The Pop-Culture E-Zine
Let’s start by saying we don’t condone illegal graffiti. However, when graffiti is welcomed as street art and makes a societal impact, we definitely take note.
The /r/Graffiti Reddit thread is one place that is full of great graffiti, some topical with recent events, and some tugging on our nostalgic heartstrings.
Here are a few that caught our eye, even the freight train carriage with the three-button NES controller! Check out the rest on Reddit.
image source: reddit – /r/Graffiti
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:
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]
When it comes to hacking or modding, there are certain creations that make a lot of sense. Shank Mods’ Nintendo Switch GameCube Joy-Cons are exactly the mod we would love to become a retail product for all of us to enjoy!
Shank Mods goes into detail of this creation, which wasn’t easy, by any stretch of the imagination. Us mere mortals would be incapable to follow the instructions for fear of bricking our Switch or worse, sacrificing a working GameCube controller which would no doubt end up breaking. Having said that, there are other peeps out there that are adept to following instructions and taking calculated risks, which pay off – and this one is a big pay off, as the Joy-Cons are based on one of the best controllers of all time!
As this mod was quite gruelling, Shank Mods has confirmed that these Nintendo Switch GameCube Joy-Cons are a one-off, making them super ultra rare. So if you would like a pair, you better get hacking!
source: Shank Mods
[story source: technabob]
By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.
Metroid’s Mother Brain is considered one of the most diabolical she-villains in video game history.
When I was a kid, I was obsessed with defeating Mother Brain every time I put my Metroid cartridge into my Nintendo Entertainment System. It took me a while to finally defeat her, and when I did, I wondered if Mother Brain had a backstory. How did she get to possess such vast power?
When I would play the original Metroid, I found Mother Brain fascinating. In later Metroid games, we got a little backstory on Mother Brain, but none of it seemed that imaginative. The original design of Mother Brain was the best. All of the designs in later games, especially in Super Metroid, when Mother Brain looked like a brain with a grotesque chicken body, were slightly extreme and almost silly. In the original Metroid, Mother Brain was captivating and menacing by just sitting in a glass jar, controlling the game like a puppet master. When I would defeat Mother Brain, my imagination would run wild. Was what we saw in the jar her original or real form?
image source: Samolo via Deviantart
Metroid was not the easiest game to beat. It took me several tries before I finally completed the game. I wasn’t an expert at the game like my brother. It took him just a day or two to defeat Mother Brain. Then he would usually move on to another game and beat that before me as well.
In the video game magazines of the time, like Nintendo Power, they never really went into much depth when it came to the iconic, she-villain. But the early games didn’t tell as much about Mother Brain either. It must’ve been a boring existence, just sitting there in a protective glass jar, ruling the planet, hoping that a bounty hunter wouldn’t come along and destroy you. However, she did have an army of henchmen protecting her. Villains in other major games at the time were primarily male and mostly on the beefy side.
Mother Brain was engrossing because she was so different from all of the other heavy villains in video games. Mother Brain is one of the reasons Metroid is a classic NES game.
image source: metroid.fandom.com
Still get surprised to the lengths some talented folks go to for merging their passions, like this Cranmer Guitars built Super Mario World guitar, made from 10,000 lollipop sticks!
We just want to know, how long did it take to lick and eat all those lollipops!
Oh yeah, we love the guitar 🙂
[story and image source: Geekologie]
It is amazing to think that we started ausretrogamer 8 years ago! How time flies when you are having fun!
When we started our site and social media channels in January 2012, we had no idea what was to come. We were pleasantly surprised to find so many like-minded people who enjoyed playing and talking about old games we used to play many many decades ago. Nostalgia is a powerful force that binds us all – long may it continue!
To all the people that have contributed and to those that are still contributing content and everyone that engages with us, thank you very much – you all rock our world!
Looking forward to another year full of retro gaming goodness 🙂
When we saw Codemasters’ thread on Twitter of all the relics they found in their vault, our knees buckled due to all of the nostalgia. Check out the classic games, consoles and peripherals they unearthed from their storage, some being over three decades old! We are well and truly intoxicated with nostalgia.
The gobsmackingly gorgeous Sega Saturn Development Unit. It’s MASSIVE!
Good luck fitting this SEGA Saturn in your TV cabinet. Egg for scale.
(this machine was used to ensure that games in development didn’t violate the Sega Memory usage guide) pic.twitter.com/pZaZCEHigN
— Codemasters (@Codemasters) November 8, 2019
source: Codemasters via Twitter
Judging by our PAX Aus Classic Gaming highlights feature, you would have been forgiven in thinking that there was nothing else to see at this year’s PAX Aus.
Well, we are here to tell you that there was stacks to see and experience, from great panels, awesome cosplay, pin and badge hunts to booth raids to check out the latest games and wares from indie devs and the big AAA studios and gaming companies.
There was so much to see, so we hope this Rest of PAX Aus 2019 Highlights photo package can make you feel like you were there!
The calm before the storm! The crowds waits patiently for the start of PAX AUS 2019!
Wow, PAX Aus 2019 was an absolute blast! What a great 3 days. We just wish it went for longer.
The Classic Gaming area was busy with many attendees coming in and enjoying everything that was on offer; from classic gaming systems, vintage handhelds, to old school arcade and pinball machines. The Australian Pinball Museum display exhibit was a new addition in the pinball section which proved popular due to never before seen items, like the 10 metre bill of material print out from the Fish Tales pinball machine (it cost just under US$1800.00). But wait, that wasn’t all, the display pieces in the console section were yet again getting a lot of attention, especially Shane Battye’s very exotic development kits and prototype systems.
