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Get Your Mugshot in Chase H.Q. and Help NHS Charities

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The talented Bill Harbison, veteran Ocean/Imagine Software pixel artist, who worked on titles like, Chase HQ, Batman The Movie and Jurassic Park is doing something really cool for charity!

Bill is supporting the NHS Charities COVID-19 Urgent Appeal via his Fiverr page where you supply him an image of yourself that he then takes to create a mugshot to be added to his old ZX Spectrum game, Chase H.Q. How awesomely cool is that? If you are keen to be featured in the ZX Speccy Chase H.Q. game and also help out a great charity, then hit Bill’s Fiverr page now!

We’ll update this post and share our screenshot once Bill weaves his magic and sends through the finished image. We can’t wait!

UPDATE: Guess what peeps?! Bill was super quick with his pixel wizardry and delivered our screenshot waaaay ahead of the due date! So here it is, our Ed, Alex Boz, in full pixel art (Chase H.Q. mugshot) glory! 🙂

 

 

Same Same But Different Name

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Why, oh why do publishers change names of games for different regions of the world?

That is the million dollar question. They will give you all sorts of reasons and excuses, but it all boils down to the marketing teams and what they think will work in their segment.

We think these games would have an identity crisis if they were human. Actually, some games are known by more than two different names ! C’mon, that is absurd, no matter where you are from.

Here is a list of well known classic video games that are known by various names around the world. You be the judge of which region names you prefer. If you know of others that aren’t on the list, hit us up on Twitter or Facebook:

Game Name Also Known As (AKA)
Bare Knuckle Streets of Rage
Life Force  Salamander
Contra Gryzor, Probotector
Bad Dudes  DragonNinja, Bad Dudes vs DragonNinja
PC Kid Bonk
Jet Set Radio  Jet Grind Radio
Devil Crash Devil’s Crush, Dragon’s Fury, Devil Crash MD
Another World  Out of this World, Other World
Ninja Gaiden Shadow Warriors
Two Crude Dudes Crude Buster
Buggy Boy Speed Buggy
Green Beret  Rush’n Attack
International Karate  World Karate Championship
Stunt Car Racer Stunt Track Racer
Winter Olympiad 88  Winter Challenge
Slap Fight Alcon
International Karate +  Chop ‘n Drop Karate
Microprose Soccer  Keith van Eron’s Pro Soccer
Driller  Space Station Oblivion
The Sentinel  The Sentry
Nebulus  Tower Toppler
Pipemania  Pipe Dream
Rock ‘n Wrestle  Bop ‘n Wrestle

 

 

TY the Tasmanian Tiger HD – Krome Studios Launches Classic Platformer

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The Aussie hero loved by millions worldwide and everyone’s favourite boomerang chucking (not quite extinct) Thylacine is back. The creators of TY the Tasmanian Tiger and Blade Kitten are proud to present their award-winning game TY the Tasmanian Tiger HD – a charming platformer remastered for the Nintendo SwitchTM.

Explore the wilds of Australia with your favourite Aussie mate, TY the Tasmanian Tiger. By utilising the Nintendo Switch system’s many capabilities, Krome Studios has created a memorable experience that players are nostalgic for. Now, you can flick the Nintendo Switch Joy-ConTM controllers to throw your boomerangs and tilt to glide, too.

TY the Tasmanian Tiger HD’s 3D environments, characters, particle effects and audio have been enriched, along with new graphical effects like screen-space ambient occlusion, fully dynamic shadows, color correction, and bloom. You’ll be immersed in its Aussie-ness.

A new addition to the original, TY the Tasmanian Tiger HD will challenge you with Hardcore Mode; be awesome you only have one life. And thanks to dedicated fans – via a successful Kickstarter campaign – TY has new TY character skins for everyone to play. Added to the game credits are over 2000+ backers, including 44 custom drawings by the creator, Steve Stamatiadis.

“For 20 years now TY the Tasmanian Tiger has been at the heart of our game making-philosophy here at Krome Studios,” says Robert Walsh, CEO Krome Studios. “We thank our loyal fans who have joined us in continuing this family-friendly tradition on the Nintendo Switch. Without you, we could not have made this happen.”

TY the Tasmanian Tiger HD immerses you in 17 levels of iconic Australian Outback. Collect opals, golden cogs, thundereggs, 13 different boomerangs and the all-important mystical talismans. The first game is available March 31st in the Nintendo eShop for North America as a digital download, April 3rd in the Nintendo eShop for Europe, and April 4th for Australia and New Zealand.

