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LEGO Ideas: Bomberman

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Hands up who doesn’t like Bomberman – if you put your hand up, shame on you! Haha, just kidding, if you aren’t into Bomberman, but like Lego, this still may be of interest!

We’ll come out clean, Bomberman is one of a handful of video games we play a lot, especially with friends, so when we saw Indy988’s Lego Ideas Bomberman entry, we were quite chuffed and immediately pledged our support! We want these things to become a reality! Go and support this – right now!

image source: Lego Ideas


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Play 2500 Classic MS-DOS Games For Free

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No need to copy, swap dodgy disks or download questionable software, because you can now play an additional 2,500 classic MS-DOS based games for free!

Yep, you read that right folks. You can now play these classics without fear of doing anything illegal. All you have to do is head to the Internet Archive and browse their many, many classic games in their catalogue – we love you Internet Archive! Which MS-DOS game will you play first? For the record, we are starting with Street Rod and will then move onto Secret Of Monkey Island 😉

story source: Kotaku Australia

 

Battlloon – Nintendo Switch Review

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Bursting with fun onto the Nintendo Switch is Battlloon, a balloon bashing battler of adorable proportions.

Who doesn’t remember the halcyon days of vollying balloons at each other as kids? Noname Studio certainly does and has distilled the fun of hurtling balloons at other balloons into its latest game Battlloon. You and up to 3 friends can locally battle it out in this simple and intensely colourful balloon bursting battler. Players can choose from 6 different balloon characters, each of which have a different defining characteristic. Some balloons are quick and nimble but very light and easily knocked about, others are the exact opposite and plod along but once they have momentum are nearly unstoppable. 

Controls are simple meaning that pretty much anyone can pick up a controller and give it a go. Holding “A” will cause your Balloon to inflate.Controlling your character with the stick and releasing the button propels you forward. Each arena is randomised in various ways with walls or spikes lining the exterior, while hitting a wall section will turn it into spikes meaning you have only one saving chance per section of wall. There are also randomised events in each arena, matching its general theme including piranhas or ice balls that will pop or freeze you. Getting popped isn’t the end though, with ghost balloons assisting in trying to defeat other players. After finishing a round, points are awarded for finishing position and bonus points for taking out the current winner or other players. 

The game uses retro styled graphics and music very well, helping to create a very light hearted and cheery atmosphere. Apart from a few varied stages with unique additions to the arena walls, there isn’t much else happening gameplay wise though. Essentially, what you see is what you get with Battlloon. It’s a fun game for short bursts but I wouldn’t suggest going in with any fewer than the maximum player count since this really helps the fast and frantic nature of the game. There are no unlockables as far as we have seen and no real match options to change things up, which can be slightly frustrating. 

Battlloon is a game that is packed full of charm with cute characters and colourful levels. While it may not have much depth on its own, it is certainly a fantastic addition to any games night!

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Mat Panek
Retromancer – Collector, repairer & fan of retro games & tech. Atari to Amiga, Nintendo to Sega! LD, Zip, Beta and a proud dad! One half of the TiredParents on Twitch.

Follow Mat on Twitter and Twitch

 

 

Disclosure: Battlloons [Nintendo Switch] was kindly provided by Stride PR for this review.

 

 

exA-Arcadia – The New Arcade Kit System

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They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Eric Chung, President and CEO of exA-Arcadia (EXA) has declared in his recent interview with Shmup’Em-All that their new arcade conversion kit system, exA-Arcadia, will be this generations’ NEOGEO. With a pedigree of SNK’s NEOGEO MVS arcade system, exA-Arcadia has some big shoes to fill. Eric’s statement does indeed seem bold, but he is confident that their innovative kit system will revolutionise and revitalise arcade gaming for developers and operators alike, giving them an easy to use system (to develop games) at a cost effective price point.

The exA-Arcadia System with four game cartridges as shown at JAEPO 2019
source: eXa-Arcadia via Twitter

So what does exA-Arcadia bring to the table for the operator? As already stated, this is an arcade conversion kit system, just like the NEOGEO MVS was back in the 90s, so its main aim for operators is to provide modern arcade content at a budget friendly price. This is all achieved by its clever hardware design, based on a secure Windows PC platform, which is more powerful than the PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One X consoles, which can hold up to four games (delivered in cartridge format about the size of the old CPS3 cartridges). The best part is that exA-Arcadia is JAMMA and JVS (JAMMA Video Standard) compatible, allowing it to be used inside almost any existing operable arcade cabinets. It is also compatible with both 16:9 LCD and traditional 4:3 CRT monitors. exA-Arcadia claims that their vertically oriented games can be played in horizontal mode, so operators don’t need more vertically oriented monitors in all of their cabinets to play EXA format games.