It is always great to get recognition from BIG gaming companies. Thanks PlayStation Australia!
Booth raid: Going back to where it all began at the Classic Gaming booth at #PAXAUS . Thanks to the @WeirdAndRetro, @ausretrogamer, @msausretrogamer & @PPOT_podcast teams for having us 😃 pic.twitter.com/iZH4y8VlkJ
— PlayStationAU ➡️ #PAXAus (@PlayStationAU) October 13, 2019
Thanks to Scott from the Classic Gaming Area for sharing with us what #PAXAUS means to him.
One hour to go – why not check out the Classic Gaming area before you leave? pic.twitter.com/9oBGIwSiBr
— PAX Australia (@PAXAus) October 13, 2019
To see attendees enjoying some nostalgia and having fun with their friends and family is exactly why we love putting together the Classic Gaming area every year at PAX Aus.
If you could not attend PAX Aus 2019 or you just want to reminisce, here are our highlights from an action packed three days – make sure you scroll slowly through the photos to take it all in!
On behalf of the PAX Aus Classic Gaming team**, thanks to all who swung by to have a game and say hello. We hope to see you guys in 2020!
PS: Keep an eye out for our Rest of PAX Aus 2019 Highlights post in the coming days!
** PAX Aus Classic Gaming team and contributors: Ausretrogamer, Weird And Retro, Press Play On Tape Podcast, Bartronica, Skott K. & Zax Amusements, Bayside Pinball Club, Mr. Pinball Australia, Australian Pinball Museum, Greg Pell, Cameron Bonde & Chris Van Graas.
Walk-through the Classic Gaming Area
Amazing historical pinball items on show in the Classic Gaming area!
Hope to see you all at PAX AUS 2020!
When it comes to children and gaming, there’s a constant debate. Lots of kids love to play video games and often their caring parents see the pastime as less than desirable. They’d prefer their children to be playing outside, taking in fresh air and learning skills that will set them up for life. But in today’s world, gaming is actually rich with benefits for children. Research has proven multiple brain boosting advantages of gaming such as improved coordination, memory, problem solving, concentration and social skills.
Today’s parents probably have happy memories of playing jump rope, pat-a-cake and conkers outdoors with their friends, and they naturally want their kids to have the same experiences. But no doubt they also enjoyed the delights of Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt from time to time too. There’s nothing like a bit of nostalgia. And that’s why Climadoor have imagined what it would be like if classic childhood pastimes were made into 8-bit video games. This mash up would satisfy parents and children alike, and we think it would create hours of fun!
Conkers is a playground staple in Britain and is sometimes knows as ‘Kingers’ in other parts of the world. Hours of fun can be had using a conker on a string to defeat those of your friends and foes. Many schools have deemed the game a concern as flinging around hard objects can be damaging, but there’s no such risk with the videogame.
Conkers Kid – Playground Revenge II would be packed with features. Start by choosing your best conker and level up by defeating your opponents. Perfect your swing and blast your way to success!
Jump rope or skipping takes skill, co-ordination and physical endurance. Kids all over the world engage in the game and some master complex patterns and multiple ropes.
If this is a little too sedate for you, try jump rope master. You’ll be reborn as an agile ninja to help you leap over ropes whilst also avoiding the dangers of fireballs and flame throwers.
Kerby (also known as Kurby or Curby) is a British childhood street game that’s simple in nature. Opponents stand on opposite sides of the street and throw a ball aimed at the curb on the other side. The aim is to catch the ball again on the rebound. Despite sounding easy, there are plenty of hazards to dodge like traffic, cyclists and pedestrians. Not to mention keeping balls clear of the neighbours parked cars and windows…suddenly playing outside has turned into a parent’s nightmare, oh, the worry!
It’s time to break out mega Kerby – Sidewalk III. All the thrill with less of the danger. Throw, dodge, win the game. All without the risk of real traffic or angry neighbours!
A classic party game, musical chairs causes fun, tension and drama as kids clamber to grab a free chair when the music stops. There’s always one less chair than needed to eliminate players until one eventually wins. Who will be victorious? Often the one that cheats the most!
Let’s translate this into the galaxy where chairs float in space to futuristic music. Put all arguments and cheating aside and focus on your speed and agility to get that chair and remain king or queen of the galaxy.
This sedate playground game sees participants clapping their hands in time to a rhyme, great for co-ordination and rhythm. But why not up the excitement level with Pat-A-Cake Wars? Bake a cake as fast as you can, compete against opponents and triumph over the bad guys.
A game first played together by Winnie The Pooh and his friends is now popular with children and adults alike. Choose your stick and drop it into a stream or river, you’ll win if your stick is first under the bridge! The fun doesn’t last for long though, and soon your stick will drift away.
Not with Pooh Sticks Racer! This high-octane game lets you navigate obstacles and rapids to keep your stick in pole position until the end of the race. Watch out for rocks, waves and branches that are set on hindering your progress, as well as other opponents!
Another classic playground game that lives in the hearts of children around the world. This one is such an institution, there was even a film made about it! You might know it as tig, it, tiggy, touch and go or chasey but the principle is always the same. The player who is ‘it’ chases other players until they can touch or ‘tag’ them, which turns them into the chaser and so on.
Tag Man tests your skill, requiring you to do whatever it takes to avoid the chaser. Find power ups to increase your speed, special invisibility powers and more. Just don’t get caught!
We hope you’ll agree, this mash-up between childhood games and 8-bit video games takes us all back to happy times gone by.