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PAX Aus 2015 Primer: We’re Back, Again!

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PAXAus_2015_titleJust like Arnie famously said, “I’ll be back” – well, we’ll be back too for our third straight PAX Aus event! Since the first PAX Aus in 2013, the ausretrogamer team is once again teaming up with the Retro Domination boys and the Weird and Retro crew for 2015 to bring you an even more awesome Classic Gaming area!

All your favourite retro gaming systems from Atari, Commodore, Sega and Nintendo (to name just a few) will be back on freeplay! For this year, the old school consoles and computers will be complemented by an array of ‘other’ bigger (and badder) machines that will inject even more nostalgia into the area. We can’t say too much at this stage, but be ready to be blown away!

With a stellar lineup of systems, games and tournaments, this year’s PAX Aus is sure to be another event you cannot miss! Hope to see you guys there!

Event: PAX Aus 2015
Date: Oct 30 – Nov 1, 2015
Where: Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC)

If you want to reminisce about previous PAX Aus events, then get into your time machine and punch in 2013 and 2014 right now!

PaxAus_ClassicArea_2015image source: Blow The Cartridge

PAX Aus 2014: Highlights

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The curtain may have been drawn on PAX Aus 2014, but it doesn’t mean that we should relegate it to the back of our collective minds. On the contrary, we should be proud and reflect on another fantastic and successful event. PAX Aus 2015 can wait for now, this is PAX Aus 2014‘s time to shine.

There was lots of media attention and praise for this year’s event, and all for good reason – there was the bigger and better equipped premises, great variety of exhibitors, awesome and interesting panels and of course the volunteers that were there to help anyone seeking their assistance.

PAX_1Classic

PAX_2For the ausretrogamer crew, the Classic Gaming area was again the biggest highlight – yes, we are biased! I am betting that a lot of people would agree with me. Unfortunately, due to an emergency we were unable to attend on the Friday and Saturday. With that said, we would like to recognise the effort (and great support) we were afforded by our fellow retro gaming brethren from Retrospekt, Retro Domination and Weird and Retro – you guys rock!

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PAX_10We finally made a showing on the Sunday. As soon as we arrived we were gobsmacked by the enormity of the expo and the number of people present. From the Expo Hall to the Freeplay and Tabletop areas, people were just having fun – which is a great endorsement for an event. It was great to have the entire expo under one (Ed: massive) roof. We attended Weird and Retro’s retro roadshow (a personal fave of mine) and toured the floor of the expo. The Indie area was another highlight, as the games that were on show were nothing short of spectacular. All the heavy hitters of the industry were present, with their areas full to the gills with eager punters trying to get a glimpse of the latest and greatest games and equipment.

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PAX_4Finally, the Classic Gaming area. We were taken aback by the sheer size of our patch. With the additional real estate, we were able to configure the tables and systems to be very inviting and relaxing (Ed: Oh those beanbags!). The Classic Gaming crew reflected on the area in the recent Retro Domination podcast, which you can listen to over here.

For now, enjoy the visions from another successful PAX Aus event (Ed: If you missed out on this year’s PAX, check out the interactive walk-through video at the bottom of this article). Hope to see you all at PAX Aus 2015!

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Source: BenchMinecraft


Source: hellfire64 (Rob Caporetto)
Image source: Rob Caporetto

 

 

The River Raid Champion of PAX Aus 2014

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They say that the Melbourne Cup (horse race) stops the nation, but last weekend at PAX Aus, it was Rob Caporetto that stopped every contender by becoming the C64 River Raid champion.

Just like the favourites in the famous horse race, Rob was a sure thing for the River Raid high score challenge. His favouritism provided modest odds, but I still put the house as surety of his win.

To ensure there was a level playing field, the contestants were using a Wico Boss joystick. Rob managed to amass a respectable high score of 36,520 with many bridges crossed. I am sure Carol Shaw would have been proud, if she’d been there.

