pinball

PAX Australia announces return of the Classic Gaming Area at PAX Aus 2015

October 26, 2015 By Ms. ausretrogamer

The Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) is proud to announce that the Classic Gaming Area will be returning for the third time, bigger and better than ever, at PAX Aus 2015. The Classic Gaming Area joins the dozen of areas on the show floor catering to PAX Aus badge holders over the three-day event including Tabletop, Console, PC, eSports, and more.

Image source: Blow The Cartridge

The Classic Gaming Area will feature a plethora of playable retro consoles and computers from the 1970s to the early 2000s, and for the first time, arcade machines and pinball tables! This will also include the new and much anticipated Game Of Thrones pinball tables!

Image source: IGN

A joint initiative between PAX and Melbourne-based retro gaming experts Ausretrogamer, Retro Domination, Weird and Retro (all providing retro consoles and computers), local barcade Bartronica (providing arcade machines), and pinball enthusiast Scott Kellett with Amusement Machine Distributors, Bayside Pinball Club, and Pinmem (providing pinball tables), the Classic Gaming Area will transport PAX Aus attendees young and old to the golden age of video gaming.

Consoles on display will be NES, SNES, Dreamcast, Saturn, Master System, Mega Drive, GameCube, N64, PC-Engine, C64, Amiga, Atari ST, Atari 2600, Atari Lynx, Game Boy, Wonderswan, PS1, PS2, and Xbox.

The classic arcade section will include Mortal Kombat 2, Time Crisis, and even an original Donkey Kong cabinet.

Image source: Prima Games

Ausretrogamer’s Alex Boz explains “besides freeplay consoles, computers, arcade machines, pinball tables, and friendly retro gaming experts, the Classic Gaming Area will be running tournaments all weekend with some great prizes!”

Guy ‘Yug’ Blomberg, PAX Aus Content and Community Manager adds “the Classic Gaming Area has been a very popular and successful part of PAX Aus since we began in 2013, we are thrilled it is back for 2015 and excited about this year’s expanded range of activities.”

More information about the Classic Gaming Area, including tournaments, can be found at https://www.ausretrogamer.com/paxaus-2015-classic-gaming-tournaments.

Friday and Sunday badges and 3-day international badges are still available and can be purchased online at www.paxaustralia.com.au/registration.

For further information visit paxaustralia.com.au or follow PAX Australia updates via Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Source: PAX Australia

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Ms. ausretrogamer
Co-founder, editor and writer 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

Pinball Frenzy At PAXAus

October 22, 2015 By ausretrogamer

Who said that pinball was dead? Well, it may have taken a back seat a decade and a half ago, but boy, has pinball come back in a big way. There has been a resurgence of flipping the silver ball with companies like Stern Pinball making contemporary tables based on the hottest bands and pop culture franchises on the planet, from AC/DC, Metallica, KISS, to Iron Man, The Walking Dead, Star Trek and WWE Wrestlemania, there surely is no shortage of great pinball machines to tilt and bump on.

Since pinball has once again become cool (Ed: it never lost its cool!), it was a no brainer to start thinking about including pinball machines in the PAX Aus Classic Gaming area. After meeting Scott Kellett at Supanova earlier this year, we had a brief chat and that is when Scott mentioned how cool it would be to have pinball machines at PAXAus. A few discussions later, Scott’s idea was given the greenlight to pursue having pinball machines in the Classic Gaming area. Through sheer determination and dedication, Scott has round up the big names from the pinball community (Bayside Pinball Club, PinMem and AMD) to deliver us an array of amazing pinball tables (Ed: there will be 10 pinball tables!) for all of you to enjoy and compete on. In a major pinball coup, Scott has arranged to have the first Game of Thrones pinball table available for play in Australia at PAXAus 2015 – even more reason to see you all at PAXAus 2015!

For those with a competitive streak, the ‘PAXAus 2015 IFPA Pinball Tournament’ (proudly brought to you by AMD) will be on Saturday, October 31 – more details here. There will be great prizes on offer, including showbags full of Stern goodies and an awesome Game Of Thrones backboard translite! Get your flippin fingers ready for some pinball frenzy at PAXAus 2015.

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

image source: Amusement Machine Distributors (AMD)

Flipping Out

October 5, 2015 By ausretrogamer

If you have an interest in pinball, even if it is in passing, then this Flipped video by Mike L. Miller is a hoot to watch. I think a fair few of you (Ed: and me!) will relate to the jubilation of multi-ball play and the despondency when that shiny metal ball drains – the reactions of players in this video are priceless.

