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‘The Epyx Collection: Handheld’ Brings 6 Classic Lynx Games to Nintendo Switch

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Six Classic Lynx Games Arrive on Nintendo Switch this April in ‘The Epyx Collection Handheld’

Releasing April 25th 2024.

Pixel Games UK is pleased to announce ‘The Epyx Collection Handheld’ — a collection of six classic Atari Lynx games coming to Nintendo Switch™ on April 25th. The collection includes fond favourites ‘California Games’, ‘ElectroCop’, ‘Blue Lightning’, ‘Gates of Zendocon’, ‘Todd’s Adventures in Slime World’, and ‘Zarlor Mercenary’.

Developed by Imagine Software, these six retro classics are packed with late 80s / early 90s nostalgia and are just as fun and challenging to play today as they were when they were first released — each of them available on Nintendo Switch for the first time.

‘California Games’ (1989)

Experience the laid-back vibe of the West Coast through a series of extreme sports challenges including surfing, skateboarding, BMX biking, roller skating, flying disc (frisbee), and footbag (hacky sack). With its vibrant graphics and dynamic gameplay, ‘California Games’ captures the essence of the 1980s beach culture, offering a fun and nostalgic trip to the sunny shores of California.

‘ElectroCop’ (1989)

Control a cybernetic police officer, step into the world of futuristic law enforcement, and restore order to a crime-ridden city. Armed with advanced weaponry and gadgets, players must navigate through hazardous environments, battle against ruthless criminals, and ultimately confront the nefarious mastermind behind all the chaos. With its combination of action-packed gameplay and sci-fi atmosphere, ‘ElectroCop’ delivers an adrenaline-fueled journey through a dystopian urban landscape.

‘Blue Lightning’ (1989)

‘Blue Lightning’ thrusts players into the cockpit of an advanced fighter jet as they engage in high-stakes aerial combat across a variety of landscapes. With fast-paced gameplay and a standout graphical style, players must navigate through enemy territory, dodge incoming fire, and unleash devastating firepower upon enemy targets. As they progress through increasingly challenging missions, players must showcase their piloting skills and strategic prowess to emerge victorious in this adrenaline-pumping arcade flight experience.

‘Gates of Zendocon’ (1989)

Embark on an intergalactic journey through perilous alien worlds and face off against a horde of deadly adversaries controlled by the sinister Zendocon. Armed with an array of powerful weapons and upgrades, players must navigate through treacherous terrain, blast through waves of hostile creatures, and ultimately confront the formidable bosses guarding the gates to the heart of the Zendocon empire. With its engaging gameplay and sci-fi atmosphere, ‘Gates of the Zendocon’ delivers an epic space-faring adventure that will test players’ skills and courage.

‘Todd’s Adventures in Slime World’ (1990)

In ‘Todd’s Adventures in Slime World,’ players take on the role of Todd, an intrepid explorer navigating through the hazardous depths of Slime World, a sprawling and treacherous alien landscape filled with deadly traps and monstrous creatures. Equipped with an assortment of weapons and gadgets, Todd must traverse through slime-infested caverns, solve puzzles, and fend off hostile slime creatures to uncover the secrets of this mysterious world. With its challenging gameplay and quirky charm, ‘Todd’s Adventures in Slime World’ is a unique platforming adventure that will put players’ skills and wits to the test.

