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Things Are Afoot At The Ausretrogamer Fun Factory in 2021

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With having a lot of time at home in 2020, we had been thinking about changing things up in the Ausretrogamer Fun Factory!

Things are afoot with designing the new space, which will see new additions, things being moved around and unfortunately, stuff that will go to a new home. We are quite excited with the next chapter of our games room, so we’ll be sure to share our journey throughout 2021 of the new and improved Ausretrogamer Fun Factory.

For now, you can have a read how the Ausretrogamer Fun Factory has evolved over the years.

Taking one last look at the current Ausretrogamer Fun Factory (click to enlarge)

 

Our Favourite Nintendo Game That We Still Play Today

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Asking a gamer to nominate their favourite Nintendo game is like asking a parent to pick their favourite child. Well, guess what, we are going to do the unthinkable!

But before we crown our favourite, let us tell you about the top 3 contenders (that we still love playing till this day!):

First contender, Wave Race 64 (N64) – yes, we did pick Wave Race 64 above Super Mario 64, Mario Kart 64 and Goldeneye 007. Don’t get us wrong, the aforementioned games are superb, but nostalgia draws us to Wave Race 64. What wasn’t there to like – realistic water physics, challenging courses and an absolutely cracking 2 player challenge – ‘Bonsai!’. We lost a lot of hours playing this game head to head. Oh yeah, the N64 controller was perfect for this game.

The second contender is none other than Super Mario Bros. (SMB) on the NES. This 2D platformer catapulted the Mario franchise into the stratosphere for good reason. The game had great level design, matched by awesome gameplay, a mesmerising Koji Kondo tune and most importantly, intuitive control – what more could you want!

Well, if it wasn’t for the next game, I guess the choice would have been easy and SMB would have walked away with the prize. Let us tell you about a 16-bit platformer that took the SMB ingredients, gave them a fair shake and then poured the contents into the SNES for a game we call (drum roll please), Super Mario World (SMW)! With SMW, the 2D platformer reached its pinnacle – sublime level design, 16-bit aesthetics that were an absolute feast for your eyes and the sound was perfectly atmospheric. This was a game that you could lose yourself in. SMW is one of those games you can either pick up and play for half an hour to get your Mario fix, or play till the wee hours of the morning. SMW walks away with the prize of our favourite Nintendo game of all time. Thank you Mr. Miyamoto for creating the definitive 2D platformer.

Phew, that was hard!

 

Celebrating the Nintendo 64

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We love celebrating anniversaries, especially the big milestones like new consoles that were released in Australia!

With that said, on this day [March 1] in 1997, Nintendo officially released the Nintendo 64 in Australia (and other PAL regions, like Europe).

We actually bought the Nintendo 64 on day one and immediately were hooked on Super Mario 64 and the fog-riddled Turok: Dinosaur Hunter. Once we played Wave Race 64 and later on, Mario Kart 64, we knew we made the right decision (and our PS1 was quickly packed away in favour of the N64!).

The Nintendo 64 provided many highlights for us, including all-night gaming sessions with friends and family – that GoldenEye 007 was an addiction y’all (and still is)!

We could go on and on about the Nintendo 64, but we would love to hear your memories about Nintendo’s last cartridge based console – hit us up on Twitter or Facebook.

How Much Storage Would It Take To Store Every Nintendo Video Game That Can Be Emulated?

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So how much storage space would it take to store every Nintendo video game (from the stable of their major consoles) that can be emulated?

Don’t worry about trying to work out the answer, as Reddit user, RHYTHM_GMZ, has already done all the hard work for us.

You’ll need roughly 7.53TB (yep, that’s TERABYTES!) of space to be able to emulate every darn Nintendo video game! With the Wii making up 6.56TB of the 7.53TB total, you may want to know the breakdown of the rest of the Nintendo game libraries, so here you go:

  • NES – 237 MB
  • SNES – 1.7GB
  • N64 – 5.5GB
  • GB/GBC – 568MB
  • GBA – 8.4GB
  • NDS – 83.2GB
  • GameCube – 867GB
  • Wii – 6.56TB

For those of you that prefer to visualise these figures, we have you covered – see below!

NOTE: Games libraries based on the uncompressed NTSC versions

[story source: RHYTHM_GMZ  via Reddit]



Super 64: Levels Up the N64 With a Superior Visual Experience

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The EON Super 64, is a new plug-and-play solution for the Nintendo 64 that fits seamlessly into the original hardware and upscales your beloved retro classic visuals on modern displays, hits North American consoles on July 22, 2019, via preorder (US$149.99) at CastleMania. The EON guys are also working on a PAL version of the Super 64 (PAL price is yet to be finalised, but at the current exchange, it will be over AU$200.00).

The Super 64, from the makers of the GCHD Mk-II, is a HDMI adaptor worthy of our favourite retro console, the Nintendo 64. With no external power source or risky console modifications, the Super 64 attaches to the N64 like it was always meant to be there, connecting to modern TVs via HDMI with no input lag. The Super 64’s gorgeous upscaled 480p boasts twice the resolution of the original console’s video output. Relive the games of yesteryear just as you remember them.

