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Level Up Your October — Big Games Night Out 2025 Hits Fed Square!

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🎮 Big Games Night Out 2025 Hits Fed Square!

Gamers, nerds, nostalgia-seekers — mark your calendars! This October, Federation Square transforms into Australia’s biggest free celebration of games culture with Big Games Night Out 2025. From retro arcades to tabletop showdowns, family raves to Marvel clashes, this year’s lineup promises to be a pixel-packed party you won’t want to miss.

So slip on your fingerless gloves, polish your high scores, and let’s explore what’s coming to Fed Square.

What & When

  • Main event (Big Games Night Out / BGNO): Thursday 9 October 2025, from about 3 pm until late

  • Electric Arcadia: Vintage Amusement Plaza: runs 3–9 October, daily 12 pm–7 pm (with extended hours on BGNO night)

  • Little Games Night Out (kids / family pre-show): roughly 3:30–6 pm on the main BGNO day, with games, music, face-painting and more

Everything is free to play — no coins needed.

Why This Is Retro Gamer Heaven

🎯 Electric Arcadia: Your Time Machine to the Arcade Past

This is the star attraction. Designed by Melbourne creatives Callum Preston (Video Land) and Louie Roots, Electric Arcadia is a nostalgic, immersive arcade “plaza” that blends 80s adventure-film vibes with futuristic 90s techno flair.

Expect upright arcade cabinets, nostalgic lighting and atmosphere, and a mix of classic and indie games to try — all playable and shareable.

This year, Mixtape (from Melbourne studio Beethoven & Dinosaur) gets its first playable showing here. Other titles include Jupiter Junkworks, Bones: Wandering Soul, Pro Jank Footy, My Arms Are Longer Now, Donkey Kong, Pacman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and more.

Also note: it’s open every day of the week leading up to BGNO, so you can beat the crowds (or just soak in the vibes).

Other Highlights You Can’t Miss

👾 Over 100 Free-to-Play Game Activations

Arcade classics, indie gems, esports, digital experiences — you name it.

🎲 Tabletop Takeover & Roleplay

The “Melbourne Meeples Tabletop Takeover” brings new and classic board games, giant playable installations, and a marketplace for game makers.

Indiginerd also hosts an 80s-themed Dungeons & Dragons experience at Koorie Heritage Trust inside a Stranger Things–styled set.

🦸 Marvel Rivals All-Star Showdown

At 6pm on BGNO night, content creators, streamers and cosplayers form teams and battle it out live on the main stage. Expect spectacle, cosplay runway action and surprises.

🌟 Late-Night ACMI & Game Worlds

After dark, ACMI opens up with special programming including Game Worlds (featuring big titles and behind-the-scenes dev content).

Other late-night events include dance battles (Power Move: Cypher Quest), DJ sets, synth tours, live music and roving performances.

🧒 Little Games Night Out

Before the big evening kicks off, there’s a family-friendly session. Dress up, douse yourself in face paint, boogie at the family rave, play casual games (like Crossy Road, Just Dance), enjoy bubbleman Dr Hubble and more.

Tips to Make the Most of Your Night

  1. Arrive early. Electric Arcadia runs from noon daily before the main event, so you can get your retro fix before the rush.

  2. Plan your zones. With multiple activations across Fed Square, The Edge, ACMI, KHT, it pays to check the Maps & Timetables in advance.

  3. Bring comfy shoes. You’ll be traipsing between arcade zones, stages and food stalls.

  4. Charge up. Your phone (for snaps) and maybe backup power — you’ll want to capture moments.

  5. Join the cosplay. Whether you go full 8-bit hero, 90s sci-fi zealot or indie game icon — there’s a runway and community for you.

  6. Check out developer booths. Local indie projects are on display; if you like seeing under-the-hood, chat with devs.

  7. Late-night bonus: Take advantage of the after-dark programming at ACMI and in roaming stages.

Why It Matters (Beyond Fun)

Big Games Night Out isn’t just a street party — it’s a spotlight on Melbourne and Victoria’s thriving games scene. Backed by Creative Victoria and part of Melbourne International Games Week, it celebrates the artistry, community, and industry behind games.