‘Zarlor Mercenary’ (1990)

Step into the boots of a skilled intergalactic mercenary tasked with defending the galaxy from the relentless onslaught of alien invaders. With a powerful arsenal of weapons and piloting a customisable spacecraft, players must navigate through waves of enemy ships, asteroids, and other hazards across various planetary environments. With its fast-paced action, strategic gameplay, and intense boss battles, ‘Zarlor Mercenary’ is an exhilarating arcade-style shooter that will challenge players to prove their worth as the galaxy’s ultimate protector.


source: Imagine Software

‘The Epyx Collection Handheld’ for Nintendo Switch allows players to experience these classic games once again, or dive into them for the first time. ‘The Epyx Collection Handheld’ adds:

  • Display Filters — including an 80s-style CRT filter
  • Suspend Points – save and restore up to 4 suspend points per game
  • Live Rewind – rewind up to 5 seconds of live gameplay with the push of a button

‘The Epyx Collection Handheld’ also features an improved user interface, featuring interactive, 3D-rendered, box art and cartridges for each game based on the original releases. Plus, fully remastered versions of each game’s instruction manual. These additions come following fan feedback, and a desire to preserve even more of the incredible history of these games.

‘The Epyx Collection Handheld’ is the fourth retro release on Nintendo Switch for Pixel Games UK, having previously published ‘Chip’s Challenge’, ‘The Monty Mole Collection’ and ‘Hidden — a collection of classic games from the Commodore 64.

‘The Epyx Collection Handheld’ will be released worldwide on Nintendo Switch via the Nintendo eShop on April 25th 2024 for £11.99 / $11.99 / €13.99.

Still Standing BONUS Featurette: Australian Pinball Museum

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Let’s start with the obvious, if you haven’t as yet watched the amazing and absolute banger of a documentary, Still Standing, then hop to it immediately – it’s available on SBS On-Demand, Viceland, Amazon Prime (US) and a swag of other streaming services!

If you have already watched Still Standing, we recommend you probably watch it again – it is that good. We are pretty chuffed to see that the creator of this award-winning documentary, Brad Gilbertson, has made available extra bonus footage that couldn’t fit into the 74 minute feature.

The first of these bonus featurettes is on the Australian Pinball Museum, where its owner, Lyndon Carter, takes us on a very insightful and magical tour of this must-see museum in Nhill (Victoria).


source: BGVC Films via YouTube

Enter Your Very Own Arcade Paradise VR

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Wishlist the nostalgia-inducing arcade and light management sim today – this time it’s in VR!

Publisher Wired Productions and award-winning independent developer, Nosebleed Interactive, are thrilled to reveal that Arcade Paradise VR is releasing on 25th April 2024 for Meta Quest 2, 3 and Pro.

It’s almost time to enter the virtual realm in Arcade Paradise VR, transporting you back to 1993 for an all-new immersive experience oozing with retro-fuelled gaming nostalgia! Taking you on an empowering journey from rags to riches, Arcade Paradise is an adventure and light-management sim combo game where you transform the decrepit King Wash laundromat into a thriving business.

Set in the rundown town of Grindstone, you play as Ashley, a rebel teenager going against your father’s wishes to continue the family business. Get hands-on managing the fully gamified day-to-day tasks, from manually picking up gum, doing the laundry, and scrubbing a toilet perfectly clean – to throwing out the trash in a basketball style mini game. Then, take your hard-earned money from completing these tasks to unlock your real objective… buying more arcade units!

Featuring 12 fully realized VR cabinets alongside 27 traditionally controlled games from the original release, it’s time to play, profit and purchase your way to your very own Arcade Paradise. So, strap on your latest virtual reality tech – because the future is NOW!

Features:

  • 12 brand-new fully realized VR arcade cabinets alongside 27, 90’s inspired, traditional controller games from the original release.
  • A wide range of gameplay from laundry mini-games to managing a full arcade with fully playable games cabinets.
  • Set high scores across each game in competitive online leaderboards.
  • Soundtrack composed by former The Prodigy live show member Kieron Pepper in collaboration with Black Razor Records.
  • Coming of age storytelling featuring award winning voice actor Doug Cockle playing your belligerent father, Gerald.
  • Bring the 90’s to the future with Mixed Reality, place cabinets in your living room for a whole new level of immersion.

Arcade Paradise VR launches on April 25th, 2024 on Meta Quest 2, 3 and Pro for US$19.99 / GBP£14.99 / AUD$27.32.

