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First Impressions

Hands On With The AYANEO AIR

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We have now had our Ayaneo Air (Standard) for almost two months, so we thought it’s a good time to tell you all about it – the good and the bad!

As already mentioned, this is a hands on and a first impressions article on our Ayaneo Air. Reason for this not being a full review is that our Air unit has been returned to Ayaneo for repairs, so once it arrives back, we will provide our final thoughts – wrapping up the review. However, please don’t get discouraged by us returning our Air for repairs, as Ayaneo’s support and service team has been nothing short of exemplary, with prompt responses and eagerness to resolve the issues encountered.

Specifications of our Ayaneo Air device:

  • Model: Ayaneo Air Standard
  • Colour: Polar Black
  • CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5560U
  • Memory: 16GB LPDDR4X 4266
  • Storage: 256GB NVMe (expandable via MicroSD)
  • Display: 5.5″ AMOLED Touchscreen (1920×1080)
  • Battery: 28W 7350mAh
  • Dimensions (LxWxD): 8.8” x 3.5” x 0.7” inches
  • Connectivity: WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.2
  • I/O: 2 x USB Type-C (top and bottom), 3.5mm audio combo jack
  • Security: Fingerprint Scanner
  • OS: Windows 11 Home
  • Price: US$629.00

Anyway, we know that over time we will discover new things to like and enjoy (or perhaps dislike) about our Ayaneo Air, so the more time we spend with it, we’ll be in a better position to provide our final thoughts. In the last two or so months we have had this device, we have set it up to play contemporary PC games (on Steam, Epic Games, GoG and Amazon Games) and of course, games from yesteryear using RetroBat – an awesome all-in-one emulation system for Windows.

Before we get to the gaming and setup side, we thought we’d start with the physical aspects, like the build quality of the Ayaneo Air and it’s packaging. With that said, the Ayaneo Air is all premium, with no corners cut, from the analogue Hall sticks (with no dead zones!) to the face buttons and shoulder Hall triggers, the integration of all the controls on the Air have been very carefully and meticulously considered for us gamers. The Air feels great in hand as it is light, meaning you won’t fatigue your hands and arms by holding a brick, like the Steam Deck.

The 5.5″ AMOLED touchscreen is an absolute game changer, with eye popping clarity and crispness that has to be seen to be believed – we just wish it was a tad bigger, like 6.5 or even 7″, then it would have been perfect, albeit heavier! By having a smaller screen, it means that Ayaneo were able to keep the Air’s size, weight/thickness and portability to a minimum – it’s 398g and 18mm thick)! The trade off it being slimline is that the battery doesn’t hold charge for long gaming sessions. Unfortunately, we could only manage about 2 hours or so on balanced TDP to play our games. If you do increase the TDP to play the heftier games, then expect a lot less battery time. If you are a gamer that expects at least 4+ hours on one battery charge, then you may need a juiced up powerbank to help you play longer – or go up to the Air Pro model.

Aside from the screen size and small-ish battery capacity, we are still quite impressed with it, as it doesn’t pretend to be anything else. Oh yeah, we are also using the Ayaneo Air as our primary PC to do mundane stuff like spreadsheets, answering emails and writing this article 😉

Before we forget, the packaging is top notch too, with the Air device and its peripherals all tucked in nicely and securely in foam, with the outer box feeling like it’s for the Apple iPad – it is that good!

Make your AIR look like a Steam Deck!

On the usability and software side, the Air can be summed up by saying that it’s all-round features and capabilities provide a lightweight and ergonomic device running Window 11 without an issue, but with some performance sacrifices to make it more portable than something like the Steam Deck. The AYA Space companion operating software is a novel addition, but it is still in beta, so tread carefully. The good news is, Ayaneo are constantly updating the AYA Space software and adding new and improved features (and stamping out bugs with each new update) – we can’t wait to see how this matures.

Nintendo Switch VS Ayaneo Air

We had no issues with setting up our games from Steam, Epic, EA, GoG and even Xbox (GamePass Ultimate) on the Air. Our library isn’t too extensive, so for the games we tested, they played well, with the controls feeling like second nature. The aforementioned TDP could be bumped up for the games requiring more CPU grunt, however, we haven’t tested this extensively as yet. The biggest test for us was how the Ayaneo Air would fare with emulation, from 8-bit classic systems all the way up to and including the Wii and Switch. Well, we are happy to report that we found no issues, no lag, stuttering or cropping, bar from a few high end PS2 and Game Cube games. We even got to play Ricky Carmichael MX 2002 on the Xbox core within RetroBat.