exA-Arcadia stand with sample games at JAEPO 2019
source: exA-Arcadia via Twitter

The attraction of exA-Arcadia is realised even further (for operators), as once the system is purchased, it is fully owned by the operator, meaning that there is no requirement for internet connectivity to access gaming content, nor is there a need to share revenue with the manufacturer or distributor – more money left in the pocket of the operator. For operators that want to offer their customers an online experience, exA-Arcadia has a feature that integrates with streaming services like Twitch. Together with a smartphone app and card system, the exA-Arcadia’s feature set can provide operators a deeper insight into their customer interactions, which helps in building loyalty and decision making on what is popular, ensuring that customers keep coming back.

With its Windows PC based architecture, the EXA system is open to both traditional (big name) developers as well as the smaller independent ones. The initial release of ten games that were showcased at California Extreme (CAX) and Stunfest in late 2018, clearly shows that the current focus is on shoot’em up (shmups) games, however there are currently fifty games in the development pipeline that represent a variety of gaming genres, like fighting, sports, classic retro style platformers and four player games to balance out the EXA line-up.

Visitors enjoying the exA-Arcadia offerings at CAX 2018

exA-Arcadia presence at California Extreme (CAX 2018)
source: Tanoshimasu via Twitter

Eric Chung is confident that their exA-Arcadia platform can overcome stiff competition from systems provided by the giants in the industry, namely Sega’s ALL.NET and Taito’s NESiCAxLive. Eric claims that exA-Arcadia’s attraction is its lower entry cost (prices have yet to be confirmed as at writing of this article) and the fact that they will not force revenue sharing on coin drops. The overall cost will most likely be even lower than the others (Sega and Taito) as there is no equipment required, like network routers and servers, and no monthly fee to access the manufacturer’s network.

There is no doubt that exA-Arcadia has captured the attention of the amusement industry and developers alike. We will definitely be keeping a close eye on developments, as the potential of what it promises will surely result in shaking things up in the industry.

Aka To Blue Type-R at Stunfest
source: Shmup’Em-All via Twitter

*This feature first appeared in the February 2019 issue of the NAMOA ‘The Collector’ trade magazine.

 

Nintendo Switch Review: Assault Android Cactus+

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Blasting its way to the Nintendo Switch is Assault Android Cactus+, an arena based, multiplayer twin stick shooter with loads of charm and projectiles.

The player starts off Assault Android Cactus+ as the bumbling but well-meaning “Cactus,” a member of the Interplanetary Police Department, as she crashes into a rogue freighter ship known as the “Genki Star”. Throughout the course of the 25 Level campaign, more androids with various weapon types and personalities are unlocked for you to try. Interactions between each android and Boss AI are unique which really help flesh out the android’s personas. The Switch version of Assault Android Cactus+ is brimming with extra features. Apart from the story campaign there is also a Boss Rush, infinite, daily challenge and a Campaign plus mode that gives players a new challenge within the original story. Also included, there are features such as “EX Mode” options that can change game play elements and director commentary.

There is a very basic look to Assault Android Cactus+ that fits its busy play style very well. Enemies are easy to identify and colour coded to denote their threat levels. Arena design gets more complex and dynamic as you progress through the campaign and adds an extra depth to how each level should be approached. At certain points through the game it can feel like a “Bullet Hell” style shooter and with all that action going on at once the frame rate is nice and steady, even in handheld mode.

Thankfully controls in Assault Android Cactus+ are super tight and responsive, making it easy to flick back and forth between enemies. Different androids have varying combinations of weapons for you to try out, from spread shots and lasers as basic weapons to flamethrowers and missile launchers for secondaries. Certain levels will feel easier with specific character’s weapons but the game keeps track of the highest completion rank on the current stage with each android. Getting hit too many times will cause you to die and lose your secondary weapon charge but not actually fail the current stage, which only occurs when your battery depletes. Apart from standard controls with two sticks, there is also a Joy-Con mode which auto aims to the nearest enemy. This is obviously not the best way to play but is a nice addition that lets you show off the game to others without the need to carry around multiple controllers.

Shooting for high scores is loads of fun but if you are after some more in depth progression outside of those then this may not be for you. Fans of twin stick shooters will enjoy Assault Android Cactus+, especially with the help of some friends.

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Mat Panek
Retromancer – Collector, repairer & fan of retro games & tech. Atari to Amiga, Nintendo to Sega! LD, Zip, Beta and a proud dad! One half of the TiredParents on Twitch.