 

Press Release supplied

Play DOOM on the Husqvarna Automower!

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Rip, shear, mow, tear and play DOOM!

The legendary 1993 video game DOOM will be released on robotic lawn mowers this Northern Hemisphere spring (our Autumn).

First showcased as a one-off and as a tribute in connection to the 30th anniversary of DOOM in December 2023, the game is now being released as a proper product feature to 30,000 robotic lawn mower owners.

The DOOM installed lawn mowers have already made waves across the globe, after being showcased at DreamHack Winter 2023, where Husqvarna organized the world’s first multiplayer DOOM tournament on a non-gaming device. “This is one hell of an update”, says Björn Mannefred, Robotics Software Engineer at Husqvarna.

The original shareware episode of DOOM (1993) will be released as a free update for owners of Husqvarna’s robotic lawn mower range Husqvarna Automower® NERA. This means that  approximately 30,000 end-users will be able to play the game during a limited time between April to September 2024!

We reckon lots of lawns will be overgrown between April and September this year…


source: Husqvarna



Mortal Kombat but Disney

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Disney Fatality!!! 💀

Could you imagine if Disney allowed their beloved characters to go rogue and fight against each other?

Imagine no more and take a gander below – we want this Mortal Kombat mod immediately!

FINISH HER!!!


source: GAMINGbible on Facebook



‘FC24’ Never Disappoints

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By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

I received EA Sports’ “FC24” as a gift for Christmas this past year, and for several days, playing the game was almost all I did: especially during that odd, funky period of down time between Christmas and New Year’s Day.

I normally don’t really get into video games, but “FC24” brings something out of me. It’s a soccer (or football) game, it’s “FIFA” basically. I start talking to the players on the screen like they can hear me.

“Come on! Don’t go that way! He’s leading you to the goal!”

I normally play with the Manchester City men’s squad.

“Who the hell made you goalie!” Sometimes, I stand up. I put my hands on my hips like I’m going to do something. “Watch the kicker’s eyes!”

I take a gulp of caffeine.

image source: EA Sports

When they score a goal and they over-celebrate… “Guys, calm down! Were only up by two.”

I go off on the refs. “Red card! Red card!” I take a few deep breaths and tell myself to “relaaaax.”

“Fix your uniform.” I start critiquing my team’s uniforms. “Tuck your shirt in! Look professional for crying out loud!”

My girlfriend walks in the room at times: “Honey, what’s going on there?”

The video game’s graphics are amazing, and the matches look so real that when my friend walked by the screen, he said, “Who’s playing?” He thought it was a real game. EA Sports really outdid themselves with “FC24.” I own various EA “FIFA” games, but for some reason, I think I’ve played “FC24” more than any of the others when I first got them. Matches are short and you always think that you can play “just one more.” That usually turns into hours of gaming that never disappoints.



PSA: The Mario vs. Donkey Kong eShop Demo For Nintendo Switch Is Out Now

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When Donkey Kong raids Mario’s toy factory and makes off with the merchandise, Mario has to once again face his biggest rival

Starting today (Feb 1st), a demo featuring four levels from the first world of Mario vs. Donkey Kong, the enhanced version of the Game Boy Advance classic, is available for download on Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch. Check out the demo before the full game launches on Friday 16th February and take a closer look at the Mario vs. Donkey Kong – Overview Trailer below for additional details!

Solve puzzles, overcome challenges and find the keys to rescue the Mini-Marios and thwart Donkey Kong. The demo also gives players a first look at the new Two Player Co-Op mode, in which they can share a Joy-Con with a friend and team up as Mario and Toad. Players will also have access to the game’s new difficulty settings –Classic Style features the same difficulty level as the original Game Boy Advance version. Anyone who wishes to take things easier, can try Casual Style with no time limit and the ability to restart from checkpoints.



Retro Puzzler Chip’s Challenge Lands on Nintendo Switch Later This Month!

