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
Atari
Celebrate PAC-MAN’s 40th Anniversary
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
The Internet Arcade – Online Classic Arcade Gaming
Are you sick of mucking around with MAME to get your classic arcade gaming fix?
Well, if you didn’t know, the Internet Archive has you sorted with their Internet Arcade. The Internet Arcade is a web-based library of classic arcade (coin-operated) video games from the 1970s through to the 1990s. You can play all of these classics in your browser, with the emulation being in JSMAME, which is part of the JSMESS software package.
So no more stuffing about configurations and chasing questionable ROM files all over the net, the Internet Arcade has you sorted with well over 1,700 games! Well, don’t sit there and stare at this, go and play some classic arcade games.
Missile Command: Recharged – It’s a Blast
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!
Game Over: Hardest Video Games Ever
Even though I have been gaming for over three decades, I am still your average gamer. The 80s arcade games definitely toughened me and sharpened my skills, but there were some games that no matter how sharp I was, I could never beat them.
The following list of wickedly difficult games is an admission of sorts that I never got to see the end credits. Heck, I don’t even think I saw more than a few levels (without cheating) on any of these games.
What are some of your most hardest games ever played? Let us know via Twitter or Facebook.
OUR HARDEST GAMES LIST
Contra / Gryzor / Probotector
Ghosts’n Goblins
Mega Man
Battletoads
Bionic Commando
Green Beret / Rush’n Attack
Impossible Mission
Robotron:2084
Rolling Thunder
Defender
Robocop
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
ESWAT: Ciyt Under Siege
Slap Fight
Hellfire
Rick Dangerous
Airwolf
Paperboy
Game Over
Celebrating Our 8th Anniversary!
It is amazing to think that we started ausretrogamer 8 years ago! How time flies when you are having fun!
When we started our site and social media channels in January 2012, we had no idea what was to come. We were pleasantly surprised to find so many like-minded people who enjoyed playing and talking about old games we used to play many many decades ago. Nostalgia is a powerful force that binds us all – long may it continue!
To all the people that have contributed and to those that are still contributing content and everyone that engages with us, thank you very much – you all rock our world!
Looking forward to another year full of retro gaming goodness 🙂
Celebrating the Iconic Atari Logo
The original Atari logo is as close to a religious symbol for old-school gamers as you can get. Atari may have lost its soul since it changed ownership (Ed: on countless occasions), but the vision of its original founders (Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney) and game creation engineering geniuses, will always be (fondly) remembered.
For the history conscious, on this day [November 25] in 1975, Atari registered its now ubiquitous logo. The logo design started as a doodle by George Faraco and later refined by Atari’s in-house graphic designer, George Opperman. George created lots of art for Atari’s coin-ops, but his most famous work will forever be that beautiful ‘Mt. Fuji’ logo. Just to set the record straight, the design of the logo had nothing to do with Mt. Fuji – the logo was to have a stylised letter A, the first letter of the company name, and the three prongs were a salute to its first gaming hit, Pong. All hail, the Atari logo!
Join the PAC: Celebrate PAC-MAN’s 40th Anniversary in 2020
BANDAI NAMCO ENTERTAINMENT INC. GETS SET TO CELEBRATE PAC-MAN’S 40th ANNIVERSARY WITH A MYRIAD OF PARTNERSHIPS AND EVENTS!
The Year-Long Celebration Kicks Off in 2020 as the Famous 80’s Icon Celebrates 40 Years of Entertaining Millions of Fans Around the World
BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc. is inviting all PAC-MAN fans around the world to “Join the PAC” and start getting ready for a year-long celebration in 2020 to commemorate PAC-MAN’s 40th Anniversary as a pop culture and video game icon. To get a sneak peek at the activities, partnerships, and surprises to come, visit https://www.pacman.com/en-us/.
Born on May 22, 1980, PAC-MAN immediately rose to meteoric popularity, first in video game arcades, then on the pop culture stage with hit song “PAC-MAN Fever” and through an array of branding and entertainment appearances. With a brand recognition rate of 90% around the world, PAC-MAN’s image and brand is one of the most recognised on the planet and is as strong as ever as he enters his 40th year of entertaining fans of all ages.