For longtime retro gamers, it’s a love letter to the arcade era — and for new heads, it’s a chance to see how far we’ve come. It bridges eras: pixel to polygon, board to console, nostalgia to next-gen.

Final Word

If you remember the hum of coin-op cabinets, or just love immersing yourself in game culture — Big Games Night Out 2025 is your must-attend event this October. Bring your friends, family, and inner joystick jockey — Fed Square is turning into Game Central, and everyone’s invited.

We’ll see you among the neon glow and surround sound of arcade bliss. 🎆🎯

image source: Big Games Night Out 2025

From Pixels to Perfume: Retro Gaming Scents You Didn’t Know You Needed

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Eau de nostalgia

Just when you thought retro gaming couldn’t get any cooler (or weirder), Andrews UK drops a surprise that’s equal parts nostalgic and nose-tingling: a collection of premium fragrances inspired by classic home computers. Yep, you read that right — retro gaming perfumes are officially a thing, and we’re absolutely here for it.

Launching just in time for Christmas 2025, the Retro Gaming Fragrance Collection features four unique scents that pay tribute to the legendary machines that shaped our pixelated childhoods: THEC64, The Spectrum, ZX80, and ZX81.

🕹️ The Lineup: Smell Like a Legend

Here’s what’s in the olfactory lineup:

  • THEC64 Fragrance Pour Homme
    Bold, sophisticated, and just a little bit mysterious — think citrus, florals, and a rich patchouli-musk base. It’s the scent equivalent of booting up your C64 and hearing that SID chip sing.
  • The Spectrum Fragrance Pour Homme
    A vibrant blend of bergamot, woody warmth, and musky depth. It’s like loading Jet Set Willy on a rainy afternoon — comforting, chaotic, and unmistakably British.
  • ZX80 Eau de Parfum
    Feminine, elegant, and sparkling with florals, soft fruits, and creamy vanilla musk. A scent that’s as graceful as the ZX80 was groundbreaking.
  • ZX81 Pour Homme
    Refined and masculine, with lavender, leather, and aromatic freshness. It’s the kind of fragrance that says, “Yes, I coded in BASIC — and I smelled great doing it.”

🧴 More Than Just a Scent — It’s a Collectible

Each 100ml bottle comes in packaging that nods to the iconic design of its namesake computer. These aren’t just fragrances — they’re wearable collectibles for the retro gaming elite. Whether you’re heading to a gaming expo or just want to smell like your favourite 8-bit machine, this collection has you covered.

And let’s be honest — they really missed a trick not bottling that hot C64 PSU smell. Imagine a cologne called “Thermal Drift” — notes of melting plastic, ozone, and the faint whiff of a CRT monitor warming up. Eau de nostalgia!

🎁 Pre-Order Now for Christmas 2025

The Retro Gaming Fragrance Collection is available for pre-order now via AUK Direct. Whether you’re buying for a retro gaming fanatic or just want to spice up your shelf with something truly unique, this is one gift that’ll raise eyebrows — and maybe a few pulses.

 

Review: Irem Collection Volume 3 (Xbox) – Blast from the Pixelated Past

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If you’re a fan of side-scrolling shoot ‘em ups and wild retro weirdness, Irem Collection Volume 3 from ININ Games is like opening a time capsule filled with pixelated power-ups, dragons, and the kind of creative enemy design only the ’80s and ’90s could conjure. This lovingly compiled collection brings together three of Irem’s most eccentric and thrilling shooters: Mr. Heli/Battle Chopper, Mystic Riders, and Dragon Breed. And trust me—you’re in for a ride that’s as bizarre as it is brilliant.

