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Sugarfina Is Releasing Your Fave Retro Nintendo Characters In Candy Form!

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As someone that has a massive sweet tooth and is a sucker for nostalgia, when I found out that the luxury candy store, Sugarfina was releasing my favourite Nintendo characters in candy form (the Super Mario Bros. x Sugarfina collection), I definitely got that sugar rush that made me all woozy and very excited!

Sugarfina announced this yummy retro-inspired collection at last week’s San Diego Comic Con, with the collection being available online and Sugarfina stores on Monday, July 22 (US time).

We hope Sugarfina ships to Australia! 😉

[story and image source: Bustle]

 

1991 Toys “R” Us Awesome Vintage Catalogue

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We love old toys and video game catalogues. We have previously featured the Toys “R” Us 1996 Christmas catalogue and the hefty 830+ page 1992 Christmas Sears, Roebuck & Co. ‘The Great American Wish Book’ to tickle your nostalgic nerve.

Well, now we present you with the 1991 Toys “R” Us (US) catalogue that features classic toys and some very classic video gaming systems that will definitely jolt your nostalgic nerve. Enjoy!



source: eBay



Sega and Taito Sounds Hit The KORG Gadget On The Nintendo Switch

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As Queen’s Freddy Mercury once sang, ” Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?“. Could we be dreaming? The KORG music production studio will allow (from July 11) you to create 80s Sega arcade game sounds and Taito FM synth sounds on your Nintendo Switch.

Yep, dreams do come true! With the awesome collaboration between ‘SEGA’ and ‘TAITO’, version 3.0 of the KORG Gadget for Nintendo Switch is a reality that will include the 2 new gadgets – Sega’s Otorii and Taito’s Ebina!

Check out the video below and head to the KORG news site for more info on this music making awesomeness. July 11 can’t come fast enough!


source: KORG

[story & image source: Korg News]

 

GAME MASTERS: THE EXHIBITION OPENS 27 SEPTEMBER 2019

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NFSA turns into Australia’s biggest video game arcade, featuring world’s greatest designers, characters & 100+ playable games!

Following a 6-year international tour and more than 1 million visitors, Game Masters: The Exhibition will return to Australia and make its Canberra debut at the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA) from 27 September 2019 – 9 March 2020. The ultimate experience for gamers and families alike, Game Masters has been updated to include the latest gaming blockbusters as well as Australian creations.

Game Masters is an interactive journey through five decades of video game history, offering both a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process behind the world’s most popular characters and franchises, and a chance to play them. Featuring interviews, never-before-seen concept artwork, an amazing display of vintage consoles and collectable items, and more than 100 playable games, visitors won’t want to leave!

No matter whether you played Pong at the local milk bar in the 70s, or spent last night playing Fortnite on your phone, Game Masters has something for everyone: from the arcade era through to today’s eighth generation consoles and mobile game technology, and from the most popular video games on the planet to independent games with a cult-like following.

image source: Game Masters: The Exhibition Melbourne 2012

HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDED IN GAME MASTERS: THE EXHIBITION

The first section, Arcade Heroes spotlights pioneering designers from the trailblazing and revolutionary arcade era, including Shigeru Miyamoto (Donkey Kong, 1981), Ed Logg (Asteroids, 1979), Masanobu Endo (Xevious, 1982), Toru Iwatani (Pac-Man, 1980), Eugene Jarvis (Defender, 1980) and Tomohiro Nishikado (Space Invaders, 1978). During this period designers were not always recorded for posterity, as was the case for the featured games Scramble, 1981 developed by Konami and Elevator Action, 1983 developed by Taito.

Leading contemporary designers who have had a major impact on shaping the medium as we know it feature in the second section, Game Changers, including Blizzard Entertainment (Diablo III, 2012), Paulina Bozek (SingStar, 2004), Tetsuya Mizuguchi (Sega Rally Championship, 1995), Peter Molyneux OBE (Fable III, 2010), Yuji Naka and the Sonic Team (Sonic the Hedgehog, 1991), Sega (Alex Kidd in Miracle World, 1986), Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy (Rock Band 4, 2015), Tim Schafer (Broken Age, 2014), Yu Suzuki (Hang On, 1983), TT Games (LEGO Batman 3: beyond Gotham, 2014) and Will Wright (SimCity, 1989).

The third chapter of the exhibition, Indies explores the pioneering and future-focussed world of independent game designers. Artists such as Jonathan Blow (Braid, 2008), Capy (Critter Crunch, 2008), Ken Wong (Florence, 2018), Halfbrick (Fruit Ninja Kinect, 2011), Masaya Matsuura (PaRappa the Rapper, 1996), Markus ‘Notch’ Persson (Minecraft, 2014), Rovio (Angry Birds, 2009), Bennett Foddy (Getting Over It, 2017), thatgamecompany (Journey, 2012), and The Behemoth (Castle Crashers, 2008) are profiled in this section.

