The Pop-Culture E-Zine
Whoa, LEGO and Nintendo have given us a one two punch of sets – first with their LEGO Super Mario, and now, the awesome LEGO Nintendo Entertainment System set!
This awesome LEGO NES set will be available from August 1 and will retail for AU$349.99. You’ll now be able to assemble your own console and retro CRT TV, then turn the crank to make 8-bit Super Mario move across the screen! We are excited 🙂
source: LEGO
What is it about the need to ‘hack’ handheld systems to play old school video games? Is it the challenge (to hack), is it the fact you are doing something shady or is it purely to just play your ‘backup’ video games from gaming generations gone by?
What ever the reason, there have been a plethora of options for retro gamers to either soft or hard mod their portable beasts to play classic games. In parallel, there have been dedicated emulation handheld systems to help with your hit of nostalgia, like the GP2X, Caanoo and the latest beast, the RK2020, to name just a few.
CycloDS – the softmod hack for the Nintendo DS
We have quite a few handheld systems that we use to play our favourite retro video games, some emulate better than the others, but our favourite right now is the PSP for playing Mega Drive and SNES games. We have the exciting new RK2020 retro handheld coming to our office, so stay tuned for our review on that little beast 🙂
WARNING: Hacking your systems is not without risk and can also void your warranty.
By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.
When I played the Space Jam video game, I either consistently played with Michael Jordan or I would pass the ball to the Tasmanian Devil. Usually, I just went to the hoop playing as Jordan.
I was never a huge fan of the film Space Jam. It’s fun, and Jordan gives a good performance as himself. Is that difficult or easy? However, when I played the PlayStation game based on the film for the first time, I instantly became addicted to playing the 2D, multiplayer game. And, before playing Space Jam, I particularly never enjoyed playing basketball video games. That changed after I played a few games of Space Jam.
For a game released in 1996, the graphics still hold up. There were basketball games made ten years later that didn’t have as impressive design and graphics. Every Warner Bros. cartoon character is designed in great detail and their movements are naturally familiar. Critics said the gameplay was too simplistic and easy. That’s one of the reasons I enjoyed the game.
source: Space Jam Wiki
When the Tasmanian Devil takes the ball to the hoop and starts spinning like a violent tornado, there is nothing more entertaining in any basketball game. Maybe I’m slightly biased because I was a Tasmanian Devil fan when I was a kid. He’s the most eccentric and crazy of the classic Warner Bros characters; the Road Runner being a close second. Jordan and the Tasmanian Devil were the only ones who could play defence for the TuneSquad. Bugs Bunny was useless on defence, but he could hit a three-pointer when you needed it.
Jordan’s game play athleticism and movements mirrored the real thing. His jumper and layup were pretty much identical to his real style of play. The Monstars could not defend Jordan’s fast break to the bucket. Most of them just watched when His Airness blew past them. I always thought the Monstars in the film and in the game were no match for Jordan. They were such silly and hokey villains, beating them felt inconsequential.
A Space Jam sequel with LeBron James is in the works. I hope the sequel produces an equally enjoyable game as the original film did. When it was released, Space Jam the video game was an excellent basketball game.
By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.
The “Grand Theft Auto” franchise has always been beloved by most gamers. I’ve played every installment since “Vice City.”
In 2012, I remember on the day “Grand Theft Auto V” sold $800 million dollars’ worth of units, the Fed Chairman said that the American economy was weak. I thought, gamers seem to have money.
“Grand Theft Auto V” was set in Southern California, where gamers could explore the fictional city of Los Santo, plan and carry out heists, and take part in a range of activities, from golf to arms trafficking.
“Fortnite” is a violent game. The “Call of Duty” games are violent as well. But those games were never criticised as much as “GTA V.” Why did “GTA V” get so much condemnation for its violence, and other popular games, just as violent, were ignored by the media? Was it the success that brought on so much criticism? The game was violent, but so were all the other games in the franchise. I agree with the critics who panned the depiction of woman in “GTA V.”
With great success there is always some backlash. After the announcement of the first day grosses, I recall commentators on ABC’s “The View” and on CNBC having strong, negative reactions to the game’s success.
Upon hearing about the game’ sales record, CNBC commentator, Jim Cramer said, “Are there any parents left? You want your kids to watch… I would never let my kids have this. This is unbelievable.” In that same segment, another CNBC analyst reported that “GTA V” was the largest single day take of an entertainment title of all-time, “in the history of man.”
A parent can’t shelter their kids from entertainment like the “Grand Theft Auto” franchise. If you decide not to buy it for them, they’ll probably just end up playing it over at their friend’s house who bought it.
Not everyone was so critical of the Take-Two Interactive Software game’s success. A friend, a GameStop manager in Dallas, Texas, at the time of the game’s release, told me, “I’ve never seen anything move from our store like this. People were waiting for this one… I thought gamers went nuts when “Call of Duty: Black Ops II” was released.”