🚁 Mr. Heli / Battle Chopper (Arcade & PC Engine)

This quirky little helicopter with eyes and a face is anything but cute when it comes to dishing out destruction. In Mr. Heli, you’re piloting a plucky chopper through caves, industrial complexes, and molten hellscapes, blasting enemies while navigating tight spaces and gravity-defying jumps.

The PC Engine version is a neat inclusion—it’s a faithful port with slightly different sprite work and some charming 16-bit flair. Whether you’re nostalgic for the arcade or curious about the console iteration, it’s great to have both.

🧙‍♂️ Mystic Riders (Arcade)

Mystic Riders is what happens when you mix magic carpets, flying broomsticks, and enough glittery magic spells to make Hogwarts jealous. This co-op horizontal shmup is the most whimsical of the bunch—two wizard kids take to the skies to take down fantastical foes in a world that feels like a mashup of anime and high fantasy fever dreams.

The local 2-player co-op here is where it shines. There’s something inherently joyful about launching fireballs and dodging oversized haunted pumpkins with a friend at your side.

🐉 Dragon Breed (Arcade)

Now this is the heavy-hitter. You’re not just piloting a ship—you’re riding a freaking giant golden dragon across a dystopian sci-fi landscape. The gameplay twist? Your dragon is invincible, acting like a moving shield as you rain laser death upon alien hordes. It’s smart, strategic, and the kind of game that sticks with you.

With its epic boss fights, moody soundtrack, and layers of attack options, Dragon Breed is arguably the crown jewel of this collection.

🎮 Quality of Life Upgrades

ININ Games didn’t just dump ROMs and call it a day—there are some thoughtful enhancements here:

  • Quick Save/Load and a built-in rewind system let you recover from boneheaded mistakes or rewind to finesse your dodging skills.

  • Customisable controls, including rapid-fire assignments, make a huge difference for comfort and performance.

  • Display filters recreate the glow and scanlines of old-school arcade monitors, or keep it clean with sharp pixels—it’s your choice.

  • Worldwide leaderboards add a modern challenge for competitive score-chasers.

🕹️ Final Thoughts

Irem Collection Volume 3 is a joyous blast of arcade nostalgia. Whether you’re chasing high scores, revisiting forgotten favourites, or discovering them for the first time, these games hold up remarkably well. The mix of fantasy and sci-fi, wacky enemy designs, and tight shoot ‘em up mechanics showcase why Irem was a kingpin of the genre.

And let’s be honest—riding a fire-breathing dragon while blasting biomechanical nightmares just never gets old.

Score: 7.5/10 – Pure retro arcade magic, lovingly preserved and enhanced for the modern couch warrior.

GAME OVER: Brisbane’s Beloved 1UP Arcade Set to Close

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Retro Arcade Gaming Fans Prepare to Farewell 1UP Arcade

Sad news for retro gaming fans: Brisbane’s iconic 1UP Arcade, the largest dedicated retro arcade in the southern hemisphere, is preparing to shut its doors.

The announcement came earlier this year, when founder and owner Stephen Holmes shared a heartfelt post on Facebook on February 28th, detailing the arcade’s incredible journey — from its humble beginnings to its rise as a community hub, and the immense challenges faced throughout the pandemic and beyond. If you haven’t read Stephen’s full message, it’s well worth your time [link].

Since the news broke, the retro gaming community has been in mourning — and with good reason. Running a small business is hard enough, but operating a venue filled with hundreds of rare, fragile, and painstakingly restored arcade machines is a monumental task. It’s a true labour of love, one that Stephen and his team poured their hearts into.

The story of 1UP Arcade was even featured on the acclaimed documentary Still Standing, showcasing the passion and resilience behind the scenes. (If you haven’t watched it yet, now’s the perfect time.)

Mainstream media also took notice, with A Current Affair airing a segment about the closure on April 23rd, highlighting just how much 1UP meant to Brisbane’s cultural and entertainment landscape.


source: A Current Affair on YouTube

Our thoughts are with Stephen and everyone involved with 1UP Arcade. It’s a massive loss not just for Brisbane, but for the retro gaming world at large.

image source: 1UP Arcade (via Facebook)

Thrill Of The Chase: Pulp Fiction BMF LE Pinball Machine

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Worth the Wait: Our Pulp Fiction Pinball Adventure!