Press release source: Krome Studios

 

Self Isolate by Bringing the Arcade to your Home

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As the global coronavirus pandemic continues to rear its ugly head, we have all been told to practise social distancing and self isolation to give us a chance at beating this insidious pathogen.

With non-essential businesses shutting down across the board – for the greater good we might add, there is no way we can carry on going out to play our fave arcade or pinball machines at our local entertainment venues. Unless you are one of those lucky folks with a games room full of machines, there are now options to rent arcade or pinball machines for a month (or more) to keep you and your family (sane and) entertained while in quarantine.

In the US, Portland barcade, QuarterWorld, decided to get quite creative during the mandatory four week shutdown of all bars and restaurants by offering their machines for home rental to supplant their income. The Oregonian’s video shows just how QuarterWorld makes the home rental look easy and very enticing.

If you are in Australia, then you are in luck too! Month-long rentals are available from operators that are doing it tough, with pick-up or delivery. The rental cost will depend on the title selected and of course, a better deal could be had if you opt for more than one machine or when you extend the rental for more than a month.

Lil-ausretrogamer enjoys pressing pinball machine buttons at home while in social isolation

In the Sydney metro area, The Pinball Network have machines for rent per month in the range of $400 to $450, with pick-up from Camperdown or delivery at an additional cost. If you are in Sydney and in need of some pinball action, get in touch with Gary at The Pinball Network via their Facebook Page.

If you are south of the border, then all of you Melbournians are in luck, as you have a number of rental options. You can hit up David at Reality Games Australia to grab yourself a great pinball title, starting at $350 for the month! But wait, there is more! Our good friend and awesome pinball operator, Ryza (Ryan), has unleashed his extensive list of brilliant (and well kept) titles to be enjoyed in your home starting at $375 per month. With machines like the classic Williams Fish Tales, to the newer Stern machines, Ryan has you covered. Hit up Ryan via the Melbourne Pinball Tournaments Facebook Group now.

These are tough times indeed, so if you have the means to help out struggling operators by renting one (or more) of their machines, you will ensure that they will be around when things get back to normal in the near future.

Stay safe, stay at home and have some fun!

image source: RePlay Magazine

 

Missile Command: Recharged – It’s a Blast

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Atari’s seminal 1980s arcade classic, Missile Command, has now been Recharged and is ready for blasting on your favourite iOS and Android device!

Missile Command has been one of our favourite games to play due to its compelling simplicity and very visceral and satisfying gameplay – aim at the falling missiles, fire and destroy, it doesn’t get better or simpler than that.

Missile Command: Recharged is actually quite well (re)done with beautiful neon visuals paired with cool electronic music that Jeff Minter would be quite proud of. The game also has power-ups, upgrades, and an augmented reality feature, making this game quite a blast (pun intended).

The current Atari cops a lot of stick for milking their original IP, including from us, but this free to play game (with a one time purchase to remove the ads) is a pleasant surprise – it is really well done.

If you want a (free) Missile Command game for your smart device, then you can’t go wrong with Missile Command: Recharged. Get it now!

 

Read Some FREE Retro Gaming Books While In Isolation

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These are unprecedented times. We have never collectively faced or experienced such a situation, so it is great to see when we rally together across this beautiful globe to self isolate to help beat this darn Coronavirus!

Thanks to some awesome retro gaming community members, like Chris Wilkins from Fusion Retro Books, they are providing some of their digital (PDF) books for free for all to enjoy while self isolating – check them out further below!

But wait there is more! The Dreamcast Junkyard folks have their The A to Z of Dreamcast Games PDF book for all of you Dreamcast fans to enjoy too, and it’s free.

image source: The Dreamcast Junkyard

These times may seem gruelling, difficult and downright crazy, but we will get through it. For the time being, settle in and immerse yourself with some great free retro gaming content!

Free Fusion Retro Books:

image source: Fusion Retro Books

 

Sega Game Gear Gaming: Fred Couples Golf

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By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

When I tell people that my favourite professional golfer is Fred Couples, they usually give me side eye and ask, “Why?”. When I was little, my two favourite games on my Sega Game Gear were “The Incredible Hulk” and “Fred Couples Golf.”

The 1994 golf game was panned by critics when it was released. I think the reason some critics hated it was because the cramped graphical layout was a flaw. It didn’t bother me. I never chose a caddie, which was an option in the game. I’ve always believed that the practice mode and easy controls were innovative for a golf game.

I would play my Game Gear on the way to school on the bus, and on the way home as well. That was a lot of Fred Couples Golf. My mother would take my Game Gear away from me when I arrived home and tell me I could play after I finished my homework. The game was addictive. I started watching every golf event that Couples played in.