Critics hated the brutal interrogation scene, in which a character tortures another by methods of pulling out the victim’s teeth and electrocuting them. They seemed to know a lot about the details of the scene; it made me wonder if they had bought a copy of the game themselves.
The Aussie hero loved by millions worldwide and everyone’s favourite boomerang chucking (not quite extinct) Thylacine is back. The creators of TY the Tasmanian Tiger and Blade Kitten are proud to present their award-winning game TY the Tasmanian Tiger HD – a charming platformer remastered for the Nintendo SwitchTM.
Explore the wilds of Australia with your favourite Aussie mate, TY the Tasmanian Tiger. By utilising the Nintendo Switch system’s many capabilities, Krome Studios has created a memorable experience that players are nostalgic for. Now, you can flick the Nintendo Switch Joy-ConTM controllers to throw your boomerangs and tilt to glide, too.
TY the Tasmanian Tiger HD’s 3D environments, characters, particle effects and audio have been enriched, along with new graphical effects like screen-space ambient occlusion, fully dynamic shadows, color correction, and bloom. You’ll be immersed in its Aussie-ness.
A new addition to the original, TY the Tasmanian Tiger HD will challenge you with Hardcore Mode; be awesome you only have one life. And thanks to dedicated fans – via a successful Kickstarter campaign – TY has new TY character skins for everyone to play. Added to the game credits are over 2000+ backers, including 44 custom drawings by the creator, Steve Stamatiadis.
“For 20 years now TY the Tasmanian Tiger has been at the heart of our game making-philosophy here at Krome Studios,” says Robert Walsh, CEO Krome Studios. “We thank our loyal fans who have joined us in continuing this family-friendly tradition on the Nintendo Switch. Without you, we could not have made this happen.”
TY the Tasmanian Tiger HD immerses you in 17 levels of iconic Australian Outback. Collect opals, golden cogs, thundereggs, 13 different boomerangs and the all-important mystical talismans. The first game is available March 31st in the Nintendo eShop for North America as a digital download, April 3rd in the Nintendo eShop for Europe, and April 4th for Australia and New Zealand.
Press release source: Krome Studios
Oh yeah! One of our favourite SNK arcade games from the late 80s, P.O.W.: Prisoners Of War, is now incarcerated on the Nintendo Switch and PS4!
This side-scrolling beat’em up was a staple for us in the arcade. Once you lit the fuse to break free from your jail cell, then all hell broke loose as you punched, kicked, jumped and shot your way out to freedom by taking out the enemy’s main base and their leader. Getting to the chopper didn’t get better than this. The best part of the game was having a buddy with you (Player 2) to play co-op and cause as much havoc and mayhem in your prison break adventure!
We are quite chuffed to now be able line up our coins to play P.O.W. Prisoners Of War on our Switch, either on the go or on our humongous LCD TV to take in all that raster graphics goodness!
Title: Arcade Archives P.O.W. PRISONERS OF WAR
Platform: Nintendo Switch™/PlayStation®4
Price: from US$7.99 / £6.29 / AU$10.50
Players: 1-2
image source: HAMSTER Co. Arcade Archives
It is fair to say that when it comes to visual compendiums, no one does it better than Bitmap Books. We love all of our visual compendiums in our library, and it looks like that this new one based on Sega’s 8-bit console, the Master System, will compliment the series perfectly.
Back in the mid 80s, it was all about the Commodore 64 and Amiga when it came to gaming. Consoles were an afterthought during this period, till Sega released their Master System in the west. Known as the Sega Mark III in its home country (Japan), the western version (Master System) made a decent splash once it hit the market towards the end of 1987. The Master System grabbed our attention back then due to Sega’s arcade pedigree, with their arcade conversions looking and playing much better than their equivalent on the 8-bit micros. It is unbelievable to think that the Master System had a massive following in the west (bar North America), where the NES played second fiddle to it. This visual compendium is for all those folks that transitioned from their 8-bit computers to Sega’s venerable 8-bit beast. Even if you didn’t own the Master System, if you got to play on it, then this book will bring back a lot of memories by inducing that lovely drug we call nostalgia.
This visual compendium is a tribute to the amazing pixel art, product design and graphic design associated with Sega’s classic 8-bit console. Having the official backing and license from Sega, this is the first book of this kind to be released for the Master System. As the title suggests, the visuals are the main focus, with 200-word soundbites of text accompanying each single game spread. With around 200 games covered in this tome, you are sure to get an eye-full of nostalgic candy. But wait, there is more! There are a series of larger features and interviews with developers and artists, like Mutsuhiro Fujii, Takashi Shoji, Steve Hanawa and Rieko Kodama to name just a few, ensuring a good mix of words with gorgeous visuals.
With any published Bitmap Books tome, you are assured of holding a premium quality product in your hands, from the lenticular heavy board slipcase, spot varnished cover, printed lithography and vibrant colours throughout, the standard is nothing short of high! Oh yeah, each book also comes with a set of old school 3D Glasses – now that is cool!