Game Masters also features unique experiences such as a spectacular multiplayer dance stage for Dance Central 3 (2012), hands-on experiential music booths and a selection of original classic arcade machines from the 1970s and ’80s acquired especially for the exhibition, all playable in their original form.

Game Masters: The Exhibition will be open to the public from 27 September 2019 to 9 March 2020 at the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA) in Canberra. A program of special events and screenings will complement the exhibition for the duration of the season. Tickets will be available from 9 August 2019; audiences can sign up for Game Masters updates and special VIP ticket offers here.

  • Where: National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, McCoy Circuit, Acton ACT
  • When: 27 September 2019 to 9 March 2020; 10am to 4pm, Monday to Sunday (except Christmas Day and New Year’s Day)
  • Tickets: $19/$15/$12 (adult/concession/junior 5-17). Kids up to age 4 free. Family passes available.
  • For more information/bookings: NFSA.gov.au/gamemasters

 

The Japanese Sega Mega Drive Mini Collector’s Edition is MEGA!

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The Japanese Mega Drive Mini with the Megadora Tower Mini and the Mini Cartridge Framed Set proves yet again that our Japanese friends always get the cool stuff!

The Megadora Tower Mini (complete with a Mega-CD and 32X) may just be an accessory, but we reckon it is damn awesome and we totally need it in our lives!!! Oh yeah, the 22 tiny Mega Drive cartridge framed set also oozes so much awesomeness that we can’t contain our excitement – we are totally giddy and intoxicated with 16-bit Sega nostalgia.

You can try your luck buying this awesome collector’s edition from the official Japanese Sega Store right now (¥25,877 / ~AU$343.00 – excluding shipping)!

So, who is getting this MEGALICIOUS beast?

image source: Sega Store

 

Super 64: Levels Up the N64 With a Superior Visual Experience

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The EON Super 64, is a new plug-and-play solution for the Nintendo 64 that fits seamlessly into the original hardware and upscales your beloved retro classic visuals on modern displays, hits North American consoles on July 22, 2019, via preorder (US$149.99) at CastleMania. The EON guys are also working on a PAL version of the Super 64 (PAL price is yet to be finalised, but at the current exchange, it will be over AU$200.00).

The Super 64, from the makers of the GCHD Mk-II, is a HDMI adaptor worthy of our favourite retro console, the Nintendo 64. With no external power source or risky console modifications, the Super 64 attaches to the N64 like it was always meant to be there, connecting to modern TVs via HDMI with no input lag. The Super 64’s gorgeous upscaled 480p boasts twice the resolution of the original console’s video output. Relive the games of yesteryear just as you remember them.

“Slick Mode” enables retro fans to relive the triumphs of yesteryear with even smoother visuals, rounding out jagged edges for a sharper image that makes classics look better than ever. Through EON’s careful attention to detail, the Super 64 boasts the truest representation of colour to create the most faithful N64 experience supplanting efforts of typical cable upgrades.

The N64 sold over 32.9 million units since its 1996 debut. The Super 64 builds a bridge of nostalgia between the N64’s analogue output and high-definition displays. Nostalgic gamers and competitive players can enjoy their favourite N64 titles on modern setups via HDMI, foregoing the need for heavy CRT televisions or risky console modifications.

EON’s patent pending design is carefully crafted to prevent stress on older hardware and allows the N64 to slot neatly alongside modern platforms. 

Delivering an upscaled experience that still champions the original look and feel guided EON’s development process, evident in the Super 64’s form-fitting elegance, brilliant display of colours, and remarkable audio fidelity.

“The Super 64 was designed to celebrate the console that pioneered 3D gaming. We set out to create something that respects the original hardware while delivering the original look and feel” said Justin Chou, Justin Scerbo, and Allan Chou, founders of EON. “The Super 64 is for everyone seeking to relive those classic experiences, and for a new generation for whom so many memories have yet to be made.“

[story and image source: Press Release]

 

TheC64: The Full Sized Commodore 64 Is Coming!

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Full sized version of the 80’s best-selling home computer available on 5th December 2019

A timeless classic is being given a new lease of life with the launch of a full-sized version of THEC64®. Developed by Retro Games Ltd. and distributed by Koch Media, THEC64 is a fully licensed reimagining of the 80’s bestselling home computer.

