Hot Wheels

We Had A Blast At The Inaugural Melbourne Pinball Expo

December 2, 2024 By ausretrogamer

A Silverball Sensation: The Melbourne Pinball Expo 2024 Rocks the Flippers!

The pinball buzz has finally landed in Melbourne, and it hit with a bang! The inaugural Melbourne Pinball Expo (MPE) lit up the Matthew Flinders Hotel in Chadstone this past weekend, delivering a bumper-packed event that left attendees flipping out—literally.

Back in June, we gave you the heads-up about this one-of-a-kind gathering, and oh boy, did it live up to the hype! MPE brought together an eclectic mix of new and classic pinball machines, offering something for everyone, from seasoned flipper wizards to first-timers discovering the magic of the silverball.

A Playground for All Ages

Whether you came to chase high scores, bask in the nostalgia of retro classics, or marvel at the cutting-edge innovations of modern pinball, MPE had you covered. The best part? Seeing the pinball community in full force—old friends reconnecting over their shared passion and new faces lighting up with excitement. It was a celebration for all ages, proving that pinball truly is timeless.

Star Attractions Steal the Spotlight

Choosing a favourite machine was nearly impossible with so many crowd-pleasers on the floor. Stern Pinball dazzled attendees with their blockbusters like Jaws, John Wick, Foo Fighters, and Venom—machines that had players lining up for another go. Meanwhile, Jersey Jack Pinball wowed with Avatar, The Godfather, Toy Story 4, and Guns N’ Roses, drawing in pinheads eager to experience their stellar craftsmanship.

But the surprises didn’t stop there! American Pinball (AP) and Pinball Brothers (PB) made waves with standout offerings. AP’s lineup of Legends of Valhalla, Barry O’s BBQ Challenge, Galactic Tank Force, and the adrenaline-pumping Hot Wheels were absolute crowd favourites. PB turned heads with their music-inspired pins, ABBA and Queen, with ABBA’s interactive helicopter ball lock being a delightful highlight that never got old.

The view from the Jersey Jack Pinball stage

A Special Shoutout

Of course, we couldn’t forget CGC’s Cactus Canyon Remake and the ultra-cool Pulp Fiction SE—machines so popular, we had to elbow our way in just to get a turn. If you managed to snag some time on these, consider yourself lucky!

Already Looking Forward to 2025

Missed the fun? Don’t fret! The MPE team hinted that they’re already gearing up for an even bigger 2025 event. Make sure you follow our channels to stay updated, and in the meantime, feast your eyes on the gallery of moments we captured from this unforgettable weekend.

The MPE venue was perfect for pinball

Woohoo, a selfie with Slash!

Yep, I did TILT – and that was Game Over!

Some Mr Pinball Australia and ZAX Amusements goodies from MPE

I Have the Power: Mattel Adventure Park

May 27, 2022 By ausretrogamer

This may not be new news for some, but we thought we’d share it anyway – Masters of the Universe, Barbie and Mattel Games are some of the eye-popping attractions that will be at the new Mattel Adventure Park in Glendale, Arizona (USA)! It’s another automatic bucket list entry for us at Ausretrogamer!

The amusement park, which is a collaboration between Mattel, Inc. and Epic Resort Destinations, LLC, is set to open early 2023. Other recently announced experiences include a Hot Wheels roller-coaster and go-karting, a Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends indoor park. Barbie will be involved by way of a beach house flying theatre, hologram technology and a rooftop F&B area.

But wait, there is more! There will also be a nine-hole mini-golf experience, as well as a Masters of the Universe’s Castle Grayskull that will be transformed into a 4,500+ sq. ft. state-of-the-art laser tag arena where fans “have the power” to fight for Eternia. This all sounds pretty darn good to us. We can’t wait for this adventure park to open!

image source: Mattel

Pinball Expo 2020 Goes Virtual – Oct. 14-17

October 13, 2020 By ausretrogamer

For those new to pinball, Pinball Expo is an event that is held annually in Chicago. Pinball Expo has been running since the mid 80s and is one of the pinball industry’s most celebrated events. This expo always attracts the major pinball manufacturers, pinball industry professionals, pinball players, collectors and enthusiasts from all around the world.