“Slick Mode” enables retro fans to relive the triumphs of yesteryear with even smoother visuals, rounding out jagged edges for a sharper image that makes classics look better than ever. Through EON’s careful attention to detail, the Super 64 boasts the truest representation of colour to create the most faithful N64 experience supplanting efforts of typical cable upgrades.

The N64 sold over 32.9 million units since its 1996 debut. The Super 64 builds a bridge of nostalgia between the N64’s analogue output and high-definition displays. Nostalgic gamers and competitive players can enjoy their favourite N64 titles on modern setups via HDMI, foregoing the need for heavy CRT televisions or risky console modifications.

EON’s patent pending design is carefully crafted to prevent stress on older hardware and allows the N64 to slot neatly alongside modern platforms. 

Delivering an upscaled experience that still champions the original look and feel guided EON’s development process, evident in the Super 64’s form-fitting elegance, brilliant display of colours, and remarkable audio fidelity.

“The Super 64 was designed to celebrate the console that pioneered 3D gaming. We set out to create something that respects the original hardware while delivering the original look and feel” said Justin Chou, Justin Scerbo, and Allan Chou, founders of EON. “The Super 64 is for everyone seeking to relive those classic experiences, and for a new generation for whom so many memories have yet to be made.“

[story and image source: Press Release]

 

Infographic of the Most Popular Consoles and Games by US State

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Guest Post By: Evan S from JJGames

From the original Zelda games on the NES to GoldenEye 007 on the N64 and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas on the PS2, we take a look at the consoles of choice for retro gamers across America.

You never forget the first time you completed Super Mario Bros. You also never forget the first time you held one of those iconic Playstation controllers or when the best way to troubleshoot a game was to blow in the cartridge.

Times have changed and new consoles have come and gone, but there’s still something to be said about those iconic gaming systems that we were raised on. Their games have a unique charm that no amount of fancy graphics can make up for, which is why we turn to emulators and why original NES games still in their boxes go for hundreds of dollars on eBay.

To celebrate the release of a new infographics, which digs into the favourite consoles by state and favourite games by states, we thought we’d jump on in and take a look at the data.

NOTE: The infographics are based on the number of units sold for each game/console on JJGames.com from 1999 to 2019. More than 2.5 million games sold.

[Click on each infographic to see a larger version]

 

Droolworthy Gaming Collection

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Just when we thought we had seen a lot of amazing gaming collections, GameByte hits us between the eyes with Thijs Bastiaens’ (aka: Tiny Collector) droolworthy collection!

Don’t mind our jaw hitting the floor and please have your bib ready before you press play! You’ve been warned!


source: GameByte

 

Ausretrogamer Fun Factory – Number 1 for Fun

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After one helluva gruelling week, we are glad to be in the Ausretrogamer Fun Factory!

We always feel at ease and relaxed when we are inside of our Fun Factory. We can sit here and pick an item to stare at (even a joystick!) and we immediately get flooded with nostalgic memories. Sometimes we may even turn something on to play.

For today, we are just enjoying the view and letting the nostalgia wash over us. Hang on, that didn’t last long, we have a hankering to play some Amiga games on the CDTV! And perhaps pinball to finish up…….

 

The Evolution Of Nintendo Consoles

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A very cool video of the evolution of Nintendo consoles by our good friends at GameSpot Today I Learned!

Before some of you say, “But where is the Game Boy, DS and 3DS?”, relax, this is the evolutionary line of their consoles, not their handhelds. Having said that, it seems like the Virtual Boy doesn’t fit in any category 🙁

How many Nintendo consoles have you owned since their Color TV-Game 6?


source: GameSpot Today I Learned

 

The Classic PAX Aus 2017 Ticket Giveaway

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*** THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED ***

Wanna go to PAX Aus 2017? Do you want an easy way to enter a ticket giveaway? If you answered yes to both of these questions, then you are in luck!

Thanks to our great friends at PAX Aus, we have 3 x double passes for Sunday (October 29) to attend one of the biggest and best gaming events in the southern hemisphere. To score one of these double passes all you have to do is tweet us your favourite retro gaming item(s) – be it a console, computer, game or accessory, we want to see what tickles your nostalgic nerve. Don’t forget to tag us in your tweet and use the hashtags and .

It doesn’t get any easier than that! So get cracking on photographing those retro gaming items, as entries close on October 4th at 8:00pm!

If you need convincing of how great PAX Aus is, then check out last year’s event.

For those of you that like to read T&Cs, here are the finer details of this most awesome giveaway:

  • Entries open to Australian residents only
  • Entries close on Wednesday October 4, 2017 at 8:00pm
  • To enter the giveaway, tweet us your retro gaming photos with the appropriate hashtags (#PAXAus and ) and tag @ausretrogamer and @PAXAus
  • Entrants must follow ausretrogamer (to receive a DM if you are the winner!)
  • Winners will be notified via Direct Message (DM)
  • Winners will receive their tickets in the post (via Australia Post)
  • The winners (if interstate) will be responsible in arranging their own transport and accommodation in Melbourne

PAX Aus 2017 is on from October 27 to 29 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Tickets / Badges are available here.