Speaking of RetroBat, it was our final choice when it came to a complete emulation system. We threw everything at it, and it worked almost immediately! We did have to tweak some configs to get TeknoParrot, Future Pinball and Yuzu (Nintendo Switch emulator) going, but these were quite simple, with plenty of online help to get you through it.

The Ayaneo Air is for the gamer that wants flexibility in their gaming device, unlike the limitations imposed by Nintendo with their closed system Switch. The Air allows its user to set it up exactly to their liking. But be mindful that this flexibility is a double-edged sword, as Windows is inherently difficult to get stuff configured on and working right, so if you don’t want to tinker too much, then you’ll just be playing the standard PC games on it.

This device is a good option for gamers who like to play their Steam library (and other PC gaming platforms) with enhanced and rich visuals – the Ayaneo Air’s ultra wide angle AMOLED screen provides amazing visuals no matter the viewing angle! If you are after a high quality Windows/PC and retro gaming handheld, then look no further, as the Ayaneo Air ticks all of the boxes!

The dreaded white screen (not of death) – our Air will be repaired by Ayaneo

NOTE: As mentioned earlier in this article, our Air is currently in transit to Ayaneo for them to check and repair the intermittent white screen we get on boot up (see photo below). Ayaneo had arranged DHL to pick it up and will also use DHL to deliver it back once fixed. Ayaneo has assured us that they are aware of the issue and can resolve it. We will keep you informed of how this repair transpires, so stay tuned!



NeoGeo Pocket Color Selection Vol.1 – Nintendo Switch

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First impressions of games is always difficult. There is the initial excitement phase of playing something new and the more obvious one, you just need more time to play the new game to fully experience it’s features (and shortcomings) before you can be in any position to pen some sort of subjective review.

Well, lucky for us, our first impression of playing SNK’s NeoGeo Pocket Color Selection Vol. 1 (NGPCS Vol.1) on the Switch is an overall positive one! To set the scene, we particularly played the two NeoGeo Pocket Color games, Metal Slug 1st Mission and Metal Slug 2nd Mission on both the real hardware and via the NGPCS Vol.1 on the Nintendo Switch.

Playing the Metal Slug games on the original hardware is great, especially using the clicky control stick on the NeoGeo Pocket Color handheld. However, playing it for any length of  time without the unit being backlit is a chore on your eyes. The same games on the Switch retain their original blasting charm, beefed up with a plethora of additional features, modes and ways to play and of course, the Switch screen is just so easy on the eyes. The Switch is suitable for these kinds of games, especially in handheld mode, but it’s flexibility in the way you play just makes this very compelling.

Our first impressions of the Metal Slug 1st and 2nd Missions on the NeoGeo Pocket Color Selection Vol. 1 are very positive. You could go and look for a NeoGeo Pocket Color system and then hunt the the Metal Slug carts online, or you can save yourself the time and lots of $$ by grabbing this for your Switch!

image source: SNK Corporation

 

Stern’s Jurassic Park Pinball Finds Its Way To Australia

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Following his brilliant debut with Iron Maiden, Stern’s pinball designer extraordinaire, Keith Elwin somehow finds a way to go that one bit better with his second effort, Jurassic Park!

With an invite from our friends at Zax Amusements to play the specially air-freighted Jurassic Park Pro pinball machine, we got to be one of the first people in Australia to flip Stern’s dinosaur themed pinball machine – the greatest adventure of all time.

Being a cornerstone title, Jurassic Park pinball comes in three distinct models; Pro, Premium and Limited Edition (LE), which cater for all matter of tastes and budgets. The three models feature a Jungle Adventure Vehicle target in the middle of the playfield that is a spinning Newton Ball – a kinetic target that registers direct hits, which then determines the direction players navigate on the island during gameplay, and also lights the T-Rex modes. The pinball machines all include three flippers, four custom ramps, a spinning “Spitter” target, in-lane up/down lock post that sets up critical playfield shots and distinctive hand-drawn art by Johnny Crapp, highlighting the iconic dinosaurs from the blockbuster series.

As the model names suggest, the Premium and Limited Edition of Jurassic Park come with a few extra bells and whistles like the animatronic ball-eating, ball-throwing T-Rex that interacts with the ball. These models also include an interactive Raptor and Raptor Pen featuring a ball-lock mechanism guarded by a motorised gate. With unique mosquito-in-amber pop bumpers, custom metal horizontal helicopter spinner and distinct artwork to name just a few extras, the Premium and LE do really step it up.