Well done Rob!

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PAX Aus 2014: It’s On Like Donkey Kong

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PAX Aus 2014 is (almost) here people! There was a certain buzz today as exhibitors were scrambling to set up their respective areas.

Speaking of which, the Classic Gaming area was coming along quite nicely, thanks to our fellow retroholics from Retro Domination, Retrospekt and Weird and Retro.

Here are a few sneaky behind-the-scenes pics. Enjoy and hope to see a few of you at PAX Aus 2014!

This is where it’s at!
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Welcome to the Classic Gaming area!
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Big, isn’t it?
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Yep, the Amiga is working sweet
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I now feel like a nice greasy burger!
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Might sneak in some SNES action….
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Another console is ready for action!
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Hard working retro gamers
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Gotta play old school games on old school TVs
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System vitals!
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Last minute testing. She works fine.
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Get your program and we’ll see you at PAX Aus 2014!
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Weird and Retro presents: The Retro Roadshow at PAX Aus 2014

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WaR_Retro_RoadshowLookout Antiques Roadshow, Weird and Retro is coming at ya with their even cooler Retro Roadshow at PAX Aus 2014!

Don’t worry about bringing your grandmother’s ‘Torquay Fake’ porcelain deer to this roadshow, Weird and Retro want you to bring along and showcase your rarest or weirdest items from your retro (and not so retro) video games collection!

Pack your weird or rare items and bring them along to show them off at the Retro Roadshow at PAX Aus on November 2nd 2014 at 12:30pm in the Kookaburra Theatre. See you there!

 

Classic Gaming at PAX Aus 2014

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PAXAUS2014_HdrHey PAX Aus peeps! Maps are now available for the 2014 event! Make sure you come around to our Classic Gaming area for a nostalgic hit.

For those of you that like panels, you can catch a few of us from Retrospekt, Retro Domination and yours truly at the Best [retro] video games you’ve [probably] never played panel on Saturday, November 1st at 11:00am in the Kookaburra Theatre. Oh yeah, Weird And Retro has a couple of awesome panels too, so be there or be a pixelated square!

PAX Aus 2014: October 31 – November 2, 2014 at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre.

Click map to enlarge
Classic Gaming at PAX Aus 2014 no.3

PAX Aus: Bigger, Badder, Better for 2014

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It was a year to the day when the first international PAX event left American shores bound for Melbourne, Australia! It was a privilege to exhibit with our fellow retrohilcs, Retrospekt and Retro Domination at PAX Aus 2013. We had lots of fun, and it seems, from the feedback, you did too. Our Classic Consoles (Retro Museum) popularity did not go unnoticed – the PAX crew immediately invited us to do it again for 2014.

Being at a new venue and new event dates (Oct 31 – Nov 2), this year’s PAX Aus will be bigger, badder and better! See you at PAX Aus 2014.

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Happy Holidays 2013

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It is that time of year. The time of year when you are supposed to be relaxed and very merry. If you are lucky enough to be on holidays and enjoying the festive season, lucky you!

For me, this time of year is always good to reflect on the last twelve months. Apart from reflecting on personal matters (which I am keeping to myself), for me, the main (retro gaming) highlight of 2013 was our participation in the very first PAX Australia event. The inaugural event was an absolute blast and we will no doubt be back, bigger and better for PAX Aus 2014! Other vintage gaming highlights included the capture (at last!) of the Vectrex and SX64.

Well, Santa is almost here, so I will take this opportunity to thank you all for your patronage – it is truly awesome and appreciated. I wish you all a very merry Christmas and all the best for 2014! Stay safe, be merry and game on!

 

PAX AUS 2013 Classic Consoles In All Their Glory: Part 3

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In part 1 we covered the Intellivision-II (1982) to the Amiga 500 (1987) and in part 2 we covered the PC Engine (1987) to the Atari Jaguar (1993).