If you think pinball is just a passing fad a second time around, then think again! I am glad we are all keeping the (pinball) dream alive!

source: Flipped on vimeo

PAXAus 2015: Classic Gaming Tournaments

September 25, 2015 By ausretrogamer

So who here likes gaming tournaments? There are a lot of hands going up – which is great to see! Well, you are all in luck! The Classic Gaming area will be running tournaments all weekend at PAXAus 2015. You can compete for fun or for the glory.

There will be high score challenge tournaments on arcade machines, consoles, 8-bit computers and pinball tables to show off your prowess. Speaking of pinball tournaments, Saturday’s competition will be fully sanctioned by the IFPA! We suggest that you diarise the following Classic Gaming tournament schedule:

You still have time to practice and sharpen your gaming skills. You never know, you just may end up being a Classic Gaming champion! Are you game to compete?

The Pinball Revolution Continues: Real Meets Virtual

September 23, 2015 By ausretrogamer

image source: Stern Pinball Inc.

What do you get when two titans from the leisure entertainment industry join forces? You get excitement, that’s what! Stern Pinball, the force behind modern day real pinball machines, and FarSight Studios, the force behind virtual pinball games like The Pinball Arcade, have announced a new expanded partnership to connect the real with the virtual when it comes to pinball gaming.

This partnership will see FarSight Studios develop a new digital platform called The Stern Pinball Arcade that will feature exact virtual replicas of Stern Pinball’s hottest pinball machines. If The Pinball Arcade is anything to go by, then we are all in for a treat! The full announcement can be read here.

It’s time to get excited pinball wizards! Let the pinball revolution continue!

Flippin Fun at the Seattle Pinball Museum

September 21, 2015 By ausretrogamer

I got to hand it to Ms. ausretrogamer, her research skills and effort to find fun (gaming related) venues in cities we visited on our North American trip, was second to none. I knew Seattle was going to be a cool city to visit, but we were totally blown away by how much there was to do and see. Rather than cram everything in one article, we thought we would start with the highlight, the Seattle Pinball Museum!

The Seattle Pinball Museum (SPM) is in the heart of Seattle’s Chinatown / International district (508 Maynard Ave S Seattle). Entry is $13USD for an adult ($18USD if you want to come and go), which gives you unlimited play on all the pinball and arcade machines inside the multi-storey entertainment centre. Once you pay your entry fee, you just hit start on any machine and go for your life (except The Wizard Of Oz machine)! We started proceedings on the world’s biggest pinball machine, Hercules! This thing was massive! Instead of a metallic sphere to knock around, Hercules uses a white billiard ball! The flippers were more like bats, and there was no way you could bump and tilt like you would on a normal table. I must say, it was an experience playing on Hercules, but my eyes quickly diverted to Fish Tales!

On the ground floor, the pinball tables were arranged from oldest to the latest offerings from Stern and Jersey Jack Pinball. There were no queues to wait (on the day we were there), so we jumped from one table to the next – experiencing everything from the early 70s right through to the current day machines.

Upstairs was a mix of pinball tables (Gorgar, The Flintstones, Taxi, Terminator 2, Space Invaders among others) and arcade machines straight out of the golden age era – Asteroids, Missile Command, Pacman and Galaga, just to name a few. It was great to see these machines once again, and it was even better seeing the new generation of kids enjoying these classics.

We had such a great time at the Seattle Pinball Museum, we totally lost track of time. Ms ausretrogamer had to tap me on the shoulder to let me know that we were the last ones inside and that the other machines were being turned off for the day. Luckily for me, Mike (from SPM) was cool enough to let me finish my game. Before we did leave, we bought a few souvenirs from the SPM, an awesome tee and a few pinball badges to remind us of the great time we had. If we lived in Seattle, I know where we would go every week!

At last, we arrive!

Entering the wonderful world of the Seattle Pinball Museum!

Even the wall art was awesome (and in theme) in this place!

The pinball wizards having some flippin fun

Whoa! The World’s largest pinball game! This thing was huge!

Yep, that’s a billiard ball to play on the largest pinball game on the planet!

Yours truly enjoying some Fish Tales! Haven’t played this in ages! So good!

