Australia's Retro Gaming and Pinball E-Zine
As Daniel Ibbertson (aka: Slope’s Game Room) so eloquently puts it, it’s time to drop a coin into one of the highest grossing video game franchises of all time – Pac-Man!
In this history documentary, Daniel discusses the inspiration and creation behind Namco’s flagship mascot, the troubled development between Namco and Midway when bringing him to western shores as well as the interesting backstory behind the controversial Atari 2600 port.
source: Slope’s Game Room
By: Alex Boz (Sort of Final Boss @ ausretrogamer)
Every time March 1 rolls around, I am reminded of the day I got my Nintendo 64!
It was March 1 1997 that us folks in Australia received Nintendo’s 64-bit wonder. I had done something that I had only done once before (with the Sega Mega Drive), and that is, I plonked down $400 and bought the N64 on day one! It was a special feeling getting the latest and greatest console on day one, but the realisation that the games were sold out and new stock was still a few weeks away, was a painful experience. Once Super Mario 64 hit the shelves, I could not throw my $100 fast enough to the cashier and get back home to fire up the system to see what the fuss was all about. Let’s just say that I was not disappointed.
Thankfully (or embarrassingly) someone captured my excitement upon receiving the Nintendo 64!
image source: From the Boz Family photographic archives
Even though I have fond memories of the SNES, it is the N64 which tugs more on my nostalgic heartstrings, which till this day I can’t explain why. Perhaps it is the late night Mario Kart 64 sessions with four friends or the 2P battles I had with my cousin playing Wave Race 64, or going dinosaur hunting in Turok (fog included). Whatever it was, I am thankful for the N64 giving me thousands of hours of fun, especially playing with others sitting right next to me, not on the other side of the planet via some wires. Oh yeah, the controller cops a lot of flak, but to be honest, it is one of my favourites, which made gaming on the console even better.
What are your memories of the N64 – share them with me or via Ausretrogamer on Twitter and/or Facebook.
image source: Kelamy
Not the arcade gaming news we wanted to see in 2021 – another iconic arcade building is set to close.
First it was Sega’s (GiGo) Building 2 that closed in August last year, and now as reported by SoraNews24, Taito Station’s iconic Nishi Shinjuku branch is set to close its doors on March 21st, 2021.
If you are anywhere near Shinjuku, go and check this out before it closes. Unfortunately we will never get to tick this one off our bucket list 🙁
【お客様各位】
いつも当店をご利用いただき
誠にありがとうございます。
誠に勝手ながら
タイトーステーション新宿西口店は
2021年3月21日(日)をもちまして、
閉店させていただきます。
短い期間ではございましたが
多くのお客様の
ご愛顧を賜りました事を
心より感謝申し上げます。#タイステ pic.twitter.com/TlIOThqrbI— タイトーステーション 新宿西口店 (@Taito_shinjuk_w) February 21, 2021
There are some images that need to be shared for their informative awesomeness, and this NEO•GEO games infographic is one that definitely fits that bill.
Created and shared by Ange Albertini of the Corkami Reverse Engineering and Visual Documentation github repository, this image speaks to us loud and clear! We love the fact that in one image, we can see the timeline of all the games that were released for SNK’s mighty NEO GEO.
To get a sense of this amazing graphic creation, please click on the image below to see it in its native resolution!
Are you like us, obsessed with the Atari 2600, Intellivision, NES, Sega Master System, 3DO, GameCube, Xbox, PlayStation 5 and everything in-between? Meet the inventor whose work made them all possible – Ralph Baer, creator of the first home video game system, the ‘Brown Box’ (which became the Magnavox Odyssey)!
The Boy Who Thought Outside The Box – The Story of Video Game Inventor Ralph Baer is an awesome picture-book biography of Ralph Baer, whose family fled Nazi Germany for the US. It introduces kids (Ed: and adults!) to a great inventor and the birth of the first home video games console. Using wartime technology, Baer thought outside the box and transformed the television set into a vehicle for gaming; Baer’s invention, the Odyssey, was the precursor to the Atari VCS. Today, interactive gaming systems like the Switch, Xbox and PlayStation are descendants of Ralph’s innovative ‘Brown Box,’ making this award-winning inventor the true ‘Father of Video Games.’
The hardcover book is available via Amazon for AUD$18.99.
Everyone knows by now that we love all things Star Wars, Double Dragon, Galaga and pinball, amongst many others. However, not many know that we have another love called Wizard of Wor!
