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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.



Heart of Neon – New Trailer

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Just in case you haven’t been following, back in 2019 we told you about the documentary, Heart of Neon, a Paul Docherty film, centred around Jeff Minter and Llamasoft.

It’s been a hard slog since then, but it was great to see a new trailer drop (which premiered last week at the NY Game Awards), which you can check out below.

Paul has succinctly put it like this (about the Heart of Neon documentary):

Jeff Minter is an exceptional video game developer who for four decades has remained independent in an industry where corporations dictate the terms. HEART OF NEON charts Jeff’s career from pioneer to legend, mapping the landscape of the game development industry where only the most talented and tenacious can survive.



LEGO Ideas: METROID – E.M.M.I.

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Ah LEGO Ideas, you do get some pretty darn awesome product ideas, just like this METROID – E.M.M.I. entry by DirectorInfamousCockroach100!

What’s there not to love here, there is Samus Aran (based on her Metroid Dread appearance) and the E.M.M.I. robot enemies  featured in Metroid Dread!

DirectorInfamousCockroach100 states that:

Originally I was going to build Samus’ ship but I couldn’t crack the design :/ so here is the E.M.M.I! The Robot enemies featured in Metroid Dread.

The design here is a bit bulky but I wanted to try and make it as posable as possible! Of course it comes with a transparent stand just in-case, the build is not the most stable!

So if you are yearning for a Lego Metroid set of some kind, then you better get voting on this one!



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



Arcade Cabinets Chiseled from Marble That Michaelangelo Would Be Proud Of

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Michaelangelo’s David VS Harow’s Arcadia!

With engineered stone becoming illegal (it’s about time!) in Australia, we are glad to see that marble is (potentially) still being used in a variety of new ways!

These arcade machines chiseled out of marble give Michaelangelo’s David sculpture a run for its money – they are absolute masterpieces!

Before we get ahead ourselves we have to come clean, these are AI renders, however for a cool US$100,000, artist Harold Sangouard (aka Harow) can chisel you a custom-made arcade cabinet from Calacatta marble.

We definitely don’t need marble in the kitchen, but our Fun Factory can do with a marble arcade machine sculpture 😉

image source: Arcadia – Harow



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.



Killer Instinct on Steam Is Free – Get It Now

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Wanna kick to the head, for free?!

The legendary fighting franchise with over-the-top action, a wild cast of combatants, rocking reactive music, and C-C-C-COMBO BREAKERS is now free to play on Steam!!!

If you are an existing paid owner of the Killer Instinct (2012) game, you’ll be automatically upgraded to the Anniversary Edition (which is A$39.95).

Go on, what are you waiting for – go and break out some killer combos!!

image source: Steam



Book Review – From Ants to Zombies: Six Decades of Video Game Horror

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Maniac killers? Vengeful ghosts? Science gone wrong? Discover the most gruesome, grueling and downright scary horror games from the 1970s till now in this horror-themed book!

Just in time for Halloween, Bitmap Books has unleashed their latest and scariest video gaming based book, From Ants to Zombies: Six Decades of Video Game Horror.

Let us introduce you to From Ants to Zombies, a spine-tingling journey through the captivating world of horror games that spans over six decades, from the funky 1970s to the heart-pounding 2020s. This book is definitely a thrilling rollercoaster ride across more than 70 different gaming platforms, from the vintage ZX Spectrum to the monstrous Xbox Series X.

From Ants to Zombies (FAtZ) has dug up the crypt and unearthed over 130 hair-raising horror video game titles that dissects and puts them into context for the reader. In this monstrous tome, the games are divided into thirteen delightfully eerie chapters, each with its own twisted theme. Whether you’re into rail shooters or open-world RPGs, whether you fancy exploring haunted mansions or venturing into infested space stations, or whether you prefer a slow, creeping existential dread or stomach-churning bursts of violence, FAtZ has you covered!