Since 2020 is no ordinary year, Pinball Expo will be run virtually this time round. The Virtual Pinball Expo kicks off this Wednesday, October 14th, at 7:00pm (Chicago time – GMT-5) for a live broadcast on Twitch, and then continues for three days with heaps of tournaments, guest speakers, seminars, latest news in the world of pinball and all sorts of other pinball fun for lovers of the silverball game.

The best part of this year’s event is that it is totally free to view on Twitch, so make sure you bookmark www.twitch.tv/pinballexpo! Hope to see you all online at Pinball Expo 2020.

image source: Pinball Expo

Super Mario Hot Wheels

January 12, 2017 By ausretrogamer

We love anything Super Mario and we love our Hot Wheels, especially their gaming related die-cast cars!

When Hot Wheels released their Super Mario die-cast car series, we set out to hunt them all down to complete the collection. With 8 cars in the series, we were hoping to find them all before they disappeared off the retail shelves.

So how did we go? Did we get them all? Absolutely!

First cab off the rank, Toad’s Vandetta!

Next we have Mario’s sibling, Luigi and his Ryura RX

Then we have Wario’s offroad beast, the RD-08!

The evil Bowser breathes fire in his Cruise Bruiser

Princess Peach looking cool in her hotted up Bully Goat

The one and only, Super Mario and his Bread Box!

Yoshi’s Flathead Fury should go really fast!

Last but not least, Donkey Kong’s Super Van. DK can fit a fair few bananas in there!

The Hot Wheels Super Mario Die-Cast (8 car) series!

Toy Shack: A Vegas Toy Story

September 8, 2015 By ausretrogamer

When was the last time you walked into a toy store and got absolutely wowed? If you are like us, I bet it was way too long ago to remember.

On our recent trip to the US, we didn’t just get wowed, we got absolutely gobsmacked by Toy Shack, a superb toy store in Las Vegas. Nesteled within the Neonopolis shopping complex in downtown Vegas (Fremont Street Experience), Toy Shack is truly a magical place you must visit and experience when you come to the City of Sin! Toy Shack has it all, from every conceivable collectible toy, to old school video games and even some golden age arcade machines to slip a quarter or two to give you that much needed hit of nostalgia.

Both Ms. ausretrogamer and I were mesmerised in each aisle of the store, with vintage 80s toys, comics, games and other collectibles lining the walls, from floor to ceiling – the photos below will attest to that (to an extent)! We had a difficult time leaving Toy Shack with only a handful of bags of super cool items, but the luggage allowance kept us in check.

If you ever find yourself in Vegas and want to do something other than gamble, then head to the Toy Shack for the ultimate in vintage 80s toys – we highly recommend it!

Store: Toy Shack
Address: Neonopolis, 450 Fremont St #117, Las Vegas, NV 89101, USA
Hours: Mon – Sat 11am to 10pm; Closed on Sunday

If you find yourself in other cities within the US, then you may want to check out these places: Musée Mécanique (San Francisco), the Nintendo World Store and the 8-Bit & Up and Video Games NY stores (New York City)

We found it! I wonder what awaits inside…

I spy, Masters Of The Universe (MOTU) and Super Mario stuff!

Woo hoo! I love my MOTU gear – brings back great childhood memories

Oh man, so many MOTU temptations, especially that clock!

Aha, I thought I spied Super Mario action figures!

Oo’er, a nice but scary bust!

Golden oldies! Now when was the last time you found arcade machines in a toy store?

So much to look at! Wish I had compound eyes!

Already worked up a thirst, and we have barely scratched the surface in here!

G.I. Joe baby!

Holy smokes – more G.I. Joe goodness (among other cool collectibles)!

Visual sensory overload! Gotta take in all this Hot Wheels awesomeness!

Haha, this one is for you, Ms. ausretrogamer!

I wasn’t aware of all the diverse (and cool) Hot Wheels!

I’ll take that, thank you very much

Wish we had a limitless luggage (and financial) allowance!

Chocolate and Miami Vice Hot Wheels? Really? Wow!

