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Stern Pinball Showcasing Led Zeppelin Game at ShowStoppers CES 2021

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If you are in Australia and are not a night owl, you may have missed Stern Pinball’s live virtual press conference (Ed: it was at 3am local time), showcasing their new Led Zeppelin pinball machine at ShowStoppers @ CES 2021.

Luckily for you, there is now a video on-demand from all of the virtual conferences from January 12 (US time), including the Stern Pinball showcase!

So, kick back and enjoy! Oh yeah, if you would like to skip straight to the Stern Pinball presentation, just go to 37:55.

PS: Jack Danger (aka: DeadFlip) rocks!!

ShowStoppers Press Conference – 12-Jan-2021 11 AM Eastern from Event Resources on Vimeo.

CES 2020 Unveiled – Cool Retro Tech You’ll Want To Play With

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Before the big CES 2020 event kicks off, the CES Unveiled event showcases the latest products and trends leading up to the main event.

Three products caught our attention from Arcade1Up, iiRcade and My Arcade which we thought we’d share with you all below.

We can’t wait to find out more about these hot items, so stay tuned!

1. Arcade1Up 3/4 Scale Digital Pinball Machines

Arcade1Up has teamed up with our friends at Zen Studios to bring you a couple of pretty awesome three-quarter size pinball machines which include titles from Bally/Williams and other yet to be announced, big names in the pinball space! We love both the Star Wars and Attack From Mars machines and can’t wait to hear more about them.

image source: northvibe via pinside

2. iiRcade – The Ultimate Home Arcade

This new ultimate home arcade, iiRcade, with online capabilities, enables gamers to legally download and play their favourite officially licensed arcade games – no more shady arcade ROM sites! Gamers who want to enjoy their favourite retro arcade games or play modern games in the arcade environment can now have the full arcade experience in their homes, either in a full size stand-up or bartop guise, it is up to you. With iiRcade, gamers can select and purchase a game they want on iiRcade’s app store, which is then automatically downloaded and installed on their iiRcade machine.

image source: iiRcade

3. My Arcade Super Retro Champ Console

The Super Retro Champ console is the successor to My Arcade’s award-winning Retro Champ and enables retro gamers to enjoy their SNES, Super Famicom, and Sega Genesis/Mega Drive cartridges from a single console. The Super Retro Champ features a 7-inch screen and a built-in rechargeable battery that offers up to 5 hours of play time. Retro gamers can play the Super Retro Champ in handheld mode or use the 2 included wireless gamepads to play in tabletop and TV mode. An HDMI® output allows users to enjoy their classic games from the comfort of their couch.

image source: Games Press

 

The Munsters Pinball Unveiled at CES 2019 in Vegas, Baby!

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Stern Pinball keep pumping out pinball machines with themes that strike a chord with a lot of you out there.

Their latest pinball machine, The Munsters was unveiled to much fanfare at CES 2019 in Las Vegas earlier this morning (Australian time). With Jack Danger’s Dead Flip Twitch channel live streaming the reveal, there were lots of eyeballs around the globe glued to screens to check out what Stern had delivered – they weren’t disappointed.

We can safely say that Stern has released a machine that will have mass appeal for operators and home collectors alike. The best part of showing their new title was that all three models were available to be checked out and of course, played. The Pro, the Premium and the LE (Limited Edition) were all there, with their distinct packages, garnering a huge buzz online, both on social media and forums like Pinside – which is exactly what Stern was aiming for!

Oh yeah, a bit more detail regarding this new pinball title:

There are three machine variants of The Munsters; there is the Pro, Premium and Limited Edition (LE). Aside from each having distinct cabinet art, the Premium and Limited Edition versions contain some cool extra features with the most obvious one being the mini-playfield under the centre of the main playfield. The mini-playfield contains miniature flippers with it’s own tiny ramps, including a wireform one (ramp) with an upkicker and its own multi-ball – how cool is that! The entry level Pro model doesn’t have the sunken mini-playfield, but all three versions share the following features:

  • A left ramp that lifts up to reveal a Spot (dragon) toy you can bash with the ball
  • A right ramp that Stern describes as a “turn-around, flip-up ramp”
  • A large Herman Munster with a magnet to catch and throw the ball around
  • A “Zap” button on the lockdown bar
  • Built in metal protector on scoop
  • Unique cabinet art for each model, with the Premium version having a full black-and-white art package
  • LCD screen in the backbox with custom graphics and scenes from The Munsters TV sitcom

The Limited Edition (LE) model will have a production run of 500 units, which we have been informed have all been sold out worldwide – now that was quick!

We must say that the Premium’s black and white colour scheme is cool and quite refreshing, which may polarise hardcore pinheads (we love it!).

The Pro version will be available in Australia from the end of January, with the (already sold) Limited Edition coming in March and the Premium in mid May. We can’t wait to check these out in the flesh and give them a flip! So, which one appeals to you?

The Munsters Pro model

The Munsters Premium model

The Munsters Limited Edition (LE) model

image source: Stern Pinball

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Everything Retro Is Hot At CES 2018

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If you were in Vegas last week for the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) you would have been forgiven for thinking that it was the 1990s!

