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Star Wars Premium Pinball You Are Like Cinnamon!

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Following on from the Diary Of A First Time Pinball Buyer feature, Nick has put pen to paper (Ed: shouldn’t that be fingers to keys?) to give us his take on owning Stern’s Star Wars Premium pinball machine.

We have now had our Stern Star Wars Premium pinball machine for 3 and a half months and have already clocked up playing over 6,400 balls or over 2100 total plays! The whole family has loved it, from my wife to our 11 and 7 year old sons. Although I still classify myself as a novice player, I have found it a really rewarding and enjoyable pin to play. Having the four different Star Wars characters and all the different missions, means it is an incredibly deep game to really engross yourself in, or just have a bash and see what happens!

As a huge fan of Star Wars, this is a very special pin to me. The artwork, playfield, excerpts from the films and the game itself, is just a terrific homage to the original Star Wars trilogy (which are arguably the best films of them all!). Stern have done a great job of making the playfield pop out and use of the screens without detracting from the mechanical elements of the game.  I also love the ramps and the hyperdrive loop, they are so satisfying to hit again and again! While playing this machine over and over again, I find new details, scenes or features that I haven’t seen before.

I still haven’t managed to blow up the Death Star – through Death Star or Endor missions, but have been one shot away (hitting the hyperdrive loop) from doing so. I have adjusted the settings to easy, so as to encourage longer play and obviously some bigger scores. Also, playing the game at night with only the pinball lighting up is really cool – the Escape from Bobba Fett mission looks pulsating and amazing when you get to it.

Except for an occasional stuck ball, the machine has been trouble free. I have also bought a cover for the machine it doesn’t get affected by UV in our gaming shed. Since I do not have the official topper, I came up with one of my own – decorating it with Return Of The Jedi themed bobble-heads! It is an evolving collection!

Star Wars Premium Pinball, you are like cinnamon!

PS: For those that don’t get the you are like cinnamon reference, check this out 😉

 

CES 2020 Unveiled – Cool Retro Tech You’ll Want To Play With

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Before the big CES 2020 event kicks off, the CES Unveiled event showcases the latest products and trends leading up to the main event.

Three products caught our attention from Arcade1Up, iiRcade and My Arcade which we thought we’d share with you all below.

We can’t wait to find out more about these hot items, so stay tuned!

1. Arcade1Up 3/4 Scale Digital Pinball Machines

Arcade1Up has teamed up with our friends at Zen Studios to bring you a couple of pretty awesome three-quarter size pinball machines which include titles from Bally/Williams and other yet to be announced, big names in the pinball space! We love both the Star Wars and Attack From Mars machines and can’t wait to hear more about them.

image source: northvibe via pinside

2. iiRcade – The Ultimate Home Arcade

This new ultimate home arcade, iiRcade, with online capabilities, enables gamers to legally download and play their favourite officially licensed arcade games – no more shady arcade ROM sites! Gamers who want to enjoy their favourite retro arcade games or play modern games in the arcade environment can now have the full arcade experience in their homes, either in a full size stand-up or bartop guise, it is up to you. With iiRcade, gamers can select and purchase a game they want on iiRcade’s app store, which is then automatically downloaded and installed on their iiRcade machine.

image source: iiRcade

3. My Arcade Super Retro Champ Console

The Super Retro Champ console is the successor to My Arcade’s award-winning Retro Champ and enables retro gamers to enjoy their SNES, Super Famicom, and Sega Genesis/Mega Drive cartridges from a single console. The Super Retro Champ features a 7-inch screen and a built-in rechargeable battery that offers up to 5 hours of play time. Retro gamers can play the Super Retro Champ in handheld mode or use the 2 included wireless gamepads to play in tabletop and TV mode. An HDMI® output allows users to enjoy their classic games from the comfort of their couch.

image source: Games Press

 

Celebrating Our 8th Anniversary!

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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 🙂

 

 

Happy Holidays and All The Best For 2020!

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Ho Ho Ho, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Festivus and Season’s Greetings everyone! No matter your type of gaming fun, be it modern, retro, pinball or something in between,  we hope you all have a wonderful Festive Season and may your 2020 be filled with happiness, prosperity, lots of fun and good health!

The ausretrogamer and pinball press teams will be taking a short break to enjoy this time of year with family and friends. See you all in 2020 🙂

image source: Redbubble

image source: VPinball

 

Stern Pinball Unveils STRANGER THINGS Pinball! It’s Bitchin’

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Stern Pinball Inc. announced today their new line of pinball machines celebrating the iconic Netflix series, Stranger Things!