Some things in life are totally worth the wait—like the perfect coffee, a great concert, or finally getting your hands on that dream pinball machine. In this case, we waited almost TWO YEARS (yes, you read that right!) for our Pulp Fiction Bad Mother Flipper Limited Edition pinball machine (Ed: Wow, that name is a mouthful!).

The Thrill of the Chase

Our quest began in March 2023, when a fateful social media post set our pinball-loving hearts racing. A new machine was coming, designed by Mark Ritchie (yes, THAT Mark Ritchie!) from Play Mechanix, under the umbrella of RAW Thrills, and manufactured by Chicago Gaming Company.

When I hit play on the official trailer, Ms. Ausretrogamer happened to walk past. Her reaction?
💥 “We HAVE to get this!”
💥 “We HAVE to get the Limited Edition with that amazing topper!”

Well, as a certified pinball tragic, I didn’t need much convincing. The only problem? Securing one.

A Little Pinball Luck

Call it fate, serendipity, or just good timing—Wayne from Mr. Pinball Australia sent out an email just an hour after the trailer dropped. He had all the details on how to lock in an order, and I wasn’t about to waste a second.

My reply? “Lock us in for a Bad Mother Flipper Limited Edition!”. Deposit paid. Order confirmed. Now all we had to do was… wait.

The Agonising Wait

At first, we were optimistic. Production was supposed to kick off in late 2023—perfect timing for an epic Christmas surprise! But as the weeks turned into months, doubts started creeping in. Pinball forums buzzed with news of delays, and it became clear that our patience was about to be seriously tested.

So shiny (and new)!

23 Months Later… Jackpot!

As the saying goes, “Good things come to those who wait”—and in this case, 23 months of waiting!

Then, the moment we’d been dreaming of finally arrived: an email confirming our machine was ready for pickup! 🎉 The excitement was REAL. Seeing that notification pop up put a massive grin on my face—and on Ms. Ausretrogamer’s too!

We had done it. We had secured one of our dream pinball machines, and now it was finally coming home to the Ausretrogamer Fun Factory.

Was it worth the wait? Absolutely. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’ve got some flippin’ to do! 😎🎮

‘Ninja Gaiden Shadow’ on Game Boy

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By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

When I was a kid, I was obsessed with ninjas. They just seemed cool to me. I wasn’t a huge fan of “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” but they were alright. For about two years, they seemed everywhere for a while. There was some oversaturation of the Ninja Turtles. The game I enjoyed the most involving ninjas was 1991’s “Ninja Gaiden Shadow” for Nintendo Game Boy.

I’ve always wondered why ninjas haven’t been used more in video games. I know there’s “Ghost of Tsushima,” one of the biggest and most beautifully designed games out there. But there’s not as many games that feature ninjas as you’d think.

When you’re playing a ninja game on your Game Boy, it takes a great deal of concentration, and the Game Boy’s screen is so tiny anyway. It took a little effort to get through the different acts with Ryu Hayabusa, the protagonist of “Ninja Garden Shadow.” You’re trying to save New York City from the forces of Emperor Garuda.

“Ninja Gaiden Shadow” featured basic play workings compared to what you used in the NES trilogy. I still found the gameplay thrilling. I enjoyed using the grappling hook that allowed Ryu to latch onto the difficult-to-reach railings. It took some getting used to but once I was able to grapple better, it became easy to use, even on the Game Boy. The Fire Wheel attack that Ryu could only use five times seemed like a waste to me. It did damage, but very little. And I thought it looked sort of ridiculous.

