The Pop-Culture E-Zine
For those of us with children of a certain age, there is no doubt that you would have come across the awesome Bluey cartoon on ABC TV (iView).
Bluey episodes keep both kids and adults entertained, imparting some good advice and lessons learned. When we saw the below trailer for a video game of the eponymous blue heeler, we got quite excited.
We have now marked November 17, 2023 in our diary, as this will be a day one acquisition for us (on probably every format available!)!
source: IGN
Another Australian video rental store bites the proverbial dust!We reported back in 2019 when the last Australian Blockbuster was closing its doors, and this time it’s no different, which we are sad to report that the independent family run video rental store in Kambalda, a mining town in the WA Goldfields, is closing its doors one last time after 40 years in business.
Run by the Assaad family since 1983, the video rental store has succumbed to FIFO (fly in, fly out) – where mining workers no longer reside in the town and are instead flown in and out. The steady decline has been a long time coming, with patronage almost nil which left the Assaad’s with no other option than to close this once thriving video rental store.
We wonder if there are other video rental stores still about in Australia? If you know of any, please let us know!
story and image source: ABC
We cast our vote in the ABC Classic’s 2022 Classic 100: Music for the Screen countdown and we are happy to report that our top vote, John Williams’s music for the Star Wars series, is now officially Australia’s favourite music for the screen!
With over 215,000 votes, this was the biggest countdown yet. The top 100 soundtracks spanned beloved music for film, TV and video games across genres and generations. On the video games music front, Kojo Kondo’s The Legend of Zelda came in at no. 23!
Check out the rest of the interesting statistics from the ABC Classic 2022 Classic 100: Music for the Screen countdown:
story source: ABC Classic
We absolutely love archival footage from television broadcasters, especially footage from amusement centres (or as we used to call them, parlours) from back in the day!
The below video is from the popular segment on ABC News’ ‘This Day Tonight’, with this particular occasion focusing on Pinball Parlours in Australia in the mid 70s. This is very intriguing with some very enlightening discussions with Malcolm Steinberg (from Leisure & Allied Industries (LAI) and Timezone fame) about video gaming and pinball entertainment that are apt to this day.
So, how much did you spend on gaming back in the day? In 1976 a player might’ve spent as much as $5 (approx. $35 in today’s money) on amusement machines!
source: ABC NEWS via Facebook
There are literally thousands of podcasts out there, which makes it difficult to find some gems.
ABC Radio National’s the Sum Of All Parts podcast usually has interesting topics. Speaking of interesting topics, back in August they had podcast about chiptunes, which piqued our interest.
Lots of great discussion with well-known chiptune artists, like Chris Mylrea (aka: cTrix) and author of the ‘Bits and Pieces: A History of Chiptunes’ book, Professor Kenny B. McAlpine, amongst a few other chiptune maestros.
Kick back, press play and listen to Bel Smith’s report on the evolution of the 8-bit music scene.
image source: cTrix and Game Boy LSDj via ABC: Belinda Smith
You youngsters (and us old timers) have been patiently waiting for this news! What news you ask? Good Game Spawn Point series 9 returns on ABC ME on March 10 at 9:00am!
Here is the official ABC TV press release for those of you that may have missed it:
GOOD GAME: SPAWN POINT (GGSP) is the show for younger gamers, by gamers – and it’s back for another huge year of gaming in 2018 with an exciting new look, brand new presenter, Gem, and online-first focus!
Hosted by Rad, Goose, and Gem, with assistance from D.A.R.R.E.N. (the Digital Assistant for the Research and Regulation of Endless Noobery), GGSP will be younger gamers’ number one daily destination for the latest video game reviews and news, let’s plays, live stream playthroughs, and stories on gaming culture, coding, and the hottest tech. Plus, the hosts will continue to attempt to solve any-and-all videogame dilemmas the audience throws at them in the regular e-mailbag segment, Ask SP!
With its new online first focus, GGSP will deliver fun gaming content for Australian families first on the ABC ME app and on YouTube each weekday, Monday through to Friday. Full episodes will continue to screen on ABC ME each Saturday at 9:00am.
With 97% of Australian homes with children having video games, and 60% of Parents actively playing games with their children, GGSP is proud to offer something for everyone in the ever-growing landscape of Australian gamer families. (*igea Digital Australia 2018 report)
Video games are changing the world, so let us be your guide!