Stranger Things is the comeback game for one of our favourite pinball designers of all time, Brian Eddy. Brian joined Stern Pinball in 2017 after being out of the pinball design game for a couple of decades. Brian is best known for two of the greatest machines of all time, Medieval Madness and Attack From Mars. With that kind of design pedigree, the excitement is quite high for his debut Stern title.

Well, from what we have seen of the three editions (Pro, Premium and Limited Edition), we reckon Brian has given us something magical – mind you, we haven’t played it yet, so once we do, we’ll give you our opinion.


source: Stern Pinball Inc.

Experience the terrifying forces in Hawkins, Indiana that turn this small town “upside down” with supernatural elements, strange sightings, and government secrets. Stranger Things pinball machines will immerse players in a search to unravel the extraordinary mysteries and secret government experiments taking place at the Hawkins National Laboratory. The gameplay focuses on unlocking the hidden meanings of supernatural events occurring in and around the town, including the appearance of a girl known as “Eleven” with telekinetic abilities. The ball is wild as Mike, Lucas, Dustin, Will, Joyce, and Police Chief Jim Hopper help Eleven close the dimensional gate.

The Pro, Premium, and Limited Edition models all feature distinct hand-drawn art in addition to the custom sculpted, interactive Demogorgon bash toy, guarded by drop targets and a rotating ramp. All models include two hideout ball scoops, a Demodog spinner, three custom ramps, and game rules that will transport players into the Upside Down.

The Premium and Limited Edition models feature a first ever video projector that displays images and animations directly on the playfield, creating dramatic interactions with gameplay action. The center of the playfield features a unique ramp that doubles as a screen and leads the player into a direct battle with the Demogorgon. These models also feature a new Eleven themed “telekinetic” magnetic ball lock.

As mentioned already, we’ll let you know what we think of Stranger Things pinball once we flip it – so stay tuned!

source: Stern Pinball Inc.

Star Wars Pin: The Force Is Strong In This One!

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We recently visited our friends at Zax Amusements to wish them all the best for the Festive Season and while we were there we got to play Stern’s Star Wars Pin. In case you weren’t aware, this is the ‘home’ edition of Stern’s popular Star Wars commercial pinball machines.

Don’t let the ‘home’ moniker fool you, this machine shares a lot of DNA with its bigger brother, like the Spike operational system architecture, flipper, drop targets, slingshots and pop bumper sub-assemblies. Not only that, the playfield dimensions are also identical! The best part of this machine is its price, at AU$6,850 it is almost $2,500 cheaper than the entry level Star Wars Pro model. So for those budget conscious pinball fans that are into Star Wars and don’t want the complex maintenance, this machine may be for you.

So how does it play? Well, since it’s a George Gomez designed game, it of course shoots darn well! All of the 11-shots (in a fan layout) feel great when nailed, some being easier than others, which makes it great for all skill levels. What we loved most about this machine was its flow and ease of understanding in how to progress through the game, including getting to the timed wizard mode called Jedi Multiball. The implementation of sounds and iconic dialogue from the original Star Wars trilogy also add to the overall experience and theme immersion. Nothing is ever perfect in this world, so our main gripe was the small screen as we struggled to view the videos when looking up quickly while playing, meaning we missed our shot and drained our ball. Apart from this niggle, we felt that there was enough on the playfield to shoot at, from drop targets, a spinner that sounds awesome when hit and the two ramps, to keep us coming back for one more go – we were hooked by the FORCE.

For those that love easy to understand rules and objectives, this machine keeps things fairly simple – hit the F-O-R-C-E target on the left side of the playfield to light up each letter. Once FORCE is all complete, the Rebels (Han Solo, Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker) are then lit, which you then shoot one (for example Luke Skywalker) and proceed to complete the designated shots for that character. Once all Rebel characters are completed (including R2-D2), the timed wizard mode Jedi Multiball begins, with the objective being to rescue Luke, Princess Leia and Han Solo by shooting the lit shots before time runs out – pretty straight forward if you manage to not lose that elusive silverball.

With four multiballs, including the aforementioned timed wizard mode Jedi Multiball, super jackpots, timed double scoring, bonus mutlipliers and the clever R2-D2 ball lock (which you can use to start or steal your opponents locked ball for the R2-D2 mutliball) , there is enough depth in the game to have you playing over and over again. Without a doubt, one of our fave and most satisfying objectives and shot (apart from ripping the blaster spinner) is destroying the Death Star – the light show, video and sound are choreographed perfectly, making you feel like you had a hand in the Rebels bringing down the Empire.