But that’s not all. FAtZ sprinkles some spine-chilling, exclusive commentary from legendary horror game developers like Keiichiro Toyama (the mastermind behind Silent Hill), Jane Jensen (the brains behind Gabriel Knight), Ken Levine (the genius behind System Shock 2), Sandy White (creator of Ant Attack), David Riordan (the spooky mind behind It Came from the Desert), Paul Norman (the man behind Forbidden Forest), Graeme Devine (the wicked genius behind The 7th Guest), and many more! These legends will give you a peek behind the curtain and share their sinister secrets (no spoilers here!).

From Ants to Zombies spans a whopping 600+ gorgeously illustrated pages, with a lovingly crafted hardback edition with a unique glow-in-the-dark logo and text – perfect for those late-night reading sessions. All the ghastly images are printed lithographically on high-quality paper to showcase the breathtaking visuals these games deserve. Plus, Bitmap Books has used thread-sewn binding for extra durability, so you can lay the book open flat while you dive into the darkest corners of gaming history.

For those of you that want your cake and eat it too, the book’s cover features a one-of-a-kind artwork created by the incredibly talented artist Vasilis Zikos – it’s an unholy marriage of art and horror, just like the games within.

From Ants to Zombies: Six Decades of Video Game Horror is your golden ticket to revisit the classics you love and discover hidden horror gems you may have overlooked. It’s a deep dive into the inexhaustible well of terror that six decades of video game history has to offer.

So, what are you waiting for? Dive into the world of horror gaming like never before and prepare for sleepless nights, heart-pounding scares, and the thrill of a lifetime!

From Ants to Zombies is a showcase for the remarkable range horror gaming has achieved across six decades, from the 1970s to the 2020s, on 70+ gaming platforms, from the ZX Spectrum to the Xbox Series X!

Book Specs:

  • Hardback
  • 664 pages
  • Edge-to-edge high quality lithographic print
  • Sewn binding – for enduring quality and the ability to lay flat for ideal double-page image viewing
  • Glow-in-the-dark logo and text on cover
  • Coloured bookmark ribbon
  • Weight: 2.5kg – it’s hefty!
  • Price: AU$79.99
  • Store: PixelCrib



Disclaimer: From Ants to Zombies: Six Decades of Video Game Horror book was kindly provided by PixelCrib for this review.

THE GAME EXPO returns in March 2024

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THE GAME EXPO (TGX) is returning after this year’s successful debut show!

The gaming events calendar is perfectly balanced between the two expo giants, TGX in March, and PAX Aus in October. If you are over your PAX Aus experience and are fretting for the next big gaming event, you are in luck, as tickets for TGX 2024 have just gone on sale!

Current TGX news is that there are a list of returning activities, including the mega popular Creator Showdown PC LAN tournament, Cosplay Cup, Artist Alley, Tabletop Gaming, Freeplay Video Gaming and an expanded Indie Games Zone to name just a few. TGX 2024 will have much more to reveal, so we’ll be keeping a keen eye on their announcements between now and March and let you know all about it – so make sure you are following us on X/Twitter and Facebook!


source: thegamexpo

The Game Expo lowdown:

  • WHEN: Sat 23rd & Sun 24th March 2024
  • WHERE: Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre
  • TICKETS: www.thegameexpo.com

Highlights from TGX 2023 to whet your appetite for the 2024 edition!

image source: The Game Expo



Wahoo, Super Mario Bros. Wonder Has Arrived!

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It’s-a Me, Mario!

Woohoo, or should that be Wa-hoo? Either way, we are rapt that our Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Nintendo Switch) game has arrived!

Can’t wait to get stuck into this new Super Mario game and explore all the new stuff, like new power-ups, mysterious transformations and customising our powers to each course’s features!

So much to discover! Oh well, at least you’ll know where we’ll be today and for the rest of this weekend. Happy gaming peeps!

This little cart will be stuck in our Switch for a while!