The Pop-Culture E-Zine
We knew there was a good use for emojis!
Our talented co-founder, Ms. Ausretrogamer has put emojis to good use by creating iconic artwork of pop culture geekiness, from Star Wars, Dr. Who, Donkey Kong, to The Simpsons, Bob’s Burgers, The Shining and Mortal Kombat to name just a few.
If you don’t want to miss Ms. Ausretrogamer’s geeky emoji artwork, follow her on Twitter.
When Stern Pinball Inc. unveiled their latest machine, The Munsters on January 8 at CES 2019 in Las Vegas, it generated such a buzz in the pinball world, that the Limited Edition (LE) models sold out worldwide almost instantly!
We may not be able to experience the glory of the LE machine, but when Zax Amusements invited us to the unboxing and the offer to play The Munsters Pro pinball machine, that was definitely an offer we could not refuse.
With The Munsters, Stern promises that we will be transported to 1313 Mockingbird Lane, joining the entire Munsters family, from Herman, Lily, Raven, to Spot and Grandpa in this cool haunted pinball adventure. Stern Pinball’s Chairman and CEO, Gary Stern succinctly put it like this, “The Munsters are iconic and timeless, and it was time to create a pinball experience around this freaky-fun family. With beautiful artwork inspired by the supernatural family, this theme is perfect for a pinball machine” – we could not have said it better, really!
source: Ausretrogamer – Facebook
As this machine is still evolving (with its code base), we can only offer out first impressions based on the current Dwight Sullivan code. As a lot of you know, we are huge fans of John Borg designed machines, with The Walking Dead being our favourite Stern machine in recent times. The excitement for The Munsters has been brewing for a little while, and with Borg designing it and Christopher Franchi on art, we knew we were in for a treat. Our only apprehension was with Dwight Sullivan being on code, but that may have been down to us being mediocre players that don’t necessarily like playing games with deep rulesets. To our pleasant surprise, the design and ruleset (so far!) of The Munsters is pure damn fun! We love the fan layout, with each shot feeling great when hitting targets, Grandpa’s ball scoop, the Herman bash toy and of course the two ramps, especially the 180 degree high speed gravity defying right ramp! Oh yeah, the visual look of the machine speaks for itself, so Christopher Franchi should be commended for his stunning and distinctive hand-drawn art.
This is where the magic happens!
After playing The Munsters, we can safely say that on first impressions, we really really like it. The theme integration is awesome – we never get sick of the artwork, the LCD visuals and the sounds from the TV show. The game made us feel like hitting the start button immediately after we drained our last ball from our previous game, so the game did have a high replayability for us – which is good news for operators routing this machine.
We also asked PAPA 20 Division B World Pinball Champion, Jordan Tredaway to give us his first impressions from an expert player’s perspective – he was quite open and upfront stating that the game shot well and hitting the ramps felt good. That’s a big plus coming from a champion pinball player.
There will never be a pinball machine that will make everyone happy, but just like everything else in life, variety is the spice of life, and in this instance, gives us the option to try all these new pinball machines to see if we like them or not. As it currently stands, we are big fans of The Munsters Pro and cannot wait for the Premium model to land in Australia – that lower playfield and of course, that beautiful black and white artwork has us intrigued!
If you are yearning for some fun pinball action, go and play The Munsters! You never know, you may just like it.
A big thank you to Scott and Phil from Zax Amusements for inviting us to check out and play Stern’s The Munsters Pro pinball machine.
Pinball should be enjoyed by all, so it was awesome to find out that there is now an official Belles & Chimes Melbourne chapter up and running!
If you haven’t heard of Belles & Chimes, it is a pinball league for women that started in the US, with chapters popping up all around the world, including Melbourne – which is simply awesome news.
The Belles & Chimes Melbourne chapter is open to women (cis and trans) and non-binary pinheads of any diverse background and skill level living in this great city. The inclusiveness of this group ensures that everyone gets to experience and enjoy playing pinball.
Belles & Chimes Melbourne will have meet-ups as well as their own tournaments in the near future, so if you are keen on pinball and would like to get involved, join their Facebook group to keep up to date and follow them on Instagram.
For more information about Belles & Chimes and chapters around the world, check out their site.
Pinball enjoyed by all! 
Well, Thank Gawd It’s Friday, or better yet, #TGIF!
Friday always feels good as it is the end of the working week and knowing that the weekend shenanigans are nigh.
To make Friday flow even easier, we thought we’d go shopping for some cool retro gaming and general pop culture stuff that you may also be interested in. Oh yeah, if you are keen on any of the gear below, just click on the pic and it will take you to the relevant merchant/store – too easy, here we go!
We have always wanted to attend an amusement (trade) expo, and it doesn’t get any bigger than the Japan Amusement Expo (JAEPO), which was held over the last weekend.
The heavy hitters of the industry were all there showcasing their latest games and machines (Sega, Taito, Konami, Capcom, Bandai Namco), hoping to attract distributors and operators alike. Oh yeah, Taito’s ‘Mega Rage Darius’ throwback section was a nice touch and proved quite popular!
image source: megarage_mizo
Here are some highlights and new machines that caught our eye from JAEPO 2019. Obviously Space Invaders and anything pinball related caught our eye.
Taito stand
Taito’s Densha De Go (train simulator) – Standard and Kids versions
Taito – Space Invaders Gigamax (10P Space Invaders with a display that fits on a side of a building)
Taito / Raw Thrills – Halo: Fireteam Raven
Street Fighter V Type Arcade (Capcom @ Taito’s stand)
Taito – Space Invaders Pinball Jam
2人対戦ができる、スペースインベーダーデザインの『SPACE INVADERS PINBALL JAM』
打ち返したボールが相手側に落ちると得点が入ります！
残り時間が少なくなるとどんどんボールが増えていきます…(o_o)#タイトー #JAEPO2019 pic.twitter.com/nwu15dEe9W— タイトーゲーム@「ダライアス コズミックコレクション」予約受付中！ (@TAITO_Apps) January 25, 2019
Arcade1Up Japan – Space Invaders 40th Anniversary
Konami – stand
Konami – Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) 20th Anniversary Edition
Bandai Namco Technica – Pac-Man Panic Pinball
Bandai Namco Technica – Super Panic Ball (pinball)
Bandai Namco Technica – unique tool display from a Jersey Jack Pinball cabinet
exA-Arcadia – the NEOGEO MVS of our time!
Arcade Buttons galore!
image sources: Arcade Heroes, Taito Zuntata on Twitter, Taito, Arcade1Up Japan, BemaniStyle, exA-Arcadia & BK2000
We love seeing old photos of arcade games and parlours, especially ones from Eastern Europe – just like these photos uploaded on Flickr by Marcin Wichary from mid 1990s Poland.
If you look closely, you will find some interesting bootleg machines, but that doesn’t matter, as this is great to see what gamers got to play in Poland in the mid 1990s.
You can check out the rest of the photos on Flicker.
source: Marcin Wichary on Flickr
Stern Pinball keep pumping out pinball machines with themes that strike a chord with a lot of you out there.
Their latest pinball machine, The Munsters was unveiled to much fanfare at CES 2019 in Las Vegas earlier this morning (Australian time). With Jack Danger’s Dead Flip Twitch channel live streaming the reveal, there were lots of eyeballs around the globe glued to screens to check out what Stern had delivered – they weren’t disappointed.
We can safely say that Stern has released a machine that will have mass appeal for operators and home collectors alike. The best part of showing their new title was that all three models were available to be checked out and of course, played. The Pro, the Premium and the LE (Limited Edition) were all there, with their distinct packages, garnering a huge buzz online, both on social media and forums like Pinside – which is exactly what Stern was aiming for!
Oh yeah, a bit more detail regarding this new pinball title:
There are three machine variants of The Munsters; there is the Pro, Premium and Limited Edition (LE). Aside from each having distinct cabinet art, the Premium and Limited Edition versions contain some cool extra features with the most obvious one being the mini-playfield under the centre of the main playfield. The mini-playfield contains miniature flippers with it’s own tiny ramps, including a wireform one (ramp) with an upkicker and its own multi-ball – how cool is that! The entry level Pro model doesn’t have the sunken mini-playfield, but all three versions share the following features:
The Limited Edition (LE) model will have a production run of 500 units, which we have been informed have all been sold out worldwide – now that was quick!
