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Cheers To 10 Years – See You At PAX Aus 2023

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Wow, we still can’t believe that PAX AUS is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year!

It is also hard to believe that the Classic Gaming area, or Classic Consoles as it was known in the inaugural year, has been at PAX AUS since the beginning. From the Showgrounds in Ascot Vale in 2013, where it was bitterly cold, we were quite excited when PAX Aus was moved to its new and much bigger home in 2014, at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. By moving PAX AUS from July to October, it also ensured that we would have better weather, but then again, this is Melbourne, so anything can happen, in any season!

We are indulging ourselves with nostalgia by reflecting on years gone by at PAX AUS – there has been countless awesome memories and meeting new and amazing people that we are proud to call our friends. Cheers to ten years!

We hope to see some (or all) of you at PAX AUS 2023!

slides created by: Aaron ‘Blahjedi’ Clement (Press Play On Tape podcast)



‘Cheers to 10 Years’ – PAX Aus Announces Even More Major Content

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‘Cheers to 10 Years’ As PAX Aus Announces Even More Major Content

With only three weeks to go until PAX Aus 2023, there is even more delicious content including more news from Nintendo and announcements from SEGA, Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, Star Wars Unlimited, Five Nights at Freddy’s and more to sink your teeth into!

We are hoping to see as many of you at PAX Aus this year, so we can’t wait for these weeks to fly by! Oh yeah, you should know where to find us by now (ahem, at our home base, the Classic Gaming area).

OK, without further ado, here is the awesome news…..

PAX Aus 2023 is shaping up to be an absolute whopper and there’s no better way to celebrate the last 10 years than showcasing even more great gaming content with more major announcements confirmed today. So please, take it slow and try not to stuff your face too quickly with all this delicious content…

In addition to Nintendo’s tournament in PAX Arena, Nintendo returns to the PAX expo floor headlined by Super Mario Bros. Wonder – playable before its release on 20th October! Fans can also shop in-person at the Nintendo booth with My Nintendo Store, which will have merchandise to peruse and purchase. Look forward to more information coming soon about the playable titles and available merch from Nintendo.

Gaming icon, SEGA will be attending PAX Aus this year with a booth showcasing Sonic Superstars and Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. Melbourne-based Ukiyo Studios will be presenting “SEA What I Made! (SWIM)”, the largest Southeast Asian indie games delegation of its kind to grace Australian shores. A total of 15 titles from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines will feature a variety of game genres from turn-based RPGs to Southeast Asian-inspired Diablo-likes and even restaurant management sims.

And for tabletop fans, Star Wars: Unlimited will be demo-ed for the first time in Australia at PAX Aus. Two icons of the tabletop world will also be at PAX Aus – Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering. Attendees will be able to learn to play Dungeons & Dragons with their friendly Dungeon Masters waiting to guide you on a quest. From there, visit the D&D Superstore where you will be able to find everything you need and want from sourcebooks to minis to collectibles and more. For Magic: The Gathering fans and noobs you can learn to play and get lost in the Wilds of Eldraine with fantastical creatures, unbelievable settings and beloved characters with a unique twist.

Pack your Senzu Beans and Devil Fruit, because the tabletop major moments don’t stop there with Dragon Ball Z and One Piece showcasing their games and hosting tourneys at the event. Compete for glory in the Dragon Ball Super Regionals and One Piece Card Game Tournament, pick up a free demo deck (while stock lasts), as well as try your hand at the new Dragon Ball Super Fusion World card game.

Vanguard, Weiss Schwarz, Shadowverse and Final Fantasy Trading Card Game will also be showcased at PAX Aus and Asmodee, yes, them of Exploding Kittens, CATAN, Ticket to Ride, Dobble/Spot It and so many more legendary games fame will be bringing their latest and greatest games.

What’s October without a jumpscare? Five Nights at Freddy’s will be activating the world of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza where Freddy and the gang are dying to meet you – step into the scene and see if you can survive five nights?

While on the topic of bears, what about bears, in space?! Hear from Broadside Games as they discuss how they went from working a day job and developing games on the side to focusing on a game full-time! The team behind the upcoming action-packed game, Bears In Space, tell all at PAX Aus!

And lastly, tabletop legends Phil Walker-Harding (Sushi Go, Bear Park, Imhotep) and Matt Dunstan (Fairy Tile, Relic Runners) will also be on the floor at PAX Aus, with Walker-Harding demonstrating his game, Spellbook, and Dunstan showcasing a new game, to be revealed for the first time at PAX Aus.