My friends all thought that “Ninja Gaiden Shadow” was very similar to classic NES games like “Double Dragon” and “Kung Fu.” I disagreed, immensely. All three are unique in their own ways. “Ninja Gaiden Shadow” was originally planned to be a Game Boy adaptation of “Shadow of the Ninja,” the NES game. I never played it, but I heard it was fun.

image source: retrovania-vgjunk.blogspot.com

“Kill Bill” is one of my favorite movies. I’ve watched the Crazy 88 scene dozens of times. The Crazy 88 aren’t exactly ninjas, but they fight like it, and Uma Thurman’s The Bride takes them on like they are. That extended fight scene took me back to my fascination with ninjas when I was younger. “Kill Bill” could’ve been an incredible property to adapt into a video game. I’ve heard that they did a prototype for an Xbox game, but nothing came of it.

 

Chironex Studios’ GRIST Game Seeks To Recapture The PC Gaming Experience From The 1980s

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We are now even more hyped for PAX Aus 2023! If you are asking why, then let us tell you……

Growing up in the 80s, our first encounter with a desktop PC was a chunky beige box with a green monochrome CRT monitor. The keys were as loud as the disk-drive accessing the sectors on the 5.25″ floppy, and without any GUI, we had to explore this (what now seems archaic) machine through trial and error using commands that were quite foreign to us at the time. Like any kid back then, we found games to play on these old school computers, which got us hooked. Bathed in the green glow we explored different worlds, made tough decisions, and became different characters – it unleashed our imagination.

Well, an independent Australian game developer, Chironex Studios is seeking to recapture those early days of PC gaming with their new game, Grist!

GRIST is a digital boardgame-slash-rpg about surviving as a Starship Commander in a universe where the secrets of faster-than-light-travel have been lost to time and conflict. Voyage across the galaxy sending out your crew on missions, recovering artifacts of the pre-collapse civilisation, and pushing back the terrors that lurk in the dark between worlds. All the while deciding which parts of your humanity you will keep, and which will be traded for one more year of life among the stars.

GRIST combines vintage ascii terminal style graphics with a synthwave soundtrack for an iconic ascii-wave aesthetic. Gameplay features include a unique positioning based combat system, multiple-choice events with long-tail outcomes, strategic hand-optimization, and a variety of different scenarios to test your abilities.

Currently in development by Chironex Studios, GRIST is planned for an Early Access release in late 2023, so add it to your Steam wishlist right now! And if you are going to PAX Aus in a few weeks, then make sure you head to Booth 16 in the Indie area (Expo Hall) to speak to the developer and check out GRIST!

image source: Chironex Studios



Lego Ideas: Retro Arcade

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Now this Lego Ideas entry we really really like! What’s there not to like about a Lego set that tugs on the ole nostalgic heartstrings.

The Retro Arcade Lego Ideas entry by If You Build It received the magical 10K votes, so right now, it is officially in the review (by Lego) stage! If you voted for the Retro Arcade, we thank you from the bottom of our 8-bit heart.

With the Retro Arcade project qualifying for the Second 2023 Review, we all have our fingers crossed that the powers at Lego vote with a resounding YES!

It goes without saying, we’ll keep you posted on the outcome!

source: Lego Ideas – Retro Arcade



Clever Geeky (and Sarcastic) T-Shirts

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Woohoo, gotta love the end of the working week (unless you work on weekends, which may or may not suck)!

Anyway, what’s better than hitting an online store to grab some very clever (and quite sarcastic & ironic geeky) t-shirts while the weather is still warm in the land Down Under?!

We trawled through heaps of pretty darn clever tees on GEEKSOUTFIT™ to select some of our favourites – what do you think?

image source: GEEKSOUTFIT™

 



An Audacious Games Room Setup!

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Well now that we have seen everything that 2023 has to offer, let’s get to 2024!

Seeing this amazing creation on Twitter this morning totally blew our mind. The engineering feat is off the charts. We wonder if this is Duke Nukem’s games room…….

And before you start screaming about aspect ratios, just chill, relax and be in awe of this crazily awesome thingamajig!