If you are (or were) remotely interested in the Master System or you actually played on one (or was lucky to own one back in the day), then this visual compendium is for you! We highly recommend this awesome book.
The lowdown:
Disclosure: SEGA Master System: A Visual Compendium was provided by Pixel Crib for this review.
Even though I have been gaming for over three decades, I am still your average gamer. The 80s arcade games definitely toughened me and sharpened my skills, but there were some games that no matter how sharp I was, I could never beat them.
The following list of wickedly difficult games is an admission of sorts that I never got to see the end credits. Heck, I don’t even think I saw more than a few levels (without cheating) on any of these games.
What are some of your most hardest games ever played? Let us know via Twitter or Facebook.
Contra / Gryzor / Probotector
Ghosts’n Goblins
Mega Man
Battletoads
Bionic Commando
Green Beret / Rush’n Attack
Impossible Mission
Robotron:2084
Rolling Thunder
Defender
Robocop
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
ESWAT: Ciyt Under Siege
Slap Fight
Hellfire
Rick Dangerous
Airwolf
Paperboy
Game Over
Now this is a great cause to support! The Sydney Pinball and Arcade Company presents Rumble in the West – a charity POP-UP RETRO ARCADE and PINBALL Bar, coming to Western Sydney on April 25 and 26, 2020. Rumble In the West will help raise funds for CheckPoint, a nonprofit organisation connecting games and gamers with mental health.
The Rumble in the West pop-up arcade and pinball bar will host over 15 pinball machines, 15 arcade machines and video game consoles from the 80s and 90s. Mixing wood fired pizzas, craft beer and cocktails with gaming, the organisers of Rumble in the West aim to create an authentic feeling of classic arcades.
Nostalgia certainly plays a part in the excitement of an event like this! However, there is something to be said for the fun of arcade games in a social environment like a bar. It is the opposite of the home console gaming experience of today. This event is designed to bring people together and experience the fun of these games in a face to face setting.
Rumble in the West organisers have set a goal to raise $10,000.00 for CheckPoint who support the mental health of gamers with resources, community engagement, videos and articles. CheckPoint strive to spread awareness and educate about mental health issues, while reflecting on how those issues impact the lives of people who play games.
John from The Sydney Pinball and Arcade Company says “We couldn’t make this event happen without the support of the local community members who are passionate about games. We want to pass on that goodwill, which is why we decided to make this donation goal to CheckPoint”.
Early bird tickets are currently on sale for the event. Getting to Rumble in the West is easy because they will have a courtesy bus making trips every hour from the Blacktown station. for more information, please visit the event website www.rumbleinthewest.com.
Events Details:
Event: Rumble in the west – a pop-up retro pinball and arcade bar
When: 25th – 26th of April 2020 (1pm till midnight on the 25th & noon to midnight on the 26th)
Where: 30 Holbeche Rd, Arndell Park N.S.W. (10 minutes from Blacktown. 25 minutes from Parramatta)
Tickets: Early bird ticket price: $40.00 (available till March 25th) – purchase here. Entry tickets get you into the venue for the entire day and entry to all competitions, except the pinball competition. All games and activities are free to play. Food and drinks are additional. Kids 14 and under gain free entry.
image source: Rumble in the West
By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.
Recently, I walked through a very crowded arcade/restaurant and noticed that all the large, supersized arcade games were classics, like Pac-man, Galaga and Space Invaders. They’re large, they’re loud, and, with the large groups around them, they’re popular.
Playing Galaga on a 10-foot high screen gave me a new appreciation for the 1981 game. I never got to play Galaga in an arcade but playing the fixed shooter game on such a large scale was slightly thrilling. It really was something for the senses. My hand-eye coordination was sharp enough to reach several levels. When you’re playing on such a big screen, the enemy ship’s formations are easier to predict; however, it’s still difficult to get set and aim with some accuracy.
When you’re playing a supersized classic, a crowd seems to gather around you as you reach higher levels. That was fun with Galaga, but not so much with the large Pac-Man. For some reason, for me, playing Pac-Man on an enormous screen was difficult. Maybe because I’m so used to playing the iconic game on a small screen. It was sort of intimidating seeing the assorted colored ghosts that large.
I didn’t play Pac-Man for very long. My loses were a little embarrassing. With the games being supersized, for everyone in the arcade to see, it’s humiliating when you perform poorly.
They should supersize more classic games like Donkey Kong and Double Dragon. The enormous Alien game, where you try to kill as many of the xenomorphs and facehuggers as possible, was a blast as well. They had a large Mario Kart game, but with the huge throng gathered around it, I didn’t even attempt to play it.
Playing something vintage in a new, unique way is really exhilarating. And it’s cool to see that the old games enlarged are as prevalent as ever.
image sources: Bandai Namco Amusements, National Event Pros & 8-Bit Central via Pinterest