bandai

Back to the Future: Classic Gaming at PAX Aus 2025

October 16, 2025 By ausretrogamer

Old-School Was Cool at PAX Aus 2025 🎮✨

We saved the best of PAX Aus 2025 till last 😉 Because as much as we love the new, shiny, RGB-filled world of gaming, our hearts will always belong to the pixel-packed past. The Classic Gaming area once again felt like coming home – a warm hug of CRT glow, joystick clicks, and the unmistakable chime of 8-bit magic.

Every corner was a trip down memory lane: old-school computers, consoles, handhelds, and pinball machines all humming in harmony. There’s just something about playing retro games on their original hardware – the tactile clunk of inserting a cartridge, the flicker of a cathode ray screen, the rush (and rage!) of losing your last life. No emulator can replicate that kind of nostalgia.

And those display cabinets? Chef’s kiss. They were packed with rare and droolworthy treasures, including the ultra-obscure Apple/Bandai PiPP!n ATMARK dev unit and PiPP!n @World, plus the Sharp Famicom Titler AN-510 and the elusive Sharp FamicomStation (aka Famicombox). Retro hardware heaven!

Of course, the silverball scene was just as strong, featuring pinball machines that just landed on Aussie shores – like Pinball Brothers’ Predator and Jersey Jack Pinball’s magical Harry Potter. Picking a favourite was near impossible, but as lifelong ‘80s Arnie fans, Predator definitely got our thumbs-up, with Labyrinth and Dune hot on its heels.

There’s truly nothing like the Classic Gaming area at PAX Aus — it’s where the roots of gaming are celebrated, preserved, and most importantly, played. Here’s hoping it returns in 2026 to remind us once again why the classics never die.

image source / copyright: ausretrogamer.com

PAX Aus Announces Largest Ever Tabletop Area & Disney Lorcana Showcase

August 14, 2024 By ausretrogamer

PAX Aus to showcase its largest ever tabletop area featuring Disney Lorcana, other new releases and fan favourites

The Australian Tabletop scene continues to go from strength to strength so it should come as no surprise that PAX Aus has dedicated even more of its floor space to this fan favourite, delivering the biggest ever tabletop area in 2024.

Kicking things off is the much-anticipated Disney Lorcana by Ravensburger. Fans will be able to get hands on discovering the fantastic secrets of Lorcana with some familiar Disney friends and reimagined characters. Whether you’re a first-timer, regular TCG player or collector, there will be an opportunity to explore, learn and immerse yourself in the magical world of Disney Lorcana.

“We’re extremely excited to bring Disney Lorcana to Australian fans this year,” said Will Chan, Disney Lorcana Sales and Marketing Manager at Modern Brands (exclusive ANZ distributor). “Whether you’re a Disney fan, new to TCGs or a fully fledged Illumineer well versed in questing for lore, our booth will have something for everyone. We look forward to bringing the community together to play, learn and share in celebrating this wonderful experience during the show!”

Disney Lorcana will be joined by other icons of the tabletop world – Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons. Celebrating 50 years in 2024, Dungeons and Dragons will have exclusive merch items and first time hands-on demos with new sets, with both areas open from 10am – 10pm Fri – Sat and 10am – 6pm Sunday.

Bandai is also offering a stellar lineup of activities, featuring learn-to-play sessions, tournaments and events for their popular trading card games: One Piece, Dragon Ball Super, Digimon and their newest addition, Sand Land.

Miniature aficionados will be happy to learn that ‘Paint and Take’ will be returning in 2024 thanks to Let’s Play Games, who promise something a little different this year. While we cannot reveal too much, painters should expect to enter a Mediaeval world of wonder! Star Wars: Unlimited fans will ‘feel the Force’ as they will be able to get their hands on an exclusive ‘Grogu’ event promo card. There will also be new releases from Exploding Kittens Studios, Big Potato Games, CATAN New Energies, Forrest Shuffle and more.

The Australian Tabletop scene continues to grow and the Indie developers are shining! Tabletop goers will be delighted to see six tabletop winners in this year’s PAX Aus Indie Showcase featured in the PAX Aus Rising section – the largest number of Indie Showcase tabletop winners in PAX history.

Off the exhibition floor, there will be even more content for tabletop lovers, including the introduction of a new theatre, the Owlbear theatre, which will see TTRPG – One Shot Adventures being run throughout the weekend.

PAX Aus encompasses everything your ‘gaming heart’ desires: the epic expo floor, the largest tabletop area ever in PAX Aus history, the PC freeplay areal, the Handheld Lounge, Console Freeplay and Tournament areas, Cosplay Central and the Crown Championships of Cosplay, Speedrunning Stage, Jackbox, the PAX Aus Indie Showcase, PAX Collaboratory, PAX Rising, a jam-packed schedule of panels and entertainment, incredible special guests, PAX Together and the iconic Omegathon.

PAX Aus takes place on October 11-13 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. With three-day badges sold out and Saturday badges 80% sold out, don’t delay if you want to play!

For more information, updates and to purchase badges, please visit the official PAX Aus website.

source: Rocket Comms

PAC-MAN Tamagotchi Has Officially Launched

March 17, 2020 By ausretrogamer

Waka waka waka waka waka waka

To celebrate the iconic yellow pill muncher’s 40th anniversary this year, Tamagotchi and PAC-MAN have teamed up to bring fans a new virtual pet experience – PAC-MAN TAMAGOTCHI!

The Tamagotchi device stars PAC-MAN as the virtual pet character with iconic PAC-MAN features – see further below!

Officially released on March 15th, PAC-MAN Tamagotchi is now available on store shelves. This is perfect for on-the-go entertainment – it fits easily into pockets or bags and it even includes a wearable key-chain allowing kids or their parents to tend to their PAC-MAN Tamagotchi wherever they go!

PAC-MAN Tamagotchi Features:

Raise and nurture your Tamagotchi character with the help of PAC-MAN
PAC-MAN will save your Tamagotchi character from the ghosts and bugs
Feed your Tamagotchi rice or PAC-MAN’s favourite, cherries
Raise your Tamagotchi character from egg to baby to adult
7 adults included, which is determined by how you take care of your PAC-MAN Tamagotchi character
Two fun mini-games: play the Pac Game and the Catch Game!
Two different shell styles to choose from
Two PAC-MAN mazes to choose from; yellow and black
Battery (LR44) included
No WiFi needed

The PAC-MAN Tamagotchi also comes in a Deluxe Assortment that includes a PAC-MAN case to protect your device! Join the PAC and get ready to commemorate PAC-MAN’s 40th Anniversary as a pop culture and video game icon!

Available from: