Old School

Night Trap: The Cult SEGA CD Classic Returns

12/08/2017 By ausretrogamer

Soooooo, were you one of the (un)lucky thousands of gamers to snag yourself the FMV (Full Motion Video) Sega CD cult classic, Night Trap? If you managed to get one, then you better get ready for some voyeuristic cheesiness!

For those of you thinking, “what the f… is Night Trap?”, welllllll, let us bring you up to speed: Night Trap has players take the role of a special agent tasked to watch over teenage girls visiting a house which, unbeknownst to them, is full of danger. Players watch live surveillance footage of the house and trigger traps to capture anyone seen endangering the girls. The primary antagonists are Augers, vampiric beings hellbent on capturing the girls for their blood. The player can freely switch their view between different cameras to keep watch over the girls and eavesdrop on conversations to follow the story and listen for clues.

Night Trap was the first interactive movie released for the Sega CD / Mega CD and one of the primary games responsible for popularising full-motion video (FMV) games 25 years ago. We can all thank Night Trap for causing controversy at the time which inevitably led to the creation of the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB).

OK, if you missed this Limited Run Games remastered Night Trap for the PS4, don’t fret, you can still play the original.

The original voyeuristic game, Night Trap

Retro Gamer Issue 171 is Out Now!

11/08/2017 By ausretrogamer

Extra! Extra! Read All About It! The latest Retro Gamer, issue 171 has hit the physical and virtual newsstands!

We are huge fans of Retro Gamer covers, but this one takes the cake – it is simply awesome! Behind this gorgeous cover you’ll find a myriad of retro gaming features to satisfy your nostalgia hunger. Still not convinced? Here is a taste of what’s inside this issue:

The Kings Of Donkey Kong – We quiz the high scores past and present about Nintendo’s hit arcade game.
Pushing The Limits: R-Type (Spectrum)
SNES Mini Feature
Making Of Saboteur II
Hardware Heaven: Sinclaur QL
Licence To Thrill: Aliens
Archives: Introversion Software
Making Of Wild Guns
In The Chair: Simon Phipps.
Ultimate Guide: Zaxxon
Peripheral Vision: Super Scope
Retro Revival: Shadowfax
Making Of Arch Rivals
Retro Revival: Super Adventure Island
The Unconverter: Spider-Man The Videogame
Lost In Translation: Enduro Racer (Master System)
Future Classic: Undertale
Retroinspection: PocketStation
Minoirty Report: Game Boy Advance
Retro Revival: Dungeon Explorer
Back To The Noughties: August 2000
Classic Moments: Mischief Makers

source: Retro Gamer

Let’s Get Physical with Wonder Boy The Dragon’s Trap

01/08/2017 By ausretrogamer

Hold onto your swords peeps, Limited Run Games will be releasing physical copies of Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap on the PS4 this Friday (August 4) – North American time (midnight Friday in Australia) !

There will be 5,000 copies of the Standard Edition and 3,000 of the Collector’s Edition with limits (per customer) to ensure everyone has a fair chance of grabbing this wonderful game!

Standard Edition: 5,000 copies, with a limit of two per customer!

Collector’s Edition: 3,000 copies with a limit of one per customer!

source: Limited Run Games

New Atari 8-bit Games in AtariAge Store

20/07/2017 By ausretrogamer

If your Atari 2600, 5200 or 7800 is screaming out for new games, then we have some good news for you!

Go and check out the AtariAge store right now as they have a swag of new games that have just arrived for your trusty Atari 8-bit systems.

Still not convinced? OK then, here is the list of games available to feed your chosen Atari console:

Atari 2600

Anguna: Defeat the Goblin King in this Zelda-like fantasy action-adventure for the 2600.
Assembloids 2600: An addictive, fast-paced reaction game for the whole family and high score fanatics!
Drive!: Escape the crumbling temple with your treasure, driving over the bridge as fast as you can!
The Gizzle Wap: You must remove the Strange Red Tree and defeat the Invicta!
L.E.M.: The L.E.M. never failed in any mission assigned to it. Can you keep its record untarnished?
Panky the Panda: Your brother has been kidnapped by poachers — can you save him in time?
Scramble: How far can you invade our Scramble system?

Atari 5200

Ratcatcher: The city sewer has been overrun by nasty critters, grab some friends and clean it out!

Atari 7800

Bentley Bear’s Crystal Quest: Defeat Berthilda again in your quest to find all the Crystals of Life!
Super Circus AtariAge: Big Doings Under The Big Top! How good are your reflexes?
T:ME Salvo: Far into the future, save the Eloi from the evil Morlocks!

There is something for everyone in this lot! It’s a great time to be a retro gamer.

NES Classic Hoodie: Now You Can Wear The Power!

14/07/2017 By ausretrogamer

Merchoid, the videogame merchandise specialist, has revealed their new official ‘Nintendo NES Classic Hoodie’.

Inspired by the classic gaming console, which saw a limited re-release last year, the hoodie is available to preorder from Merchoid now for £44.99/€54.99/$54.99 and ships in September (shipping is free to anywhere on the planet!). Featuring clean lines, body panelling, two front pockets and NES button detailing on the front, its elegant design will ensure it becomes an instant classic.

Merchoid’s Community Manager Jessica Adams says of the new hoodie “Re-enter an 8-bit 80s wonderland, where Mario is king, gloves are controllers and some of the best gaming experiences are a cartridge push away. And what better way to embrace your 80s nostalgia than representing your favorite console in one stylish hoodie? Now you’re playing with power!”

The ‘Nintendo: NES “Console Inspired Hoodie’ is available to preorder from Merchoid.com now.

Key features of ‘Nintendo: NES Console Inspired Hoodie’.

New design based on the NES Console
Available to preorder from Merchoid.com now for £44.99/€54.99/$54.99
Officially licensed by Nintendo
Releases September 2017

source: Merchoid

The Time Mattel Made A Pinball Machine

27/04/2017 By ausretrogamer

What the hell – Mattel made pinball machines? Well, A pinball machine! Yeah, that’s right, Mattel dipped their toe in the pinball market with their one (and only), Las Vegas Pinball!

We only ever associated Mattel with the Intellivision and our fave childhood action figures, Masters Of The Universe, so when we stumbled upon this anomaly, we thought we’d let the rest of you know (Ed: unless you all already knew!).

Before you get excited, Mattel Electronics’ Las Vegas Pinball was never intended for commercial use, hence why you may not have seen it at your local pinball parlour. The playfield is standard fare for a pinball machine of this vintage (the late 70s) – couple of pop bumpers, slingshots and four stand-up targets to keep you flipping.

The interesting part about this Mattel pinball machine is the ability to select one of three game versions (similar to modes on modern machines), Beginner’s Luck, Cool Hand or High Roller. Coupled with selecting the game version, Mattel also included a handicap switching system, allowing players to select a choice of 3, 4, or 5 balls for their turn at play. This feature allowed competing players to give any player a handicap advantage of one or two extra balls, if desired.

Mattel had another cool feature called Double Or Nothing, which could only be used once during a game – prior to shooting a ball into play, the player presses a button on the front of the cabinet to activate this option for that ball only. Then, lighting all four targets doubles the player’s score. Failure to light all four targets penalises the player of all the points earned on that ball. Sounds pretty cool to us!

Which ever way you look at it, this Mattel Electronics Las Vegas Pinball machine was quite nifty for its time – we just hope we find one in our travels so we can have a go!

Have you played this pinball machine? If you have, tell us what you thought of it on Twitter or Facebook.

source: IPDB

The Atari PONG Coffee Table – It’s Not Just A Game

02/03/2017 By ausretrogamer

UPDATE: Since this article was published, the Atari PONG coffee table crowdfunding campaign has been moved to Kickstarter (from IndieGoGo)!

Make way traditional coffee table, there is a new and fun coffee table in town!

If you are sick of the bland look and the one dimensional use of your current coffee table, then the retro futuristic Atari PONG game coffee table is for you.

Before you start casting aspersions, this is not your average DIY-Arcade-Cocktail-Table people make out of Ikea furniture (Ed: not that there is anything wrong with that!). This Atari PONG coffee table is WAY more than that – it is a physical implementation of the classic Atari video game! Think of it as a playable, mechanical homage to one of the first video games. The coffee table doesn’t just have an iconic game built in, it is totally multi-functional with four USB ports, Bluetooth for music streaming, clock and all of this in a great looking retro futuristic design.

Originally developed as a tribute to the iconic game, the plan of Table Pong Project was to bring back the same experiences you used to get when playing the digital version, with awesome retro sounds, bouncing lights and maintaining the same mechanics that stay true to the original gameplay. This coffee table won’t just be used for holding your books, laptops, drinks, food or your tired feet, no siree, this gorgeous thing will also reunite family and friends by stimulating social interactions, just like the old Atari VCS/2600 console did.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that this Atari PONG coffee table uses archaic technologies to bring it to life. Thanks to modern electronics, electric motors and magnetic fields, the Table Pong Project has managed to create a playable real-life coffee-pong table that is stylish and super fun!

With a smidge under 30 days left on the Kickstarter campaign, you still have a chance to grab yourself a piece of history which your family room will thank you for.

Hmm, there is a hard waste collection coming to our suburb, so it will be out with the old and in with the new (old). We definitely want to join the revolution! *wink*

source: Table Pong Project

Contra: Celebrating 30 Years Of Awesomeness

20/02/2017 By ausretrogamer

Contra, Gryzor or Probotector. No matter what name you know this classic Konami run and gun game by, you will definitely remember it as one tough mother of a game! Konami had an instant hit on their hands when they released the arcade machine on this day [February 20] in 1987. Happy 30th anniversary Contra, you irresistible force!

For those that have been away from Earth since early 1987, here is the lowdown on Contra:

Midnight, September 12 2631. The Marines catch sight of a small-sized meteorite that is fast approaching Earth. The meteorite plummets 20km north-east of New Zealand, at the Gal Mosquito Archipelago. The command keep watch of the meteorite.