We keep going back to playing Wizard of Wor on the Commodore 64, because it’s just so jolly fun and a cracking arcade conversion. Since there was never an official Wizard of Wor game released on the Amiga, lots of peeps missed out on playing a great game (Ed: unless they kept their C64 to play it on)! But don’t fret too much, as there is a top notch clone of Wizard of Wor for the Amiga, called Monsters of Terror, created by the super talented Matthias Bock (aka: flurrycow/lazycow).
Do yourself a favour, grab this game now, as it’s darn awesome!
source: WTF Game Tracks
By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.
There were a lot of “Doom” copycats after the game’s enormous success; “Bloodwings: Pumpkinhead’s Revenge” is probably the most unusual rip-off. There are moments while playing it where I’m not sure what my objective is or if there even is an objective.
Clips from the “Pumpkinhead” sequel are spliced into the game. The movie is bad, so the clips are jarring and clunky. The movie might be slightly better than the game, but neither are worth a second glance in a bargain bin at a store. The game doesn’t seem to have any purpose than to collect “Tantanik Crystals” that allow you to play the movie and then the player can grab items from the clips. Sound exciting? It’s not. The first-person view is like seeing through the Predator’s eyes, the visuals are so murky and dark red.
source: old-games.com
The game is as twisted as the terrible film. “Bloodwings” doesn’t make a lot of sense and it’s hard to follow, like so many cheap horror films. I enjoyed the first “Pumpkinhead” film, which was released in 1988. The first film, starring Lance Henriksen, is predictable at times and the plot is rather basic. Stan Winston directed “Pumpkinhead”; I always thought the evil creature in Winston’s film looked like the “Alien” franchise Xenomorph. Winston did win an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects for James Cameron’s masterpiece “Aliens” two years before he directed “Pumpkinhead.”
The “Pumpkinhead” film is corny, but it’s a fun, watchable corny. Henriksen slightly overacts when he is connected to the killer beast, but he makes it as believable as possible. Henriksen is one of those actors that you believe in every role. He brings a dramatic weight to “Pumpkinhead.” He’s a big reason why I liked Winston’s movie. The film has a great first act that pulls you in. There is nothing about the sequel or the “Bloodwings” game that is engaging.
By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.
Several years ago, my brother bought an Atari Flashback 64 console, and I became obsessed with playing the 1983 tank video game Battlezone. As crude as the first-person shooter graphics may be, the game feels like a real tank simulator (minus the volcanoes and UFOs).
I’ve always loved tank games. Usually, the more realistic ones are the most entertaining, but Battlezone’s simplicity is what makes it so fun and interesting. I didn’t know until I did some research that Battlezone is often considered the first virtual reality arcade video game. The home version doesn’t feel like virtual reality, but I can definitely see how the original 1980 arcade version can be seen as a “3-D success”. Looking through the “periscope” viewfinder, which the player used to play the game, had to be exciting and different. The originality of it had to help the player immerse themselves in the classic game. I’ve never had the pleasure of playing Battlezone in an upright arcade cabinet; I hope one day I will.
There is also a smaller version of the cabinet where the screen was angled upwards, and there was no periscope. I think I remember seeing that version of Battlezone at a local supermarket when I was little.
When I play Battlezone, I have a battle manoeuvre where I circle around and pick off enemy tanks and flying saucers, then I pick up speed in one direction for a while until something pops up on my radar. I wish the game had a better radar, but the primitiveness of it adds to the retro feel. You must be fast on the joystick’s trigger when opposing tanks just pop up on screen in front of you. Playing the ’83 game is still a challenging and thrilling experience.
Atari 2600 version of Battlezone. Source: Retro Gamer
“Tristam Island” is out now! Play Hugo Labrande’s retro text adventure on one of 36 platforms (Ed: yep, 36 platforms!), from the Commodore PET, VIC-20 and C64 to the Dreamcast! Hours of gameplay, smooth parser, digital feelies, modern game design, intrigue on a deserted island! Best bit, it is cheaper than our daily coffee intake, go and get it now!
image source: Tristam Island by Hugo Labrande via itch.io
The C64 games compilation SHOOT’EM UP DESTRUCTION SET 3 (previously released on tape + disk from Psytronik Software) is now finally available for digital download – only US$2.99 for six games – which is an absolute bargain!
You can read more about (or buy) the compilation right here, however, we thought we’d let you know about the key features about this value packed destruction set:
Oh yeah, this compilation is compatible with the original C64, THEC64 Mini, The C64 (Maxi) and your C64 emulator software!