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Classic Puzzle Game ‘Chip’s Challenge’ Returns on Nintendo Switch this January!

The 1989 classic made available for Nintendo Switch for the first time! Features display filters, suspend points and live gameplay rewind. Releasing January 25th, 2024.

Developed by Imagine Software and published by Pixel Games UK, this 1989 classic returns with over 140 levels to put your mind (and your fingers) to the test — available for the first time on Nintendo Switch via the Nintendo eShop.

In ‘Chip’s Challenge’, players take on the role of Chip — a puzzle obsessive who desperately wants to join Melinda the Mental Marvel’s computer club. His initiation takes the form of a series of increasingly difficult puzzles. To succeed Chip slide blocks, dodge hazards and collect the computer chips to pass each level. Are you up to the Challenge?

‘Chip’s Challenge’ for Nintendo Switch allows players to play this classic puzzle game with many modern features, including:

● Display filters, including an 80s-style CRT filter; and

● Suspend points – save and restore up to 4 suspend points per game

image source: Pixel Games UK



‘The Walking Dead’ Arcade Game

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By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

Over Christmas break, I discovered the arcade game “The Walking Dead” at a local Dave & Buster’s, a sports bar and video arcade. The object of the game is to shoot as many zombies as possible for a high score, and to get through the stages without getting nibbled on. As an enormous fan of the television series and comic book, the game was calling out to me when I bought a massive number of tokens.

When I’m playing the exciting game, shooting zombies with my crossbow, I’m not thinking about anything else in the world. My troubles and the bad news headlines all fall away. It’s an escape into a fun, fictional world, created by the great Robert Kirkman. You begin in the West Georgia Correctional Facility in Story Mode, and you’re fighting your way through the corridors and the expansive, open yard. One of the most thrilling parts when you’re in the yard is when you shoot a tanker with an arrow with an explosive on it, killing all the surrounding zombies. Some of them are just dazed, but it gives you time to escape from the starving herd.

The Raw Thrills, Inc. game is fantastic because you can easily reload your crossbow by pulling back on the handle to load again. The action is so hurried, you have about a split second to decide where to aim.

image source: Raw Thrills

It’s somewhat annoying when parents and kids walk by the outer doors, and they peek at my gameplay. Hours fly by when I’m enthralled in the combat of the game. I like it when you open a door of the prison and a zombie is right there behind it, ready to pounce on you and bite you if you’re not careful. “The Walking Dead” arcade machine is in a dark area of the arcade, so I have a feeling of isolation and total immersion when the place isn’t crowded.

I still go back and watch some of my favorite “Walking Dead” episodes, and they are usually centered around the character, Daryl Dixon. I really like the episode “Still,” that aired during the fourth season. Most of the episode is Beth and Daryl hanging out at a golf country club. It’s a haunting episode and the performances by Emily Kinney and Norman Reedus are superb. The episode is a rather dramatic one with some heft. The new Daryl Dixon series on AMC had one of the best pilot episodes I’ve seen in some time. It’s called “L’ame Perdue.”

As I finish writing this on a snowy, frigid night, I’m contemplating going to Dave & Buster’s to play “The Walking Dead” game again. Luckily, they’re open late.



GameGuide – Atari Lynx: The Perfect Lynx Companion

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Just in time for Chrissy 2023, Zafinn Books’ GameGuide – Atari Lynx arrives in the Ausretrogamer Fun Factory!

We weren’t expecting this book for another couple of weeks, so for it to turn up well ahead of schedule, and all the way from Ireland, was a welcome surprise.

If you aren’t familiar with Zafinn Books, it is a one man (Karl Morris), self-publishing  house, with a great selection of limited edition books, just like this GameGuide for the Atari Lynx. The addition of some very cool stickers (sticking it up the Game Boy!) was another surprise and was totally unexpected.

Can’t wait to flick through this while enjoying the festive season.