Two years later, in December 2633, an intruder known as the Red Falcon is occupying the Gal Mosquito Archipelago and is planning the fall of mankind. Command orders confidential investigations at the enemy’s front base. The marine post orders for two “Contra” soldiers, Private First Class Bill “Mad Dog” Rizer and Private First Class Lance “Scorpion” Bean on a mission. The mission being: penetrate the insides of the enemy, destroy the front base and the entire centre of operation.

image source: GameFAQs

A Retro Gamer’s Stroll Through 80s Yakuza 0

11/02/2017 By ausretrogamer

Before we begin, let’s set the record straight – I have never played a Yakuza game! Yep, you read that right. You may throw out a “WTF?” at this point, and you’d be justified in asking exactly that – what the fudge, dude?

Well, I won’t bore you with why I haven’t played any of the previous Yakuza games (you can blame it all on those retro games I keep playing!), but at least you’ll get a perspective from a player experiencing the franchise for the very first time! I come into the Yakuza universe as a total noob, so go easy on me.

The vibrant lights of Pink Street!

So,”What’s this Yakuza 0 all about anyway?”, I ask myself. Well, first and foremost, I had heard that this prequel Yakuza action game, dubbed Zero, was set in the 80s, my favourite decade! That was enough to pique my interest in the game, so I thought I’d jump in the deep end and have a go!

Sobering up some drunkards, the old fashioned way!

Beating up peeps can work up a thirst

From a noob’s point of view, Yakuza 0 eases the player into the game with great cutscene sequences that set the narrative for the protagonist, Kazuma Kiryu, or simply just Kiryu. Obviously the title gives it away, Kiryu is a yakuza, a lowly debt collector for the Dojima Family (of the Tojo Clan). Kiryu is framed for murder and is then used as a pawn by a bent crime family lieutenant who aspires to be top dog. I’ll spare you the rest as I don’t want to spoil it for you!

Visiting the ‘family’!

No mobile phones in 1988, so pay phones were the best way to conduct business on the streets

I’ll be honest, I really wanted to play Yakuza 0 to roam the streets of 1988 Kamurocho, the notorious redlight district of Tokyo – to explore its karaoke bars, dart parlours and of course, its amusement centres – Club Sega and Hi-Tech Land were high on my list so I could play some (well, a lot of) Out Run! I really didn’t care for the story as to why I was setup for murder and the whole Empty Lot business.

Smoking can kill you! So can a bent lieutenant…

But before I could explore Kamurocho, I would have to dispense some good old fashioned beat-downs to street punks and hoodlums that were dumb enough to move in on my turf. Oh yeah, cash is earned the more peeps you beat up. These fight sections definitely reminded me of classic Dreamcast brawling action games, just like Shenmue. And just like Shenmue, it’s fun to explore the vibrant city you find yourself in.

Giving the vocal chords are work out with some karaoke

What I wasn’t counting on was the game’s ability to suck me into its story-line and its fascinating characters. I had to put the idea of exploration and playing Out Run to one side, as I set my sights on finding the people that framed me for murder and then confronting the bent Dojima lieutenant, Kuze. To say that I was now hooked on Yakuza 0 would be a gross understatement. With about 80 hours of gameplay, I have a way to go, and that is before I even touch any sidequests! So if you excuse me, I need to get back to being a yakuza and kick ten shades out of some really bad people.

Behold, the holy grail of arcades!

Damn, it’s closed. Can’t wait to play some Out Run!

image source: Yakuza 0

Movieland Arcade: A Hit Of Nostalgia In Vancouver

02/02/2017 By ausretrogamer

Ah Vancouver, the city of many cruise ships and retirees boarding these massive vessels! This post has been a long time coming, but that’s because we’ve been distracted – till now!

Continuing on with cool places we visited while on our North American trip (like the Seattle Pinball Museum, Toy Shack and A Gamer’s Paradise in Vegas), the city of Vancouver delivered its own piece of gaming nostalgia via the Movieland Arcade!

There are some amusement centres that are stuck in a bygone era, a period of time when arcade parlours in the 80s were lined with machines, both of the arcade and pinball kind, checkered linoleum flooring, cheeky signage, an attendants booth for exchanging your notes for coins and of course, the smell. Well, it is safe to say that Movieland Arcade encapsulates this 80s era perfectly.

Situated at the hipster end of Granville Street in central Vancouver, Movieland Arcade cannot be missed – its distinct red tile facade enticing you to go in and experience some real gaming nostalgia. With pinball tables and arcade machines ranging from the 70s to the late 90s, you better exchange your notes for a shed-load of coins as you will want to play them all!

Movieland Arcade reminded us of the arcade joints we used to frequent in the 80s on Swanston Street and Russell Street in the centre of Melbourne. Unlike those arcade joints going the way of the dodo, Vancouver can count itself lucky with a place like the Movieland Arcade.

Whoa, we spot Movieland Arcade across the road!