This game really surprised us. We love pinball, so we were sceptical at first since this machine is targeted for the home. But once we started flipping it, all that scepticism went away. The total package does look and feel good, from the art, sound, sound effects to the video (even though the screen is on the small side) and general playfield, we felt like we were in the original Star Wars universe. If you are interested in Stern’s Star Wars Pin, you can contact the folks at Zax Amusements today to have a flip and see if it is for you. However, if after playing it you feel that this machine is not to your liking, then then check out the commercial-grade Star Wars Comic edition.

The Force is definitely strong in this Pin!

 

 

 

Christmas 2019 Retro Gaming and Pinball Gift Ideas

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It’s that time of year when the ausretrogamer team does the hard yards by going shopping to curate a plethora of cool retro and pinball products that you can grab as Christmas gifts for your geeky friends and family (and yourself too)!

Here we go!

Tiny Arcade Frogger via Amazon AU$32.64

Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego Handheld Game via Amazon AU$28.66
Boardwalk Arcade: TMNT Mini Pinball via Amazon AU$32.57

The Mandalorian t-shirt via Amazon AU$28.99

MicroArcade Tetris via Amazon AU$32.57

Retro-Bit Official Sega Genesis USB Controller 8-Button Arcade Pad via Amazon AU$32.57

My Arcade Mini Data East Retro Arcade Player via Catch AU$79

The Game Console : A History in Photographs via Book Despository AU$38.16

Complete Pinball Book: Collecting the Game and Its History via Book Depository AU$88.46

Pinball Wizard Enamel Pin (Red Glitter) 1980’s Throwback via Etsy AU$15.24

Custom NES Retro Gaming Themed Black Shoes – Ladies/Mens via Etsy AU$106.66

Sega Mega Drive Mini via Amazon AU$129

Polaroid OneStep 2 Viewfinder i-Type Instant Camera via Catch AU$196

Star Wars Chewbacca Jumpsuit via Catch AU$59.99

LEGO® Star Wars Darth Vader’s Castle Building Set via Catch AU$197

Star Wars The Black Series Darth Vader Premium Electronic Helmet via Catch $159

Harry Potter Hogwarts Back To School Backpack via Catch AU$29.99

My Little Pony – Princess Celestia via Amazon AU$15.00

GO-TCHA Evolve Smartwatch for Pokemon Go Daredevil Red via OzGameShop AU$59.99

Sonic Boom – 5 Figure Multipack – Sonic, Knuckles, Tails, Amy & Dr. Eggman via OZGameShop AU$32.69

Baldur’s Gate Enhanced Edition Nintendo Switch via OzGameShop AU$57.99

Star Wars Pinball Nintendo Switch via OzGameShop AU$42.99

Rick and Morty Spaceship & Garage Large Construction Toy Set via Amazon AU$29.31

Data East Classic Collection SNES Cartridge via Amazon AU$36.04

Attack From Mars Pinball – Shadowbox Art via Etsy AU$196.59

Tempest X RepliCade via Amazon AU$215.06

Casio Retro Calculator Unisex Watch via Amazon AU$39.00

8BitDo SF30 Pro Bluetooth Controller via Amazon AU$59.99

 

Diary Of A First Time Pinball Buyer

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Ah life, it can be quite stressful and difficult at times, so it’s even more imperative to inject as much fun as you can for yourself and your family.

If there is one thing we know about pinball, it’s a lot of fun, no matter your age. The other thing about pinball, once you get bitten by the silverball bug, there is no shaking it off – it becomes part of your life.

This is exactly what happened to our brother-in-law, Nick. Once he (and his family) experienced pinball in the comfort of our Fun Factory, there was a twinkle in the eye that we had seen before – it happened to us years before, when we had been bitten by the same bug. Nick was hooked. He made it his mission to one day get a pinball machine for his family home.

Looking for your first pinball machine can be a daunting task. Which pinball machine do you choose? Will your family and friends enjoy your choice of pin? Do you go new or secondhand? What budget should you allocate? Once you answer these questions, you then have to decide, do you trawl the internet, forum or social media marketplaces to find your machine or do you go to a traditional bricks and mortar establishment to try before you buy?

