The Pop-Culture E-Zine
This was an awesome tweet by History Uncovered! The tweet features original footage that was used to animate the first Mortal Kombat arcade game!
Original footage used to animate the first Mortal Kombat video game 😍 pic.twitter.com/z2ZpaFCZwN
— History Uncovered (@Iearnhistory) August 17, 2020
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
Just in case you weren’t sick of seeing the inevitable and dreaded ‘Game Over’ screen, here are a few as a kind reminder 😉
Source: dibujoanimado
The amount of talent and knowledge some people have is beyond comprehension. One particular person got our attention on Twitter, gaug888. gaug888’s miniature Sega arcade machine creations are beyond amazing! Not only are they faithful miniature recreations of their bigger arcade brethren, they also play the arcade video games they are based on – totally mind blowing!
The meticulous level of detail of these miniature creations are off the charts. We reckon Yu Suzuki would be quite impressed too!
PS: If you want to check out the complete and documented log of gaug888’s miniature creations, head to Togetter now.
image source: gaug888 via Togetter
We are suckers for anything that gives us a hit of nostalgia. This officially licensed 1/12 Retro Upright Cabinet TAITO Set has certainly hit our nostalgic spot! These 1/12 scale arcade cabinets definitely bring back that familiarity in playing these machines back in the day.
The awesome bit of kit comes complete with wooden cutouts for the arcade cabinets, cabinet colour artwork, game screens and control panel cards for three of TAITO’s arcade games; KiKi KaiKai, Bubble Bobble and Elevator Action. These are so darn cute!
Product: 1/12 Retro Upright Cabinet TAITO Set
Store: Play Asia
Price: US$17.99 / AU$28.34
image source: Play Asia
Well, well, well, the yellow dot (or is it pill?) muncher turns 40 years old today [May 22]!
Ah, what a time to be alive to see a childhood video game (character) we cherished reach such a huge milestone! The year-long Pac-Man 40th anniversary celebrations kick on, so make sure you do not miss out!
If you didn’t know about Bandai Namco’s Pac-Man 40th anniversary year-long celebrations then have a read of this and then go Join the Pac!
image source: Pac-Man Official Site
Remember Centuri? Not really? We bet it will ring a bell when you watch this two-part series (on Centuri Inc.) and realise you probably played one (or more) of their licensed video games a fair bit at your local arcade joints.
Cassandra Chiles-Quirk (aka: Vintage Arcade Gal) has done a stellar job in encapsulating the highs and lows of this once great company of the golden age of arcade video games.
The Rise & Fall of Centuri – Part 1
The Rise & Fall of Centuri – Part 2
source: Vintage Arcade Gal
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 |
Oh yeah! One of our favourite SNK arcade games from the late 80s, P.O.W.: Prisoners Of War, is now incarcerated on the Nintendo Switch and PS4!
This side-scrolling beat’em up was a staple for us in the arcade. Once you lit the fuse to break free from your jail cell, then all hell broke loose as you punched, kicked, jumped and shot your way out to freedom by taking out the enemy’s main base and their leader. Getting to the chopper didn’t get better than this. The best part of the game was having a buddy with you (Player 2) to play co-op and cause as much havoc and mayhem in your prison break adventure!
We are quite chuffed to now be able line up our coins to play P.O.W. Prisoners Of War on our Switch, either on the go or on our humongous LCD TV to take in all that raster graphics goodness!
Title: Arcade Archives P.O.W. PRISONERS OF WAR
Platform: Nintendo Switch™/PlayStation®4
Price: from US$7.99 / £6.29 / AU$10.50
Players: 1-2
image source: HAMSTER Co. Arcade Archives
Contra, Gryzor or Probotector. No matter what name you know this classic Konami run and gun game by, you will definitely remember it as one tough mother of a game!
Konami had an instant hit on their hands when they released the arcade machine on this day [February 20] in 1987. Happy 33rd anniversary Contra, you irresistible force!
For those that have been away from Earth since early 1987, here is the lowdown on Contra:
Midnight, September 12 2631. The Marines catch sight of a small-sized meteorite that is fast approaching Earth. The meteorite plummets 20km north-east of New Zealand, at the Gal Mosquito Archipelago. The command keep watch of the meteorite.
Two years later, in December 2633, an intruder known as the Red Falcon is occupying the Gal Mosquito Archipelago and is planning the fall of mankind. Command orders confidential investigations at the enemies’ front base. The marine post orders for two “Contra” soldiers, Private First Class Bill “Mad Dog” Rizer and Private First Class Lance “Scorpion” Bean on a mission. The mission being: penetrate the insides of the enemy, destroy the front base and the entire centre of operation.