The pinball tables were arranged from oldest to latest – Texan is the oldest at the Museum

Texan’s starting control deck – oh how beautiful

Oh wow, this Star Trek Enteprise Limited Edition table had to be seen to be believed (it was so sleek and gorgeous)

No matter where you turned, there were pinball tables begging to be played!

Best part of being here – trying pinball games I had never played before!

LoTR is now in my top 10 fave pinball tables of all time! That’s a big call!

Nice to look at, but a nightmare to play. Perhaps I needed more practice…

Ms. ausretrogamer was hooked on Scared Stiff

Woo hoo – top 4 high score on Theatre of Magic!

He shoots, he scores! Another classic Bally table!

This Indy machine brought back lots of fond memories.

Make it so, Number One. Two absolute classics side-by-side!

Let’s start shootin!

A signed Stern AC/DC Pro table! We loved the info on top of each pinball machine.

Found a couple of Pinball 2000 machines too.

Looking back at all the awesomeness.

Ah, The Wizard Of Oz – a table you must play at least once in your life!

The rise of the arcade machines……..

I wonder what wonderment we’ll find upstairs?

More awesome pinball machines upstairs, and……..

Golden Age arcade machines!

Baby Pac-Man – a hybrid arcade and pinball machine!

A different perspective of Baby Pac-Man

Oh wow, I had forgotten how hard Missile Command was at the arcade!

Aha, there she is! She is still beautiful, even after all these years…..

The new generation enjoying the old generation of arcade machines

Oh man, another absolute classic from the Golden Age!

The view from above.

Finally, I get to play the real Gorgar instead of playing it on the iPad!

The view below still looks good.

What to play first? The Who’s Tommy Pinball Wizard or Taxi? Tough decision.

Another rock band inspired pinball table!

While we are here, we might as well have a go on The Flintstones.

More awesome wall art upstairs (wish we could have taken some home!).

Oh yeah baby, a bit of Stardust always goes down well.

Another one of my all-time fave tables – you better believe it!

Found you! I can never get enough of Monster Bash!

Just reading up on my fave table before we have to leave *sad face*

We couldn’t leave the Seattle Pinball Museum without some souvenirs and mementos! Hooray!

Venue: Seattle Pinball Museum
Address: 508 Maynard Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104
Hours of operation:
— 10 to 5 on Sunday | Monday | Wednesday
— 12 to 10 on Thursday | Friday | Saturday
— Closed on Tuesday

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

September 2, 2015 By ausretrogamer

Just 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!

image source: Blow The Cartridge

Bartronica: Lair Of The Barcadian

August 4, 2015 By ausretrogamer

After a hard days work, where does one go to quench their thirst and get a fix of gaming nostalgia? That’s an easy one to answer – you make your way to Bartronica, a city barcade establishment at 335 Flinders Lane, Melbourne.

Nestled between Elizabeth and Queen (streets), the barcade is in the perfect spot in Melbourne’s Central Business District. The entry to Bartronica is via downward stairs, and upon entry, the establishment is revealed in all of its glory, beginning with the well stocked bar. Speaking of which, there are plenty of beverages which would definitely quench your hard earned thirst. As you down your drink, you notice the upright arcade machines; NBA Jam, Street Fighter II, The Simpsons, Mortal Kombat II, Golden Axe and 1943, and these are just the tip of the iceberg – there are plenty more upright machines jostling for your attention. It doesn’t end there, the venue also has driving and shooting cabinets plus six great pinball tables to get you flippin!

For those seeking comfort, Bartronica also has cool lounges for you to sit and take a load off. If you like to play from the comfort of the lounge, there are old school consoles from Sega and Nintendo which are free to play! The consoles provide a fun way to challenge your friends in some awesome multiplayer gaming action, like Super Mario Kart 64, all while kicking back and sipping on a drink.

With their wonderful hospitality, Bartronica makes everyone feel welcome – it is the kind of place where you would visit quite frequently, on your own or with friends. So the next time you are in the city and in need of a watering hole with a twist, then head on over to Bartronica, you’ll have a blast!

Entering the lair of the barcadian

Anticipation builds, one step at a time!

Hello Bartronica!

What is your poison?

In the driver’s seat, Bartronica owner – Josh Flamank

What to play first?

TMNT it is!

A row of beauties begging to be played

Retro Domination’s Daz Retro hits Ninja Gaiden

Daz Retro gets hacking on Golden Axe!

Behind the bar

Working up a serious thirst!

Taking a load off with Super Mario Kart 64!