If you are (or were a fan) of the original Jurassic Park movie, then you will feel right at home as this pinball machine transports you to Isla Nublar to rescue park staff and recapture dinosaurs from the chaotic environment unleashed by Dennis Nedry’s computer virus. Of course not all dinosaurs are cute and cuddly, so you will need to battle the clever Raptors and the mighty and menacing T-Rex! The game aims to immerse the player in all things Jurassic Park by packing a fun world of battling dinosaurs, which it achieves in spades.

So what were our first impressions of this dino-themed pinball machine? Let’s just say it was worth waiting 65 million years! We found the Jurassic Park Pro model we played to be a brilliantly smooth and flowing shooter with a tonne of things to aim and hit that give you an endorphin rush when nailing your shot(s). You know a pinball game has you hooked when its skill shot (hitting the T-Rex ramp) puts a huge smile on your face right out of the gate. Even though the game felt easy to get into and make your shots, it’s deceptively difficult, which makes it perfect for all skill levels and gives the game depth and longevity – you won’t be bored of this one any time soon. The satisfaction of hitting the silverball with your three flippers is complimented by an awesome audio and visual package which completes the immersion of the theme.

Jurassic Park pinball feels fresh and different from any other machines we have played in the last decade or so. Coupled with its unique Elwin-esque layout, this machine is worth a play or two 😉

If you want to experience this awesome dino pinball adventure in person, go and check it out at Pixel Alley!

Welcome to…

 

First Impressions: Stern’s The Munsters Pro Pinball

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When Stern Pinball Inc. unveiled their latest machine, The Munsters on January 8 at CES 2019 in Las Vegas, it generated such a buzz in the pinball world, that the Limited Edition (LE) models sold out worldwide almost instantly!

We may not be able to experience the glory of the LE machine, but when Zax Amusements invited us to the unboxing and the offer to play The Munsters Pro pinball machine, that was definitely an offer we could not refuse.

With The Munsters, Stern promises that we will be transported to 1313 Mockingbird Lane, joining the entire Munsters family, from Herman, Lily, Raven, to Spot and Grandpa in this cool haunted pinball adventure.  Stern Pinball’s Chairman and CEO, Gary Stern succinctly put it like this, “The Munsters are iconic and timeless, and it was time to create a pinball experience around this freaky-fun family.  With beautiful artwork inspired by the supernatural family, this theme is perfect for a pinball machine” – we could not have said it better, really!


source: Ausretrogamer – Facebook

As this machine is still evolving (with its code base), we can only offer out first impressions based on the current Dwight Sullivan code. As a lot of you know, we are huge fans of John Borg designed machines, with The Walking Dead being our favourite Stern machine in recent times. The excitement for The Munsters has been brewing for a little while, and with Borg designing it and Christopher Franchi on art, we knew we were in for a treat. Our only apprehension was with Dwight Sullivan being on code, but that may have been down to us being mediocre players that don’t necessarily like playing games with deep rulesets. To our pleasant surprise, the design and ruleset (so far!) of The Munsters is pure damn fun! We love the fan layout, with each shot feeling great when hitting targets, Grandpa’s ball scoop, the Herman bash toy and of course the two ramps, especially the 180 degree high speed gravity defying right ramp! Oh yeah, the visual look of the machine speaks for itself, so Christopher Franchi should be commended for his stunning and distinctive hand-drawn art.

This is where the magic happens!

After playing The Munsters, we can safely say that on first impressions, we really really like it. The theme integration is awesome – we never get sick of the artwork, the LCD visuals and the sounds from the TV show. The game made us feel like hitting the start button immediately after we drained our last ball from our previous game, so the game did have a high replayability for us – which is good news for operators routing this machine.

We also asked PAPA 20 Division B World Pinball Champion, Jordan Tredaway to give us his first impressions from an expert player’s perspective – he was quite open and upfront stating that the game shot well and hitting the ramps felt good. That’s a big plus coming from a champion pinball player.

There will never be a pinball machine that will make everyone happy, but just like everything else in life, variety is the spice of life, and in this instance, gives us the option to try all these new pinball machines to see if we like them or not. As it currently stands, we are big fans of The Munsters Pro and cannot wait for the Premium model to land in Australia – that lower playfield and of course, that beautiful black and white artwork has us intrigued!

If you are yearning for some fun pinball action, go and play The Munsters! You never know, you may just like it.

A big thank you to Scott and Phil from Zax Amusements for inviting us to check out and play Stern’s The Munsters Pro pinball machine.