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VergeWorld: ICarus – A Nostalgic Blast!

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Whoa, the team at Retro Bones have been busy tinkering on VergeWorld: Icarus, a new sci-fi racer shoot’em up game (with exploration elements) for the Amiga, Atari and Mega Drive!

What is VergeWorld you ask? Far into the future, on a distant and inhospitable planet, mankind engages in one thing it knows well – war. The tyrannical corporate regime wants to enslave all inhabitants of the Kingdom – humanity’s new home. As a young smuggler, Nix, aboard the aircraft Icarus, you want to help the oppressed by joining the Revolt.

Download the Amiga demo to prove your worth by completing the infamous Death Run challenge and convince the Revolt to accept you as one of them!

image source: Retro Bones

 

HIGH SCORE – A New Netflix Docuseries Tracing The History of Classic Video Games

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If you have Netflix, then mark August 19th on your calendar to watch HIGH SCORE, a new 6 part documentary series tracing the history of classic video games.

Narrated by the voice of our favourite video game plumber, Charles Martinet, this docuseries traces the history of classic video games, featuring insights from the innovators who brought these worlds and characters to life.

We have watched a plethora of documentaries on the history of video games, so we expect to hear some of the same stories, but that isn’t a bad thing at all. With Netflix behind this documentary, we are assured of high production value!

We can’t wait to watch this to get our nostalgia hit! Get Ready!


source: Netflix

 

Retro Gaming Relived On Your iPhone!

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Wanna get a hit of retro gaming on your iPhone? Nostalgia is quite powerful, where just hearing a theme tune or seeing the loading screen is enough to transport you back to a simpler time.

You don’t need to let these gaming memories live in the past, so the below games breath a new lease of life to some of your favourite classic games for your iOS device:

story & image source: Apple Inc.

 

Online Pre-Orders For Atari VCS and Accessories Start Today for Gamers in Australia and New Zealand

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PSA: For those of you not in the know, Atari have been tinkering away for a while, creating a new Atari gaming system. The time has come where an official announcement was made this morning about this new gaming system, its availability and price for Australian and New Zealand gamers. We hope to get our hands on an Atari VCS system in the near future and give you our thoughts on it!

The press release is provided below with photos of the system(s), their peripherals, where to pre-order, and most importantly, the prices:

Atari® — one of the world’s most iconic consumer brands and interactive entertainment producers — today announced that it has signed a distribution agreement with Bluemouth Interactive, a supplier of premium video game products, as part of its worldwide Atari VCS hardware launch strategy into the Australian & New Zealand market.

Atari® returns to the living room with the Atari VCS — a completely modern gaming and video computer system, blending the best of consoles and PCs to delight a whole new generation of  gamers and creators.

The all-new Atari VCS home gaming and video computer system is a unique PC/console hybrid platform inspired by classic Atari consoles and contemporary gaming and multimedia PCs. Like the legendary Atari 2600 did in 1977, the new Atari VCS is set to invigorate the TV-centric gaming and home entertainment experience. Users will enjoy an ever-expanding Atari world of all-new games, classic and remastered favorites, streaming media, and personal apps. The Atari VCS is powered by an AMD RyzenTM 1606G high-performance Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) with Zen-core and Radeon Vega Graphics, enabling gaming and video streaming up to 4K HDR at 60fps.

Atari VCS 800 Black Walnut All-In-One Bundle

Atari VCS 800 Onyx Base

Unlike other home game systems, owners can also install Windows or Linux operating systems via the unique Atari VCS “PC Mode” and use a mouse and keyboard to transform the Atari VCS into an expandable PC to enjoy more of their favorite games and applications. The Atari VCS combines the best of consoles and PC into one ultra-versatile device.

“We are delighted to announce our new partnership with Bluemouth Interactive to bring the Atari VCS overseas to Australia and New Zealand,” said Atari CEO Frédéric Chesnais. “Bluemouth Interactive is an experienced distributor of video games, accessories, and gaming hardware, making them the ideal partner to help Atari launch its first new home gaming system in decades.”

David Provan, Managing Director of Bluemouth says, “Working with the Atari team and being given the responsibility to drive this exciting new piece of the iconic Atari brand in this territory is both a privilege and an honour for me personally and professionally. One of the most recognisable and authentic brands not just in gaming but as a lifestyle brand itself, the Atari VCS will honour its past but will be ready for the future.

Atari VCS Wireless Classic Joystick
 

Atari VCS Wireless Modern Controller

At a time when we are all looking for fresh and innovative ways to consume various forms of content (both new and old), the VCS combines nearly 50 years of entertainment into one stylish
creation, opening up our lounge rooms to near infinite content possibilities from one device. Its form and function is unapologetically different, as Atari fans want it to be. Being a PC/Console hybrid device allows for a stylish yet minimalistic icon to grace our lounge rooms, whilst offering the power, openness, and upgradeability that typically only comes with a big ugly PC. That for me is its ‘X Factor’, and for that I’m very excited!”

Bluemouth Interactive will commence full distribution of the Atari® VCS Console and peripherals range effective immediately.

Scheduled to launch in November 2020, the Atari VCS lineup of video computer systems, bundles, and peripherals are available now for preorder at EB Games, JB HiFi, The Gamesmen,  Catch.com.au, Mightape.co.nz, and Atarivcs.com.au.

The Atari VCS 800 (8GB) Onyx Base system will retail for just AU$699.95 (NZ$749.95), while Atari VCS 800 “All-In” system bundles include
the Atari VCS Classic Joystick (available separately for AU$109.95 (NZ$129.95) and Atari VCS Modern Controller (AU$109.95 (NZ$129.95) all for AU$849.95 (NZ$899.95) combined. The Atari
VCS Classic Joystick and Modern Controllers were created in partnership with PowerA.

image source: Bluemouth Interactive

 

Introducing The SNK NeoGeo MVSX Home Arcade

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If the NeoGeo Mini didn’t scratch your MVS and AES gaming itch, then perhaps the SNK NeoGeo MVSX Home Arcade will!

Created by the GStone Group (UNICO brand) and officially licensed by SNK, the SNK NEOGEO MVSX is touted to be the ultimate home arcade for fans of classic SNK titles. The MVSX will include both the MVS and AES versions of games from fan-favourite series like The King of Fighters, Metal Slug, Fatal Fury, Samurai Shodown, Art of Fighting and sports titles including Baseball Stars Professional and Top Player’s Golf!

The games will be housed within a stylish tabletop arcade with a separate attached base that has a 17-inch 4:3 LCD screen and has two-player support with analogue joysticks and buttons. Fans of the classic SNK NEOGEO MVS arcade machines are sure to appreciate the tabletop arcade’s aesthetics as it’s decked out in the iconic MVS red and white, familiar button layout (such as the “SELECT GAME” button) and has its signature marquee showcasing the box art for the most popular franchises of the included games.

Preorders for the SNK NeoGeo MVSX will begin next month (September 2020), with the tabletop to be priced at US$449.99, the base at US$99.99 or both the tabletop and base for US$499.99. The tabletop arcade will officially launch in North America in November 2020. We will seek more info for the rest of the world, so please stay tuned!

image source: SNK MVSX

 

The World’s Last Blockbuster Store Is Available To Book on Airbnb

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We may have found our ‘blow our mind‘ moment for the day!

Wanna relive the 90s again by browsing shelves full of VHS tapes, watching movies on the VCR and eating popcorn on your old school lounge-suite? Well, if you are a resident of Deschutes County (Oregon, US), then you are in luck, as you can book and stay at the world’s last Blockbuster store via Airbnb! This seriously is mind blowing, with the nostalgia meter going off the scale.

Oh yeah, if you are lucky enough to immerse yourself in this glorious 90s nostalgia, don’t forget to rewind the tape when you are finished!

PS: If only Australia’s last Blockbuster store was available to rent!

image source: Airbnb

story source: laughingsquid

 

Mechanical LEGO Street Fighter II

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Hadouken! Hey peeps, you gotta check this out – a full-on mechanical LEGO Street Fighter II creation!

This is so darn cool, perhaps it should be submitted to LEGO Ideas. SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY indeed 😉

Awesome 80s Cartoons Are Streaming For Free On YouTube

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With the current lockdown and restrictions changing on a daily basis, we are constantly looking for new things to watch to pass the time.