We must say that the Premium’s black and white colour scheme is cool and quite refreshing, which may polarise hardcore pinheads (we love it!).
The Pro version will be available in Australia from the end of January, with the (already sold) Limited Edition coming in March and the Premium in mid May. We can’t wait to check these out in the flesh and give them a flip! So, which one appeals to you?
The Munsters Pro model
The Munsters Premium model
The Munsters Limited Edition (LE) model
image source: Stern Pinball
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Now this was a pleasant surprise from Jack (aka: NewOldStock)!
If you like your videos to be authentically gritty and grainy (like they were 30 years ago), then check out this one of the Classic Gaming Area at PAX Aus 2018 captured on a 1986 National (Panasonic) M5 VHS camera!
We spoke to Jack to tell us a bit more about how this cool video came about. Jack told us that he is an avid collector of vintage A/V equipment that he loves to restore and use – his dream is to ultimately become a filmmaker. The National (Panasonic) M5 camera that he used for this footage cost him AU$70 at Cash Converters – we reckon that is money well spent. He informs us that he wanted this particular brand and model due to its reliability and the fact that batteries are still being manufactured for it – some 32 years after its initial release (totally mind blowing)! Jack’s challenge to transfer the VHS footage to be viewed on the net was daunting, however with sheer determination and tenacity, he found an old DVD recorder in hard rubbish that he used to digitise the VHS footage – now that is fortuitous!
Thanks heaps to Jack and his hard work in creating this awesome video – we feel like we have been transported back to the 80s and absolutely love it! Enjoy!
source: OldNewStock
‘Tis the season to be jolly, Fa-la-la-
No matter where you are on this beautiful blue marble of ours, and no matter if you celebrate Christmas or not, on behalf of the Ausretrogamer and Pinball Press team, we wish you all a safe and awesome Christmas / Festive Season! All the very best to you all for 2019!
Thank you to all of you that come and visit our site – you all rock!
Oh yeah, if you have all been good, we hope Santa can drag himself away from playing pinball and deliver your presents!
image source: boredpanda
Do you like pinball? Do you have a special someone in your life that is into pinball?
If you answered yes to either of these questions, then we have some really unique and cool handmade and vintage pinball related gifts (to suit any budget!) so you are all sorted for Christmas (or any other occasion)!
Oh yeah, just click on the link or photo to take you straight to the product item.
Attack From Mars Shadowbox Art
Same Player Shoots Again Enamel – Pinball Pin
3″ Vintage Reproduction Williams Electronics Manufacturing Corp. Pinball Company
Guns & Roses Data East Pinball LED Backbox Display light box
Gottlieb Haunted House Pinball Shadowbox Art
Vintage 70s Pinball Wizard t-shirt
Pinball Flipper Pendant Necklace in Brushed Pewter
The Machine: Bride of Pinbot Williams Pinball BackBox LED Display light box
Mini Virtual Pinball Machine
The Walking Dead Pinball – Pile of Skulls: Pinball Flipper Bat MOD
25 Cent Pinball Arcade Video Game LED Night Light
Pinball Flipper Keychain
Pinball Pop Bumper Button / Keychain
Pinball Addict Necklace – for her (or him)
Pinball Obsession Greeting Card
Pinball Addict 3″ Embroidered Patch
INDIANA JONES The Pinball Adventure – keychain (gold)
Midnight Pinballing (Giclée Fine Art Print)
Shaky Pinball LCD Handheld Game
Tiger Electronic Vintage Handheld Pinball LCD Video Game – 1987
Miniature Football Theme Pinball Machine Clock
Night Shift – Pinball Oil Painting
Twilight Zone Pinball pin
The Addams Family Pinball LED Illuminated BackBox 3D Art Shadow Box – deluxe limited edition signed numbered
Solenoids & Asteroids – limited edition Pinball themed silkscreen print
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Pinball Press
Pinball Press is the coolest PR & Social Media engine that drives awareness to your pinball related products, events, news, podcasts and streams!
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