Cast Biographies:
Gemma ‘Gem’ Driscoll
A new face will be joining the presenting line-up, with 20-year-old Gemma ‘Gem’ Driscoll jumping into the GGSP team alongside show regulars Angus ‘Goose’ Ronald and Angharad ‘Rad’ Yeo.
“It’s a dream come true to have the chance to share my passion for gaming with Australian families everywhere each-and-every week,” says Gem.
“When I was younger, I wasn’t really into gaming – not the way I am now anyway! But I’ve always been obsessed with fantasy and sci-fi. When I was in high school I started experimenting with games that let me create my own characters in these incredible worlds – and needless-to-say, I fell in love! These days, not a day goes by when I’m not thinking about games. I’m not the best at fighting games, but I adore big open worlds where I can explore at my own pace. That’s what I love most about gaming, there’s something for everyone!”
Obsessed with Doctor Who, Harry Potter and Star Wars from a very young age, 20-year-old Gemma ‘Gem’ Driscoll has always been a natural storyteller. A discovery of video games in her teens came via the realisation that she didn’t have to only write and
dream about fantastical worlds, but that she could actually ‘be’ in them – exploring epic, open worlds full of colourful characters, and setting forth on imaginative adventures.
Since then, video games have changed her life, inspiring her to create a YouTube channel to explore her thoughts on the medium; getting involved with the cosplay community and immersing herself in the culture that surrounds games; and now, joining ABC ME’s Good Game: Spawn Point, where she can share her passion for games daily, and inform kids of all ages on the wonderful experiences that are held within.
Angharad ‘Rad’ Yeo
“Hi! I’m Rad. I started playing games with my family when I was a kid, and ever since then games have been one of my favourite social activities! I love having puzzles to solve and goals to achieve, and I enjoy how games let you experience a whole different world. Some of my favourites include Portal 2, RollerCoaster Tycoon, Sim City, Just Dance, Monument Valley, and Tricky Towers. I’m also lucky enough to have the world’s most wonderful, perfect, special, beautiful dog – Boatmeal!”
Gus ‘Goose’ Ronald
“Because I was born in the very same year that Mario got his own game on the NES, there’s never really been a time in my life without videogames! If I wasn’t renting, borrowing, or saving up for the latest releases I’d be over at my mate’s house sharing the couch in furious bouts of multiplayer madness! These days I enjoy mixing up my interests in new and advancing tech with my nostalgic love for all things old school & retro! In between gaming sessions I’m usually at the beach hunting the perfect wave, or curled up on the couch with a good book and my beloved cat overlord, Lando!”
image source: ABC Australia
Just like the pinball prohibition era in the US, an Australian council (Heidelberg, Victoria) took it upon themselves to ban pinball machines. This ABC TV report from July 13 1978 shows how close our silverball pastime came to being driven out of milk bars, cafes and fish and chip takeaway shops!
If this ban had gone ahead, we may have required the pinball wizardry of Roger Sharpe to reverse the ban order! Luckily cooler heads prevailed.
source: ABC TV
So PAX Aus is over for another year, the event was a huge success and the Classic Gaming Area was more popular than ever!
We had a ball and were especially excited when the super-friendly guys from ABC TV’s ‘Good Game: Pocket Edition’ stopped by to enjoy the nostalgic vibes.
Nich Richardson with Alex ‘ausretrogamer’ Boz, Retro Domination’s Daz Retro, Pinball Wizard Scott Kellett, and Kerith ‘ms ausretrogamer’
It’s great to see retrogaming getting some serious air time – now watch ‘Pocket Edition’ presenter Nich Richardson (@NichBoy) explore PAX Aus, and most of all – skip to 3:23 for an interview with our very own Mr Alex ‘austretrogamer’ Boz!
Video source: Good Game on YouTube
Behind the scenes:
Lights, camera, action ausretrogamer!
Interviewing Alex Kidd aficionado Braden
Interviewing pinball prodigy Jordan Tredaway
Interviewing Donkey Kong maestro Ryan
Stay tuned to ausretrogamer.com for more stories about our adventures at PAX Aus 2015 over the coming days.
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Ms. ausretrogamer
Co-founder, editor and writer at ausretrogamer – The Australian Retro Gamer E-Zine. Lover of science fiction, fashion, books, movies and TV. Player of games, old and new.
Follow Ms. ausretrogamer on Twitter