Follow Mat on Twitter and Twitch

 

 

Disclosure: Assault Android Cactus+ [Nintendo Switch] was kindly provided by Stride PR for this review.

 

 

The 65-inch Nintendo Switch TV

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It is no secret that we are huge fans of the Nintendo Switch. It seems that there are even bigger fans of Nintendo’s hybrid console, just like Suprman9!

Suprman9 has taken their love of the Switch to a level that we reckon is really really cool – turning their bland 65-inch TV into a giant Nintendo Switch, complete with coloured Joy-Con side panels. The Switch TV is the centrepiece of Suprman9’s game room, conveniently named, Nerdvana!

Check out the photos below and then head here to check out the entire build process. Got to hand it to Suprman9, they are definitely super Nintendo fans with some gnarly DIY skills.

[story source: technabob]

Quarter Arcades Galaga ¼ Scale Arcade Replica

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Whoa, seemingly out of nowhere we get the biggest surprise (so far) of 2019 – The latest Numskull Designs Quarter Arcades GALAGA ¼ scale arcade replica machine is coming to Australia!

We were totally blown away with their Pac-Man ¼ scale machine (which we got to play at PAX Aus 2018), so to say we can’t wait to play their Galaga machine would be a gross understatement.

The new Galaga ¼ scale arcade machine is currently available for pre-order (AU$278) via EB Games Australia!

Who is in? Let us know on Twitter or Facebook.

image source: EB Games Australia

Sam’s Journey on THEC64 Mini

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The greatest ever Commodore 64 platformer (yes, it is!), Sam’s Journey has now been tweaked to play natively on THEC64 Mini!

When C64 games publisher and our very good friends at Protovision gave us the news that they are working with Knights of Bytes to bring us a THEC64 Mini version of Sam’s Journey, we must admit, there were lots of high-fives around the office.

If you don’t know anything about Sam’s Journey, well, all you need to know is that it is an absolutely sublime platformer and one of the best games released for the C64 in the past decade.

So what’s different about this version you may ask? Well, this version permits the THEC64 Mini user to read and start the game from a USB stick, making the previous workarounds totally obsolete. THEC64 Mini version also allows the user to jump by means of the additional buttons where you previously had to use the “joystick up” move. Oh yeah, this version of Sam’s Journey also takes advantage of better loading routines (taking advantage of the latest THEC64 Mini firmware).

If you have THEC64 Mini, then this special version of Sam’s Journey is a must! The download package is available via Protovision as well as on itch.io. If you already own Sam’s Journey, then you are in luck, as this special version is available free of charge to you!

 

Spider-Man PS4: The Hype is Real

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By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

Recently, I received a text message from a friend asking, “Should I buy the new Spider-Man game? Is it worth it?”

First, I didn’t even know she was a gamer. And second, I hadn’t played the game yet. I saw the trailer; I thought it looked interesting, but nothing about a new Marvel Spider-Man game, published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 4, intrigued me. Then, I fortunately played the game at a store demo.

Insomniac Games Spider-Man could be one of the most entertaining video games I’ve ever played. Superhero games are my wheelhouse. I’m not a big Spider-Man fan, but this game and the new Marvel films, starring Tom Holland as Peter Parker, have stealthily made me one.

The web-shooting is so clean and quick. You have a wide selection of weapons, but web slinging, to travel around the city and to battle foes, is a necessity to effectively navigate through the game. Sticking your webbing to a trash can, or manhole cover, and slinging it around to hit your enemies is one of the best fighting options. I find it oddly satisfying every time I do it to goons who have no idea what’s coming.

Swinging around New York City with your webbing is one of the most thrilling things about the game. The graphics are so exceptional; every swing down a new block is like a scene from a Spider-Man movie. The combo of fighting villains, who are sometimes morphed into baddies by others, and swinging to all of the unique locations, makes for what I think is the game of the year. Sorry, Red Dead Redemption II. Insomniac Games has made the definitive Spider-Man game, and, perhaps, the defining superhero game of the decade.

Some of the things I didn’t like about the game was how a certain villain morphs other random strangers, who are dressed as popular Spider-Man villains, into real threats. It seemed a bit gimmicky and just weird. My first time playing, I had a very difficult time with a large man dressed as super-villain Rhino.

Some of the instant call-ins from characters like Aunt May and Mary Jane took me out of the game when I was in the middle of action. It was clever, but it wasn’t needed. Also, the music by John Paesano seemed subdued.

3.3 million copies of Spider-Man PS4 have been sold, and I’m sure it’ll be on a few Christmas lists this year.

image source: Marvel