The C64 Announcement Trailer on YouTube

Following its launch in 1982, the C64 home computer went on to dominate the home computer scene throughout the 1980s. Millions of units were sold worldwide and hold a special place in the hearts of its former owners.  37 years later and it’s back again!

The full sized THEC64 has a full working keyboard, comes with an updated micro switch classic joystick which plugs into one of the four USB ports, and connects to any modern TV via HDMI.  It features three switchable modes – boot straight into original C64 BASIC, VIC20 BASIC  or switch to the Games Carousel and play one of the 64 built in games in 50Hz or 60Hz, with optional CRT Filters/Screen modes.

As well as the classic C64 and VIC20 BASIC modes, the pre-installed games include such classics as California Games, Paradroid and Boulder Dash; with new additions like Attack of the Mutant Camels, Hover Bovver, Iridis Alpha, and Gridrunner; topped off with the recently released shoot ‘em up Galencia and text adventure Planet of Death to let you relive the glory days of true keyboard gaming! You can even load and save your own C64 and VIC20 games via USB flash drive as well as access multi disc titles.

“We are delighted to be working with Koch Media once more to bring back even more of the most loved retro games ever on two of the most iconic home computers of all time, and which now has a full working keyboard”, said Paul Andrews, Retro Games’ Managing Director. “THEC64 full size is a reimagining of the classic C64 computer and the second in a planned series of products on the way.”

THEC64 will hit the shops on December 5th 2019 with a suggested retail price of £109.99/€119.99/~AU$195.00/US$135.00.

For more information please visit www.thec64.com

 

It’s On Like Lego Donkey Kong!

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This Lego Donkey Kong arcade machine by Aussie Lego building sensation, Kale Frost (aka: Frostbricks), could easily be an awesome Lego Ideas entrant! If it were, we would vote the heck out of it (and so would all of you). We shall pray to the Lego gods that we’ll see this kit on a toy shelf one day! Absolutely love the level of detail Frostbricks has gone to on this one-of-a-kind Lego production.

Oh yeah, if you want to check out other brilliant Lego (Brick Built Creations) by Frostbricks hit Kale’s site and Instagram right now! You can thank us later 😉

source: Frostbricks site and Instagram

 

Attack From Mars Pinball Promo Video – It’s deliciously cheesy

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You all know how much we love the Attack From Mars pinball machine – we love it so much that we jumped on-board and bought the Attack From Mars Remake back in 2017.

This machine is one of those timeless classics which always comes up in many ‘top pinball machines of all time’ lists. Our interest is always piqued whenever we find information or other content about this game, so when we came across the original promo video, we thought we’d share it with you all. The promo video is just as cheesy as the actual theme, which makes it perfect!


source: Jan van den Munckhof

 

Ooh la la, this MegaSD FPGA Cartridge Is Just Mind-Blowing!

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Let’s start with WOW! How damn WOW is this MegaSD FPGA cartridge from Terraonion?!

Before we tell you what this mega cart can do, we thought we’d let you all know that it isn’t cheap (€232.00 / ~AU$380.00 exc shipping), but then again, there is a lot of cool technology jam-packed into this cart!

So, what can this cart do? Actually, the better question would be, what can’t it do? The simple answer is, it can do everything, bar making you a nice cup of coffee. Check out some of the mouth watering specs and features, and then make your decision to pull the trigger on one or not…..

This is the world’s First Mega-CD/Sega CD FPGA Optical Disc Emulator! Please try not to drool when reading the specs/features:

• Plays both ISOS (bin+cue) and ROMS

• RAM based cartridge for instant boot

• Compatible with all original and region free patched Mega-CD / Sega CD bios

• Supports Mega Drive / Genesis, Sega CD / Mega-CD, Nomad, Master System and 32X games (requires 32X add-on)

• Fully compatible with Analogue Mega Sg!

• Easy to use interface for navigating your collection with screenshots, genre, year and description

• Save State support for Mega Drive and Genesis Cartridge games (8 slots)

• Built in cheat engine for Mega Drive and Genesis cartridge games

• Emulates all different Genesis / Mega Drive / Master System / 32x cartridge mappers.

• Stores all different Genesis / Mega Drive / Master System / 32x cartridge saves into MicroSD card.

• Per game Mega-CD / Sega CD Backup RAM and Cartridge RAM stored into microSD card

• Master System FM Core

• In-Game menu for fast reboot and swapping games (Genesis / Mega Drive and Mega-CD / Sega CD)

image source: Terraonion

Oh yeah, this awesome bit of kit starts shipping in the first week of August 2019 by a strict purchase order system, so act fast! The other morsel you should be aware of is that shipping times will depend on their sales volumes! We are champing at the bit for this mega cart!