MOTU

Retrogaming Designer Jewellery

March 9, 2017 By ausretrogamer

Are you a gaming nerd that is into their designer jewellery? If you are, then you’ve come to the right place.

We have seen many DIY gaming related jewellery on Etsy and other e-stores, which are pretty cool, but they don’t come close to the jewellery we have drooled over by Han Cholo.

With the Han Cholo collections (which there are many), there are designer and officially licensed products to choose from, like the official Sonic The Hedgehog 25^th anniversary class ring and the awesome Sonic sneakers pendant!

Being gaming nerds and general pop culture geeks, we found ourselves trawling many of Han Cholo’s collections, from the cool Gamer stuff (hello Sega Mega Drive controller necklace) to the many Star Wars rings and Masters Of The Universe keychains and pendants. We just wish we had more than ten fingers and one neck!

The Sega Mega Drive / Genesis controller is close to our heart

Mario would be totally jelly of this ring!

If the Sonic ring is not your thing, then the Sonic sneakers pendant may tickle your fancy

The dark side of the force is strong with this ring!

Whoa, Daft Punk ring! No way!

Voltron!

We have the keys to our castle

By the power of Grayskull!

Battle Cat is fierce!

The perfect piece for the arcadians!
image source: Han Cholo

A Very Skeletor Christmas

December 24, 2016 By Ms. ausretrogamer

“Skeletor is BACK and there is only one thing he wants for Christmas.”

Source: Brock’s Dubs via Laughing Squid

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Ms. ausretrogamer
Co-founder, editor and writer at ausretrogamer – The Australian Retro Gamer E-Zine. Lover of science fiction, fashion, books, movies and TV. Player of games, old and new.

Follow Ms. ausretrogamer on Twitter

He-Man and the Masters Of The Universe Live Action Intro

October 12, 2016 By ausretrogamer

If you haven’t guessed, we are HUGE fans of CineFix videos. Be it their 8-Bit Cinema or their Homemade Movies series, the team sure know how to grab our attention with their awesomely cool films.

For this homemade video, CineFix have gone all the way back to our all-time favourite action figure toy line and cartoon, Masters Of The Universe (MOTU). The live-action remake of the MOTU cartoon intro is absolutely hilarious and spot on! The CineFix team have also made a ‘side-by-side comparison’ and a ‘behind the scenes’ videos! They definitely nailed the MOTU trifecta!

For now, put your nostalgia tinted glasses on and enjoy these brilliant vids!

He-Man Live Action Intro

source: CineFix

Side by Side Comparison

source: CineFix

Behind the Scenes

source: CineFix

By The Power Of Grayskull

January 25, 2016 By ausretrogamer

As Prince Adam once proclaimed, “Fabulous, secret powers were revealed to me the day I held aloft my magic sword and said: “By the Power of Grayskull!”, indeed, there is a Power Of Grayskull, and it is on Kickstarter right now! Don’t be like a bumbling Cringer, get on this project, as it will be the most definitive He-Man and Masters Of The Universe documentary of all time!

The Power of Grayskull Kickstarter has already blown past its modest $25,000 goal, so we all hope it will keep going and reach those lucrative stretch goals. So who is behind this awesome film you may ask? Well, it is the teams who brought you “Turtle Power” and “Nintendo Quest” – they have joined forces to bring you this highly anticipated MOTU documentary. With this kind of pedigree, POWER OF GRAYSKULL: The Definitive History of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is bound to be the best thing since sliced bread! So let’s embark on an epic adventure into the heart of 80’s nostalgia to find out once and for all #WhoHasThePower!

Just for the record, we have backed this on Kickstarter and are now looking forward to becoming an Eternian Prince (and Princess)!

image source: Power Of Grayskull on Kickstarter

Thrill Of The Chase: The MOTU Holy Grail

December 18, 2015 By ausretrogamer

My affinity for Masters Of The Universe has no limit! Just when I thought I grabbed my MOTU holy grail at the Toy Shack store in Las Vegas back in August, BAM, the MOTU Limited Edition Collector Series vinyl gets gazumped by The Power Of He-Man video game!

Yep, you read that right, the holy grail of my MOTU collection is not a board game nor a limited edition vinyl, it’s a (damn awesome) video game. MOTU: The Power Of He-Man video game (Intellivision) has been elusive to find complete (Ed: and at a reasonable price). This game, and its Atari 2600 counterpart, are the crown jewels of MOTU video games. The key motivator to obtain this game was my absolute affection for MOTU, and secondly, it is a pretty decent video game based on the franchise. Oh yeh, the Mattel link between the console and toy line was a nice touch too. Game on!

Masters Of The Universe Affinity

December 3, 2015 By ausretrogamer

It is no secret that I am a huge fan of Mattel’s original Masters Of The Universe (MOTU) toy series. I have been a fan since I first encountered the MOTU action figure line at my local Treasureway store (similar to Target / Kmart) in 1983. I remember being mesmerised by the He-Man figure in a big blister pack emblazoned with the MOTU logo. However, $15.99 was a lot of money in 1983 and it was going to require a big effort to convince mum I needed this toy. I got to work (in convincing my mum) and just a few weeks later I was the proud owner of my very own He-Man, but on the back of the packaging were the other figures in the series and I knew I had to have more – and just like that, I was hooked!

My ingenious (as I thought at the time) plan to expand my MOTU collection involved the argument that I needed an even split between ‘goodies’ and ‘baddies’ to be able to play out my (imaginary) battle on Eternia (a.k.a. the couch). I continued to collect more original MOTU action figures over the years, and although I never completed the set, I was very grateful for and thoroughly enjoyed playing with the figures I had.

Fast forward three decades, and my original MOTU collection is proudly displayed in the home office. I am so glad I kept the action figures all this time – they provide an important link to my childhood, a time where my imagination took me to wondrous places in the universe, thanks to Masters of The Universe.

The most powerful toy line in the universe!

Yo DJ, spin that MOTU wheel!

Cel shenanigans

In the most powerful club in the universe!

The MOTU story books (latter ones became comics) were damn awesome!

Very hot MOTU wheels

Show-bag full of MOTU weapons of mass fun!

Man-At-Arms vs Skeletor!

The most awesomest books in the universe!

Don’t get bored playing Monopoly. Play to save He-Man!

Laser blasting with the man with Man-E-Faces

Evil lurks in many corners. Watch out Hulk!

Great pants Brutus! Oh wait……

Trouble setting up Castle Grayskull? Don’t worry, this scary looking He-Man will help!

Oh, so that’s how the labels are applied!

The showcasing rig

Giddy-up Cringer! Oops, I mean Battle Cat!

The Twelve Gifts Of Christmas

November 27, 2015 By ausretrogamer

“On the First day of Christmas my true love sent to me”, No, no, no! There will be no ‘The Twelve Days Of Christmas’ singing here, thank you. With Christmas just around the corner, we thought we would ease the gift buying burden by giving you ‘The Twelve Gift Ideas For Christmas’ to help you get something special for your really cool geeky / nerdy partner.

Forget about going out to the local shopping centre and battling for a car park only to get frustrated when you can’t find anything suitable. We are here to make this Christmas shopping period a pleasant experience from the comfort of your own home and one where your partner will thank you for the awesome gift (Ed: don’t you mean gifts!)!

Enough chatter, as promised, here are The Twelve Gifts of Christmas!

Star Wars: The Original Topps Trading Card Series, Volume One – Just in time for the Force Awakens!

If they are Zelda fans, then this 2.5″ 8-Bit Link Action Figure will tickle their fancy

But if they are a Donkey Kong kinda guy or gal, then they’ll go ape over this!

Secure their DS / 3DS with a retro NES inspired case!

Sega fans rejoice! Plug and play the Sega Nano on any TV (with composite connectivity)

There should always be a Masters Of The Universe gift under the Christmas tree

If clothing is preferred, then nothing says cool like a C64 tee

Bookworms partners will love this Commodore book!

Can’t afford a real Intellivision? Then the Intellivision Flashback is the next best thing!

Or maybe they are a ColecoVision type of gamer…

Forget forking out thousands for an arcade machine, grab them a My-Arcade mini retro machine!

And if you really want to spoil him or her, get them the ultimate handheld emulation system, the GPD XD

image source: supplied

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!

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Minicomic Collection

July 8, 2015 By ausretrogamer

As a kid growing up in the early ’80s, I spent my time playing with action figures, in particular, Mattel’s awesome Masters Of The Universe range. The MOTU figures came with pack-in minicomics (mini-story books), which I loved reading as soon as I busted them out of the packet. I loved “The King Of Castle Grayskull” mini-story book that came with my original He-Man!

Fast forward thirty plus years, and guess what, I still get giddy with excitement when I see any reference to the classic Masters Of The Universe series. To my delight, there is going to be a hardcover MOTU collection book which will feature sixty-eight U.S. story releases, including all mini books/comics from the ’80s Masters of the Universe line, the ’80s Princess of Power line, and the ’80s and ’90s He-Man line, plus an introduction to the minicomics in the current Masters of the Universe classics toy line!

With over 1000 pages of minicomics and interviews with the original comics creators, do yourself a favour, pre-order the “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Minicomic Collection” book now! It will definitely take you back so you can relive the illustrated adventures that fueled your imagination!

The Thrill Of The Chase: Gone Hunting

June 23, 2014 By ausretrogamer

There was only one thing to do on a cold and miserable Sunday – go hunting! No guns or ammunition were required for this hunting trip. We armed ourselves with warm clothing and a keen eye to find some retro gaming gear and other vintage items.

Once the target was found, we went in to prowl. It was clear from the outset that this hunting trip was not going to disappoint. Once we got past the usual household kitsch items, we found precious arcade machines from the 1970s, lots of comics, vinyl records and a number of classic video gaming systems and games.

The selection of retro gaming systems and games did get the nostalgic nerve quite excited. There was no way we were going to leave empty handed on this hunt. Sorry wallet.

Didn’t know where to focus on this collection of action figures. Daytona USA lurked in the background