In part 3 we will finish off our tour of the PAX AUS 2013 Classic Consoles. We will start with the Sega Genesis CDX (1994) and end with the NUON (Samsung DVD-N501) (2001).

Sega Genesis CDX
Sega Genesis CDX
  • The Sega Genesis CDX was released by Sega only in the U.S. in April 1994 (it was released elsewhere as the ‘Sega Multi-Mega’). This console was a combination of the Sega Genesis and Sega CD into one unit. Unique to this model was its additional functionality as a portable CD player.
  • List of Sega CD games.
  • Media: CD-ROM, CD+G.
  • Reference: Wikipedia
Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
  • The Sega Saturn was released by Sega in November 1994 in Japan, May 1995 in North America and July 1995 in Europe.
  • The Saturn sold 9.4 million units Worldwide.
  • While it was popular in Japan, the Saturn failed to gain a similar market share in North America and Europe against its main competitors: Sony’s PlayStation and later the Nintendo 64.
  • Discontinued: Japan – 2000, North America and Europe – 1998.
  • Media: CD-ROM, CD+G.
  • Best selling game: Virtua Fighter 2.
  • Reference: Wikipedia
Sony Playstation
Sony Playstation
  • The Sony PlayStation was released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan in December 1994, in Australia, North America, and Europe in 1995.
  • Developer: Ken Kutaragi.
  • The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices.
  • Discontinued: December 2006.
  • Over 100 million units sold Worldwide.
  • Media: CD-ROM (black CD).
  • Best-selling game: Gran Turismo.
  • By the late 1990s, Sony became a highly regarded console brand due to the PlayStation, with a significant lead over second-place Nintendo.
  • The PlayStation was the best selling console of all time from 1998 until 2006, when it was surpassed by its successor the PlayStation 2.
  • Reference: Wikipedia
Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
  • The Nintendo 64 (a.k.a. N64), named for its 64-bit CPU, was Nintendo‘s third home video game console for the international market.
  • The Nintendo 64 was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia.
  • It was Nintendo’s last home console to use ROM cartridges to store games.
  • It primarily competed with the PlayStation and the Sega Saturn.
  • Discontinued in Japan in 2002, and Europe, North America and Australia in 2003.
  • Over 32 million units sold Worldwide.
  • Best selling game: Super Mario 64 (11.62 million).
  • Media: Nintendo 64 Game Pak.
  • Reference: Wikipedia
SNS101 & SF Jr
SNS101 & SF Jr
  • The SNS-101 model of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (a.k.a. the SNES 2, the SNES Mini or SNES Jr.) is a compact redesign of the original Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) video game console from Nintendo.
  • It was released in North America in October 1997.
  • The SNS-101 model is stylistically similar to the Super Famicom Jr., which was released in Japan five months later.
  • The SNS-101 is quite unusual in that it is perhaps the only known example of a Nintendo console having fake/counterfeit clones posing as a genuine console. Most clone consoles usually adopt different names or case designs, however with the SNS-101 almost every detail was copied and reproduced to some degree — including the packaging.
  • The Super Famicom Jr. was a redesign of the original Super Famicom video game console and was released in Japan in 1998.
  • The Super Famicom Jr. was lighter and more compact redesign of the original Super Famicom console.
  • Reference: Wikipedia
Sega Dreamcast
Sega Dreamcast
  • The Sega Dreamcast was released by Sega in November 1998 in Japan, and 1999 in North America, Europe and Australia.
  • Discontinued: March 2001.
  • 10.6 million units sold Worldwide.
  • Media CD, 1.2 GB GD-ROM.
  • Best-selling game Sonic Adventure.
  • The Dreamcast was Sega’s last home console to date.
  • The Dreamcast was chosen as the best console ever by PC Magazine.
  • Developer: Sega hardware engineer Hideki Sato.
  • The Dreamcast introduced numerous features that would be standard to future consoles. All models were shipped with modems allowing users to browse the net and play games online via dedicated server through SegaNet (Dreamarena in Europe), a precursor to services such as PS2 Network and Xbox Live.
  • Reference: Wikipedia
Samsung Nuon
Samsung DVD-N501 Nuon
  • The NUON (Samsung DVD-N501) was released in 2001.
  • NUON was a technology developed by VM Labs that adds features to a DVD player. In addition to viewing DVDs, one can play 3D video games and use enhanced DVD navigational tools such as zoom and smooth scanning of DVD playback.
  • NUON DVD players were supposed to be the “all-in-one” digital media experience.
  • One of the NUON’s main software developers was Jeff Minter, who created a version of Tempest entitled Tempest 3000 for the system, and the built-in VLM-2 audio visualizer.
  • Eight games were released for the NUON:
  • Reference: Wikipedia & RF Generation