Many of my friends would ask me why I enjoyed Fred Couples Golf so much. The game was pretty much my introduction to the game of golf and the rules. I learned what a bogey was and I learned how to properly hit a golf ball out of a bunker. The game was unique because Couples, who endorsed the game, wasn’t a playable player. You could only play against him; and, on the difficult level, he was a worthy opponent.

I enjoyed the Couples game so much, I always wondered why Fred Couples didn’t get a game with more exceptional graphics for PlayStation or Xbox? Most of the big consoles made games endorsing Tiger Woods and other younger, more popular players on the PGA Tour. I doubt any game maker will, but if they made a Fred Couples game today, I’d buy it.

If a developer can centre a golf game around legends like Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, I don’t see why they couldn’t make a new game featuring Couples. However, video games are usually not designed for legendary players on the PGA Champions Tour.

 

Resident Evil: Surviving The Horror

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Wow, when Resident Evil was released on this day (March 22) in 1996, who would have thought that we would be talking about it all these years later!

Our first encounter with Resident Evil was quite memorable. Upon loading the game on our Playstation, we were subjected to some cheesy B-grade acting, but it was the rabid zombie dog at the end of the intro sequence that scared the pants off us when watching it at the dead of night – we still have nightmares!

We quickly learn that Raccoon City is a foreboding place, where an outbreak of the T-Virus (created as a bio-weapon by the Umbrella Corporation) starts spreading from the nearby Arklay Mountains, turning humans into zombies and other creatures into horrifying monsters. The protagonists, Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine, both members of the Alpha S.T.A.R.S. (Special Tactics And Rescue Service) special forces from the Raccoon Police Department (RPD) are trapped in the Spencer mansion, attempting to find out what all the eeriness is about. This is where things get interesting in this awesome survival horror game; from encountering supernatural enemies – some that make you jump off the couch, to finding typewriter ribbons to save your progress and the dread you feel when opening a door to transition to another room, there were scares aplenty!

Interestingly, the game is known as Biohazard in its native Japan. When the Biohazard project kicked off, Capcom were planning a spiritual remake of their 1989 horror game Sweet Home. Once they found that a DOS game had registered the Biohazard title in the US, the company held an internal contest to choose a new name. This contest lead to the title, Resident Evil, which we know and love outside of Japan. Resident Evil/Biohazard was also first to be dubbed a ‘survival horror’ game – the term coined for the new genre.

Capcom weren’t convinced that Resident Evil would do well, with sales projections pencilled in at just 200,000. Once critical acclaim was widespread, Capcom were truly gobsmacked when Resident Evil went on to move 5.8 million copies (original, Director’s Cut and Director’s Cut DualShock), making it a massive hit.

Hit us up on Facebook or Twitter to tell us about your most memorable encounter or scary moment from the original Resident Evil. Oh, and a ‘Jill Sandwich’ is a thing!

image source: games revisited

 

PAC-MAN Tamagotchi Has Officially Launched

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Waka waka waka waka waka waka

To celebrate the iconic yellow pill muncher’s 40th anniversary this year, Tamagotchi and PAC-MAN have teamed up to bring fans a new virtual pet experience – PAC-MAN TAMAGOTCHI!

The Tamagotchi device stars PAC-MAN as the virtual pet character with iconic PAC-MAN features – see further below!

Officially released on March 15th, PAC-MAN Tamagotchi is now available on store shelves. This is perfect for on-the-go entertainment – it fits easily into pockets or bags and it even includes a wearable key-chain allowing kids or their parents to tend to their PAC-MAN Tamagotchi wherever they go!

PAC-MAN Tamagotchi Features:

  • Raise and nurture your Tamagotchi character with the help of PAC-MAN
  • PAC-MAN will save your Tamagotchi character from the ghosts and bugs
  • Feed your Tamagotchi rice or PAC-MAN’s favourite, cherries
  • Raise your Tamagotchi character from egg to baby to adult
  • 7 adults included, which is determined by how you take care of your PAC-MAN Tamagotchi character
  • Two fun mini-games: play the Pac Game and the Catch Game!
  • Two different shell styles to choose from
  • Two PAC-MAN mazes to choose from; yellow and black
  • Battery (LR44) included
  • No WiFi needed

The PAC-MAN Tamagotchi also comes in a Deluxe Assortment that includes a PAC-MAN case to protect your device! Join the PAC and get ready to commemorate PAC-MAN’s 40th Anniversary as a pop culture and video game icon!

Available from:

  • Amazon (US)
  • Big W (Aus)
  • EB Games (Aus)

image source: Tamagotchi US