For those of you struggling to find free streaming stuff to watch, then check this out – the best (and coolest) ’80s cartoons are now streaming their library of episodes for free on YouTube! From Masters of The Universe, She-Ra: Princess of Power, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, to BraveStarr, Ghostbusters and M.A.S.K, there is enough cartoon goodness here to entertain for a long while yet!

What are you waiting for? You now have the POWER to go grab some popcorn, kick your feet up and enjoy some classic ’80s cartoons!

image source: CNET

 

Iconic SEGA Akihabara Building 2 To Close Soon

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It looks like we will never cross this one off our bucket list 🙁

SEGA’s Building 2 (formerly known as SEGA GiGo / Akihabara GiGo) is set to close on August 30th. Building No. 2 opened on the southern edge of Akihabara in October 2003, becoming a favourite for arcade video game enthusiasts and gaming nostalgia-seeking peeps.

It would seem that the current world health crisis has hit the Electronic Town quite hard, with a big downturn in visitor numbers. SEGA hasn’t as yet provided any formal reason for the impending closure, except for this post and the sign below, which reads (translation by SoraNews24):

image source: Arcade Otaku via Twitter

“Notice of Closure

Thank you for your continued patronage.

We are sorry to announce that this branch, Sega Akihabara Building 2, will be closing.

Our last day of operations will be Sunday, August 30.

The entire staff wishes to express, from the bottom of our hearts, our sincere gratitude at the loving support you have given our establishment for so many years.”

If you have visited SEGA’s Building No. 2, we would love to hear your stories (and see some pics), so please share them with us on Twitter or Facebook!

image source: That Damn Pixel / header image: Google

 

New Scrabble Go App

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By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

The new “Scrabble Go” app was released earlier this year, and contrary to what many fans of the iconic game are saying, I really enjoy it. The candy-coloured, frenetic update was meant to get younger players to appreciate an older game.

The new look to the app, a far cry from the traditional red-and-tan predecessor, is definitely going to turn off some loyal fans of the decade-old game.

I’ve been playing Scrabble since I was 8-years-old. I used to watch my parents play and I’d bug them about the rules and what a triple word score meant. In high school, my friends and I would play Scrabble past midnight. We would have little tournaments that would last long into the night. My friend Elizabeth would usually beat the rest of us, but it never stopped us from trying to win one game against her.

I’m a Scrabble traditionalist, so when I first played the “Scrabble Go” app, I didn’t know what to make of it. The ability to decorate my word tiles with 3-D flamingos and baby dragons was slightly alarming. I understand that dragons have no place in Scrabble, but it didn’t make me want to stop playing the game. What is so bad about a little color in a classic game? The redeemable shiny gems that give you a preview of the best available words was a nice touch. It didn’t bother me. Covid-19 could be the biggest reason for all the criticism of the new app. People don’t like change and being shut in during the pandemic has made people really not like change. Hasbro tinkered with a classic when loyal players need Scrabble more than ever. I play the app for about an hour a day. I can’t imagine what the changes were like for a player who plays for hours daily.

Maybe the reason why the dragons don’t bother me is because I’m a huge “Game of Thrones” fan. If you’re focusing on the actual game of Scrabble, struggling to score with a clever word, the dragons and strange gnomes (or pixies) aren’t distracting.

Complaints about the new game on Reddit threads and Facebook pages are hilarious. The most frequent criticisms are about the colourful treasure chests and the difficulty of finding the dictionary. Personally, I could care less about the chat room. I don’t want to get to know any other players or learn any of their “tips.”  A lot of people on the chat room are not even interested in the game of Scrabble. I think some of these lonely people really need to leave their basement and go for a long afternoon walk. Perhaps get some fresh air and sun and think about things that are slightly more important than a word game. Scrabble is something I do to get away from all the chatter and snark on social media platforms, especially Twitter. I cannot think of anything worse than chatting with stranger during a game of Scrabble. Focus is vital during Scrabble.

Mark Blecher, Hasbro’s head of digital gaming, said the old app isn’t coming back and that the company sees the updated app as a “game-changer” for Scrabble. A “game-changer” seems somewhat overenthusiastic, but something new usually always causes some division. I’ve noticed the more I play the new app, the less I notice the little things that players have decried.