There you have it, 28 classic consoles, brought to you by four retro loving minded groups at one huge event. If yo thought PAX Aus 2013 was great, wait till you see what we have in store for the Classic Consoles area next year. Roll on PAX Aus 2014!

Classic Consoles supplied by: ausretrogamer, Retrospekt, Retro Domination and Retro Gaming Australia

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msausretrogamerMs. ausretrogamer
Editor and Researcher at ausretrogamer – The Australian Retro Gamer E-Zine. Lover of science fiction, fashion, books, movies and TV. Player of games, old and new.

Follow Ms. ausretrogamer on Twitter

 

 

PAX AUS 2013 Classic Consoles In All Their Glory: Part 2

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In part 1 of ‘PAX AUS 2013 Classic Consoles In All Their Glory’, we covered the Intellivision-II (1982) to the Amiga 500 (1987). In this installment we will start with the PC Engine (1987) and end with Atari’s final console, the Jaguar (1993).

PC-Engine [left]
PC Engine [left]
  • TurboGrafx-16, originally known in Japan as the ‘PC Engine’, is a video game console developed by Hudson Soft and NEC, released in Japan in October 1987, and in North America in August 1989.
  • Discontinued: 1994.
  • Media: HuCard (Turbo Chip in North America): A thin, card-like game medium, about the size of a credit card; and CD-ROM (only with the CD-ROM² add-on): The PC Engine CD was the first home video game console to offer a CD-ROM accessory.
  • New games were released for the PC Engine up until 1999.
  • Reference: Wikipedia
Sega Mega Drive
Sega Mega Drive
  • The Sega Mega Drive was released by Sega in 1988 in Japan, 1989 in North America, and in Europe and other regions in 1990. The name “Genesis” was used in North America because Sega had been unable to secure legal rights to the Mega Drive name there.
  • Successor to the Sega Master System.
  • Discontinued: 1997.
  • Units sold: Estimated from 37.4 to over 41.9 million.
  • Media: ROM cartridge.
  • Best selling game: Sonic the Hedgehog (15 million).
  • List of Sega Mega Drive games
  • Reference: Wikipedia
Neo Geo AES
Neo Geo AES
  • The Neo Geo AES console was released by SNK in January 1990 in Japan and in North America and Europe in 1991.
  • Discontinued: 2004.
  • Compared to other contemporary home consoles, Neo Geo’s graphics and sound were largely superior.
  • Media: ROM cartridge.
  • The Neo Geo was the first home game console to feature a removable memory card for saved games.
  • There is a thriving collector’s scene for the Neo Geo home systems, it common for Neo Geo consoles and cartridges to fetch extremely high prices on eBay, particularly English versions of cartridges as these were produced in lower quantities. A handful of the rarest Neo Geo games can sell for well over $1,000 on eBay. The most valuable game is Kizuna Encounter.
  • Reference: Wikipedia
Amstrad GX4000
Amstrad GX4000
  • The GX4000 was released in Europe in September 1990 and represented Amstrad‘s first and only attempt at entering the console market. The console failed to gain popularity, selling 15,000 units in total. Within a few weeks of the initial launch, the system could be bought at discounted prices, and by July 1991 some stores were selling it for as little as £29.99. It was discontinued in 1991.
  • Only 27 games were produced and distributed for the GX4000. Notable titles were the pack-in title: Burnin’ Rubber as well as RoboCop 2, Pang, Plotting, Navy Seals and Switchblade.