Our advice to Nick was simple, when looking for your first home pinball machine, the most important aspect is to play and experience as many different machines as possible – this then determines the style of games, layouts and themes you (and your family) enjoy, which helps narrowing the choice of candidate machines. Once Nick got to play a myriad of machines at locations around Melbourne, he quickly had a number of candidates he wanted to check out and also have his family to play them to ensure they enjoyed them as much as he did.

After trying his hand at secondhand pinball machines, Nick found the process difficult and frustrating, as machines were either not as advertised, or worse, not in a working state. To help Nick, we told him about our dealings with Zax Amusements when we were buying our pinball machine, which made the whole process a breeze, with added peace of mind that we weren’t buying a lemon. This reassurance gave Nick the confidence to go to Zax with his family to play test the machines in their showroom and chat about his options to buy a new or secondhand pinball machine.

Before making his final decision, Nick checked out other Stern pinball machines at Zax Amusements

When purchasing a pinball machine, the family should be included in the decision making

With the family decision being made, Nick ordered a new Stern Pinball Star Wars Premium machine. He was kept informed of every step of the process, from when the machine would  land in Australia, to his options in adding optional features and most importantly, delivery and setup. Once the machine arrived at Zax Amusements, Nick was invited to be present during the unboxing and setup of the machine. This level of customer service was the reason we recommended Zax Amusements to Nick.

Speaking to Nick about his overall experience in purchasing his first pinball machine, he informed us that he appreciated the peace of mind by dealing with a reputable distributor with great customer service. As for playing the machine, we are happy to report that it has been played every day since it was delivered, which is music to our ears. The Force is definitely strong in pinball.

All eyes are on Star Wars!

After playing many machines, it was settled –  Stern’s Star Wars Premium was the chosen one!

Nick’s Star Wars Premium pinball machine on the line at the Stern Pinball factory in Chicago!

The machines are ready to travel across the globe from the US to Australia!

After a long ship ride, Nick’s machine lands in Australia!

Unboxing and going over the machine

The proud owner of their first pinball machine – it’s a beauty!

Play testing – it works flawlessly!

Playfield looks all good!

Getting the machine ready for delivery

Delivered safe and sound!

Final checks, adjustments and setup of the pinball machine

Family test – passed with flying colours!

One happy camper! May the Force Be with You.

Many thanks to Nick for allowing us to tell his story, Zax Amusements for allowing us to follow Nick in their showroom and prep area, and Zach Sharpe from Stern Pinball Inc. for providing photos of the Star Wars Premium machines rolling off the assembly line.

 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Tiny Electronic Pinball

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“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Heroes in a Half-shell Turtle Power”

Boom, just in time for Christmas, a tiny replica of the original Data East TMNT pinball machine! Well, it’s not identical to the Data East machine from 1991, but this Boardwalk Arcade TMNT Electronic Pinball machine is pretty darn cool, and considerably cheaper than the real thing 😉

You can grab the tiny Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Electronic Pinball Machine via Amazon US or Amazon Australia. It makes a great Kris Kringle / Secret Santa Xmas gift!

PS: All we need now is for Stern to release the new modern TMNT pinball machine! Yep, you read that right, a new modern real TMNT pinball machine is coming. We are quite excited, so keep an eye out for the news on our social channels!


title image and video source: Pixel Dan

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Pinball Press
Pinball Press is here to spread the word on everything pinball across the known universe. For business / PR email: [email protected]

Follow Pinball Press on Twitter and Facebook

 

 

 

Dragon’s Lair Pinball

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When it comes to pinball themes, there is a ton of video game franchises that would translate (and sell) quite well in their silverball incarnation. Getting the permission and license to translate the said video game franchise to make a pinball machine is another story altogether – unless you go homebrew!

Step in Enea Toluzzo, the Italian homebrew pinball extraordinaire, who is in the middle of creating a pinball machine based on Don Bluth and Rick Dyer’s classic arcade video game, Dragon’s Lair. Interestingly, Dragon’s Lair was originally going to be produced by Gottlieb after Black Hole, and an early whitewood prototype was built by the Black Hole designers. However, the idea ended up being scrapped and they built Haunted House instead.

Just checking out the eye popping photos of Enea’s creation will induce a heap of nostalgia and plenty of excitement! Enea aims to complete the homebrew machine and showcase it at Pinball Expo 2020! We may be visiting Chicago in October next year 😉

You can follow Enea’s progress via the Dragon’s Lair Pinball Facebook group.

image source: Dragon’s Lair Pinball – Facebook

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Pinball Press
Pinball Press is here to spread the word on everything pinball across the known universe. For business / PR email: [email protected]

Follow Pinball Press on Twitter and Facebook