Run out of coins? Don’t stress, whack in some notes

The view from the deck

Hello Lisa!

Getting some 16-bit action

Playing some Sonic from the comfort of the plush lounge

Cool light artwork!

Golden Axe immortalised on the wall

Hang on a second, there’s pinballs over there!

There they are – glorious pinball!

Demolishing Demolition Man

Retro Domination’s Matt Cawley gets flippin on Fastbreak!

Matt has silver ball fever!

Drinking + playing = a good night

Action aplenty!

Retro Domination Street Fighter II Battle: Daz Retro vs Matt Cawley!

Venue: Bartronic – Arcade Bar
Address: 335 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

Cramer’s Pinball Tournament: It’s Hotter Than July!

July 29, 2015 By ausretrogamer

Whoa! Time flies when you are having fun! It seems like yesterday that we attended the inaugural Cramer’s Pinball Tournament, but alas, that was over a month ago!

Well, the second Cramer’s Pinball Tournament rolled around this past Tuesday (July 28). Once again, tournament director Scott Kellett put on a wonderful competition at an equally awesome venue. Not only did we have the influence of pinball on the bar menu, Scott also worked tirelessly to upgrade the cameras near the competition area (thanks also to Dr. Curlytek) to ensure that all the flipping action was beamed to the big screen so that no one missed the wizards in action.

As per usual, the competition was fierce, but the social aspects of such pinball tournaments is always the winner on the night. In the end there were four left standing (from 27 participants): teenage pinball sensation, Jordan Tredaway, Wal Dickie, Daniel Luth and Mr. Pinball himself, Scott Kellett. There were a few nail biting moments on the scoreboard, but the eventual champion and last wizard standing was, (Ed: drum roll please!) Scott Kellett – well done on a fantastic win, Scott!

On a night like this, pinball is the winner, so congratulations to everyone that participated and to all the new players, we hope to see you at the next pinball tournament!

A big thanks to Scott Kellett, Luke Marburg, Wal Dickie, Stacey Borg, Cramer’s Hotel and Cashbox Amusement for another great tournament! Roll on next month!

The board says it all!

Scott makes final camera adjusments

A Pinball Wizard must eat before battle!

A new registrant is always welcome into the pinball family!

Light, Camera, Action!

Matt Cawley – Deep in concentration

ausretrogamer EIC, Alex Boz, with matching red sneakers tries his luck on AC/DC Luci!

The crowd builds! This is the best part of pinball’n

More devilish action!

Fierce competition!

With a massive score, Scott Kellett (SMK) is crowned the Grand Champion!

Till next time…….

Pixel Alley: The Place To Be

July 24, 2015 By ausretrogamer

On a windy Tuesday evening, we headed to Pixel Alley, an awesome barcade in Fitzroy, and a pinball tournament broke out!

Organised by Luke Marburg, the inaugural Pixel Alley Pinball Tournament pitted players in a head-to-head format, with players being eliminated after two losses. With twenty two players competing on the Iron Man and Monster Bash tables, the competition was fierce, but always friendly and lots of fun – these pinball tournaments are always a great social event. With any competition, there could only be one winner, and for this tournament, Martin Robbins (MTO) cleaned up big time. Martin was unbeatable, especially on Monster Bash – he was setting successive (huge) high scores on the table! I must admit, watching Martin smashing those flippers incessantly was quite mesmerizing – the dude is a full-on pinball wizard. With a $100 bar tab and a Pixel Alley tee, Martin walked away quite satisfied with his win. We definitely can’t wait for the next tournament at this wonderful establishment.

Pixel Alley Pinball Tournament table 1: Iron Man

Tournament table 2 (which is now my all-time fave!): Monster Bash

The competition heats up!

Apart from the pinball action, these tourneys are awesome social gatherings!

Tournament Manager, Luke Marburg ensures everything is above board

Before we leave you to gaze at some of the photos from Pixel Alley, we wanted to tell you all that this place has something for everyone – from old school arcade machines, deluxe driving games (Ed: Daytona 2 anyone?), pinball and pool tables, to an indoor Bocce court, this place is amazing. Oh yeah, the walls are adorned with great gaming artwork, which adds to an already great atmosphere. Did we mention there is a food caravan upstairs? Yep, you read that right. So, if you haven’t already hit Pixel Alley, put it right up the top of your “must visit” list for next time you are in town!

Pixel Alley, the place to be at!