  • Reference: Wikipedia
PC-Engine Duo R [right]
PC-Engine Duo R [right]
  • The PC Engine Duo R, released in Japan in 1993, was a combination PC Engine + CD ROM system + System 3.0 card. Compared to the PC Engine Duo (released in 1991), the Duo R had a more streamlined case style which was white/beige (the original Duo case was dark grey).
  • Reference: Wikipedia
Amiga CD32
Amiga CD32
  • The CD32 was released by Commodore in September 1993; however, bankruptcy of Commodore International in April 1994 caused it to be discontinued only months after its debut.
  • List of Games on the Amiga CD32.
  • Approximately 100 000 were sold in Europe.
  • Media: CD-ROM.
  • Using 3rd-party devices, it is possible to upgrade the CD32 with keyboard, floppy drive, hard drive and mouse, turning it into an Amiga 1200 personal computer.
  • Reference: Wikipedia
3DO
3DO
  • The 3DO Interactive Multiplayer (often called the Panasonic 3DO) was released in North America by The 3DO Company in October 1993, and in Japan and Europe 1994.
  • The system was conceived by entrepreneur and Electronic Arts founder Trip Hawkins.
  • Instead of The 3DO Company producing the console themselves, they licensed other manufacturers to produce them. Panasonic produced the first models in 1993, and further renditions of the hardware were released in 1994 by Sanyo and GoldStar (now LG).
  • Discontinued: December 31, 1996.
  • Units sold: 2 million.
  • Media: CD-ROM.
  • Reference: Wikipedia
NES Topl Loader
NES Top Loader (NES-101)
  • The NES-101 model of the Nintendo Entertainment System is a compact, top-loading redesign of the original Nintendo Entertainment System control deck and game controllers released by Nintendo in 1993.
  • The NES-101 controller, due to its shape, is often nicknamed the “dogbone” or “doggie” controller.
  • Retail availability: October 1993 – March 1994.
  • Media: ROM cartridge (“Game Pak”).
  • Predecessor: Nintendo Entertainment System NES-001.
  • Successor: Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES).
  • The most obvious change from the NES-001 was the removal of the cartridge-loading system that caused trouble in maintenance and game-swapping. The NES-101 returned to the standard top-loading method, used by almost all cartridge systems before and since for its ease and reliability.
  • Reference: Wikipedia
jaguar
Atari Jaguar
  • The Atari Jaguar is a video game console that was released by Atari Corporation in November 1993 in New York City and San Francisco, and the rest of the country in early 1994. It was the last to be marketed under the Atari brand until the release of the Atari Flashback in 2004.
  • Although it was marketed as the first 64-bit gaming system, the Jaguar proved to be a commercial failure and prompted Atari to leave the home video game console market. Despite its commercial failure, the Jaguar has a dedicated fan base that produces homebrew games for it.
  • Discontinued: 1996.
  • Media: ROM cartridge, CD-ROM (Add-On).
  • Units sold: 250,000 or fewer.
  • List of Atari Jaguar games.
  • Reference: Wikipedia

Stay tuned for the final part of this trilogy!

Classic Consoles supplied by: ausretrogamer, Retrospekt, Retro Domination and Retro Gaming Australia
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

msausretrogamerMs. ausretrogamer
Editor and Researcher at ausretrogamer – The Australian Retro Gamer E-Zine. Lover of science fiction, fashion, books, movies and TV. Player of games, old and new.

Follow Ms. ausretrogamer on Twitter