Moving right along, we now hit the Twilight Zone

Where do I even focus here!

Found the cool action figures area! First thing we see, Mobile Suit Gundam wing!

What the – Lau as a Virtua Fighter 4 action figure? Want!

Found Lara!

One for the Final Fantasy fans!

Very apt seeing this MGS 2 tactical espionage action figure ;-)

Now this I did not know existed! The temptation to buy is unbearable!

First it was Virtua Fighter 4 action figures, now it’s Tekken 4! *mind blown*

Zelda fans rejoice!

We do need some new plates…….

Admit it, you wanna sing “Transformers, robots in disguise”

Found the old school video games section!

Oooo, GameCube and Tiger gear!

Whoa! Tele-Pong and Frogger tabletop! I wonder what is behind these….

Ah, there you are! Great to see a C64 and a Genesis among the stack of retrogaming gear

Man, this place is too much! I love Toy Shack!

If I guess what’s inside the box, can I keep it?

King of the stuntmen indeed

One for the KISS fans – yep, I am looking at you Mr. Matt Cawley

Now this is a WrestleFest!

Which item captures your eye? Could it be the Transformers or those Star Trek figures?

I knew I was gonna find Star Wars somewhere in here……

Old school Star Wars nirvana!

OMG, Heat Packin’ Jack!

Get in my belly!

I’ll take one of each, thank you (I wish!)

The original road warrior!

I look up and BAM, more MOTU goodness!

I do need a new alarm clock. This should help me get up on those cold mornings

Resistance (to buying temptation) is futile!

Must. Have. That. MOTU vinyl record!

Ladies and Gentlemen, introducing Mr. Ram Man himself

I need to unsee this, otherwise my bank manager will be calling me!

Spawning more goodness

Diecast to die for!

I’ll take one of, 154, 459 and 192 pieces, thanks

I kneel to the defender of the universe!

Fight of the Century?

Poke-a-board!

Yep, there are comics here too!

I guess E.T. didn’t phone home…….

The perfect action figure mix, Itchy and Sly

Your move, creep!

Be back to Toy Shack, we will!

Mixed bag! Hang on, that’s an Ecto-1!

These guys have ball-Z of dragons!

We see a heartening sight upon our exit – a young lad getting into some old school arcade action. Retrogaming is alive and well!

Hot Wheels Battle: Star Trek VS Star Wars

January 21, 2015 By ausretrogamer

I may have been a Matchbox fan in my younger years, but it’s all about Hot Wheels right now! Starting with the Atari Nostalgics, Hot Wheels (well, Mattel) have definitely piqued my interest in their little cars.

It seems that Hot Wheels have jumped on the pop culture bandwagon and are hurtling down to your local toy store. Not only have Hot Wheels fused their cool toy cars with one sci-fi cult classic, Star Trek, but they have given us the equivalent of a boxing one-two sucker punch by also giving us the Star Wars collection(s).

Considering it is a new year, and in the spirit of giving (thank you Ms. ausretrogamer), I wasn’t going to deny myself either of these collections. Star Trek or Star Wars – let the battle for the sci-fi universe begin!

The Star Trek collection

Star Trek Collection explained

Oooooo, Spock!

The Star Wars Hot Wheels gang!

Looking good Mr Skywalker

Join the dark side of the Hot Wheels force!

The Battle Of The Hot Wheels Universe!

Vader is all over Bones!

Hot Wheels: Atari Nostalgics

June 4, 2013 By ausretrogamer

What do you get when you cross an iconic toy car brand with a video gaming icon? You get the awesomely cool and soon to become collectable, Atari Nostalgics Hot Wheels series.

This Hot Wheels series consists of six Atari games inspired vehicles:

’55 Chevy Panel – Tempest
Custom ’52 Chevy – Pong
’49 Ford C.O.E. – Breakout
GMC Motorhome – Atari 2600
Cool One – Centipede
Fast Gassin – Missile Command

Mattel and Atari have capitalised on the retro gaming movement by creating this range of collectable vehicles. If you were lucky enough to find them all, hold onto them, they will become highly sought after in no time. If you are anything like me, rip them out of their packaging and have some fun!