With 3-Day and Saturday Badges sold out and limited single-day badges available, you better gear up for PAX Aus’ 10th anniversary celebration. PAX Aus 2023 takes place October 6-8 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. For more information and badges, please visit their official website.

image source: PAX Aus



Lego Ideas: Retro Arcade

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Now this Lego Ideas entry we really really like! What’s there not to like about a Lego set that tugs on the ole nostalgic heartstrings.

The Retro Arcade Lego Ideas entry by If You Build It received the magical 10K votes, so right now, it is officially in the review (by Lego) stage! If you voted for the Retro Arcade, we thank you from the bottom of our 8-bit heart.

With the Retro Arcade project qualifying for the Second 2023 Review, we all have our fingers crossed that the powers at Lego vote with a resounding YES!

It goes without saying, we’ll keep you posted on the outcome!

source: Lego Ideas – Retro Arcade



Atari’s 1975 Hi-Way Arcade Game

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It is always quite interesting when stumbling upon footage of an old arcade game that many of us either didn’t experience or had long forgotten about it. One such game is Atari’s arcade driving game, Hi-Way. Hands-up those who saw or played this game in an amusement centre? We bet not many of you did – but if you did, count yourself lucky, as this was and still is a hard game to find!

Atari’s Hi-Way (aka: Highway and Hyway!) is a black and white vertical driving game where players avoid oncoming cars – just listen to that glorious sound! Produced in 1975, this (almost 50 year old) Atari game was built with discrete logic chips, using transistor–transistor logic (TTL) chips!


source: Andys-Arcade via Facebook



Introducing The AVI-8 X Capcom 1942 Flyboy Automatic LE Watches

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Pew pew pew, watch out for the new AVI-8 x Capcom 1942 Flyboys!

For anyone that has been following us for a while, you’ll know that we also love watches, especially the ones that reference classic arcade games!

Trawling through one of our fave watch sites, AVI-8, we noticed their latest watch, the AVI-8 X Capcom 1942 Flyboy Automatic Limited Edition (300 per colour variant) will be available this coming Friday, July 28 (US time). So mark your calendars or better yet, sign up to get notified as soon as these watches go live. We bet they won’t last long!

How awesome are these watches?! The fact that they are mechanical (instead of digital) and have a military aviation styling, they fit the 1942 arcade game aesthetic perfectly! Oh yeah, they are both automatics (self-winding), so no need to worry about batteries on these Flyboys. The nostalgia that these two timepieces induce is off the charts.

To say we are jonesing for the AVI-8 X Capcom 1942 Flyboy Automatic Limited Edition watches (we’d love both!), would be a gross understatement! C’mon July 28!

image source: AVI-8 Timepieces



It’s On Like Donkey Kong: The 2023 Brisbane Pinball & Arcade Collective

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Thunder & Lightning BPAC 2023

It’s that time of year peeps, one of Australia’s (and the southern hemisphere!) biggest annual arcade, pinball and console gaming events, the Brisbane Pinball & Arcade Collective exhibition or better known as BPAC, is coming to Brisbane from Friday 14th Jul 2023 till Sun 23rd Jul 2023 – it’s going to be MEGA!

From arcade to console, there a load of tournaments for each category that you could participate in, like the Australian Kong Off: Donkey Kong (arcade version) Championship, Australian Arcade Championships – Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Comp, N64 Mario Kart and GoldenEye Championships to name just a few!

Of course there will be a ton of pinball action with the Brisbane Pinball Masters and Pin-Golf tournaments to satisfy your silverball craving. We hear that a certain new Haggis Pinball machine may make it there too 😉

Just get a load of the stacked schedule – truly mind-blowing!

If you are keen to attend BPAC, then head over to their site here for more details and ticket information.

So, who is going and who is competing?



Williams-Bally-Midway Arcade & Pinball History Book

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Get ready to dive into the thrilling world of arcade and pinball games with Ken Horowitz’s latest tome! Get your coins ready, because the arcade awaits!

In his brand-new book, “From Pinballs to Pixels: An Arcade History of Williams-Bally-Midway,” Ken Horowitz takes us on an epic adventure through the captivating history of this legendary gaming manufacturer.

This new book takes a trip down memory lane as it explores the incredible journey of gaming publisher Williams. From the early days of pinball classics like Contact to the groundbreaking marvels like High Speed, Williams captivated arcade enthusiasts with their diverse range of quality games.

The advent of video games marked a turning point for Williams, propelling them into legendary status with unforgettable hits like Defender and Joust. The company quickly rose to prominence and, by the end of the 1980s, became the largest coin-op publisher in North America. Their influence and innovation were felt throughout the industry.

Williams’ acquisition of Bally/Midway ushered in a golden era, characterised by a string of hits that included iconic titles such as Mortal Kombat and NBA Jam. Notably, they also produced The Addams Family, a pinball machine that went on to become the best-selling of all time. Williams’ success story is a testament to their ability to take risks, innovate, and create games that captured the hearts of players worldwide.

In this book, you’ll discover the fascinating history of Williams spanning nearly six decades. The author takes you behind the scenes, providing interviews with over 40 former designers and executives from Williams/Bally/Midway. Their firsthand accounts offer unique insights into the company’s inner workings and the creative processes that led to the creation of some of gaming’s greatest classics.

Drawing from a vast array of contemporaneous news reports and documents, this book presents a comprehensive and never-before-seen chronology of Williams’ rise to coin-op juggernaut status. You’ll gain a deeper understanding of how a small company transformed into an industry powerhouse, leaving an indelible mark on the world of pinball and arcade video games.

This book is a celebration of one of gaming’s greatest publishing houses, showcasing their incredible impact on the industry and the enduring legacy of their games.

Details:

  • Title: From Pinballs to Pixels: An Arcade History of Williams-Bally-Midway
  • Author: Ken Horowitz
  • Price:
    • Amazon Australia: AU$35.98 (Kindle) / AU$95.59 (Paperback)
    • Amazon US: US$22.49 (Kindle) / US$42.03 (Paperback)



Donkey Kong Inducted Into The Amusement Industry Hall of Fame

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Step right up, folks! Prepare for a thrilling trip back in time to witness the birth of a gaming legend!

Let’s enter Nintendo’s magical realm, where imagination reigns supreme, and discover the incredible tale of Donkey Kong’s rise to the Amusement Industry Hall of Fame!

In 1981, two genius minds at Nintendo, Shigeru Miyamoto and Gunpei Yokoi, unleashed a game that set the arcade world ablaze! Donkey Kong stormed the scene, selling like crazy and becoming an instant sensation!

So, my fellow gamers and dreamers, let’s celebrate the timeless wonder of Donkey Kong. Let’s embrace the joy it has brought us and the endless possibilities it holds. It’s a testament to the power of imagination, proving that even a humble arcade game can withstand the test of time.

Donkey Kong’s legacy still lives on, and now forever enshrined in the Amusement Industry Hall of Fame. Congrats DK!



story source: RePlay Mag

The Definitive History of SEGA WORLD Sydney

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Who knew that Sega OziSoft convinced Sega (Japan) to pump AU$80 million dollars into the world’s largest indoor theme park (at the time), SEGA WORLD Sydney in Darling Harbour! We still regret not visiting Sega World in Darling Harbour (Sydney) while it was still open. We’ll never get to cross that off our bucket-list.

This SL Films’ half hour documentary provides interesting insights into the history of the site, and an analysis into why it closed down, touching upon the local industry and local conditions.

If you are like us and never got to visit Sega World, this definitive history of the theme park/amusement centre is the next best thing!


source: SL Films

image source: SL Films



Netherworld – Daytona USA Tournament

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Day-toooooo-naaaaaa USA! We absolutely love Daytona USA, it was and still is one of Sega’s most iconic arcade driving/racing games!

If you always fancied yourself as great Daytona USA player, then listen up, there is a tournament this Saturday (June 17) at Netherworld in Brisbane that you may want to participate in.

Rev your engine and put the pedal to the metal – the Netherworld Speedway is hosting the Daytona Cup with our major race sponsor Slipstream Brewing Company! Alongside a selection of Slipstream Brewing Co beers we’ll be pouring a special collab brew just for race day – the Powerslide East Coast IPA. Qualifying (time trial mode) happens from 10am to 3pm with the top 8 from each track going into the finals from 3pm. The finals (linked 4 player normal/battle mode) will be separated into Beginner, Advanced and Expert races with prizes awarded to the top 3 drivers on each track. For a little overtime, the top four overall participants with the highest points across all tracks earn a chance to compete in a one off Grand Prix mode on the advanced stage for ultimate glory.

Tournament Details:

  • What: 4 player link-up Daytona USA Championship tournament
  • When: Saturday the 17th of June from 10:00am
  • Where: Netherworld – 186 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006, Australia
  • Tickets: Entry ticket comes with one free drink and tournament entry – https://events.humanitix.com/nwdaytona

image source: Netherworld