It definitely looks like companies are finally tweaking to the fact that retro gaming is big business. From Hyperkin announcing the mighty Ultra Game Boy to Retro-Bit announcing their partnership with Sega, it looks like 2018 is going to be a big year for retro gamers and their credit cards!

Here are our hot retrogaming picks from CES 2018:

Hyperkin Ultra Game Boy in an aluminium case will turn heads for sure!
image source: Gizmodo

Retro-bit did a mic drop by announcing that they had signed a licensing agreement with Sega to produce accessories for Sega’s Mega Drive, Saturn and Dreamcast gaming consoles! They even showed off games for the NES and SNES! These guys were on fire in Vegas!

Retro-Bit’s Sega Dreamcast Bluetooth Controller, Receiver and TV connectivity cables

Retro-Bit’s Sega Saturn controllers!

Retro-Bit’s Sega Mega Drive / Genesis Bluetooth Controllers

Retro-Bit’s Games for the NES (Holy Diver) and SNES (R-Type Returns CE)

source: Retro-Bit on Twitter

(Atari) Table Pong – If you weren’t lucky enough to snag this via its super early-bird Kickstarter price, then you will be paying three times more for it now!

source: Alex Kidman via Finder

 

Viva Vintage Las Vegas

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Looking at all the tweets from people attending CES 2017 brings back fond memories of our last trip to Las Vegas back in August 2015. We had visited before (and had a great time), but on this trip we really took a step back in time and had a blast visiting heaps of fantastic vintage attractions.

The Pinball Hall of Fame

The Pinball Hall of Fame is a hidden gem, it’s an enormous 900 square metre, air-conditioned warehouse full of playable vintage pinballs. There are over 150 from the 50s to the 90s, plus a few newer ones and arcade machines for good measure. The Pinball Hall of Fame is run by the Las Vegas Pinball Collectors Club and profits are donated to the Salvation Army and other non-denominational charities.

Address: 1610 E. Tropicana, Las Vegas NV 89119

Hours: Sun – Thurs: 11am to 11pm, Fri – Sat: 11am to midnight

Cost: Free entry, USD$0.25 – USD$0.75 per game

The Neon Museum

The Neon Museum is a non-profit organisation that collects, preserves and exhibits Las Vegas signs. Visitors can take a guided tour of the Neon Boneyard, an outdoor gallery with over 200 famous signs from the 1930s to present. Tour guides are full of fascinating information about each sign and Vegas history. Tours start in the visitors’ centre housed in the iconic La Concha Motel lobby – an historic shell-shaped building designed by famous architect Paul Revere Williams.

You can also check out the Urban Gallery – restored, working signs on display along Las Vegas Boulevard. It’s free and self-guided, just follow the map.

Address: 770 Las Vegas Boulevard North, Las Vegas NV 89101

Hours: Neon Boneyard tours (one hour, day and night) seven days a week, times vary seasonally, advance ticket purchase is recommended

Cost: USD$19 day tours, USD$25 night tours

The Toy Shack

You may have spotted the ‘World Famous’ Toy Shack on the History Channel’s ‘Pawn Stars’ – but nothing compares to visiting in person. The relatively small store is packed from floor to ceiling with an awesome collection of vintage toys, mostly from the 80s and 90s. Think Star Wars and Star Trek, Hot Wheels and Matchbox, My Little Pony, Barbie, G.I. Joe, Masters of the Universe and more. There are some really special items worth hundreds or thousands of dollars, but there are heaps of great toys priced at just a few dollars too. You can literally spend hours in this wonderful shop. (Also see our full Toy Shack write up).

Address: Neonopolis, 450 Fremont St. , Las Vegas NV 89101

Hours: Mon – Thurs: 10am to 9pm, Fri – Sat: 10am to midnight, Sun: 11am to 7pm

Cost: Free to browse, toys priced for all budgets

The Fremont Street Experience

The Strip is huge and happening, but lacks the old-school charm of the original Vegas entertainment hub. The Fremont Street Experience is a five-block entertainment district in historic downtown Las Vegas. So, what’s there? Viva Vision – the world’s largest video screen (450m x 27m, 12.5 million LED lights) above a bustling pedestrian mall, light shows, live concerts, the SlotZilla zip line and iconic casinos like Binion’s, the Golden Nugget and Main Street Station.

Unique things to see: A piece of the Berlin Wall in the men’s toilet in the Main Street Station Casino, the Shark Tank at the Golden Nugget Casino, the Mob Museum, the vintage slot machines at The D Casino and one million dollars cash on display at Binion’s.

Address: 425 Fremont Street, Las Vegas, NV 89101-5620

Hours: All hours

Cost: Free entry, various prices for different attractions

Photo by vegasexperience.com

Photo by Anne Braly

Photo by Ruth Rieckehoff

Just like Elvis, you’ll wish there were more than the twenty-four hours in the day – Viva Vintage Las Vegas!

(Photos by ausretrogamer unless otherwise stated)

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msausretrogamerMs. 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