PAC-MAN’s 40th Anniversary celebration in 2020 will include the debut of a new PAC-MAN 40th Anniversary theme song, composed by world-renowned Japanese Techno artist Ken Ishii. It will be accompanied by a music video directed by Yuichi Kodama, who has won awards at the Cannes International Advertising Festival, the Clio Awards, and the One Show Interactive. He was also the chief video director for the flag handover ceremony at the Rio Olympics Closing Ceremony. Multiple branding crossovers with Kipling®, Champion®, TIMEX®, and BAIT® will become available throughout the year. Fans will also be able to “Join the PAC” at celebratory events taking place throughout the year around the world.
To learn more and stay tuned with everything about PAC-MAN’S 40th Anniversary celebrations, bookmark this site now.
PAX Aus 2019 was a Classic
Wow, PAX Aus 2019 was an absolute blast! What a great 3 days. We just wish it went for longer.
The Classic Gaming area was busy with many attendees coming in and enjoying everything that was on offer; from classic gaming systems, vintage handhelds, to old school arcade and pinball machines. The Australian Pinball Museum display exhibit was a new addition in the pinball section which proved popular due to never before seen items, like the 10 metre bill of material print out from the Fish Tales pinball machine (it cost just under US$1800.00). But wait, that wasn’t all, the display pieces in the console section were yet again getting a lot of attention, especially Shane Battye’s very exotic development kits and prototype systems.
It is always great to get recognition from BIG gaming companies. Thanks PlayStation Australia!
Booth raid: Going back to where it all began at the Classic Gaming booth at #PAXAUS . Thanks to the @WeirdAndRetro, @ausretrogamer, @msausretrogamer & @PPOT_podcast teams for having us 😃 pic.twitter.com/iZH4y8VlkJ
— PlayStationAU ➡️ #PAXAus (@PlayStationAU) October 13, 2019
Thanks to Scott from the Classic Gaming Area for sharing with us what #PAXAUS means to him.
One hour to go – why not check out the Classic Gaming area before you leave? pic.twitter.com/9oBGIwSiBr
— PAX Australia (@PAXAus) October 13, 2019
To see attendees enjoying some nostalgia and having fun with their friends and family is exactly why we love putting together the Classic Gaming area every year at PAX Aus.
If you could not attend PAX Aus 2019 or you just want to reminisce, here are our highlights from an action packed three days – make sure you scroll slowly through the photos to take it all in!
On behalf of the PAX Aus Classic Gaming team**, thanks to all who swung by to have a game and say hello. We hope to see you guys in 2020!
PS: Keep an eye out for our Rest of PAX Aus 2019 Highlights post in the coming days!
** PAX Aus Classic Gaming team and contributors: Ausretrogamer, Weird And Retro, Press Play On Tape Podcast, Bartronica, Skott K. & Zax Amusements, Bayside Pinball Club, Mr. Pinball Australia, Australian Pinball Museum, Greg Pell, Cameron Bonde & Chris Van Graas.
Walk-through the Classic Gaming Area
Amazing historical pinball items on show in the Classic Gaming area!
Hope to see you all at PAX AUS 2020!
Atari VCS: Happy Anniversary!
Imagine it is September 11, 1977. If you were living in North America, you may have been lucky enough to receive the console that would transform the video games market forever – the Atari VCS (Video Computer System, later rebadged as the Atari 2600).
On this day (September 11) all those years ago, Atari made history by releasing their Atari VCS console, the first commercially successful home video gaming system. The video games market exploded with the VCS, and then imploded in the early 80s, but we won’t speak of the implosion here. Today is a day we celebrate the Atari VCS, that beautiful wood-veneer machine that brought many a joy at home, with families huddling around their TV in the lounge room to play Space Invaders and Pitfall.
I remember my first memory of the Atari VCS as if it were yesterday. My dad and I were walking along the local shopping strip when I stopped at the electronic retailer’s window TV display to be mesmirised by a little triangle shooting dots at flying rocks. The game was of course Asteroids, and I fell in love with the Atari VCS right then and there. I begged my dad to buy the console, but at $300AUD, the answer was always going to be no. Luckily for me, I had cousins that got the Atari VCS, so I liked visiting them even more than I used to. Ah, to be young again and enjoy the wonders of simple games. What were your first memories of the Atari VCS? – engage with us on Twitter or Facebook!
Well, with 30 million units sold worldwide and a long lifespan (games were being released for the VCS/2600 till 1992!), the Atari VCS built the foundation that latter consoles would stand on and make history for themselves. Happy anniversary, Atari VCS/2600!
image sources: gamester81 and blacknerdproblems