designer
Steampunk Gamer Lights – Turn it on!
Robotic Gamer Lamps – perfect use of R.O.B.
source: Trendhunter
While the American’s may have Dan Polydoris (Chicago Toy Collector), we have Andrew Owen – Australia’s creative genius! If you don’t believe us, just take a look at Andrew’s custom made creations – amazing stuff! And just think, these are the tip of the iceberg!
We met Andrew at last year’s Computer Games Boot Camp (CGBC) event and got talking about vintage toys and of course, retro gaming. During our discussion about all things nostalgia, Andrew showed us a few of his creative works – to say we were gobsmacked would be a massive understatement. We knew then that we had to bail up Andrew for an interview.
AUSRETROGAMER [ARG]: Andrew, thank you for making time for this interview. Let’s start – were you creative/artistic from a young age?
Andrew Owen [AO]: Yes, I have always been creative. I would always be making my own play sets to compliment my toys. I made a multi level Death Star out of fridge packaging. It was massive and had LED lights and other electronics. Also train and slot car sets with a mini town (full of lights). I was always expanding my toy experience. This continued into Super 8 movies with models, mini sets and masks. Paintings, drawings and animations included. It was an amazing time for a very young kid. Star Wars in the theatres, Battlestar Galactica on TV and Space Invaders machines at the local shops. I didn’t have a computer to make my own games but that didn’t stop me. Around that period Pop Up books were popular! So I made my own arcade games in Pop Up format. All with pull tabs and levers. All hand drawn and painted. The other kids would play them and I learnt a lot about game play. The Pop Up version of Defender was very popular.
ARG: How did you get into creating custom made items?
AO: When I was kid, I was always looking at how something could look better (to me anyway). Also replacing broken or missing items. Necessity at first and later people would ask me if I could recreate something or add a creative element.
ARG: Where do you get your ideas/inspirations from?
AO: I often wonder what one product would look like in another packaging format. I just go and build it. I do a lot of research first, especially if it will be a replica.
ARG: How long does a ‘typical’ creation take? Do you have a process?
AO: Sometimes I get an idea and 45 minutes later it’s finished. But other projects can take a few days. This time will mostly be made up of research. I like to try and recreate something to the smallest detail. For example, small logos need to be recreated from scratch. Photos online are very low resolution and not print quality. Plus recreating graphics and logos guarantees a clear print. Also I put an imperfection in everything I do, that way people know it’s a custom or replica. Nothing beats an original!
ARG: Do you have a favourite item you have made?
AO: That’s a tough one! The large six million dollar man and C3PO packaging – I was very happy with how they turned out. The Empire Strikes Back Atari reproduction box. The retro history of Epyx cards and box is a stand out, more so than the retro game Lego packages [ARG: We love your Lego creations a lot!]. The card series is still being produced and will be over a 100 cards. It’s like going back in time while you are researching and creating. I would have loved to have seen this in a shop as a kid!
ARG: What creation are you working on right now?
AO: Working on many projects and some will be on going. Multiple retro movie and game card sets. More reproduction stickers, packaging and badges. Also a large series of toys – all based on retro titles. The house is starting to turn into an alternative retro universe. Also food packaging and t-shirts.
ARG: You are also the creative mind behind the Computer Games Boot Camp (CGBC) – could you tell us more about this event?
AO: CGBC started 6 years ago and the event is a 7 day interactive experience for high school students. We cover everything connected to ICT , games and multimedia. It’s part interactive experience, trade show, tournament, careers with hands on workshops, presentations with a pop culture experience. It gives high school kids a real world experience and adds community and social aspects. People travel from all over the world to attend. We have a lot of retro gear at the event too. The event is streamed live and later added to YouTube. It’s proving to be a very popular event.
ARG: Now we will be asking the hard hitting gaming questions. What was your first video gaming system?
AO: Hanimex VC4000 console. German brand Interton Electronic. Played it for hours!
ARG: What is your all-time favourite video game?
AO: Galaga! That’s a tough question. Raid over Moscow , Impossible Mission, Space Invaders. I could be here all day.
ARG: And finally; Atari, Sinclair, Colecovision, Intellivision, Amstrad, Commodore, Nintendo or Sega – which would be your pick and why?
AO: Amstrad! Made my first games on the 128K. Some of the other systems may have had superior graphics (some) but it was a great system. Mini Disks (built in drive). It was well supported with multiple magazines. One magazine had the “Sugarman” cartoon strip! Practical for school assignments and for home movie credit sequences. It had it all! Lord Sugar was a pioneer and had a major influence on home computing!
Well, all good things come to end. As we wipe away our drool in awe of the Lego Galaga (amongst other jaw dropping items), we leave the talented genius to his latest creations. A big thank you to Andrew for participating in this interview. If you don’t already do so, you can follow Andrew on Twitter.
If you haven’t had enough of Andrew’s creations, here are a few more random picks to whet your appetite. Enjoy!
image source: Andrew Owen
Everyone has a vice or should that be a fetish? Some may have a chocolate vice while others may be into their shoes – Imelda Marcos would be proud if shoes are your thing. My fetish is for wristwatches. Yep, watches. I love them. I have enough of them to rotate a different one for each day for a month!
When the cool dudes and dudettes at Think Geek tempted me with their Classic Arcade Wristwatch, my urge to resist was pretty much futile. For $49.99 USD, you get an arcade machine on your wrist that can tell the time, has a cool red lit dial and best of all, realistic pew pew sound effects! Are you tempted?
Stay tuned, a full review will follow once the Classic Arcade watch hits the wrist!
source: Think Geek